A Death In The Family

I've had Insomnia lately becoz I got a lot on my Mind and can't turn the Racing Thoughts off at Bedtime, so my Mind spins like a Top, and I've been quite Manic.   I did relent and take The Man out Canning, he was on his best behavior and followed all Safety Prompts.  I think the recent Fall did scare him, so, perhaps he'll behave for a while now?  *Winks*  We gleaned a lot of Aluminum Cans and got good exercise and fresh Air, but, it still gets Hot real early and the Southwest is still under Extreme Heat Advisories with most Days still getting up over 110.  Every Year it seems to get worse, Climate Change is Real and overbuilding on what used to be Raw Desert or Agricultural Farmland is not Helpful.

That's a daily Record now for this late in the Year, it shouldn't even be Triple Digits in October, let alone the high Triple Digits that would be Record Breaking even for Summer!!!  It's been 114-117 every Day for over a Week with no end in sight.  It's 100+ by 10:00 A.M..  Needless to say only Mad Dogs and Englishmen would go out in the Noonday Sun at those Temperatures.  *Winks*   So by Noon we're Home taking a Siesta or a dip in the Pool and definitely staying Inside.  The catastrophic weather of other States tho' makes me feel grateful all we're dealing with is the Heat, my Heart goes out to those impacted by the Hurricane, Fires, Mudslides, Earthquakes, Tornadoes and Floods.  Or Countries enduring Wars.

We found a Lumber Yard that had some Historic Architectural Salvage Doors they were giving away for Free.   We loaded a Fine One with large textured Glass, which was all that could fit in my Truck, it's huge. Rob said Tomorrow he'll go with us and bring his Flatbed to load up all the rest.  There are Two more matching ones with the Glass.  We allow him to park his Flatbed Trailers in our RV Driveway so he often will haul stuff for us as a Thank You.   He bought a few Flatbed Trailers as an Investment to Haul things for Hire or to Rent Out to people who need one, so, Parking them on our Property and his Parents means he doesn't have to pay to Store them when not in use.  He and TJ will go with us and help us load all those Antique Architectural Salvage Doors.  All look to be from 1920-1930 Era.

The Brothers know how Passionate I am about Rescuing Architectural Salvage and I think that Lumber Yard also does Demo and how they got the Old Doors?   A lot of Demo Companies Salvage what they can before Razing Historic Properties.   The Door we got Today did have a Receipt taped to the Glass from Years ago where a Customer should have picked it up and obviously didn't and the Company didn't want to keep Storing it.  Especially if they'd Sold it and the Customer failed to ever pick it up or pay for Delivery.   Or mebbe they Ordered it to be Held and then never Paid for it, dunno, the Receipt was very Old and faded by Weather, those stacks of Old Doors have sat out in a pile for Years I suspect and now had the FREE Sign to anyone who wants one, some or all.   Color me Happy.

We got some Sad News at about 4 P.M. that my Sister-In-Law had just unexpectedly passed away.  She's the Wife of The Man's Oldest Brother and she'd had a rough patch of Health in recent Years.  Still, the BIL had gone to pick up their Two Granddaughter's from School and get her some McDonald's and when he got back Home with her Chicken Nuggets and Soda, she was Dead in her Recliner, looked like she was Sleeping!   At first he thought she had fallen Asleep, but, when he tried to wake her he realized she was Gone!   He was calling us in total Shock as the Coroner wasn't there yet and he really didn't know what to do while waiting for them to arrive and take her away.   Luckily their Daughter and her Family live only 5 Houses away so they'll be able to check in on him, it clearly hadn't totally set in for him yet since it was so sudden.

The Man was very irritable and testy after that Call, he had given the Call to me since he had no Words.   I was more prepared to offer Comfort to his Brother and get his Mind off the fact his Dear Wife was in the next Room Dead in her Recliner!   I really didn't want him going back in there since I could tell that Emotionally he was Numb and Raw.   Since they live in a very small Town in Texas I guess the Coroner was coming from the City to Pronounce her, since it was Two Hours already that he'd called to say she'd Died there at Home and nobody had shown up yet.   I hadn't even known that her Son, from her First Marriage, had Died Two Years earlier from a Work related fall.   She and my BIL only have the One Daughter and I'd forgotten that she had another Child, since, he had been Raised by her Ex.  It now explains why Two Years ago her own Health took a rapid decline after losing a Child.

I think we were the first ones his Brother had called besides his own Daughter, he's not really close to other surviving Family.   Out of all his Siblings, The Man is closest to his Older Brother, their Older Sister Died just a few Years ago.   They have a Younger Brother and Younger Sister.  We're all getting to that Season of Life where Deaths are gonna happen more frequently and The Man does not handle it Well at all.  I just think it gives him a sense of his own Mortality, perhaps mine too, and that all scares him.   How his People handle Death is so much different to how my People do, so I do have some trouble relating to the Fear and how differently they respond to Death and Dying or even talking about it.   Every Culture has their ways, I know our ways are very foreign to them too.  We're not as somber or fearful of what is a Natural Process of the Circle of Life/Death.  But the Stages of Grief are pretty Universal and deeply personal, no Right or Wrong way to Grieve or Honor the Dearly Departed.

Our Family is more comfortable Talking about it freely and openly with no inhibitions.  I feel badly for my BIL since he's not used to being Alone, they Married pretty Young and so she's always been with him thru Adulthood, it will be a huge transition from what is familiar to him.   He kept saying they'd be coming soon to take her away from him and he really wasn't wanting them to.  I had to remind him that she's already Gone from the Mortal Shell tying her to this Realm, but that Spirit/Energy never Dies, it just changes Form.  I know their Spirituality is way different than my own and I respect those differences tho'.  Passing from Time into Eternity is something all Sentient Beings must do, so, the inevitability of it doesn't Scare me and I accept it in the way I was Raised to.  I'm relieved that her Transition was a Peaceful and quick one actually.  Better for her, tho' it blindsided him and he Hated that he wasn't there and she was Alone when it happened.  He couldn't have known tho'.  I'm glad he has present help so close by, he'll probably need it.

Both of their Granddaughters are Teenagers now and Carol was very close to those Grandkids, I think they bought the House in Texas to be that close to The Daughter and her Family.   They still have a Primary Home in Alaska, but, Carol preferred Texas and in recent Years she stayed there and only he wanted to go back and forth.   My BIL is the one who was more anchored to Alaska, since he'd spent most of their Adult lives there and he's an avid Outdoorsman and loves the Wilderness.  He's really like one of those Mountain Men you see on those Alaskan Reality Shows who likes living off the grid and prefers doing a Homestead existence with subsistence Living of Hunting, Fishing and being away from civilization.   The Man would be like that too if he didn't have a Family.  *LOL*   He'd be some recluse living out in the Wild and wouldn't care if he ever saw another Human Being. 

Before that unexpected Call I'd picked Princess T up from Work and taken her for Dinner to WILDFLOWER BREAD COMPANY and had a new item on their Dinner Menu, the Lemon Linguini.   It was Sublime!  I almost never go to that Restaurant for Dinner, we always go for Breakfast or Lunch, so I had no idea their Dinner Menu was so good!   It had Lemon Goat Cheese Cream Sauce, petite Peas, Roasted Mushrooms, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Red Onions, Pea Shoots, Chili Citrus Seasoning and Garlic Bread.   It was visually stunning {above} and so good you can hardly stop eating it even once you get full.  It's a Seasonal item tho', so by end of Fall it will fall off the Menu. *Sob*   I had the Thai Mango Lemonade.  I got the Alaskan Salmon Linguini for The Man and brought it Home as Take-Out.  Princess T always has their 12 Vegetable Soup with Rosemary Sea Salt Bread and Butter. 

Princess T said her Boss Kyle told her Today that she's doing such an exceptional job already that he can't Believe she's never Worked before.   Well, in actuality she's done Volunteer Work and Worked with me at the Antique Mall Spaces since she was Five Years Old, so, technically, she's Worked almost all of her Life already long before being Hired by anyone.  *LOL*   He marveled that she's already more efficient and even more knowledgeable than people who've been doing it for Years there.  She knows Resale well, and tho' Academically challenged, she's a Quick Study when it comes to Work and Income Generation.  She just needed to get instruction on how they want it done and Train her accordingly.   She likes the Placement she's in and all her Co-Workers and her Boss, she's already making Friends there and goes to Break and Lunch now with some of them regularly.   She already had the Bank Teach her how to use the Cash Apps via her Phone to Manage her Account, so, she feels very Grown Up and I'm very Proud of her.  *Smiles*

After Work she helped me bring Inventory into our Showroom for the Weekend, I priced more Halloween since it's Selling well.   But, we have packed in as much as we can now, so, no sense pricing more and having no room for it.   Sales are moderately Strong right now at the start of this Pay Period, some higher priced Merch Sold, but, the Smalls and less expensive Inventory are still our Bread and Butter.  The influx of more affluent Residents to the West Valley from Out of State might change the Demographic of the Shopper we're getting tho'?   I heard that the Dock Worker Strike might make Supply Chain Shortages again, so, I stocked up on Essentials like Toilet Paper and some perishables like Bananas that perhaps will become scarce. 

 I think the Strike could be ended quickly if the Companies who have had record Profits, just Shared in that bounty with their Workers.  I support Unions, they represent the Worker who makes these Companies obscenely Rich.  All the Workers want is not to be replaced by Technology/Machines and get a Raise to keep Pace with Inflation, that's not unreasonable requests and so I don't blame them for Striking and putting the Screws to who holds the Purse Strings.  Since Losses could run into Billions per Day due to the Stroke, it would be Economically Sound for these Companies to come to the Table and agree to a mutually beneficial compromise at least and curb their Greed.  Whether they will remains to be seen?   Giants like Amazon will suffer, and we know how Billionaires exploit Workers and screw them over with total disregard to their Families suffering.

So many Workers haven't gotten a Raise in Years so their Salaries aren't keeping Pace with rampant Inflation, especially Housing Costs and other Essentials like Food, Medicines, Medical, Utilities, Transportation.  I've cut a lot out of our usually purchased items in order to trim the Budget.  But, since about half the Dollar Stores Closed recently, I can't stretch the Budget like I used to by shopping at Stores offering Essentials at a discount that makes it more affordable.   The one Dollar General nearby that has been Closed all Summer since their Air Conditioning failed, hasn't reopened and it's looking doubtful it will if the temps keep over 100 and their AC still isn't fixed.   I still sorely miss the 99 Cent Only Stores, they were my staple fav Dollar Store... they all Closed.   A leveraged Buyout by Dollar Tree, buying the Rights to the 99 Cent Only Stores means some locations might re-open/expand. 

I know I said I wasn't gonna price more Inventory, but, I had about 10 Pacs of Anime Cards straight from Japan and really want to get them in my Locked Case before the Weekend.  I also have another Vintage Globe, I'd almost Sold Out of my Vintage Globes, so, that too needs to get into Inventory.   I got another "Thug Kitchen" Cookbook, they always Sell very well, I have the whole set in my Library, when I find duplicates I Buy them becoz the Resale on them is very good and they look good in my Vintage Fiesta Ware Merch Display.  I'm Surprised how much of my Fiesta Ware I'm Selling since a lot of other Vendors have a bigger Selection of it than I do.   I used to have a lot more, but Sold 95% of it already, so, just the remnants of my Collection are left now.  I kept a few fav pieces.

I still think it's a Cheerful Line that I still Love, I just wasn't using it anymore, even for Parties and BBQ's, so, purging what isn't useful or put on Display became a priority with the Downsizing.   I am doing the same with my Starbucks Mugs and Tumblers Collection, only keeping those I really am attached to and Selling the rest, Donating a few that were used a lot and not in pristine condition.   At some point you have to just Let Go even if you still really Love or Like something a lot, keeping it all just isn't making sense at this Season of my Life.   And, I might as well profit off of Collections I've amassed over a Lifetime and enjoy doing things with the Family with the proceeds, or, paying down Debts quicker so that we might become Debt Free again.

Listen, when we made the Big Move to here I had Sold Off so much of our larger possessions so that I didn't have to Move or Store them, which would have been prohibitive added expense.   But, my Smalls didn't take up as much Space and they tend to be easier to Sell consistently than larger items.   I've since purchased some Furnishings when we bought this Property, you never know what you'll need and what will showcase best or have the Space for, until you Buy a New Property.   And, with larger Purchases I'm never in a hurry, I'll wait for those Showcase pieces that are Primo and fit my Vision for the new Spaces and Lifestyle of the moment.   I've moved into a different Period of Decorating Style again as well that I prefer and want for my Forever Home Spaces. 

  Melding a blending of Weird & Wonderful Oddities, Cabinets of Curiosities, Antique Mercantile, Antique Haberdashery, Vintage Industrial, Naturalist Style, Vintage Gentleman's Club and Urban Farmhouse.  Very eclectic, but, it works for me and for The Man, without compromising aesthetic for either of us.   A Natural Color Palette and Sepia is the preferred Hues now that I realize I really gravitate to and prefer to be surrounded by, it's very Soothing and Visually Pleasing to me.   And you should always Decorate to Please yourself and your Family's Aesthetic, not to get approval of other people who don't live there or just follow a current Trend, which may, or may not, be True to yourself.   Some Trends I really Like too and am Glad are Trending, others, I abhor.

Some of the current Decorating Trends, especially the Global Imports, I really do Like a lot.  Since, I was a Global Nomad for a great portion of my Life and visited lots of Cultures where we Lived for a time outside of the United States.   Exposure to different Countries and Cultures certainly did Influence me and my Family.   My Parent's Homes always reflected the diversity of Cultures and Countries they'd visited and lived in, as well as their own distinctive Cultures.   So, our Home never looked like the Homes of a lot of my Friends here in America.  Because we'd Traveled the World extensively and embraced so many things we Loved about other Cultures and their Countries, Traditions, Rituals and Unique Style.

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So I am glad some Exotic and Unique Styles are Trending that originated from other Countries and have been Imported.   It helps a lot of Poorer Countries when what they produce, especially in their Small Business Sectors, is in demand.   I've not only supported Small Businesses here in the U.S., but, Abroad as well from the Small Cottage Industries of many 3rd World Countries, where the Creations and Handwork Talent of the Artisans is exceptional and it raises many out of Poverty and establishes Self Sufficiency.   I Buy a lot of my Dreadlock Specialty items from such Cottage Industries where the Indigenous Women of Small Island Nations Create them.  With Dreads they get so thick and heavy that regular Hair Accessories don't fit around them, so after yours are Mature, you need to use Dreadlock Specific Accessories designed for the Hairstyle.

I Love Spiralocks, which are Created in Island Nations and can hold even a massive amount of Dreadlocks in place and alleviate tension from Weight.   It's Fabrics wrapped around Wire so they're bendable and come in various lengths, depending on how long your Dreads have grown and Matured.   When I had over 60 it was too thick and too much so I've now let them Congo {combine} to a manageable amount of around 17, which isn't as Crazy to Style or Maintain.  It became evident I couldn't keep them Micro Dread Size, which 60 of those was fine since they were Yarn size and shorter.  Now, most of them are down to my Hips and Finger size, so, I couldn't have 60 of those.   When they grow together they become denser, so not as much Volume, which, is Strange, but, a welcome Relief.  *LOL*

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Happy Autumn Vibes my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian