Hoarder in the Making...

Anyone out there who enjoys mixed media knows what the "thrill of the hunt" means.  That dusty corner of an antique mall or thrift shop where you spy that "thing" that everyone else has overlooked.  That "thing" that would be so cool in a project-someday.  You buy it.  You take it home.  You place it somewhere that you can admire it.  For years.  because you are waiting for "just the right project"  or it's one of a kind and once you use it, it's gone. While sitting out front of an estate sale one day, an older gentleman once said (about the contents that were in the house that we were waiting to go in and snatch up)-"it's a shame she didn't use it-now she is gone and someone else gets to enjoy it" (another woman and I were 2nd/3rd in line waiting to hit the room full of sewing stuff)
    Those words really struck a chord with me.  It made me start to think of all the cool stuff i had accumulated that was sitting on a shelf or in a box-waiting for just the right project.  Some really cool stuff I might add.  For a while I did start using some of that stuff-usually on something for myself-that way i still had the item but I put it to use.  If it was a gift or for sale, i sometimes used the "2nd favorite" item :)
  Here it is-years later and a lot more stuff.  Couple that with a few years of major spans of time with no inspiration or desire to do art.  Occasional desire to hit an antique mall brought in more "stuff."
 Recently, as I mentioned my grandfather passed away-the last of my grandparents.  My parents and aunt had one month to empty out his house-as it sold a month before his death.  I've never had to help clean out someone's residence.  It's a lot more work than you think.  Even when they lived fairly simply with out a lot of clutter or "stuff."   You have to go through EVERY drawer in every room, every closet, every inch-which is what they did-and I helped some.
    That was my mistake.  Don't get me wrong, i was very glad to be able to help. There were certain items going to different family members-furniture mostly, some kitchen items and family photos.  Clothing was donated, misc given away.  The next round was letting the "junk guy" come take what he wanted. He had a thrift shop in their city.  When he loaded his truck and saw what was still left he had to get another truck and help.  Dad wanted no money-just wanted it out of the house.  Well, knowing that they were coming kicked my "hunter/gatherer" instinct in.  Big Time.  I set aside few smallish boxes for me.  Went out to the garage where i knew everything had not been gone through thoroughly.  Again, set aside some items for me or my husband.  Tool kit that had never been opened for my dad-and then i found "stuff."  The rusty metal, little wheels, rulers and thing-a-ma-jigs.  The laundry area downstairs had stuff stored as well.  And the boxes under the stairs and the large "closet"-both of which were full.  Probably things they packed up in st louis and never opened again.  The small moving box full of every cancelled check they wrote in the 50's and 60's.  The kind you see in an antique store.  Which i mentioned to my husband and before i could put them in the trash pile i thought "what am i thinking?!  I can use these, sell these and or give them to friends."  duh.  so that box went to my pile.   I don't know how many boxes I came home with-it was all stuff that no one else would have wanted.  It would have been donated or thrown out.  So it came to a good home.  The bad thing
is, my art room is already full.  Disorganized really.  If I would just get in there and consolidate/organize it would make more room for my haul.  I have more fabric, sewing notions, thread, rusty stuff, old jars, vintage christmas doo-dads, ephemera....Enough to start my own antique mall booth.
       It's going to be a big job.  So I keep putting it off.  So it sits in my hallway, my dining room, my breakfast nook. (and that doesn't include the furniture we're trying to find space for-and get rid of the old.  At one point there were 3 couches in my living room.  That has now been rectified.  Now just couch/love seat and 2 recliners.  oh yea, the treadmill just folded up and waiting for an empty spot again...
  Let's face it.  You can now call me a Hoarder.  I have the pictures to prove it.
but i have some cool "stuff."         UPDATE:  I am now working on the room (and garage) time to purge/sell/give away etc...

Art Weekend in the Country

Mary, Melody, Donna G

Mary and Donna singing to us (not)

Mel, Mary, ME (donna), Donna G

I think i was trying to blow in her ear or whisper something good

bed-luxurious bed

example of attention to detail.  This is one of the closets-even they are decorated.

Some friends of mine asked if I would like to join them the first full weekend in Nov at an "art getaway" in Forney Tx.  Of course I said "yes."  I haven't done anything like that in yrs and it sounded like a good time to get away from real life and get some things i was working on finished (insert snorting laugh here)  Good intentions anyway.  The "Ruby Rose Retreat" is located in Forney Tx.  It sits across the street from Big Mouth Scrappers.    I didn't realise the scrapbook store was there-they had taken a class there and learned about the retreat.  The owner of the store owns the retreat also.  It rents out thurs-sun at noon.  Sleeps 6.  You can see by my pictures that Angela pays attention to details.  The house is decorated in a shabby chic/antique/fun style.  3 bedrooms, 2 baths.  Full kitchen. (bring your own supplies)  Bedding, towels, etc... are provided.  Comfortable bedding :)   Even the closets contain vingnettes~
The scrapbook store is just as wonderful-very well stocked and full of everything a scrapbooker, paper artist or mixed media person could want.  5 rooms full and a HUGE class/crop room.

Broken Leg and 4 wks of Drama

On mon June 29, my husband passed out and broke his leg (fibula) in the fall.  He didn't know at the time it was broken, thought he sprained it.  The next day after running some errands, he felt around and something was poking that shouldn't be so decided better have it looked at.  Went to one of the new "hospitals" that isn't a hospital or minor emergency place.  They x-rayed and confirmed it was broken.  Did a temp "stablize
the area" abd gave him some Rx.  He called an orthopedic guy the next day, then found out he had to go
to his primary care dr first and get a referral from them.  The x-rays and dr confirmation didn't count. Mind you this was fri by the time he found out he needed to go to pcp.
  He called the PCP that ins assigned to us back in jan.  We never go to the  dr so never saw this person to become patients.  When he called "not accepting 'new' patients"  but the nurse practitioner would see him.
SHE confirmed the break and gave it over to the woman that does the referral work.  THAT took until fri
for her to call with the name of an orthopedic dr he could call.-of course it was too late fri to contact them AND it was July 3-holiday wkend.  He calls on mon (now wk 2 of break) and office closed for holiday.
Calls tues.  Leaves his info.  Calls back on wed.  yes, dr can see you on Aug 2.  "do you not realize I have a broken leg, that's been broken for 2 wks now?"  so she re-checks.  They will see him the following wed.
July 15. 
  3 wks go by, he goes to dr (still in the temp binding) where dr says "we normally like to set these 7-10 days after the break."  Well, he tried to get in sooner. duh.  Said there will be complications for waiting so long.
They will re-break the bone then put screws in.  Will more than likely have arthritis in that joint after waiting this long.  HOWEVER, dr will be out of town the following wk so surgery will be mon JULY 27...
The dr said the stuff he had on his leg was probably too tight.  Well, no shit, it was meant to stabilize his leg until he saw the dr-NOT be there for 3 weeks.  They gave him an Rx for a boot.
 Fri, july 17th rolls around and they call to say, can't do surgery on the 27, hospital is booked so she (the woman who schedules) will get it as close to that date as she can....
so it will be 5 wks + by the time leg gets repaired.  FIVE weeks.  His collar bone is hurting badly too.
It was fractured yrs ago and healed.  Reading online found out that using crutches can re-aggrivate a fracture like that (or re-fracture)  He told the dr this 3 times.  3.  and it was ignored.  I guess you are supposed to call your PCP and see them and get a referral for a separate "item" than the original.  WHAT the hell happened
to health CARE?  it's all about pleasing the ins company.
 And the INS company...BCBS.  I wrote on their facebook page as this was all going on.  They first said, you need to see primary care physician.  (duh)  then when they saw not taking new patients "we'll be glad to help you find a new PCP if you give us all your info"  (NOT a word about we'll find you a dr to set the leg)
When she saw he had an appt w/the ortho dr.  "so sorry you had issues, glad he has appt"
He even called BCBS directly and the girl tried to find a dr who could see him sooner-nope. seems a broken bone doesn't matter anymore.  You have to go through "channels" ~yet they ideally want it set/repaired in 7-10 days.
   Can you say "lawyer?"...