Trash talk

I’ve already written about Maddy and her “archaeological digs” on the hillside behind our house, which was apparently used as the neighborhood dump 100 years ago or so. Among the most treasured gifts that my kids have given me are two old prints that Ali picked out of the trash on her way home from school (from same house around the corner, two successive years). Not long after we moved to Wisconsin from Oregon, DH brought home the most fabulous box of framed old photographs that he found on the curb. He’s been a “recycler” for a long, long time. When we met, he was on the downhill side of building a house in which he used a lot of salvaged material, and we continue to re-use things in our current home. We have salvaged flooring in the Garden Room, salvaged pillars on the back porch, and (unconventional) salvaged cupboards in our kitchen and bathroom. We have a basement full of salvaged windows, doors, and hardware.

So, after enjoying a marvelous grilled salmon dinner at Mom’s on Father’s Day, DH walked home. He went down an alley a block from our house, and there was trash. No, he can’t pass up a box of old doorknobs, various drawer pulls, and small boxes of various (copper and upholstery) tacks.

And an old Bible, given to “Blanche” by her mother in 1904. Inside the Bible were two pictures; one is the photo postcard above. How amazing is that? Do you see what that man is doing?? I don’t know if this was in my neighborhood or whether that man was a neighbor, but you can bet I’ll be checking rooftops. I’m elated — such treasure! And, yes, Maddy rushed right over to collect some booty of her own.