Super Size It...

Tho' The Man and I woke up early to do one Truck Load of larger items from the U-Haul Storage Unit we're working on emptying next, I'd Promised Princess T a Girl's Day Out, so it was a light Work Day for transporting things from Storage.  She and I went to The Desert Botanical Gardens, she hadn't yet seen the Super Sized Plastic Art Exhibit there... and it was a Gloriously Sunny, Warm Day to be Outside enjoying Nature.

She's finally reached an Age where she's easy to hang out with and not as High Maintenance as when they're a Child, so we have Fun and it doesn't drain me.  Trying to keep Pace with a Young Person can be draining once you reach a certain Season of Life, but she's considerate of what Pace I can keep when we go out together for our Girl's Day Outings.  Sometimes she can even join my Friends and I... I don't know how Amusing it is for her to hang out with a bunch of Senior Ladies, but she seems to enjoy it.  *LOL*

I suspect that when Children are Raised by Grandparents they develop Old Souls early on and have a greater Maturity at a more tender Age by being around Elders more than the Average Kiddo?   At any rate we hung out from Sunup to Sundown and it was nice to have some Down Time from Moving Projects and Deadlines.  I want to have everything out of the U-Haul Storage Units by next Month when the new Rents come due and our first Mortgage Payment on Forever Boheme', so that's the Goal I Hope to attain. 

Pretty much everything else is in a state of suspended animation as moving things out of Offsite Storage takes the greatest priority and most of my Time and Energy.  I doubt I'll get my own Veggie and Herb Victory Garden up and running this Spring, but I was duly Inspired by the ones The Desert Botanical Gardens have.  I do Plan to Design ours in a similar way, with raised Beds that will likely be Created from Salvage Blocks, Bricks or Rocks.  If it is an affordable option I'd prefer a Gabion Wall raised Bed of Rocks in Wire Cages.

The Desert Botanical Gardens has several Raised Beds and Retaining Walls Created from Rubble Blocks.  I have a Passion for Recycling discarded Objects into something Useful again so Rubble Walls would Appeal to me.  Sadly, I had to leave a great deal of my Salvaged Red Brick at Villa Boheme', because I couldn't get anyone on board to help me move them all.  So I only gleaned a small portion of what I'd amassed and brought over from the Historic Homestead.  I'd spent Years Salvaging Used Brick and hated to leave so much behind this time.  They would have made splendid Raised Bed Walls. *Le Sigh*

So, I'll either have to start over finding Salvaged Brick or Stone for my Victory Garden Project, or hire a Contractor to just do it for me if I can Budget for that?  In case you aren't familiar with Gabion Walls, this is one version of what they can look like.  Many types of Caging can be used, some simple and some elaborate, then filled with Rock or Rubble.  I not only Love the Look of them, but how strong they are and long lasting.  Arizona has a lot of Beautiful Rock that can be used in a variety of Natural Colors... from smooth River Rock to any other type of Rock you like the Visual of.

Here's one Created from various Terra Cotta Rubble, which I thought was Interesting and Visually Unique.  I also rather Liked the type of Cages with the twisted Spiral Wire Edging.  The Cages can be as Varied as the Contents you use to fill them... you're really only limited by your Imagination and Personal Preferences and I'm leaning towards this type of Raised Bed Wall if I can manage to Fund it?  Otherwise, I'll get Creative and build my own using whatever Materials are FREE and Salvaged!  *LOL*

   

Here's an Interesting Shaped Spiral Gabion Wall for a Herb and Veggie Garden that doesn't take up a lot of Space.  Tiered Walls that go upwards can be Space Savers if you don't have a lot of Land or don't want to spread things out too much.  I've got 3/4 of an Acre so I'm able to have many Options and may utilize several Styles to make it Fun and Funky.   I Envision something like this but with some Sculptures scattered among the Veggies and Herbs.  I'm thinking of some Asian Style Sculptures for a Zen Garden Vibe.

Some of my Favorite Online Sculptures that I'd strongly consider were this Concrete Pagoda Lantern, which come in many Styles so you could have a Variety of them.   Some had Tea Light openings so you could actually light them up in the Garden in the Evenings which would give Beautiful Ambiance similar to Luminaria.

This Stone Koi was only about Thirty-Nine Bucks and I really liked the Look of it too...  I Love all kinds of Sculptures and would like to make the back of our Acreage into a Visually Magical Space to retreat to.  Filled with fragrant Herbs, Flowers, Edible Vegetables and Art installations in Raised Beds with Pathways and Seating.

Now, we don't get Moss in Arizona... too Dry... but I sure did Love this Sculpture even if it were to be Moss Free in our Garden.  I'm looking forward to the Creation of a Garden Space, I Love Gardening and at our Historic Homestead our Acreage there had a vast array of Plantings, Paths, Seating, a Gazebo, Salvaged Architecture and Garden Art.   With no HOA I can do what I want to again to enhance our Property the way we want for it to be without restriction caused by someone else's Standard imposed upon us.

These Gargoyle Type Sculptures actually Appealed to me and I Love the way this lush Garden looks, it's very Editorial and Tropical Feeling!  *Swooning!*  Kinda has a South American Jungle Discovery of a Magnificent Ancient Ruin, doesn't it?  You know how I am about Ruins... I'd LIVE in one if I could!  *LOL*  Abandoned places have always had a Draw for me and a Fascination... I'd buy a Ruin before I'd buy a Manse... tho' a Ruined Manse would be Awesome!   The Miss Havisham in me is very dominant! *Smiles*

A Cool Water Feature would be Awesome too... I Love the sound of Water Features, so Soothing to the Soul.  I don't mind at all if we end up with not as much Grass since the mowing and maintenance of it, even with The John Deere, isn't as preferential to us as having a Garden taking up most of our Land instead.  I'm really not certain how long I want to Deal with Irrigation of so much Lawn actually either?   The watering of a regular Garden that has a Use just makes more Sense to me than a great expanse of Lawn in a Desert.  We don't Plan to have Livestock or an actual Farm, so Pasture isn't necessary to us.

We do LOVE having so much Land again tho' and Space around us... Subdivision Living just never was for us.   I couldn't tolerate the Territorial Nature it often brought out in Neighbors to where they got Psycho about a Leaf or Vine being on their "Side"!   Plants encroach just because Nature doesn't share the same Boundaries as Man and I for one happen to LIKE that and prefer to allow Nature to just BE.  To have the Space to grown Naturally without butchery or being Oppressed and Controlled within an inch of it's Life!  I saw so many Plants just give up, wither and Die in Subdivision Hell from their harsh treatment.

Anyway, being Released from the Soul Crushing Oppression of that kind of an Environment has been Liberating for our whole Family so we're Excited to just Authentically DO US again!  I will be Investing in some Awesome Yard Sculptures when I find the right ones... and being duly Inspired by Online Imagery of some Options for now is Sustaining me until I can buy some and install them over Time.

We wrapped up our Girl's Day Outing with a Luncheon from "Rice Paper", the Spring Rolls there are some of the best in the Valley!   I had the Lobster and the Vegetarian options and Princess T had the Chicken and Fillet Mignon.  Yeah, we were Uptown Fancy Pants Ladies Today *Winks*... and it was Happy Hour so we got a Dollar Off of each Spring Roll!  *Booyah!*

****** 

Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

One More Unit Down...

With my trusty Friend helping, she and I got Three Truck Loads out of the remaining U-Haul Storage Units Today, completely emptying out another one of the Biggest Units!  *Happy Dance!*  It was quite the Workout so afterwards we treated ourselves to a Luncheon at a Thai Restaurant near Forever Boheme' and then hit the Downtown Phoenix Location of our Antique Mall for some Retail Therapy.  I Scored this Amazing Altered Art piece Created by a Vendor also named Dawn and had the pleasure of meeting her in person at her Case.

I had taken Princess T and The Man to the same Thai Restaurant just the day before, it's great to live so close to so many fantastic Restaurants again!  They have an Amazing assortment of Curried Dishes, so far I've had the Mango Yellow Curry and the Pineapple Yellow Curry with Tofu substituting a Meat.  This was the Crab Rangoons and below was the Spring Rolls... Loved their Artistic Garnishes, it reminds me of how my Dad used to do Presentations, he always said you Eat with your Eyes first and so every Plate he prepared was a mini Work of Art!

Everything tastes as good as it looks, this will certainly be a new Fav near Home!   Home is coming together more and more... Today we scattered more Persian Rugs all over the Floor of the RV Garage.   My Friend joked that it looks like a Persian Rug Gallery.  One wouldn't think I'd Sold Off over a Dozen Persian Rugs before The Move, since I still have so many!  *LOL*   I Love how they look layered across the expanse of the RV Garage Flooring, it adds Warmth and Color to the Space.   She and I moved a lot of very large pieces of furniture, so I'm certain we'll both be sore in the Morning?! 

*******

Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian 

Valentine's Day 2020

The Crepe Place had Red Velvet Crepes in honor of Valentine's Day, I had one early, before Valentine's Day... it was tasty but overly sweet for my taste, I prefer the savory Crepes.  So for actual Valentine's Day Breakfast, The Man and I chose a standard favorite at Village Inn instead.

I like their Skillet Breakfast selections, the California Skillet being my Fav... I ate Healthy, The Man balks at Healthy fare.  So... The Man went down in Flames with his Favs, which aren't exactly Diabetic Friendly... but hey, as my Dear Old Dad used to always say: Ya gotta die of something, Right?!  *Winks*

Our Antique Mall bought this Historic Cop Car, allegedly as a Trade Stimulator... don't know how effective a one it'll actually be and may only actually attract Vandals and Car Thieves instead in da Hood... but it is Cool and it is Old... so, whatever... *LOL*

A Vendor Friend at the Antique Mall had Shared this Today and I was Laughing my Ass off and just hadda Share it too, in Gallow's Humor Style... Tragic beyond Words, but hilariously so True!  The Speeches of 45 get Batshit Crazier and more Mentally unraveled... the reaction of his rabid Base who attend the Rallies gets all Fired Up and Stoked on The Crazy, apparently in complete Agreement.  It's just so Surreal and Shocking to me that this is what our Country has come to... a landslide down the Rabbit Hole into complete Political and apparently Public Insanity!

I just can't stomach watching most of it's coverage on TV or I'd be certain we're doomed and Democracy is Dead!   I will remain part of The Resistance... anyone with a Moral Compass still intact, a Social Conscience and a modicum of Sanity cannot just roll over and passively do nothing.  Or we'd risk being as complicit with the Outcome as those in Adoration of this Maniac and who will Support anything he says and does no matter how Immoral, Vile and Extreme!  Love and walking in the Light of Goodness I Believe will ALWAYS be preferable to Hatred and walking in the Darkness of Evil Corrupt Deeds.

I'm Working some extra Hours Today since we have a big 20% Off Valentine's Day Sale at the Antique Mall.   So The Man and I did all our Valentine's Day Celebrating earlier before I have to leave.   I didn't Decorate for Valentine's Day this Year, simply because I couldn't locate any of my Seasonal Decor in time, it's all still packed up somewhere?!  *LOL*  Perhaps by Easter???  *Smiles*  I don't Decorate a lot for Valentine's Day anyway, but I do have some Seasonal Vintage Decor for it that I usually put out to Display.

This was my Nod to it this Valentine's Day in the Home, since this is what The Man got as my Valentine's Day Pressy... and let me pick out, so that I'd get just what I Wanted!  I'm wearing the matching Earrings Today and have already received several compliments on them.  Betsey Johnson Jewelry always attracts Attention, it's such Fun and Outrageously Stylish Whimsy, which is Why I Love her Line!

*******

Happy Valentine's Day from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Getting Staff

I felt like a Putz, when I had the Home Inspection done, the RV Garage Inspection revealed that the Side Door had too large a gap at the bottom, so during Storms water would leak in, but I still stacked a tower of Boxes near there.  During the recent Storm, sure enough water leaked in and about Five of the Boxes got water damage and I had to immediately unpack the contents and run damage control!  *Le Sigh*  Why, in such an enormous Space, I stacked Boxes right near the ONE place I'd been told might receive Storm water coming in, I can't even tell you?!?  Only a scant amount of things couldn't be Salvaged, some papers that were no big Deal got soaked... the rest wasn't damaged.  *Whew!*  But a Victorian Crazy Quilt had to be aired out and some Vintage Tablecloths had to be immediately washed, to ensure no mildew or stains from Storm water seeping into the Boxes.  I was more angry at myself than the situation, because I don't need more Work to do!  *Le Sigh*

I'll be more Mindful now... and Careful to put Boxes that won't be unpacked for a while, where they won't have inclement weather damage.  I'm going to do an Online Order for the Door Guard that will seal that 2 Inch Gap at the bottom of that leaking Door.  It was strange because there is about a 7 Inch Step Up to the bottom of the Door, so Rain wasn't coming in from the Ground.  The Man went out to Survey the Situation and decided the angle of the Roof of the Back Patio Cover of the Main House is the culprit.  Water comes off that Roof at an angle that shoots it right at that RV Garage Door and thus under it's Gap at the Bottom!  You can't know all that 'til the first Storm and how the runoff is around the Property.  We live in a Desert, where Rain isn't plentiful, so it was probably fortuitous we found out so soon after moving in, to fix the problem right away.  I don't know Why any previous Owner wouldn't have fixed it right away, especially given the great Care and New Upgrades of the rest of the Property.

We had a Community Irrigation Meeting since Irrigation will resume this Month now Winter is drawing to an end... and SRP will come next Week to Train us how to do Irrigation properly.  We've never had Irrigation before, it kinda intimidated me actually, the logistics of it all and the Scheduling.  One of our Dear New Neighbors next door, T.J., who previously Maintained the Yard Work and Irrigation for the previous Owner, since they were out of Town a lot due to being Truckers, said we could retain him to continue, we think that will be a splendid idea.  He said the Irrigation part isn't hard, just slippery and so a lot of Seniors just hire someone to do the Irrigation for them so they don't risk or take a bad fall.  He said the Ants get you too once the Yards are flooded, Ant attacks and Senior Falls aren't anything I really want to Deal with or risk... and clearly The Man won't be able to do Irrigation, so it would be my Job exclusively if I didn't just Hire someone to do it for us.  I'm Hiring a Pool Guy, to handle all that, so Why not?  Now, finally, I'll have some Staff!  *Bwahahahaha!*

Seriously, I'm getting to that Age where I realize my limitations that are Age related might mean having some Hired Help, it's just inevitable as the Aging Process continues.   I can still do most things by myself and a great many things I can do that many Seniors my Age say they cannot, so I'm holding up pretty Well.   But, The Man hasn't been able to do too much of anything for a very long time due to his Disabilities and Poor Health, so it's rather like being a Single Woman when your Spouse needs Full Time Caregiving.  The Man used to be able to do everything and was quite handy, while Raising Boys I also always had that Present Help.   Well, now The Man can't do hardly anything and The Son and The Young Prince {Grandson} are Raised so they're no longer a part of the Household.  That leaves Princess T and I to do it all... at 14 she tries to be Helpful and is way more Responsible than most 14 Year Old Kiddos, she's had to be, but it pretty much means I do it all most of the time.

I've come to terms with doing what has to be done, but I can and will Budget for some Hired Help for things that probably I shouldn't or can't do by myself.  Not that I want to strain the Budget more, but some things you just have to set Money aside for to make Life easier and call it a Necessity.  I've found that you will find a way when you consider something Necessary!   Things have Calmed Down a lot since The Son is not here, tho' I do worry about him, he's grown and will have to figure out his own solutions to his situation.  The Young Prince is doing the same, tho' things haven't gotten better yet, I Hope they will soon for him too?  He wasn't able to get their Dog released from the Kennel, so may have to wait until his Partner is released to get that sorted out?  I'm glad that he found Alduin, the Bearded Dragon, and the rest of his Menagerie, a Home before he became Homeless or he'd have Critters to worry about too.  You do Wish you could spare Young Adults their serious situations, but we've all moved thru them in Life and each is a Learning Experience.

I've been having a lot of Four O'Clock in the Mornings due to concerns for Loved Ones, tho' everything about The Move is now at a place of Peace.  The Man, Princess T and I settled back into our Old Routine that we used to have at the Historic Beloved Homestead within the same Community we also Love.  Everyone seems so much Happier to be back on familiar ground around people we know and formed a long standing connection with.  We took Princess T to a Play Date near Villa Boheme', she said it seemed strange to even visit it because she'd already disconnected from it so quickly.  She misses just a couple of her Inner Circle of Friends there so I told her I can take her there from time to time to hang out with them and stay connected with them.  They are Welcome here anytime too.   I myself only have the Adorable Young Sri Lankan Friends from there that we intend to stay in touch with who lived across the Street, I do miss them.  It was good to visit with the Wife and I bought the Magnificent Carved Ganesh from their Homeland that they were holding for me.  They have a Stone one in their Front Courtyard I'd always Admired and they had a matching one in Carved Wood they were willing to Sell to me.

Tho' I don't have Placement for everything yet, since most isn't even unpacked and large Furnishings aren't all here yet, it's moving along at a Pace that is quicker than I expected.  With the exception of inclement Weather Days, we try to do at least One Load from U-Haul a Day in my Truck.  Some Days we squeeze Two to Three in, but even a single Load is emptying out the Storage Units quickly, Kyle is even impressed!  *LMAO*  I'm sure Kyle will miss me when I'm gone?!  *Winks*  I plan to buy he and the Staff some Donuts when the last Unit is emptied and it will be Adios from having Offsite Storage.  He really hooked me up thruout this Ordeal and saved me a ton of Money in Storage Costs and Truck/Equipment Rental, Bless him.  I'll move more of my Boxes away from the RV Garage's Side Door in the Morning, just to be sure nothing else gets water damage if we have more Storms and until I order the Weather Stripping for the bottom of that Door and remedy the Runoff trajectory off the Roof of the Main House that targets that Door.

It definitely feels good to be getting things unpacked and reuniting with my Stuff.  I'd really missed it and it didn't feel like Home without a lot of it being present.  I've also gone Goodwill Hunting with The Man and Princess T, doing things together again has become our Habit once again, now that everyone is in higher Spirits after Escaping Subdivision Hell's Oppressive Environment.  I had been quite Aware of how much it had Negatively affected my Spirit in Exile there, but it is so much more Evident now how much it had affected and infected theirs!  Breaking Free of there has made an incredible difference in the whole Family's Countenance and Restored how it used to be for us as a Family.  I've photographed just a few of the items I've Scored during recent Thrills of The Hunt.  I've been Seeking those items that will enhance the Botanical, Naturalist and Urban Farmhouse Style Blends that I've got going on here at Forever Boheme'.  It's Amazing how Cheaply I've been able to Source great Quality items of just what I'm looking for!

I'm bringing more Natural Wood Objects into the Home and have found some Fantastic Wood Vases turned from single pieces of Wood and Sculpted into mini Works of Art.  I've also been Seeking some Interesting Plant Pots for Indoor Potted Live Plants I'll buy once everything is unpacked and I have Time to tend to Living Plants.  So for now the faux Plants predominate and that's Okay, they look Fine and Create no extra Work or Care on my part.  *Winks*  Some things I bought with the Intention of Selling at my Antique Mall Spaces to earn Funds to pay for the Offsite Storage during the Month of February, since clearly I won't get all Units emptied out before staggered due dates this Month.  I'll do what I can and just Pony Up for the rest and take as much Time as I Need to get each Vacated before another Month's Rent comes due.   The pix below is of a spinning Metal Globe Thingy that I liked but won't Keep, it should Sell easily... it just probably won't go with my Globe Collection so isn't likely a Keeper.  It's just a No-Brainer when I find something like that on The Cheap that is an Easy Sell, to pick it up to hawk at my Retail Spaces to replenish Inventory.

No, I haven't had the Time nor Energy to devote yet to Inventory replenishment tho' a lot will eventually be Purged from my Private Collection from Home after they are unpacked.  The Culled Objects will certainly replenish Inventory for a long time to come I suspect and I won't have Need to Source hardly anything.  But since The Thrill of the Hunt is my Joy, I hardly doubt I'll cease Junquing either or Salvaging Historic Architecture when I discover it and Rescue it from being Landfill bound.  It's just what our Tribe does and there is a distinct Purpose in doing so, Keepers Of The Past totally understand the Importance of the Rescue and Preservation Gene that we seem to possess deep in our DNA.  *Smiles*  Now that I do have Space again and Acreage... I don't have to be as Restrictive in doing what I do without being Oppressed by the likes of an HOA that has different Lifestyle outlook than our own.  Not having some Pretentious Uptight Yuppie Type Dictating our Lifestyle and way of Life is Liberating, I cannot Believe I even Endured or even Tolerated it 4.5 long Years!

Okay, so I didn't Tolerate it very well and wasn't Tolerant of it!  *Bwahahaha!*  I Fought it and against it's Oppressive Controlling Establishment with every Ounce of my Being, so I'm certain they're just as Glad to be rid of me as I am to be rid of them!?  *Winks*   When we went to visit our Friends and get the Ganesh we saw the Vehicles of the New Owners parked in the Driveway of Villa Boheme', I had no Desire to meet the New Owners who will utilize it as a Vacay Residence and probably be gone by end of Winter.  We are Friends with the Buyer that Purchased the Historic Old Homestead, but he's of our Tribe... I doubt these Buyers of Villa Boheme' are at all, judging by our Experience with Dealing with them during the Sale and how bourgeoisie they were... bougie folks tend to just annoy me and work my last Nerve.  *LOL*  So it was merely a Business Transaction of Real Property, nothing more and I'm Okay with that.   I'm certain they'll fit right in with that Community, they're of that ilk and will likely be very Happy there and that's a good thing, finding one's own Tribe and residing among them.  To each their own...  I'm just Glad we're back among our own...   And Today I'll have my First Parent-Teacher Conference... so Pray for me!  *Bwahahahahahahaha!!!*

*******

Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Daffodils And Dealing With Family Drama

Slowly, mostly because I'm concentrating on getting everything out of the remaining U-Haul Storage Units first, our New Home is coming together.  You'll mostly get Imagery from the Center of the Great Room for now, because it's the most 'complete' at the moment.  I've got one more Vintage European Grain Sack upholstered Chair to bring in there, when I can uncover it from the bowels of the Storage Unit it's packed into.  Then that portion will pretty much be Done.  That portion came together easily, some Rooms and Areas are more challenging due to unforeseen changes I had no choice but to make for a Space.

In my Mind's Eye, this is exactly how I wanted this Space to Look and to Feel... some Areas are a lot more of a compromise... it happens.   The Hamster Brothers and Tropical Fish, for example, were not initially going to be in the Guest Bedroom, where they had to end up due to Climate Control Issues.  The Double Car Garage Office Space has Heating and Cooling, but I just didn't want the expense of Heating and Cooling it all of the time, so the Critters couldn't be in there full time as initially Planned.  The RV Garage has no Heating or Cooling so it was out of the question for Living Things living there full time. That meant Decorating the Guest Bedroom has to accommodate Hamster Habitats and Aquarium with it's paraphernalia.  Not exactly lining up with my Vision!  *Le Sigh and Bwahahahaha!*

So, I've satiated my Desire to Decorate in the Center portion of the Great Room for now, while pretty much everything else remains in Chaos with Moving In.  *Smiles*  You remember how Moving In is... for an extended time it can be very Chaotic while stuff isn't unpacked and you don't have a Master Plan yet for everything's Placement or overall Purpose.   My loosely laid Master Plan for now is to keep most, if not all, packed Boxes out of the Main House and sequestered in the RV Garage.  Where I don't necessarily have to see it, live around it or Deal with it immediately.  Some Boxes migrated to the Main House, they're being banished back into the RV Garage, Today is the Deadline I want them ALL outta here and in there!  *LOL*

I bought Daffodils, to take the Edge off of Dealing with Family Drama, which continues unabated.  Nature Calms me and Soothes my Spirit, Dealing with Loved One's "Issues" disrupts my Calm constantly.  Details aren't being entirely Shared here in The Land Of Blog, suffice to say, it's been Epic and exceedingly Stressful, super disruptive and anything but Calm or Soothing.  Finally having my Sanctuary to retreat to again has been Helpful, even if some of the Drama has occasionally been under this Roof.  Being back in a Community I'd desperately missed and truly Love makes a huge difference in how Well I can Cope with the Issues of Life as they play out in Real Time and involving those I Love.  I had vowed that whenever I got my Forever Home, I'd make sure I often had Fresh Flowers and Botanical Style predominating it's Environment.

Creating that Atmosphere that I know beyond a Shadow of a Doubt that I do Well in was vital, because with this Family, Drama tends to be a constant Challenge.   The Son's Welcome here is over, at least I kept him out of the Rain and in a dry Bed for a couple Days before he unraveled again.  After Work he knows he has to find alternative arrangements again, we just can't keep doing this while he's struggling with his Issues.  I Love everyone unconditionally and they can Count on that, however, I employ Tough Love constantly and consistently with them all.  My Boundaries are not to be crossed... and that not only goes with Family, but with Friends and Acquaintances or even Strangers too.  I'm not very fluid about moving or compromising my Boundaries for anyone's Behavior or Choices.  Your Behavior and Choices are YOUR consequences to Deal with, not mine necessarily and certainly not by my Choice.

I am by Nature a Drama Free Mama, I thrive best by Maintaining Calm and a Zen, Peaceful Existence, that's my Preference for my Life and Honestly I will defend that Territory rigorously.   Life isn't a Dress Rehearsal, so each of us must Structure our own Life and our own Precious Time on this side of Time and Eternity as we prefer it to Be.   I cannot align with the Negative aspects of what makes Life more complicated and miserable than it has to be or needs to be.  It shouldn't be so Hard for anyone to Be Loving, Positive, Peaceful and Live Life with a semblance of a Moral Compass and plain Common Sense!  With Compassion towards other Transient Beings we Share this Planet with and with Awareness that their Poor Choices and Actions often don't just affect them and can Create Toxic Relationships due to the strain of Dealing with them and their Poor Choices or unacceptable Actions.  

So that Trouble, Hatred or Strife isn't their Constant and doesn't spill into the lives of other people.  I don't complicate my Life with what I know would intentionally complicate Life for me and others exposed to me.  I don't like it when anyone else complicates my Life with their Poor Choices, unacceptable Behavior or Negative way of Being.   Side Note: This great East Indian large Pouff I Scored Goodwill Hunting for a pittance, it is brand New and Retail Cost would be around a Hundred Bucks or more.   A bit of Retail Therapy goes a long way since The Thrill Of The Hunt can be a Welcome distraction from the drudgery of Hauling shit out of Storage, moving thru Personal Crisis and Full Time Caregiving.  I try to keep my Coping Mechanisms in Check tho', still Maintaining my 5 to 1 Rule, which I'll likely bump up so that for every One thing coming IN, more than Five will go OUT now!  *Contented Sigh*

Epic Purge and Culling is my Intention once everything is safely out of Offsite Storage and on Site here to Deal with at my own Pace.   Having so much in Transition is difficult for the Members of this Family that don't Deal with Change so Well, they like their Routines and Familiarity.  Even the Cat, Miss Priss, often walks around Forever Boheme' howling like a Banshee in Protest!  *LMAO*  Between the Cat being very Vocal and The Family each having their Individual Mood Regulation Issues, when their Routine is interrupted and they're Learning to Settle In to a new Environment... is a Process.  They will move thru it just Fine, it will just take some Time.  Everyone Loves it here so that's a non-issue, everything we'll ever Need is so close by now and this is the Right place to spend Forever.

And in the Words of Bob Marley:

"Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."

*******

Blessings, Love and Light from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

A Little Slice Of Heaven ~ A Little Slice Of Hell

Into every Life some Rain must fall... but Damn, sometimes we seem to get a Hurricane force on the Downside of Life!  Sure, the Upside has included Forever Boheme', our Dream Home... so the Epic Bad's been Balanced with the Amazingly Good.  It's actually raining like Hell right now literally, which is why I can take a break from the incessant U-Haul runs and Blog a Post!  As for the Rain of Life itself figuratively, it's been Hurricane force... so with the Moving in of Forever Boheme' we've had a taste of a little Slice of Heaven AND a little Slice of Hell on the Personal front!   As you can see, I finally got one of my larger Persian Rugs laid down, so not so much Echo now in the Great Room.  The schlepping of possessions from Storage to Forever Boheme' has been a Welcome distraction from the serious Personal Issues regarding Adult Children!

My Lifelong Friend Volunteering and keeping me Laughing has also kept Balance, so that I'm not just Crying either.  We Harvested Pecans from the back Acreage in the Rain, she had her Arms full and it was hysterical... a couple of Nuts Harvesting Nuts in inclement weather, just struck me as Gallow's Humor.  Both of us often moving thru Personal Storms together and yet also moving into our respective New Homes has had many parallels.  Life sometimes plays out that way, it keeps you Grounded when you're not the only one going through something.  In the almost Forty Years of our Friendship there has often been extreme parallels we've moved through together, perhaps that's part of Why the Friendship has remained so solid even if one or both of us has gone off the Grid for a time during the worst of Life.

The Young Prince called to say he just got out of Jail... Yeah, I'd gotten The Call 3 Days earlier, on speaker phone in the Truck, that he was IN Jail after having had an Epic Psychotic Episode in Public with his Partner, they bot got Arrested.  *Le Sigh*  That Call made Princess T, sitting in the back seat, Cry her Eyes out, concerned for her Big Brother!  A concerned Citizen had called, with him being presently Homeless he can no longer have his Episodes in Private... and The Mentally Ill having them in Public will usually mean an Arrest and they WILL be combative, count on it!  We've been thru this with his Mother for Decades, a Schizophrenic having an Episode in Public will usually mean a brief stay in Psyche Lockdown or Jail... or both, depending upon their Appearance before whatever Judge they draw.  The Young Prince's Schizophrenia developing in early Adulthood just added to his SMI diagnosis Laundry List since Age 7.

I'm sure his Dear Partner's role was a Protective one, since he looks out for our Grandson and apparently the Police got rough with both of them, not knowing exactly what was going on.  The Young Prince was still quite Psychotic during his first call Home, as well as being Scared, he's not a Kid that participates in Criminal Behavior, so Jail was not the appropriate Placement for him and it was a first time Experience.  We couldn't and wouldn't post Bail, it was the Weekend and I knew he wouldn't go before a Judge 'til Monday.  We just spent about everything with our Move and we're Thousands of Miles away, so couldn't be much Help at all.  Anyway, being Homeless and in Mental Health Crisis, so far from us... I Honestly felt the Safest and best Placement for him would probably be Jail, where he'd at least have 3 Hots and a Cot 'til he could go before a Judge to get the Mental Health Assistance he so desperately Needs.  Usually that greases that Need right along once they're in The System on The State's Dime already.  It dumps The Problem right in the Municipality's Lap where they cannot Ignore it nor continue to Marginalize the Individual and Neglect them.

Can you only tell this is not our first Rodeo with how The System works, or fails to, for The Seriously Mentally Ill in Society?   Every State is different, Washington State seems to be more efficient than Arizona, for that I'm Grateful, they had him Assessed, Assigned Treatment and a Caseworker and Released within a little over a 48 Hour Hold.  In Arizona his Mother often languished in Jail for Months to get similar Services for being picked up being Crazy in Public and having Charges sorted out.  His Partner hasn't been released and since he looks out for our Grandson, and we Care about what happens to him too, that is a Concern.  I wasn't there so don't know how Hairy things got when things escalated in the confusion?   When you're trying to Deal with an SMI Individual's severe Episode, Trust and Believe there will be some confusion if Help is called for... and I don't blame Law Enforcement for that, it's a difficult and unsettling thing to Roll Up upon and sort out satisfactorily!  

The Judge was quite lenient and Helpful, I'm Pleased with The Plan, we shall see if it Works?   With an SMI Individual without a Full Time Caregiver and living on the Streets, follow-thru can be sketchy at best and at worst, a revolving Cycle of this kind of Situation, depending upon severity of Episodes.  He won't come back to Arizona, he Loves Washington, even being Homeless on the Streets of Washington while awaiting Placement in Housing for Disabled Adults.  I have to Respect his Desire to Live Life on his own Terms now he's a grown Man... that doesn't ease my Worry of coarse, but you Learn to make Peace with it all over Time.   The last couple of pixs you're looking at of Necklace with matching Earrings is my Valentine's Day Gift from The Man.  He let me pick it out and go back to get it... it's by Betsey Johnson, a Fav Designer... a Votivo Style Heart with Turkish Boncuk Evil Eye for Protection from Evil just seemed particularly Appropriate right now.  *Smiles*   

Anyway, The Young Prince Restored some of his Calm while talking to me after his Release.  He was going to Bail his Partner's Beloved Pit Bull out of The Animal Shelter he'd been placed in after their Arrest.  The Young Prince has Good Plans for his Future, so we discussed those Positive things to dwell upon.  He has to Maintain Hope for the Future... he has the aide of The Salvation Army and also a Street Ministry for Homeless LGBTQ Youth assisting and feeding him, so he said he's Scared but going to be Fine, he knows I Worry and he doesn't want that.   When he gets their Dog back I'll have more of a Peace he'll be Safer on the Streets until his Partner also gets a Release and his Charges sorted out.  I wasn't Sure whether to Blog about that aspect of our Personal Drama playing out in Real Time or not, but decided if it is Helpful to even one more Family going thru anything remotely similar, it was worth Sharing the Pain of.  The Son has stayed with us for a couple Days while inclement Weather plays out, our Rule being he has to be Clean and Sober in our Presence... or he'll be sitting on a Park Bench in the Rain.  He still Helps with the heavy stuff being schlepped from U-Haul to here, he's still Working at the Quarry.  He's only doing Well in his battle some of the time... so we take it one Day at a time.

I Scored this Bob Marley Lava Lamp while Goodwill Hunting for just a couple Bucks, Princess T was Green with Envy. "Now she's got Two and I've got None!", she wailed to her Grandpa Dramatically!  *Rolling my Eyes equally Dramatically, Bwahahaha!*  So we went to The Mall to 'Spencers' Display, which reaches from Floor to Ceiling of Amazing Lava Lamp Options... she couldn't find even One she Liked!  *Oy Vey, The 14 Year Old Angst Schtick Triggers my Senior Impatience like nobody's business! Le Sigh*  Needless to say she left Lava Lampless!  *LMAO*  It's all Good, next time we hit 'Spencers' Trust and Believe that Child will settle for any damned Lava Lamp she can get her Hands on before I walk out that Door... Homey Gramma don't Play that!  *Winks*  Yeah, she Pouted Petulantly on the ride Home, while her Uncle had one of his Autistic Clapping fits, which started at The Mall and Mortified her 14 Year Old Street Cred enough in Public that she was Glad it was time to just load up The Circus and go Home.  *Smiles... Yeah, we often look like a Traveling Sideshow!* 

 In Gallow's Wednesday Addams Humor Style she had said in a Deadpan Tone that it was 'Funny' how you knew that was HIM Gramma, even when he was on the Upper Level of The Mall looking for us, while we were walking on the Lower Level and we couldn't see him yet!  AS IF it would be ANYONE else Clapping like Mad at The Mall, Right?!?  *Bwahahahahaha!*  I don't Care when People Stare anymore, tho' it does still Hurt your Heart... but she's still at Defensive Mode about it.  Embarrassed more for him than for herself actually... if you have a Disabled Loved One who does Odd things you completely Understand that posture in Public.  She is the same about her Big Brother being Transgender and Fabulously Gay... when some people have a Neg Reaction to that or express an Opinion of Extreme Bias and Hate filled Prejudice.

  Having Special Needs herself she's Endured her own share of Bullying and Torment from insensitive Asshat types... it's made her Scrappy and she's handed more than a few of them their Asses when she's just had Enough of being Picked on.  You might recall her last Suspension from the Old School just before we Moved, when she finally took out an Older Male Bully who'd Tormented her all Year long.  It was her Good-Bye Gift of sorts and since Administration had ignored her Pleas for Intervention, I fully Supported her finally handling it herself.   Besides, it gave her a long Weekend to Help me finish Packing.  *Winks*   I find it Interesting how School Administration's React when you fully Support retaliation, when they've Failed to do THEIR Job to protect your Child from Bullies.  We might not start Fights in this Familia, but we sure as Hell finish them with a flourish... so Pity the Fools who take it too far!  How ya Like us NOW?!?  *Smiles*

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Focusing on and Celebrating The Little Slices of Heaven while Moving Thru The Little Slices of Hell in the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian