One (Rich) Person's Junk Is Most Likely My Treasure

You know how things can sometimes fall from the sky?  Well, I don't like, love it, love it, but this little beauty was found outside a flat near the dumpsters on Castellain Road, face down with a couple of cigarette butts on top.  Nice.  So we flipped it over, assessed the damage, and decided it could spend some time in our flat before we put it outside our own dumpsters.  The frame is nice, so even if we take the photo out, we can keep the frame for something better.  I'm just not so sure I want something so turbulent above my head while I sleep.  I swear it's been affecting my dreams.  Like, last night, I dreamt I was holding a newborn baby and all of a sudden, it turned into a lamb shank.  Not normal.  I blame it on the picture.

Anyway, this is not the first time John and I have scavenged discarded wares from the inhabitants of our surrounding area.  When we first moved in, he set off for a run, only to buzz the bell two minutes later, sounding breathless.  "What?" I said.  "I (huff) found (huff) these (huff) John Lewis (huff huff) wicker (huff) laundry (huff) baskets (huff) by the (huff) bins (huff) on Lauderdale."  I buzzed him in.  Sure enough, he was carrying two used-but-good-as-new wicker laundry baskets we had just seen in John Lewis a couple of weeks ago.  He was worried about whether or not the owners really meant to throw them out, but considering they were propped up next to the dumpster along with other miscellaneous household goods other had discarded, I was pretty sure it was okay (if you know anyone missing some beloved wicker laundry baskets who have been frantically combing the streets of Maida Vale, do let me know). 

Then there was the IKEA children's table scrawled with at least a year's worth of crayon and magic markers that we decided to adopt as a temporary entry-way mail/keys/etc. table.  It was in good condition and we could have painted it to make it look better, but in the end it was taking up too much room and we left it where we found it (again, but the dumpster outside our door).  Fifteen minutes later, it was gone, off to a new home (possibly with an actual child). 

I think of our serendipitous finds as a neighborhood Freecycle and see nothing wrong with giving something a good home if it's heading to the landfill anyway.  Now all I need is a good sofa-bed ...