The Escape Plan

 

Another year come and gone! As I review my 2022 New Year's Resolution in preparation to write my review of 2023, I pondered the goal of "plan escape". Did I succeed? Did I plan my escape?

I have planned my escape for eighteen years. Between bad neighbors with barking dogs, smelly laundry, inconsiderate rudeness, and houses that are just too close, the lack of basic community amenities like competent health care, organic food, decent phone service or postal service, and an overabundance of wet, damp and mold that I'm sure has contributed to some of my health issues, I have longed to escape, Rathole, my hell hole. I have dreamed of a place that is chemically sensitive aware, dry, warm, inexpensive with real health care and organic food. My state is one of the more expensive places to live although I didn't realize this until I started looking around.

I stayed where I am for so long for many reasons. First, was to gain equity in the house and property so it would end up a good investment and not a waste of money. Second, wait until I was retired. Third, save money. Fourth, find courage. Fifth, it's just difficult and usually unsafe to move. The past attempts have taught me that. In addition, over the years the world has intervened: economic recessions and depressions and then the pandemic. But is there a perfect place for me? Is it even possible to find a safe home?

I've decided to take a risk and venture forth! 2024 will be my year to move! How to proceed and take steps forward?

So 2023, I started planning and taking action. First, by trying to sell things. I went through all my closets and brought storage into the light. Good god, I have a lot art projects hidden away from view! Art has been my entertainment in seclusion. It keeps me sane and cognitively occupied. For years I was unable to attend festivals or markets since in-person selling was deemed too toxic. What do I do with all this boxed art and other unnecessary possessions I've hoarded over a lifetime?

My friends kept telling me to attempt Etsy. So I did. What a waste of money! First, they require you pay for every listing which sounds cheap until it starts adding up. Second, then if one wants things to actually sell, one must pay to market your items. After four months, I sold nothing. Now, I recognized at the time maybe my art is just ugly so I found the whole Etsy experience to be discouraging if not self-esteem damaging.

Then I decided I needed to sell my art history library, my expensive collection of coffee table and scholarly books, with the goal when it's gone I can move. Everyone said try eBay. I've always been leery of online anything. In fact I've never purchased anything from eBay or Etsy in my life, but I dove in head first. I got the feel for it with Etsy. Would eBay be more difficult or easier?

The eBay learning curve was hellishly steep! Trying to figure out how to work the shipping with all its rules and requirements was daunting. The scams and possible problems made the my probation stressful. After too many learning glitches, I figured it all out!  Once I had all the items listed which is the time consuming part, all I do now is wait for something to sell, pack it and ship it. Done! eBay does all the finances and deposits money into my bank account! How wonderful is that? Some people make up to $6,000 a month reselling things! I'm just selling my personal junk, but every dollar counts.

Things started selling immediately!! I didn't realize a lot of those art history books were limited edition collector publications going for $75, $100, and $200!! Others were just plain and old but still sold for $10, $25, $45...better than nothing! So far I've sold about 75 books. 

Along with listing 150 art history books, I listed personal possessions. Some of these possessions I've had all my life. Selling personal items that were sentimental was a little more difficult, but at the same time freeing. I kept thinking how wonderful part of my history was getting a new owner and start a new history. I sold my Girl Scout necklace, all my Partridge Family memorabilia, old records, dolls, jewelry, clothes, purses, travel mementos, collections and even free things I would find at yard sales and thrift stores. It amazes me what people buy and how much they are willing to pay for shipping! It's been really fun, cleansing, and surprisingly lucrative!

My next step was to sell the art stored in boxes in the back of closets. Etsy didn't work so well, but maybe I can do one summer art show and sell for cheap just to unload? I felt pretty intimidated due to my Etsy experience, but I ventured forth courageously and signed up for a local artist tour. I was hoping to get rid of my 200 painted rocks and 30 glass mosaics. I harassed two friends as helpers. One would be my assistant should a smelly buyer approach and the other would be in the booth next to me to serve as a partition from other vendors who might be selling smelly products. My booth was outside so plenty of fresh air and cleansing breeze. I sold way more than I ever thought I would, but I admit I priced things really low. More importantly, I survived! 

Realizing I could survive selling at art tours, markets and festivals, I started signing up for every weekend selling opportunity all summer long. My rules were it had to be outside, I had to have space around my booth. Often these booths are packed in like sardines and too close for comfort. Sometimes this required I purchase two booth fees and situate my canopy in the middle. The booth fee had to be relatively low so I would at least recoup its cost. I also requested I not be placed next to stink: scented soaps, incense, air fresheners, candles, essential oils. Most event planners ignored me, some attempted to accommodate me although since they didn't understand didn't succeed, and one was perfect, placing me on the corner outside away from others with a non-smelly vendor selling t-shirts right next to me.

I found I had a closet full of frames and another full of unused canvases. My goal was to unload anything I could. I started building inventory using anything I had. I ripped up sketchbook sketches and framed them. I starting doing watercolor paintings to use the frames, painting the frames, and painting the canvases. I even sold many of the watercolor sketches I've used to illustrate this blog! I used my collection of hoarded gift bags, tissue paper and recycled bubble wrap to wrap sold items.

Wow! It was fun, exhausting, lucrative, and productive. I watched happily as my boxes emptied and after each weekend my van became less packed. I lost about 15 lbs and got a lot of exercise hauling boxes, a canopy, tables and cement blocks. I met a lot of people. I even received a few commissions but I limited those as my goal was to rid myself of art I already had rather than create more art. Still, I used the canvases for the commissions. I encountered very few perfume wearers and when I did, stepped upwind to make sure the breeze carried the stench away. Several people asked me if I would teach classes and I had to decline. I can't be in an enclosed, inside room with stinkers.

Next I am attempting Facebook Marketplace for items I can't or don't want to ship for fear of breakage or furniture that is just too big.

2023 was a great year for escape planning and action! I also had my tarot cards read and they said I'm in the planning and thinking stage, taking steps preparing for action. Yep! Next year the cards say I am moving. I cried when I heard that!

Summertime Humanity Overload

It's December. Where did the year go? I haven't written a post in a YEAR! WOW!

Last summer I stepped out of my comfort zone and back into my old life, taking unnecessary risks with human encounters and living adventurously after existing too long as a hermit.

I'm in the process of trying to downsize and part of that includes getting rid of the hoards of boxes filled with art stored in my closet. Doing art over the years has provided a much needed entertainment in my reclusive life. It keeps me away from people. When the art project is done, it goes into a closet never to be seen again. I'm an amateur and I do art for entertainment so I've never really had the confidence to try to sell it, let alone face to face selling it with smelly people in my air space.

I decided to take the risk and signed up for an artist studio tour that welcomes other artists from outside the town to set up booths at locations. A museum in this town offered spaced at no cost! I didn't even need a canopy booth. But how do I protect myself should a buyer walk up to me smelling like a French whore?

I rallied two friends for help to provide buffers and a safety net. One was to be my assistant, and the other was going to sell her own art in the space next to me. My space was on the end so I was protected in a corner and we were outside with fresh air ventilation. I was still nervous. Would I be poisoned? End up in a hospital in anaphylactic shock? Sick for weeks? It had been a long time of isolation since my last bad exposure. Am I being unrealistic?

My first challenge was getting a real cell phone! Wow! I've only had Tracfones my whole life mainly because I hate phones in general, but cell phones give me headaches. I've tried to avoid EMFs as much as possible since MCSers are susceptible to exposure. New cell phones are a steep learning curve! Not only that I had to add apps for credit card payments, etc. Wow! It's a whole new world!

The second challenge was my assistant's family came down with COVID days before the event. Really? She was not infected and continuously took COVID tests to make sure. I threw all caution to the wind and said, "Come anyway. I can't do this without you!" We wore our masks all day not only to protect me from perfume exposure but as protection against COVID if in fact she was carrying any virus germs.

The stress was almost unbearable. I often wondered if I should have just thrown everything away instead of trying to "recycle" it by selling.

My instructions to my friends were code warnings if stinkers arrived. If they came into my friend's space first, her warning was to yell at me, "Do you want to go for pie after this?" Problem is she kept forgetting! Then I realized, she didn't even smell them! My assistant was instructed if anyone smelled to get between me and the buyer and say loudly, "If you have any questions, just ask." Fortunately,  the only person who stunk all day was the owner of the museum and she didn't come out to peruse the art often. Regardless, the masks worked wonderfully.

All went so well I wondered why I was ever stressed! I sold a mega amount of art. I was so encouraged by this, I signed up for festivals, markets and other craft-selling events all summer long! It was like having part of my old life back. I met a lot of other artists and made some friends. I continued to limit myself to outdoor events so fresh air was always ventilating my booth and I requested from event organizers to be placed on the edge and away from smelly products like scented candles, incense, essential oils, toxic air fresheners, and soaps. Sometimes I was accommodated, but sometimes not.  From time to time, I did encounter some stinkers wearing perfume, smelly vendors too close, or smokers, but I donned my N95 mask and all was fine.

I guess all my reclusiveness paid off and has made me less reactive? I don't know. The experience was fun, productive, exhausting, exhilarating, and financially rewarding. It was a great summer!

Christmas Festivals

Christmas festivals are typically filled with toxic stink so I normally don't even attempt to attend one. However, this year I found out the local bead shop has one every year for their artist customers and I just happened to be in the store at the right time. I was excited! Beads are one of the few non-toxic art supplies and very popular with chemically sensitive creatives.  Lately I've been using beads for the mosaics I'm making. I was looking forward to a whole festival of bead-themed art project for ideas. I love seeing what people do for fun. Unfortunately when I asked more questions I was told the event is not just for beadwork, but any homemade project. Hmmm...I think most people would be more excited but the thought gave me pause.

There were a few booths located on the lower level. I'm sure they were run-over due to overbooking as the space was a bit of an after-thought, a messy storeroom area haphazardly organized to accommodate this handful of artisans. There were tables of baked goods, ceramics, hemp sculptures, and cards. Nice, non-smelly. I stopped and chatted with the artists and let them tell me all about their processes. I regret the baked goods were not gluten free. Darn. I perceived this as a preview and it gave me hope.

As I made my way to the upstairs location, a very small sign at the top caught my eye. It was a copy of an email but printed in big bold letters at the top was the heading, "ATTENTION: READ THIS".

OK. Ever the complaint one, I hesitated and thought, It's probably something not so important as it is implying, but at that point my curiosity got the best of me. The email was addressed to artists with booths and said something to the effect (paraphrasing):

Please remember to be fragrance-free as many of our employees are chemical sensitive and would appreciate it! Thanks!

Whoa!! Outstanding! I was so hopeful for this event. I cheerfully walked through the door and was hit by an avalanche of toxic stink. It took me about thirty seconds before I stopped stubbornly fighting the desire to continue, turned around, and high-tailed it out of there. So disappointing.

I wrote to the store and requested next year they put the non-smelly booths downstairs, perhaps those focused on beads since that is what their store sells, and leave the toxic, poisonous stink upstairs so everyone can enjoy. Am I asking too much? I told them if it's extra work, I'd be happy to volunteer to help.

Their response was...no. LOL. Hey, it never hurts to try. In fact, I don't know if they knew about that sign. Perhaps a rogue chemically sensitive employee hung it? I hope I didn't get anyone in trouble....

Humanity Overload

Saturday I went to the Fremont Solstice Fair, or what I like to call The Naked Festival. I've always wanted to go and see naked people riding bikes, the crafts, and the Art Car Show. It's outdoors and fresh air is a really good thing for events that attract the masses. As you can see from the photo below, masses is an understatement.

 

 

Waiting for the parade to start....

I went with a friend who was saturated in smelly laundry detergent. I know she tried really hard to be fragrance-free and I sacrificed my health in order not to make her feel self-conscious. I know that was stupid, but I didn't have too much reaction: respiratory system burning and uncontrollable coughing. I tried keeping the growing irritability under control and ended up exhausted and in pain all night with the exhaustion lasting for days. I only encountered one truly toxic smelly person that made me dash so I say it was a good day.

I enjoy seeing naked people riding bikes. Most of them were painted so although the photo below looks like they have clothes or costumes on, most of it is painted on to look like clothing.

Others didn't even bother with paint, or very little of it:

The Art Car Show was fun and needless to say, it made me want to run home and decorate my van!

Dots...and dots...and dots...I really loved this car!

Shoes! Lots of shoes!

Flamingo themed!

Awesome paint job!

Another awesome paint job!

Love the colors on this one! Is that my favorite color teal?

HAPPY SOLSTICE!

Garlic

For as long as I can remember I've known garlic was special.  What kid doesn't grow up knowing it keeps vampires from biting your neck?

 

 

Besides protection from vampires, werewolves and demons, garlic has been an age-old remedy for any number of naturally occurring evils including colds, viruses, and infections. It's also known to regulate blood sugar levels, prevent scurvy, reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol. It's a well-known natural antibiotic. That's just a tiny sample of its healing properties. Finding out its anti-inflammatory rating is 4863 was enough to make me a believer!

I've eaten garlic all my life. When people have asked me if I'm worried if I'll stink, I laugh. My definition of stink is probably different from most. Strangely enough, if I eat garlic, I've never had anyone tell me they could smell it. I've asked people, "I just ate garlic - can you smell it?" Maybe they are just being polite, but I'm always given the OK. I would joke only bad people [vampires] would be repulsed by my garlic-saturated body so my friends must be the good guys. We are so afraid to smell badly.

Pre-MCS days when I'd get sick like a normal person, anytime I felt a cold or sore throat coming on I'd go to bed with a clove of garlic in my mouth. Raw garlic burns slightly, but after a while it numbs your mouth and throat. I'd suck on it in my sleep. If I woke up and couldn't taste it, I'd bite it a little to release the juices. The next morning I'd not have even a hint of illness or a tickle in my throat. The first time a friend told me about this remedy I said, "Eeww! What does your husband say when you do that?" She said they both have to do it together or the smell is quite intolerable coming from one person. I've often been asked if I'm afraid I'll choke on the clove in my sleep. Never have.

                            

Some believe most diseases are caused by parasites. Heart worms create heart attacks. Roundworms burrowing into a child's brain can make them blind. About a year ago I saw a television news story about a woman with a parasitic worm in her brain that affected her ability to function. I'm sure she regretted eating that pork chop. How many of us have eaten undercooked meat and were not aware? Sushi, anyone? But acknowledging civilized people in a civilized society might have worms is un-American to say the least. It's a taboo subject stereotypically indicating an unsanitary, uncultured lifestyle.  Unfortunately, with the cat and dog epidemic and animal owners no longer keeping pets outside, parasites are fairly common. Recently I read there was an outbreak of the bubonic plague down in New Mexico due to fleas from dogs. Bubonic Plague!? I thought that went out in the Middle Ages!?  Don't underestimate the power of a parasite.


I grew up on a farm, running barefoot through fields, handling pets and livestock then eating apples off the trees or veggies from the garden before washing my hands. Heck, we used to swim in the animal watering troughs and use cow patties as weapons when we played war. I don't ever remember being given any kind of deworming treatments, although deworming kids at the end of summer used to be common practice in the old days...before it became taboo to even think about parasites.

Since conventional, civilized, [ineffective] health care has failed me so often, I wondered if whatever ails me is caused by some creepy crawly in my system. When I caught the neighbor's worm-infested cat sleeping in Peter's bed, I figured I'd better do something to protect him so I started reading about natural remedies for parasites. Pumpkin seeds and garlic were the most commonly used and on hand for both animals and people. Peter wouldn't go near the garlic, but he ate the pumpkin seeds. I cook with and eat garlic daily so I assumed I probably didn't need deworming, but it couldn't hurt? The instructions said to mince three garlic cloves and swallow them down with a large glass of water. Hmmmm. OK. I figured if other people have done this it's not going to kill me.

The first ten minutes I seriously thought I was going to die. Or at the very least pass out. My head started spinning, my stomach burned and felt like it was ripping apart, and I could hardly breathe let alone stand. Oh God, what have I done? I ran to the toilet and tried to vomit it all up, but I've never been able to thrown up anything so it didn't work. After ten minutes...I was fine. Amazing. I'm pretty sure by the time those minced garlic cloves got to my intestines if there were parasites they ran screaming for their lives. Everything I read also highly suggests eating high fiber diets with lots of veggies and fruits and drinking lots of water for optimal digestion and elimination. Constipation keeps the parasites inside your digestive tract too long allowing them time to root themselves in the walls of your colon and forage their way into your bloodstream which allows them to travel anywhere. Icky...

I grow garlic all over my yard. Planting it at the base of rose bushes is supposed to keep roses free from disease and aphids.  I also have elephant garlic in my garden. I love the tall stalks and beautiful round blooms. Some people prefer it as it has a much milder taste, but it's actually not a garlic at all, but a type of leek.

Check your area this summer for garlic festivals and celebrate this wonder gift from the gods!  At such events you may find garlic bread, garlic mashed potatoes, garlic cheesecake, deep-fried garlic, garlic-flavored fudge (?!), Caesar garlic salads, chicken marinated in garlic, garlic salsa, garlic-flavored kettle korn, garlic cashews, pasta with garlic Alfredo sauce, corn on the cob with garlic butter, and roasted garlic cloves. Garlic lovers are so creative!

With vampires like Ian Somerhalder, who needs garlic?

Entertainment, Part Thirteen: The Fresh Outdoors

Summer is almost here! There are so many wonderful things to do in the great, fresh outdoors during good and not so good weather. The advantage to outdoor entertainment is obviously fresh air, breeze, and wind preferably blowing stink away from the chemically sensitive person, but also movement. One is able to move about freely, away from toxic smells. Granted, smelly people encounters will be the greatest risk at public events, but once you learn to sample the air with shallow breathing techniques and move fast, it's not as dangerous as indoor and confined activities. You'll become very adept at holding your breath at a moment's notice and breathing deeply when able. I was told once by a doctor reviewing my labs that I don't breathe efficiently. Well, YEAH! Welcome to my world. We do what we can to survive.

I'll briefly list some of my favorite outdoor entertainment ideas here, but I'm sure as the summer progresses I'll write about many of them in more detail.

Organic Gardening Grow your own food, flowers, herbs, bushes, trees and oxygen-enhancing greenery. If you don't have your own dirt to play in, grow a container garden or find a community garden with fragrance-free fellow gardeners. (See also blog post titled "Entertainment, Part 2: Organic Gardening" and all other gardening adventure posts.) Potential Dangers: Mold in dirt, natural pesticides made from essential oils

Up close and personal!

Organic Farm Visitations  Many organic farms invite people for visits and give tours. Some will demonstrate farm activities such as cheese making and goat and/or cow milking, offer cooking classes, or provide petting farms for children. Others will sell their organic flowers and produce on site or demonstrate specialties like candle making, flower arranging, food preservation techniques or weaving. Local organic farmers are good people to know and support, and are often very aware and passionate about society's issues with chemical poisoning. Potential Dangers: Stinky people encounters.

Berry Picking  Find organic farms that provide u-pick berries or other produce. In my area of the country, strawberries are ripe as early as June, and blueberries and raspberries in July. Depending on the type of blackberry, they are ripe in July and August and free if you are willing to hike up in the woods. Apple, cherry, pear, and peach tree orchards often provide u-pick opportunities as well and neighbors sometimes offer free windfalls or gleaning. Potential Dangers: Stinky people encounters.

Farmers' Markets Support your local, organic farmers! Farmers' Markets are like outdoor shopping malls and entertainment rolled into one with lots of air. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters and smelly booths like scented candles, potpourri, or essential oils. Hold your breath and walk past very fast!

County and State Fairs  I LOVE fairs! I enjoy looking at horses with braids, cows with ribbons,  pigs with manicures and well-behaved dogs. I know someone who gives her chickens baths in preparation for the fair. Fluffs them up real pretty. I also like looking at local crafts, baking contests, flower exhibitions and fruit and vegetable competitions. Although I don't partake of the carnival rides or the junk food, the sounds and smells they provide add a certain ambiance specific to a county fair. Bring your own snacks and water. Potential Dangers: Smelly people, stinky booths and displays, non-organic flowers and produce exhibits, junk food, bathrooms washed in chemicals.

Festivals Art festivals, music festivals, ethnic/cultural festivals or any combination are in abundance during the summer months. One year I went to a mule festival. Yep, a three-day mule extravaganza. The baby donkeys were delightful! Search online for "festivals in [state]" and up pops festivals for the summer, for this coming weekend, for tomorrow. I have found some of the more popular festivals can be extremely crowded. If they last Friday through Sunday, Friday right when they open is often the least populated time. During the weekend, get there again right when they open, but expect you might need to leave by early afternoon. There is one festival in my area by 1pm it's wall to wall people with little room to walk let alone breathe. Still, these events are usually outdoors and in fresh air. If it rains, consider it a blessing - everyone stays home! Potential Dangers: Smelly people, stinky booths and products, junk food, bathrooms washed in chemicals.

Medieval and Renaissance Faires Historical recreations or re-enactments are incredibly fun and provide a very entertaining escape in an outdoor setting with lots of authentic costumes and colorful people. There are often arts and crafts demonstrations, dancing lessons, food from the period and palm reading, as well as jousting, dramatic performances, and music. I once went to a war! Yep, I said war! It took place on a mountain side far away in the country. We got up early in the morning, set up our picnic on the field, and watched grown men and women in costumes pommel each other with swords and clubs. Good fun! Huzzah!! Potential Dangers: Smelly people, smelly booths of scented candles, soaps, dried flowers, pesticides, fire smoke. (I always think it's odd people participating in re-enactments will use chemical perfumes, make-up and pesticides. I think they are missing the point.)

Parks I think many of us take for granted these simple outdoor entertainment areas often right in your neighborhood, in the middle of urban areas. Because so many take them for granted, they are often deserted! Check out landscaping techniques, specialized gardens, hiking trails, and walking paths. They may be used for picnics, sports, bird watching, wildlife observations, art, or playing on the children's playground equipment. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, pesticide and herbicide use

Beaches/Ocean Adventures Fresh air at its finest and miles of walking opportunities. Location selection will be important as not all beaches are created equal. Population, water quality, ground surface quality, walkability and sea life viewing are some of the variables. Potential Dangers: Secluded beaches are relatively safe in terms of stink, not in terms of lunatics and perverts. Overpopulated beaches in the sun belt will be crowded with sun tanning addicts drenched in smelly suntan oils and other stink.

Walking Go for a walk in your neighborhood or anywhere there are sidewalks or paths. Check out the houses, yards, gardens, trees. Meander, lollygag, stroll, speed walk, race walk, or even jog. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, pesticides, herbicides, other neighborhood poisons.

Camping Find a nice, secluded campsite that is safe in the woods, at the ocean, in the mountains, in the country or in someone's backyard. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, pesticides, campfires (See also blog post Entertainment, Part Eleven: Travel.)

Hiking If you have hiking trails in your area or close by take advantage of the fresh air and beautiful scenery of mountains and countryside. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, pesticides, restroom chemicals.

Excursions, Exploration, Sightseeing Become a tourist and visit local outdoor tourist sites: historical properties, ferry rides, outdoor historic tours, architectural wonders, natural wonders, and other places of interest. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, bathrooms washed in chemicals, traffic and car exhaust

Concerts Outdoor music performances offer a different listening experience with the sky above  and fresh air in surround sound. It's fun to crash on a blanket on the lawn and blanket space offers much more personal space in comparison to a seated arrangement. If there are problems with smelly people, you aren't stuck in a confined, pre-reserved spot. You can move! I really love Jazz or Blues festivals that are outdoors. Take your own food and drink so you don't have to buy at the snack bar. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, bathrooms washed in chemicals, pesticides/herbicides used on lawns.

My favorite guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-9zG4KzLHs

(Not a great video with that tag across the screen, but I couldn't get the good video to download. Hopefully, this one works!)

Solitary Sports Swimming in an ocean, lake or river. Cycling on bike paths. Roller skating on park trails. Soccer ball kicking on fields. Jogging on trails or tracks. Potential Dangers: Smelly people encounters, traffic and car exhaust, synthetic track surfaces offgassing chemicals, polluted water.

None of these activities are totally fragrance-free because so many of them involve people. Pick and choose what you're limitations allow and learn to breathe shallow and move fast!