For us, a "Rusty Thistle" is an item that's been around the block. Perhaps it's a bit tired looking, worse for wear, or has outlasted its original purpose. 

To some, a Rusty Thistle is ugly or simply overlooked as junk - an unwanted weed to be uprooted and discarded. Yet to those with an eye for reuse, a Rusty Thistle is akin to the prickly, purple-topped thistle  plant that possesses inherent beauty.

When contemplated with an open imagination and offered a little TLC, a Rusty Thistle can be given a newfound purpose.

Indeed, this premise can be applied to objects and places ... as well as to people.