As you'll be reading this Post I shall be off this Morning with my Junquing Pals having some Retail Therapy. As we head off to Third Thursday's Melrose District Shopping Extravaganza and Special Events, just in time for Christmas! Yes, there WILL BE Retail Therapy Today, you can count on it! And if we don't deserve it, who does?!? *Winks*
And yes, Future Posts will be taking you along with us Virtually, as I cover all the Fabulousness and Fun we had thru the Eye of my Lens. Nothing makes for better Blog Fodder than a Junquing and Shopper's Dream of Bountiful Special Holiday Events, filled with Friends, Found Treasures and loads of Fantasy Vignettes that will overdose us on Eye Candy, right?!
And speaking of Candy, since The Man's Catastrophic Injuries, he's now Content with the Simpler Pleasures of Life and so his Gift Requests revolve around edible Delights, like his Favorite Candy and Treats. However, like The G-Kid Force, keeping him out of his Gifts has proven to be a particular Challenge... if he finds or sees it, he's into it! *LOL*
And then it's gone and he's requesting if he can have some more... with elaborately constructed Stories of how even MY Treats somehow prematurely disappeared down his throat when he couldn't resist getting into them too! *LOL* I find it to be rather Sweet and Humorous, and since he's been so Good to me this Christmas fulfilling my Wish List, what can I say... it's way Cheaper than the Big Boy Toys he used to request and cost Years to pay off! *Smiles*
So far this is the one Guilty Indugent Present he hasn't gotten into... but The Young Prince explained that it was only because Grandpa didn't even realize it was his Gift from me! Well, until The G-Kid Force read the Tag to him that is... when they were all sneakily getting into the Presents under the Tree while I was at Work Monday Night, obviously!!! BUSTED!!! Bwahahaha! Not that I'm Surprised mind you, I know this Crew well and the Gifts are only all under the Tree because I don't want the whole House tore up as they seek out my hiding places doing their Covert Recon Ops! *Winks* Well, now that he does know it's his, we'll see if it makes it thru the week?! *Smiles*
I brought them Home some freshly picked Oranges Monday Night after Work, that my Co-Worker Friend Candy gave me for them from her Citrus Orchard. Hoping they'll also choose some Healthier Alternatives inbetween Sugar Comas? *Winks* Ironic really that my Friend who is named Candy gave them Fresh Fruit in an Attempt to keep them out of the Candy, huh? *LOL*
But I must say that I'm thoroughly Enjoying that The Man is now 'Into' the Simpler Pleasures that I also Enjoy so much so that we can do them Together and have Mutual Appreciation. He so looks forward now to a Simple Outing and stopping by our Fav Haunts for an Enjoyable Meal. We now can't go to the VA Appointments without stopping by my Friend Chai's Restaurant for Breakfast and ordering The Man some of Chai's famous Home-Made Corned Beef Hash! *LOL* Chai gets the Order in for The Man as we walk thru the door! We're such Creatures of Habit! *Smiles*
And Honestly, whether or not I actually find anything Today to Purchase while we Revel in the day's activities really doesn't matter to me at all. It's not all about the stuff anyway... I've got plenty of stuff... it's about the Experience... those Simple Pleasures of Life that really don't have to Cost anything at all to be thoroughly Enjoyable and something to look forward to Experiencing with those we Enjoy the Company of!
Things that never cease to Inspire, to Delight, to spark the Imagination and our own Creativity. Bringing forth Ideas, Future Projects or just a Visual Feast by bringing Fantasy to Life all around us.
And I Suspect that a great many of you Enjoy these same Simple Pleasures too, don't you? And that's partly why you're here... Virtually coming along with us to Experience a similar Joy, Camaraderie and Contentment in it all.
Because similar Visuals, Activities and Found Treasures Excite each of us in a Special way that only Our Kind can Understand and Connect to as Kindred Spirits. No... it's not for everyone... but it IS for US... and we Thrive in and around it all.
I only ever Imagined actually doing it as often as I'm able to now... though our particular Circumstances were not Planned or even Expected... there was the Silver Lining inside of the Clouds of Unexpected Life Events that unfolded beyond our Control and actually Created the Opportunity... and for that I am Truly Thankful beyond Words!
Living the Dream... isn't that what it's all about after all? And Life is too short not to be in Purpose don't you think? Too short not to be doing that which you Feel you were Meant to do and have the Divine Gifts to flow in so Effortlessly and Joyfully!
And perhaps for me, because I've always been drawn to the Simple Pleasures and am not a Complicated Person, I'm particularly drawn to the Simplicity of Yesteryear so strongly?
And though I certainly stand in Awe of the Technological Advances we have made as a Culture and all the Amazing Inventions that have come forth from the Imaginations of Brilliant Inventors, I don't necessarily need or gravitate to them all myself. Much of it I can do without and probably will never possess nor feel inclined to want or need to unless it becomes absolutely necessary to.
I'm still Thrilled to take a step back into the Past every so often and have those heady doses of Nostalgia and the Rush that it brings. Even though I'm very Present in each Moment and Embrace Change, I still like to be considered a Keeper of the Past, a Preservationist at Heart if you will. Salvaging and Saving Old Treasures is something I've always felt Purposed to be doing in some kind of way, though I don't know Why?
And parting with most of it now and passing it along to other Appreciative Souls has become even more of a Joy to me than Holding onto any of it has ever been. I can't Give anyone my Memories, you have to Create your own... or simply Imagine my Story or the Stories that come with each piece... and make your own Story relevant... but isn't that also a part of the Appeal?
And even tho' some of the Old Treasures are Sourced and not from my own Memories... I know that they were a part of someone's Memories. Of many Christmases Past... as each Year the now Vintage Christmas Tree was put up and decorated by it's Family, whoever they were. And eventually replaced or simply Stored away and Forgotten...
Waiting for that Moment in Time when someone else would Appreciate it once again... and perhaps use it or re-purpose it to make New Memories involving it. I particularly Enjoy when someone has even kept the Original Packaging of such Pieces... like a Time Capsule, Revealing what once was...
A Time when a six foot Aluminum Christmas Tree cost only Six Dollars and Twenty-Nine Cents and could be had at the Local Hardware Store, probably on Main Street, where they Sold everything and anything Imaginable and Customer Service was Relational!
And Families might have sat together to read a good book or to tell Christmas Stories and Share Special Memories, Traditions and Rituals passed down thru the Generations. Actually being Present Together in the Moment rather than Distracted by their Technological Devices substituting it as a form of Socialization. Sometimes I do Wonder what Nostalgic Memories subsequent Generations will hold Dear and want to Preserve or those that will simply Vanish for lack of Interest and no desire for Preservation of them?
I do Hope that some at least will Abide and Survive... giving glimpses into the Past and the History of what once was.
It Amazes me sometimes when someone comes into the Shops I frequent, for the first time, as my Guest... or are Invited into our Home for the first time... and they've never, ever been subjected to the Love Of Old or different forms of Artistic Expression and Style in such a way and it's a brand New Experience for them. I'm Amazed because of the Reaction I almost always get... because they're really diggin' it... but just never had the Exposure to it!
Now, perhaps they wouldn't surround themselves with it all, or it's not really 'Their Thing'... but what I do find is that they very often still do have a healthy Appreciation for it all! And so, I Feel that we've Served an Important Function, those of us who are Keepers of the Past... so that those that never saw or owned such things can Experience them because they still Exist. Still Exist through our diligent Efforts of Saving, Conserving and Curating pieces of History one item at a time.
And perhaps Helping someone else see it all through Fresh New Eyes... as a Possibility... not just in some Museum, but still being Relevant in Real Everyday Life Today... and into the Future.
May the Joy of this Holy Season abound for you too my Friends... Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian