Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Antique Demon Pipes And Just Another Manic Wednesday

I know the Hook Line of the Post Title probably grabbed ya, didn't it?  *Winks*  Lately with Blogging in it's apparent Death Throes, the Social aspect of it has dissipated to where I miss it.  Interaction with the Wonderful Community here in the Land of Blog has diminished so much in recent times.  *Sob*  I miss the Glory Days of Blogging when it was a thriving Community, but I realize in Modern Times folks move on quickly to the next best thing.  Which I'm lagging so far behind the Times that I'm not even sure what that is right now?   And in all honesty, really don't Care!  *LOL*  I could ask The G-Kid Force, they would be in The Know... but I still like Blogging and being immersed in The Land Of Blog for my relaxation time.  Besides, I'm not ready to learn something New that will be passe' by the time I get adept at it and begin to really Dig it!?  *Le Sigh*

But I digress, back on Topic to Antique Demon Pipes... and this Awesome one I Sourced last Night for a mere three bucks at our Antique Mall for my Cabinet Of Curiosities!    No, I won't be Smoking him... I don't Smoke, never have in case you were Wondering... and I've warned The Young Prince, no Medicinal MJ is to be Smoked in him either!  Since he did mention, Hey Gramma... that would make an Awesome Pipe to smoke Weed!  I gave him 'The Look', even tho' I know he was {semi} Joking!  *LOL*  The Pipe has Glass Eyeballs, long Horns, Creepy toothy grimace and Scales along his handle like a Serpent, he's quite heavy and could be made of Clay, but I'm not certain of his composition actually.   I think he's probably an old hand-made Hashish Pipe of unknown origin?    Ideal for a Cabinet of Curiosities... Curiosity!  *Smiles*

I don't Collect Antique Pipes per se, but I'm inclined to Collect anything that is Interesting and Cool enough to catch my Attention.  Especially if it's Creepy and ignites my Addams Family Sensibilities.  *Winks*   My numerous Cabinets of Curiosities are the parts of my Collections that Guests gravitate to peer in at and linger.   Definitely the Collections housed in them are Conversation Starters! I think Humans have a Curious Nature and inclination to the Macabre, even if they appear quite 'Normal' and wouldn't want you to know the Attraction exists on a visceral level within them!  *LMAO*   Now, perhaps they wouldn't have any of that stuff in their own Homes, but they sure will bunch up and bum rush any Display of it elsewhere lemme tell ya!  *Winks*  And that's Okay, you should have no Shame in your Game if you're just Curious and subconsciously or consciously Attracted to the Weird and Wonderful at some level and wanna take a gander!

So the Antique Demon Pipe joined the Antique Skull Pipe in the Hallway Cabinet Of Curiosities Barrister Cabinet.  If I Source another Antique Pipe it will make three, which officially then constitutes it as a Collection!  *Smiles*   I'm in no hurry, it took this long to get to two... so... whatever.   I like to think upon the Back Stories of all of my Collectibles and their long Histories... I think the Antique Pipes might have some of the most Interesting and Fascinating Back Stories, dont'cha think?    Perhaps even Scandalous ones??!?!  *Winks*  So, who DOESN'T like a Good Scandalous Story, right?   The Media is absolute Proof of that Fact!   Come on, you know you sometimes sit there in Private and indulge in some Scandal Lurking!  Of what's on the TV, Newspaper or Tech Gadgets... to see what is Scandalous, Controversial and Salacious around the World every now and again!?  *LOL*  If you claim you don't, you're Officially declared a Saint and we'll have some Statuaries made in your Honor, that the rest of us mere Mortals can bow down to and only aspire to be as Sanctimonious! *Bwahahahaha!*

Nope, when I overhear random conversations almost anywhere, people are talking about The Dirt way more often than they're talking about the Fluff of Life.   Yes, sometimes the Fluff... and even all that is Positive... is out there being discussed too, which is a huge relief, because Seriously!  *Whew!*  But Today being just another Manic Wednesday, I'm concentrating on my newest Acquisition, which was Creepy, yet Cool and Cheap enough that it met the Three C's Requirement {ha ha ha} of having to have it!   I wasn't even seeking an acquisition when I discovered it actually, I was helping someone else find something and there it was, in the same Case as her benign Bird Figurine... who knew?!

No benign Bird Figurines for me... Winks... I much prefer the Weird and the Wonderful Oddities of Life!   I've come to the conclusion tho' that my downsizing will probably only go so far before I halt it, and before arriving at the desired destination of Just Enough.   I think I will always be more inclined to Muchness, there's just Too Much that I wouldn't be willing, nor probably able, to part with.  It will have to be disposed of when I'm gone into the Afterlife I think... those things I just am not very likely to Sell Off before then.   As I'm getting on in Years I realize I SHOULD dispose of a LOT and I'm progressing towards considerable purging and curating of possessions.  That's been ongoing for about as many Years as I've been Blogging actually and I've shed a lot of possessions so I'm proud of myself for Letting Go of so much.   And acquired some more too... since it's just impossible for us Hunter Gatherer Types NOT to pick up a few Treasurers here and there, it's what we DO.  I've come to terms with that Reality as well... which is why 5-to-1 Rule is ALWAYS in effect to hold me accountable!

Actually a LOT more than five things went out the door to be Sold when Antique Demon Pipe came in... so I'm Good.  *Smiles*  I've upped the Ante many times to where a minimum of five is acceptable and anything above and beyond that is desirable!    And it increases my bottom line when I'm giving up a lot more and who doesn't like more Money, right?   I have no saturation point for Cash coming into Villa Boheme'... WINKS!   Great when any Hobby can make you some Bank... so I don't mind Junquing for Treasures... it's a Win-Win.  And I think of all the items I've rescued and Saved... and it's a warm fuzzy Feeling too, knowing I have been instrumental in some Preservation of objects that could have and likely would have been Lost forever.   The Keepers of the Past play a vital role in some History remaining and not being all Lost!   I don't know how many of the next Generations will be Keepers of the Past tho', Collecting in and of itself is not as prevalent I think?

I think things move so fast and so much is mass produced anymore than attachments to any of it are rarer.   Even picture taking, I'm surprised how many just take so many great Images, even of Loved Ones, and don't Save a single one anymore.   I'm inclined to Keep the best that are Shared with me and print them out Old School Style and not just kept on some device or Lost and buried in the sheer volume of what is now Shared on Social Media.  The new Technology has such superior quality of Imagery now that it is a shame more isn't preserved of the very best pixs folks have taken!   Being a Pathological Picture Taker perhaps I have a greater Appreciation for Photos, I dunno, but I see so many Fabulous shots of everyone and everything that I just can't bring myself to behold it once and then discard it all.  My Memory just isn't that good to retain all of it otherwise and enjoy it over and over again if I don't preserve the best ones.

So, what have YOU Preserved for future posterity lately my Friends?  I'm assuming of coarse that the vast majority who still support the Ole Blog are Kindred Spirits and probably do SAVE shit?  *LOL*   Mebbe not as much or as fanatically as Yours Truly, and that's Okay, coz I realize I'm not a Well Woman and it's become rather Obsessive in Nature to me at this point.  *Winks*  But I'm not seeking a Cure for what ails me, I'm quite Content actually being Pathological in my Collecting and my Photography, it's just too enjoyable to me to cease and desist.   And most of my Friends are equally afflicted, so we do understand one another and the desire to just DO what we DO with few inhibitions or apology for it!  *Smiles*   Everyone has their Thing and this happens to be mine I guess.

And it all really began with Collections like this... my Spiritual Antique and Collectible genre items.   I amassed those first and had the fascination with them since I'm a deeply Spiritual person and it was therefore Personal.  I didn't just Collect Christian Spiritual and Religious items, even though I'm Christian.  We are an interfaith Family representing several Faiths and so I made it a point to actually Collect Sacred Items from many Cultures and Faiths.  My Parents did that before me as well, so it's been a multi-generational thing for us to always have Sacred items from around the World in our Homes.  I can't actually remember a time when it wasn't around me daily.   Artists renditions of what is Sacred to them is just so deeply Personal and Beautiful to behold, it evokes Emotion that is Powerful and Deep.  With so much being Superficial nowadays I like the Deep Heartfelt objects best.

And I'm really glad that I amassed my Sacred Objects early on, since now they command much higher prices that I'd be hard pressed to find affordable for any Collectible!   I'm glad tho' to see them Valued to where the price point is so high because it means more will likely be Saved and not Lost or devalued.   Since they represent so much more than being mere Art, that's ultimately important to those of us who are deeply Spiritual.  I Hope we never become a Society that does not Honor and pay Homage to The Creator, Heaven Forbid!   I don't expect that anyone it means nothing to would even have it in their possession, so I suspect any who do, show it appropriate reverence for what it represents regardless of the Religion it came from.

I just Felt like Blogging Today and honestly had no specific topics in mind when I began this Post, which is always the best type of Blogging for relaxation and just the Joy of it!   I just ran around the house happily snapping images, first of my new Antique Demon Pipe... and then the rest... which the Family has become accustomed to me just doing now!   There she goes... *Bwahahahahahaha!!!*

And since we're all Mad around here it's not as if it raises an Eyebrow anyway when any one of us does something peculiar!  *Smiles*   You should see my Grocery List anymore... when it encompasses such things as Live Crickets... Aquatic Crab Kibbles... Tubiflex Worms... Cheese and Crackers... Milk... random Grocery List shit like that!  *Winks*   Now Princess T is harping upon me to let her have a freakin' Hamster, because she's SURE now that her Brother is my Favorite... you know, since I've allowed him {a grown Dude} to have Critters and she {not a grown Person} have any yet!   Even tho' Miss Priss The Cat is technically HERS, but I guess that doesn't Count?!?  *LOL*   Now, you all know what happens to Critters that NOT GROWN Kids own... opposed to Critters that fellow Adults in the household own... GUESS... JUST GUESS... who ends up having to usually take Care of them my Friends?   So... the verdict is still out on Hamster Blessings... we'll revisit that Topic on her 14th Birthday in September I told her.  By then she's very likely to be OVER Hamsters, as is the habit of 13 Year Old Girls whose Interests, Whims and Desires change almost daily... or several times daily!

And now to Wish my very Talented Baby Brother a Happy Birthday Today!  CREDIT FOR THIS AMAZING PHOTO OF HIM GIVEN TO ONE OF HIS EQUALLY TALENTED PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER FRIENDS!  {Watermark Logo of his Studio in lower Righthand Corner} He's beaten incredible odds to even have another Birthday, given all the freakin' grim prognosis Doctors are always giving him, Bless his Heart!  He won't be able to cover the Arizona Renaissance Festival again this Year, since his Eyesight is getting worse, but Praise God he's not completely Blind as the Docs had told him he'd be long before now!  *Whew!*   I doubt he'd quit taking Photographs even if he was Blind, he'd be the only Blind Professional Photographer he jokes... which would make Staging the Models, well... interesting... Bwahahahahahaha!

And I'm now running SO FAR BEHIND in Birthday Pressies for the Grandkids! Since this Beautiful Grand-Daughter also recently had her 18th Birthday... and the 25 Year Old one had hers last Month... and... and there's so many of them now... and they're all getting so very Grown Up... that poor Ole' Gramma Dawn is having trouble keeping up!  *Arghhhhh!*   Be Patient my Loves, the $$$ will be coming in the Mail, better Late than Never... I Love and am so very Proud of you ALL!!!  I have the BEST, Smartest, Kind Hearted, generally Amazing and most Beautiful/Handsome Grandkids and Great-Grandkids you know... not that I'm biased or anything... Winks...




  1. Dawn, I read your blog posts when they come out. And I enjoy them very much. Love both of those pipes, especially the skull one! I've been trying for years to "win" meerschaum pipes when I see them come up in the local on-line auctions...but I always get beaten out. I'll still try though. There's something so interesting about them (no, I don't smoke either), and your skull one just reminds me of those...Thanks for sharing!

    1. I think that the Skull one is Meerschaum Cynthia and there's so many interesting ones I've seen over the years but that one really made me fall in love with it. A Friend of mine was selling it and negotiated a good deal with me, which I appreciated. The new one was a mere three bucks tho', I mean, really... that was like Free, right? LOL

  2. Yes, that title totally hooked me. And all the great photos pulled me straight in! Nice job.




