What most do not know--a little about me

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I am the daughter of the junk picker and a hoarder. I think mom's hoarding wore off on dad, until she died. They were divorced, so my brother had to deal with everything of mom's when she passed away.. Dad got very aggressive about getting rid of his excess, then. His wife, Charlotte was not a hoarder, so it was easier for him to let go. Off and on when I was growing up my dad was self employed. He did lots of things. One thing he did was to take care of homes that were foreclosed for the VA and the Federal Mortgage Administration. He would winterize them, clean them out, and paint them and clean the rugs, etc. We would take home all the junk. He did not make a decent living. I am not sure my mom helped with expenses well. I cannot speak to the situation too much, as I was a child. She was sick a lot. She also ironed clothes, sold things like Stanley products and Watkins and Raleigh. He had some physical injuries from his youth. He did not let them hold him back. The last regular job I remember him having he lost when I was around four or five. It was on a federal Air Force Base. He was accused of something he did not do, but could not fight it, he said, because he was guilty of something else that would have been found out. When he sold real estate, he often did not take the profit he should have. He was a kind man who would give you the shirt off his back and pay you to take it. One year he roofed houses after a bad hail season.But did not get his materials paid for promptly. We were in the hole again. He cleaned out semi tractor trailers and washed them. That was to pay off his roofing debt and keep us in a house and with food.There were times in my childhood when all utilities were turned off: water, gas, electric and phone. It got so bad when the city turned them off they put special locks on, because he knew how to turn them back on, and would. Dad was a hard worker, but not a good manager, I guess.He did teach me about buying marked down foods and cheap cuts of meat and day old bread at the stores. Often we had very small meals, very boring meals. I could hardly wait to be out on my own and cook what I wanted. I say that is why I am so in love with foods that taste good, and good seasoning. It makes me upset to waste food. Bread and gravy or bread and butter (margarine) were my go to fill up. I do not go out and buy a new wardrobe every year, or every season. I used to make a lot of my clothes. I like to shop thrift shops and sale racks. Things have to really be worn out for me to dispose of them, and then I am likely to cut buttons and trim off of them. I do not say any of this to make you feel sorry for me. I am wealthy compared to some people that I meet here every day. Even at our poorest, we had more than most people in the world. I am better off right now than all those poor people displaced by the fires. I am better off than the migrant caravan. I may worry about money, but at least I HAVE utility bills to pay for. I HAVE property that I will owe taxes on. I have skills to pinch pennies, skills to dress warmly, skills to try to save on things. My past is why. So this little bit of background may play a part in some of my Christmas tree stories. It did play a part in the part two story, for sure.