Spring Is In The Air

I started this Post over Thrice already!  I keep changing Topics.  *LOL*  I didn't wanna go Dark with the Post, but, had to wait 'til Midafternoon to have some Positive stuff to Blog about.   But, our Chili the Night before had turned out good {Above}.   So, this Afternoon, while The Daughter was working a Housecleaning Job in Chandler and I was her Ride, I got to hang out at MERCHANT SQUARE Antique Mall nearby.  I got to visit with a couple of Vendor Friends there, have Lunch at their "American Way Market Smokehouse BBQ", and find a few inexpensive Treasures.   So, a very good day for both The Daughter and I.   The Pulled Pork Sammie was too much for me to eat it all so I Saved half of it for her.  It came with a side of their House Made Dill Pickle, and their delish Corn Chowder, which I J'Adore! 

The Daughter had never met my Friend before, so she asked me if I'd let her know that she was Handicapped?  I said Yeah, she Reads my Blog, so she knows we all ain't Right in this Family.  *Winks*   And so she popped in this Halloween Eyeball to meet her for the first time.  *Bwahahahaha*   Anyone that knows me realizes the DNA they all get this Twisted Dark Gallow's Humor from, especially about having any "Handicaps", so, it rarely shocks or surprises anyone.  *Winks*  And The Daughter will do anything to make anyone Laugh, she has a Wicked Sense of Humor.   Hanging out with her you will always be Laughing.  It was a Glorious Weather Day to be out and about in all day long, so I was Glad we had something to do and somewhere to be.  Otherwise we're inclined to never get out of our Jammies or leave the House these days.  *LOL*

Really, I'm becoming a Recluse most days and I'm more inclined to have Melancholy set in if I don't get out and do something productive or interesting.   I heard Bill Maher say something on Fareed's Show Today that really hit Home.  He said during the 1st Term of the Shitshow he wound himself up about it.  But with this 2nd Term he's just not allowing himself to.  He said when he runs into People who are panic stricken and saying, "What are we gonna do?!", he tells them now to just go have Lunch.   And James Carville, who is known for being very Politically savvy, has said to just sit back and let them implode and destroy themselves.  He has a point, becoz they certainly will be the instruments of their own destruction, if we but let them.   So, why try to stop them from self-destructing, let 'em do it.

It doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't Resist and be Militant about standing for what American Values are important, and we want to preserve and define ourselves by still.   But, if someone is determined to doom themselves, well, don't stand in the way or get in the way of allowing them to accomplish that.  And that's how I Feel about MAGA, all of it, their Leadership and their whole Cult, let them self-destruct, since they seem quite determined to, and they're going far enuf off the Rails now it's inevitable they will.   The Wake of it won't be pretty, but when you've done all you can to try to prevent a Train Wreck, and it happens anyway, just don't be on board the Train, or standing on the Tracks where it's going Wheels Off, or where it goes so far Off Rails and into the Ditch.   You'll probably be just Fine, they won't be tho'.   But Peter Thiel and Curtis Yarvin, those Characters really do concern me... them and the rest of the PayPal Mafia Crew of Tech Billionaire Bros who bought J.D. Vance and have a much more Sinister agenda than just Project 2025, with their whole Dark Enlightenment Political Worldview.   Google it all, it's some scary stuff.

So, now the Fluff of Life, like, what did I get at the Antique Mall you might ask?   Well, tho' I didn't NEED another one in this Lifetime, I got a Double Antique Crystal Doorknob Set, one side having clearly been exposed to the Sun since it was turning Lavender.    They were Created Circa 1890 and after Decades of Sun exposure, becoz of the presence of Manganese in the Glass, some turned Lavender, Violet or even Deep Purple if they were Exterior Knobs.   The Vendor had it priced so low, plus I got my Military Discount, that I hadda Buy it!  *Smiles*   I also got a Miniature Antique Wood Handled Tack Hammer, priced at only Six Bucks, it will be great for Jewelry and Crafts or Upholstering Furniture.  I got a large Vintage Apothecary Jar filled with SCRABBLE Tiles for $7.  And an Anna Lee Easter Bunny holding a Daffodil for only $3!!!  And finally a Still Life unframed Oil Painting of a Watering Can holding Wildflowers, for only Ten Bucks.

So, here's my new Old Doorknob Set...

And my Unframed Oil Painting by an Unknown Master...  I did like that Cabbage Vase with Faux Clover... but it was priced too high for my Budget.  Tho' it was well priced if it was a Japanese Rare 1980's Fitz & Floyd?

And my Anna Lee Easter Bunny with Daffodil, which was priced way below what it should have been... especially since the rest of this Vendor's Merch was pretty expensive and yet they knew the Bunny was an Anna Lee Vintage piece...

This Vendor had some great Mushroom Motif 1960's pieces, but, very expensive.  I particularly liked the Vintage Round Tablecloth and matching colored Vintage Mushroom Coffee Mugs, with Two different Graphics of Mushrooms... they had 3 of each Mug... and the Tablecloth is so Rare I couldn't find one Online at all, not even on Pinterest.  So, pretty sure why they had it priced in the Stratosphere of Vintage Tablecloths.

 

The Vendor had obviously Scored someone's vast Sixties Mushroom Designed Kitchenware, coz they had so much of it and it all had this Color Scheme.   I didn't Photograph it all, but anything you could think of from a 1960's Kitchen had this Mushroom Design in Blues and Greens. So, if you had Money being no object, you could buy yourself a really nice Instant Retro matching Kitchen Collection all at once... but, you'd drop about $300 to Score it all.  Great Look tho' and would mebbe take Years to Source One Piece at a time.  And Online Auctions have these stackable Mugs at the same Price each that the Vendor was Selling them at... and you'd hafta pay Postage & Handling, so...

This is one of The G-Kid Force's Youngest Sisters in Mexico, she's growing into a Fine Young Woman so fast!   She's the Youngest of The Daughter's Bio Children.   Once this one is Grown all of her Bio Kids are Grown, tho' her Ex in Mexico has Fathered a Younger Daughter.   And The Young Prince's Dad also Fathered Two Younger ones, a Son and a Daughter.   And Salvador had numerous Older Children by previous Relationships, so Princess T has a slew of Siblings, both Older and Younger than her.   My Ex SIL even has the Ketamine King beat by how many Kids he's Sired!   I think fElon is up to 14 tho', by Four or Five different Baby Mamas, so he's closing in on reckless Breeding.

Anyway, Spring was very much in the Air at the Antique Mall and I thoroughly enjoyed that the Merch was reflective of it.  I'm ready for Spring, and I enjoy Easter Decor and Spring Decor.  I do Collect Vintage Easter.   I would like to have at least a small Spring Vignette in the Showroom, but, I don't really know if I have enuf Springlike Merch to pull one off?   Last Year I did and Sold it all, Vintage Easter isn't so easy to Source even if you're a Collector and Keeping it.  So, Sourcing it for Resale, at the right price point, is very difficult.   I Sold all my Vintage Easter Blow Molds, they can fetch a lot and I did well with them.  I didn't Display them anymore, too large and no Outlet Outside to Light them Up out Front with.  Plus, I don't Decorate our Exterior for Easter, except for a Spring Wreath on the Front Door.

 

I have a Cross Collectible large Anna Lee Child in an Easter Bunny Outfit, but carrying a Halloween Bag... so it was a dual Holiday Piece.  I just take the Trick Or Treat Bag out of it's Hands if I wanna Display it in an Easter Vignette.   This large Anna Lee Child in an Easter Bunny Outfit is exclusively Easter Themed tho' and even had Cute Bunny Slippers.   I wasn't a Player tho' at $46.   I'd Sourced my Big Anna Lee Halloween Bunny at a Goodwill Clearance Center where they Sold everything for $1.29 a Lb..  I don't recall if it Weighed in at One Pound or Two?   *LOL*

I liked this little Organic looking Plastic Decorated Stenciled Easter Egg for Two Bucks, but, didn't Buy it.   I don't pull the Trigger on every Cute thing I see, even if it's inexpensive.   I was content with my small Haul of Treasures Sourced this Day at excellent Prices.   I had a Vendor Friend come up to profusely Thank me for turning her on to Nag Champa Essential Oils to wear and where I Buy it.   She says she always Smells me before she ever Sees me.  *Bwahahahaha*   And, she wants to Smell like Me.  And will now.  *LMAOROTF*   Way Cheaper than wearing any Perfumes, one small Bottle lasts about Two Years and costs under Ten Bucks... and, your Guys can wear it and it'll smell totally different on them.   The Son now wears Essential Oils, he was spending a Fortune on Men's Colognes, After Shaves, etcetera and gets way more Compliments on wearing the Essential Oils now... and it lasts longer on you and Smells better too.

I've always been the Gal that Smells like Nag Champa and I wouldn't wear anything else.   And no hyperbole, but I will get stopped no less than once or twice, or more, on any given Day, to have some random person stop and tell me how good I Smell!   And often it will be really Young People, Male and Female, who compliment me the most and ask me what I'm wearing and where they can get some?!   For Youngsters to stop an Old Lady and say you Smell good, is quite a compliment, No?  *LMAO*   Usually my Grands tell me that their Generation doesn't like the way most Old People Smell!  *LOL*  Or say a particular Perfume Smells like an Old Person, even if it Smells good.  *Bwahahahahaha*   I Scored some "White Shoulders" Perfume, which I always thought is a nice pleasant Aroma of Perfume, but is very Old School.  I thought the Kids might want it, but both Generations of our Gals said, No Way, it Smells like Old People!  *LMAOROTF*

I know, Kids are often brutally Honest and lack a Filter when just saying it like it is to them.  *Ha ha ha*   Princess T has sometimes told me to "Quit Walking Old, Gramma!" and I'm like, how the fuck am I supposed to Walk, when I AM Old, Pray Tell?   My fucking Hips are Hurting, and if I Stop, I won't be able to get Started again now, so, just let's keep Moving or you'll be fucking Carrying me, Okay?!  *Bwahahaha*  Yes, as a Youngster I too once Laughed and made Fun of at how Walter Brennan and Redd Foxx Walked on TV Shows, until I got Old too and realized, those poor Old Bastards walked like they did coz they were probably in fucking Pain, weren't they?  *LOL and Winks*  I can Walk just Fine until many Hours into a Marathon Day that required a LOT of Walking, and then, Yeah, I'm "Walking Old".  *Winks*   BTW: I Loved Walter Brennan as Grandpappy Amos and Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford.

And another set of Old Folks I just ADORED as a Kid were Ma and Pa Kettle!!!   That 1940's Show always made me Laugh.  And so did The Little Rascals, 1920's-1930's.

We had quite the Ordeal on Monday, and I knew it would be so had girded myself for it and The Man HAD to be in tow, coz he's the Veteran.   It was time to renew my Truck Registration and they'd messed up the Paperwork they sent me this Year and not show his VA 100% Disability Status, which waives a considerable amount of the Taxes and Registration Fees.   So, we went to MVD and there was 2 Hours worth of Lines and no Seating.  We waited in Line 2 Hours and when it was our Turn they said that since they'd switched System, the Old System was purged of Scanned VA Disability Status Verification Letters so we'd have to go to the VA and get a new one.  Splendid!

So, we had to drive into the City to the Main VA Office, it's a Federal Building and Parking Downtown is always limited so I had to Park quite far away and we walked in.  Well, we get in and The Man had forgotten to take his Knife out of his Pocket and so I had to walk that all the way back to the Truck and have VA Security Babysit him for me while I did that.   I told the Young VA Security Stud Muffins, don't Lose him, I don't wanna have to put out a Silver Alert when I get back and he's a Wander Risk.  They took it seriously and didn't lose him.  *Whew*   They had walked him in to the Office we needed to go to but hadn't told him he needed to Sign In, so he'd sat there like a Putz as more people came in behind him.  I finally get back, Security tells me where they'd taken him, I asked if he'd Signed In and he said Yes.  Well, he hadn't, so Veterans coming in way behind us were coming and going so finally I ask the Front Desk why we hadn't been Called yet?

THEN they say, Oh, he's not checked in.  *Eye Roll*  But, they did then get us in right away and the Woman who helped us got his Disability Paperwork printed off in Duplicate so we'd have a Spare.   We went and had Lunch, then back to the DMV for another 2 Hour wait for our Turn.  They accepted the Letter but said now the New Rule is we'll have to provide a New Letter every Two Years even tho' it clearly states his is a PERMANENT Disability!!!   I don't know what part of Permanent they don't understand and why every 2 Years you have to Re-Certify your Permanent Disability Status, but, there ya go... Government Inefficiency.   But, I renewed for 2 Years and got about $750 waived, which was still worth being jerked around all day.   Fun Times! 

 

I liked how someone Made Over this Old 1920's Waterfall Style Vanity by putting Victorian Ceiling Tin on the Drawers and tho' I'd of put different Hardware and Painted the rest of the Vanity Black and not Shabby Chic White, I'd of left The Ceiling Tin with it's original Patina like they did.   I see a lot of this Era of Vanity and Style in Chazzas and usually they're very badly in need of a Makeover, so, this is a great Idea to Salvage One that really needs to be transformed.   I got lotsa Original Victorian Ceiling Tin, you'd have thought I was doing an entire Ceiling of it.  I Hoarded up a lot of it many, many Moons ago and still haven't used most of it.  Tho' I did do some Backsplashes of it in the Historic Home's Bathrooms. 

  I guess I intended to do the Bathroom Ceilings with it too at the Historic Home and just never got around to it.  Which I don't regret since Mr. Avila, the New Owner, hasn't kept everything Original or Historic now to that Home, which saddens me, initially he was doing a proper Restoration.   And I guess he had a lot of Trouble trying to Source Period Salvage to do it and finally gave up.   So he's now replaced a lot of Original details with Modern ones and it doesn't look Right and saddens me.   And since he uses it as a Rental, perhaps his Renters complained about living in an 1800-1920's Era Rental and wanted Modern Upgrades, who knows?   People don't always appreciate a Historic Era Home enuf.  To me if you want a Modern fucking Home or Apartment, move into one, they're a Dime a Dozen.  And poorly built and lack Character.

Granted, I bought a Home built in 1980 that had been completely Remodeled and done in an Urban Farmhouse Modern Style I happen to just Love.   But, having seen many Original 1980 Style Homes in Arizona, lemme tell ya that wouldn't be an Era I'd wanna live in, I felt that Era had a lot of hideous Styles I wouldn't wanna retain or bring back.  *Bwahahaha*  Had this Home been all Original Circa 1980, I'd of probably never even booked a Viewing, certainly wouldn't have Bought it and spent a fortune Remodeling it either.   Some Eras were Culturally Deprived and hideous, so what Trended then isn't Beloved by Yours Truly.   When I say I LOVE a Historic Home's Character, I'm talking about Victorian Era thru mebbe a Cool Mid-Century Modern 1960's done by a Famous Architect like Ralph Haver, who did a lot of Atomic Ranch Style Residences and Tiki Style Motels.  

Some Haver Historic Landmarks, like the Kon Tiki Motel, were demolished fairly recently, in the Name of Gentrification of Downtown Historic Districts, which is just tragic.  But, Phoenix isn't known for it's Preservation efforts and I swear most City Officials just get kickbacks for making bad decisions to pander to greedy Developers, at the expense of the Communities and the various City's History that make up the Metro Phoenix Area, even those Designated Historic.   Many very Famous Architects did Fine Work in and around Phoenix, like Frank Lloyd Wright, and still got Razed and hideous poorly built Modern shit built where it once stood.   Many Millionaires in the 1800's build spectacular Victorian Mansions in Phoenix, so few are still standing that I could count them on my Fingers now.

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