The Hoarder

For most of my adult life I've lived in tiny, one bedroom apartments with stark white walls and few closets. Minimalism was my middle name. I had little room for anything so gathering or stocking up on essentials or non-essentials was out of the question. Besides I hated shopping. I still hate shopping. 

Then in an attempt to rid myself of shared walls with toxic neighbors and dangerous landlords who want to spray chemicals or paint without warning, I bought a house. By my standards, a HUGE house. Three bedrooms. It was out in the middle of no where so the price was right. For years I had empty closets. I just didn't need all that room with so little possessions.

Well, all that's changed. My house is full. My closets are packed. I even have a garden shed and garage that is filled to the max. How did that happen? WHEN did that happen?

I love sunflowers!

It actually started as soon as I moved. Being disabled because of chemical sensitivity, unable to work and too close to homelessness at one point, that fear of impending financial doom is always in the back of my mind. Saving money any way I can is a priority. I've been a devoted customer of Freecycle and with a house that echoed, I started gathering. I love Freecycle and I started getting free furniture which inspired me to paint furniture which quickly got out of control. 

Then a few years ago the local junk store went out of business and started leaving their unwanted junk on the sidewalk with FREE signs. That was wonderful. Then I discovered the thrift store in the neighboring town puts all the donations they can't sell out in their carport with a huge FREE sign. I've become addicted. I love seeing what treasures are waiting for me. I've love bringing junk home cleaning, restoring, fixing, painting and giving the junk some tender loving care and a new life. It makes me feel resourceful and proud to find items I need and can use especially since much of it can be recycled for art projects. I don't even bother with yard sales anymore. Who wants to actually BUY something? They do often have free boxes for digging and that's where I head. Neighbors often put stuff out on the sidewalk with free signs. I have no qualms about digging through someone else's garbage. In fact, I come from a long line of dumpster divers! The rule is if I can use it now or in the future, take it as long as it's non-toxic or doesn't stink. Below are some of the items I've gleaned recently, in no particular order:

Tablecloths, kitchen towels, pot holders, cookware, bakeware, plates, cups, soup bowls, ceramic bowls, large brightly colored plastic bowls, crockpots, Elmer's glue, toothbrushes, dental floss, paint brushes, paint edgers, oil pastels, color crayons, pencils, greeting cards of all kinds, ribbon, florist wire, beads, jewelry, hair dryer, Christmas platters, sheets, fabric, pillows, books, magazines, paintings, bunny erasers, bird houses, chairs, footstools, vases, paper plates, plastic utensils, ceramic teapots, ceramic pitcher, pottery, toilet seats, t-shirts, turtle necks, hats, coats, socks, jeans, blouses, garden tools, phone covers, storage bins, files, craft supplies for 1st graders, coat hooks, sewing supplies of all kinds, yard furniture, spider web decorations for Halloween, one giant spider, rubber boots, Converse shoes, rugs, lamp shades, plastic mats, cutting boards, amphora, electric candles, Christmas ornaments, Christmas lights, Christmas beads, Christmas tree stand, wrapping paper, tissue paper, cafeteria tables, notebooks, dining room tables, Virgin Mary statue, toothpicks, felt pens, cane, dishracks, light cover, light switch covers, curtains, flashlight, and one really cool metal fan.

I have started collections. I've never been one for collecting anything so this is a new and wonderous experience and understand now why people collect things just for the sake of collecting. Not that I need to collect anything.... The first is gift bags. There are always gift bags to be had for free. They are usually unused, brand new, with fancy ribbons for handles, and cards attached. I don't know what I'll do with them. It's not like I give gifts to a lot of people. Some of them are absolutely gorgeous.

 I've also started collecting little decorated cardboard boxes, also for gifts. Yeah, between the wrapping paper, greeting cards, tissue paper, ribbons, gift bags and now gift boxes, I think I have gift-giving in my future. These boxes are really adorable:

I've become fanatical about frames of every shape and size. Initially I started collecting these because I volunteered to help kids at the fair put their art for the art show in frames. Because of the pandemic, the fair was cancelled this year so I have about 100 frames stuffed into a closet, but I can't stop taking them! Habits are hard to break! I limit my collection to only wood frames, although sometimes I take a frame only for the glass or matt board. Some frames are incredibly beautiful and intricate; some very old with lots of history. Every now and then I search through the frames and do a painting for one of them or create a mosaic. I'll never run out of frames! I'm considering doing something creative with them. Not sure what yet.

I looked for years for a lamp shade for an antique lamp and found one that matches it perfectly. (See top photo.) Then I thought it would be fun to learn how to redo shades so I collected about six.

Probably the weirdest things I started collection are old dish towels. Yeah, you heard that right. OLD dish towels. It started when I went to the store to buy dish towels. $7.00 each??!! Are you kidding? I thought maybe I could cut up a regular bath towel, but then I started finding them in the alley free pile at the thriftstore. They are often seasonal, fall or Christmas, so they are hardly used. I only take ones that are 100% cotton and don't have rips or tears. I do take those with stains, but I bring them all home and bleach them in the washer with hot water. If the stains persist, I use those for rags. So many of them are ugly, but that's part of their charm. LOL! I'm also fond of Christmas pot holders. LOL!

The one freebie I really, really like is an original oil painting by Eugene Kingman who was a professor at RISD in the 1940s according to online sources. The frame is beautiful. I don't think it's worth anything. It's a fairly small, non-descript, mundane landscape with no context, but I like it and I love that the artist has an online presence. I've tried emailing the website to find out more about the painting, but no one has responded. It even has a certification of authenticity on the back.

I found this painting, too, but it's not by anyone I can find online: 

It looks like it's Havana (?). Perhaps painted by an amateur painter (?) or street artist (?).  I'm guessing it might have been a tourist purchase. I just read a book on a 1950s African American painter who spent a lot of time in Havana painting so I felt a connection. It was a very popular destination for artists to go back then. I love the bright colors, but I'm not sure if I will keep it.

It's very weird to be a hoarder and I am hoping it doesn't get too out of control and I end up with trails through my house with junk piled to the ceilings. I've seen houses like that. It's definitely mentally ill. For me it might be a hormonal thing and I'm nesting or in some kind of survival mode. I can't blame it on the pandemic since this started long before. I love saving money especially when I find things I need. Still, trying to get enough supplies to weather this pandemic has been challenging. I'm just not a buyer so I'm not good at stocking up or self-centered hoarding. When my friend Girl Alive told me to go stock up on groceries and toilet paper, it still took me three trips to the store before I bought even an adequate amount...not counting the three year's supply of toilet paper I bought a year ago when I cancelled my Costco membership. That was a smart move!

Visiting a thrift store in a back alley is much safer than shopping with toxic people! My neighbor's garbage pile - much safer than shopping with toxic people. But free stuff is so wonderful!

Life is a Party!

It's been a while since I worked on my incredibly fun party series furniture painting. I've been too busy with protest posters and house painting.

I've been toying with the idea of becoming a foster parent. Yeah, it does sound a little crazy with my restrictions on air quality but I just feel the need to contribute to the well-being of innocent children in our society who through no fault of their own are homeless, parentless, and vulnerable. I'm tired of reading about parents killing their kids, abusing them, neglecting them for their drug addictions, or any number of atrocities. However, how will I be accommodated in training sessions or meetings or teacher conferences or doctor's appointments? Besides the fact I have to work and we have absolutely no childcare in our area. Hmmmmm...this might be nothing but a fantasy, but it's a fun fantasy. For now.

Anyway, in preparation I've started looking around to assess what I would need for children. Which bedrooms to use and furniture and supplies I might need, besides the long list of requirements given to prospective foster parents by the foster care agency. I've started watching Freecycle and I posted requests for twin beds, bunk beds, car seats, baby equipment (they need a lot of stuff!). This is a bit scary because I don't want filthy, bug-ridden, garbage in my house, but buying new purchases soaked in formaldehyde is impossible so this is my only option. Sometimes one can get really good stuff off Freecycle.

My first bite was someone who had booster seats, in good shape, used briefly until her children quickly grew out of them. I pick them up and they STUNK of mold. I had them in my car for about five minutes before I couldn't breathe and got rid of them fast. So frustrating. Why would anyone think dirty, moldy items would be fine for children? People are stupid. I realized I needed to ask more questions and be very specific about my needs, but the weird thing about Freecycle is people often won't tolerate questions. They just go to the next person if you are too picky. But I'm also learning people who are trying to unload garbage will bend over backwards to avoid giving information. It's such a game. Sometimes I hate people.

The next bite was someone with a twin mattress. Totally clean, kept in a mattress protector in storage, no stains, no stink, no bedbugs, no animals, no smoking. Could a mattress be that perfect? No. The stains were very faint, but it stunk to high heaven of perfume which is a clear indication it must have smelled. I am so incredibly tired of people thinking Freecycle is a really FreeGarbagePickUpService! My frustration level was climbing.

Shortly after the mattress disappointment someone offered a twin mattress, again, perfectly clean and good shape including a really stupid photo of the SIDE of the mattress. No stains aren't usually on the SIDE. I reprimanded him, "Is is really clean? Or does it have stains, stink, bedbugs, animal dirt, and second hand smoke saturation? I'm so tired of people thinking Freecycle means Free Dump Service! If it's really clean, I'd love it." Needless to say, he didn't even respond to me, but my frustrations were released. Poor guy.

My next encounter was someone wanting to unload two dressers. Oh good! I was wondering where I'd put kid clothes. One of the dressers was beautiful and huge. I couldn't move it by myself so I passed. But the other dresser was a small child-size, white, with six drawers. It had problems. A few of the drawers were coming loose at the seams and had some glitches in the wood. At least the people were honest and they had me come directly to their house which is a sign of trust. I was hopeful. I took it.

I cleaned it up, repaired the drawers, glued the seams, and fixed it the best I could. Then I painted it! I really tried to stay away from dots, but I couldn't help myself! I'm an addict!  As you may remember from previous posts I have dotted furniture all over my house with titles like "Fiesta" "Confetti" "Celebration" and "Spree"...this dresser because of its tropical-looking leaf pattern is called:

LUAU

Unfortunately, I don't even want to use it as a dresser now so it's still sitting in my kitchen as a display shelf for my colorful, garage-sale-find-fifty-cents-each ceramic collection! LOL!

So cheerful!

HOORAY! I WON!

Lately I've been finding some choice freebies from Freecycle. Most people will select the first person who responds to give the item to so it's not always easy to get things. Part of the excitement is the fun of winning.

First, a set of high-quality flannel sheets. I wrote immediately and waited. By the next morning I figured I wasn't fast enough and then I get an email from her perturbed and demanding to know if I wanted them or not and if I didn't reply immediately she would give them to someone else. It seems she thought she emailed confirming I was the lucky winner - but I didn't get it! I almost missed out. I think misdirected or lost emails are common on Freecycle. I once was the first person for a wicker furniture set, didn't get it, then a week later the goof ball emails me and tells me I was first but the email went into his spam. WHY did he need to rub it in? Grrrrrr...people.

Anyway, great sheets. Although they are practically new, the owner did wash them in stinky laundry detergent and I had to wash them in hot water ten (10) times with a variety of additives: vinegar, ammonia, Planet dish washing liquid, and ECO detergent. New high-quality, thick, king-sized flannel sheets are not cheap, although after ten washings they are anything but new. They were a bargain but after ten washings they are anything but free. Still, new expensive sheets would have needed to be washed as many times so I still saved a lot of money. They are incredibly comfortable to sleep on. I LOVE flannel sheets. If I decide not to use them as sheets I can always use them for fabric. The dark olive color matches my living room so I could make curtains out of them...or something.

My second exceptional find is an office chair. You all know how hard it is for me to find an office chair. The new ones stink of chemicals and the old ones are just too worn out to be an improvement.

This one is in excellent shape with all kinds of adjustments, no rips or tears, but it STINKS...I think it's dirty cat or dog smell. It did have fur all over it. I have yet to figure out how people can live with animals they obviously never bathe and it stinks up their whole house. I've washed it twice with soap, hot water and vinegar, but I think I'll have to wait and rent a steam cleaner this summer. It might be for nothing, but it might be an improvement on my very old, worn chair. Or not. We'll see. Free furniture is always a risk...one never knows about bugs or fleas. This one has neither, but I think I should be more cautious in the future.

 

 

The next freebie is a strange one. I think the woman called it an exercycle or something like that, but it's really a "folding cycle". You sit in a chair and pedal! OK! Why not? The woman with the office chair wanted to get rid of things. She said it had never been used. I don't know how much I'll be using it as I already sit too much as it is and I'd prefer to exercise not sitting down.

 

The last one is another weird one. The ad said, "Mexican Wood Carving". OK. I like Mexican wood carvings and I have some hanging around the house. I was the first to respond and cheerfully I wrote to the person, "HOORAY! I WON!" She got really snooty and replied, "You didn't win. I pick the person who responds first so it's fair." Oh! So touchy! Some people just don't like cheerfulness. So I quietly cheered to myself, "Hooray. I won."  I asked the woman about the subject of the carving. "I have no idea." She couldn't tell me it was a teak wood mask of three faces? Would that be too hard? It's really difficult dealing with some of these people. Later when I picked it up I graciously thanked her and then as I walked away I quietly cheered, "Hooray. I won. Fuck you."

 

 

 

If anyone knows what this carving symbolizes let me know. I've read in Mexican folklore blue eyed people are either white people, nuns, or demons (or all of the above). The middle face is definitely a woman's and the blue around her head could be a habit? Maybe those profiles are priests? Hmmm...sounds like a plot from a telenovela. It's kind of weird but I think I might hang it on a tree outside in my yard this summer.

 



 

Those are my February freebies!

 

HOORAY!  I WON!

 



New FREEBIE Toy!

There is a television commercial I've been seeing lately that features a woman bouncing on a trampoline. I've been entertaining the thought of buying a trampoline for my backyard so I can bounce around like a crazy person. It just sounds like a fun thing to do except I think I'd have to take it apart and store it in the garage for ten months out of the year as I can't imagine bouncing around in the rain to be much fun. And of course, a trampoline costs anywhere from $200 to $600.

As I'm contemplating this frivolity, someone on Freecycle advertises a trampoline! I said, YES, I WANT IT! before I asked, How big is it?  It's a little one, what they call a "rebounder" for exercise. I've always wanted one of these, too, as you can run in place but there is little shock to your joints.

So now I get to bounce around in my spare time and I hope it will provide me with some extra exercise. I like it a lot more than the treadmill which demands a whole lot of energy to make it go. With the rebounder I just have to jump on and march in place and it's good to go although I do try to stretch a little before I jump on. My muscles have atrophied with so little exercise I fear I will pull something if I'm not careful. There are all kinds of videos online to watch how skinny people use them for exercising. So fun.

I'm creating a freebie workout center for myself. Self-gifting is wonderful, especially when it's free.

FREEBIES!

I'm sure I've said this before, but I love Freecycle. It's like Christmas for free. Self-gifting. Personal presents. Since I'll not be moving anytime soon and that depresses me, I decided I needed some self-love. Then someone posted these:

TOASTER OVEN!

I fantasize about living in a tiny house and have read many replace full size ranges, stove/oven combinations, with single hot plates and a toaster oven or microwave. There is no way I would add a microwave to a tiny space. I can't imagine living too long with all those radiation waves bouncing around. I've never had a toaster oven, but I've been told you can use them for baking. This one goes up to 450 degrees! And thirty minutes. Bake or broil. I'm a little scared. I wonder if I put a piece of meat in there if the sizzling would cause a fire? I think most people use these for "toast", hence, the name, but I don't eat bread, or English muffins, or bagels so I need to be creative and try it out for other things.

 

TREADMILL!

I've always wanted a treadmill. Well, you know if I end up in a tiny house this will end up in the shed or sold at a garage sale, but for now I have lots of room and need to be able to walk inside so I don't have to suffer the indignity of dog barking. It's a manual and it works, but it's a very unnatural way to walk. One must jump on then force the tread to move by digging your feet into it and walking. I think it's more like climbing a mountain which provides a really good workout in a short amount of time, but I really need something for walking. I think a huge electric one would be better, but those are very heavy so I'm limited to what I can carry into the house myself. Oh well! Live and learn. It was free. It has come in handy when I get cold from lack of heat. I jump on it for five minutes and I'm sweating like a pig. Excellent!

I love freebies. Yet another cure for depression. I'm on my way to a positive attitude!

Freecycle: Changing the World One Gift at a Time

 

For anyone interested in living a more sustainable, non-materialistic lifestyle, Freecycle is the place where you can practice the three R's: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE. It's a wonderful system where people can give their junk to people who want their junk, or for people who need something, but would rather not buy it either because they don't have the money, don't want to contribute to the over consumerism of the world, or in my case and like many of us dealing with chemical sensitivity, want items that are not treated or made with chemicals. Free is good, too!

I started using Freecycle eight years ago when I moved into this big, old house of mine. It needed a lot of repairs and I didn't want to spend lots of money on tools and supplies. I also needed some furniture since I moved from a tiny one bedroom apartment into a house. There was too much echo. And then there were the projects I needed to do to keep me busy and entertained out in the isolation of the country. I've been given solid wood antique furniture, arts and crafts supplies, office supplies, kitchen appliances, and house repair materials, just to name a few categories.

There are times I've post for something and received no response, but that's just part of the game. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. And there have been MANY times I respond to an offer and didn't get chosen as the  recipient because I'm in a long list of others who wanted it as well. Many times the giver selects the first responder rather than judge who should get it or not. I was really disappointed once not to get a wicker couch and what made it worse was the person offering it to me emailed to tell me I was the first responder, but my email ended up in his spam folder for some reason. Did he really need to tell me that? I was so disappointed.

My latest acquisition was a post entitled: "Antique Spool Bed Needs TLC". I was the first responder early one morning. Lucky timing. The woman emailed and said it was the childhood bed she received as a gift from her father around 1940 so it has a lot of sentimental value making it difficult to part with. When she received it, it was already considered antique. Although I was excited, I was also skeptical. If it's a children's bed, it might be very small, and if it's that old, what is wrong with it and why is it in her storage shed. She asked me if I was sure I wanted it because the second responder claimed to have woodworking experience. I did. I figured I could use the headboards for some project, make a bench out of it, use it for a decorative feature or railing in my future cob house. If it's a real spool bed, the carvings alone should be fun. But one never knows. She didn't have a photograph of it. The giver said it had been in storage for about 30 years, but it worked back then and she has all the parts. It fits a smaller than normal mattress, something between a twin bed and a full bed which may be problematic for most people. Old-style mattress sizing. That's fine with me as I'd never buy a new mattress and have been thinking of trying to make a mattress out of mattress pads.

Freecycle also warns people to meet strangers in public for safety reasons, so of course I go right to her house. I think with our email communications we had a good feeling about each other. Either that or we are both naïve and too trusting. Yep, probably, but strangers who share childhood memories give me a good vibe.

A second concern always is will the person I meet be wearing perfume or will the freebie stink? I carefully assess the situation one step at a time.

She opens her storage shed and there it is. It's not a children's bed and it's solid wood. It's dusty and dirty, but cleaning an antique is part of the fun. It's like bringing it back to life.




In the garage, ready for its transformation! Even the railings are wood. Love it.

She did have all the pieces including the two sculpted ends on the foot board that were removed in order to fit a full size mattress years ago. The woman kept looking like she was mourning the loss, but assured me giving it away was fine. For a moment I asked myself, Aren't you always saying you need to downsize like this woman is doing? Why do you keep gathering more STUFF? I like having projects to keep me busy. If anything, I can fix it up and sell it at my next garage sale for a huge profit.

Love the carvings.

 

 

It's really awesome. At first I thought I would paint it turquoise but I fear it won't match anything in my house except my pantry. It won't fit in the pantry, unfortunately! Too bad as it would go well in my shrine. It'll probably end up white. Maybe I should paint it wild? Oh, the decisions! So much fun.

I love antiques. This one is now on its third life, at least. Who knows, maybe it has had many more lives? I wonder what experiences it had? Where it's from? How old it is? The stories it could tell!

Entertainment, Part Twelve: Construction

Is construction entertainment or work?

For me, construction projects start out as entertainment. I get really excited about making something. Actually, I get really excited about making something so I don't have to spend money buying it or paying someone else to do it. I love the planning, making diagrams, gathering free materials off Freecycle and recycling used materials into something practical. Production is very exciting and challenging.

In addition, unless you end up painting whatever you make, it's fairly non-toxic. Old wood, hammer, saw, nails and other odds and ends.  I like I can select non-toxic materials to use instead of treated wood or cheap plastic.

After all the planning and preparation, I stand before my pile of gathered supplies with my construction diagram in hand and wonder, What the HELL was I thinking? It seemed like a great idea on paper but then I realize I don't know what I'm doing. I start second guessing my construction abilities. This probably stems from high school wood shop, a class I wasn't allowed to take because I was a girl! My insecurity makes me fret with worry and indecision: This isn't going to work!  I need that thingy-majig tool! You know, that THING with the part? How do I make that corner so it holds? Did I measure that piece right? How will it stand up? Will it fall apart? Wouldn't it be cheaper and take less time to hire someone to do this?

Sometimes it would take less time to hire someone to do it! For instance, my screen door. It took me about five hours to attach it to the door jam. Lots of false starts and a whole lot of extra screw holes before I got it right. Honestly, it's still not quite right. So what is five hours of work time worth? The dilemma is if I have extra time, it seems worth saving $25 it would cost to hire the handyman for an hour.

Is it worth the stress? There have been times I've been close to tears with frustration. There is a man who works at the local hardware store I hit up for advice and there have been times he's volunteered to let me use a fancy tool he owns. I think he'd do anything to get me to stop whining.

In between whining, throwing the hammer, stomping my feet and holding my head screaming, I persevere and the project does eventually get done.

Here are some of my projects:

This was my very first construction project! A new gate for the back yard. I didn't even have an electric drill at the time so I had to use nails. The wood piece keeping the gate shut has since been replaced by a metal gate latch. Lovely. I was quite proud of myself. I also added the post and the  rest of the fencing was removed from another part of the yard and placed here. When people-stink can kill you, nothing feels safer than good fencing and a gate!

Replacing the garage door was my second project. It was intimidating to do something this big, but I figured it would be just like the gate only bigger. Both designs are modeled after barn doors with the cross-plank support. I always call this "the barn." Garages shelter cars.
Barns shelter hay and livestock, and at the time, Peter was living in it with his bale of hay.  This was one of those projects  that taught me not to trust the advice of hardware employees. Just before I started sawing those planks, I realized the measurements were all wrong for the opening. Thank goodness I caught that. The whole thing cost me $100. You can't buy a pre-made garage door anywhere for $100 and definitely not one that is solid wood. It works.

This is Peter's hutch. When I moved to this house the previous owner had piles of old wood pieces up in the rafters of the garage. So I used them! Someone donated an old piece of plywood for the roof and I used some left over shingles from a previous roofing project. I have to say it's a construction masterpiece and I still have no idea how I pulled it off. There are two compartments with removable walls so if I got Peter a friend I could separate them.  A few years later I decided I couldn't tolerate Peter locked in jail and I let him out in the yard. Now it's Peter's feeding station. You can see him under the hutch behind his glass-enclosed patio eating at his dish.

This is one of my book tables made out of an old window frame from our family barn that no longer exists. I held on to the frames as keepsakes for years and vowed I would make something to give them a new life. It took me two years to find all the supplies including the table legs and chandelier crystals. It looks like it would be an easy project, but figuring out how to support the legs so they weren't wobbly and able to hold heavy glass was a challenge.  This one displays children's books.

Here is the second barn window frame book table. This one functions as a coffee table and displays art history books.

This was my latest project...Peter's house. I got a bunch of wood pieces off Freecycle and felt inspired. Peter needs lots of places in the yard to hide from predators or to get out of the weather. I also found free roofing tiles. I positioned it on top of pieces of concrete and gravel to keep it from getting wet and made the roof extra big to shield it from the rain. That little red door is just for looks and I'm considering putting a sign above it that reads, Peter's Playhouse. Maybe. I'm not sure if I want it too cutesy. I still have to find some triangular pieces to fill in the roof and some flashing, but for now it's fine the way it is. See my ceramic bunny that is painted like a dog sitting in the eaves? The little neighbor girl made that for me when she was seven years old. When it came time for her to paint it, she couldn't quite remember what a rabbit looked like. It has fluorescent pink ears and nose.

I made Peter a split-level condo!  With carpeting! Such a lucky bunny. It has two openings, one on each side (on the right side and under the ramp, not seen well in the photo) so he can escape if anything comes into the house and as you can see, the whole front  wall swings open so I can clean it out if necessary.  Unfortunately, I've never seen him go in or out of it so I don't think he likes it. Maybe someday.

Most often after I finish the project I feel proud and accomplished. And then I vow never to attempt construction again...until the next time. 

Entertainment, Part Three: Shopping

Shopping used to be my number one form of entertainment and a reason to meet friends for relaxation and fun. It was more a form of therapy than a money-spending event with free advice shared by friends, salespeople and even other shoppers.  The saying, When the going gets tough, the tough get going was re-written to serve as our mantra: When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.

"I'm feeling depressed."

"Let's go shopping!"

"I'm feeling fat."

"Let's go shopping!"

"I'm bored."

"Let's go shopping."

"I need a new pair of shoes."

"Let's go shopping."

"I need advice."

"Let's go shopping."

There was nothing more exciting that seeing the latest fashions, the beautiful fabrics, bright colors and patterns and sparkly accessories in a setting conducive to conversation and counseling. With others or alone, it was a cure-all and a mood booster for any situation.

With multiple chemical sensitivity, the mantra has changed to When the going gets tough, the tough probably WENT shopping!

Traditional shopping, or face-to-face people contact, is obviously problematic for many reasons. Salespeople stink. Shoppers stink. Merchandise stinks. Air fresheners stink. Cleaning products stink. These stink dangers are general to any type of store. In addition, isolating a large number of toxic products in one space can be extremely hazardous to a MCSer.

Besides general toxicity issues, stores specializing in specific types of merchandise will have associated risks. Listed below is a random selection of products that make shopping difficult for chemically sensitive people:

Clothing/Fabric New clothing or fabric is saturated with chemicals such as dyes, fire retardants, and anti-mildew treatments such as formaldehyde. The latest trend is to treat garments with perfume as a sales enhancement, but perfume also gets on the merchandise from  salespeople handling it and shoppers trying it on. There isn't much that can rival the toxicity of a Nordstrom department store with their perfume counters on the entrance floor and all their perfumed salespeople intermingling with smelly shoppers trying on chemically-treated clothing.

I rarely go clothing shopping, but when I do I go to stores that have excellent ventilation and shop during off hours when there are fewer customers. If I find merchandise I like, I buy in quantities so I don't have to shop often. Online shopping or ordering through catalogs are less-toxic options, but when it comes to clothes, I've never been comfortable buying something without seeing and touching it first. I have purchased clothing at yard sales or Goodwill thinking the toxic treatments have been washed off or off-gassed long enough only deal with the smelly laundry detergents used by the clothing's former owner, but after one or ten spins in the washing machine, even those smells may be eradicated. There are some organic clothing shops with online and catalog options, but I find these to be too expensive for my budget.

Furniture  In addition to chemicals used to treat the upholstery fabric, check the materials used to make the furniture. Plastics, polyurethane foam and plywood may cause health problems due to the off-gassing of these cheap, treated materials. Quality materials such as solid wood pose less risk, but be aware of surface treatments of paint, polish, wax or stains which may be hazardous as well.

I buy quality materials and products like wood, metal or glass from garage sales or get them free from Freecycle. Used furniture poses less risk, but I have had to put newly-purchased, used furniture out in my garage for some off-gassing time. I would love to get rid of my old furniture and replace it with some modern designs, but it's not worth the risk.

Blinds  I had plastic blinds in my house when I moved here. I considered replacing or adding more until I checked the manufacturer online. It seems fifteen years ago these blinds were almost recalled because the plastic is strengthened and bound with lead. In sunlight this lead disintegrates over time, dries, and forms a powder that is extremely deadly to children. They get it on their hands and put their hands in their mouths. This safety issue was within the minimum standards because the lead dust wouldn't kill an adult so it was decided not to recall the product. I guess kids aren't that important! I wondered why the blinds always felt gritty. It amazes me what we don't know about products we purchase.

Rugs I bought a rug made by Feizy Rugs at a store closing sale with all sales final. Before purchasing, I got my nose right down next to the wool pile and couldn't smell a thing. I also assumed wool is a natural fiber so it must be safe. As soon as I got it in the car I could smell it.  I expected with a new rug it would be treated so I'd do some fancy off-gassing tricks and it should be fine. Six months later after multiple treatments with baking soda, vacuuming, heating, fans, bowls of vinegar, bowls of coffee grounds, it still stunk and I couldn't be in the same room with it for more than five minutes without my throat and lungs constricting. I finally did some research online and found out wool pile rugs made in India are made with latex as an adhesive. After time or if exposed to heat or sun, the latex disintegrates creating a toxic dust. People are being diagnosed with nighttime asthma, when in fact they are sleeping in bedrooms with these rugs. (Nighttime asthma? Really? What will stupid doctors think of next?) Places like Pottery Barn and Home Depot sell these poisonous rugs. I wrote to the company and they told me tough luck, sucker. They had my money. They didn't care.

Most of my floors are tile or hardwood and most of the rugs I own are 100% cotton and washable. I do have one bamboo wooden rug I purchased at a yard sale and another woven wool rug I purchased at an antique consignment shop. I won't go near carpeting or carpet padding because of the chemicals used. Other housewares items I usually purchase from yard sales or get from Freecycle.

Groceries A stroll down a grocery store's laundry detergent aisle is suicide! The stink from detergents, bleaches, fabric softeners, fabric sheets, air fresheners, scented candles, and cleaning products is suffocating. Newly polished floors reek. I had a chat with a produce employee who told me he worked for a produce manager at another store who always sold conventional produce as organic to make extra money. Who to trust? Plastic grocery bags are printed using lead-based ink. Don't ever use them inside-out with the ink touching food items. Some paper grocery bags are treated with chemicals and cardboard boxes used to ship the groceries are treated with pesticides to control cockroaches in grocery storage facilities. Another problem I have in grocery stores is the grocery checkers who wear scented hand lotion. They reapply it constantly, bag my groceries touching every item, and the stink goes home with me.  It's very difficult to wash oily lotion off cardboard containers or produce.

I do most of my grocery shopping at a local food co-op that I trust due to their extremely high principles regarding quality. If I do shop at a conventional grocery store, I check out the employees by walking through the store and making observations. I especially check out the grocery checkers who will be handling my purchases as I don't want their perfume or scented hand lotion on my food. There have been times as I'm waiting in line the checker gets out his/her hand lotion. I leave. Immediately. Once I had a cashier do this just as she was about to scan my first item. I yelled, STOP!, grabbed everything off the conveyor belt, loaded it back in the cart, and left. When given the choice, I opt for self-checkout lines so no one handles my groceries. Also, if any product makes me sick and is labeled organic, I don't buy there again. Grocery employees seem to think people can't tell the difference between organic and chemically-grown food. I can!  I use cloth bags instead of store-provided plastic or paper bags.

Other grocery purchasing options are farmers' markets, health food stores, and local organic farmers. In some areas there are farms with cooperative agreements where you can purchase an annual or seasonal membership and they deliver fresh produce to your home or community pick-up area. Check to make sure they are organic. Don't assume even if they say they are!

These are just a few toxic shopping experiences and some alternative ideas.  Still, nothing beats being able to go into a store and seeing the product to make a sound purchase, but it's not always worth the health risk. I've learned to live without a lot of excess, shop during slow hours, scope out the salespeople and cashiers, and select stores with good ventilation and limited smell. I also do my best to recycle and reuse and I'm a devoted fan of Freecycle and addicted to garage sales!

For those of you unfamiliar with Freecycle, it is an online group located in most communities where people post  for items they want or items want to offer others. The basic rule is it has to be free.  The concept is to recycle, reuse, and reduce waste.

Shopping is still entertainment, but different. To me a trip to Whole Foods is a thrill. It's an adventure! It's a chemically sensitive person's Disneyland! The laundry detergent aisle at Whole Foods doesn't even bother me and I've encountered few smelly shoppers. I still need to take the standard precautions and avoid the scented candle section, but for the most part I've found it fairly safe. I get really excited when planning a Whole Foods shopping trip!

What are products you find especially hazardous?

What are stores you find are relatively safe?