Family Resemblances... The Genes We Pass Along Generation To Generation

 So, the Rain did come, and it got Colder, and I hunkered inside in my Jammies looking at 1990's Comedy Sketches on my Computer.  Coz 2026 already ain't looking 'Funny', so Reality right now isn't something I'm wanting a whole lotta daily Negative exposure to or of!   I didn't turn the TV on all Day, it was Bliss, just me Blogging and then watching Archived Old Comedies on U-Tube,  I enjoyed from almost or over 30 Years ago!!!  We'll be losing our NetFlix Account probably Tomorrow, so there will be no more of that.  But, the Internet has Archived good shit galore and that's gonna be my Go To now when I don't wanna see or hear a motherfuckin' thing about the Shitshow and Fuckery of America in the Right Now.  And Clowning around Online was Entertaining as a form of Escapism from awful Realities in Real Time playing out.

The Daughter asked everyone by about 7:30 p.m., you want Breakfast Food for Dinner?  Coz, nobody had Eaten but once all damned Day.  So, El Pastor Chorizo N Egg Burritos, on a Fresh Tortilla made Today in the Bakery, that I'd gotten from the "Food City", sounded just Fine for Dinner!  *LOL*  And it was delicious, I could have eaten Two, but she made One, and Portion Control, Portion Control.   *Smiles*  Funny how you can not even be Hungry or Eat all damned Day, but then someone gives you something really Sublime to Eat and you're like, I wouldn't have minded Seconds.  *Winks*  So, it was a small Burrito, but one that packed a punch of Flavor, I devoured it like a Serengeti Jackal!  And I was thinking, Gee, I miss Halloween already and I haven't taken a fucking Ornament off the Christmas Tree yet either.  *Bwahahahaha*

The Above Building Cool Art Mural in Olde Town, some New Owner painted over with Cheap watery Red Paint that looks hideous... and has left the Building Vacant, so now it's Ugly AND Abandoned... not an Improvement!   Now I get Mad every time I drive past it!!!  The Kiddos are binge watching Old Movies and TV Series from the 1990's now, it must just be a Nineties Flashback kinda Day?!  Holy shit!  *LOL*  Sometimes if it's been so long since you saw something, or mebbe never saw it, it's all "New" to you when you go ahead and watch it Years or even Decades later.  I watched Comedian Cliff Cash on some Old Videos of his Comedy, which, I really like his Style of Comedy, it has a Message and is Satirical in Nature, but, with a Strong Message along with the Humor found in it all.   The Comedian lost everything, literally, and has lived in his Vehicle for the last 7 Years, so, that's just part of finding Humor in adversity and loss. 

 His Political Humor about Extreme Far Right Religion and Extreme Far Right Politics, including this current Shitshow and it's Supporters, is SO on Point and Fearless.  Once you've already Lost everything, you have nothing left to Lose, after all.  And he has a Point of Reference as to Living with a lot of what he grew up with, doesn't Agree with, and makes Fun of now.  He grew up in the South coming from a very Conservative Southern Baptist Family, his Dad did NASCAR when they still ran it on dirt, his Mom Speaks in Tongues... and he has a Gay much Older Lesbian Sister who Came Out to him 1st when he was a Tween, coz, fearful of what the Fundie Family might receive her, or not, after that... and shit got Interesting with the Family Dynamic from his Teens onwards, pretty much.   

And he ended up losing his Business {Flipped Real Estate}, his House, Father {Dead}, Wife {Still Alive, but with no Soul he says, which is Creepier LOL}, and all his Possessions, by the time he was in his 30's... and yet makes it sound Funny in a Gallow's Humor way!  And now does Stand Up Comedy and Happily lives Van Life in his Vehicular 'Home'.  He has a much Younger Girlfriend now, whose Mother is not much Older than him, who Re-Married a much Younger Man who is Younger than him... so... you can't make shit like that up!!!  Real Life shit can be and often is stranger and funnier than Fiction!!!  

So, I also binge watched Cliff's Comedy Videos back to back for a while too Today.   Since you can't Outsmart Dumb People with any measure of Success, and they're everywhere these days, you have to Outdumb them, he says.   And how he does that in response to the dumb shit people say, is Priceless and hilarious.  *Smiles*   The MAGA Base in particular, he has a LOT of Fun with that Demographic.  Messing with them, but in a way that leaves them speechless and unawares he's even messing with them.  Just saying the dumbest and dumber shit that he can think of, that is dumber than the shit they just said to him and they Believe.  And catching them totally Off Guard.  *Bwahahaha*

 

The Next Day:  Since I'm a couple unpublished Posts ahead again I can take time to just do Posts leisurely and keep coming back to them over a few Days.  We're Harvesting Citrus now from our Neighbor Omar's Trees, The Daughter has been making Mexican Medicine for herself with these Lemons, some brewed Cinnamon, Honey and I don't know what else.  But it reminds me of concoctions my Dad always made when we were Sick growing up, we never went to Doctors or took Store bought Medicine.  Dad used Tribal Remedies for everything and they worked, Mom was the one more stuck on Western Medical Remedies and it got her dependent on many Pharma Addictive Drugs over her Lifetime, sadly.  I'm the type reluctant to take an Aspirin for a Headache and very suspicious of most Meds For Profit that Big Pharma cranks out and most, but not all, Western Medical Doctors seem too eager to prescribe.

 

Anyway, The Daughter is feeling better already after her own Remedies were brewed up and taken.  She used them for over 20 Years in Mexico and would go to their Homeopathic Healers for advice.   She said it's very similar to when her Grand-Dad consulted his Medicine Man here.  Anyway, I'm glad she's over whatever ailed her since I didn't look forward to another Urgent Care Trip and risking being around contagions in the Waiting Rooms of Hospitals/ER/Urgent Care/Doc Offices during The Season of "Giving".  Meaning the giving of every Contagious Disease going around.  I'm all Vaxxed Up, but, still.  In a Multigenerational Household we get Exposed enuf to shit as Seniors, who don't tend to bounce back as well as the Younger Generations do when we catch something.

Princess T just got all Cute for Work this Morning and then wouldn't let me take her Pix while her Hair was still in Adorable Braids, which, she does just to give it some Body before Styling it.  She must look Fierce before any Photography is allowed.  *Eye Roll*  Her ensemble was Cute, she has such a sense of Style.   Fashion you can Buy, Style you must Possess, some folks will never have Style becoz you can't Buy it.  So, I must patiently wait until the Fashionista is ready to have her Photo Shoot.  *LOL and Eye Roll*  Eli is Protesting loudly, I know not why... oh wait, yeah, I do, I spaced out Yesterday and forgot to go in and clean his Litterbox and give him some Wet Food!!!   Oooops... Gasp, and he's like, Bitch, don't dare forget about me Today, it's so hard to get Good Staff these days!   And began wailing at my Bedroom Door coz he heard the clacking of my Keyboard, so... I know you're in there!!!  *LOL*

Eli is a Character and a Rascal, he's only Tight with his Human and tolerates me coz I'm his Staff and The Spoiler of Felines.  He knows which side of his Bread it's Buttered on.  *Winks*  He was so miffed about Yesterdays Neglect that he refused to let me Brush & Groom him, which, usually he looks forward to.  Not Today, Woman, I'm Mad at you!  The Look and Shade Thrown that he gave me was hilarious, Anger written all over his Face!  He's very Facially Expressive with his Unspoken Mood and Unspoken Words.  But he can be Loud too and wake the whole household, so, you have to DO something to appease his Ass at 5:00 in the Morning!!!   *LOL*  Otherwise you hear the Menfolk yelling out from their respective Rooms, "Shut the Fuck Up Eli!"  He. does. not. Like. them!  So he will ignore their caterwauling.  *Ha ha ha*  Actually I exaggerate, only The Son says Fuck... The Man, I've never heard him drop an F-Bomb ever.  I'm the one of us who Swears like a Sailor.  *Winks*

I swear a lot... as if I had Tourette Syndrome.  *LMAO*  I could only ever restrain myself from profanity around my Parents since neither of them swore.  They would tell us, growing up, that profanity was how uneducated and ignorant people only know how to express themselves.  So, use Words of intellect instead.  And so now they're Dead, here I am, swearing like, daily!   *Bwahahahahaha*   I wouldn't let any Kiddo I was Raising swear in front of me tho', 'til they were Grown.  Tho' I know they had to be doing it behind my Back all the time, along with other things Kids do when Parents aren't around, and I wasn't exactly Leading by Example of having a Clean Mouth, now, was I?  *Smiles*   I've gotten much worse with Age.  They say it's a 'Sign' of Dementia and other cognitive decline... so... whatever... ha ha ha.  Might as well join The Man in Senility Land, why not?  He seems to be having Fun with it.

In all Seriousness tho', it's no Fun for anyone else, so, I'm using Satire my Friends, I Hope you recognize that Dark Humor is necessary and I'm not Serious?  If I didn't have Gallow's Humor my Life could get rough for me.  For Sure.  *Ha ha ha*  We Laugh heartily at the most inappropriate things in this Family, we really do.  When The Man is Acting Up I will just often say No Words and have a "Look" and all the Kiddos will erupt in raucous Laughter about it and say, "MOM!!!  GRAMMA!!!  Stop it!!!"  Words weren't necessary and The Man is then Clueless about why they're all hysterically finding SOMETHING Funny, when he's Acting Up something Fierce and no Words are being said at all about it... just Laughter.   He'll then tend to Knock it Off. 

Some of it he still has a modicum of self control over to a degree and it's better to Laugh than to get Angry at him for a Condition not his fault and he can't help.  And Honestly, if looked at in the Right perspective, some of the Behaviors are damned Funny in a Dark Humor kinda way of seeing and Dealing with it more appropriately than being Sad or Angry about it.  He's doing Okay, he really is, and I'm just glad it seems a slow progression so that he might not outlive the Disease getting to that point where it's beyond tragic and he's still mostly himself.  At 84 Mom got to where she was no longer herself and seemed tormented by what was happening to her, so we weren't entirely Sad when it was over for her.  Dad went out so Peacefully and on his own Terms, that wasn't entirely Sad either, but for different reasons, having a total Peace about Dying.

I didn't mean to get all Morbid on ya, I'm actually in a Good Head Space and Mood, the Headache lifted, tho' the Weather didn't and is still Cold, Wet, Grey and Miserable out there again Today.  But, whatever blew in with it my Body adjusted to finally so I don't feel dreadful now, whew!  It was Bone Aches from the Cold and Headache from whatever allergens came with the Storms, so nothing serious, Age + allergies can equal misery some days, that's all.  It passes so I don't get too wound up about it and try not to let The Man get too wound up about his either, or, he could.  I remind him it's a privilege not afforded many to grow Old and sure as Hell beats the Alternative of pushing up Dirt.  I'm taking him out Today to do some errands and essentials Shopping.  We're going to the Discount Grocer in Peoria and I have a $10 Off Coupon there to add to the Savings.  This Morning I sorted Inventory I'll Price later.  And made up a Donation Box to bring in and drop off where Princess T Works.

So I've been Productive early on Today after doing Fuck All Yesterday.  *LOL*  I much prefer being Productive and realized I'm only tormenting myself with Deadlines that don't really exist in the whole Process of Editing, Purging, Downsizing, Organizing, Style, etcetera.  It gives me something to DO in Retirement actually, so I shouldn't resent the Doing of it.   What else am I gonna Do whilst simultaneously Caregiving Full Time that has zero Earning potential?  Exactly.  So, I'm gonna, in 2026, look at it more like a Job that at least brings in some discretionary Income and I do on my own timetable and terms, which is Sweet, most Jobs don't give you that flexibility or freedom.  I think otherwise Boredom might set in if I had Days and Days of Nothingness to Do... I'm far too Hyperactive to be Still for long periods of Time or just watch TV and mundane shit that isn't Mentally Stimulating.  My Mind might go to mush quickly.  I think that's what happens to many Seniors, do too much Nothing, Mind goes to mush and Body falls apart.  The End.

I'd rather Go Out with a Flourish, being Productive, having Fun with it, and just Dropping Dead in the Process of being Active with a Full Life.  Better Ending to that Story IMO.   Anyway, since both of my Smokers here at Home were going thru withdrawal with no Money and no Cigs, I went to the Smoke Shop with The Son and showed him how to go Reservation Indian, if he and his Sister can't kick the Habit, and roll their own Cigs.  I bought the hand held Roller I used to watch all the Old Timers use when I was growing up Poor *LOL*, a big ole Bag of Tobacco, a shitload of some Rolled Papers they just have to Pack, and for around Twenty Bucks they'll have about 250 shit-sticks to Smoke now.  They were ecstatic, and The Son gave me his Nutritional Assistance Card to go Grocery Shopping with, Win-Win for the whole Family... I'll stretch it further than he could anyway and I'm Feeding them all Daily, so, that's their contribution to The Tribe while nobody is gainfully Employed.

And I told him if he really wants to Work his Hustle, Roll some and stand outside a Convenience Store or on the Streets and Sell them by the Cig to the Street Folk.   Who always wanna Bum one, and make a tidy little amount off what they can afford for one.  They wanna Smoke, you can make an exchange for their Spare Change they Panhandled.  Since they sure as shit can't afford what it costs for a Pack of them any more than you or your Sister can, and then Buy your own big Ole' Bag of Tobacco.  Otherwise, give up Smoking.  Drinking too.  Those be your Options when you're Broke... you can't afford to sustain Bad Habits.  Or you better find yourself a Sugar Mama right fast.  You're still a good looking Guy and relatively Young looking, and that Unemployment might not come thru and AI is taking all the Jobs it seems and Tariffs are killing off the rest.  So some Hustle better sustain ya in these Times we're in Son.   *Winks*  The Daughter is already a skilled and adept Hustler coz she's never been able to Work.

Just got back from the Discount Grocery Store, got about $250 of Essential Non-Perishable Groceries for $99.  Also Scored Gourmet Cat Food for Eli and Gourmet Bird Seed for the Wild Birds too, so everyone is gonna be eating good.  *LOL*  I didn't even know they had Wild and Exotic Bird Seed real Cheap there coz it was near the Bathrooms and Cleaning Products.  I needed to go to the Ladies Room and saw it, so now I know where to go to buy our Seed for our Bird Feeding Station, it's cheaper there than the Cheap Seed is anywhere else... and is the kind that at every other Store is Crazy Expensive.   Eli's Food was also that spendy Gourmet Cat Food if flavors that even sound alluring to Humans.  *Bwahahaha*  Trout & Catfish Wet Food and the Greenies Brand of Treat to be a Special Treat and Clean his Teeth for him.  *LMAO*

My Brother saw these Two Pixs I took this Morning of Princess T before Work and called me saying, Wow, she looks exactly like our Native American Cousin Cherie, and, she actually does, tho' not as Swarthy, tho' my Grandkids were Swarthy too until their early Teens, but you'd think this was one of Cherie's Grandkids.  I know my Cousin will see the resemblance and say something about it too, her Teen Granddaughters look so similar that Princess T could be mistaken as being one of their Sisters.  She's Younger than me so her Grands are Younger than mine and I only have Old Pixs of her Kiddos.  Until this Pix I hadn't noticed so much how she looks a LOT like my Dad's side of the Family now she's Grown!   My Cousins were all quite Beautiful in their Youth, didn't Age well tho', hard Life there on the Rez I think contributes to not Aging Gracefully, and, much shorter Lifespan as well.

Below is Cherie's Mom when Younger, my Aunt Gil, who was my Dad's Youngest Sister and lived with him until her Death.   Coz she was a Widow.  Older Brothers then support any Widowed or Single Sisters, or their Mom if she becomes Widowed.   My Dad and his Brother helped support their Mom until her Death too, Mom said Dad always sent Money Home to the Reservation his entire Adult Life, even after Retirement.  It's the Tribal way, you Share whatever you have, and if you live on the Rez, often with your Tribal Neighbors as well so nobody is without, all resources being distributed.  I don't know if the Younger Generations still do that, but when I was Growing Up, that's how it was Done.  So Dad always Shared what he had with his Neighbors even Off the Rez.  Which is Why when he got Old, his Neighbors, most of them Immigrants from Mexico or Asia, helped me Take Care of him until he had to go to Hospice.  His Filipino Friends even moved in with him to take Care of him at the End.  So, Ironically, our Asian Friends assumed he was Asian!  *LOL*

He'd been eating at our Fav Vietnamese Restaurant for Years with his Filipino Friends, so our Vietnamese Friends who own the Restaurant always thought he was part of their Family and Filipino.  So, one day I went and met him there to eat.  I'd always come in with my European Mom, so they didn't know Dad was my Dad.  They just knew I had a Welsh Mom, but was much Darker than her, so I don't know what they thought I was?   Well, The Owners Wife came up to take our Order, greeted us both and asked me, "Oh, so you know Noel's Dad?"  And I'm like, "This is MY Dad."  And her puzzled expression was priceless and she simply said, "Oh, I didn't know you were part Filipina!  You always come in with your Mom!"  And Dad and I laughed and told her, "He's not Filipino, he's Native American."  Then we all had a good laugh about it.

Above and Below are a couple of my Cousin Cherie's Granddaughters, who do look a lot like Princess T did as a Kid when she was their Ages.  They were little Cuties too with their sparkly Dark Eyes.  My Cousin Cherie was the Cutest Baby and Toddler too, I used to pretend she was my Baby, coz I was a Teenager when she was a Baby and we looked after her whenever my Aunt had Major Surgeries she needed to Recover from.   My Aunt Gil was my Favorite Aunt, and my Uncle from Wales was my Favorite Uncle.  I know you shouldn't have Favorites, but they tended to dote on me, so, you know... ha ha ha.

*******

And nope, still not watching TV so I don't get brought Down by all the Fuckery... Dawn... The Bohemian

Keeping Sane, Balanced & Centered

I went to The Gym very early on Tuesday Morning coz Princess T goes in to Work an Hour Earlier on Tuesdays.  So, it was devoid of crowds and I got an excellent undisturbed Workout in, 40 Minutes longer than usual, I may have overdone it actually?  *Bwahahahahaha*  So, then Princess T Texts me that she's getting off Work a lot Earlier too, by 1:00 p.m. and could we have a Girl's Day Out?!  Yikes, I'd Worked Out so hard that I felt rather like a Broke Dick Dog, but, after we got her from Work, she took Grandpa and I out for a nice Chinese Luncheon, her Treat, and then we dropped him off at Home and we had The Girl's Day Out... and... I Lasted!   Sore as Hell now, but... I Lasted... so the Stamina is improving. *Winks*  Below was my Mongolian Beef which I Shared with her coz it was more than enough for both of us.

He'd enjoyed having the Luncheon with us Gals, and we do have some good Family Time when it's just the Three of us.  Her Girl's Day Out was suggested coz she's having Bad Anxiety and needed a Wingman for the Shopping she needed to do for her Boyfriend.  She's making a Gift Basket up for both Valentine's Day and their 2nd Anniversary of being a Couple.  Apparently both are close together, and she gives me her Debit Card so that I make the Register Transactions and she doesn't have to Deal with anybody Face to Face.  Her Social Anxieties can be pretty rough some Days and she'd rather not be around or have to Deal with People.  Just being out of her Room sometimes is hard for her, for a 20 Year Old she's a Solid Homebody... and... so is her Boyfriend, Two Peas in a Pod they are!  But, they're too Similar to go out in and brave Public most of the time, so, she chooses me instead to do those things with.  *LOL*

They'd both be a couple of Social Recluses holed up Inside 24-7 otherwise.  So, I Laughed coz she was Joking that she's Buying all the things for him that SHE LIKES... what she Likes him to Wear, Smell like, Scent his Vehicle and his Bedroom like.   *Bwahahahahaha*   He's a really good Sport about it, if she Buys it, he'll Wear it and use it and say it's Great.  On the other Hand, what he Buys for her is ALSO WHAT SHE LIKES... so, he's a Wise Young Man and "Knows" this Girl!  *Winks*  He rarely Shops for himself coz of his own Social Anxieties, so she said he often wears out the Basics of what he Needs to replace.  

 The Man is very much like that too, he knows if Mama is Happy, Everyone is Happy.  *LOL*  And he never Shops for himself either.  His Wardrobe, all of it, would be threadbare and worn out if I didn't replace it FOR him and I guess Rusty is the same.  Plus, Ms. Fashionista wants him to LOOK a certain presentable and Swag way, so, she makes sure she Dresses him to meet HER Standards and sense of Style.  *Ha ha ha*   The difference being, Rusty likes to Buy the Gifts for Princess T and spend all his Money on her, but Surprising her with the indulgences.  The Man just gives me the Money and says to go Buy something really Good FROM Him that I want, then he'll ask me, what Great Things did HE get me?  *Winks*  It Works for both of us that way.  *Smiles*

So, while on this Shopping Spree with Princess T I did Score some more After Christmas Sale items, now marked down even more, from TARGET of those Food Gift Sets.   The Family had devoured what I'd bought for Christmas and now it was all marked another 25%-50% Off from the previous Markdown, so, I got the last of what they had of my favorite Food Gift Boxed items.  Plus a few things we didn't Score for Christmas, like a Hickory Farms Set that had been too expensive at full price, but now, drastically reduced and the last one, I Scored.  And I got some Fudge Bites I didn't even see before, it's excellent and is a White Chocolate, Salted Caramel and Mini Marshmallow "Smores" with no Dark Chocolate that I wouldn't be able to Eat.  Delicious!!!  And in tiny Bites Sized, like a Caramel, so, perfect amount for a Diabetic to ration herself.  *Winks*

The Stores had already moved on Strong to both Valentine's Day AND Easter!!!  *LMAO*   So, while she was Buying for Rusty for the Valentine's Day pre-buy while Selection was great, she strongly hinted she sure would like and wanted this... {see Above}.  And so, I took the Bait, and since she's notoriously hard to Buy for I got it for her now and just said, "Happy Valentine's Day from Grandpa and I."  *Winks, One and now Done*   She wanted it coz those particular Characters she remembers from her early Childhood and she always Adored them and this Valentine's Day Plushie Bouquet had them, so, I bought her back some of her Nostalgic Childhood and she's Delighted.  *Smiles*

She was Buying Rusty some Scented Candles and I'm inquiring, your Boyfriend likes to receive Candles as a Gift?   She Laughed and threw her Head back, saying, well, Hell No Gramma, but he won't say so, coz it's far better to accept my Gift Candles and use them, than to tell him I don't like how his Room smells without them!!!   She bought some Scented Air Fresheners for his Vehicle too... so... well... now I'm Laughing my Ass off... coz, isn't that just like a Man to kind of be Nose Blind about such things usually, no matter his Age?  From Childhood thru their Old Age, if a Woman didn't remind them about Odors, I think they'd be oblivious to the unpleasant ones, and do nothing about it, I really do!?! 

 I'm very blunt and lack Tact, if around any Man whose a Loved One, and it Smells like a Men's Gym Locker!   Loudly proclaiming, "It Smells like Ass, do something about it!"   She's more subtle and Buys Candles FOR a Guy.  *Bwahahaha*  I'd be mortified if I thought I or my Spaces I occupy smelled foul!!!   I have Candles and Room Deodorizer Sprays Galore in all our Bathrooms too, I don't wanna Smell what you just did in there!!!   Or have it wafting thru the whole House either!!!   And if you're a Man, you better have damned good Aim in my Bathrooms and put that fucking Toilet Seat Down, and not throw your Wet Towels and Banana Hammocks all over the Floor in there.  I don't like Nasty behaviors, in communal Spaces especially, that you know are and have to be Shared.

I have yet to take any of Christmas down, and I don't even have it in me yet to take even One Ornament a Day off the Tree in preparation to take it completely down!   It's not unusual for us to keep it up this long at all, but usually I feel the inclination to start putting things away.  At this Rate it might be Valentine's Day and we'll still look like Christmas around here?!  *LOL*  The Showroom needs a transition first, to prepare Customers to Buy for the next upcoming Holidays.  I do have some Easter and Valentine's Day Merch to price and get ready to go in already.  It's never too early to pre-empt a Holiday when your are relying on Retail discretionary Income.

I ain't gonna Lie, I rather enjoyed seeing the Valentine's Day and even some Easter Merch out already, keeping things Festive and something Positive to look forward to.  A little bit of continuous Escapism right now might be keeping a lot of folks Sane, Balanced and Centered.  No easy feat with all the Fuckery and Negativity going on continuously that we really cannot totally escape nor ignore completely.  Indulging in some Visual Escapism when we visit the Stores is Uplifting and Energizing Emotionally, I enjoy Holidays, all of them.   We never do much for Valentine's Day actually and tho' I have some Vintage Valentine's Day Cards I sometimes Decorate with, I don't know exactly where I put them to lay Hands on them right now?

And, to be Honest, in recent Years particularly, I tend to get so stuck between Holidays!  So that I don't even have one taken down entirely and not bleeding in to the next one!   We usually now kind of end up with a blended Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas, followed up by a blended Christmas-New Year's-Valentine's Day-Easter!  *LOL*  Any other Holiday Blend Offenders out there?  Oh, I'm the only one?  *Bwahahahaha*  "Highland Yard Vintage" is having a Spring Market Jan. 18-22.  I need to pop those Dates on the Calendar.   And Jan. 15-18 is "Sweet Salvage" Themed Event called "Refresh".

In the Morning I have my Primary Doc follow-up Appointment, first one I'll have with the new Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance thru Humana.  She'll be renewing my Diabetic Meds and telling me if I'm in a holding pattern for Managing the Disease?   Last Visit I had an A1C in the 6's which was great, and good Readings too.  But, then the Holidays were upon us and I wasn't absolutely sure I wouldn't elevate just a bit due to what you consume that isn't in your usual Diet except during Holiday revelry?   I try to behave and don't have a Sweet Tooth, but Holidays Meals are usually more indulgent, aren't they, overall?   And Stressors during Holidays tend to elevate as well, it can be a difficult time for many folks to move thru the Holiday Seasons.

I'm still mashing up Imagery of a blend of Holiday Pixs, coz, Honestly, they'll all probably blend together for me this Year, I see it coming to play out like that.  *Smiles*  I've been overwhelmed about the Editing and Purging Process, it stalled, mostly due to Weather... and it never really jump started during the Holidays, which became what we concentrated on instead.   And now, I know I have to knuckle down and do it before Spring rushes in and Temperatures rise again, making it virtually impossible to work in Non-Climate Controlled Spaces much of it is in.   But, I NEED to Focus more upon it to get it completed, FINALLY, becoz it's dragging on too long since Moving here.   By now, at every other Property, we'd of had it Done by the 5th or 6th Year of Occupying a Space/Property.   I'm slowing way down and it's showing.

That can be discouraging even tho' it's an explanation, I don't want to make it become an excuse, you know?   Yep, getting Older and Slower, but, I don't really have to become less Ambitious or less Motivated.  Yet, here we now are, no Ambition, no Motivation.  *Bwahaha & Le Sigh*  Got to get my Mojo back somehow!  Once I'm on a roll I know things will start getting done again.  The Daughter also faded, so it might be a Cycle we're both moving thru?  You know, you are pressing hard and then, you just need to not press anymore for a while and recharge your Batteries.   She and Mando still keep busy, it's just that the focus is split now with what we're all doing and not so concentrated on The Garage Mahal or Art Studio Projects now.  The Art Studio seems pointless to fixate on since if and when The Young Prince returns he'll occupy it and undo anything we've done, negating the effort.

I still don't know where the fuck we'll put all his Worldly possessions since there's no room for them really.  He's the one that would come with the most Cargo in tow, Allen was the Minimalist.  So, I don't even know how big of a U-Haul he'd be migrating back with once he leaves Allen?  I doubt he's leaving much behind if he can help it or afford not to.  Which is understandable, everything he has comes with Sentiment to him and is mostly his Art, which he lives and breathes to Create.  So, occupying my Art Studio Space is rather ideal for him, not so much for me, but, he's active as an Artist and I haven't been for so long now, and jump starting that has been iffy.  I Love Creating, don't get me wrong, but, fitting it in now is logistically challenging.  IF everything else was covered or got Done, THEN I could refocus on my Art.

And I think that's where Burnout has come in for me, so many Years of the Treadmill of starting over, getting everything in Order and Done, then Moving again to only have to Rinse and Repeat.  *Le Sigh*  After a while you feel like it's a never ending Cycle and you just start bothering less to put the hard Work into it then.   It all seems futile to, even tho' THIS time, all Body Parts Crossed, I won't be doing a Do Over again???  I just want Rest, for everything to be Done, no more Loved Ones to have to Work it all around that Need me to Sacrifice Space and make Room for here... it's been a LOT to find extra Personal Space for when none exists as you kept Downsizing livable Space for Retirement Years.  Then, everyone kept coming back and now I think that's permanent?  

 

I don't see America improving in my Lifetime enough to make it Affordable again for the Two Generations behind us to live Independently without Help?    I don't even know if I should have put a Question Mark and not an Exclamation Point behind that Sentence?  *Le Sigh*   If any of them were 100% 'Well' and/or had high paying Careers that were Solid, I might think they could make it without any Leg Up, but, that's not their Reality, none of them.  And Services for those in Need, I think, if this Regime isn't changed out, will be nonexistent very soon.  It's not just about Revenge and Retribution anymore for this Cabal, it's about Purging America of who THEY deem "undesirables", just like Hitler's Vision, or, very close to it from my Observations of the direction it's heading, and on a fast track to.  I'm not even gonna waste Time, Effort or Energy Ranting about it.  It just needs to be Overthrown and Shut Down, the sooner, the better.

As a Person of actual Faith and Deep Spirituality, rather than this Far Right Fundy hypocrisy of extremist Religion that supports all he's doing, I have to maintain Hope that those of us on the Right Side of History and Good will prevail eventually.   The Devils among us right now are doing what Devils do, Devils be Devilish, they don't know how to Be any other way, it's Who and What they just are.   And What they Serve ain't Godly no matter how they try to claim it is and Twist what that means in Actions they can't disguise as coming from God.   I would Like for God to be Dealing with them though.  Since, they're misrepresenting Him, that would be preferable and make the World a much better place for the rest of Humanity and all of it's Sentient Beings on this Planet, no Doubt about it.  

 Mebbe He's just done with our Species, sometimes I consider that our Time is just up, we are a failure, given too many Chances not to be, fucked up once too many times now, and we should be Extinct?  Like the Dinosaurs.  Then Mother Earth could recover from us having been here.  I saw how Mother Earth bounced back and Recovered Miraculously during the Pandemic, remember that?  Shit, when we all, across the whole Planet, got stopped Dead in our Tracks and put on Lockdown, Nature then had a Field Day of Recovery and Rejuvenation, it was Glorious.  It showed me how fast Nature could Move On, Be Well, without us fucking it all up constantly, like a Bad Parasitic Organism She has to Deal with all the fucking time.  

Yeah, some of us have tried to be Harmonious and Protective of the Planet and it's Creatures.   But some Humans can't even be Harmonious and Protective of other fucking Humans, let alone the rest of the Planet and it's Inhabitants!   And there seems too few of us to matter enough now, to negate the ones who could give a fuck and keep fucking it all up, with intention to, it's not even accidental, it's on purpose and they won't Change.  Not that I never have fucked up, we all have fucked up to varying degrees to not be the best Versions of our Species that we can be, but, I try consistently to Be Better at it.   And I know Dear Readers, you're probably among that Tribe of us who want to make Positive differences, Positive Change, Fix what's Wrong and make it Right to the best of our Abilities to.  So, I don't wanna Indict us all, but, we'll all suffer the consequences of being an "Invasive Species" to this Earth, Trust and Believe.

Invasive Species are in the Wrong Place and eventually make whatever Space they're in unsustainable and eventually uninhabitable... even for them.   I see it in small Microcosms happening right in my own Back Yard, so to speak.   The Migration of so many of our Species to a Desert, which is a very Fragile Environment to sustain too large Populations that use as much Water as our Species does... and Wastes... as if they will always have Enough of it... in a fucking Desert!!!   Phoenix shouldn't even Exist, Environmentally speaking.  Wrong Space for Five Million Humans, and growing exponentially at a rate not Sustainable for long at this tipping point, the Paradigm Shift is looming.  Yet, they keep coming, like Locusts. 

And I acknowledge that being here myself, tho' I have been here since 1974, when it wasn't as much of a problem, I'm part of the problem too.  But I Love Arizona and am Mindful it's a Desert and a fragile Ecosystem, so I work in Harmony with that.   Most other States I'd rather move to than most, are unaffordable.  Or having catastrophic Natural Disasters now, and therefore, not even optional or preferable either.  And most of the Exodus that's come, have come to Escape all of that, while there was still somewhere to Escape to.  So, if America collapses, there will be no place to go really, other parts of the Globe won't be Welcoming after he's destroyed International Relations between us.

Sorry, Bad Weather moved in and tho' I had a most Excellent Doc Report and don't have to get Labs 'til around Valentine's Day or see her until Summer now, I am feeling Physically a bit dreadful.  It's Cold, it's Wet, it's Steel Grey Skies, and my Head is hurting like Crazy, as are my Bones.  Likely Allergies and how Bad Weather affects a lot of us Old Folks deep in our Bones.   Oh, I can Predict the Weather by my fucking Bones better than any Arizona Weatherman!  They're often dead Wrong, I've never been when Bad Weather is coming and not yet announced formally.  *LOL and Le Sigh*  I'd told The Man before even looking Outside or Being Outside, Honey, the Weather is gonna Change and go really Bad, I Feel it.  And, it did.  He Consults me about Weather, not the Weather Channel or the Local News.  *ha ha ha*

When I Feel like shit I take to the Bed, and so they woke me up when Princess T needed picking up from Work.  I'd slept straight thru from this Morning after my Appointment, 'til after 2:00 p.m., it's the only way I Recover and get thru Feeling Dreadful... I Sleep it Off.  The Man will be like, why don't you Take something... and I'll be like, Nope, I'll just Sleep it Off.   Me not relying on taking shit and Sleeping whatever it is Off instead, just Works for me and I bounce back better than those Taking something usually.   I can then choose to remain Awake while they become dependent upon whatever they have to Take to get over whatever and whenever it happens time and time again.   I think both Sleep and Laughter, as well as Eating the Right Foods, are like a Good Medicine and better than any Pharma available.

I did decide if I Slept all Day tho', I'd be up all Night and Wreck my Internal Clock, so, I'm forcing myself to Stay Up and Blog.  Gets my Mind off the Headache and distracting Pain Works for me, then I just don't Feel it anymore.   Anyway, so where were we on Positive Topics?  *Winks*  Oh, Yeah, Valentine's Day.  Hey, remember when Candy came in Fabulous Boxes like these Vintage ones?  They command a lot of Money now at Resale, so I Wish I'd kept my Collection of them, but, I Sold them.  And I had a chance to Buy some back Years ago at our Antique Mall when my Vendor Friend Myko was getting rid of hers {See pixs of them Above and Below}, and didn't.  

  

So, now I have Zero of them and only One Fancy Altered Art one Created by Blog Friend Binky, who is an Amazing Artisan out of Texas.  Hers I Kept and won't get rid of, I keep it Displayed all of the time. {See it in Pix Below}  Binky had several For Sale Years ago and I bought just the One, but, should have bought all Four in hindsight.   I kept her Listing Pixs of them for Inspiration but never got around to that Art Project either of covering some Modern Heart Shaped Valentine's Day Boxes with Vintage and Antique Fabrics and Millinery.  So, eventually, Sold the Modern Boxes, which, easily Sell Well too.  Sometimes Buyers just want the Boxes to present other Valentine's Day Gifts with or to Display in Vignettes for the Holiday.  I still kick myself in the Ass for not Buying at least the Blue Box Myko had for Sale... dammit.  Okay, and the Red one too.  *Bwahahaha, double dammit!*

And of coarse being the Mad as a Hatter OCD Collector that I am, you know that sent me right down a fucking deep Rabbit Hole didn'tya?  *Le Sigh and Laughs*   So, I'm Googling Vintage Valentine's Boxes For Sale to see what Offerings this Season has?  And to snag me some Cribbed handy Blog Fodder as well, coz those Vintage Boxes are Beautes anytime you see them.  This Year's Offerings didn't disappoint, tho' they started in Price at around $28 and Being Bid Up, to well into the Stratosphere of what an empty Box of Chocolates should be able to fetch.  *LMAO*  But, hey, throw something at the Wall as a Seller to see if it will Stick I guess, is the Logic?  *Shrugs*  Or, perhaps it's their "I really don't wanna Sell it Price"?  A lot of reluctantly Downsizing Collectors that can't Let Go do that, I see it all the time at the Antique Mall.   It's way past looking for the End of the Rainbow Buyer, the price they slapped on their Stuff they can't bear to really part with.

So, without further adieu, here's what I dredged up off E-Bay and Etsy Visually for a Vintage Valentine's Presentation for 2026:

 

This Seller definitely went all Pro in Showcasing their Box, which comes with the Original BRACHS Presentation of it Box too, Super Rare, in their Presentation of it at Auction.  I appreciate that, my Favorite Sellers always do that.  The Set Up of Merchandising Well is an Art Form that some excel at and Hooks the potential Buyers right in.  It's the Window Dressing of the Piece that Hooks... Baits... ummm makes folks wanna Buy it more now.  *Winks and Giggle*   I give this Seller a Two Snaps Up in a Circle... Wayans Brothers flamboyant "Men On Films" Style Critique.  *LOL See Below if you're not familiar with the Vintage Sketch Comedy Nostalgia from "In Living Color", with Damon Wayans and David Alan Grier, 1990-1994, which was always Hilarious Gay-ity, and with a Snap!!!*   The Blaine Edwards Character in particular {Damon} always had me rolling, David's Character was Antoine Merriweather and excellent too.

If you've never seen the "Men On Football" Vintage Sketch, it's still up Online and you can Thank me later.   It's as Funny now as it was in the Nineties, "In Living Color" was one of my all time Favorite Comedy Shows and I Wish they ran it on Nostalgia TV.  I'd watch it all, every Episode, all over again.  Of coarse now everyone is so sensitive and wanting to be so PC that Yesterdays Humor could get anyone Cancelled if someone takes an Offense, even if none was offered to them to receive.  You can never predict by the Past, what, in the Future is suddenly deemed too Offensive and Taboo now, can't be said or even inferred.  Yes, insensitivities happen, but Comedy is a Joke, it's usually imaginary Characterization or just Satirical for a fucking Laugh.  

So, lighten up, those that watch or listen intentionally to what will be Offensive to them, just don't listen or watch it if you're fragile and overly Sensitive and subject yourself to the exposure of what upsets you.  I feel the same way about my Social Media Pages, including this Blog.  If you Visit and find it is NOT for you, becoz you don't Like what I have to say, share, or the Imagery, just feel free NOT to visit anymore, it's Fine.  We won't miss you and you'll be better off not getting yourself Twisted by your voluntary actions to visit sites you don't approve of or have taken an Offense not even Offered or Intended.   Especially if you're some Rando Individual, I have no Idea who you are, what you Like or Dislike, how easily Offended you may be in Real Life, let alone diving into a diverse Online Community who are not all like you.  

That's the Risk you assume when you come Online and View anything.  You have complete Control of your Mouse and Keyboard.  So, just use discernment FOR YOURSELF and don't project your Emotional Fragility on unsuspecting Strangers you never knew and YOU chose to connect with on your Computer.   It's not all about you all of the time in Life, that's just the Reality of it.   If you've Clutched Your Pearls, chances are, you just went to the Wrong place Online, TV, whatever, just quietly then leave and go where you are Welcome and jive with the Community there.  And, go find your own People and Tribe you can interact with in harmony, without being a disruptor.  I do think some folks LIKE to be Offended tho' since they're Drama Queens and want anything to be Angry about and will Create Drama to feed that Need.

And while Writing this Post, my Headache finally subsiding, wouldn't ya know I'd Restored my Calm and Centered myself, only to then get a Collection call from our Internet/Cable/Landline Phone Provider, Cox, saying I owed them a ridiculous amount of Money!!!  It was just an AI Bot, so, I won't even engage with Artificial Intelligence, it solves nothing and often is dumber than any Human they could possibly Hire.  AI will make up shit if it doesn't know the answer so you can't Trust anything it says, since, it's not as accurate as it should be when it's making stuff up off the cuff that's false information a Bot is somehow able to dream up?  Crazy.  Anyway, I called a Human and got Brandon, after a 40 Minute Muzak Hold.  

Turns out it was a simple fix, I didn't even owe half as much as the Bot had claimed I did, and the only reason I owed anything is they neglected to send me a Paper Billing Statement AGAIN for Month Three in a row, as requested by me way back in August!!!  When they went to Paperless Billing, but my E-Mail Account is Closed now and I don't want to be on Paperless Billing, so Opted Out, Bill me the Old School way by Mail if you wanna get Paid and on time.    And the Bot was asking for January's Payment and it's only the 7th and I'm set up to Pay at EOM.  Yes, the Upgrade to Fiber Optics we just had done, with replacement Equipment, was on Christmas Eve Day and we got the Installation Charges Waived, but Monthly, Fiber Optics is more expensive.  But, it would be Mandatory by 2030 anyway, so, I just Opted In early before the Rush everyone will Need if they want to keep their Cable and Internet Services.

I do not Like all these Federal Mandates forcing the Public to Upgrade and Pay More, but I can't Control any of that after they do away with what Used To Be.   TV's did the same thing... so did Lightbulbs... Phones... well, fuck... everything actually.  I still remember when Cox Cable was Eight Bucks a Month, shows how long I've been with them!  *LOL*   I also remember when Phones had to be Rented and weren't Owned and Ma Bell was the Monopoly and you got Charged extra for Long Distance, so, not all Changes have been Bad or Negative.  I also remember when the Bank I Worked for had a 13th Floor that Housed their Computer, the whole 13th Floor, coz Computers were just that large back then, in the Beginning!!!

And Yes, I remember when Valentine Candy came in Boxes like these and tho' I couldn't eat Chocolate, I'd have Family who did Save the Boxes for me.  I never got Valentine's Day Candy coz I couldn't eat it, but, I was Fine getting the Empty Chocolate Boxes that were this Fine way back when.  Now they're shit, the Packaging... and I don't know why they don't do some Throwback Packaging like these Boxes of Old, I think they'd be a big hit, No?   I'd buy them then just for the fucking Box and toss the Chocolates if I had no-one to unload them on who digs Chocolate.  *Bwahahahahaha*   I've actually bought some Imported Products JUST for the spectacular Packaging many Countries and Cultures still use to Package their Products, with great Graphics and the Packaging being the reason I Bought it!  *LOL*  East Indian and Asian Product Packaging are some of my Favorites.

The Daughter is now down Sick, I don't know what with, but Mando told me last Night she was really Sick and I haven't seen her all Day Today.  If she isn't much better I may be taking another Family Member to Urgent Care again?  *Le Sigh*  I just had some Caldo de Pollo Today {Mexican Chicken Soup}, that's all, at Lunchtime, no Breakfast, no Dinner, don't feel the least bit Hungry either.   I'm very close to being under 200 lbs. just 1.5 lbs. away now, my Doctor was very Happy about that and my Diabetic A1C and Numbers, which have been right around 6.5 for the A1C and 90-110 for my Diabetic Readings lately on Ozempic.  The Bonus is Weight Loss, the downside is, Constipation, both kinds, either you can't shit or the opposite, common with that Med as a Side Effect.  TMI, sorry... but I will push you out of the way if I gotta go, to make sure I don't shit myself... just sayin'!  *LOL*   And, let's end on that Visual... shall we... Bwahahahahahahaha!!!

*******

I don't even know what Holiday to Wish you now... so, Happy Christmas-New Year-Valentine's Day-Easter?

Dawn... The Bohemian