The Writer's Pen

My parents both were savers. My dad always said, "I might be able to use that someday." If my mom would throw something away that she didn't need anymore, my dad would sometimes take it out of the trash and they would have a discussion about it. That didn't happen very often, though.

One of the things I remember my mom saving was worn out clothing. I'm talking about clothes that had gone from sibling to sibling after coming from a cousin or two. If Mom determined they were worn out, they were worn out! She would cut those pieces of clothing so she could use them to either mend other clothes, use them as dust rags or make quilts out of them. She would take pieces of clothing to her church where she and several other charitable women would sew them together and make quilts for the needy. Some of these quilts were sent overseas to third-world countries while some stayed locally for anyone who could use them.

This generous act came to an end, unfortunately, when my mom passed away. There were simply not enough women in her congregation to carry on the project. When we went through our mom's things, my sister suggested we donate all the scraps of clothing to another church that did quilting. I contacted our church in Spirit Lake, and they said they would take all the scraps. So, I loaded up several bags in my car and delivered them. My mom's saving and charitable spirit would live on.

My dad passed away a few years before my mom. His clothing was divided among family members, clothing drives and quilting projects. Most of his tools and equipment were absorbed into the farming operation, now being handled by my brother, Bruce. Our dad was not one to waste anything, and even had us straighten old nails rather than buy new ones. Rusty old nuts and bolts were thrown into a pail of some kind for sorting and oiling later. I never knew whether he was trying to save a buck, or just trying to keep four boys busy.

One day while visiting on the farm, Bruce asked me if there were any of Dad's tools that I would like to have. We walked out to the two-car garage to look around. First of all, it was so full that even one car couldn't fit inside. Secondly, there was no organization to the tools and equipment stored in the garage. I'm sure Dad knew where everything was and Bruce was learning, but I couldn't find anything. When I did find something that I might like, Bruce would say, "I might be able to use that someday." Finally, we came to Dad's paintbrushes. He had several brushes of all shapes and sizes, and Bruce said I could have them all. The problem was that Dad hadn't really cleaned them. His philosophy was that they would soften up the next time you dipped them in paint. I settled for a pitchfork and a cream can.

Recently, two friends asked me if I would like another push mower for my lawn business. Both said that I could either use it or give it to one of my daughters. One friend was updating to a smaller unit, and the other didn't use the mower since I did their lawn. Somehow I agreed to take them both, and I'm pretty sure my daughters don't want either one. Part of the problem is that I already have three push mowers – now five – as well as a riding mower. To help with the trimming, I have two weed-eaters, three leaf-blowers, an edger, a couple of chain saws, several hedge trimmers, and four or five hand sprayers. There are more rakes, shovels and hoes than I can count. My biggest problem is that I operate a one-man lawn business!

My wife's part in this, besides helping with the billing, is to make suggestions she thinks are pertinent. We have a two-car garage, utility shed and storage unit full of equipment and tools. Besides the equipment mentioned, there are snow blowers, grass seeders and rototillers. You get the idea. My wife thinks I need to pare down, but every time I try, I just seem to accumulate more. In order to be more flexible when my wife retired, I decided to give up a few of my lawns and not take any new customers. That worked for a while, but somehow my workload has gradually increased! I sat two mowers on the curb during our last city clean up. They needed a lot of work, but were gone instantly. Not to worry, they've been replaced.

If there is anyone out there who needs a used push mower, please let me know. In the meantime, I am wondering if my problem is heredity or environment. Maybe I just need someone to explain to me the difference between trash and treasures.

Roger Brockshus and his wife, Rita, live in Spirit Lake. They are mostly retired, but volunteer in their church and community. Roger also operates a small lawn business and is a member of the Hartley Writer's Group and Poetry Group.