Making old things new...

There is a large community bulletin board hanging in the lobby of our building, right next to the elevator. Despite several threatening signs warning against it, people leave the things they no longer want or need in piles against the wall just under this bulletin board. We've seen, toys, clothes, games, used magazines, computer monitors, office supplies, posters, TV's, kitchen items, books and tons of other things there. It is common knowledge that anything left against this wall is free for the taking and we have acquired several things from the wall ourselves (plates and saucers, a white serving bowl, a chair, salad servers, a pasta server). You just never know what you're going to find! Because of this I always enter the lobby with a bit of anticipation. Ben has deemed it "The Wall of Hope". (He stole the phrase from Rick Smith who referred to the wall on the east side of Regent as the Wall of Hope because he would put junk against the wall one day and hope it would be gone by the next.)

My most recent acquisition from the Wall of Hope here was this ratty old pair of toddler shoes. They were in pretty bad shape.

But I'm glad no one threw them out.

A quick trip through the washer and dryer and then a little fabric (from an old shirt I picked up at a second hand store) and two buttons later, they are pretty cute and the perfect shoes for Nora to romp around in!

This was a very satisfying project for me and a good reminder of how God intends to make all things new. You, me, and even this earth (which once was perfect and new but which we've all managed to abuse pretty badly.)

Ahh, sweet redemption. I am honored to contribute to it, in any small way I can.

Anyhow, I like this kind of recycling.

The old addage, "One man's trash is another man's treasure" is so true. There have been numerous times that I have seen things in the dumpster here and thought, "I bet someone else could have used that!" But off it goes to a land fill and someone else is left to spend money they don't need to. What a waste! I think I get this mindset from my Dad mostly. He is very good at making use of old things in new ways - over and over. He, like me, does not like waste. He'll change lightbulbs out of strings of Christmas lights (that could quite possibly be older than me!) when others would buy a new set every year or two just to avoid the hassle of finding the dead bulb. He won't throw away a tarp with a hole in it because while it isn't waterproof anymore, it can still be used to drag a big pile of leaves from the front yard to the compost pile in the back rather than taking 8 trips with the wheelbarrow or it could be used to drag a deer out of the woods or to hold down a load of debris that needs be taken to the dump so that it doesn't fly out all over the highway.

If he thinks there is even a remote possibility that he'll be able to find a use for something in the future, he keeps it. I admire that.

(Granted, there is a fine line between this and becoming the crazy pack-rat down the road who counts it a miracle every time he opens his garage door and then is actually able to get it shut again. You know, the guy that everyone eyes with a bit of suspicion, wondering, "Why does that guy need all that stuff? Weird." I don't think my dad is there... yet.)

There is another idea that is just as appealing to me but for different reasons -- working toward minimalism. I like the idea of living with less. I mean, how many different cleaning solutions do I really need?!? What is even in those?? What happened to vinegar, lemon juice, salt and a box of borax - which, (minus the borax) we all probably keep stocked anyhow and could be snatched from the kitchen and combined in a dozen ways to meet our cleaning needs?)

True minimalism means you rethink what you really need vs what you may just want in the moment. It requires thinking long-term. It means buying carefully - with extreme intentionality. No impulse buys. It can mean you spend less money, you borrow (or rent) instead of buy things that you wouldn't use very often, and (bonus!) there is less to pack and unpack should you move house! (We know all about moving.) A minimalist rarely runs across things in their kitchen, garage or even in a drawer that is taking up space but hasn't been used in 3 or 4 years (or worse, can't even be identified!). Not only is your house less cluttered but everything around you has a specific purpose (or two or three!) I love efficiency.

It can also mean that you depend less on stuff and more on ingenuity and creativity (to entertain, problem solve, etc.) That's appealing to me.

I don't think I will ever be a true minimalist though. I'm too much of a nester. I like having things around me that don't do a lot more than make my home feel cozy. Sometimes I want things just because they are cute. Period. And I'm okay with that.

Someday I'd like to strike a good balance between these two.

I'm curious, where do you fall on this continuum? Or maybe a better question would be, where would you like to fall?