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i never bothered much with keeping up with the joneses.

mostly i just wanted whatever they were throwing out.

[joyce]

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it's mine. God told me that if i painted it enough, i could have it.

[georgia o'keeffe]

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There will be a tall front door, with a doorknob that's interesting enough to remember later. We will sell hot chocolate when it's cold, and pie no matter what the weather- which might actually be a name for a pie. There will be thick rugs strewn all over the floor, since bare feet will make regular appearances, and a quote of the day. Lewd quotes will be discouraged, unless they are just that funny. There will be a suggestion box.

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Everything will be beautiful. We will hang old screen doors from the ceilings to hang jewelry on and nail pants to the wall. There will be hidden rooms at the ends of staircases, and in the dressing rooms we will have only natural lighting and paint things on the wall like, Woman, you are breathtaking. Our specialties will be expedition flags, fingerless gloves, and our famous grilled cheese sandwiches. A bus will be parked in the garden out back.

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There will be glass bottles made into candles strung from the trees, and a fountain with tea lights floating. Honeysuckle will be encouraged, as will bonfires. At Christmastime, we will custom design ornaments and nail them to a Christmas tree painted on one wall, and covered up with drapes the rest of the year. For Halloween, we will sell only los Dias de los Muertos decor. Call it the All Saints Sale.

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The eats counter will be called the Mixing Pot, where we will hang up fun aprons and utensils for sale. We will also supply books and slightly out-of-date newspapers for bored significant others. Maybe a hammock or two. Naps are always encouraged. Come look us up, sometime in the future, somewhere in the southwest. If you ever need a reminder that life is good, we'll be here.