Ladders Everywhere! (a love story)

You know how it is when you have some secret obsession and you nurture it for a long time before it's fulfilled? Like my wooden ladder obsession? Well, since the acquisition of my rickety, termite eaten, later painted blue, now living happily in my garden ladder, they seem to be multiplying. I have seen more on the side of the road that I have passed by, thinking, "that obsession has now been fulfilled and one can only have so many ladders". Or maybe not. A few days ago it seemed I now had more ladders than I knew what to do with. 

I really love when the people in my life start scavenging for me. I get calls or texts saying, "you want a pair of giant doors with tons of windows?" or "I saw a chair on the side of the road today and thought of you, you want me to grab it"?

When my guy walked through the door recently saying, "I have a present for you".... of course, I thought:Flowers? A fabulous bottle of wine? No way, NOT a long awaited written expression of love?... But instead he drags me outside and shows me another wooden ladder. 

"Wow", I thought I said it pretty enthusiastically. 

"You hate it!" Says he.

"I don't! Thank you!" Say I, extra enthusiastically this time. It was cool and I love that he saw it on the side of the road and thought of me. But I have to confess, I was thinking, what am I gonna do with another ladder?!

Upon closer inspection I discovered that this one didn't have termite damage, it was probably abandoned because it would have been certain death for anyone who attempted to climb the thing, which I did not plan on doing. So, I decided it could live inside. The front and back was attached only on one side so I yanked it around a few times and separated the two sides. Which now meant instead of A ladder, I now had two ladder pieces to figure out what to do with.

Both pieces sat outside for a couple of days until a fit of inspiration came to me.

The front half now lives in the wasted little corner behind my TV. 

And the back half found a lovely little spot next to my bed. 

A couple of holes pounded into it now displays some dried roses from the garden.

And there's even a spot for my grandmother's handkerchief and some restful words. 

I realized two things. 

One: you don't need a lot of space to turn a ladder into a unique and fun display.

And two: Sometimes something dragged off the side of the road is a perfect expression of love.