Recycling Can Be An Addiction

When we were were all getting married, my friends lusted for their first piece of French- polished furniture while I prowled second-hand shops searching for battered pieces of oak, in fact anything that looked as though it had some history behind it.

That became the story of my life.

Those were heady days when my kids could be persuaded to cart home cast-offs I'd previously spotted on garbage day.

Now that I'm on my own I can spring out of the car, load the road-side reject and drive on without so much as a blush.

I found "the grotto " years ago and thought I'd use it as the indoor pond it was supposed to be until I installed a pump and discovered the leak. Then it went into the garden where It's stuffed with parsley and vines. It has been through many moves with me, the ugly lovable old beast.

Recently my garbage foraging landed me this old mirror; a bit of glue and paint and now it's hanging on the deck, pleased to be of use.

Next I'll work on the old eight- foot paint-splattered wooden ladder I recently carted home.Soon this ugly tall duckling will turn into something rather graceful. I'm just waiting for inspiration.