Spring Cleaning

There are some boxes in our basement that we haven't opened since we moved into our current house just over four-years ago.

I now understand why - it's a lot of work. But it's kind of fun too. We're finding all kinds of things that we had forgotten about.

Marietta Days is coming up on May 17th. I'm not sure why it's called "Days" because it only last one day. But, hey, that's Marietta.

On Marietta Days the borough closes Market Street for a good stretch of a dozen blocks or so. Anyone who lives along the route is invited to set-up a stand and sell whatever they want. It's like a big, in-town yard sale, without the yards, just sidewalk.

A few traveling vendors dot the route as well. I was disappointed my first Marietta Days to find that most of the out-of-town vendors were selling Chinese sneakers or FBI baseball caps. It wasn't the quality of vendors I'm used to seeing at this kind of local event - like the Mt. Gretna Art Show or the Kipona Festival in Harrisburg.

I later learned that the only people who had the time to organize the event were people who think Chinese sneakers and FBI baseball caps are cool.

The saving grace is the food. It is the one-day a year that the town's deli sells its infamous grilled sausage sandwiches, made Philly-style with a little sauce, peppers and onions, on a soft hoagie roll. They're out of this world.

And there are great french fries, cut into just about every size or style you could imagine, deep fried and as unhealthy as a potato can get - but oh so good.

One year a vendor showed up with crab cake sandwiches and they also received top-marks from the crew here that day. But they never have come back (pout), although I travel end to end of the event each year looking for them.

Barb and Alyssa are going to set-up shop out front this year. Hopefully we'll get brilliant sunshine. Alyssa is a natural visual merchandiser and sales guru. I'll stay away from the stand so I don't scare anyone away.

But I'm cleaning out those boxes in the basement, finding all kinds of stuff I forgot about. It's one pile for the junkman, one pile to sell on Marietta Days, and one pile of things we want to save.

I'm anxious to be able to see the basement floor again.

Come on over for sausage sandwiches May 17th!