CEO's Gotta Be Shitting Kittens Right About Now!

 Yes, a duplicated Easter Image, but, it's a fav and I needed a good Lead Image for the Post.  *Winks*  I bought a Vintage early 1960's French Botanical that a Designer at "Sweet Salvage" had Sourced while in France.  I knew right away it was French and reminded me of the ones my all time favorite Designer Carol Hicks-Bolton of Fredericksburg, Texas has, also Sourced from France.  I've Admired hers Aesthetic and Style for several Decades, all the Botanicals I have are very Old, early 1820's, but they're Canadian and American by an American Botanist of that Era.  Well, as it turns out this Designer, Karen, knows and is good Friends with Carol Hicks-Bolton and told me Carol recently opened a new Store in Santa Fe, New Mexico, called "Neighbours"!!!   She's also good Friends with Mary Emmerling, an Iconic Style Influencer, who often comes to "Sweet Salvage", Small World!

Well, she had some Framed Botanicals in the Floating Frameless type of Mounts, but, this one wasn't in one, since it was slightly larger and didn't fit the Floating Frames she had on hand.  So, anyway, I go to Hobby Lobby to Source one of the Right Size and Scored the very last one they had in Stock.  *Whew*  This is important becoz, as I perused all their Merchandise in the Store, EVERYTHING in their Inventory is Made In China!!!   All of it!!!   And I'm pretty sure I could also go to any Big Box Store like a Wal-Mart, Target, other Home Goods or Craft Store and see that almost all their Product is either made in China, Vietnam or Malaysia, perhaps India or the Philippines?  This is all gonna be very Problematic to these Retailers quickly, as this Trade War has only escalated to insane levels.  Plus is very Schizo in it's implementation, on whims he applied and suspends them constantly, Businesses can't operate like that with such uncertainty and Economic recklessness.

So, anyway, Yeah, The Man and I did go to SWEET SALVAGE and got great Parking, went and had Breakfast nearby, and spent about an Hour at the Event.  Not a lot of Spring or Easter Decor evident, but it was a nice Show, and we enjoyed it.  I only bought the One Botanical from that New Designer, Karen, and a Two Sided Porcelain Vintage Sign from my Friend Big Kenny.   So, I didn't spend much or see anything I really would be Tempted to wreck the Budget over, which is always a Relief.  *Winks*  I got to visit with my Industry Friends becoz it wasn't mad busy, most of the Events aren't anymore, and I do think the uncertainty of the Economy and Poor Leadership has a lot to do with that, it's nothing Retailers are doing Wrong.  My Friends, as always, were looking Fly.  Loved the Retro Shirt my Friend Roman was wearing... and Aliyah and Cyndie were so Adorable in their Ensembles too.

I realized I took probably the least amount of Images of an Event, I just wasn't in Pathological Picture Taking Mode, Sorry.  Don't ask me Why, I had Three fucking Cameras in my Bag!!!  *Bwahahahaha*   And, there are no Tariff's on Secondhand Goods, so, Buy Secondhand now my Friends and make a powerful Statement.  It not only will keep things out of our Landfills and make Americans more Environmentally Conscious that production of Too Much is just not sustainable long term for the Planet, but, that those of us who've re-used, recycled and re-purposed and Upcycled had it Right all along.   It is now the way forward toward the Future that will be beneficial to all of US, but without having to be extorted and exploited by this Administration's insatiable greed and needless cruelty.  

  

And the Manipulation of the Market to enrich themselves with Insider Trading, well, it needs to be thoroughly Investigated and people need to be Indicted if they participated in Insider Trading.  That's what Martha Stewart went to Prison for, they all should be no different, it compromises the Market and rips other Investors off whose Stocks get intentionally crippled by a Corrupt Government that tanks the Stock Market on Purpose and then "Saves" it, but tips their Cronies off that it's time to Buy Cheap just before they implement temporary pauses so that they can then Buy low, then Sell High once it rebounds during the Pause.  Then keep doing that every so often to destabilize the Market and give their Insider Friends an unfair advantage to do something that is illegal and immoral.

 

I mean, most all of his 1st Administration ended up Indicted, Convicted and many went to Prison.   It's not like 2.0 Administration is more Moral and less Corrupt, they're worse in fact.   He might have Bought himself total Immunity with whoever he's Paid Off to acquire it, but the rest of them haven't and they should all serve Time for their Crimes.   Clean House and Lock 'em up, to send a strong Message.  Let's start with Marjorie Taylor-Greene who just happened to Buy a lot of Stock just Days before it Crashed... now, we all know she's not known for her Intellectual Capacity or Intelligence, so, she's no Wall Street or Financial Guru by any means.  So, it's highly suspicious and should be looked into.  They say she's facing Insider Trading Probes, she bought a lot of High Profile Stocks as they crashed while more Seasoned Investors were bailing out of the Market, so... she's probably Guilty of Insider Trading.

Our Friend Brittany, the Custom Cowboy Hat Gal, is also making these great Poncho Style Tops out of Vintage Tees and Kantha Quilt Materials.  I particularly liked this one with the Guns N Roses Tee and the very bright Kantha Arms attached and Married to it.  They're one size fits all, which is also handy, I often Share my Wardrobe now with Two other Generations that like to wear my Clothing and Accessories.  *Smiles*  LATER: Back from "Sweet Salvage", I got the above Shirt, Brittany said she'll come to our Showroom and Source some more Vintage Band and Specialty Tee's, coz this Creation has been a great Seller with the Kantha Quilt Modifications to the Shirts.  But, she doesn't have the time to Source good Tees and we already have.  I'll give her the First Cousin Discount since she'll be bulk Buying from us.

 

Here's the French Botanical that I bought Unframed, below is how she had some of the smaller ones Framed.   I got the same kind of Floating Frame at Hobby Lobby for Seven Bucks and will mount my Specimen and hang it up Today in our Hallway.   I liked the Framed Specimen Below, she had so many to choose from, both Framed and Unframed.  Now that Europe has such High Tariffs in this ridiculously imposed Tariff War, what's already Imported is gonna be your best Deal for perhaps a very long time of any Imported Product from any Country in the World my Friends.  So, get yours while there's still some left.  I may even go back and get one more of these, very Tempting to.   Okay LATER: We did get the Below French Botanical and another one that has a Wheat-Like Botanical I didn't Photograph, but is also Framed.

 

I also bought the Antique French Reliquary Necklace my Friend Cyndie Created of it, which is pictured Below.  She lengthened the Necklace for me since I don't like them tight around my Neck and wanted it to hang lower.   I hadn't intended to Buy a Necklace, but I have many of Cyndie's Creations and she's going to have a difficult time, with the Tariffs, Sourcing her French Antiquities she Creates many of them out of, or Selling them at such a good Price Point as she does now.   The Man got a mini Vintage Pocket Knife that our Friend Big Kenny just gave him as a Gift.  Everyone had been so worried about him after he had the Congestive Heart Failure recently.  So they're thrilled he's doing so well and being able to be out and about sometimes.  

The only Issue I had with him all day was something annoying he tends to do now at meals.  He'll make disgusting noises of clearing his Throat and acting like he's choking, which, is alarming until you realize he's not at all!   He doesn't do it before eating and if you get upset becoz it ruins everyone's appetite and tell him to knock it off, he instantly can, so I know it's not involuntary and he CAN control whatever he's doing.  Well, on the way to the Event I knew we didn't have time for a sit down Breakfast.  But, we had enuf time to go thru a Mexican Drive-Thru for Burritos and a Drink, then sit in the Truck under a Shade Tree in the Parking Lot of the Event to eat it.  Sho' nuff he starts with the disgusting noises to where then I can't eat and just put my Burrito away!  So, then I make him put his away too after he stops carrying on like he was... so, nobody was gonna eat!  *Le Sigh but LOL*

 

Now, I do know that folks with TBI and/or Dementia often do have spells of forgetting how to chew, swallow, eat properly, so I give him some leeway, to a Point, until and unless he lays it on thick.  But, when he really exaggerates the whole Sound Effects thing that ruins everyone's appetite, I get pissed off coz it makes it so now nobody can eat.  Imagine if you will the sounds of a Cat coughing up a Furball in front of you while you're trying to eat something and gakking and hawking up whatever... he sounds like THAT!!!   And part of the problem is, he refuses to wear his Dentures, which, after his TBI the VA approved Specialty Dental Spa Created Dentures easier for someone with TBI to wear, which had a Value and Cost of $9,000!  I spent Six Years getting the VA to Approve them.   He, as in WE, spent 10 Months then getting them made, fitted and him taught how to use them... then he wore them ONCE!!!  *Insert Resting Bitch Face*  Above is the Double sided Porcelain Sign I got from Big Kenny, he had several... mine is the Top One.

There's a Local Small Business Baker that makes Bakery Items for the Event and above and below are some of her Creations.  Her Cookies are Adorable, I just Loved the Succulent in a Face Planter one {Above} and her Easter Bunny one {Below}.   She usually Sells Out so they must also taste good.  I didn't Buy any since we're Diabetics and so The Man and I if we already ate something, shouldn't top it off with Confections.  I know, the Willpower has to be Strong... especially for him coz he does have a Sweet Tooth, I don't.   I like Salty and Savory rather than Sweet stuff, so I can admire and avoid things like this.  But, I thought they were Artistically worth Sharing as Blog Fodder.

I'm glad we attended the Event Two Days in a row, even tho' we missed it's Opening Day.  They had a lot of new Merch they brought in each Day and so, it's never the same each Day and I hadn't taken that many Pixs on the 1st Day of attending and tried to make up for it on the 2nd Day.  So, I do have Blog Fodder Imagery for that, but have sprinkled some other Images into this Post coz I haven't yet downloaded Day #2 Images of the Event yet... be Patient.  *Winks*   I hadn't even realized how few Pixs I'd taken on Day #1 of attending 'til I downloaded those and thought, WTF, that's all I got?!  *Bwahahahahaha*   It just seemed like I'd been more attentive with my Photography, turns out, I had not been.

  

Now, that said, I did take Pixs elsewhere and the Above Pix is one of those places where this Paint Vendor's Display just really Wowed me, Love what they did with the Paint Brushes to Display not only the Colors of Paint... but, suspended above.   They had a very Small Booth but with a very Large Visual Impact for their Product Line, which was Brilliant IMO.  Bravo.   If I ever Sell Paint Products for Art Supplies, I'm definitely Stealing this Idea, I ain't gonna Lie.  *Winks*

Part of Why I Love going to Events, Shows and Unique Shops is for Ideas, Inspiration, and just seeing how more Masterful Merchandisers do it Right.   I'm not a Master at Merchandising.   I like the Vignettes I'm capable of Displaying and I have a lot of Ideas, but, not all of them are Good.  *Bwahahahaha*   So, sometimes our Showroom and Case look Editorial and pleasing, sometimes it's just a Hot Mess, I'm not all that consistent, Luckily Princess T is better at it and we Share the Spaces.  So, when she comes in she can run damage control behind me when my Head just isn't in The Game.

I don't know if any other Bipolar Artistic Folks are like me, when I'm ON I'm really On, but when I'm OFF, well, you might as well fucking forget about it.  *Winks*   And, it's the same with my Blog, some Posts are Good, others, well... you know... you do show up so I don't have to Explain... *Bwahahahahaha*

So, you know how Eli didn't like, umm, I mean HATED the 1st New Cat Tree that Princess T got him Online?   He went on it voluntarily only Once, it was Tall but too Small for his girth really, it's for smaller Cats.  So, she bought him this fabulous Gothic Cat Tree for just over Twenty Bucks instead and he Adores it!!!   I don't blame him, it's much Cooler, isn't it, and just our Vibe!   He's Channeling his Addams Family Cousin It or something isn't he?  *Winks*   Rusty came over and got the other one, the Guy they knew from High School backed out of Buying it so Rusty is going to List it on Offer Up for her and Sell it.   Anyway, we totally dig his New Cat Tree, just look at the cute Little Coffin Perches he has and the Black Widow Spider and Web on some other Perches.  The Black won't show his Hair or get as dirty either.   You can see where his fav Spot is so far.

He even gladly let me Photograph him on it, which is really Rare Behavior of him cooperating for Photos, he HATES having his Photo taken usually and won't cooperate.  So, he was really Feelin' how he looked on his new Cat Tree.  *Bwahahahaha*   He didn't even mind Rusty visiting, which, usually he's jealous and will cram himself between his Girl and her Boyfriend, so they can't sit near each other.  *Bwahahahaha*   Plus, this Cat Tree matches her Red Fridge really well and the Color Palette of their Shared Room, so, it was a good Purchase and a great Price.  Better Deal than the one she'll be Reselling, even tho' that one was on Sale.  So, she'll be able to recoup what she spent on it easily.  At the Pet Stores the Big Fancy Cat Trees are well over $100, so she should be able to get $50 easily, she Paid $45.  But, she spent all Day putting it together coz they don't come Assembled, so she figured that was worth Five extra Bucks.  *LOL*

We're glad our Boy likes his newest Cat Tree.  He knows what he wants and likes, this one, he's very discerning.  *Winks*   I spent some of the Afternoon pricing some T-Shirts for our Showroom since we're Selling so many and I needed Fresh Inventory.  I had it, I just hadn't priced any of it so it was sitting in piles at Home.  It's not even that it took me so long to do it but lately I procrastinate a lot in the doing of what needs to be done.  Taxes were like that, once I sat my Ass down to Organize the Paperwork, I don't even think it took me 30 Minutes to prep it for our CPA and it only took him about 40 Minutes to do it and send it in for us.  We already got our Refund, with the cuts at the IRS I wasn't sure if the State Refund would be delayed, but, it wasn't at all, got it back quicker than usual actually.  And the Feds didn't Debit our Account for the Money wired to them for what we Owed Federally that quickly, also a Surprise.

The Young Prince's departure date of the 11th had to be kicked back again due to finances and some Car trouble Allen had to spend Money on.   So, now they're shooting for the 18th, which, The Niece in Oklahoma is fine with since she's adaptable to when it has to be.  She Works from Home so the actual date isn't set in stone for her, which is fortuitous since she's the only one with that Freedom and ability to drive a U-Haul back to Arizona from New Mexico.  She plans not to take a Bus, but to driver her Car from OK to NM and then tow it behind the U-Haul.  Or, if, Allen doesn't make good on a U-Haul Rental, just load what they can into her Car and The Young Prince will just have to figure out how to get the rest of his stuff another way and time.   We are Hopeful that doesn't have to happen, since, Trusting Allen is iffy once they split up completely.  He is one to have a retaliatory Nature, he did when their previous Roommates didn't work out.

The Young Prince didn't hold any grudges against Sadie and Ian, their previous Roommates and amicably forgave them.  Which was big becoz Sadie had done them Wrong, not paying the Rent and had been given their part of it, which got them all Evicted, she was the one with the Lease.   The Apartment Complex didn't pursue anything with our Grandsons since they were Roommates that Management knew lived there, but they had not Signed the Lease.  So, Sadie was on the hook for what Rent hadn't been Paid and I don't know she ever made good on it or not?  I do know she had Mental Health problems that were significant and had been a Friend of the Grandson since High School.  The Young Prince still cares about her to this day, he felt she just Mentally fell apart, she was having trouble keeping Employment due to her Mental Illness, and he can relate to that challenge.  He can't get Work due to his either.

Anyway, long Story short about that, the Quartet needed more Income than just Ian and Allen's Rent, so when Sadie lost her Job, Ian and Sadie couldn't pay their Half of the Rent and Allen couldn't afford to pay 2/3 either.   And the Friendship dissolved when Sadie didn't pay the Rent and kept his half of the Money he'd given her to pay that Rent.   And, being fearful she had them removed by Police claiming that she felt threatened.  Well, we knew The Young Prince wasn't angry at her to where he'd ever make her feel that way, but Allen clearly was.  And, when I and The Son and The Daughter went to help the Grandsons move out, she apologized to me personally for making it seem as tho' The Young Prince was the problem, he wasn't, it was Allen.  He's a big powerful Guy and Ex Military Special Forces, so, could be an intimidating presence and she's a Paranoid Schizophrenic, so... who knows if there was any confrontation or not, but, I Believed she felt intimidated at least.

Part of Why I knew Allen was the problem is, he was for why we had to ask them to leave, it wasn't becoz of our Grandson, it was becoz of Allen becoming confrontational with The Man and The Son.  And, now, The Young Prince told me that Allen has Anger Management Issues and won't go get Help for it.  Our Grandson felt Allen needs some counseling on how to control his Moods and Temper better, I agree.   Some people don't have great control over themselves when they get upset or angry and it's problematic with any interactions with other people, and with relationships.   The Granddaughter back East whose getting a Divorce the same time as The Young Prince is, says her Husband's Temper is exactly Why she's leaving him.  She doesn't want to raise a Family in an environment where an Adult doesn't have control of themselves, it feels threatening and could escalate to Family Violence.  

They have Two small Children, so, I agreed, she's doing the right thing.  So is The Young Prince, you don't wait until something bad happens during a confrontation with an individual whose out of control.   It doesn't matter Why they're out of control, it's just not Safe if they are and it is a chronic behavioral trait with them.   They can be a nice enuf person most of the time, but if they aren't Safe to be around, it's not conducive to staying with them.   I Divorced my Ex due to that, he became unsafe to be around and I had small Children to protect, as well as protecting myself and my own well being.   You have to know yourself Well and I know if a Man ever laid Hands on me, he'd forever then have to Sleep with One Eye Open and watching his Back, so I decided to leave before that ever risked happening.   And, I made the right decision since my Ex ended up, Years later, Serving 27 Years in Maximum Security Prison for a very Violent Crime.  There but for the Grace of God... a Bullet Dodged, so to speak.

 The Young Prince feels the same as I did about his relationship now, so we were able to discuss that and his concerns.   Allen is Stronger Physically, but, The Young Prince is Aware that he is Mentally Crazier if he felt threatened.   He's a meek, kind Soul, but he knows how Physically Impowered he becomes when he's Psychotic.  He felt Allen takes him to that Edge Mentally and so he just wants to part ways, with a Be Well and Be Gone attitude about it.   I'm glad he's leaving Allen if he feels it's even remotely unsafe to remain together becoz of Allen's inability to regulate his Temper.   I feel the same about the Granddaughter back East... glad she's leaving her soon to be Ex as well if he has a Track Record of losing his Temper and being unable to control himself.  That's not Safe for any Man, Woman or Child if someone is out of control.  Being in Love with a Toxic Person is not enuf to remain with them.

I am transparent about such risks becoz Lord knows I've worked enuf Family Violence and Homicide Files over the Years in my 2nd Career, to know that DV Cases can be some of the most complex.  Some of the most prone to escalation, and the worst outcomes for Victims, and even to Witnesses of such Crimes.   Psychologically it can be as damaging as Physically, and Verbal Abuse is no more acceptable than Physical Abuse.  To me it's always a Deal Breaker if someone is out of control and Violent, showing those patterns.   I always told all of my Kids and Grandkids, Two things they should never tolerate in any Relationship they decide to have, is Cheating and/or Beating.   Becoz with each the risks are too great and Trust is broken.   Risk of Sexually transmitted Disease or Violence just isn't worth keeping any Relationship IMO... nobody like that is worth Keeping.  I don't want either Grandchild to be a Victim of FV in a Relationship and not be Respected or Treated Right.  If you even FEEL Unsafe, get the fuck out!

I'm glad both of my Grandkids decided to get out of Relationships that have gone Toxic for them.   I know not everyone will give them that Advice, especially if Children are involved.   Far too many folks will advise someone to try to reconcile and work things out even if and when things become Unsafe or even FEEL Unsafe, and I think that is far too dangerous and risky.  You don't wait for an Accident or Catastrophe to happen before you avoid one, if it's at all possible to.   And a volatile Person who cannot be Trusted, and who has a Bad Temper they don't regulate or cannot control, is frankly, to me, an Accident waiting for a place to happen.   Anyone can have a Temper and a Dark Side, but most people are capable of self-restraint and a modicum of Anger Management.   If a person doesn't have that ability, they're far too unpredictable in their ways to Trust not to go too far when Upset or Mad.

I know that both of these Grandkids going thru a Divorce, are very much like me in Temperament.   They have never initiated confrontations, it's not in our Nature to actually.   But, they would end one with a flourish if they felt they needed to protect themselves or a Child or Animal from harm... that's also in our Nature to.   We'd also not be inclined to be submissive to someone trying to threaten or to intimidate us, also, not in our Nature.  So, the best way to avoid conflict then is to Walk Away and just Leave.  Which, is what both have decided to do and I'm encouraging that decision, tho' it is theirs to make, since they're Grown Adults.   I don't know how many Dear Readers might have ever dealt with a Threat or how they decided to Deal with one, but, that's our Method.   I try never to wait long enuf that I absolutely have to defend myself and react to a Threat, by then, it's usually too late for a desirable Outcome.

And, frankly Princess T is the one who'd been most likely to advocate to her Big Brother not to stay with Allen.  She never Liked Allen, the rest of us actually did, but, she had said he wasn't good for her Brother and she felt like it wasn't gonna End Well.   She happened to be spot on and Right about that as it turns out.   She's very Introverted but she really Studies People Quietly and is very Observant about things a lot of folks just miss about People, or might overlook.   She knew the Grandsons were in Love, but, she said they were just not a good Match and she felt Allen wasn't a person who could be Trusted.  She knows her Brother is a very Trustworthy person and is quite authentic to Self.  She felt that Allen had to hide so much of himself for so long, mebbe too long.  With being a Closeted Gay Biracial Man with a Mental Health Disability too, of being Bipolar and Autistic, trying to hide all that for so long and having to be perceived as this Macho Tough Guy as a Cover, that he'd let that all get away from him.  She's very Deep when she assesses shit, might I just add.  *LOL*  And, she could be Right about all of that?

Allen didn't have the Family Support for who and what he is and so I think that he self-protected for so long, that now he's developed a very volatile mechanism of self-protection and preservation that is unhealthy, aggressively so.   There's a lot of pent up Anger, Resentment and Rebellion going on that isn't resolved.  His Family are Fundamentalists who live in West Texas, and well, need I say more?   Even he has a Chip on his Shoulder at times that makes him Offensive rather than Defensive.  And, he's always been a very Big, Powerful Guy, so, found he could Intimidate most folks quite successfully if he wanted to.   Our Grandson has always been fully Supported by us for who he is, all the complex layers of it, so he's very comfortable in his own Skin.  The challenges being numerous of being a Biracial Transgender Man with Serious Mental Health Diagnosis, is a tough row to hoe for sure.  It's a lot to unpack, but he is not ashamed of who he is and has never had to 'hide' it or feel we didn't accept him in any way. {Well, he prefers an Identity of 'them', but I admit I still have trouble with the Pronouns thing, LOL}

  

   The Confession from me is that when I say 'them' it implies more than One Person to me.   And tho' he's got D.I.D. and Seven distinct Personalities, he is One Person, so a 'them' just seems weird for me to describe my Grandson, no intent to disregard or disrespect how he identifies.   This is he and Sadie in the Pix, she Adores him and like Princess T, didn't Like Allen.   And, Sadie also knows she can be scrappy when she feels a Threat, both she and The Young Prince have been Arrested before for being Psychotic in Public, so, both of them always try to avoid being Triggered by anyone becoming confrontational with them.  They'd rather Isolate and separate themselves from Situations, to avoid a bad Outcome.    

I do the same, I know myself well enuf to know when someone is just not good for me to be around becoz they cross Boundaries that could and might Trigger me if they persist.   Hey, once you go Mental, you will always instantly become The Villain in that Situation, even if you weren't, and Vilified.   Who Needs that much Drama and a Headache, Right?   *Bwahahahaha, Eye Roll and Le Sigh*   The Daughter, now she's in her 40's, has Learned to do the same, but it was a long time coming for her.   Usually, tho' she never started anything, when someone became a Threat or even a perceived one, she eliminated the Threat and would end up in either Psychiatric Involuntary Lockdown, or, Jail/Prison.   So, I'm glad that now, she Opts Out of Engaging, but I can tell it's still hard for her to Walk Away when someone Targets her and Sets her Off.   But she can be Talked Down now, which is a vast improvement, it's been over 3 Years now since her last Arrest or Institutionalization, and she's very Proud of that.  *Winks and Bwahahahaha*   But, I know if anyone hurt one of her Kids, well... it would be a very Bad Day to be that Person.

*******

Be Well my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian