Well, still feeling under the weather, this thing is holding on and I'm not used to being sick or down, so I don't do sick very well. Not to mention you can't stay down when you're a Caregiver for three people... they're so Needy! *LOL* My Doc said I'm probably run down {Imagine that! LOL} and therefore more susceptible to whatever is going around. And it certainly is going around... the G-Kid Force are still taking turns not feeling good and missing a lot of School and The Man of coarse is still dealing with all his Medical Issues... so we're all a Hot Mess around here lately! Just the way to kick-off the Holidays, huh? *Le Sigh*
But at least our Home is very Visually Festive and so we're quite Comfortable and Content staying Home cocooned in our Christmas Wonderland of Sepia Splendor with just enough punches of Color to suit my Sensibilities. I just can't manage a Colorless or Monochromatic scheme for long, no matter how Serene or Lovely it might look and Feel. We're just too much of a Colorful Crew here, in more ways than one. *Winks*
I Hate that I not only haven't felt well enuf to go Junquing and Pickin', but I also still have piles of Inventory awaiting their processing and debut in the Showrooms. And I really need to get around to it since the Holiday Rush and Buying Frenzies are already upon us in full force! I don't wanna miss the window of Opportunity to flip it all fast! *Smiles* So much has already been flying out of the Showrooms, even large items, that most of my Smalls were on the floors and I've been furiously re-foofing everything on days when I felt well enuf to make a brief Appearance! *LOL*
Our Dealer Breakfast and Dealer Christmas Party is coming up within the next week, so we really need to get Healthy fast!
I'm fortunate that with the exception of the two G-Kids we're raising, all the other G-Kids, Mom and Adult Kids prefer Cash for Christmas, that's always the right color and size, and saves me having to do very much Holiday Shopping... so I'm already done.
The Man decided that he didn't want gifts this year since he can't really do much or go anywhere anymore, so he'd prefer we just continue to go out for the occassional Meal when he feels well enough and has a hankering for something Special to eat.
So it really is a streamlined Simple Christmas for us this Season and I'm Enjoying that very much.
Relaxing at Home rather than lots of Revelry is suiting us just fine this Year... and we're making our Nest so Comfortable that we're Nesting more frequently than taking flights of fancy.
I designated Friday Morning and Afternoon every other week as my six hour block of VA Respite Care, so we'll see how that all goes? I'm Hoping they send the same Caregiver out so that The Man gets familiar and comfortable with this person's presence in our Home? And so that they can become comfortable and familiar with our Home and his Routine too... I don't want to keep taking the added Time to Orient different people constantly.
But I must say I am looking forward to Hopefully having six uninterrupted Hours of "Me Time" to get away, Restore myself and strike the Balance of having some Recreational, Creative and Social Time in my Life again. I'd like to be able to take some Classes or Workshops again, those are so much Fun and can Create another stream of discretionary Income... which is mighty handy when you can no longer work, even part time or Seasonally anymore, due to Personal and Medical Family Issues.
I really miss Working, perhaps I'm Weird like that... though Semi-Retirement is fine, Full-Retirement just isn't my Thing because I've always Enjoyed my Work, whatever it was. I certainly always Enjoyed having my own Income flow to contribute to whatever the Family needed or I could just Invest, pay debts off quicker, be more Charitable with or just blow if I wanted to.
I still have the Dream of one day being able to procure an Old Airstream or Gypsy Vardo and Pimp my Pull to go on the Show Circuit and Travel extensively again to satisfy the Wanderlust I have in my Blood. I've got Friends and Family all over the U.S. and abroad so there are many Destinations I want to be able to visit Special People in our Lives at... and to take in the sights and experiences of those States and Countries they live in.
I also still have Plans to Restore my Art Studio Cottage back into my Studio Space now that it is vacated. And the Great Edit and Purge is still in full force and going strong, I've made great headway since it began. So I have plenty to do here at Home even if I stay put.
Creativity and Art have been put aside for far too long while I've dealt with everything else. I can hardly wait to begin Creating Fabric Art again and going thru all my Vintage Fabrics, Trims and Accessories, that I've all but forgotten about while it's been stored away, while I was off the Creative Grid for so long!
It will be like a Mini Treasure Hunt of sorts to go through it all and re-discover each piece and decide what it will Become?
I just Love Resurrecting Antique and Vintage Fabrics and Trims, even if just Remnants of what they once were, and making them something Special again in a New Creation of Wearable Art.
And there are also New Art Forms I've been Experimenting with, like Assemblage, that I really dig and want to Explore further.
So 2014 is going to start off with a List of things that I Plan to get back into incorporating into our Lives again that we Enjoy so much.
The Beasts that are Infirmity and Disability has taken so much away from our Family and I want at least a portion of that to be Restored.
Things probably will never be what they were... but they can still be better than they presently are, so I'm Hopeful that with Tenacity, Faith and the Will to Improve things, we'll eventually get there, to a destination we strived to Arrive at even if the Journey is long and treacherous at times.
We always Enjoyed Journeys anyway, this is just one we didn't Plan on having or being on for so very long.
And that's how Life is sometimes, taking you on Journeys you didn't Plan or Expect... or didn't necessarily even want to go on!? *LOL*
What Unexpected Journeys have YOU been on my Friends?
And what Journeys are you Planning and Hope to go on?
At the end of each Year I always begin Meditating upon such things since each New Year is a Fresh Start and a New Beginning of sorts, filled with Promise and Adventures yet to unfold.
This little Old Red Child's Stool's Message really Tickled me... how many times have we needed a boost to reach the things we couldn't... and sometimes chosen to use it to reach the things we shouldn't as well? *Winks* It was Tempting not to want to part with this Sweet piece as I prepared it for the Showroom... because I'm a Huge Fan of Inspirational Messages.
And this trio of Old Folding Chairs in a Christmas Hue are in such pristine Original condition and so comfy... but I'm getting ever so much better in the Letting Go Process when I 'Score' Found Treasures now as more of a Business Decision than purely an Aesthetic and Personal one. I can detach so easily now to so many great pieces and not get so attached where passing it on is difficult.
Even OOAK pieces like this Awesome little Folk Art Home-Made Cabinet which I Love the Details of.
Right down to the Ornate Copper Floral knobs.
Before I might have been Tempted to switch out those knobs rather than keeping it Original to Sell... now I left it 'As Found' and just Enjoyed the Thrill of Discovery of such a piece that I had absolutely no Intention of keeping but was obviously Attracted to.
Loving even Smalls that I'm parting with, such as this Sweet Rustic Heart Ornament that Evokes a sense of a Homespun Christmas.
But, they only stayed at Bohemian Valhalla briefly before moving on to Showroom #114.
Soon to become someone else's Found Treasures... which is as it should be...
Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian