Alleys

My mom and her cousins (more like sisters) were "alley riders"...stay with me here. They were thrift finders, junk recyclers, treasure hunters...what we know as "pickers" today, but yet they were so discreet. I used to feel uncomfortable riding with them, like after dinner or an outing for a milkshake. It was more like a detour, and felt scandalous. Afterall, someone else had tossed whatever items were found, which was now considered public trash, right? I look back and remember how excited my mom would get to find an antique piece of furniture in the alley, or a knick-knack she could resell at my maw-maw's flea market downtown..which I still miss rummaging through at times. I once found an old harpsichord that I just knew I'd restore one day..not so much. Do you find yourself saying mindless nuances and naturally doing things that are unique to your mom that you uninhibitedly adopted? I do! For instance, yesterday on my walk around the neighborhood I noticed every beefed up pile of wood/furniture scraps along the roads. I rarely find something I want to take home, because it typically will just take up space. But right near my house is an alley (shortcut home) and there was a heaping pile of wood,books,etc. Here is what I took home.. Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" and an old, old window pane. The book will be cleaned and later read at leisure, the window pane will be cleaned and then chicken wire attached to the backside so it can be used to arrange pictures, cards,etc. Very pleased with my alley finds. Please don't think I'm a dumpster diver...my finds must be outside of the dumpster. ;p