Making Old Things Our Own

One thing I love about living in a beach community is how many people get around on bicycles. I like riding my bicycle to the grocery store that's down the street. 
When we moved here I didn't have a bicycle. It had been years since I had ridden. I knew I wanted one, but I just couldn't make a decision.

I spent about a month researching bicycles before I found mine. I looked at the listings every evening with my daughter, but couldn't make a decision on which one to purchase. Then one evening we drove down the street and my daughter says, "Mama, there's your bike!" Sure enough, there was an antique rusty bike on the side of the road with a "Free" sign. Two bikes, actually. "Oh, it might be honey. Let's stop and see." One of them was the right size frame for me. I grinned as I chucked it into our trunk and hauled it home. When my husband saw it be laughed and asked if someone dredged it out of the lagoon. It wasn't rideable. The chain was off, brakes stuck in place. But with a little love, I got it working again. Then added new tires, new seat, and a basket in the front. It really was my bike, and my daughter helped me to find it.

Here's a photo of our bicycles side by side. Hers was reclaimed from a dumpster years ago, and passed on down through her sisters. We added a new basket and streamers to make it her own.

Have you reclaimed or refurbished something that is special to you?
Share about it!

This post was inspired by a post made by Zero Waste Chef on Facebook. She shared about a new-to-her wheelbarrow. Here's a link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=797714738384189&set=a.268319294657072&type=3&mibextid=Nif5oz

Reclaiming and refurbishing old discarded items is something conservationists do. Here is a related post.

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