Love Thy Neighbor (Long & Pictureless)

I don’t own a dryer. My laundry room is set up in such a way that it would only accommodate a stackable unit and purchasing one is not on my priority list. There’s a Laundromat just a block away from us. If laundry piles up, I do a couple of loads and then take them there to dry.

One of the people working there is a lovely middle-aged lady. I’m pretty sure the place pays minimum wage or just a little more, but the people who work there provide a wonderful, clean facility. The lady takes the bus to and from work and you just get the sense that she lives on very little. I really enjoy her outgoing, friendly personality and we usually end up chatting for a few minutes when I go there.   

It’s been hot. Almost too hot to cook, but my boys longed for a hearty meal. We made a yummy homemade pasta sauce along with some yummy pasta. Everything was ready. I had to run to get the laundry from the Laundromat before dinner and for some odd reason I decided to take the lady at the Laundromat some of it.

Her face lit up when I handed her what we had prepared. She told me how she had really needed some dinner tonight and sang praises to the Lord. She immediately had a taste and then complimented our cooking. I left feeling happy that I had brought her some joy with something so simple.

As I pulled into our street parking spot, a truck pulled up next to me. The guy signaled for me to roll down my window. The guy lives a few houses up the street and I wondered what was going on.

There are a few houses in our neighborhood that need to be “flipped.” One of those is an old Sanatorium behind my house. The guy was telling me that he had taken on keeping watch over it a bit and asked me to let him know if someone dumps trash back there. I don’t live in the best neighborhood, but the neighborhood association is trying to make a difference, which is nice. He’s part of that.

I told him that I would. I apologized to him for the state of my own backyard. He asked me what was wrong with it.

I love my house and I hate my house. The idea of gardening is very appealing, but how to add that activity to everything else has yet to be determined. The grass in my backyard is usually a disaster and some bushes need trimming. We don’t own a lawnmower. I’ve priced new ones – Way too expensive! I’ve looked into getting a used one as well, but it’s just never worked out. We have one of those environmentally friendly push-mowers, but once the grass gets too high, it needs mowing with a gas-powered monster mower.

Anyhow.

He told me that he was about to cut the grass in the vacant lot next to my house and that he’d be happy to take care of my backyard if I opened the gate for him. I was stunned and oh so happy! After he cut the grass, he told me that my boys could come to his house any time to borrow a lawnmower and weed-eater. To top it all off, he got his chain-saw, cut down the two overgrown “tree-sized bushes” in the backyard and offered to take it all to the dump for me, too! All under the slogan, “Neighbors have to look out for each other.”

My backyard looks amazing now.

This little nice thing I did surely came back to me in a much bigger way!

I think I’m going to take the lady at the Laundromat some cake tomorrow…