Gifting

Once upon a time a long, long time ago in a state far, far away I packed everything I owned in the world into my car & headed to my parents house for the summer.  I had just finished a very good semester at Michigan & as I drove west I realized that I didn’t really have to go to my parents house.  I could go anywhere I wanted – I had plenty of $$, I was of age & I could just drive somewhere I wanted to be, get a job & get on with life.  It was a moment of immeasurable freedom.  Of course I didn’t take that path, I went to my parents place & on into life by more conventional routes. 

Now I’m at the point in life where retirement is less than a BA degree in time away.  I’m  concerned with divesting myself of things I no longer need & I’m pretty sure all I own wouldn’t fit into a large storage locker.  A  friend of  a friend has suggested “Gifting” as a way of reducing what one owns.  “Gifting” involves leaving good usable things one no longer needs on stranger’s porches in the dark of night.  A fun idea to consider, but not one I would actually implement.  Gifts are best given to Goodwill, the Salvation Army or the Habitat Store. 

I however have been the recipient of “Gifting” of a sort. One of my neighbor’s put this nice green plastic lawn lounge out for trash pickup a year or two ago.  I saw it on my way home from work one morning, stopped, looked it over & took it home with me.  I has proved to be a wonderful place for sitting & reading in my yard.  I’ve even taken a nap or two on it. 

More recently the same neighbor put these two lawn chairs out with the trash.  Once again I stopped on my way home from work, determined they were in good condition & brought them home.   They now live out by my fire ring.  Eventually these items will in fact crack & break, but until then they are very useful & I enjoy their “Gifting”.

The mantis is now 1.75 inches & looking very good.