Saturday, May 17, 2025

Down To Earth ~ Sweet Salvage ~ And Curious Nature



 So, naturally, since I committed myself to Working Friday Nights again to sub in for my ailing Friend Richard, I woke up with such a Headache I had to go back to Bed after dropping Princess T off to Work.  I then slept 'til freakin' NOON!!!   Missed Breakfast entirely and woke up as The Son tells me he's now making Hotdogs and Chili Cheese Fries for Lunch... so that will be my first Meal of the Day!  Breakfast of Champions, No?!  *LOL*  He too had Napped, since he has Fridays Off Work now, so he said he only woke up slightly before me and decided to go Grocery Shopping becoz it was his Payday Today.  It would have been mine but Staff messed up when they told me I had a Check, I didn't, I slightly Owed the Mall the amount they told me the Check was for... dammit!  It wasn't much, but... still... it was disappointing after being told on the Phone I didn't Owe.




I really thought I'd Owe this last Pay Period, with Four consecutive Days out of Fourteen of NO Sales.  Which had never, ever happened before, in all the Years since the Mall had Opened!   Seriously, Monday thru Thursday of the First Week of our Two Week Pay Period, I didn't Sell a damned Thing, not even anything ridiculously Cheap or a Sure Thing!!!  Usually even on a flatlined Sales Day you'll Sell something.   But, all the other Vendors I talked to also Owed, so nobody was Selling much even with Mother's Day Weekend closing out the Pay Period.  The only Vendors killing it are the Pokemon Sellers, it was yet another Pokemon Friday, just about ALL Sale were Pokemon related!!!  And they were spending serious Money on that stuff!   Anyone actually Selling Vintage or Antique Merch in an Antique Mall, is struggling.




Margins in Resale are tight, so you don't have a whole lot of wiggle room to profit from it.  Rents aren't Cheap either, coupled with Commission to the Mall and the Fees and Costs if someone doesn't use Cash.  Then you always get Customers who want to make Offers and not pay full price, deciding whether to accept, counter or decline can vary greatly, depending on the item and how you're doing with Sales overall.  When I'm easily Selling things at full Ask I'm not as inclined to take Offers on Product I know someone will pay what I'm asking for it.  My prices are already reasonable on everything, I structure it that way so that my Customers know they're already getting a good Deal on what they Buy from me.   The Pokemon Vendors don't have to Discount or Haggle coz their Buyer will Pay whatever they're Asking!!!




   I'm never looking for that End Of The Rainbow Buyer so I price my Merch to Sell, yet even that isn't cutting it these days.  But, I don't mind a good Negotiation either.  In fact, if a Customer offers something reasonable and Fair I usually will work with them, especially if they're Buying a lot from me and are my Regulars.  All my Industry Friends know I already will give them that 1st Cousin Deal on anything they Buy from me, coz they have spent a lot of Money over the Years Buying what I have to Sell to them... or can be convinced to.  *Winks*  I don't mind that they're making Money too, let's all make Money and give each other High Fives on successfully Negotiating what everyone is Happy with the results of.  There's reciprocity to operating like that, I rarely am charged full price when I Buy from Industry Friends.




And I have been generously Gifted with incredible items over the Years that Industry Friends have surprised me with as Friendship Gifts.   And likewise I have done the same, Givers always Gain, ALWAYS, it's part of the Laws Of Reciprocity activated.   As you can see I Photographed the Hell out of a New Vendor's Spot in the Warehouse Section.  Just Love their Display showcasing their Product, the Old Flatbed VW Bug is Awesome and they have the Flatbed of it set up with Mannequins wearing their Fashions and Accessories.  Too Cute and a great Summertime Vibe.   We always Joke that Arizona has lots of Beach and no Ocean.  *Winks*  The Company has an INSTAGRAM Page if you want to see more.  I like promoting and supporting Small Local Businesses, so was happy to see a new one I wasn't familiar with and has now joined the Event's Team for the Summer.




I thought their Custom Cookies were Cute that they had on their Social Media Page.  They didn't have any at the Event.  I'm impressed with how far Cookies have come Artistically in the way of Decorating them.   How Cute is the VW Bus Cookie that matches their Main Display VW?   And they found a Vintage Dr. Pepper Cooler in the same awesome Patina and Colors!!!   Do you know this bit of Soft Drink Trivia, Dr. Pepper is Older than Coca-Cola?   Dr. Pepper's been around since 1885 and Coca-Cola since 1886... Pepsi since 1893... 7-Up since 1929.  Vernor's Ginger Ale since 1866 is the Oldest in America, my Mom Loved Vernor's... it's good when you've got Stomach problems.  It's the longest continuously Sold Soft Drink in the U.S..

  



Anyway, so, I ALMOST broken even, just not quite... which Sucked coz I did Sell over 50 Smalls and Worked a Shift... but, like I said, Overhead is not inexpensive so you really do need Strong Sales to make Money.  None of us is there to lose Money and honestly this past Pay Period I'd of done better at a Yard Sale with everything priced at a Dollar!  *Le Sigh*  This Pay Period started out Stronger for Week No. One of it, which ends Saturday {Today in Real Time}, so I only Hope Week No. Two of it remains steady enuf that I can make up what I Owed and clear a decent Check out of this Pay Period?   We'll see... Economists are saying that by June everyone in America will definitely be Feeling the effects of the Tariffs War.   So, it might panic folks to panic Buy or scare them enuf they won't spend anything... either way it's not good and will create more Economic stress and negatively impact the Market with Supply and Demand Issues and Consequences.



When I got to Work I saw I would be Working with Tina and Judith, Two long time Vendors who are Older Women.   Tina is a good Worker and now she and I get along, we didn't used to tho'.  I once had a huge confrontation with her  about Key Dealer Carts, and after that she now stays in her own Lane with me and we get along very well. *Smiles*  Let me explain, they don't have enuf Key Dealer Carts that we use when on Shift, which is a Management faux pas, they should have enuf.  So, once during a Sale I was a Fill-In Key Dealer working a 4-8 p.m., which meant I got on Shift before the 5-9 Regulars showed up.  So, I got a Cart when my Friend Ken, who had Worked a Noon-4, was leaving and gave me his.  So, I'd been there a full Hour Working and it was Mad busy.  Tina came in at 5:00, walked up to me, said she always gets Ken's Cart, and held onto the front of my Cart like a fucking Lunatic!  Then literally yanking it out of my Hands and saying she was taking it coz Substitutes don't get a Cart!!!  *WTF!?*  Oh Hell No she didn't just do that in front of God and everyone!!!   So, now we had a "Situation".  But, I restrained myself from the Knee Jerk Reaction to Go Mental on her Ass. *Bwahaha*




Instead of making a Scene with her, I just Calmly told her she'd now be pulling my Shift AND hers now then, coz I don't Work if I don't have the appropriate Supplies at my disposal.  I was still on the Clock and all the Locked Cases were going to Last Call, but I went Upstairs and just drank Coffee with my Friend Gordon, looking over the Railing at everyone below now scurrying around, including Tina, without adequate coverage now!  *LOL*  Well, Steven, the Manager, sees me up there, and he knows me well, I'm one of his best Workers and no Slacker, no brag, just Fact, so he knows something is very Wrong.  Other Vendors tell him I'd had a confrontation with Tina and she'd caused a Scene about Carts and then forcibly taken mine, I'd remained Calm about it, but quit Working! {Still on the Clock now, so they're Paying me to drink Coffee basically, LOL}.  Steven comes up and asks what the Problem is, and I Calmly tell him SHE is and he better Deal with that or we'll have us a major Situation if she pulls that shit again with me, ever.  *Winks*

  


By then Jackson had come Upstairs too in a Panic, I like Jackson as a Friend, but as a Worker he's a Slacker and he was shitting Kittens having to Work so hard without my coverage down there.  *Winks*  So, he asks what he could do and so does Steven.   I say, well, either someone better pull a Cart out of their Ass for me, OR... just send me Home if they don't wanna Pay me to just drink Coffee and watch the Cluster Fuck Tina had Created with her Cart Nonsense?   Their Choice, I didn't give a Fuck.   *Bwahahaha*  They pulled a Cart out of their Asses, don't know how or who they commandeered it from, I didn't Care, Problem Solved and Tina never tried anything like that with me again.  We now apparently have an Understanding and a Truce.  In fact, when my Mannequin got Stolen by that Vendor another Time after that, it was Tina who backed me up to Trace who did it and verify where it had been taken to.   So, she and I have no Beef anymore with each other, and like I said, she's usually a decent person and always a good Worker.




The other Worker last Night was my Friend Judith, good Friend, don't like Working with her tho'.  Judith can be very temperamental, she used to be a Bank Executive too and often thinks she can delegate to everyone she's Working with as if she's still a high power Executive and your Supervisor.  *LOL*  In actuality, she's now not in Charge of anyone.  But, you'd think she was, she can get very Bossy and condescending at times with Co-Workers, so, isn't very Popular.  And, if she's at the Greeter Desk and it's her Turn there, even when things get Crazy, she won't ask Paid Staff to sit while she comes and helps Open Cases, which you're supposed to do.  So, I don't much like Working with Judith even tho' she's a good Friend of mine... and I can get snarky with her when she's becoming a Liability or being Difficult. 




 That Night was Mad busy, we should have had at least one more Key Dealer to have appropriate Coverage, and Judith was being temperamental and a Liability at times.  Judith is in her 70's, doesn't look it, but sometimes Acts it, so, Diplomacy doesn't Work with her... you have to get Snarky with her to let her know she's irritating you.  And she knows I'm not Shy about expressing myself with anyone, Friend or Foe.  *Winks*  So I did throw her some Shade coz we got way behind in Serving People waiting for Cases to be Open, Tina and I were sweating Bullets trying to get caught  up.  Customers were being Nice about it, at least, having to wait too long.   But, Judith was entrenched at the Greeter Desk, ignoring how far behind we were.   She didn't wanna give up any of her 40 Minutes of Greeter Desk time and felt Paid Staff should get a Key and Help on the Floor.  *Eye Roll, they're not allowed to with current Policy, they can just fill in for us as Greeter when it gets too hectic.*




 So, I got Snarky and asked if she wasn't gonna get up to Help us and have someone cover the Greeter Desk, could she at least be Writing Down all the Last Call Cases so we could keep track of which Customers had waited the longest?  You can't do that while you're giving a Customer you're assisting your full Attention at a Case you've already Opened.  And Customers can actually deliberately linger longer at a Case when they know other people are waiting, it is annoying, but, folks can be selfish, inconsiderate as Hell and Weird like that.   Other than that glitch, everything was swell.  *LMAO*   




Crazy Ed came in to Work his Spaces and needed Three of his Cases Opened.  He'd had to wait 'til Last Call by the time I got to him.  He saw I was there filling in for Richard and who I was On Shift with, and said, "I'm Surprised you agreed to come in and Work with certain People...", and grinned.   Crazy Ed and I get along fabulously, he does not Like Judith.  And coz we're both Crazy in a similar way, he KNOWS how I react and what the Score was that Night.  *LOL*   So, it was rather like an Inside Joke between he and I.  *Winks*




So, I told him I'd learned that our Friend Richard had just gotten a Liver Transplant AND Open Heart Surgery, so I'd only agreed to Cover all his Friday Night Shifts when Steven asked, coz Richard is my Friend and in a bad way right now.   Richard had asked if perhaps I'd cover for him as his Health dictated and I wanted to Honor that.  I was shocked to learn what he'd had done all at once and Crazy Ed agreed it had shocked him too.  Especially that Richard was even a candidate for an Organ Transplant, given his Age {67}, Condition overall, and poor Lifestyle Habits and Choices that caused the Health Issues he's having. 




  A lot of what Richard is dealing with are a result of not Managing his Disease {Diabetes} or his overall Health, by misbehaving all the time and doing exactly what his Docs told him he shouldn't.  I do Hope all this now will Change that and he'll do better?  I've chided Richard for YEARS about misbehaving and eating a whole damned Medium Size Pizza when he's an Insulin dependent Diabetic!  I told him it would cause Organ shutdown eventually... and it did!  I was Born with a faulty Pancreas which has never worked well my entire Life, and got worse after a Hysterectomy and weight gain from that Surgery.  Organs are in short supply, which is why the Medical Community is now considering Animal Pharming for Organs from Pigs.  




I know there's not enuf Human Organs to Transplant and so those on Transplant Lists are assessed quite stringently with strict criteria.   I don't know if Richard had just been on a Liver Transplant List for Years, in order to get one, we were just very Surprised at his Age and level of Fragility and Viability, that he was considered.  Glad for him, but Surprised and do Hope he doesn't negate getting a New Liver by abusing this one too doing what he's NOT supposed to do?   I really Hope he behaves now, given this 2nd chance? 




 And I Pray he does really well in his Recovery, tho', it's likely to be a prolonged one having so much done all at once.  I don't know if he'll come back to Work Shifts or not actually?   So, I might be doing Friday Nights for a while or even asked if I'll do them permanently, don't know yet?   CHLT usually takes about Six Months Recovery time and he'll be Hospitalized for at least Three Weeks.  He had his Liver-Heart Surgery Yesterday apparently and has spent days in the Hospital beforehand.  He'd looked dreadful last time I'd seen him at Work and I really thought he was Dying.  The distended Belly with extreme Weight Loss made me think his Liver was crapping out now, and probably his Kidneys weren't doing so well either, I didn't know about his Heart Issues.   But, once Diabetes isn't managed, it pretty much can crap out all your Organs and cause you to lose Limbs, have Strokes, Heart Attacks and risk a Fatality or some catastrophic event you won't bounce back from.




It's tricky to Manage Diabetes even if and when you're behaving, and doing everything Right.  Richard certainly wasn't even trying to behave tho', for Years, and it caught up to him.  Having to Manage the Disease myself I have compassion for how difficult it can be and no sure thing even if you do all you're supposed to.  There are times I slip with my regimen and eat some things I shouldn't, but you can't do it chronically and must be Mindful of Diet, Exercise, taking your Meds consistently and having them changed when they're no longer as effective, managing your Weight, monitoring your A1C and Daily Readings... it is a LOT.  The Man doesn't behave, and he's an Insulin Dependent Diabetic too.   So I think with some Guys they get Stubborn and Rebellious about acceptance of what is necessary and what they can no longer do, that they might still wanna do, but shouldn't.  I have to Manage most of The Man's Care, coz he just won't.  I suspect Richard's Wife has a similar challenge?




But, you really cannot force someone to behave and do what they should when they're Grown.  There has to be a certain level of compliance, accountability, assuming of responsibility and self-care too, or it's just too much of a Battle to expect someone else to do it FOR you.   I Battle with The Man all of the time and due to his TBI and onset of Dementia, it's a delicate Dance to get him to comply with what his Docs tell me is necessary for him to have his best Outcome and not get progressively worse.  Which, doesn't just affect him, it affects and impacts us all, so, I don't Play and really come down on him when he's misbehaving and being obstinate about his Care and not doing what he's supposed to.   I cannot have his Caregiving become more Extreme than it already is or I simply won't be able to Keep him at Home.   And we cannot afford Long Term Care for him EVEN IF we could find Placement, which, we couldn't before, so I doubt we could now either?! 




So I tell him that if I end up having the possibility of a Future of living under a Bridge in a Homeless situation in my Golden Years, becoz of his misbehavior of his Health and him not taking it Seriously, then I'm going Down for Homicide so I'll at least have Three Hots and a Cot on Death Row.  *Winks*   He's not sure I'm Joking or Serious, so he behaves whenever we get to that conversation level.  *LOL*  Of coarse I'm bluffing, but, he's never quite sure that I am if I have nothing left to Lose, you know?  *Bwahahahahaha*   Plus, I want for him to have his best possible Outcome health wise in his Golden Years, he's got so much going on and Docs can't do any more for him and have said so to us.  So, whatever I Dream Up to improve his Quality of Life is all he's got at this point and I try to keep him Piping along and enjoying whatever Life he has left in him.   And for myself too, it's all you can do at some point when the decline just happens regardless.  





As you can see it wasn't just the Event at SWEET SALVAGE that I went to, I also visited my favorite Oddities Shop CURIOUS NATURE which now is relocated just down the Street from the Event in a much larger Building than before.  I didn't Buy anything this day, but there's always a lot of Weird and Wonderful Merch there to behold.   I used to Buy their Mystery Boxes but they've gone way up in Price so that wasn't an Option this time.  They always hold a good array of Quality items, but if I don't know what I'm getting for sure, I am reluctant to pay a Premium Price and risk not diggin' whatever is in the assortment I paid so much for.  They have Two choice of Mystery Boxes, a relatively Mid-Price One and the Gold Ribbon Box which is very high priced and contains Primo contents of their choosing tho'.   The last couple of Mystery Boxes I did Buy from there I was pleased with what I Scored and felt it was worth the Cost... and it's like receiving a Christmas or Birthday Pressy where you don't know what you're getting.



*******


I Hope you enjoyed coming along vicariously... Dawn... The Bohemian

Friday, May 16, 2025

Always Looking For An Upside To A Downside



 I hadn't realized how many Pixs I'd taken at the Event, Downtown Shops and Murals in the Arted up Historic Districts, until I downloaded them.   My Old Camera is working again and better than the New one, which has some kind of glitch I haven't figured out a way around yet.  I'm getting decent Pixs from the Old Camera, perhaps it was jealous I was replacing it and decided to Work well again?  *Bwahahaha*  The Stolen Camera that got taken out of my Showroom while I was Working, that I got as a Gift from my very generous Dear Canadian Blog Friend, never did get returned.  Nor did I ever find out who exactly boosted it off the Cart it was sitting on as I foofed things to Photograph with it.  I still think it was that group of Young People that came in to look at Shirts and distracted me by asking Questions.  Thieves in Groups often do that, have some distract you while the others Steal what they Eyeballed to Rip Off. 




I'm more upset that the Memory Card had personal Pixs on it that now some shady Criminal Motherfuckers have, that bothers me.   Thankfully I hadn't really yet taken a lot of Pixs with it since I was still figuring it out and only had it a few Weeks when it got Stolen.   I re-ordered a similar one Online at an affordable Price and it worked well for a while then had some Memory Glitch that isn't anything to do with a Memory Card problem.   Perhaps that's why they were Selling it, I dunno?   Anyway, I'm Thankful that my Old Camera began working Fine again coz I'm Lost without a Camera on me at all times, often more than One.  *LOL*   Looking for Blog Fodder Imagery has become Second Nature to me by now and renewed my Interest in Photography as an Art Form and to Document everything around me and what's going on.  I enjoy it as much as I enjoy Blogging.  That White Metal Antique Hat Stand on the far Left of this Pix is the one I bought from Gisele and Roman at the Event.




I Loved this Latin Religious Antique Pendant Necklace my Friend Cyndie had, but I couldn't afford it on the current Budget.  It translates to "If you Wish to be Loved, Love", which I think is so appropriate and beautiful... it also had a Mustard Seed Charm at the top of it.  Back when I was a Tween I had a Sterling Charm Bracelet and one of my favorite Charms on it was a Mustard Seed Charm.   I don't know whatever happened to that Bracelet?  Probably lost in transit during our many moves as Global Nomads, which often happened, especially traveling Internationally, which, we did a lot during my Dad's 27 Year Military Career.   Plus, you had to Travel Light when you move often and the Military only allowed a certain amount of Household Goods that they'd pay to Move, so we often got rid of a lot to be in compliance.  My Dad usually got a Permanent Transfer every 12-18 Months {Stateside} to a maximum of 4 Years {International Assignment with Family accompanying the Service Member}.

  



This is the Kantha Fabric Purse I bought, it's very Simple Design and Handmade of Kantha Fabrics, which are very colorful and often Patchworked Material with Hand Stitching.   Kantha is a South Asian Quilting and Embroidery Tradition where layers of Fabric, often which include Old Cloth that has been discarded, are stitched together with running stitch... the Word Kantha meaning "Rags" in Sanskrit.   Since I Love repurposing and reusing Old Materials, and do Fabric Art myself like that, I'm very fond of Kantha and South Asian Fabrics are so Beautiful and often include a lot of Hand Work.   The inside of this Bag is as Beautiful as the exterior and a completely different Kantha Fabric and Design.   Carol had Imported a lot of these Bags and they were inexpensive and so diverse, it was difficult to choose a favorite out of all the Beautiful Kantha Fabrics they were made of.   With Tariffs now the Imports from India won't be so affordable as they always have been.




So, these were the Antique Industrial Shoe Forms, some with Leather, that I Bought Two of.  The ones at the top of the Pix Below are mine, hard to choose a favorite pair of those too, but they were inexpensive as well and I should have probably gotten a 3rd one actually.  I liked how they were displayed and will Steal that Idea when mounting them in The RV Garage Mahal somewhere.   Often when I'm attending these Events I don't have anything in Mind that I plan to Buy until I actually lay Eyes on it.   So, in many ways it's still like a Thrill Of The Hunt and very unpredictable as to what Treasures you'll Find each time you go.  I don't need another thing in this Lifetime, but, I still enjoy Sourcing things I really Like and especially if I get it at a very good price.   Since I do have the 5 to 1 Downsizing Rule in effect, for every One thing brought in I must get rid of a minimum of 5 that then go out.  To keep myself accountable and keep perspective of Editing and Purging to Simplify Life some.  If you know Five must Go, you really curate whatever is brought in.




More often I get rid of more than Five now, it's become easier to Let Go now that I've been doing it so long.   And, it Earns me discretionary Money from the Sales of what Goes Out, to do things or buy what I want for right now.   So, it's always a Means to an End and an Investment that later on, makes me some extra Streams of Income.   Below is my Book I Bought, it's got great Imagery and an Aesthetic I liked the look of in Decorating a Home.   Since it was a Used Book I got it for less than Half the Retail Cover Price, it had been a very expensive Book.   The Big Book Stores now don't carry a lot of good Decor Books anymore, their section is paltry now.  But, these Events often have a great selection of good Decor Books, some brand New, some Used, some even have Book Signings with the Authors, which is nice.  So, a lot of the New Books I've Bought at Events I've gotten to meet and greet the Author and have them Sign my Books.




The Son was saying his Company may be going to a Four Day Work Week and Pre-Fab Cabinetry rather than Custom Cabinetry, due to the Tariff situation altering the Business Model!  This will mean a loss of numerous Jobs, so this definitely isn't bringing Jobs back to America, it's Costing Jobs to Americans.   A lot of these Businesses won't be going back to what they once did even if things shake out for the better much later on, the damage will be permanent to them and their work force.  He said many Co-Workers, all the way up the Chain of Command, are very worried.   He may have to consider another Career Change becoz of the uncertainties and is exploring other options already, as a backup Plan, to be proactive rather than reactive to a potential Layoff.  Change is hard for The Son due to his Autism, but I'm glad he's looking out for his own best interest coz the Employer won't be.




Above, one of the Granddaughters in Mexico, she's been sending us more Pixs lately, which, I can never get enuf of Pixs of our Grandkids and Great-Grandkids.   They're all growing up so fast and things have settled down some now there in Mexico for them.  It was a huge transition after their Paternal Grandmother Died, she had Raised them and she was such a big part of their everyday lives and so beloved.  I'm glad all Three Sisters have remained close and still get to have some contact with their Younger Half-Sister by their Dad's Ex-Wife.  The Family got broken up after Saint Maria Died becoz placement for the Children had to be divided up among Relatives.   That meant some acting out for the Middle Granddaughter and now she's realized she can't do that, no matter how Emotionally Raw she feels about the changes and situation, such that it just is.  She's almost Grown, but has Special Needs Academically and Developmentally, so got held back in School and will Graduate AFTER her Younger Sister now, who doesn't have Special Needs.



 

And here's an embarrassing Gramma Dawn Confession, the Two Youngest of the Trio in Mexico look so much alike that often I haven't been able to tell them apart!!!   Seriously, most people think they're Twins, and they're not, they actually are a couple Years apart in Age but look Cloned like Identical Twins do.   Now, with Identical Twins it's understandable for Family to get them mixed up, but, since they're not Twins I'm embarrassed to admit I often mix them up and can't tell which one I'm looking at or talking to on Video Chats!?  *LOL*   All Five of The Daughter's Kiddos look very much like her, so it's like she did Clone all of them anyway.   But the Oldest Three I can always tell apart, the Youngest Two, hardly at all!!!   I don't know that the Two Youngest realize I mix them up, but, probably they suspect it?  *LOL*  But, I do wonder how many other Relatives and Friends probably do too?  *Smiles*   I used to only be able to tell by their Hair and Eye Color, since the Youngest had longer Hair and Darker Eyes.  But, now they both grew their Hair out long and sometimes wear Colored Contact Lenses... dammit!  *LMAO so, it's Tricky!*

 



But, I digress, back to The Event, I liked this Book too but it looked vaguely familiar so I wasn't certain I didn't already have it?   And, it's New so was Full Price, so I didn't risk Buying it.  I keep a Catalog List of the Library I have since it's so vast, and I'm going to check to see if I do have it or not?   If not I can Order it used Online most likely, now that I have a Pix to remind me what it's called and what the Cover looks like.  I'm leaning towards thinking I DO have it tho', even without looking.  With good Books I almost do have a Total Recall, no matter how many I have, if they look familiar, it means I do probably already have it and can Trust that Gut Instinct.   Even if I haven't looked at that Book in Years, I can Recall certain Images being familiar.   Funny how Memory Care Works like that, even if you have it diminishing in Old Age and can be forgetful, some random things I have almost a Photographic Memory of still, it's Weird!




But I misplace stuff more often now and put it in the darndest places absentmindedly.   I had Bought a Teddy Swims Music CD becoz tho' I can Live Stream all my Music now on our TV coz the Kiddos taught me how to, I wanted his CD with my Fav Song of his on it anyway, "Lose Control".   So, I receive it from my E-Bay Seller and didn't even open the original packaging yet, coz it's a brand New CD, not Used.   But, I put it down somewhere and couldn't find it!   So, finally in frustration I solicited the Help of The Daughter, who has Eyes like a Rat and can Find anything.  She did Find it in the Weirdest place ever, I never would have Found it there and don't even know why I would have ever put it there?!  This is definitely some Old Timers shit going on!  *Bwahahahaha*  I had a stack of those Velvety Hangars I use in my Closet.   I hadn't hung up my Laundry yet so the Stack of Hangars was in our Bedroom on an Antique Chest I have in there, the CD was tucked into the inside of said Stack of fucking Hangars!!!!!!   WTF?!??!!?   Why?  Who knows?!




The Daughter even said she kinda went into a Trance becoz she hadn't been able to find the CD and had looked everywhere for it.  So, she was just staring out into Space considering where it MIGHT be and her Eyes locked in on it there tucked inside the Stack of Hangars, where, she never would have intentionally looked either, coz, Why would you?!  *LOL*  That Spaced Out Gaze was the only reason she Found it!  No telling how long it would have remained there, probably until I did the next load of Laundry and got ready to hang up everything to put into my Closet?!   Which, I'm about ready to do coz our Laundry Basket is full again, for Old People who don't go out all that much, I sure go thru a lot of changes of Clothes!  *Ha ha ha* 



 I did wear a Cute Top to the Event that I'd Bought from Hat Gal Brittany that she'd made from Vintage Eighties Band T-Shirts and Kantha Fabric Arms, to make them like a Poncho.  It's a Vintage Guns N Roses Tee with some colorful Kantha Arms now and cropped a bit to make the Shirt shorter.   She Sold Out of the Creations of them and now she's Closing Shop temporarily, don't know when she'll Create more?   I couldn't find the Pix I'd taken of said Shirt on Display in her Space the time I Bought it, it was a few Events ago and I don't have my Photo Archives in any particular Order anymore.  So, it's like looking for a Needle in a Haystack when I'm trying to locate a particular Image now.  *Le Sigh*   The Daughter had Displayed it on a Mannequin and I should have Photographed it then, before I took it off and wore it to the Event. *Smiles*




But then I'm like, what the Hell, it's 3:42 in the Morning and you have Insomnia for some odd reason, why not put it back on the Mannequin and just Photograph it?   *LMAO*   So, here ya have it now, it's very comfy to wear and I got a lot of compliments on it.   I do Hope she Creates some more eventually coz they Sold Out rather quickly so clearly it was a well received new Line she did.   I know we Sell a lot of Vintage Band Tees and she was gonna Source some from us to Create these Kantha Fabric Poncho Tees from, so it would have been a good collaboration for both of us.  We like Sourcing the Vintage Band Tees, Princess T and I do that together, and Brittany doesn't have the Time to Source them.  Selling them to another Industry Friend means no Saturation Point coz they'll need a steady supply to make their Creations out of since they have a Business and we just do this as a Side Hobby.

 



I found some Vintage Picker Tongs like what I've had, by going Online and now The Man will have the quality he might not be able to destroy?  *LOL*  He had gone thru so many of the Modern ones it was costing me a fortune to keep replacing them, so investing in some Vintage Wooden and Metal ones was well worth it.   I was so pleased with the first one that arrived I bought another Two while they could still be found at Auction on a Buy It Now Feature with Free Shipping.   All 3 I bought are New Old Stock, probably from a defunct Old General Store in some Rural Community where the Owners of the Store Closed it up Decades ago and now are disposing of Contents?   You see that a lot now on "American Pickers" where the Grandkids are emptying out all the New Old Stock left in some long Closed General Store that their Family have owned since the turn of the Century or before.  It's so Cool to see something as if Brand New that is really that Old and never been bought or used yet.




I've had my original Vintage Picker Tongs just like these since the very beginning and people always ask me where I got it.   I can't recall coz I got it Decades ago but probably it was a Thrift Store Find even then.  I'd never seen another like it until I decided to search Online on E-Bay, where, usually, you can find anything that is up For Sale, no matter what it is or how Old it is.  *Smiles*   The advent of Online Auctions has made it easy for Collectors to fill in their Collections or start one and finish it without it taking an entire Lifetime and by Chance alone.  I told The Man, don't you Dare break one of these tho'!!!   With the onset of Dementia he gets Cross with using things and then manhandles them, cursing and getting agitated, even tho' it's not the 'Thing' that is to blame.  *LOL*  Now to Calm him I'll remind him he's getting Cranky and if he's not up to whatever we're doing, and can Show me he can be Calmer, I'm taking him back Home, works like a Charm.  *Winks*   He'll then Calm Down considerably to prove to me this Show can still be on The Road.  *Bwahahaha*



There have been times he seemed not to be able to Calm himself and get back to Center, so I just take him Home.  So he knows I'm not bluffing, I'll abort whatever we're doing if he gets to where he can't behave.  And I have someone to take over the Caregiving of him at Home now, to where then I can go back out Solo after dropping him off... so, don't threaten me with a good time.  *Winks*   I have to usually prepare him in advance when I need him to stay Home and I go out, so that he is prepared for what's happening or he discombobulates.  I've told him now that Friday Nights I'll be Working again and he has to behave for the Kids.  The Son isn't Working on Fridays now so can Help his Sister with him and Mando is usually here visiting The Daughter too and he gets along really well with The Man.   So, between those Three he usually does well enuf I have no concerns about committing to something now and having adequate Coverage at Home.




As you've probably Guessed, even going to Work a Shift at the Antique Mall is like a Caregiver Respite for Yours Truly so I enjoy it.  Gets me some time off from Full Time Caregiving and I can interact with other People and not feel such Isolation from Society.   Caregiving can be extremely Isolating otherwise.  Which is Why I enjoy the Blog Community so much, it does keep you connected to other People.  Even when you can't and don't get out that much, or have who you're Caring for in Tow almost all of the time when you do get out.  When I'm out and about with The Man I'm still Caregiving and in that Mode, I have to pay attention to him and how he's doing, help him with things, be his Memory now for things, not get too Social becoz it can be difficult for him sometimes to interact with people he doesn't know.  Sometimes he does really well with Strangers, or People he doesn't Remember, sometimes he doesn't, it's a mixed reaction and unpredictable.   He can sometimes start telling Stories that aren't Reality based too, but he thinks actually happened.  Usually it's something he saw on TV.  *Smiles* 





The Daughter has a sense of Humor about her Dad's delusions, so they don't annoy her as much as they do me.  Mostly becoz as a Paranoid Schizophrenic herself, she says she often has similar Episodes and nobody can convince her they aren't Real either.  *LOL, True that!*   When she Shared this Pix with me for example, when she was Playing some Online Game and you can morph your Image into the Character of said Game, I quipped, so, you Thought you WERE a Pirate this Day then?  *Bwahahahaha*  We both laughed like Hell, coz, the possibility is, she did!?   Then she said, well, I did make a Sexy Pirate, No?   Yeah, Yeah you did, it Suited you and your Personality to be a Pirate, so what Treasures did you Score for us then while you were having your way with your Victims and Pillaging what they have?!  *Winks*   She had been coming Home with some Cool stuff from that Mini Farm she's assisting Mando to clear out for the Widow of a Friend of his.  She's likely be bringing Home Livestock too from there if we let her.  *LOL*





If The Young Prince were already here I wouldn't mind taking the Widow's Chickens off her Hands, but I wouldn't want the Roosters, Goats, Horses she has and wants to get rid of.    I'm not wanting a Menagerie on our Mini Farm that would require so much Care and Expense.   The Son lived on a Friend's Farm for about a Year, they had every kind of Livestock Imaginable and he said it was a LOT of Work and very, very expensive to feed that many Farm Animals, so, it's not economically any Savings to have them.   Mebbe with a few Chickens it is, but not the rest.   And they tend to Breed prolifically too if you have Males and Females, so that can also get way out of Hand and placement for unwanted Livestock is no easy task as this Dear Widow is finding out the hard way now her Husband has Passed and she needs to Rent out the Farm or even eventually Sell it.  The Renters don't wanna take Care of her Farm Animals and a Buyer probably doesn't want them conveying with the Property either.




Anyway, at the Event there was some Cute Taxidermy, but it was way expensive and outside of my Budget.  Plus, I have enuf already that I'm not paying a Premium to procure more.   Since Taxidermy Trended as Decor it's gone way up in price, you used to be able to Score it for practically nothing.  I even used to have people give it away to me if I showed an interest.  *LOL*   But, like Architectural Salvage and Old Loving Cup Trophies now, those Days are long over and it all commands a hefty price Tag that I just don't need or want to pay.   I'm glad I got all mine way back when it was Free or a Deal.   I do miss the heyday tho' of the Selling of Antiques, Vintage and higher end Collectibles.  The Knock Off Market has created a competitive edge... well... at least while it could... now with Tariffs, who knows?   It's not like Americans are making many, if any, Repops of Popular Trending Items...   So, the Reproduction Market may Dry Up with Countries that make them having ridiculous Tariffs imposed?



*******

Always looking for an Upside to a Downside... Dawn... The Bohemian

Thursday, May 15, 2025

An Unstable Ever Changing Cluster Fuck

 



So, this is Princess T's 'forbidden' Hello Kitty MiniVerse Display I got her Online to hold all the MiniVerse Balls and their Contents in, that she bought from TARGET.  Which, at TARGET, was every Ball they had in their full Display, so it was petty not to just give her the fucking Display they ALLEGEDLY say they just throw away.  *Eye Roll*   She needed something to house the Balls since Eli was messing with them and peed on a couple!  Being plastic and air tight she was able to Salvage what he'd messed with but doesn't want him thinking they're his to play with and defile.  *LOL*  




 I told her to keep the Display up away from where he can get it since he might shred it, he has a Thing for shredding Cardboard, as Cats just do.  She's learned the hard way what her Cat will utterly destroy when he's Bored or angry at her.  *Bwahahaha*  Anyway, this Display is Cute with the little actual Staged Display of some Ball Contents up Top, to intrigue Kids to Buy the Mystery Content Balls, isn't it?   She only got Three Duplicates and almost all of the Original First Season Options.  And the missing ones she can find Online and Buy specifically to have them all and Sell Off her duplicates.




The Man and I did Environmental Cleanup all Morning and hauled about 30 Lbs. worth out of the Desert around a Golf Course near the Nature Preserve and Gila River this day.   The Golf Course is maintained but the Desert around it isn't and Piggish people driving down the Road between the Golf Course and the River often throw their Cans, Bottles and Trash out their Vehicle Windows.  We also went to a Park, that had nobody in it, and found a full Food Box just left there on a Bench and also someone had forgotten their large oval Crock Pot and brand new Orange Extension Chord, it was still plugged in to an Outlet, but clearly abandoned and forgotten! 




 We dumped out the contents, which was some kind of pungent Greens that smelled like sulfurous Cabbage Farts.  It wasn't Cabbage, I told The Man they were probably Collard Greens.  I Googled what semi-cooked Collard Greens look like, yep, I was right.  *LOL*   Park Services will throw the Food Box and the Crock Pot and Extension Chord in the Garbage if it's abandoned, so we took it all Home.  It would have been a shame to have Parks & Rec throw it all away and they were making their rounds coz most people had left for the Day, so they were doing cleanup.  The Food Box had everything we normally eat in it and would stock in our Pantry, all non-perishables.




What often happens is people will pick up a Food Box, cherry pick One or Two items out of it they like, and waste the rest by just abandoning it.  I don't understand that at all, you could give what you wouldn't use yourself to another Family or Neighbor you know could use it.  I worked as a Volunteer at Food Banks for Decades and did Food Ministry at our Church as well.  Often people would get so picky about the Foods they were getting for Free, as if it's regular Shopping and not Charity they're receiving.  They'd say things like my Family don't eat that Brand!!!  To me, a Hungry Family will eat whatever is received.  I've been Hungry, you aren't picky when you don't know where your next Meal might come from!   You aren't that Hungry if you're that Picky!




Anyway, since The Daughter hasn't yet qualified to get Nutritional Assistance again yet, you're allowed 90 Days of each Calendar Year to receive it, she was glad we found a full Food Box.  She can't contribute for Groceries, but her Brother and Daughter do.  When The Young Prince comes back to live, he can't contribute towards Groceries either.  Since neither of them can get Hired at a Job with having full blown Schizophrenia and being Mentally too unstable not to be a potential Liability to an Employer.   So, usually they apply for any Services they can Qualify to receive, like Nutritional Assistance, so they can contribute something towards their Support we're providing all of, on our Fixed Retirement Income.




It does concern me that both of them might have problems with losing their Medicaid if DOGE keeps cutting Services for Disabled Adults.  Medicaid provides Healthcare and Mental Health Care for literally Millions of Seriously Disabled Adults and many Children in America who need it and can't afford Insurance or cannot Work due to extent of Disability.  Without it they can't receive any Medical or Mental Healthcare unless a Hospital provides it and eats the Cost.  Which will put a lot of Hospitals and Clinics, especially in Rural and Poor Areas, out of Business without Federal Aide Services like Medicaid paying for the Care.




Anyway, for now they both do have their Medicaid intact, which is a relief, coz we can't afford their Medical and Mental Health Costs out of Pocket either.   As it is we'll be Housing them becoz there is no affordable Housing available to them either... or even for Working Young People, too expensive.   Most Rents now are as much, or even more, as our Mortgage Payment on a Mini Farm!!!   Most Wages fall way short of paying for what Local Apartments are Costing now, even without considering Utility Costs on top of that!!!   And Utility Costs aren't Cheap either when Climate is pretty extreme, whether Hot or Cold Temps.  Arizona Spring and Summer requires Air Conditioning and folks have Died for lack of not having it.




Anyway, we band together and make it Work as a Three Generation Family sharing Space and expenses.   But the Cost Of Living keeps going up and up, with Tariffs expect it to go off the fucking Charts now.  It's literally a Domino Effect on what it will affect and drive Costs up on.  We have to already go to our Bank coz Princess T has had a Post-Tariff incident Online that we now need to contest and try to reverse.  I hope we can coz she's been charged $90 for something she tried to Order so Rusty can build her Computer, the Bank put a Hold on her transaction and yet she was still charged the $90 for some reason but the Order didn't go thru at all!?!  *UPDATE: The Bank said it looked like a Hack of her Debit Card, a fraudulent Charge, so they'll refund her and Close Out that Card and Reissue a new one in 7-10 Days... whew!*




 It's an Amazon Order and the Suppliers are American.  I warned her not to Order from any Overseas Supplier now so she won't be hit with Tariff Taxes.  When I Order from E-Bay now I do no International Buying anymore, none, too risky now to get hit with the Tariff Tax or not even get your Order into the Country after you've Paid for it.  I already know Small Business Orders that Paid for Product and now don't have the Tariff Money to Pay to be able to receive it.   The Big Companies are Housing their Orders in Canada or Europe for the time being and paying Storage rather than the higher Tariffs if the Order is from China.  The whole System is an unstable ever changing Cluster Fuck at this point.




So, that's my Blog Title Post Hook for Today, an unstable ever changing Cluster Fuck we Americans have brought upon ourselves by who was Voted into Power to Lead us.   Well, if you can call it Leadership, once you're allegedly Leading and few, if any, are Following anymore, you're just taking a Walk.  And he's Walking everyone still Following right off a fucking Cliff.   Every time Congress is challenging his Cabinet Members now to get information about what the fuck is going on, every single one now Knows Nothing... including the President... they say they just Don't Know!!!  There's a lot of "I Don't Know" going around MAGA World right now of those in Charge, who SHOULD Know and allege they don't, or perhaps they really don't fucking know, I wouldn't be Surprised.  If you can't do the fucking Job, well, there's a LOT you don't know about it.




 That's the New default to for them, what DO they Know, apparently NOTHING!  Nothing about their Job, what's going on, what they've done, why they've done it, who exactly is responsible for any of it.  Default to admitting Ignorance and Incompetence.   And really that is more Truthful at least, I don't think any of them actually do Know what the fuck they're doing or can explain it away successfully.   None of them were up to the Job or Qualified in the least, so, now here we are.  They don't seem to know Who they Fired, how many they Fired, Why they Fired them, Who had the Authority to Fire them {Legally at least}, How things can still be run or done without those Fired!  Nope, just I Don't Know and Jobs Lost by indiscriminate Illegal Firings!




We got Air Disasters Galore, Health Crisis Galore, Understaffed Government Agencies where all the Qualified and Experienced Staff have been Illegally Fired and we may never be able to get them back or replace them!   Dock Workers, Truck Drivers, Warehouse Workers, Store Employees losing their Jobs due to the Tariff Wars, disrupting everything and making it impossible for Businesses to project anything to stay afloat!  Things are falling apart quite Quickly.  I mean, we're barely Four Months in to this Administration and they've successfully only destroyed everything they're touching.  Just like the Orange Loser did to all his Businesses BTW, he's a complete Failure, he does THAT well, Fail and commit Major Crimes, very good at both.




He and his Family are making more Money than ever.  Even if everything else is Failing, coz he's running the biggest Cons of his Life now by exploiting his Presidency, and they're quite lucrative for him, albeit Illegal across the Board.   The whole Krypto Currency Scam is unregulated, so that's a whole lot to unpack that can be shady as fuck involving his major involvement in it now.  His Extortion, Shakedown and Blackmail Schemes are playing out very well for him too.  The Bribes from Foreign Bad Actors, well, those are Record Breaking amounts, violating Emoluments Clauses.  Coz even calling it 'Gifts' isn't Legal and for good reason.  




 Just Say No isn't something he's capable of when being Offered something to enrich himself.  Kleptocrat that he is, he's also ripping off and Stealing this Country's Resources, using and abusing his Political Power.  The List is much longer, but you get the gist of it.   And he's not the only one, his whole Cabinet is filled with Criminals and the Criminally inclined, with a History of unsavory shit galore.   Or Attractive Incompetent Women who likely got to where they are with a Mattress on their Backs.  Listen, The Corporate World has been filled with such Bimbos for as long as I can remember.    Highly Qualified Women are being Fired for just being Women, or not White... while he's got quite the Lineup of Bimbo Mattress Back Gals.   Coz let's face it, it's not What they know, it's Who they know and who they Blow.  




 He won't even have his One Daughter been Seen, becoz he once said, Publicly and on Record, that she wasn't Attractive enuf!!!   And what he's said Publicly and on Record about the Pretty One, is inappropriately Creepy in an Incestuous way!!!   That certainly makes one Wonder what that Daughter has endured at the Hands of a Father whose an adjudicated Sex Offender and lifelong Sexual Predator?!?  He's had Close Friendships and Spiritual Advisors to him that include the likes of Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew Tate, P. Diddy and Robert Morris... see a Pattern of Sex Traffickers, even of Underaged Kiddies, and Known Offenders he's Close to and been Tight with for Years?  That's not coincidental.  The only reason he's not having to Register as a Sex Offender is he was Convicted in a Civil Trial and not a Criminal one.  But a Predator is still a Predator.




I am picking my Friday Night Shift back up coz my Co-Worker Friend Richard is really, really Sick and needs me to fill in for him for an undetermined amount of time.  In actuality, I Believe he may be Dying and won't be back, he's a Diabetic, didn't manage it well at all and now his Organs are shutting down.  He's got a very distended Belly but has lost a massive amount of Weight and looks gaunt otherwise.  He shouldn't have even been trying to still Work, so when the Manager called and asked me, I wasn't Surprised and knew Richard's Health was rapidly deteriorating and it was only a matter of Time.   He was eating too many Carbs for Years, sometimes a whole Pizza!  I warned him it would catch up to him, Diabetics cannot do that. 




I didn't want a permanent Shift but I could use the Comped Rent regularly right now while Sales are flatlined like they are.  My Hope is that since there's no Tariffs on secondhand goods our Sales will increase as new Products become more unaffordable and Tariff Taxed to the hilt?   But, if necessities begin taking up more of the Family Budgets, discretionary income is gonna be questionable for what isn't essential to Buy.   In Real Time I'm back from the Event, only stayed just over an Hour, and it was well attended, but people weren't Buying as much as usual.   So checkout was quick.  Our Friend Brittany, who makes the Custom Hats, told me this is her last Event there.  She has too much going on to continue, we'll miss her but will keep in touch.




She's making another Custom Hat for The Man and will just bring it to the House when it's done.   She and her Boyfriend are planning to get Married, plus, she has a Full Time Job and is a Pet Rescue and Foster Mom for Disabled Dogs.   So she hasn't been able to devote the Time she needs to this Artistic Career Business she has too.   She'll still do Trunk Shows and Sell Online.  The Dog she's holding is totally Blind and quite a Rascal, he has Pica so eats inappropriate things and has numerous Health Issues as well, so she said he's a full time Job.   But he is Adorable and she's become attached to him, they have several Rescue Dogs, various Bulldogs or Bulldog Mixes.   I'm glad she's putting her Family first, even tho' her Business is doing well, you can't have too much on your Plate and need Balance in Life.  Too much is just too much.





I had a good time at the Event and took a lot of Pixs which will be in Future Posts.   I visited with Industry Friends and Yes, I indulged in some Retail Therapy.   I got an Ornate Antique Metal Hat Stand from my Friends Gisele and Roman.   I got a couple Antique Wooden and Leather Industrial Shoe Forms, never seen any before with Leather on them.  Got a Decor Book called "Still ~ The Slow Home".   I got a Kantha Material Purse from my Friend Carol.  An Antique Ornate Metal spike Bill Receipt Holder from my Friend Michelle.   A small haul but extremely happy with it and with the prices I paid.   I like that I can Google Lens anything and see what the going Value is compared to what the Ask Price is on anything I'm considering.





This isn't my Antique Metal Receipt/Bill Holder, but mine is almost exactly like it, but with some Green Original Paint on the Cast Iron.  I have a couple already and use them a lot for holding my Price Tags on my Pricing Stations.  The Spike fits right thru the Price Tag's Hole I'll be putting String thru and so can hold Hundreds of Price Tags neatly and conveniently.   The Antique Hat Stand is very unusual, probably Victorian Era, very Ornate Base and has an attachment on the long Pole that Displays either a Hat, or even fits around the Waist of an Antique Boudoir Doll, it still has chippy White Original Paint on it.  I've bought a lot of Gisele and Roman's Antique Displays when they're downsizing them.  They travel the Countryside and go to places I can't Source from to procure Primo Antique Displays you just can't find in Arizona.  A lot of Midwestern and Southern Rural areas in certain States still have very Old Mercantile Shops that Historic Small Business Families Closed, but held onto the contents and Buildings of. 





You just don't find that in Big Cities like Metro Phoenix, like you do Main Street of Small Historic Towns across the Country.   Often Main Street in those Communities is like a Ghost Town now and suspended in Time, but holds a Wealth of History and Honey Hole Pickin' for Industry Folk who are Preserving the Past and have Resale Businesses with a Love Of Old Stuff.   Sadly, a lot of those Small Resale Businesses with a Love Of Old have also had to close their Doors to their Brick and Mortar Shops and just do Events and Shows now or Online Sales.  Roman and Gisele had Two Brick and Mortar Shops that were Awesome, but had to Close both and now just do the Monthly Event at "Sweet Salvage" again, they'd been Designers there before, and various Shows.   When the best Shops can't make a go of it, I don't feel like I'm doing anything Wrong that is negatively affecting our Sales, the tanking Economy and shift of what Shoppers want is just what it is.





Sometimes you do second guess yourself, but, I haven't had to Close Shop, but then again, I'm not trying to do this for a Living either, it's just my Hobby so I'm not reliant on the Income generated.   If I was, I'd of Closed Shop and gone on to doing something more profitable and dependable to make a Living at, that's for sure.  I don't really know how anyone makes a Living doing it exclusively, almost everyone I know doing it now has another Job too, they have to.   I pay attention to what Shoppers are Buying every time I go to any Event.   And like usual lately, most are Buying what I call the "Filler" Merch.  Mass produced stuff that are usually Imports and not that expensive or unique in any way.   To each their own.   I will buy Imports, don't get me Wrong, but I try to look for something different and has Handwork made Abroad, like the Kantha Material Purse I bought from Carol.   I Love Kantha Material and the Purse is useful and OOAK due to the Material being very varied, as Kantha Material just is.



********

Happy Spring from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

A life touched by God always ends in touching others. - Erwin McManus

I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars. - Og Mandino (1923-1996)

For creativity to flourish one should try to look at everything as though it were being seen for the first or the last time. - Quote from "A Thousand Paths To Creativity" by David Baird

Is what I'm about to say an improvement on silence? ~ Galen Pearl