Freecycle is awesome!

I like to think of myself as a 'green' person and I try to be kind to the environment where I can be. After all, I am one of the few people I know who enjoys occasionally taking the bus in LA to work. And yes, I am willing to admit that I can be a little cheap too. So, imagine how excited I was to learn about Freecycle.org. It combines my passions for saving two kinds of green!

Since discovering Freecycle, I have given away a few things and received a few things. Things given include a number of ring boxes to a recycled jewelry maker (why I was holding on to them to begin with, who knows), a slightly worn out canopy (why keep the ugly green one when we can borrow beautiful white ones from my in-laws?), and the box springs to our brand new mattress (our bed frame is one of those kinds with the wood slats, so no need for the box springs).

I've received many good things, too. A camera case for my new camera from a photographer who was upgrading to a new/larger case, some sawdust to go into our composter, and most recently a beautiful huge (10'x3') garden planter box from a couple who just bought a home and were bequeathed a backyard that they were transforming to something more their style. We strapped this puppy to the roof of our (hybrid) SUV on Friday evening and got it into it's new home safely where it will hopefully make this novice gardener very happy for several years rather than it's would be fate of landing in the dumpster.

One side benefit to my little Freecycle hobby is that I get to enjoy a mini cultural/social anthropology lesson each time I give or pick something up. It ends up being a quick moment of insight into a fellow Angelino's life. And that little pat on the back that mother earth gives me feels good too.