So for the second time in the last 8-1/2 years, I lost my mind and decided to have a garage sale.

The first time, I had almost nothing to sell, was not very organized and made $132. I thought I was in heaven. Mostly, I just wanted to get rid of some junk.

And then I found somebody who came to the sale to come back and take piles and piles of discarded lumber that had been "stored" in the backyard for that time when they might be handy to have.

This time, Mouse and I both decided it was time to discard and sort. Circumstances happened, and the discarding became more manic, as did the need to big-time discard.

So I looked at the rapidly shortening calendar, stuck my finger on a Saturday and said, "This is the date."

Then Mouse said she wouldn't be in town that day. That girl has always had wonderful timing.

So proving that I actually did learn something from the thousands of hours I sit on my butt and read women's magazines, I used the two-bags-and-a-box method.

One bag said, "Garbage;" one bag said, "Sell," and the box was marked "Keep."

I like to use recycled paper boxes from the office because even when they're full, they're manageable, as opposed to some "medium"-sized cartons from a move-it-yourself place that are nearly immovable when half-full.

Peggy Jane the Mom never garage-saled officially, but she was big on saving perfect hand-me-downs for others who might be able to use them. Now, she single-handedly stocks the St.Vincent de Paul Store in Green Bay, where she also volunteers.

It's my sister's favorite place to shop, and she gets absolutely wonderful things there (details in another column to come).

My former extended family members in Rapid City, however, are the literal kings and queens of garage sales. It's absolutely their favorite hobby, and as a result, they have marvelous ones of their own where they make tons of money and get rids of multiple tons of stuff.

My former mother-in-law's home of many decades looked like something out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Everything perfectly matched and had that clean, cottage look to it. Nearly everything in the house - literally - she had found at garage sales through the years.

So after spending weeks of being overwhelmed, I finally got the friend to help with the hauling up from the basement, as well as from the main floor, into the garage.

He fashioned a wizard-like rack to hang clothes, because I heard clothes sell better if they are on hangers.

Mouse contributed practically new clothing and several pair of never-worn, expensive shoes, as well as hundreds of dollars worth of stuffed animals.

My fervent hope was that it really would be true that "one woman's junk would be another woman's treasure."

And then after two nights of sweating in the miniature, stifling garage, I looked around and it sort of looked like a mini retail store. I was thrilled with the way it looked. Now would people buy? …

(To be continued)

Community news editor Sally Ann Shurmur is frazzled and can be reached at (307) 266-0520 or e-mail her at sallyann.shurmur@trib.com.