Symbiosis

I visited D&L yesterday, mentioned in passing that I had the money to pick up my chainsaw and that next time we happened to be in town on a weekday I’d like to go by the saw shop.

His eyes lit up. “Tomorrow morning we’re picking up some of our kitchen cabinets! You can help me move them.”

There’s this guy who rented an empty shop in the little town nearest where we live and opened a cabinet shop. To say he’s struggling would be quite an understatement; this isn’t exactly a bedroom community for the rich and famous. He gets by with odd jobs and scrap hauling, doesn’t really get many chances to make fancy cabinets. But on the rare occasions when he has opportunity to actually do it, he does very nice work. L is delighted with him, and makes sure to send him as much other work as possible to keep his doors open.

So I tagged along with them early this morning, and we loaded two cabinets and a hood cover on D&L’s flatbed trailer and very carefully strapped them down. Before leaving town we swung by the saw shop. Then on the other end I helped D move the new units into their freshly (and beautifully) tiled kitchen.

D&L retired on a couple of pensions. They’re not hurting but they don’t have a lot of money. What they do have, they’ve been pouring slowly and steadily into this gorgeous big house they’re building from strawbales and earthbags, doing all the work themselves down to mixing the adobe for the walls and learning as they go. They’ve worked on it seven days a week for over five years, and are coming to the point where they move in: This week they installed their water softener and hooked up their Real Flush Toilets – and let me tell you, that’s always a milestone after years in an RV.

So I’ve got my saw back, and I have to tell you…

Yeah, I’m easily pleased.