Pickers And Purging

 

It's the 19th of Sept. in Real Time and I'm up to the 13th of October in Unpublished Posts that will hit now thru then.  *LOL*  I'm less inclined to Delete Posts I've completely forgotten about Writing and are just sitting out there Unpublished until much later, which is good.  When I was Publishing in Real Time I was often deleting half of the Posts I'd Written and so it was a lot of Wasted Time Creating them.  I enjoy Writing those that I Keep or Discard, but, loading all those Images got to be where the Issue was that bothered me if I didn't actually Publish said Post.  I couldn't then recall which Images had been Published and which had just been Trashed in a Post that never Published?  They'd still be in my Photo Archives, but the Memory Care Issues would be problematic in recalling, Shared yet, or not Shared yet?  *LOL*

I'm finally getting some Visual Blog Fodder with the Holidays fast approaching and taking loads of Seasonal Imagery to Share.  There hadn't been much going on before so I hadn't been doing anything, hadn't been really going anywhere, hadn't been Pathologically Picture Taking as usual.  Now I'm in high gear with soaking up all of the Seasonal Visuals of my Favorite Season, Autumn, and it's Holidays that are also my Favorites.  I enjoy Halloween tremendously and I like Thanksgiving too, coz I am Thankful for a lot in Life.  And reflecting upon that is important, you can't keep a Thankful Heart down.  And I don't take for Granted what we have and who we have in our lives.  I'm very Fortunate and I know this, each Day I Wake Up feeling Good about the Day ahead of me, until perhaps something happens that makes it NOT a Good Day.  But, the Possibilities are there for it to be a Good one.

I took The Man to a couple more of my fav spots on Saturday, but they didn't really do much for Halloween and I doubt they will be.  I did buy a couple of smalls for my Collection of what they were, that's it, not much I wanted to Buy.  Plus, Princess T's 21st Birthday is in a couple Days in Real Time so I want to be able to indulge her.  That's a Milestone one.  He had fun but got tired quickly coz he'd also done Friday out all day and Two days in a row was too much for him really.  It was enjoyable even if offerings and visuals were spartan.  My Friend Shelly had Killer Merch, but other than hers, most of my other Fav Vendors or Designers at those Two locations didn't have very much Inventory.  It made me wonder if they haven't had the time to stock yet, or if they're closing out and down?  I mean, it was really downsized and reduced to that point of wondering if they're staying in business or not?  I'll be Sad if they don't, but not Surprised.

Today I spent time getting things out that I am willing to Sell if and when Big Kenny comes over.  There's a lot I'm not willing to Sell, and a lot I have that I'm not willing to Sell at Picker Prices.  But, I got a huge Work Table filled to the brim with Good Quality Stuff I am willing to Sell at Wholesale Picker Prices that I know is Merch he usually likes.  I don't have Room for it at the moment at my Space at the Antique Mall and some of it is too high end for my Demographic there, but Kenny would have the Clientele for Buying it and recognizing Signed pieces by renown Artists that are Bronzes and Native American Ceremonial Pieces.  But, if he takes a Hard Pass on any or all of it, then that's fine too.  I know right now Pickers are having real trouble Sourcing things at Picker Prices so they'd have to Travel far and wide to find it anymore.  I spent a Lifetime getting what I have and I don't have any Need to Sell it for Wholesale offers on any of it if I don't want to.  It's a Favor to Industry Friends when and if I do.

I'm only letting go of what I decided on to offer up only becoz of my Grandchild's 21st Birthday, it'll all go towards her Celebration.  Otherwise, I wouldn't have even extended any Invitations right now to Industry Friends to come Buy anything.  I'm just not in the Mood to Negotiate a Wholesale Lot of things right now actually.  And, The RV Garage Mahal is not ready or easy to move thru, so it's not Opened for anyone to get into.   Coz now every Adult living here has all their Worldly Possessions Stored and crammed in there and I don't want anyone crashing or Pawing thru it all.  I know Pickers are Jonesin' to but they can't and have to accept that until we want to release more in bulk, it's just not gonna happen.  The Kiddos are more inclined to wanna Sell pieces Individually and get more for it, and I don't blame them, it's Money and more profitable to do it that way when you have Primo Merch accumulated over 50 Years.  You don't need to Sell it fast or all of it, if you're not Moving or someone hasn't Died yet.  *LOL*

I'm still enjoying a lot of what I have Attachments to even if it is Too Much.   And I Sell it as I Need the Money more than the Object's Desire I may still have for it.   If you're a Consummate Collector of The Good Stuff, you know what I mean.  You don't have to get rid of it at a Bargain Basement Price and you don't want to either, it would be foolishness to.  I've been doing this too long not to know what I've got and what it's worth.   Pickers do like a Honey Hole of someone who has a lot of what they want to Buy, but, is it For Sale?  That's the Real Question, and for most of us who've amassed a lot of it, it might not be For Sale, but, sometimes it can be Bought, you know what I mean?  But, you will have to show me enuf Cash to entice me to Sell it to you.  Even if I'd rather not Sell it, if you offer me enuf for it, I might change my Mind.  *Winks*  But, I know Pickers, and they'd prefer big Margins if they're Buying a lot.  And in Today's Market, that's not always possible anymore.  Nobody is naive about Value with the Internet at your disposal now.

And if someone tries to Lowball me I shut down immediately coz I don't think you're a Serious Buyer then.  Don't insult me with low Offers or we can't do Business.  I'll give you 1st Cousin Deals if I Like you and Respect your Hustle and what you do with it, and you've Bought a lot from me in the Past.  But now is the Present and things have changed considerably for what's still out there and Pickins are slim now for the Primo Items and you have to therefore Stand Tall to get them, IF you can even find someone willing to Sell it to you and leave Meat on the Bone for you to Make Money off it too.  Everyone Needs right now to Make Money.   So nobody is gonna Lose Money or take a Hosing just so you can make your Money off what they have.  I rather Sell to a Customer than a Picker, even if it takes a bit longer coz all I have on my Hands now is Time and I don't pay for Outside Storage like most Industry folks do, I never have.  You have to jack up your Prices if you're Paying for Monthly Storage of Inventory.

I never even wanna charge my Customers the End of the Rainbow Price or they aren't Repeat Customers.  I always give everyone a Deal and Fair Price and then we're all Happy with the exchange.  I enjoy The Thrill of the Hunt, but lately, I confess, Hunting is harder than it used to be and Prices, even at Chazzas, are higher than they used to be too.  Yard Sales now just have junk, and I don't do the Estate Sale Circuits coz most of the Industry Folks do who spend a lot for their Inventory coz they don't have a lot of it they've had for Decades coz most were never Collectors.  So, they have to continuously Buy in order to keep Selling.  I don't have to Buy another damned thing in this Lifetime in order to Resell it.  And what I'm Selling that I've already got I've had for so long I've enjoyed it for a Lifetime already and made my Money on the Buy a long, long, time ago.  Usually before anyone else placed Value on such things, and now all of a sudden, they do... so, Booyah!  *Ha ha ha*

I remember in the 70's thru 90's when folks would PAY ME to Haul away Architectural Salvage or just give it to me for Free!!!  And I've always had a Love of some things, like Antique Religious Artifacts and Art from various Religions.   So Collected it from all over Europe, Asia, the United States and Canada, ever since I was a Teenager.  So, a lot of it I've owned for over 50 Years and it was the really Good Stuff of that Genre.  I still Love it, I'm just now willing to Let Go of some of it coz I do have a lot and Buyers really dig it now and it's worth ever so much more than it was way back then.  Very few things I've Collected have Tanked in Value, so I've done Well with what I had an Eye for, it's only increased in Value over Time.  

 Sometimes it Peaked and fell in Value from it's Heyday, but, it's still worth far more than I'm into it for, so I'll still make Money if I Sell it now or in the Future.  And sometimes it's Value soars if suddenly what it is becomes Hot and Trends.   It's Served me better than Money in the Bank ever has.  Money is very volatile as an Investment Vehicle.  Inflation, the Economic Swings, and Time erodes it.  The Purchasing Power of it varies wildly.  What you could Buy for your Dollar Years ago won't Buy you as much now.  And the Stock Market and Trading has risks, often big ones if you want to really make fast Money and do it legally than the Insider Trading and Juicing of the Market the current Leadership is illegally doing to exploit The System and corrupt it in their Favor.  Even this Illegal War in Iran was to make him and his Demon Spawn Money... that's the ONLY Purpose of him starting it.  So he doesn't Care if he has no way to End it.  They've made a Killing off it already and Served themselves well.

I went to the Antique Mall and pulled some Native American pieces to show Kenny when he comes, he has Clients for it that are Serious Collectors of it.  I can always put them back into Inventory if he's not interested in anything I'm willing to Sell him at Picker Pricing so that Princess T has a nice 21st Birthday.  If he doesn't pull the trigger, no harm, no foul, I haven't extended Invitations for a long time and he had been needling me to allow him to come over and Buy some stuff for Months now so I thought, why not?   I don't Care if he Buys anything or not really, I can Sell it for more to someone who isn't in Resale, so, it's all Good either way.  This is just a Hobby to me, so I could Keep it all 'til I Die and not Care, let the Heirs Profit off the Sale of it as their Inheritance... they're Cool with that, or, we can get the Money now and have Good Times with it.  That's the Point and Purpose of doing it and it's enjoyable to us to only do it as a Sideline and Hobby.

I tidied up my Space at the Antique Mall, it was a bit messy, not too bad.  Some Shoppers are just messy and have terrible habits about how they manhandle Merchandise inconsiderately and irresponsibly that they don't Buy.  Throwing it on the Floor after looking at it, which, I don't understand, do they do such things at Home with their own stuff?  Perhaps they're nasty, messy, piggish and lazy at Home too, I dunno.  Perhaps they were never Raised Right, I dunno.  I just see a lot of tearing up at Retail Shops more than ever before, I've never behaved like that while Shopping!   What is Wrong with these People who Shop like this and wreck a Store in their wake?!  It's not just Feral Children, it's often every Age Group and Demographic responsible for the carnage.

So there's no excuse for such Bad Behavior and doing piggish shit with things you don't even own and aren't Buying.  If you wanna misuse or abuse it after Purchasing it, that's your prerogative, I don't Care AFTER you spend your Money on it, what you do with it!  Set it on Fire for all I Care if it's Yours!  But, if it's not Yours, and you have no Intention of Buying it, then you shouldn't even be handling it carelessly or recklessly, if at all.  Look with your Eyes instead of your Hands if you can't Behave appropriately with other People's stuff.

But Sellers can't Sell what you're abusing and Buyers don't want what they Buy being messed with by Feral Shoppers either, it drives Costs up for us all.  Loss Prevention is another Big Issue now, Theft is way up and it is NOT a Victimless Crime, there is no such thing as a Crime without Victims.   And you can't Trust a Thief or a Liar, if you're in either of those Camps, or both of those Camps, I don't want anything to do with you becoz you cannot be Trusted, period.   This President is both a Thief and a Liar, he's a Career Criminal, so he shouldn't be in a Position of Leadership coz he can't be Trusted.  He's not Law Abiding, nor does he have any Respect for the Rule of Law, or Shame about his extensively History of and Laundry List of extremely Serious Crimes dating back Decades.  He's gotten away with it and he'll keep doing it until he's stopped and suffers Consequences.  There is no Justice if there are no Consequences for Criminal Activity.

And an ICE Agent just shot another Civilian this time in Austin, Texas and even Faux News is beginning to slam how Deadly ICE is behaving now.  I don't think any rational American wants any Law Enforcement being Lawless and Recklessly shooting Civilians for any reasons and without proper Investigations and consequences if they broke the Law.  They aren't Above the Law just coz they have a Uniform, a Badge and a Gun.  They can't presume to be Judge, Jury and Executioner on American Streets and in our Communities.  That is neither Protecting the Public, Keeping us Safe, or Serving the Public appropriately.  It's terrorizing the Public instead and sowing Mistrust, lack of being able to Respect Law Enforcement coz it Stains the Reputation of the whole Agency if the Unfit or Poorly Trained ones are running amok and randomly Executing People, and it's causing Animosity towards all Law Enforcement Agencies. 

 I don't Trust ICE or want them in our Community, given all they're now doing, and I'm a Law Abiding Citizen.   They've already Murdered too many People with zero Accountability thus far.  They're denying Transparency to their Facilities to Community Leaders and Congress, so, what are they Hiding or Afraid to show us they're doing that we don't know about and is probably just as Illegal, Horrific, and Inhumane?!  I have Family Members of Color and I worry about them becoz they're Targeting not just Foreign Nationals, but some Americans too, even Killing them or putting them in Concentration Camps!  Even abducting Native Americans and not Honoring their Status as Indigenous People with Tribal Identification, who never Immigrated from anywhere else, they've always been here, this was and still is their Nation that Original Immigrants who landed on these Shores Stole from them!!!

I'm watching "Outrageous Pumpkins", which is another favorite Halloween Contest they have every Year pitting Pumpkin Carvers against one another.  Tonight will also be the 2nd Episode of this Year's Contest of "Halloween Wars", my all time favorite Halloween Show.  So, Today is Bliss for me coz starting at 5:00 p.m. 'til late in the Night are my Halloween Contest Shows.  Tomorrow Night is "Halloween Baking Championship" pitting Bakers against one another.  What I like best about "Halloween Wars" is they have Pumpkin Carvers, Bakers and Sugar Artists on each Team so all Three Talents of Artistry is combined and Teams compete for the Championship.   I have some favorite Artisans that have competed in several Seasons.

There's a new Show on called "A Very Haunted Renovation" on Tuesday Nights that I wanna watch.  They have to Eat, Sleep and Renovate a Historic allegedly Haunted Property as a Contest.  Sounds interesting and nothing stirs up Paranormal Activity more than Renovating a place that has Spirit.  We went thru that with Restoration Work at our Historic Haunted Home.  The House in the Show looks fantastic, I'd Love a Historic Home like that one, I'd risk the Haunting.  *LOL and Winks*  Plus, I've lived Happily for over 15 Years in a Historic Haunted Home before, it was a non-issue for me.  So long as there's no Malevolent Spirits, Elementals or Demonic Entities, I'm chill with Sharing Space with Spirit.  I think this new Show will be Fun.

"Halloween Wars" was excellent and The Niece and I watched it together, she's getting into it as much as I do, it's new to her tho', she hasn't been following it and I have from the very First Season.  I had taken The Young Prince to his Dad's this Afternoon coz his Younger Brother and Sister were gonna be there.  What I didn't know is that Bobby and his new Wife are already on the Outs and he kicked her out.  I don't know the Back Story but all Three of his Kids really liked her so they're feeling like they lost a New Mom.  Bobby's Relationships tend to Sour so it's a pattern with him not to have his Relationships work out for him, but, I also think he doesn't always choose Wisely who he might be compatible with either.  We all liked Angie, the Girlfriend he had after The Daughter and whose the Mother of his Two Younger Children.  I never met this one he actually Married, since, he never Married either of the Baby Mamas he's had.  But, all Three of his Kids really liked her, which spoke volumes to me, that she was great with his Kids.

I'm Sad for the Kids, coz, they'd formed a Positive Relationship with her and now... she's gone.  I'm not even gonna ask about what happened, it was hard for The Young Prince to even tell me how Sad it was that she was recently ex-communicado.  I don't think they knew, but I had already seen signs this might happen, so, no Surprise at all.  Better she leave early than later like Angie did, she and their Dad were together for many Years before breaking up.  The Daughter and Bobby were Childhood Sweethearts and knew each other since they were Tweens, but by their Teens and having their 1st Child, The Young Prince, way too Young and having Addictions and Mental Health Issues, it was doomed from the start to fail as a long-term Serious Relationship.  They actually are on Civil Terms with each other now with no animosities at all.  And his Younger Kiddos do Like The Daughter, she's like a Big impaired Kid herself and for littler Kids, that goes over well and unconditionally accepted.  *Smiles*

He got an Uber to get Home Tonight and did have a good time with his Siblings.  He and his Dad have had some tensions recently, on account of Sayde, and it's quite possible that might have interfered with his Marriage as well, I dunno... speculation on my part.  If he was being inappropriate with his Son's Girlfriend, it probably caused problems with his Son AND his Wife I highly suspect.  Bobby is a Player, and once a Player, always a Player.  And for our Grandson, he and Sayde have been Besties for Years before they ever hooked up.  Now that he's back with Allen, and the Relationship with a Woman didn't work out and he decided their Friendship was more Special and Functional, he and Sayde still go out as Just Friends now.  She always had a major Crush on him, I guess she imagined that perhaps they could be a Couple.  Allen's flings with a Woman didn't work out either apparently... so... enough of that experimentation with both he and The Young Prince trying Straight Life.  *Shrugs*

When I dropped The Young Prince off at his Dad's, it's right across the Street from the Oddities Shop "Curious Nature" so I stopped in and got some Pixs.  I picked up an inexpensive Bone Goddess Pendant and an inexpensive Rabbit's Foot Keychain that is mostly White with a hint of Light Brown.  Some of the Pixs didn't turn out great even tho' I used my Phone's Camera to take them all... well... dammit!  I'll see if I can clean them up enuf to use them?    I finished a Quick Purge of Merch to have Big Kenny consider, if he doesn't show up or want any of it then I'll Price it to put into the Showroom instead and get full price for it.  If Pickers get too fussy about what I'm offering then they know it's unlikely I'll waste my Time or theirs inviting them back even once I wade deeper and let go of more.  If you're expecting Picker Prices you can't be too fussy coz the Primo Stuff you have to Stand Tall on or people just won't Sell it to you anymore, they'll Sell it to a Serious Buyer willing to pay what they Ask.

I understand a good Picker wants your Best stuff, but, nobody has to Sell their Best stuff at a Bargain Price Point.   And I won't, ever.  I know what I have, what it's worth, and I been doing this a long time too.  *Smiles*  And lately, I'm more reluctant to Sell a bunch of stuff at once and take less for it just coz someone wants a lot of it.   If I choose and select even a Vanload you're getting a Favor and only becoz I know you really well to give you that much for what you can at the very least double your Money on.  Coz, I could double my Money on it too if I Sell it to Customers instead.  I just want my Downsizing to go a little faster than One Piece at a time to a bunch of different People coz that takes Time and Retail Space.  So, the Math has to Work for me every time I'm Selling anything.  If the Math Works for me, then I can make it Work for you too if you have the ready Cash and I'd rather have that right now than the stuff.  *Winks*

*******

Pickers & Purging, Oh My... Dawn... The Bohemian

Things And What Happened Around Them

 

I'm stealing a profound Sentence from another fav Blogger that described exactly and in one Sentence, how I Feel about Downsizing and the 'Stuff' I formed Attachments to and have trouble sometimes Detaching from.

"I don't necessarily want the things anymore, either, I want what happened around them."

Thankyou to AGING AWKWARDLY Blog for that profound Sentence, one that I have never been able to put into Words myself.  Wow.

What happened around them is long gone, forever gone, sometimes the People too.  And with every Object there are People attached to the time, place, experience, Memory, that was happening at the acquisition of it.  I always try to remind myself when Detaching from the Stuff of Life, I'm not Selling or giving away MY Memories, someone else will Create their own when they possess whatever it is.  I can Keep the Memories.  Problem is, once the Object is Gone to remind me of said Memories, often I can't and don't Remember anymore.  Those Objects tied me to the Memory somehow in the Data Banks of my Brain.  Which are pretty scrambled and in bad shape these days, those Data Banks of Memory Storage, I think I'm at Capacity and Saturation Point this many Years in to Storing Memories up there, there's not a lot of Room left for more Data or Organizing Old Data efficiently to Retrieve without an Object prompting it?  *LOL*  

And it's True Times have Changed, people don't do what they used to do, not Socially, not any kind of way really.  I'm the last of the Dinosaurs that still does a lot of the things I still hold onto stubbornly and do.  Socializing is waaaaaay different, like the fellow Blogger, I used to Entertain a lot and so did my Friends and extended Family.  I miss that too, nobody does it anymore... or at least hardly at all.  Sometimes even if you do, it's hard to get folks to show up.  Everyone has such busyness of Life these days that Socializing has become quite secondary in Person, or mebbe not on the List at all of things being put on a Calendar, not even during Holidays.  Were you the Hostess with the Mostest?  Did you go all out and Over-The-Top with everything, especially Celebrations?  I did.  I remember even Hosting Wine and Cheese Parties and I don't even Drink, and if I did, I doubt it would be Wines.  

But, I did it for my Friends coz they were all Drinkers, and, I like Cheese.  And it was just Fun and brought people together Recreationally, we all had Demanding Careers.  When we works, we works hard, when we hangs, we hung loose.  *Winks and Laughs*   We'd make a Big Deal of every Party, every Gathering, we had Themed Parties sometimes, Toga Parties when that was a Thing, Masquerade and Costume Parties at Halloween, Christmas Parties, Hayride Cookouts, Keggers around Bonfires {again I didn't Drink but I'd fund some of what Kegs would be there}, Pool Parties {still have some of those with the Younger Generations, I doubt you'd get Geriatrics to show up to one even if all our Friends weren't Dead or Moved Away now, LOL}, New Year's Eve Parties, Baby Showers, Bachelorette Parties before the Weddings, Church Picnics, Easter Egg Hunt Gatherings with the corresponding Easter Buffet Spread.   Fuck, I'd make up reasons to throw a Party!!!  *LOL*

Now, my Kids grew up around that Atmosphere when we were Younger Parents, so they have Fond Memories of it and often lament that their Generation mostly ceased doing it.  They Love to still do it, but participation wanes with their Friends.  Except for Immigrant Families, they still do all of that all of the time, usually every Weekend.  *Smiles and Bravo, Standing Ovation!!!*  But, by the time I was Raising Grandkids, it did slow down, it didn't Cease.  But by then almost everyone I was hanging out with were other Young First Time Parents Raising their Families and getting together coz all our Kiddos were Friends.  Few Grandparents in my Orbit were Custodial Grandparents Raising Grandkids and so most of them didn't want little ones or Teens around and your Invitations to whatever they were doing, ceased entirely. 

 Coz you couldn't do it without your entourage.  And now your Life is completely different than their Experience.  There's no real Point of Reference anymore.  When you become a Full Time Caregiver to ailing or Disabled Loved Ones, same thing happens too, it Isolates, your Social Life becomes a thing of the Past, and would have to be exhumed and Raised from the Dead.  I had no Lazarus Moments, it just Died it's Social Death and I put a Daisy on it and went into Mourning after Burying it, of sorts, you Grieve lots of things that become Lost or will never be.  Your Traditions and Rituals may Evolve and Change over Time too.  I don't even know I'd have the Bandwidth to Host a big shindig anymore?  The G-Kid Force would lament, why are all these people here and when are they going to leave?  *LOL*  Both being part of the Anti-Social Social Club, they prefer NOT Peopling.  And their Tribe is very much like that this Generation coming up.  They're very De-Socialized, aren't they?

As it is my Old Hippie Communal Multi-Generational Style of Living and often having Long Term Houseguests takes getting used to even for some of the Family.  They aren't as comfortable with it as I always have been.  The more the merrier so long as they all get along and play well with others, respect the House Rules and each other, combine Resources and look out for The Good Of All.  Sharing is Caring.  Throw more Water in the Beans if there's more Mouths to Feed.  Sharing your Time is the most Priceless Gift coz you ain't getting any of that Time back.  Needless to say I made that Statement to Princess T this Morning and by the time she got off Work at 1:00 p.m. early, she'd already Made Up with her Boyfriend Rusty again, the breakup being as brief as the last one.  Do you still Care?  Coz the Sharing of each other's Time is Priceless, we only have so much of it, so only Spend it if you still Care for the Person, don't Waste it otherwise.

 

Most of my Interactions Socially these days are limited and Situational, which is Fine at this Season of Life coz I got a lot going on.  I can't exactly Prioritize Socializing like I used to.  Even tho' when I had demanding Careers and  Corporate Lives, Raising of Families {Two Generations of 'em}, somehow I still managed to squeeze in a busy Social Life.  I don't know how I Managed that actually, now it seems Insane... and I guess it was just a higher Priority and a Season that just has passed, a Ship that has Sailed, and tho' I've accepted that, I don't really want or need the Stuff anymore, so I'm Downsizing again ad nauseum and have been for Years now... but I do Want what happened around them.  It's not something I can Have, but it's still a lingering Want, coz the Memories of it all are Priceless and yet fading as I get rid of one Object at a time that ties me to them.  And helps me Remember.  Coz I am a really Nostalgic Sentimental Fool to the Max!!!

If you give me something I really think is hideous, or could never use, wear, or even like one iota, but with the Right Heart and Spirit behind Gifting it to me, I'll Keep that POS becoz of the Person attached to it.  *Bwahahahaha*   I've had someone point it out, WTF is THAT, it's not your Aesthetic or Vibe at all, it looks out of place!  Oh, well, So-And-So gave it to me and that's the only Value it has to me actually, I just can't always bring myself to get rid of it.  So, often I told Loved Ones and Best of Friends, a Gift Of Service or Money is much more Appreciated.  *LOL* And I don't find it to be lazy or impersonal at all, always the Right Size and Color if it's Cash... and Gifts Of Service are my Love Language.  However insignificant or small what you do or did you think was, it means a lot to me.  Then you'll be my "Favorite".  *Winks and Laughs* coz ... and the Competition then begins with everyone vying to be my Next Favorite for a Minute.  *Smiles*

Now, to be perfectly Honest and Transparent, I didn't get to do all the things many of my Friends and Relatives got to do due to my own Personal Commitments and Obligations.  My Careers were both extremely demanding, I Raised Two Generations of Kiddos with Special Needs, and I've been a Caregiver for a very long time too, Generationally in fact.   So, I had to bow out of a lot of things I could have done, would have done, experiences that would have been great to have had.  Some shit fell off the Bucket List along the way coz I got more Time behind me now than in front of me and that fucking List was ridiculously long and unrealistic for the most part.  When I Dreams, I Dreams BIG my Friends.  And even tho' I'm Old now and Tick-Tock, I have ridiculously lofty Goals and Visions still that may or may not be attained.  That's Okay, I'd rather have them than have none.  If you have no Vision and no Goals, are you among The Living Dead then, I have to Wonder?  *Winks*

I've got some Senile Purpura big Purple Bruises on my Skin all the time now and it Freaks the Kiddos Out!  Sometimes I'm covered in Bandaids, so I buy them in bulk now.  *Bwahahaha*  What happened?!  I frankly don't know and couldn't tell ya, it looks bad but it almost never hurts or bothers me, it just looks way more concerning... and even Tyson the Pit Bull does NOT like it, he'll lick where they are and whine, like he's really worried about me having those visible Owies.  Bless him.  Dog Tongues are very soothing, not like Cat Tongues, Eli will lick ya and it's like Sandpaper, not soothing at all even tho' he's being Nice by doing it.  Which is Rare for Eli, he is a Scoundrel usually.   Google says Animals may lick you a lot to show Affection and Bond with you, so, I accept their Love Language when they express themselves that way coz I'm pretty sure I don't Taste Good.  I'm closer to being Mutton than Lamb, let us just say.  *LOL*  Tyson ADORES ME, the Kiddos get a real kick out of how Excited he gets to see me and be near me.

He literally can't stop Wagging his Tail when I'm around and his Tail is like a Whip, so everyone Laughs about it, look, when you're around Mom/Gramma his Tail spins like a Propellor!  And it does, and he Smiles, he's a big Ole' Goofball like that and even tho' I am NOT a Dog Person, I Adore my Great-Grandpup Tyson too.  Sweetest Dog ever.  he looks Scary, is as Powerful as a Bull, and has a Head like a Bulldozer, but, he's Social as he can be and docile of temperament.  He's a good Boy.  I Wish he could just romp thru the Pasture without a Leash on him but he's become an Escape Artist and so now we can't Trust him not to get out and risk getting harmed.  I don't know why he began Escaping coz for a long time he was fine being on the Acreage and it's all Fenced, so we really don't know how he's found an Escape Route, but, he has and it Freaks everyone out when he goes Missing on their Watch.  We can't have that anymore.   So, he unfortunately really screwed himself out of the Freedom he once had and enjoyed.

Kids and Animals, that's why they require so much intensive Supervision by Responsible Adults.  The Grandsons and Sayde have been so Quiet it's not like they're even here and they rarely have ventured out.  I haven't even actually SEEN Allen or Sayde since they arrived.  They have to be using the Guest Bathroom, but when, I couldn't tell ya coz I haven't even bumped into either of them in the Hallways yet.  They're like Ninjas and The Young Prince comes out to get any Food or Drinks for them too, tho' I said they're both Welcome to make an appearance.  I mean neither one of them is Living here, it's just a temporary short Visit and there's absolutely no grudges or animosity they should be fearful of from the rest of the Family.  Listen, if our Grandson is willing and able to work his Relationships out, we Celebrate that and Support it.  He knows our only concerns is he's Safe and the Relationships are Healthy ones that don't turn Toxic or Unsafe.  That's all.  If they can Manage that, they have our Blessings.

 

None of the Three of them is very Socialized or Social, mostly due to their Mental Health and individual Diagnosis which just makes Social Situations and interactions harder for them.  It's hard to fit in when Society deems you a Misfit and isn't particularly inclusive or tolerant.  The Young Prince is like his Sister in that he doesn't mind his Solitary Time at all, he's not particularly fond of People and has a very limited and small Inner Circle, which is his Comfort Zone of Socializing at all.  He's mostly in his own World and Bubble, which isn't always tethered to Reality, Schizophrenia is a very complex Condition... so is D.I.D..  Since The Young Prince has suffered a Severe Head Injury and does have Seizures too, the D.I.D. of his fractured Seven Personalities/Identities has not ever been formally Diagnosed.  I want to try to talk to that Shrink about that during the SSI Clinical Qualifying Evaluation.

He takes Meds for the Seizures, which began after he was run over by a Hit and Run Driver when he was a Pedestrian in New Mexico.  Nobody ever caught who did it so he never got any compensation for his Injuries or appropriate Medical Care coz he was on Medicaid, which was pretty Basic.  You get the minimal amount of Care they can possibly provide and you can only Qualify for on Medicaid... coz you can't afford Healthcare and most Disabled folks on it are indigent and have no Income or only a Disability Income that's not even remotely enuf to Live on unless they Qualify for other Social Services like Subsidized Housing, Nutritional Assistance, etcetera.  No one Agency really works with the others so you have to apply individually so it's a lot of Bureaucrazy going on and mounds of Paperwork for you to fill out and the Government to then Wade thru and either Approve, Deny or Work on your Appeals.  It's not very efficient and a lot of Countries have devised better ways that Work, that we should explore too.

We're finally getting a couple of "Whole Foods" in the West Valley, one is near a big Mall and near where we almost bought that other Mini Farm that we dubbed "The Marilyn Monroe House" coz it was Contemporary Mid Century Modern Architecture.  It had major Plumbing Issues tho' that weren't disclosed and our Inspectors found, so we backed out of the Deal and actually reported the Realtor, who also was the Investor who'd done the Remodel and Flip, coz he'd put Lipstick on a Pig, and that place leaked like the Titanic and had some Black Mold due to Plumbing Leaks, which required Remediation.  So we dodged a Bullet there and like this Mini Farm and Home much better, more bang for our Buck too.  But that one was walking score distance to a huge Mall, and many other Restaurants and major Shopping along Bell Road.  The Whole Foods location, when it Opens, is damned near across the Street from the Mini Farms Community... dammit!  Ain't that a Bitch?  I've been harassing "Whole Foods" for Years now to build a location Westside, now they do right by what I almost bought as a Forever Home!  *LOL*

Some folks Hate "Whole Foods" but I Love it and shopped the East Valley Locations, where they all are, for Years now.  I also like "Trader Joe's" which has opened many West Valley Locations.  One is pretty close to here so I can easily shop there and often do now.   Location, Location, Location are the only real things to consider when Buying Real Estate.  This one is close to a lot too, but not a Walk Score lot of them, close, but would be quite a Walk and not that convenient to Shop without a Vehicle.  I Love Walk Score Properties, at the Historic Home we were spoiled coz it was in Olde Town near the Old City Center with lots of Walking distance Restaurants, Schools, Doctors, Post Office, Shopping, Dentists, Recreational areas, Events... literally everything we needed or wanted and many folks in the Historic District didn't need or even own a Vehicle.  So, it was like Small Town Living in the City and everyone got to know everyone else in the Community so it was very tight knit for Urban Living.

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May the Things and what happened around them bring you fond Memories to always Cherish... Dawn... The Bohemian

Bureaucrazy... And The Tiny Hoard Haul

 

I never did show you my Tiny Hoard Haul of Smalls from the Event, so, Above is my 11 Antique Hardware Salvage Escutcheons, my Fav being the Brass Arts & Crafts Style one from the 1920's  {Middle Far Right}.  Some are for Antique Doors, some for Antique Furniture Drawers that Locked, back when all used Skeleton Keys.  Which were used up until the 1950's but had fallen out of Favor as Residential Security Locks by the time WWII ended and mass produced high secure Pin-Tumbler Cylinder Locks replaced them with Modern Day looking Keys, which, are also now falling out of Favor and replaced with Tech Gadgets.  I don't even use and insert my Truck Key, it just has to be close enuf to the Vehicle.

And here's my tiny lil Vintage Diner Creamer, which was my most 'Major' Minor Purchase at Ten Bucks.  *LOL*   My Escutcheons were mostly $1 and $2 each with only the largest one pictured in the Middle at the Bottom of the Pix being $3.   The most Valuable one of those was only priced at $2, and it's the one I said was my Fav, of the Arts & Crafts Era type Home.  It Matches an Arts & Crafts Doorknob and Doorplate I already had, so I was Jazzed to Score it.   Loved the Graphics on this Little Creamer tho', usually I only pay $5-$7 for them but I had never seen this Design and in Green, so I felt $10 was Fair.  We use ours in my Collection of them for Pancake Syrups and for Coffee Creamer.  Becoz sometimes we wanna be Fancy like that at Breakfast and to make some of my Collections utilitarian and practical to justify Keeping them.  *Winks*

When my Friends at the Event saw what Restraint I'd used they Marveled, that's all you got Dawn, that's almost pathetic!  *LOL*  But, with my 5-to-1 Rule in place, I reminded them, that this pathetic lil Haul of 12 Objects means the Math of 60 Things must now go Out as they come In!   And I am keeping myself Accountable with that strict Rule in place.  I actually will likely rid myself of more than 60 objects coz I'm on a Culling, Editing and Purging Roll of Curating what I still have and want to continue to Downsize harshly.  When I'm on that Roll it's the rest of the Family, Oddly enuf, that starts pawing thru what I'm ridding us of and dragging shit out of it asking if THEY can Keep this or that... who knew?!  They who are always the ones to tell me I have Too Much, suddenly form Attachments to shit I've Detached from!!!   And say, well, you're getting rid of Too Much now!!!    Whatever... *LMAO*

They do the same with Princess T, who is notorious about Editing, Purging, Downsizing her own Stash of possessions on The Regular.  Her Mom and Brother go thru her Discards like it's Christmas for them!  *LOL*  She has me go thru the Stash of her Discards to Pull what I think we can easily Sell, but sometimes her Mom and Brother snap that Saleable Stuff up too, begging to have it.  Okay then, means we have to Buy them less.   Since the Schizophrenic Spawn can't hold down gainful Employment, that Works for Princess T and I if they're Content and Delighted with the Hand-Me-Downs instead.  *Ha ha ha*  Actually some of my Friends and I Trade Discards and Stuff we want that each other has, as well, quite often, beats Buying Stuff.   A Good Trade usually works out better for both Parties too... whether to Keep or for Resale.  Each of us having our Customers and Client Base that is specific to us.  

My Friend Dan The Man, may he RIP, Loved Trading anything Weird and Wonderful he Found and had, for any Native American Wares I had. *Smiles*   He and his Wife, Rita, Specialize in Native American and Western Collectibles and Antiquities of that Genre and Rent a lot of Space at our Mall.  They have some of the best Real Deal Native American Pawn Jewelry that is Old and Authentic, at our Mall.  A lot of Tribal folks on the Rez used Pawn as their Currency at the Trading Posts.  I know my Relatives would use the Trading Post a lot on their Rez.  And my Grandma and Aunts made a lot of stuff to Sell for Income, both Traditional Objects and what they knew Tourists and Non-Indians liked and preferred to Buy that was just made by an Indian.  My Grandma would sometimes just make the Tribal Style Outfits the little mass produced Indian Dolls made in Japan would wear that was Sold at the Trading Post.  I still have some that came with a piece of Paper that say the Outfit was made by an Indian!  *LMAO*  We always thought that was Comical.

  Above, that Sterling Antique Pendant has Two Old Deer Teeth on it!  Anyway, I Miss Dan a lot, his Dear Wife Rita is doing Well at handling Widowhood Thankfully.  They both were in their 80's, so that's a very long time together and sometimes a Spouse left behind won't last long after the other one Crosses Over.  So I was Worried that might happen to Rita.  She's just a tiny little Sprite, but tireless, she comes in to Work her Spaces and will literally spend all day there foofing her Booths and Cases.  Dan used to work several Shifts and was equally tireless, but was a big Man, even in his 80's, he was a big powerfully built imposing looking Guy with a Gravely Voice like an Old Cowboy.   They used to live in Wickenburg and had a Store there for Years selling Western Wares and Native American Wares.   Wickenburg is still known for being like a remnant of the Old West of smaller Towns around the outskirts of the bigger Urban areas.  We almost bought that Pueblo Style McManse out there that the Sellers ended up not being able to Perform on coz they had serious Title Issues. 

 The Man LOVED that Property best.  He's still crestfallen we had to back out AT SIGNING, due to Clouded Title Issues that would have been a Legal Nightmare to Clean Transfer of Title. The fucking Title Company missed it and I luckily had been in the Industry long enuf to catch it immediately when I got the Paperwork for us to Sign.  *Whew*  Long time Readers might recall there was a 3rd Party on the Original Deed of Trust, Marion, who ended up being the Dementia riddled Mother of the Son Selling the Property!!!  He and his Wife had Co-Signed with his Mother to Buy it, coz it was a Luxury Custom Home, and she'd lived in the Upstairs Unit, which was a whole separate Home.  Until she got Advanced Dementia and had to be Institutionalized in California with only a Medical Power Of Attorney that one of his Sisters had.  Which couldn't transfer Assets, just make Medical decisions for Dear Ole' Mom. 

 And they'd have to wait for her to Die and then go thru Probate to even consider a Sale and distribution of their Shares of it if Siblings contested her portion.  Messy as fuck, I suggested he might wanna Lawyer Up fast coz they Needed to Sell after his Mom's Income ceased paying her portion of the Note.   And all the Siblings, Five of them, didn't even get along and play well with each other, so the whole Sale would have been Contested, very Messy, and ole' Marion was not Competent to Sign over any of her Assets.  I couldn't Believe their Realtor didn't know all this beforehand before putting the Property up For Sale, and that a Major Title Company didn't catch the Issue as we were Closing the Sale!  Yikes!  As far as I know that Property never got Sold.   But, we had so many Sellers who couldn't Perform, and had Relative Contested Sales, or Title Issues of one kind or another, it was Crazy to me... it's common for Buyer's not to be able to Perform... but Sellers, WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

  The Lake House was a Short Sale with the Bank, with us as Backup Buyer, by the time the 1st Buyer couldn't Perform we'd JUST Signed on the Villa McManse an HOUR before the Bank offered it to us!  Ain't that a Bitch, we'd waited almost a Year to Buy that Property and see if they could Close the Deal with the 1st Buyer, Short Sales can be complicated, but a Good Deal for a Buyer.  And we REALLY wanted that Property and were in our Paid Off Historic Home, so could Wait it out, Time being on our side coz the Adoption was taking Forever anyway of The G-Kid Force and the only reason we had to Sell our Beloved Historic Home to comply with Adoption Criteria they just make up as they go along.  There was no good reason they should have forced us to Sell a Property the Kiddos had lived in since Birth all that time and CPS had no problems with.  But, Rules for Kinship Placements are totally different than for Adoptions, even if the Kids are your Relatives and you've already had them all their Lives as a Kinship Placement for Years and Years, go figure!  Bureaucrazy.

  And even this Property was problematic for the Sellers coz a Bidding War broke out and Four other folks Outbid us, so I backed out.  It took all Four of them unable to Perform what they had Bid on and go down the List of potential Buyers to get to us, 5th in Line, and Pre-Qualified, so we knew we could and would Close in 3 Days with our VA backed Loan.  The Sellers were so Grateful and relieved that we didn't flake out too, in such a Messy Market, that they Gifted us generously, which, they didn't Need to, but it was appreciated.  So, they gave us a John Deere Tractor, a Brand New Unused Washer & Dryer, a Laptop, Brand New Unused Fridge, Brand New Unused Stove and Microwave... all wouldn't have conveyed with the Sale otherwise.  Most Homes weren't coming with Appliances at the time.  We had our Own, but it was nice to get Brand New Ones conveyed at No Cost to us!   And Pandemic had just begun Globally, so Interest Rates tanked to 2% and people were pulling out of Major Deals out of Fear.  Blood in the Streets, perfect time to Buy IMO.

I had taken 98 pixs while out and about so should have sufficient Blog Fodder Fresh Imagery for a Minute.  *Smiles*   Some didn't turn out, alas, but most did.  My Camera is Old and malfunctioned once, the one The Daughter got for me recently has the Lithium Battery stuck inside, so I don't know yet how to successfully remove it or if it's leaked and ruined the Digital Camera, which is a nice one if I can Salvage it, by Samsung and would be a nice backup Camera to my Canon.  My Gifted Camera from a Dear Generous Blog Friend in Canada got Stolen at our Antique Mall.  A group of Young People came in while I was foofing the Showroom and taking Pixs of my Vignettes.  Some distracted me, I'd set the Camera down to help them, clearly some of the others Pocketed it and I didn't notice 'til they all left, without Buying anything.  I was so Upset!  They'd fled the Mall too.

They'd successfully done one of the oldest Thieving Tricks in the Book to come in Groups and use some as a Distraction to the Mark, so the others won't get caught Stealing what you have.  I put Curses on them all... coz I'd only had the Camera a couple Weeks!  Embarrassed too that I'd been such an Easy Mark for the ploy.  They seemed like Nice Young People of means, not like a Gang or even like Shady Motherfuckers that they clearly were.   Sometimes now Shoplifters do it for kicks or the Thrill of getting away with it, not out of Need or Poverty.  Now I don't set anything down of mine around any Customers, you can't Trust anyone.  Even in Retirement Communities, Shop Owners tell me the Old People are the worst Thieves... mebbe sometimes due to Cognitive Decline or Forgetfulness, but, more often, on Purpose!  They know Law Enforcement is lax on Theft and particularly lax on Seniors, pitying someone Elderly, Courts are too lenient on Old Criminals too.

 

I took The Man out with me to do Environmental Cleanup, he just sat in the Truck in the Shade by the River, but he enjoyed getting out and taking the Ride there.  He's having more trouble Walking now, so we need to work on that to keep his Mobility going.  Our Home isn't really very Wheelchair accessible and it would cost too much to make it that way.  He has a narrow Wheelchair the VA provided, but it would still limit him in where in the Home he could go and he crashes around like a Bull Elephant in his Walker, he'd be wrecking the House on Wheels in a Wheelchair!   I can't let him ride the Scooters for the Disabled in Stores or he is a menace with it.  To be sure a lot of people in them are and plow into people, either accidentally or intentionally, thinking becoz they're in a Scooter they can run over Pedestrians.  I've had a Come To Jesus with more than a few reckless Scooter folks who ran into me or a Family Member without apology and having an Attitude of Entitlement too!  They can go fast enuf to be as dangerous as any Vehicle.

One Middle Aged Morbidly Obese Woman in one plowed into me at a GOODWILL once, so hard she hurt me.  Then she got an Attitude like it was MY fault and she had the Right of Way in her Scooter!!!  OMG, I came Unhinged and told her to back the fuck up in that thing, she'd hurt me running into me so recklessly.  Instead of being apologetic, she started to get Mouthy and Threatening with me!  Oh Hell No!   So I told her I'd drag her Fat Ass right off it and we'd see how fast she could Run or how good she could Fight, coz I was gonna Fuck her up now and destroy her Scooter!!!  You never saw someone throw one of those things in Reverse and skiddaddle off so fast in your life!  The other Customers started clapping, coz they'd seen her run into me hard as I was looking at something on a Shelf in an Aisle too narrow for both of us.  I didn't even see her coming and careening towards me too fast. They asked if I was Okay and she had actually Bruised me and then became Verbally threatening first!  I wasn't having it.

 She was about 20 Years or more Younger than me, but so damned morbidly Fat, she should watch her Mouth if she was gonna become confrontational with an Able Bodied Person she started something with.  Get Mouthy and Threatening with some folk and you best be able to back that shit up.  She also shouldn't be bashing into Old People or Children in the damned thing, she was dangerous and reckless in it.  All she'd had to do was either wait or say Excuse Me like a Civilized Human Being and I would have gladly made room for her to get by or walked out of the Aisle rather than Create a Spectacle like she chose to.  I bowed to the Applause the other Customers gave me, in good Humor.  I think she'd been a menace thruout the Store in that thing and I wasn't the first person she either ran into or almost did.  And one of the Employees also came up and asked me if I was alright, coz you could tell she'd injured me.  If I'd been a more Fragile Senior or a Small Child she could have caused Serious Injury or a Fall.   Mini Rant over about reckless Scooter Riders who are also Unlovely People.  *Winks*

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The small amount of Retail Therapy was enjoyable... even while also dealing with Bureaucrazy stuff... Dawn... The Bohemian