When I was a young bride and we were quite strapped living on just one income and having four children, I bought cheap things. I was content with that. At least I got something, filling a deep need to HAVE. Before long though, I realized I should have waited. You see, saving money over a longer period of time was simply unheard of to me. I am the Burger King Child. "My way, right away"...
The lumber jack is the opposite. I drove him crazy. He preached for years about buying junk for the kids. Wasting money. Somewhere along the line I began to see the benefit of quality things over quantity of things. The more items I threw away, the madder I got.
My conversion was almost instant. I fell in love with old things. They had a certain beauty about them. Rusted, broken, scratched and ruined. They became timeless. To me they represented enduring the race, standing in the face of time.
My house is not filled with old stuff. That is not even a close assessment. I do however have a few things I adore. Maybe when the kids are grown and move on to their own homes I will be brave enough to display them. Until then, my little collections will stay tucked away only to be visited once in a while. As I write this, I think to myself "what a shame".
Recently I was blessed by a friend who brought me a couple old milk cans. He assumed I could do something with them. This in itself says something, yet I am not exactly sure what.
To most these would appear beyond saving.
Tired, worn out and completely filthy.
But with a little bit of imagination and determination great things can happen.
Usually, my conservative nature would rule. I was thinking at first of using black, sage green or even white. The battle roared in my head while staring at the wall of colors at Home Depot. On the advice of my good friend Suzie, I went with my gut feeling and chose Colonial Red.
The Lumberjack was kind enough to locate a couple of much needed tools for me. The rust and dirt was so thick we were sure paint would not stick.
All in all, my little project only took a couple hours off an on. When I went out to visit the ducks and chicks in the back yard I would pick up the drill and grind for a while.
And in the end, I discovered beauty and placed them on my front steps. My project is still an unfinished work, just like my own life. I would like to put our last name on one and est. 1996 on the other. Fill the tops with some potting soil and add a couple red and white geraniums.
You know, I sure am glad that God saw something in me that was worth refinishing. And like my milk cans, the process may never be finished.
You are cranking them out and each one a winner, loved this entry.
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