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It's the end of the Weekend and it's been a relaxing pleasant one coz I have not turned the TV on to get any more Bad Breaking News. *Whew* I'm glad The Man and The Son are too Old now for Military induction and The Young Prince is Fabulously Gay and Schizophrenic, should the Lunatic Draft Dodger get us into WWIII and re-establish the Draft he himself dodged. I see that being a distinct possibility since he's got a Hard On to start Wars on several fronts and I don't think those Countries will not push back and have their resources just Stolen by America and have him think he's running and Owning their Countries.
I actually Slept In rather late and didn't wake until 10:00 a.m.!!! Wow, I haven't Slept straight thru like that for a long time now. And I'd gone to Bed early too, just being so bone tired I couldn't stay Awake to even do what I was busy doing. I had taken the Christmas Tree down and apart, but haven't Boxed it back up yet. I organized what was under it by the Window it was in front of and will put that all away too, in increments. I've been decluttering several of the Rooms that had Inventory in them laying around. Yes, I know, I said I wouldn't drag Inventory inside the Main House, but it's been too Cold and Wet to Price it anywhere else. And I haven't had much to be able to do Pathological Picture Taking either, so I'm Dead in the Water right now. Cribbing Imagery Online to use for Blog Fodder, not getting much done around here!!!
That's my dilemma, it's too Cold and Wet to venture out. And too Cold and Wet even tho' I have a Pricing Table in several Non-Climate Controlled spots, RV Garage Mahal, She Shed, even on the back Patio. And, I have a Creation Station in the Art Studio Space too. That Art Studio Space is Climate Controlled, but has a lot of stuff that isn't mine in it, and cluttering up that big Industrial Table I used as a Work Station. I haven't had it in me to get that in Order only to have The Young Prince move back in to that Space and undo any Work I have done again. So, I've only had The Daughter in there doing some organization and damage control behind her Son instead. *LOL*
Being both Schizophrenics, she understands how he sometimes will struggle with maintaining any Space he occupies without some present Help and Caregiving. She's only slightly better than he is about it now that she's Older, when she was his Age, her tactic was just to be permanently Homeless so she didn't have to Maintain a Living Space. *LOL* Well, it Worked for her Two Decades, and, for a Seriously Mentally Ill person who cannot Maintain Spaces or Care well enuf for themselves, it's less pressure to attempt to and fail at. Right now I've practically let her Boyfriend move in to her Space here so he can Help with her Caregiving. And she helps him with his Caregiving.
He's got Stage 4 Cancer, but, can maintain Space better still, and is always doing something, repairing something, he likes to keep busy and productive. Sometimes she can get a lot done and does, other times the illness takes over and it shows. She's been a great helper to me while living here this time and she wants to be. She can Clean and Organize like a Pro when she's feeling Well enuf to. She also enjoy helping me take care of her Dad so I can get respites from the Caregiving of him. He will let her help him, me help him, or the Granddaughter help him, he's too Proud to let another Man help him. So, The Son, Mando, or The Grandson helping him never works out too well. In spite of their best intentions, he's resistant to it. And so they'd prefer not to be put in that Position and I don't blame them, when he's being difficult and unlovely.
It's why Agencies wouldn't show up more than Once! Or take him as a Resident or Client. Sometimes the Guys have to Take One For The Team and be his Caregiver for a little bit when none of us Gals is available. I will tell The Man in advance, if you act up for them, you're Dealing with me then when I get back, Okay? So, sometimes he has no Choice but to be compliant and behave himself with a Guy Caregiver in my absence and when none of the Gals can fill in for me. *Winks* He does not LIKE it tho'. He won't eat for them, for example, so I told them it's Okay, he won't Starve, don't bother, he can just be Hungry then until one of us Gals gets Home. *Winks and Snort* Listen, he will literally go without eating rather than eat a Meal another Man prepared for him, so... fuck it... don't bother to then. I don't Care. *Ha ha ha*
And, he is like a Man-Child now, Bless him, so, when I do get Home he's Happy as a Clam at High Tide that I'm back. And I will make sure he has something nice to Eat then, and all is Right with his World again. I know it will get worse before it gets better, Dementia is a brutal Disease that takes people away in layers. Cancer is a brutal Disease so I know why Mando doesn't wanna bear it Alone as a Single Man. And The Daughter already Lost One Boyfriend in Mexico to Cancer and she stayed with him to the very End, she's Devoted like that. She's also Cared for Elderly Friends in their Final Days, she's compassionate for anyone going thru anything Serious. She always did loads for my Mom, she and Nanna were Tight.
She Loved my Dad, but, Grand-Dad never put up with her level of Crazy... whereas Mom had a similar level of Crazy going on, so, they were more Kindred Spirits. I was more like my Dad and now that The Daughter is Older and Wiser, she said she appreciates now that I was one to never put up with her level of Crazy and allow it to be an "Excuse". Yes, it was an "Explanation", any Disability is, but it should not be defaulted upon to be your handy "Excuse" thru Life and have Enablers assist you in making Excuses continually for it. You will not reach your best level of Independence, if it's possible, to have Enablers and do what you CAN still do for yourself or others.
The Young Prince debates whether he can come back and Live with me due to that? Coz Allen has allowed him to have "Excuses" and do things for him that he CAN do for himself. I know he can. But if he doesn't have to, he won't. Example, he CAN still wash a fucking Dish or throw away what is Trash and not hide it around his Livable Space like a Scene from Crazy Hoarders of the Worst Kind. I will not tolerate that and will hound the living Hell out of him to Wash Up behind himself, pick that Wet Towel or Banana Hammock up off the Floor of the Bathroom he Shares with Family, put Trash or uneaten Food in a Garbage Can. If I find it hid, we will have a Come To Jesus Moment between us and he knows it. So, he does Hide it Well, I'll give him that!!! *Bwahahahaha*
He also isn't allowed to Art Up everything without express permission. Otherwise every fucking thing in your Home would have his Art on it. I give him washable Chalk to draw his Symbols of Protection all over the fucking place. That way, I can remove it, but often don't if it keeps him Calmer and feeling less Paranoid. That's why he had his Dad's New Wife Tattoo some "Protection Symbol" he Invented, on his Chest, so that Evil can't Enter his Body. Hey, if it Keeps Evil from Entering his Body, I was Cool with it after I saw that it didn't look so much like a Prison Tattoo! *Bwahahaha* Besides, whaddya gonna do, he's 25 and it's his Body after all, plus, if he thinks Evil is Trying to Enter it, I'd rather Evil NOT enter it, you know, coz, he's seriously not Right! *LOL*
Anyway, so, I did find some things he was in the process of Arting Up when he left, that I don't want Arted Up, so I removed them and will try to UnArt them. *Le Sigh* I Love his Art, don't get me Wrong, he's an accomplished Artist and his Creations are Wild and I have asked him to Art Up some Displays. I just don't recall asking him to Art Up that particular Child Vintage Mannequin Torso Display, but, mebbe I did? I wasn't feelin' the direction I saw it going tho', so, now I decided, I don't think I want it Arted Up, IF I ever even did? *LOL* And, he's delaying coming back Home, and that Choice to, or not to, is going to be his to make, either way. If he and Allen work their shit out, I'm supportive of that so long as they Respect one another's boundaries.
When I talked to The Young Prince the other day about that Shooting of the Lesbian Woman in Minnesota, he was not Surprised it happened. He said Washington State, the Authorities, who weren't even as Bad as ICE, still often abused and didn't adequately protect the LGBTQ+ Communities and harassed them constantly, so it was not Safe. The time he and Allen got arrested and Jailed there was due to a poor response by Police when The Young Prince was having a Schizophrenic Episode while in Public coz they were Homeless at the time. Allen was restraining him for his own Safety and the Safety of others 'til it passed.
The Police interjected themselves and then abused The Young Prince so Allen then tried to stop the Assault and explain his Boyfriend was Mentally Ill and having an Episode. The Police did not Care and were the antithesis of Helpful for such a Call involving a Vulnerable Adult with SMI. And we know the Gay Community has been maligned by the Authorities in the Past, it's why Stonewall happened in 1969. Bad Past History often repeats itself, sadly, if Society doesn't Evolve.
But, back to the Incident, one of many, that our Grandson has endured for either being Gay, or SMI, often both. It ended badly coz the Cops then got Allen trying to Protect himself and his Partner from excessive Police Brutality and serious Bodily Harm, and he's Special Forces Trained in Hand to Hand Combat. I mean you could be in Fear of your Life in such a Situation involving Brutality, Victims have Died. They're Armed, you're not. They're supposed to be Protecting and Serving, and most are up to the Job, but, unfortunately, some were never fit for the Job or up to it in the first place. And worse, it's often Covered For rather than getting rid of those who shouldn't have a Badge or a Weapon.
The Son had a similar incident with a Bad Cop in Arizona who did not Like the Native American Community and felt it okay to brutalize a Citizen he thought was an Indian he could abuse. It didn't go well for that Cop coz I took pictures of The Son's Injuries and Worked for the DA's Office at the time, so Phoenix PD's Captain, kind of shit Kittens about what his Officer had done, without provocation. The Son's alleged "Crime", his Tire blew out on his Vehicle and it swerved while he was trying to pull it over to safety!!! And the offending Officer never faced Charges, and he should have.
That blown Tire he couldn't help, got him dragged out the Window of his Vehicle by an Angry White Officer, cuffed, and then beaten the shit out of while he couldn't defend himself. He needed me to take him to an ER for his Injuries, which included broken Ribs! These things happen all the time, and especially to certain Demographics of Citizens, and it's never Okay. It's not even Legal and those Officers or ICE Agents shouldn't have a Job doing what they do, especially Armed, when they're a Threat to the Community they have Sworn to Serve and have biases and Anger or Grudges against Citizens based on their own personal prejudices, period. The Young Prince and Allen got Jail Time, they had no Money for Bail and were Homeless and living in their Vehicle, but got their Charges expunged when a Judge heard their Cases. But, no offending Officers faced Charges, and they should have.
Since we've had Family suffer Police Brutality on more than one occasion, I know firsthand how that Feels and it makes me distrust and be cautious around Law Enforcement. Even tho' I know probably 98% of them are doing a Good Job, it only takes you running into a Rogue one of the smaller percentile that will do something Criminal and probably get away with it and have it Covered Up conveniently. I Worked the DA's Office for many Years, and saw how many Investigations against Officers flowed thru, it was more than you'd Care to know, and most of the time they were difficult to Prosecute. And Cases get Dismissed if they can't be successfully Prosecuted.
And quite often it was the same Offenders who had past Offenses and should have been at least Fired becoz they were unfit for the Job, or had Issues preventing them from doing the Job appropriately, coz it is a difficult Job that Deals with a lot. Anyway, I think ICE is attracting Wannabe Law Enforcement who can't make the Grade to be a Police Officer. And those who want a Gun and some Authority to be on a Power Trip and not do the Right Thing. And when ICE's Budget is more than The Marine Corps. Budget, something is very Wrong with that whole Fiscal Accountability Scenario in a big way of how Tax Dollars are being spent irresponsibly and recklessly. Too much Money flowing anywhere without appropriate Checks and Balances or Scrutiny, tends to breed Corruption, and Dirty Deeds, not done dirt cheap.
But enuf of that, I could go Deep down that Rabbit Hole and don't want to Today. *Le Sigh* And many of the LGBTQ+ Community, and Minority or Immigrant Communities, and Women, and certain maligned Religions like the Jewish and Islamic Communities, aren't feeling so Safe in America anymore, and specifically Targeted, and that's a tragedy of epic proportions and a HUGE Problem. A Problem that needs a Solution so that all Citizens feel Safe in our Country and not being Targeted for Violence, Hatred, Discrimination, their Political affiliations, and other Abuse and no Due Process being afforded to them. When we have Leadership not following or respecting the Rule of Law, vilifying them from The Jump, and threatening Revenge and Retribution against them specifically and falsely Labeling them to justify Cruelty, Hatred and Violence against these Communities.
The Kiddos Lifelong Friend Amber dropped by with Pizza for Lunch, which was handy, coz I got up so late Today I hadn't even made Breakfast for The Man or I. *LOL* And it was an Adult Pizza, with everything on it, yay! Which, with the fussier Younger Eaters, who weren't here Today and are the reason we don't get as often, coz they'd complain about picking off of it everything but the Pepperoni. You know who I'm talking about! *Winks and Eye Roll* Even when The Young Prince is here, it gets pickier than his Sister is, coz of his SMI Food aversions being extreme. He now thinks Pepperoni Juice might Kill/Harm him! Don't ask, I have no Idea of the Toxicity of Pepperoni Juice and it being The Devil to a Schizophrenic Mind. So, he'll only eat Cheese on his Pizzas! To be Fair, Psychosis can make Food very frightening to him, he often thinks it's Moving and still Alive. Which has to be terrifying!!!
And when he's Eyeballing his Food really hard and not Eating, we know he's seeing something manifested by Psychosis and there won't be any reasoning about it. One time we were out Canning and he told me not to go over to this dumped Doghouse someone had illegally discarded by the River Bottom. He said there was a Strange Animal occupying it with Red Eyes and probably NOT a Dog. Well, I probably shouldn't have, but I was now Curious and Concerned, did he really see something tangible and there was a Wild Animal using it for Shelter, or an Abandoned Pet? I went over and there was absolutely nothing in there, but, I said nothing to him, coz he knew HE had seen something frightening, and avoiding it. I was glad it wasn't some Living Thing that someone might have abandoned with the Doghouse, you often see abandoned Animals and that had been my concern.
We haven't gone out doing Environmental Cleanup due to the Weather lately. We went shortly after New Years and got a lot of Cans, but the break in the Weather didn't last long and it's just been inclement more than it's not been. It's not the Monsoon Season so it's highly unusual to be Raining/Storming this time of Year and so much. But, let's Face it, Climate Change is Real and getting worse every Year now it seems. Nothing is being Seasonably Normal anymore practically anywhere.
We've already lost a great many of the Ancient Saguaro Cacti becoz of it, they're succumbing to the Climate Changes, and have been around sometimes 100-300 Years just Fine, so, it is alarming. A lot of Old Trees too are succumbing, especially the really Ancient long lived ones like the Eucalyptus and Old Conifer Trees. We Lost one of our Old Pines to the Blight and had to have it removed at great Cost. Great Cost to previously try to Save it, to no avail, Bark Beetle infestations are rampant now.
I Hope you've been enjoying some of the Whimsical Taxidermy Imagery? I Hope it takes the Edge off some of the Darker Topics being discussed and balances it out some? Unless you Hate Taxidermy, then mebbe this isn't the Post for you Today? *Winks and LOL* A lot of the Imagery is via "Pocket Full Of Heirlooms" Merch and Photography. There is an ETSY Shop you can peruse to Buy some of what is For Sale. And even if not Shopping for anything, great Visuals of some fantastic Inventory that Brandy Sources and offers up. She recently showed a Historic Southern Mansion she had gone to an Estate Sale at. Very Antebellum Style, like a Gone With The Wind Southern Planation Mansion with the enormous Columns and Fabulous Historic Architecture. I can only Imagine what the contents held?! I'd of gone to the Estate Sale just to peek at that Interior as a Voyeur, I ain't gonna Lie. *Smiles*
I don't do Estate Sales, it feels Invasive, Disrespectful of me, and Intrusive to me to enter a Home of the recently Deceased and be poking around their things. The Departed, well, you don't really know how THEY might have felt about it, even tho' The Living have to do it to dispose of the contents. And that's just me, I know everyone who goes to them tries to convince me I'm missing out on a Wealth of fabulous Finds and I'm sure I am. But, I rather Buy from the Living, and if they got it from the Dead, then it's on them that they made that decision and take it out of the Home of the Dearly Departed. Now, with my Dad, he'd told me how to dispose of his things while still Living, so it was done so with his Blessings and Instructions, which, we followed and Honored. And, if an Estate Sale is being done that way then I wouldn't expect any Attachment Issues or Bad Mojo either. But, I don't know that. So, I don't go to them and probably never will.
I finally Warmed up enuf {69 Degrees} for me to Work inside the She Shed Pricing Inventory and I got a Milk Crate full Priced and ready to go to the Showroom and Locked Case, all affordable Smalls that should easily Sell well. And we got the Christmas Tree Boxed and put away in the She Shed too, which is where I decided to Store both Trees we took down. I'd cleared out enuf Inventory to have room in there for some Seasonal Storage. Eventually I don't want a lot of Inventory in there and use it for regular Storage, so not as much of it is in The RV Garage Mahal. Things that require Seasonal Storage is always going to need Space that's easily accessed, protects it all, but out of the way as well. I'm going to try to make 2026 my Year of stricter Editing, Purging and Curating what I have and will Let Go of.
The better Organized and visible it all is, the easier it is for me to make important decisions about it all. When it's chaotic I get overwhelmed and can't make a lot of important decisions quickly about any of it. It's not that I'm so Attached I can't Let Go, but that if it's not Curated and Organized, I don't even know for sure what I have, how much of any of it I have excess of, and if I have Placement for what I'd like to Keep and Display, to enjoy longer and Decorate my Spaces with to bring me Joy in beholding it. Serious Collectors enjoy viewing their Collections and having them on proper Display, looking Nice, and being able to Share with others without embarrassment or shame that it's a Hot Mess and not properly being enjoyed or used in any meaningful way.
I don't Add to something if I feel I've got way Too Much already, so it helps to know what I already have and don't Need even more of it. Okay, with a few of my absolute Obsessions, like Antique Hardware and Architectural Salvage, which, I can never get Enough of and will always Salvage, Rescue and Save for it to still Exist. I've Rescued those things since the 1970's and always will, even if not Trending and I don't have Use for it right now. I've got enuf Space to Keep it and I've done well with it when I do find someone wanting or needing any of it. Plus, for Artists, it has a multitude of Creative uses beyond what it was made for. Assemblage Age and Altered Art are some of my Favorite Art Forms. So the sum of some Parts has Value to me.
And if I Source more Antique Canning Jars with Antique Zinc & Milk Glass Lids, or even just the Lids, I always Buy them if they're Cheap. I use them for so many things to Store in them, plus, sometimes I Sell Junque Jars full of interesting Small Vintage or Antique Swag. I'm a Sucker for those Junque Jars and Swag Bags myself, even if I never open them to remove any of the Contents, I like how they just Look, I'm Quirky like that. And, frankly, others must have the same Attraction to them coz they do Sell well whenever I have some in my Inventory. And they're so much Fun to compile. I used to help my Friend who owned a Paper Arts Store make up the Swag Bags of Crafting Supplies, she made really Visually Appealing ones for Crafters and Artists. And she knew my absolute Obsession with Vintage Hand Dyed Seam Binding. It became a running Joke. *LOL*
I personally own a lot of Antique Doll Parts to use for Projects and Displays, so, I don't require the entire Doll and will Salvage Antique Doll's Parts or damaged Dolls. I decided not to go in to the Antique Mall Today with the Merch coz the Weekends tend to be hectic and you end up getting in the way of your Customers. Monday will be better to take the Fresh Merch in, less busy and I can tidy the Showroom up from the busier Weekend activity. The last time I was there the Showroom and my Locked Case were pretty messy. I understand the Showroom being messy if a lot of people passed thru there. But, the Locked Case, Key Dealers aren't supposed to allow Customers to reach in, for Security and Liability Reasons, so it shouldn't have been messed up like it was.
You often get Clothing just thrown on the Ground, as if after they look at it and take it off the Hangar, too Lazy and Disrespectful or Considerate to put it back on the Hanger, just drop it on the Floor instead!!! Makes me wonder what their Homes look like? And don't even get me started about Parents letting their Feral Kids play with Merchandise as if it's a Playground and not an Antique Mall. They have no intentions of Buying any of it, just want for to have their Child entertained rather than having a Teachable Experience and Moment of how to fucking Act in Public and not to Touch what isn't theirs. I Raised all of mine, both Generations of them, to LOOK with their EYES, not their HANDS. A Kid in a Store, or as a Guest in your Home for that matter, doesn't Need to handle a fucking thing, ever. And they can only Learn what they Live and are Taught about what's Right or Wrong and Appropriate Behavior. So if the Parents aren't up to the Job, it's hardly the Fault of the Child not to Know or Do Better.
If you saw how tore up some Stores get becoz of someone's Feral Acting Children, there's no excuse for such Poor and Unfit Parenting and lack of appropriate Supervision. And, some Adults aren't much better, and they should Know better by the time they get Grown. I've never messed up any Space I've ever Visited, be it a Retail Space, a Work Space, a Public Space, or someone else's Space that isn't my own. There's no Need or Excuse to. I actually always try to leave any place I've been, looking better or at least as good as when I had arrived, when I leave it. I've even taken the time to Clean Up after the Piggish People and the Environmentally Unconscious Offenders. That's Why we do Environmental Cleanup and there's always a dire Need to unfortunately. No matter how often we may revisit any Outdoor Space, it's always messier, abused and littered than it should be these days.
Above is The Daughter and The Young Prince's Dad when they were Teenagers. They were Teen Parents when they had him and not ready to be Parents, nor able to, so, we Raised him. He has a good Relationship with them both, which I'm glad of. A Kiddo can never have too many Family to Love them. When The Grandson Lives locally he always spend a lot of time with his Dad, they're pretty close now. It's good that The Young Prince is grown and can better relate to his Parents now, as a Child it was a difficult dynamic for a Kiddo to understand like he now can. Princess T has less contact with either Parent and can't remember her Dad at all, nor will she ever have contact with him. But, she now has a decent relationship with her Mom, which is good. She totally realizes why it was Best that she was Raised by us. That was beyond her level of Understanding Growing Up and as a Child.
The general consensus here in The Land of Blog concurred with me that Princess T's Jacket was likely Stolen by a Co-Worker and not put out on the Floor. I suspected that all along and wasn't buying that it got put out by 'accident' or Sold so quickly IF it did, coz she noticed it was gone right away and alerted everyone, she was so distraught. They probably have an Employee Stealing Inventory from the Store and Co-Workers expensive and Brand Name items to Resell, that's what I suspected all along. It's why I told Management they should review their Security Footage to see who approached a Work Station not their own and is seen with what doesn't belong to them or to the Store???
They may do that on the Down Low and if so, I do Hope whoever can't be Trusted, is Fired. They've Fired some people that Princess T was Surprised got Fired, and so you never really know Why, it's not something Upper Management always reveal. Sometimes Co-Workers find out and the Tea is Spilled. I know at the Antique Mall, they've had to let Paid Employees Go and even some Vendors be Banned, due to Theft, of both Merchandise from the Floor or Money out of the Registers or Employees Purses. I still recall, many Moons ago, the Secretary of the President of the Bank I was Working for got Fired for Embezzlement! And at the DA's Office, a Female Prosecutor lost her Job for being in a Romantic Relationship with an Inmate and Shot Caller at a Maximum Security Facility and giving him Insider Privileged Information about pending Cases that put people at Risk! So, you just never know, dirty and Bad Actors exist everywhere. All the way to the Top of the Food Chain.
And I just found out the Sad News, via another Blogger, that Sue of the delightful Blog "Elephant's Child" has sadly Passed from her Illness. She will be Missed, she was a prolific Blogger and often visited mine over the Years. Sometimes we never get Closure when a Blogger leaves The Land or Why. Sometimes when Reading their Blogs we realize when they're going thru some Trials and Tribulations tho', and won't be Blogging much as they battle their Illness or other Issues of Life. But, sometimes nothing else can be done.
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Blessings for the New Year from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
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