The Reveal ~ Arizona Halloween Porch Piracy

 

     I'm actually working on Creating Two Posts right now coz I'm having a difficult time wrapping up the other one coz I loaded too many Pixs to it before Writing anything and I always feel that then I need to keep Writing 'til I get to the End of the Imagery.  *LOL*  It's easier when I Write a Post and then fill it in with Images, but, sometimes my Stream of Consciousness is all over the place and it organically just happens as it just happens when Blogging.  *LOL and Winks*   This Post immediately had a Title and the other Post is 2/3 Done and doesn't have one yet!

 

Finally got that dreaded unfinished Post done, whew.   I was listening to a new cut by Teddy Swims partnering with Adele singing "I Can't Make You Love Me", which is my New Favorite Song now.  So Soulful, Love it.  Listening to good Music, or Silence, is how I am most Creative.  I'd never have a TV on if I can just play Music instead.   For Years I didn't Need or even Own a TV, but I couldn't Live without a Radio or Turntable to play Music all those Years.   Teddy Swims is one of my Favorite Singers at the Moment, I think he's Sexy & Edgy like the Bad Boys I always Dated in my Wayward Youth.  *Winks & LOL*   And since I'm slamming this Post with Imagery of our Front Porch Vignette, I'm gonna break it off into about 3 Images at a time and then some more Writing, so it's not so time consuming & exhaustive for me and for you Dear Readers.  *Bwahahaha*

It's evident I had a Pathologically Picture Taking Time Photographing our Front Porch after The Daughter got it Decorated.  She done good.  I liked it so much that when she asked me if I wanted to change anything, I didn't, it was better than expected.  So, she and Mando have now moved on to the Back Patio and are a flurry of activity out there.    I Shared my "Chino Bandido" Food with them, so did The Man, we just couldn't eat it all and didn't want any wasted.  When you have Young People in da House, no Food gets wasted, they have Hollow Legs or something coz they can consume enormous amounts of vittles and descend upon Foods like Vultures.  *LOL*  They really liked the Emerald Chicken, Jamaican Jerk Fried Rice, and Pork Fried Rice we Shared.  And there was still enuf for The Man and I for Lunch as well, we're both on Ozempic for Type II Diabetes and you eat very tiny portions, it's all you can do to eat even that.

The Back Porch Project has needed attention since last Fall when it got cluttered up again.  Last Summer we had it really nice so she knows what I want it to look like again.  It was functional last Summer and we had many a Pool Party using the Back Patio, before that we'd used it to Host the Grandsons Wedding too, both Years it was functional.  I don't like Non-Functional Space, to me it's a waste of Space if it can't operate with some Function to it.   It's had many incantations since moving in tho', those Patio Areas and around the Pool, so, we change it almost constantly.   There's different functions that I've envisioned for it and not just when we have Guests or are Swimming and having BBQ's.  I also wanted some Work Benches out there for The Man and I that would be functional for us to use as Creative Stations when we're working on anything we don't wanna do Inside.

Yes, eventually I'd like to get The Man actually involved in his Hobbies again, he's accumulated all the shit to do them, he just quit doing them after his TBI sidelined him.  Yes, he has the Dementia going on now too, but, he's still interested in things and putzing around back there on his Work Bench might be engaging for him to be content and not so Lost all the time?   He has all the shit to putz around making Fishing Lure Flies, including Manuals with instructions and illustrations.  He has all the shit to putz around making Bird Houses or little Wood Projects that don't require him using dangerous Carpentry Tools or strict Supervision.  He has all his Gold Panning shit he can putz around with if we get him some of the Sand from various River Bottoms to Pan out looking for Gold or whatever Semi-Precious Stones Arizona is noted for still having.

As for myself, I could become an Immortal and never finish all the Creative Projects I've got in my Head and going on that I have been working on.  So, I'm good to go so long as my Creation Stations are set up and nobody has put their shit all over them to clutter it up.  The Daughter is the main Offender of that tactic, I like a Clean Work Station and she wants to put all kinds of Tchotchkes all over it to make it Pretty!   I don't Need it to look Editorial or Pretty, it's where I'll be Working and Creative Minds are Messy.  So my Creation Stations need to be free of Clutter and only messy from an actual Projects and Supplies for them that I'm actively Working on!  *Smiles*   Then I can leave it "As Is" until whatever it is becomes Manifested, rather than cleaning it up all the time.  Which is primarily Why I began having an Art Studio and also an Outdoor Creation Station Space to Work on Art and Projects.  Inside the Main House Common Areas you can't leave it all strewn about while you're Working on it.   Or Pricing Inventory.  Well, you can, but... then the whole House looks a Hot Mess!!!

Plus, I got Supplies for everything out the Ass, I really do, it's ridiculous.  Anyone else whose Artsy, Creative or Crafty can Testify that it gets out of Hand and takes on a Life of it's own, your Supplies for... whatever.  They might sit around for Decades before you may NEED them, but, you loathe parting with your Creative Supplies amassed.  You know the moment you do, you'll definitely start Creating something that they were fucking necessary for!!!  *Bwahahaha*   Seriously, I just like having what could Manifest into something Special and then have it Organically be someday Manifested into something Awesome.  It's happened time and time again, so I never regret my Hoard of Artistic and Salvaged shit that I Create out of.  *Smiles*   Plus, Selling some of it has Profited me very well too, I ain't gonna Lie.  I can rival a good Craft Store or Salvage Yard for what you could Buy off me if you're Creative too and used up all your Supplies or want more Primo Art/Craft/Fabricator shit!   I got the Motherlode Honey Hole of that shit!!!   No Brag, just Fact.  *Smiles*

So, I told The Daughter and Mando to fold up most of our Folding Tables we have on the Back Patio.   Coz we can unfold them anytime we need more Tables and put them in the Pasture for Guests, Parties, Crafting Gatherings, whatever.  At The McManse, for a time, I Invited other Creative Friends over for Gatherings to Create shit in the Big Art Studio Space I had there on our 2nd Floor.  It was an enormous Space, bigger than my Art Studio Cottage Space had even been at the Historic Home.   Here, this Art Studio Space is the converted Double Car Garage that a previous Owner made into a Home Office for their Trucking and Agricultural Businesses, so it's big too.  But, I had to Share it with also doubling as a Bedroom for Adult Child(ren) to use and Live in as well, so, only about 1/3 of it is useable Art Studio Space now, dammit.  More than 2/3 of it has held the Worldly Possessions now of Adult Children or Adult Grandchildren and that's kind of a permanent arrangement now I've come to just accept.

Truth be told, the Older I get, the more I don't even mind Sharing Space with the other Generations coz they're a big Help to us and I Need that more than I Need my own Space anymore.   Even more than I Need any Stuff anymore as well, so, when we want Experiences or Money, we just Cash Out on some of my Stuff to Fund it all.  *LOL and Winks*   It's Bankrolled a lot of things and I've enjoyed it while I had it, and enjoyed the time spent procuring it, so, it's all Good.   I'm sorting and sifting thru Halloween Decor now to see what I'm just gonna Price and Sell Off in the Showroom this Year?   There is some of it I don't really have any attachments to and will easily Sell, I have enuf I can divest myself of some more of it, at my discretion, so, I should have some Primo Halloween Merch for my Customers for this Holiday Season.  And what doesn't Sell, I don't mind bringing back Home and either use ourselves another Year, or put into Inventory in 2026.

The Kids are doing a great job on the Back Patio, deep cleaning it and rearranging it all too.  They broke down most of the folding Tables and cleaned off the Patio Slab of all dirt and stains, which hadn't been done in a long while, so, it was filthy.  Arizona is a very dusty State, being a Desert, and having Dust Storms all the time, you can't keep things clean long before dirt builds up or the Sun and high temperatures utterly trashes whatever it is.   And, during Fall and Winter, the Desert Nights can go from being Hot during the Day to bitter Cold at Night, huge fluctuation in temperatures, also hard on stuff.  So, we're tossing anything Weather damaged as we go, some get brittle after a few Seasons, and a lot of Outdoor Fabrics, even thick Canvas Tarps, disintegrate from the Weather extremes.  A lot of Vehicles, if you have a Paint Job with Metallics in it, the Metallics in the Paint will rise to the Surface in patches due to the Heat damage.

We changed out the Seat Cushions on the Patio Furniture too, they only last 1-2 Seasons before fading and Fabric damage where they just start falling apart from Sun Damage.   I had gotten Lucky and found some nice matching Seat Cushions and Lounge Chair Cushion at the River that has a Tropical Print, that some Campers had just left behind after they closed up their Camp.  They actually left a lot of Trash behind too, which many RV and Camper folks do unfortunately, but the Cushions were like New and worth Salvaging and Washing when we got them Home.  I've also in the Past found lovely Wrought Iron Patio Furniture left behind by Campers.  Usually I Sell it to my Fabricator Friends who then Powder Coat it to make it all look brand New and a more Fashionable Aesthetic that is Trending.   I remember my Fabricator Industry Friend Big Kenny came by once to Deliver something I Bought from him and ended up filling up his Flatbed Trailer with Patio Furniture he talked me into Selling to him!  *LOL*  It wasn't For Sale, but, it could Be Bought.  *Winks*

It was Funny coz he saw us sitting out Front on it when he pulled up and liked it so much he made me an Offer I couldn't Refuse.  So we loaded it up on his Flatbed after he got my Vintage Industrial Workbench off it that I'd Bought from him.   He lamented that if only it had more Chairs... and of coarse I had more Chairs from the Set out Back!   And he Laughed and Laughed as The Son and The Man began bringing more of the Chairs around for him to Buy too.  *LMAO*  He said he should have known, if I had 2-4, I probably had 6-8 really.  *Winks*  Every time I see him he's Fishing for an Invitation to come Pick Inventory from my Cache'.  We've done Business for Years that way.  For every One thing he's Sold to me, I bet he's Bought a Dozen or more things when he came to Deliver it.  *LOL*  My Industry Friend Kendra used to Tease him that when he Sold me anything, he had to know it was gonna Cost him when he came to Deliver it and brought back a Flatbed Trailer full of Merch I Sold to him.  *Bwahahaha*   I do lighten their Wallets and fill up their Showrooms and Events when I can.  *Winks*

I'd like to have everything in The RV Garage Mahal in Order and Styled so that I can Invite more Industry Friends to come Buy direct from me.   Rather than taking most of it to the Antique Mall to try to Sell and paying Overhead Rent, Commissions, Fees if they used Credit Cards, etcetera and Deal with the Loss Prevention and Manhandling of Merch Issues with the really Primo Inventory.   My Industry Friends don't try to Lowball me but I will make sure they have the Margins they Need for Resale, you have to leave Meat on the Bone so everyone makes Money.  And so long as we're all making Money, that's the Point really, I enjoy what I do and it's just my Hobby, so I don't need to make a Living from it or Support ourselves from it, it's their Living for most of them tho'.  I'm just trying to Downsize to Just Enough, indulge my Passions for The Thrill Of The Hunt, and subsidize a Fixed Retirement and Disability Income some by Selling off my stuff when I want/need some extra discretionary or Crisis income.

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And that's a Wrap my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian