Poetic Earth

On our way to sell a dog house from a Facebook Marketplace post, I turned to my husband and said, completely out of the blue: “I want a new book to read, and I’m also getting this feeling of wanting to build something!” He shrugged me off per usual and we kept driving.

We pulled up to the buyer’s house, unloaded the dog house, and I struck up a conversation with the woman who had been preparing for our arrival outside. I soon found out she was a retired literature teacher—49 years of teaching! Can you imagine that? From the jump, our conversation flowed effortlessly—plants, DIY projects, and even our favorite color being green.

We snuck away as my husband cleaned up the small mess we made moving the huge dog house into her backyard, and she showed me around her beautiful home. Whisking room to room, I embraced each colorful story they held. We chatted as if we’d known each other for years. Before I knew it, we were at the back door just as my husband was finishing up.

Right before we left, she asked me, “Do you like fantasy?” I nodded, and she reached into a cardboard box filled with books she was planning to donate. She handed me three novels and said,” Here, take these and read them in your RV.”

I was floored—with a melted heart. I had just told my husband I wanted a new book. We thanked her, said our goodbyes, and drove off.

Then, halfway down the street, my husband suddenly slammed on the brakes. It sure shut my gabbing mouth up as my eyes shot to the road. There it was: a gorgeous cast iron bench, sitting on the curb beside a mountain of trash. We jumped out, hoisted it into the bed of the truck, and looked at each other with big grins. As he began describing how we were going to upcycle it, I smiled, remembering my earlier words.

Books and a build—all in one unexpected, beautiful afternoon. ✨