Barter makes the world go round

Universal truths.
When we hear them it's like getting hit with a hammer of realization. A great epiphany of Wow!
Other times it can be more subtle. This little quote came my way a few weeks back.
"Everyone you meet knows something you don't.' -Bill Nye
That can be taken in many ways. 

• There is always something to learn
• Nobody knows it all
• Each one of us is an expert, if only on one thing.

My friends and I tried to set up a services trade off deal. I'd put in that toilet and bathroom tile in if you'll help me fix my car. In theory that sounds great, but time and finances play a part in that. 

I offered all my friends to come and help me put my garden in. I wanted to make it a communal sort of thing. If a neighbor helped me pull weeds, we'd share the tomatoes when they come in. Incidentally, there is currently some zucchini beginning to flower in my garden. I should harvest the oregano and parsley this weekend for drying.

We don't know when opportunity will drop stuff into your lap. I happened to come across some wood flooring that was going to be thrown away. It was close enough color-wise to match the stuff in the rest of the house. I'm a big fan of re-purposing things. Curbs into fireplaces, pallets into paneling. Of course, how much effort and what the results will be should always be in mind. I saw a person take some pallets and put them in as wood flooring. All the nails they had to pull out. Running each piece through a planer to get it the right shape. Then there is the question of how good the wood is? Does it break easily? Is there dry rot? Seems to me like you'd go through a lot of work to get the results you want.

If money were no object (Ha!) we'd buy everything off the shelf. There has to be a middle ground. Taking bricks and building a wall. Building a porch or deck using wood scraps. I love going down to Habitat for Humanity and see what they have there. Often times I won't find what I'm looking for, but most of the time I don't know what that certain something is. That window may need to be replaced, but that porch isn't going to build itself. We must choose our projects wisely.