I'm Fixating a bit on Blogging lately becoz I'm not doing much else, on purpose, to promote Healing and my Recovery. I figure Blogging boosts my Brain Function and my Cognitive Function as well, since I can still Type pretty damned fast and put Sentences together that hopefully make sense? *Winks* Your feedback and concerns are deeply appreciated, that connection is important when you're going thru some stuff. I tend to isolate more when I'm dealing with any Issues of Life, since, dealing with it can consume you and your energy has to be poured into whatever it is. The Adult Kiddos have Friends coming Daily who are a Help, Bless them. Right now I don't have the capacity to maintain anything and that's more than a bit scary and concerning to me.
Their Generation gets Involved more than my Generation did, or does, when there's a Crisis someone else is having. Of coarse my Generation is at the Season of Life now, that many are dealing with their own serious stuff or have Died off already. I know many of my Elderly Friends are often going thru Health Issues and Financial Issues now, it's just a Given at some point if you Live long enuf. I did expect the kinds of challenges with my Health that I'm now having. Life circumstances, Age, other Comorbidities and Family History made it be rather high risk for me to eventually have a Stroke and/or Heart Attack. It wasn't a matter IF, but WHEN? You just try to do preventative measures as best you can.
I try very hard to eat well, exercise often, keep active in Mind and Body, do things that I enjoy to decompress from Life's regular stressors that are unavoidable. So, I've enjoyed relatively good Health for my Age and kept my Attitude good with keeping perspective and attitude in check. And most importantly, your sense of Humor intact no matter what happens, find the levity in it to lighten your Mood and keep your Spirits up. Right now our Family is in very good Spirits and rallying together to make this Work with whatever adjustments we need to make. Whether that's gonna be short term or long term remains to be seen. But, I still consider anything we're going thru as 1st World Problems we can and will get thru. I try to keep my complaints and pity parties to a minimum and keep a Positive Outlook.
There is an Event Today but I'm not going. I might change my Mind over the Four Days it runs, this is only Opening Day. I don't feel up to going, transporting Princess T to and from her Work is all I'm up for. It's their 1st Anniversary of this Event and it doesn't seem like a whole Year ago they first Opened. A lot of my Friends are Designers/Vendors there and combined Resources to Open the Location, which is only Open Four Days a Month. I'm so glad it's been a success and usually we attend even if we aren't going to be Buying anything or aren't looking for anything particular. They do an exceptional job of Showcasing their Wares and their Talents, so it's always Inspirational.
The Industry Friendships made have endured a long time now and we've all Shared a lot of History and Memories over those Years. Prosperous times and challenging ones. Many of these Industry Friends have bought directly from me over the Years. Since, they making a Living at this, to me it's just a Hobby and means to an end to Downsize a Lifetime of being a Collector of what we Love and have Rescued, with having a Love of Old. I am a Hunter-Gatherer, it's in my DNA, so, that's my Juice, finding the Coolest Objects, not necessarily intending to Keep them all. I've often Sold Off more than I've ever Kept and continue to do so. Most of my Industry Friends ask me often when I'll be opening up The RV Garage Mahal for a Pick? *LOL*
It's our Goal to Stage that Space to have Industry Friends, by Invitation, come over and help me with the Great Edit and Purge I've been involved with for a long time now. They need the Inventory all the time becoz this is their Business. I don't NEED any of it, I'm Retired and just having Fun looking for interesting stuff and that which should be Rescued and Salvaged so that it will still Exist. Architectural Salvage has been my Passion since the 1970's when few people saw any Value in Preserving any of it. Far too much ended up Landfill bound and just destroyed when a Historic Property was being razed. Nobody Cared about the History and Preservation of the actual Property, let alone the sum of it's parts. The Money was in redevelopment and replacement, so too much was Lost.
I'd like to see a healthier Balance of Old and New, of everything. I'm not against progress, but, I am a Preservationist as well. I have a definite Love-Hate Relationship with Gentrification. I don't mind decayed Older Neighborhoods being Renewed and Invested in. Yet, it often displaces the original long time Inhabitants and pushes them out to make way for the Affluent who then take over those Communities. So those who have been Invested in those Communities for Generations are displaced during most Gentrification when the Property Values then soar beyond the reach of the less Affluent. He who has the most Money makes all the Rules and can Buy anything and anyone they most desire to control, it's just the way it is.
Rob brought over a large Display Unit he obtained that looks like it once was Commercially used, very heavy, long, and he gave it to us to use in The RV Garage Mahal. So, The Daughter and I are contemplating where to put it so we can even get it in there. Getting large pieces we need into there is logistically challenging coz a lot of Smalls and displaced items are still obstructing moving anything larger in or out. But, we think we found just the perfect spot near the front. We're going to put Commercial Wheels on part of the Unit to make moving it easier, since it's extremely solid and heavy. Then the other part we'll put stationary Feet. We make do with what we have or are given and figure out placement on The Fly as we go. I'm not anal about placement, everything is fluid and subject to change without notice, it will evolve organically.
We're keeping Christmas up for The Young Prince, hopeful he and The Niece can be here by End of Month? That's their Plan and we Hope it all goes as Planned. Going into February we Hope everyone is here together and we can begin all moving Forward in Unity. When all Hands are on Deck we're much more effective at dealing with whatever each is up against individually. I do Wish the Nation realized that kind of Unity is necessary and vital to Positive Outcomes with whatever we could be up against Nationally and Individually. Sometimes, unfortunately, it takes a Crisis to put petty differences aside for a lot of people prone to being petty and fixating and focusing on what's not all that important really or at all. It is refreshing to see Californians coming together in Unity to face this current active Natural Disaster. And that other States and Countries are rallying to their aide also.
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I JUST got Word from The Young Prince that they are having severe Blizzards there so he's telling the Niece that End of Month might not be possible. They want to be Safe, she's used to driving in Snow coz she lived on the East Coast for Years, but it will be a U-Haul Truck and I concur with his assessment that driving in any inclement severe Weather is not Wise or Safe enough. I don't know how February in New Mexico is, so, he may have to just wait 'til Spring, we'll have to just take it One Day at a time. *Le Sigh* I know he really wants to leave, but not in desperation mode, he wants to think it thru logically and what will get them here without complications, I agree. Better he and Allen work thru any Issues for a little longer and coexist as diplomatically as they can while waiting for when this can happen. I don't know what kind of Lease Allen has on the Cottage they're Renting or even if he plans to remain in New Mexico after they split up? Allen has Family in Texas and may return there?
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The Young Prince doesn't even feel Safe visiting or driving thru most of Texas, which is Why they chose New Mexico on the border near Texas instead. Anyone in the LGBTQ+ Community, like all People of Color and Immigrants, have to be Mindful of where they are most Welcome and Safest to Live. The current Political Climate and expounding of Hatred and Discrimination has only made that all the more evident and nobody can claim or pretend it doesn't exist anymore, it's all out in the Open and all the Quiet Parts have now been Said Out Loud by the Far Right. Most of us have known it always did, but, it wasn't as blatantly displayed and there was some Societal Shame that was being associated with Bigotry and Racism or Homophobia and Misogyny in recent Decades. Now many Bigots and Racists, Homophobes and Misogynists, are Proud to be what and who they are without any Shame or Societal pushback. That's devolving us as a Society IMO when our Politics and ways of treating one another are so contentious.
Princess T had gotten out of Work on Wednesday super Early, by 1:30 p.m. and Hopes that Today they get out Early again. It means a lighter Paycheck, but, more Day to herself and not being so worn out and Tired. She takes a lot of Naps after Work if it's been a hard and busy Day. She said they are Hiring more People so that's good, IF they Work out? Many don't and either aren't up to the Job and have to be Let Go, or find the Job is not for them and quit. It is high production so you can't be Lazy or inefficient. When they're fully Staffed things go smoothly, when they're short Staffed, of coarse it makes those left have to Work harder and cover areas that aren't usually their Job or Position. She's hopeful most of the new Employees just hired do work out. She likes working there but said it's stressful when it's understaffed and morale goes down.
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Extreme Weather is not Unique, but it is getting worse and Insurers are now not Insuring in areas they deem not sustainable and high risk for Claims due to Weather Patterns. Climate Chaos is going to have to be dealt with more and more, we won't have any choice. And the Lowlifes who are responding by immediately trying to Politicize a Natural Disaster with so much loss and suffering, to make it all about them and their Partisan Tribalism, are pathetic degenerates. Put the fucking Politics aside for a Minute and Unify to be part of a Solution to this Natural Disaster that fellow Americans, regardless of their Political affiliations, are suffering through tremendously. Have some compassion and basic Humanity for Chrissakes, it disgusts me that they can't seem to muster that at all. It's getting tired and old when some just can't stop with their Cruelty and Political Bias being their immediate reaction and response towards Human Suffering.
Some of those Communities that were utterly destroyed by the Fires were built in the 1920's, so for over 100 Years had been clearly a Safe enuf place to live. Sure, there are high risk Natural and remote areas where Wildfires are common, but, typically, not Residential and Urban areas, that's highly unusual for a Wildfire to threaten those areas like they have. New encroachment into Wild areas might be expected, but anywhere that has been developed over a Century, quite unexpected. And not adequately prepared for a Wildfire burning out of control and unable to be contained. So, this is a new phenomena that will now have to be considered and how best to deal with it happening more often now?
Insurances dropped coverages for Residents sometimes just Days before this Fire. Not for nonpayment, which had been costing the Homeowners as much as $1,500 a Month, but, becoz the Companies just no longer want to provide the coverage and just ended it involuntarily. So, all those people were dropped and therefore will have zero coverage for losing everything even tho' they'd Paid up to Date their Coverage that just wasn't renewed or couldn't even be replaced in most cases. This is happening a lot in States with chronic Catastrophic Weather Events... or higher Crime Rates. And, Companies still providing coverage are also jacking up premiums and spreading them around to those of us who don't live in the higher risk areas. When my Vehicle Insurance went up a bunch in 2024 I was told it was due to the Hurricane and Tornado Losses of the Company in States I don't even live in!
So, we'll all end up paying dearly for these Climate related catastrophes regardless of where we're living. Or, have to risk Living Uninsured and not covered, and not necessarily by Choice! I do Hope Solutions can be found to resolve some of these pressing Issues. I expect that our Government can come Together in Bipartisan Unity to Solve them like responsible Adults, without all the Posturing and Political Partisan bullshit. As a Non-Partisan Voter I'm utterly and completely fed up with Partisan Politics and the Posturing, do what's Right for the Country and the American People, ALL of us, for a change. Quit with Extremist pandering and be Moderate enough to be sensible and Serving the Majority instead of just the Far Side Fanatics and Special Interest Groups or Elite being brazenly Pandered to. I'm pretty Sick of it all and I'm sure most people actually are too.
Our Family got together and helped with a Project that Princess T and I started and was going well, but I couldn't see it thru to it's conclusion before fading out physically and melting down Emotionally/Mentally becoz it overwhelmed me. I had to Tap out and luckily, The Man, The Daughter and The Son helped the Granddaughter finish. I was frustrated with myself becoz new limitations are very hard to confront every day. We were re-organizing the Kitchen Pantry, not really a huge Project or Big Deal, but, I just couldn't do it before fading out halfway thru!!! They got it done and it looks fantastic and now I know what we have and what we're running low or out of. I have my Pantry usually very Organized, but with so many People using it daily, it had gotten chaotic and the way I Organized it was disrupted completely. I have a System and it works, I have Rows of Canned and Bagged same items and sorted into their Rows. A Corn Row, Peas Row, a Beans Row, Canned Tomatoes Row, a Fruit Row, a Soups Row, a Pasta Row, Sauces Row, so on and so forth.
I wanted it put back the way I do it, coz I'm the one who does all the Grocery Shopping. I no longer knew what we had or didn't have, or how much of it, coz it was everywhere scattered. And you couldn't find what you needed, without looking everywhere, now you can again. But, I had to Bail and go take a long Nap coz I was getting so impatient and angry, I just knew I couldn't last and it was upsetting me to the point I was melting down and knew it. Everyone was very understanding, but I still offered them all an apology when I woke up and felt more centered again and not so Emotionally Raw. I know it's Stroke related, it has to be, so, I'm trying to acknowledge how it can change your personality and your emotions. They are common and normal Post-Stroke, but are quite distressing. Controlling my Moods is definitely harder. I'm becoming more upset over things and laughing inappropriately... I am Aware, but, not necessarily able to control it yet.
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Anyway, the Pantry is a vision, top and bottom Cupboards of it, and I realized we had a lot of hidden Beans. *Bwahahaha* I had apparently been on a Bean Buying Bender becoz I didn't realize we had some everywhere I didn't know they'd been put. *LOL* So, now we got Beans for Days and lotsa Homemade Chili Meals. *Ha ha ha* We were also out of a lot of Veggies and Soups, which were way lower than I realized, coz, they too were not where I usually had them, or the Row behind a Soup or Veggie held just random other things I thought were Cans of what was in front being displayed. *Le Sigh* Now, things are in Order and I have a better idea of what should be on the Grocery List next time I Shop to keep the Pantry stocked. Our Dollar General finally had their Grand Re-Opening they'd had to be Closed since Spring when their A/C and Wiring went kaput.
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Then they had a POS {Point Of Sale, not the other Acronym, winks} problem after that, and lost a lot of Inventory to the Heat. I'm just glad they didn't permanently close the location, it's right next door to where Princess T Works and is so convenient. Their prices can't be beat on essentials we use all the time and they're one of the few who carry Septic System Enzymes we use Monthly. Now that the area has built up and is no longer Rural, all but the Mini Farm Community built in the 1960's are not on Septic Systems like we are. I also buy a Commercial grade Septic Cleaner Online. I had Septic once before many Moons ago when we developed Property in a Rural area that has since built up into a huge Retirement Community since then. Urban Sprawl since I first moved to Arizona in 1974 has been expansive.
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I finally downloaded my Old School Camera Images I'd taken on our last Outing, I had a few more than I'd taken with my Cellphone Camera and they turned out better with the Old School Camera IMO. I always bring both and switch taking Pixs with both to ensure getting some quality shots. Not feeling ambitious or energetic enuf to go anywhere to do any Pathological Picture Taking, so will use up what I previous had now. TJ came over with a Chainsaw and cut up some of the Big Pine Tree we'd had to take down last Year. It was a very Old Tree so a lot of Wood that we hadn't been able to use up, so we give away whatever Neighbors want to come over and cut up to use. *Smiles* I don't like having big Woodpiles coz it attracts Scorpions, Carpenter Bees and Bark Beetles.
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I'm Surprised that in all the Years I've lived here I've never used our big Wood Burning Fireplace yet! I'm such a Pyro that it Amazes even me that I haven't felt the Urge to. Even tho' it was a big consideration when Buying a Forever Home, I wanted a Wood Burning Fireplace. New Homes no longer offer that Option and I dislike Gas Fireplaces, they suck. The Villa McManse had one that was double sided and served the Living Room and Dining Room, but didn't throw off any actual Heat and barely any Flame, it sucked. *LOL* This Home has a very large Fireplace and Chimney, made of Fire Brick and Burnt Adobe Brick, it's a Beautiful Fireplace in our Den Area. It was definitely one of the Selling Points when we Viewed this Home. This Home checked off so many Boxes of what were high Priorities for us.
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Okay, so my Blog Title Hook was Swamp Root Tonic coz this 1800's Bottle of it at the Antique Mall intrigued me. *LOL* I was tempted to Buy it and probably should have, we do Collect some Old Bottles and Canning Jars. I used the Old Canning Jars all the time so have a plethora of them. I like to find unusual Brands of Jars and Bottles. And I've Sold many too over the Years. We used to find them all the time out in the Desert at the Old Garbage Tips from the Turn of the Century outside of long gone Towns that used to exist and disappeared without a trace except for the Old Dumpsites left behind. When a Ghost Town still exists you take only Photos and leave only Footprints to be respectful and preserve what's left. These days, not much is left. Often the area is Taxed if any remnants of Buildings still exist so now they raze the whole thing. Which is a Shame, some were really Interesting.
I was putzing around some in the She Shed and really didn't accomplish anything. I start to want to and then fade out almost immediately now, so I don't know how much will actually get done by me if the Kiddos don't do it FOR me now? The Man hasn't taken care of things for Years now so I don't want to end up like that too, so am trying to engage myself at least some. It is Emotionally difficult when you have to adjust so drastically and were responsible for a lot and now know it's not anything you're up to anymore. I'm hopeful it's temporary and not permanent? You never really know after a serious Health complication, how long a Recovery will take or if you'll have a full one or not? I'm having serious doubts right now what capacity I can get back to and that disturbs me coz maintaining a household isn't something that can remain deferred or neglected long. So, Tick-Tock...
Contemplating Life and it's Issues ... Dawn... The Bohemian
For all the help you've given people over the years there should be a line around the block of people stepping up to help you while you're recovering.
ReplyDeleteAwww, Thanks for the Kind Words and Yes, so many of the Friends of my Adult Children treat me like I'm their Mom too so they're all stepping up and helping. It's just very humbling to realize I'm not up to so much now and have to contemplate how long I can maintain what we have without a lot of extra Help, you know? I suppose it happens to us all at a certain Season of Life should we Live long enuf. But, when it happens, being Aware is kinda scary stuff. The Man is Unaware and so it doesn't trouble him, becoz he just isn't able to perceive his own decline, which, could be a Blessing in disguise really. I'm quite Aware of mine.
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