Color Crush ~ Sweet Salvage ~ Part I

Some Green Visuals first for St. Patrick's Day.  *LOL*  The Niece showed up to spend a few Days with us before leaving for South Carolina to see people she knows there.  She said since it's my Me Day and Event in the Morning, and Princess T is on Spring Break all Week, she'd take The Son to and from Work so I can Sleep In. Then she'd pick him up too so I could stay at my Event.  So, she's my Favorite right now.  *Winks*  The Man tried to earn Favor by doing all the Dishes, okay, I can have Two Favorites right now I guess.  *LOL*

The "Color Crush" Event was really good at SWEET SALVAGE.  I met a really nice Lady while standing in line and we wiled away the time talking. I got an Antique Loving Cup Trophy, a small Santos Crown, an Ex Voto in Tin, an Antique Doorknob Set and some Antique Photographs, mostly of Babies.  It's our Anniversary on Saturday, so they were Anniversary Gifts to Self.  *Smiles*  The Man always prefers me to pick out my own Gifts, even before he couldn't drive anymore, he Hates to Shop.

I saw a Vintage Commercial Counter Display Planter's Peanut Glass Cannister that I couldn't afford, but Lusted after, I'd never seen one like it before.  Later on I went to our BAAM Antique Mall location in Downtown Phoenix and lo and behold, the Laws of Attraction were in Motion and there was one like it for 75% less, that WAS affordable... booyah!  To never see one before and then see Two in a Day, well, it doesn't get any better than that in Pickin' Lore!  *Smiles*

I was so excited to get it and find another one I could afford to Buy that I didn't even remember to Photograph mine!  *LOL*  The Sweet part, not only was it already 75% less, but I also got my 10% Employee Discount on top of that low price!   The Glass Top has a Glass Peanut for a Handle.  Mine instead of Gilded Mister Peanut Paintings on the Glass, have Raised Mister Peanut Art in actual Glass, I like mine better.  Online the big Cannisters like this one have a broad range, since there are numerous Styles made and they're probably not all that Rare, I just had never seen one to Buy before, so I was Jazzed.

  I like Glass Jars to Display my Smalls in.  So, I'm always on the lookout for Interesting Glass Containers, whether Vintage, Antique or New, I don't actually Care.   I prefer the Old ones, but some New Glass Containers have been Interesting enuf to consider.  There was a Lucky Buddha Brand of Beer in a Bottle that the Green Glass used to be shaped like Buddha.  I'm glad The Son gave me one before the Company switched to regular shaped Bottles.

I also hit another Antique Store in the East Valley and picked up another couple of Displays made of Fabricated Antiques and Metals by RUSTY SATURDAY.  I'm accumulating these for when I turn the RV Garage Mahal into a place to Display what I'm Selling Off and won't be putting in our Showroom at the Antique Mall.  Larger items and expensive items that would get Stolen or Manhandled will be Sold exclusively by Invitation Only to Friends in the Industry from there.

If I get back to Creating Fabric Wearable Art and Jewelry Making, I'll also be able to Display that from Home then and Sell at other Venues as Pop Ups or directly to people I know.   I got Plans to keep me busy in my alleged Full Retirement Mode.  *Bwahahahaha*  I just don't think I'll ever act like those Retired folk who do nothing becoz they think that's what Retiring means.   The Man is like that, it bugs me, it doesn't mean you do nothing forevermore.  He went from Workaholic to Do-nothing all day long.

I liked this Idea of flattening Old Silverware and just putting Cute Gardening Sayings on them.  I have the Dies to do this, but I've mostly just put all my Old Silverware up for Sale, figuring I'll probably not get around to repurposing most of it and letting people Buy it for the Purposes it was Intended.   I use all my Old Silverware Daily, I just kept my Favorite Designs on the Handles and am Selling Off the less Desirable Designs I'm not as Attached to.

I've picked up Orphaned pieces of things like Old Silverware whenever I find it at a Bargain.  I was Tempted to Buy this Religious Icon, but decided to Pass, it was Priced to Sell, but it looked Newer and with Religious Collectibles I prefer Older Objects.   I have so many that I'm discerning about which ones I'd bring in now and have Sold Off a lot that I already had.  They are an easy Sell for me and I've owned mine so long that my Margins are great too.  Now a lot of Antiquities of a Spiritual Genre are Priced in the Stratosphere.

Anyway, my Anniversary Retail Therapy Spree netted me a nice Haul that I was very Happy with getting for my Anniversary.   I actually Work the Evening of my Anniversary and Tonight, which in Real Time is Friday.  Our Antique Mall is having a Sale so they asked me to fill in as an Extra for the Two Days of the Three Day Sale on the Night Shift.  I haven't pulled a Shift in a long while so I agreed, completely forgetting that Saturday was our Anniversary, but, we didn't have Plans anyway.

The Man wouldn't even remember it was our Anniversary unless I remind him, often, so, it's not a Big Deal.   On the Morning of our Anniversary we're meeting up with Allen, The Young Prince and Allen's Parents, who are visiting from Texas, to have Breakfast at 'Wildflower Bread Company'.   They're only going to be in Town for a couple Days and The Guys have a big itinerary planned for doing stuff with them, which is great.  Allen is no longer estranged from his Parents, he's been busy since getting Married, re-bonding with his Family and we're thrilled for them all that he is.

I am certain that our Grandson is instrumental in that, he was Raised that even if relations with some Members of a Family are complex or difficult, Family is EVERYTHING.  It is our way and it wasn't the way of Allen's Family, but I think they could warm up to the Idea, since, they're all Nice People.   I'm not talking about Families where there are truly Toxic situations that could even pose danger or abuse to individuals, in those Cases, one should detach to preserve Health and Well Being.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to spending some more time with his Parents, we got along really well with them at the Wedding and they felt quite at ease around all of us.  That was unexpected, even for Allen, since, his Family couldn't be more UNLIKE our Family in every way.  *LOL*  But, I genuinely Liked who they just ARE and I think they felt the same, in spite of our differences, we had some commonalities to bond upon.   His Dad Loves Hunting and Fishing, so does The Man.

His Mom and Sister Love going Treasure Hunting, so do I.   His Parents are super Intelligent, she's a Doctor and he's a High School Principal, so you can have deep conversations with them.   Allen is super Intelligent and so is our Grandson, so we all realize we Raised some very Smart Young Men who first bonded on an Intellectual level before falling in Love and Marrying.   The Young Prince used to crack us up when he was becoming Old enough to Date, he wanted someone to Love him for his Mind... and well, most Teen Guys... are not Hard Wired like that. *LOL*

He said he didn't Care how Hot a Guy or Gal was, if the Guy or Gal was Stupid, it was a Deal Breaker, since Stupid is Forever.  *LMAO*  Yes, our Grandson is Gender Fluid and Neutral about Gender, so he didn't Care if his Date was Male or Female, Straight, Gay, Trans or Bi... his Attraction was to the Person and not specific Gender Identity they had.   He did notice that Females seemed Smarter at a Younger Age overall and were more Mature earlier on, in his Opinion, which is Why he often hung around more of the Gals than the Guys. 

He still prefers the Company of Women over Men, he said Women have the ability to Communicate better and usually have broader Interests, he likes their complexity.  He said Men are pretty Basic and Simple to figure out... I would have to agree, as a Gender, we Gals are more complicated for sure, just ask any Man.  *Winks*   Anyway, Allen's Parents seem to have come around to their Son being Married to our Grandson, Allen being Gay was not easy for them to embrace, mebbe coz he's such a Masculine Man, that it seemed improbable.  And their Religious Denomination has Zero Tolerance for the Gay Community... which, I have no Words for Religions like that.  *Eye Roll*

Allen did say that it took him until High School and Puberty to know his Identity and embrace it.  Whereas our Grandson has always known, we knew since he was only Two.   People always thought he was a Girl and he preferred Girly things and would refer to himself as Feminine.  When a Child is that Young and does that, you have no delusions they're different, it is obvious there is a Gender conflict to what they were assigned at Birth due to the Plumbing.  We just let him grow up the way he was clearly Born to Be.  In our extended Family it's a Non-Issue.  I have no Conflicts about being a deeply Spiritual Person and yet being Kind and extending Humanity to every Human Being in any State of their Being... my God Created us all as far as I'm concerned. 

I'm glad that Allen's Family are drawing closer to their Son and he to them, he's a Good Man they've Raised and they're clearly Good People.  There is a lot for them to be Proud of.   I do think his Autism has been a hurdle for his Family to fully embrace, some Families react differently when a Child is Diagnosed with a Disorder that is Lifelong and permanent.  With his Mom being a Doctor, I think there was the knowing of how much harder it might be for him in Life, which, it is.   There are Societal biases against being Autistic and being Gay, he's dealt with it in his Careers already.

Even some Cultural Biases run deep, his Boss at the Slaughterhouse is an African Immigrant and got into trouble for discriminating and harassment when he realized Allen was Gay.   He tried to justify his actions by saying Culturally it was unacceptable to him.  The Company told him he either got Over that, or he'd be the one on Probation and risking either being demoted or fired by violating Equal Opportunity Policy of the Company that does not tolerate discrimination and Sexual Harassment on the Job for any reason.

Allen didn't feel any kind of way about his Boss, he realizes he comes from a different Culture and respectfully disagrees with how that Culture treats their Gay Citizens.  I mean lets face it, in some Cultures it's a Death Sentence, and we all know how Women are treated in some Cultures and Countries too... but, we don't have to tolerate it here.  Lord knows we're going backwards enough already with some Home Grown Extremist Pressure and Radicalized Ideology that want to take us back to Archaic Times and Inhumane Practices.  Shudder.

For a lot of People their Brand of Religion can be the biggest barrier to being the most Humane, I swear.  I've personally Witnessed and know about more Human Cruelty, Historical Atrocities and Hatred done in the Name of someone's form and fashion of Religion, than from any other Source.   This is why I don't like Organized Religion and it's various Brands, each having their own Dogma, Prejudices and Legalism.  I'd rather just have a deep Personal Relationship with my Creator and be Spiritual, and not ascribe to Human Interpretations of what they can be so Hateful and Cruel about becoz they Assume that their God Said So and they claim to be so 'Religious'.   Denominations rarely Agree upon much anyway, each has their Interpretations by Mortal Men.

Anyway, the Guys are taking Allen's Parents to a Spring Training Baseball Game one day and to the Renaissance Festival after we have Breakfast with them.   I think his Parents are going to have a really good time and hopefully one day we can all visit them in Texas.  His Mom wants to take me to Fredericksburg which is on my Bucket List of places that have some places I'd like to visit.  I want to see Carol Hicks-Bolton's Shop and Magnolia Pearl's Shop there.  Tho' right now I don't think the latter is Open, they Closed during Pandemic and now they're Opening a Shop in Malibu, Cali right now. 

*******

More to Come... Dawn... The Bohemian