Yesterday I took off in my car to deliver a couple packages of angelique tulip bulbs to a freecycler in a town south of us, who had 'freecycled' me a real cool box full of liquid tempra paints awhile ago that I donated to a kindergarten teacher who's supplies were minimal; I wanted to thank the 'freecyclers' kindness with some bulbs in return as a surprise.

Because it was raining when I got there, I didn't want to leave the bulbs out on her porch (so much for my surpise), so I rang the bell and the 'freecycler' was so grateful for the bulbs that she handed me a full set of childrens encycleopedias for our kidlets (and wouldn't take no for an answer) and a box full of childrens puzzles and other crafty things(for the kindergarten teacher).

I was feeling really good while I was heading home, but then my DH called and said, an unknown neighbour about 10 houses down (whom had moved in within the last year and had subsequently sold and was moving out again and whom I didn't know at all) had stopped by our house asking my DH for me to come see her immediately when I got home). (gulp! - it's amazing how quickly a pit shows up in my stomach when I think I'm in trouble!)

Upon my return home, I walked down to her house, still thinking 'gosh - I don't even know this lady's name or what she even looks like' and began to worry that she was going to give me 'what for' because they were tired of looking at the stockpile of leaves that I had recently dumped on my driveway that once the rain stopped would be shredded for the gardens. (can't do much shredding in the rain and didn't think it was possible too many leaves would have blown onto her lawn 10 houses away - crap - I hate that pit in my stomach feeling!)

When I approached this 'unknown neighbours' door, she smiled and said "Your the corner gardener right?" hmmm- I've been called worse so I admitted to it right away.

She told me to follow her into her basement (gulp! - we're all in century homes and the basements are 'cellars' - what the heck was I wanting to go down into a strangers cellar for - but I put on a wee bit of a smile and followed her and her husband down there, knowing my own DH knew where I was and would come looking for my corpse eventually.) Once down in the cellar, the neighbour pointed to a 6 foot long 2 tiered seedling propogation unit set up fully equipped with trays, lights and all the bells and whistles. She explained 'This belonged to the previous owner who left it for us and we don't use it and we thought maybe you would want this before we moved' GULP!

I could have passed out right then and there - she and her DH helped me bring the unit up from the basement and because it was on wheels, they help me wheel it back up the road to my garage.......I offered her perennials, bulbs, anything I could think of to no avail - they were just glad someone was going to be able to use it. Wow!

I'm sure those bulbs I had delivered an hour before had to have had something to do with this whole sequence of events that transpired.

The kindness of strangers........