Count your.....chickens or quilts or doodads......or don't....

junkinpunkin writes: When I posted this I of course did not intend to set off a firestorm of junking ethics or morality debates, and I am sure that no post will change anyone's opinions, as we all have had experiences that have developed our character. My maternal great grandmother's house was boarded up by her four sons and left exactly the way it was the day she died until it caved in and rotted, along with everything in it. I remember as a child going and peeking through the windows and seeing quilts, old photographs, silverware, furniture, just left. How this is honoring someone's memory I will never know, because it broke my heart, even as a child, already being a lover of antiques. Just one fork, one quilt, one glass would have been highly treasured by me as a little girl. I think most times when this happens, greed is the motivation. I dont want you to have it, so no one gets it, and eventually it just rots. So an anbandoned house with things left like that to me represents a selfish ignorant family who cannot have adult conversations about their loved ones things and divide them fairly. I am sure that is not always the case, but like i said, it is all in personal experiences.

I don't consider myself a thief, and I suppose someone else's abandoned falling down property is still their property. But if it is left so poorly cared for then in my mind I lose respect for whatever owner there may be. If they leave their property so wide open they surely must expect that to happen. I lived in Costa Rica for many years, and they have a saying...pero dejaste la casa sola, which means, but you left the house alone.....I suppose that also has rubbed off on me.....If we espouse a philosophy of recycle, repurpose, and resuse, then maybe we all should be more involved in our communities getting that message out. An "abandoned" property is an eyesore to the community and poor use of the environment. The owner should be required to make the property presentable, or after a time, the county should be able to level the hovel. Like I said, I certainly didn't intend to start a political conversation. From now on I will just use those politically correct junking buzz words like "curbside" find. Posted: 2:16 am on March 21st

luvstojunk writes: Very nice idea! It turned out Great. Love the"COUNT" Posted: 7:32 pm on March 19th

shabbychick writes: You did a great job with the "critter coop" - very nice piece.

Judi - you're right about personal experiences playing a part in our opinion...I remember when I was probably about 11 or 12...(long time ago), a friend and I were riding our bikes out in the country, and came across an abandoned house, and thought we'd go "exploring" (see...junking from birth practically...!), so, we went inside - not really thinking about falling through a floor, or possibly finding wild animals, etc... Anyway - we found some old silverware and "stuff" and thought we'd take it since someone obviously left it there a long time ago - and the place was falling apart. We loaded up our little baskets on our bicycles and proceeded on our way - but just after taking off, someone started yelling at us (a watchful neighbor) and we started throwing stuff out of our baskets as fast as we could pedal our little feet - he scared the "junk" right out of us! So, every time I see an abandoned house (and would love to see what's been forgotten inside), I remember that - and keep on driving.

Kathy Posted: 9:07 am on March 17th

georgiamoon writes: Junkinpunkin, I really really like this project. It turned out perfectly. It is a perfect size and the word "count" on the front just makes it! Fantastic looking project, Georgia Posted: 5:05 pm on March 16th

Junk_Sophisticate writes: I think your word "count" is the cutest thing on this piece and I love the reference to the old cliche.

Well done junkinpunkin!
Candy Posted: 8:38 pm on March 15th

judithomas writes: This is an interesting conversation to have here on the Junk Market site. I am quite sure that this is a subject where our personal experiences play a huge role in our opinions. Our thoughts on this probably won't change just by reading another person's thoughts, but it is a very important discussion, none-the-less.

That being said, I am sure there are many times that property can APPEAR to be abandoned but does that mean a person can go in without invitation. IMHO....Cared-for or not, frankly it is someone else's land and property and should be respected as such. There are many reasons why a house, barn or building can appear abandoned, but essentially the question of whether or not someone has cared for the property is irrelevant. Possessions left in the elements are still someone else's possesssions.

I think discussions like this are great and important on a site like Junk Market. There are many NEW "junkers" and SEASONED "junkers" alike who need to spend time thinking about this and making their own choices with integrity.

I think no matter what our intentions, we need to JUNK RESPONSIBLY.

Judi Posted: 10:44 am on March 15th

suewhitney writes: Ha! This is too funny. Love the "Don't stick your hands in here" sign. There are a few occasions when I could have used that friendly reminder! Great re-purpose....good job!

Take care,
Sue Posted: 9:58 am on March 15th

junkinpunkin writes: Oh no, it was clearly abandoned. The house's roof had caved in and all the windows are busted out and clearly the house had not been habitable for years.
In fact, the house has been abandoned the entire time I have lived in this town, which is over 10 years. If a house looks like it is still under ownership and cared for by its owners, I would never go on the property. If there is a no tresspassing sign, I honor that as well. Even if the house/barn looks abandoned but is locked, I would never bust a window or a lock to enter. I only go in places that are wide open, often having been left to the elements and subsequently are falling down. I am very careful about examining a place to determine if it looks cared for, attended, or used.

I am so sorry that someone stole things that were on your property. That is a shame and I would never do that. I would hope that you took appropriate measures to make your property look cared for, because childhood treasures deserve that, and you didn't leave them laying around to rot in the weather. I hope I am not being rude, and don't offend you. Posted: 8:52 pm on March 14th

texasjunkermom writes: I don't mean to be rude, but hope the property wasn't like ours--not abandoned, but just not able to go there much. So much was stolen that really meant something to us; now we'll never be able to recover our sentimental treasures from childhood. Hope I don't offend you. Posted: 8:07 pm on March 14th