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Health & Fitness

Life Goes Round And Round

A weekend filled with "Finds" that are Big and Round!

What an unbelievable beautiful Memorial Day weekend!  I spent my weekend at the Jersey Shore and was able to hit all my favorite stomping grounds! The weather was picture perfect and so was the opportunity for "Picking." Between the Flea Market and all the Garage Sales, I couldn't have wished for better "Finds." However, everything I bought this weekend was BIG and ROUND!  Too funny!  I guess what goes around ends up coming around!    

My weekend started off at The Flea Market, where I did my usual "two rounds" and knew immediately what I was going to bargain for that day.  This huge wrought iron wagon wheel caught my eye and I knew somebody would treasure this wheel; so I bought it! After I paid for it, I realized that the wheel was huge and extremely heavy! Just too heavy for me to carry. My car was parked pretty far away and the Flea Market was crowded. I had to laugh at myself; I ended up wheeling that wheel all the way to my car.  You can just imagine all the comments I received as I wheeled by!  

The rest of my weekend was spent at Garage Sales!  They were everywhere this weekend. I guess people were trying to clean up their homes before the summer season started full force.  There was one special Garage Sale that I ended up finding my real treasures, the kind; that meant something to me.    

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I don't know if I ever told you all before, but I grew up my whole life living on a boat for the summer.  I was one of those "Boat People": that's what they called us back then.  I didn't have a house, I actually lived on the boat for the summer in Bay Head, NJ.  That's where my love for nautical pieces came from.  My dad and I always use to go to this nautical junkyard on the Toms River Bridge in Toms River, NJ.  I can't remember the name of the place but we used to go every Sunday afternoon and we would buy the most corroded pieces we could find.  It became a game! And then a challenge! From ship wheels, to nautical lights, to anchors, you name it, it was there. We would then spend days or weeks bringing these pieces back to their natural luster.  My house at the beach is now filled with some of those restored treasures.  Everytime I see a nautical piece, I end up buying it; because it brings me back to those special days with my dad.   

The one special garage sale I went to this weekend, I felt like my dad was by my side and I was 10 again. When I walked in, I realized that the owner of the house was a nautical guy!  Immediately, I had a natural bond with him and our conversation flowed freely for over a half hour. There were so many pieces to pick and choose from, and I ended up buying so much.  My favorite piece was an old wooden and brass "Ship Wheel" from a huge boat.  He said, "It came from his grandfathers boat." It needed some work, but by the end of the day, I had it looking like new!  I'm thinking about making a cocktail table from the wheel, its the perfect size. If I do, you will see it at my "Big Sale" which is coming up really soon!   

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I also bought some antique wooden fishing poles, nautical brass running lights from a boat,  old weathered oars, and some old fishing charts.  I left there with my jeep packed with all my great "Finds" and all my "Favorite Memories" of my childhood with my Dad!   It almost felt like a "Pay It Forward" in a sense.  What goes around, ends up coming around!  That's how life goes round and round!    

Well stay tuned, this week should be filled with fabulous finds.  Don't forget, I'm prepping for my "Big Sale," which is just around the corner.    

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