Aug 09 2009
One Man’s Trash is Another’s Treasure
The saying “One man’s trash is another’s treasure” certainly rang true today! A house I drive by weekly on my way to the grocery store has frequently had household items sitting out for the trash as of late – everything from couches to bicycles! Last night as I drove that way, I noticed a homemade shelf – one typically found in a garage or greenhouse and thought of my neighbor who makes stained glass artwork.
Today I had to drive past that way again, but slowed down to get a better look. This time I saw that there was some scalloped stone edging in the mix. My neighbor had also been talking about doing some landscaping, so I thought of her again!
I loaded Bubba in the wagon and we walked back to the roadside riches, only to realize that the shelf was a lot bigger than I thought. It would have fit on there, but then my 3-year-old would have had to walk back, while I balanced it and pulled the wagon – not in our best interest! So we walked back empty handed.
I told my neighbor about the treasures we had found. She was excited and asked if her daughter and I would go back to get them. We left our kids with her, got in my Equinox, and headed back to the pile of possible possessions. To our dismay, the workbench/shelf would not fit in the back! But, we loaded up the arched concrete and decided we would have to come back with the wagon.
Checking the rest of the heap one more time, I saw what looked like a large picture frame. I lifted it up to reveal a huge beveled mirror! We were amazed that it was included in this collection for the trashman! We put that in the back of the car and realized there was an announcement posted on the front door of the house – probably an eviction notice, which would explain the recent accumulation of goods!
One last trip back with the wagon to pick up the originally-intended article, and our “dumpster diving” adventure was complete. It only took us a drive-by, a curb-side pick-up, and two trips with the wagon, but my neighbor was surely pleased with her new treasures!
