The Blue Wave Was A Tsunami

 Well, it's the last Day officially of Celebrating Dia de los Muertos, since in Real Time it's the Morning of the 3rd of November.  So many visited the Cemetery near us that our Street looked like a used Car Lot with the overspill of people needing to Park somewhere close by.  The Lots at the Cemetery had filled up before Noon and most Families will stay all Day by the Gravesite of their Dearly Departed, clear into the Evening.  So, it all fills up fast and is Decorated with Colorful Ofrendas, it's quite Beautiful and poignant, Love Lives on even after Death separates us.  The City provides extra Police Escorts to keep Traffic flowing on the Streets around the Cemetery, becoz Traffic will back up to any Special Event that will have large Crowds.  Nobody blocked our Driveways or parked ON our Property, so it was all Good that they were Parked in front of it respectfully and didn't leave any trash behind to have to clean up.

The Weather might hold Today too, it was Gorgeous Yesterday on the 2nd, even tho' the Day before Halloween, Halloween, and the 1st of November we had those catastrophic once in Four Decades Storms hit.  Our Manager at the Antique Mall called me Yesterday to ask me to strongly consider picking up a permanent Friday Night Shift again.  He said he can adjust my need for taking time off for Family Medical Issues with no problem, they're flexible coz they know my circumstances, which, I appreciate them giving me that consideration.  He said everyone wants me back on Friday Nights and not just as a Fill-In.  I know this coz Paid Staff and Vendor Co-Workers have told me that every time I fill in for someone else, they'd rather be working with me.  It's flattering, but they know I do good work and am easy to get along with on a Shift.  But, that I don't put up with anyone's bullshit either.  Some are too timid to speak out when something needs to be said, I'm not... at all.  *LOL*

So, anyway, I accepted, it will help with these dismal Sales to have more comped Spaced Rent so that I get Checks that are better and with more consistency when Sales Flatline, if I've got lower Rent to pay.  And, truly it's my Happy Space there and I enjoy the Work, the Customers and my Friends there who are other Vendors and Paid Staff.  I even get along good with Upper Management, they respect me and know I have been there from the beginning without wavering, always make Rent, always do good Work and give 100% when I'm On-Shift, and people tend to Like me and often tell Management that I'm pleasant, helpful and friendly, plus know a lot about the Industry and items being Sold.  It is my Wheelhouse becoz Collecting and The Love Of Old Things has been my Passion for as long as I can remember, even as a small Child.  I think I was an Old Soul from a very tender Age.

My Maternal Welsh Didi Kai Gran-Gran, who was Buddhist, would say that I was Reincarnated and had been here before, and that's why I knew things without knowing how or Why I knew them.  Buddhists Believe in a Process call Rebirth, which isn't a Traditional Sense of Reincarnation... since it involves no Permanent Soul or Fixed Self.  Instead Death and Life are a continuous stream of consciousness or chain of cause and effect.  Hard to explain, but I wasn't opposed to his Beliefs or Philosophies of Life even tho' I chose Christianity as my Spiritual Path.  I don't Believe Energy ever Dies, it just Changes Form.  And my Practices aren't necessarily Mainstream or Traditional, I don't particularly care how anyone might feel some kind of way about it either... I Worship as I choose to and allow them to Worship as they choose to, or not Worship God at all if that's their personal Choice.  Since, my Belief is that God gave us all Free Will to make a Choice.

  And a lot of Buddhist Philosophy was Taught to me by my Mom since she was Raised by a Buddhist Father and a Christian Mother.  My Nanna belonged to a predominant Religion in Wales, The Church In/Of Wales, which is Gaelic Anglican, she had all the same Saints as Catholics but without a Pope. My Parents were actually Married in that Church and their Vicar Baptized my Dad before the Wedding.  A lot of Tribal Philosophy and Spirituality was Taught to me by my Dad, becoz before he chose Christianity as an Adult, before Marrying my Mom, since it was required by her Church in order for them to be Married there in Wales, he was Raised by an Indigenous Mother who held on to her Tribal Spiritual Belief System her entire Life.  The Missionaries would often Feed Indigenous People to attempt to convert them, but they didn't always treat them well or as Equals.  Most Tribal Religions are deeply connected to the Natural World.  Scholars generally consider them Animistic, Shamanic or Pantheistic.   I'm Okay with any of the Three and Practice it to some degree, always have.  Much to the chagrin of my Christian Spiritual Leaders... who did at least Understand my Heritage's leanings.

  So Dad's Siblings and himself would attend each a different Religion/Church on the Rez to get extra Food coz they had severe Malnutrition and Food Insecurities.  He had no problem with Jesus... just with how many Christians and their Missionaries behaved towards his People.  If they'd been more Christ-Like it would have bourne a better Witness for Christ, I agree.  Later in Life he became a Baptist and attended regularly, but that Pastor failed to come to his Deathbed, refusing to when asked!  So I had a Catholic Priest come instead, the Catholics will always show up to give Last Rites even if you're not of their Faith, one showed up for my Mom in Cali too when she was Dying... and my Street Ministry Pastor also made it in time before he Died.  

I appreciated Two TRUE Men of God showing up.  Not every person who calls themselves a Man or Woman of God really walks that out even if they talk the talk, not walking the walk speaks louder, walking the walk speaks louder too, without Words presenting Christ's Teachings in Action.  I had nothing Good to say about that Baptist Preacher too lazy to roll out of Bed at an inconvenient time to come to the Dying of his Congregation.  Coz my Dad had been a Member in good standing, his Younger Sister too.  Whose the one who got him to go to that Church coz she'd become a Baptist first some Years beforehand... and came to live with my Dad when she became a Widow, as is Culturally done Tribally, Brothers taking Care of Widowed Sisters for the rest of their Life.

  My Parents were never Churchy, so we never went to Church.   Mom's Church wasn't in this Country, but she became a Member of my Street Ministry Church later in Life and loved our Pastor, First Lady and Congregation and they Adored her too, everyone there called her Nanna.  Growing up we Honored God Daily in our Life and Worshipped where ever we happened to be, Nature, Home, we didn't need to go to a particular Building or a specific Time to Honor God or Worship Him.  Tho' my Parents encouraged us to Learn of various Religions and Freedom to attend any we wanted to as Observers and make our own Free Will Choices of Religion or from Religion if none lined up for us Spiritually.  We could be of No Religion in their Opinion and yet Love and Serve our Creator and have Relationship beyond a form and a fashion of any particular Religion.  I still Believe that.

 And, anyway, I don't Believe everything some Christians Denominational Faiths Believe either.  Since just about every form and fashion of even the same types of Religions interprets and expresses what they Believe quite differently. That's why they have Denominations, or even have Non-Denominational Teachings and Churches.  Which is Fine with me, interpretation of what has been passed along as knowledge, godliness, and Scripture has various interpretations too from what I've read and learned about each and of the various Religions I've studied to know more about every one of them.  Each person Believes what they will... or won't.  

 And I generally don't discuss Religion or Politics with Individuals becoz folks tend to have their Passions about each and I'm not here to change their Minds or Opinions about either, that's up to them as they Journey thru this Life.  Whatever grounds you Spiritually is fine so long as you don't try to force it upon me.  And if you're an Agnostic or Atheist I Respect that too, since I defend your Freedom and Right To Religion or From Religion here in America.  I do not support America being or becoming a Theocracy tho'.  If a Religion has to be Forced upon you I don't even consider it a Godly one, God never intended to Force me to Believe and have Relationship.  A forced Relationship would be meaningless to anyone in it. 

So of coarse on TV Election Day 2026 is on every Channel, control of both the House and Senate being in the Balance.  We'll see what shakes out thruout the day as they tally Votes.  We'll also see how it's all Received when the Winners are announced.  I'm hoping Peace and a more functional Democracy will prevail this time and not Extremist bent violence and inability to accept results, whatever they are.  Elections are Won and Lost, it's how it should work and be accepted depending on what the Voters chose... not what some Extremists want to overthrow if they Lose and those too hungry to hold onto Power that they'll do so at any Cost and pervert the Outcome by promoting violence, chaos and an attempted Insurrection again.  I want to remain Guardedly Optimistic that most people didn't Support what happened January 6th except the Extremist Insurrectionists that showed up and committed Violent Acts and he Pardoned despite their Convictions and Sentences by Juries of their Peers, Corrupting Justice, as he always does, since he's Corrupt and a Criminal.

Anyway, I'm doing Laundry and Blogging, not Dialed in to listening to the News or Politics right now, I'll tune in much later when Results are known so I'll know what was chosen and who.  I cast my Vote, as did Family Members who Vote, so we did our part, that's all we can do and we did so very early and by Mail.  We know that being a Swing State we're subject to his Revenge and Retribution Tour if he doesn't like our Results, he's done it consistently, trying to intimidate, threaten and basically cost Taxpayers a lot of Money doing Investigations into false accusations of Voter Fraud, when none is ever found, by whoever he's Hired.  Even the incompetent and suspect Cyber Ninjas he Hired at Taxpayer Expense didn't find any Fraud in Maricopa County, so he Seized our Ballots from the last Election... Lord knows Why or what they did with them either... all very Suspect and insidious.   But, as we all well know, Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Absolutely Corrupts.

I did watch some of the last of my favorite Holiday Halloween Food Network Shows, Sad that it's a wrap.  Yeah, they'll now move on to the Christmas Themed Shows of a similar genre.  But I don't like them as much, even tho' I do like Christmas, the Holiday Baking Shows for that Holiday just don't hold as much interest for me.  I've tried watching them but I just don't Care who Wins and the Creations often bore me, even if the Talent is clearly there.  It's like that with Christmas Decorating, we do a Tree, mebbe Two Trees since one stays up pretty much Year Round that is a Vintage Gold Tinsel smaller Tree displaying some of my Antique Rosary Collection and Tintype Antique Photos as Decorations in the Sitting Room by the Fireplace.  We used to take it down, now I don't bother.  Even tho' we do now put up a new Tree in the Living Room area every Christmas, I'm leaning towards a smaller one that I don't currently own.  Like I Need another Christmas Tree!  *Ha ha ha*  I have to probably get rid of some I already have but I had Visions of putting up Year Round Trees in The RV Garage Mahal with my Christmas Decoration Collections to enjoy them Year Round now too.  I have a lot of Hallmark Ornaments but don't put them on the Main Tree every Year, very Labor Intensive to.

  

And at this Season of Life I'm all about Simplicity and Efficiency, whatever I can do in about 30-45 Minutes its all that's getting Done now when I'm Decorating for Holidays.  I don't wanna spend Weeks or Days putting it up, nor taking it down now.  Tho', probably within a Week I'll take the Halloween items off the Front Porch and just leave the Harvest Themed part of that Decor up until Thanksgiving.  This Year then I'll put it all away, I didn't even bother last Year to put most of it away, but it will get too Weather Worn if I do that again and I want to be more Organized and less Lazy this Season.  *Smiles*  I would like to put out some Christmas Blow Molds I have a Collection of for Exterior Christmas Decor this Season too.  Otherwise I don't even know why I'm holding onto them and not Selling them coz they fetch a lot of Money now.  I have Two whole Blow Mold Vintage Nativity Sets and several individual Blow Molds of Santas, Angels, Penguins, Christmas Candles and Grinch Characters.  I just don't wanna get rid of them coz they do Display beautifully as Simple quick Exterior Christmas Decorations.  We don't put Exterior Lights up... most Neighbors do.

I like Exterior Lighting for Christmas, we go around and look at the Lights every Christmas.   We've just never done it, our Utility Bills are high enuf without the added expense of that during the Holidays.  And it's so dangerous to put them up unless you Hire someone who does that, many do advertise that they do and I'm seeing the Signs saying they do and giving their Number to call for Christmas Light installation.  I like the Lights on my Tree, that's enuf for me.  Once the Lights no longer function on our Trees is when we generally Donate them coz I can't be bothered trying to re-string Lights and that whole mess and work involved.  Most Trees now come Prelit anyway and last a few Years before the Lights fail.   Those hardy Souls who still do Extreme Christmas Decorating, well, God Bless 'em, we go look at their Labor of Love every Year coz we sure as Hell ain't doing it ourselves.  *LOL*  Half the time now we do a consensus and opt not to even exchange Gifts anymore.  And my Christmas Card List gets smaller every Year now too.  Either folks opt not to exchange Cards anymore, or they Die.

I was recently talking to some Industry Friends about the lack of Biz Blogs, there used to be so many about the Genre that I followed.  Fellow Junquers and Pickers, folks Selling at Shows/Events or Antique Malls, taking us along vicariously to their Space, their Travels to Source their Found Treasures and showing off their Hauls/Scores or the Big Shows they Sold at across the Country.  They'd show off their Shops or Booths and I got a lot of Inspiration from those who did it Masterfully.  Of coarse even Locally, a lot of the Shops have now Closed, the Events are fewer and way different now, and many Biz Bloggers just quit Blogging or maintaining an Online Presence anywhere even if they are still in the Business.  Most of my Industry Friends used to at least use FB or Instagram to promote their Biz and now their Social Media hasn't had Activity in Months, sometimes Years.  I used to Link my Blog to their Sites for my Dear Readers benefit, now only a few exist that are Active.

My Blog is diverse in Topics, but I did enjoy the Biz Blogs of what I'm Passionate about too.  I especially enjoyed it when some of those Biz Bloggers took you into their Personal Private Spaces and Lives too.  A few even had their Homes profiled in Magazines.  I now lament that I turned down an Offer when I lived in my Historic Home for a major Magazine to come to do a spread on my Art Studio Cottage.  I would have had major Anxiety inviting them in, but, in hindsight, I wish that I could have overcome that so that my Old Beloved Art Studio Cottage could have been in Publication.  I bought the Magazines or Books that my Friend's Homes got covered in Publication.  They all had encouraged me to do it too, I couldn't overcome the Anxiety of it tho'.  *LOL*  It's one thing to Blog about my Spaces, quite another to have some Major Publication Team come over and get it Editorial enough to cover.  *LOL*

Anyway, Hindsight always being 20-20, even at the Villa McManse, my Meditation Room could have had that kind of Coverage and been quite Editorial enough I wouldn't have had the same level of Anxiety Years later.  This Home has no Space I could say that about, I've not attained a level of Function or Visuals here that I've had at previous Homes and we have too many living here to attain it now either.  This had the potential to, but it just didn't happen that I was able to get another Art Studio or Meditation Room up and running coz Family now occupies those Spaces full time and probably will for an indefinite time now.  I even Blog on a Card Table in the Corner of our Bedroom behind the Door now rather than having an Office Space like I had at other Residences.  *LOL*  It's a nice little cubby area tho' and serves it's Purpose.  And I'd rather have Family being safe and sound around us than struggling out there trying to find affordable Housing that doesn't exist anymore.

 

This is what I bought from The Desert Botanical Gardens Gift Shop coz I J'adore Prickly Pear Flavored stuff.  Lately a lot of Restaurants have been offering Prickly Pear flavored Teas, Coffees and Lemonades, infused in Butters and Jams or added to Batters to make Pancakes or French Toast... it's wonderful!   I have some Jams and Jellies, but the Honey was new to me.  The Simple Syrup is wonderful added to any Beverage like Lemonade, Tea or Coffee.  Like Lavender Simple Syrup I've begun using it to flavor some of what I drink quite often.  I now drink Lavender Iced and Hot Coffee or Latte often and even Starbucks has it as a flavor profile Seasonally now.   Several Restaurants do that are more upscale and have good flavor profiles on their Menus, it's where I learned that Lavender added to Coffee was so damned good!!!  Now The Young Prince drinks it too, like me, he likes things that are unique and different flavor profiles.

Now that all my Shows for Autumn Holidays are a Wrap I am not watching hardly any TV again.  I am trying to watch a NetFlix Series called "Falling Skies" {2011}, which is Post Apocalyptic Sci-Fi starring Noah Wyle and Will Patton.  There's an Actress whose Name is Moon Bloodgood and I thought, now there's a real Hippie Name!  Sho' Nuff she was Born in 1975 to Parents Named Shell Bloodgood and Sang Cha and is of mixed heritage of South Korean and numerous European Combos.  I had lots of Hippie Kid Friends who had names of the Era.  Even my Name being Dawn in my Era was very Bohemian and my Parents Named me that becoz I was Born at the break of Dawn and in my Dad's Family the unusual Native American Names abound.  My Mom's Family have some Welsh Gaelic Names and The Daughter liked some of them so much she Named one of her Daughters with a Welsh Name.  The Son's Name is Gaelic and was uncommon until a certain Irish Actor became well known who has the same Name.  *LOL*  The Daughter's Name is Native American for "Wild Flower".  My Brother Dated a lot of Hippie Gals Born in the 1960's with Names like Sunshine, Rainbow, Misty Delight... which these days would sound like Stripper Stage Names.  *LOL and Winks* 

I remember when the G-Kid Forces CPS Caseworker told them, without my consent, that they could change and choose their own Names upon the Adoption!!!   And The Young Prince had the Wicked Sense of Gallow's Dark Humor to pretend he was gonna change his name to... wait for it...  Crimson Rose and almost gave me a Heart Attack upon that announcement!  Especially since Miss Gretchen, the Young naive clueless CPS Caseworker says, Oh, that's a Lovely Name to replace Robert!!!   And I'm like, are you freakin' kidding me, it sounds like a Tranny Stripper Stage Name and he'll never be taken Seriously in Life, Names are Important, and he's already got loads of strikes against him being Racially Mixed, Seriously Mentally Ill, and Fabulously Gay, he doesn't need yet another one!!!!!!!!!!!!!  He then Laughed and said, "Psyche!!!!!  Just kiddin' Gramma, you should have seen your Face!"   In hindsight, Punking me like that was hilariously Brilliant.  I bet I should have seen my Face!!!  *LOL*

 But, he did change his Name at the Adoption and had good reason to since he's Named after his Dad and Paternal Grandpa, both of whom were Convicted Felons for Serious Crimes, plus had Bad Credit.  So he didn't want mistaken Identity haunting him, quite well thought out for a 14 Year Old I thought.  But he's got a high IQ and has always been a Deep Thinker.  So, we did change his First Name at the Adoption, and kept the Surname, Princess T wanted to keep her Birth Name intact.  She was only 10 and liked her Names.  And The Young Prince's Paternal side of the Family had fits about the Name Change coz he was a Namesake, but, they hadda just get over it.  Especially his Gramma Lydia, who was about to have one of her huge Mental Episodes and melt down publicly about it until they brought me in to Square Off with her.  *Smiles and Winks*  Lydia is as Bat Shit Crazy as they come, sometimes violently so, and her Family have often had me smooth and calm the Waters with her coz for some reason she respects my level of Crazy enuf not to go to the Mat with me about anything.  *Smiles and Winks*  Lydia knows if that Crazy Train leave the Station, only ONE of us is getting off afterwards, it's not worth seeing who it is.  Especially since clearly she doesn't  think it would be her.  *LOL and Winks*

 Plus, Lydia and I LIKE each other and get along.  I could understand her being Upset, I'd been Upset too that a foolish Young Caseworker overstepped my Guardianship Boundaries and said something to the Kids without consulting me first to see if we'd even be Okay with it.   So I told her, Listen, I didn't expect to change the Names of the Grandkids either, but the damned CPS Caseworker told them they could, behind my Back, and he wanted to and has the Legal Right to now.  So be Supportive of his decision to, he's chosen a good First Name Replacement.  And his Dad, who he's Named after, didn't even get this upset about it Lydia!  Bobby understands why his Son made the decision and it's a legit line of reasoning, not meant to Offend or get you this Upset.  Which, he did, it suits him, and we transitioned pretty well in remembering not to Dead Name him after the Adoption.  Not easy when someone has been Robert for 14+ Years and now has a brand new First Name.  Now I can't even think of him by his Dead Name and he'll have his New Adopted Name longer in just a couple more Years now.

And speaking of folks in Froggy Crazy Mode Moods, look at The Man's Countenance at "The Olive Garden", since, Sundown was approaching and he was really struggling to have Fun anymore.  *Bwahahahaha*  I have to give him The Look I have with what the Kiddos call my "Crazy Eyes" to Offset his "Killer Sniper Eyes" and say, "What?!!!!???  Coz I don't like the Tone you're Lookin' at me in, Honey!"   *Bwahahahahaha*  He'll respond with he wasn't looking at me 'Funny' or in a 'Tone', and then behave himself and Calm Down, coz he knows I ain't backing down or away from Squaring Off if we have to.  In front of God and everyone.  We probably wouldn't be Invited back to "The Olive Garden" and I do Love their Breadsticks, so I'd miss that.  *LOL*   And this is him having a Good Time... so Imagine the Days when he isn't, ot can be rough sometimes, no Wonder the VA Old Soldiers Home won't take him and VA Psyche Ward often had him in Restraints... everyone wants to go Home Alive.  *Ha ha ha*   But, after I got him back Home in front of his favorite Reruns of his Shows, he's as passive as a Puppy Dog.  But Caregiving ain't for the Faint of Heart and each Day is a New Adventure.  And now to show you where we're Flooding and Levies broke:

This is where we usually do Environmental Cleanup, the Gila River is across several sections of the Road now and washed it out completely...

This used to be a huge Parking Lot at Phoenix International Raceway until the Levies broke and now the River is raging on the once dry side right up to the Main Road and threatening to crest into that too! This is very deep raging Water since the Roads are several feet above it with Levies that now aren't holding!

This used to be a Road leading to Hiking Trails and Fishing at the Tres Rios Nature Preserve, that little Roof Structure is over a Sitting Bench!

This part of the River usually has no Water, a lot of the Big Rivers don't flow all the way thru in the Dry Season, but this is why you have big Bridges over them anyway.  During Monsoons and Flood Seasons it will run Bank to Bank and be a Raging Deep River all of a sudden, within Minutes going from Bone Dry to this, almost as far across as you can see!

You can see by the Age of the skirted Wild Palms that this is usually a dry area and has been for Years and Years, only once in a long while does it ever Flood like this.  So far it's Flooded like this now Twice in Three Years.  What they used to call the 100 Year Floods are happening with regularity now.

It will cost a lot to repair and replace washed away Roadways, Levies and Bridges, so most of these areas won't be passable again for Months now.  I was seeing huge Fish dying becoz the Current was so strong it bashed them up against Debris and Rocks to where even they can't handle this Current and navigate how treacherous the Waters have become!  A Person would surely perish in it.  After is subsides many Fish will be stranded in the Tidal Pools left behind.  In some areas it came in so fast people lost Homes and Livestock.  Lots of Water Rescues from Rooftops of Homes, of Livestock, and of People whose Vehicles got caught up in it on Roadways.  When it comes in, it can make a Freeway a Raging River suddenly and you have no place to escape to on a Freeway if you aren't Lucky enuf to be by an Exit Ramp to get off and out!  I don't take Freeways when it's a Catastrophic Storm for that reason.

Okay, so I had to infuse some Humor about Arizona Weather extremes, coz it isn't hyperbolic, that's about accurate really.  *LOL*  Now from Catastrophic to Cute... Below is a Great-Granddaughter in Costume looking Adorable!   Loved the Bold Colors of this Costume... even tho' I did have to Cheat and Google to find out which Character she was supposed to be, coz I didn't have a Clue now that I'm not Raising Little Ones anymore.  *LOL*  I already knew way too much about the Characters, Fads and Cartoons of The G-Kid Force's Era for a Woman of my Age, since I was Raising some Grandchildren.  *Bwahahahaha*  My Kids in their 40's and 50's said don't Worry Mom, we don't know who the Hell some of these Characters, Fads and Cartoons are either, so, I don't feel so Out of Touch and Old.  *LMAOROTF*  

 

It's hilarious to me when I see some Grandparents out with Younger Grandkids that clearly they don't get to spend a lot of Time around or with.  It's evident coz they look so Tired, Ass Kicked and Busted just spending brief amounts of Time with their Grandkids!  *Bwahahahaha*  When you're Raising them you have a completely different dynamic with them as a Custodial Grandparent, coz you simply HAVE to if you wanna Survive it and not Die before you get them all Raised!!!  Becoz it is trite but True, that whatever doesn't Kill you does make you Stronger!!!  I'm a Living Testimony to that Saying being accurate after having Raised Two Generations of Special Needs Kiddos who weren't your Garden Variety Children and were super High Maintenance and Challenging!!!  You gotta be Tough as Old Boots!!!  And you end up usually looking like a Pair of Old Boots too by the time you're finished!!!  *Winks, Sighs and Laughs*

Well, the Blue Wave was more like a Blue Tsunami, I couldn't be Happier, especially since several Native American Women were Elected for the 1st time in 250 Years into High Government Positions!!!  I'm so Proud.  And many Black Women were Elected into High Government Positions in States like Georgia, making History too!  High Five and Celebration!  And many Red States flipped to Blue, very unexpected in Deep Red States that have been that way for 50-90 Years!!!   I'm Celebrating the Victory.  I went to check out the Deep Discounts and Post-Halloween Sales and got a bunch of things 60%-70%-90% Off!!!  You're not gonna get anything cheaper than marked 90% Off!!!  I walked out of TARGET with Three full Bags of Sale items and only Paid $12!   At MICHAELS I got another Audrey Plant and my Houdini Platter to match my Houdini Cake Stand, both were the last ones and marked 60% Off.  They are specifically what I went for and was hopeful to Score, so, Color me Happy, everything else was just a Bonus Score!

 

SPIRIT STORE must have Sold Out coz they'd already Vacated the Building, which was a Surprise only 4 Days after Halloween.  There wasn't anything there that I either wanted or needed anyway, but I was curious how Discounted their Holiday Merch was down to?  Most places were Sold Out of everything Halloween and even Autumn Related by now, even Thanksgiving Merch, which there's never that much of anyway, a very Neglected Holiday, was marked down already.  Some of the Halloween Bagged Candy and individual wrapped Oreos was down to only 24 Cents or 48 Cents a Bag so I bought several that cheaply.  The Fancy Dia de los Muertos Containers of Cookies, which I'd lusted after before the Holidays but wouldn't pay the price for, were marked down to a Buck a Container, so I bought several containers of them at that ridiculously 90% Off low Price Point.

This large Container of Candy Corn Trail Mix was marked down 90% too to only $1, last one they had left.  The Container is good to have for making Fresh Salsa after the Trail Mix is gone.   The Man is a fiend for Oreos and I like the individual Halloween packets of 1-2 Cookies coz then we can Ration them properly for him.  He's allowed up to 2 Packets a Day {which equals either only 2 Cookies for the Single Cookie per Pac, or with the 2-Pacs, only 4 Cookies}, and he's pretty good about not overeating if you get the Snack Sizes for him rather than the regular flats of Oreos which he might be tempted to overeat and not keep count of how many he's had.   Other Shoppers literally had Shopping Carts filled with marked down Halloween Candy or Halloween Costumes.   There's a STARBUCKS not only in TARGET but beside it too.  When I was leaving MICHAELS next door to both, a Young Attractive Woman asked me if I'd let her Buy me a Coffee!?  It was a Super Sweet Kind gesture, very unexpected, so caught me off Guard, I politely declined but Thanked her very much anyway.  I didn't want it seeming awkward for either of us.

 

It's not that I didn't want a STARBUCK'S Coffee, I had actually been there by the Main STARBUCKS after resisting the one in TARGET, just contemplating whether to Buy one and Opted not to.  So just becoz some Good Samaritan saw me hesitating and thought mebbe I couldn't afford a Coffee, and thought she would buy one for me, I felt I couldn't accept the Kind offer and gesture.  *LOL*  The Man said, you must have had a Tragic Look upon your Face Honey?!  *Bwahahahaha*  Mebbe I did, coz I was thinking to myself, should I really spend Seven Bucks on a Cup of Coffee?   Naw.  Too indulgent, I'm here for the Sales.  *LOL and Winks*  Sometimes what I'm Thinking must be Written all over my damned Face?  *LMAO*  I have had people just randomly Buy whatever I was drinking while standing in Line behind them with a Soda at a Convenience Store... and when I go to Pay the Cashier will say, that Person already Covered you!   I never expect such Charitable Surprises coz I'm dressed nice and don't look Homeless!  *LOL*  Yet, I do know as much Environmental Cleanup as The Man and I have done, people do Notice and might remember you doing Volunteer Cleanup around the Community and Nature Areas?

*******

Happy Post Positive Election my Friends...  It has given me renewed Hope for America... Dawn... The Bohemian

Know When To Hold 'Em ~ Know When To Fold 'Em

 Well, I had to have a Serious Talk with The Niece about responsibility.  She assumes she's responsible, but at 46, yeah, NO, you're not managing things in your Life well Darlin' and it's causing you most of your problems.  Case in point, Sunday Afternoon she hit the Casino and stayed way longer than usual.  The Family {ours and hers} feels she has a Gambling problem, she doesn't acknowledge she does becoz she mostly Wins.  But the word 'mostly' doesn't apply when she's Losing and she's suddenly on a Losing streak.  And as Kenny Rogers Song says, ya gotta know when to Hold 'em and know when to Fold 'em, know when to Walk away and know when to Run.  *Winks*  On Sunday she Lost bigly... her Rent Money, all of it!  So had to ask me if she can pay me half on the 16th and the rest at EOM instead?  I reminded her no Landlord will be that Gracious.

Plus, asking me if it's Okay when you already don't have the Money anymore is kind of a moot point, there couldn't be a No Answer to the request.  I'm only Okay with it becoz it's a One and Done I told her, a Lesson to be Learned if she doesn't wanna be Living in her Car again?  She knows that I have no problems having the hard conversations with people and confronting them about their Demons they don't have control over.  She's whined to me about her Family telling her she's Mentally Unwell and irresponsible.  I let her Vent about it and then Speak the Truth in Love that, well, you ARE, and acknowledgement of what you struggle with is the only way you can Deal with it more appropriately.  Denial isn't at all Helpful.  Blaming everyone else either.  No Shame in having Mental Illness.  And acknowledging Bad Coping Mechanisms either.  Especially when it has become like a Disease with Addictive Behaviors and Dependency Issues.

So, she took ME saying it better than she has anyone else saying it, coz she knows I Speak Truth in Love, not in Condemnation.  Just be Convicted and acknowledge your Truth, rather than Living a Lie and Pretending there's not a Problem(s).  When clearly there IS coz look at where you are in Life that it took you there.  None of us is without our baggage, what's Normal is highly subjective and often overrated, quite a lot of folk are Dealing with what's Abnormal.  In her case she's highly Intellectual, probably has a Genius IQ, but she does clearly suffer from some Mental Health Issues and has been Hospitalized for it.  But she is one to think she doesn't have any and that her Family is the Reason.  Well, probably that contributes, coz her Family has a bunch of Mental Health afflictions, each and every one of them on both sides!  They've had a rash of Suicides, Institutionalizations, and Mentally Ill Behaviors.

As a casual Observer, whose seen my fair share of Mental Illness playing out all of my Life, coz it runs in my Family Deeply too and I fully acknowledge having Mental Illness myself, I can spot another one even if they're undiagnosed.  *LOL*  And when she was trying to excuse NOT Believing she has a Problem, I asked her to use Logic then, coz she is a very analytical Mind and Math is her Thing.  Okay then, let's see, it's the 1st of the Month and you Lost ALL your Money on Day One, including the Rent Money, just in One Afternoon at the Casino.  That DOESN'T seem like a Problem to you Logically, and Analytically?  What consequences COULD that have if you were having to tell anyone but Aunt Dawn you did that and are Broke now on the Day you got Paid?  I Rested my Case and she had to come to Terms with how Abnormal that is and that it certainly IS a Problem.  She'll have to Hustle now doing her Gig Work to make it up and make Rent, which, she will, but it will create pressure and hardship for her, and Stress.

Now, I don't NEED her Rent Money, that's our Agreement and our Arrangement tho' so I told her I expect her to Honor it or we don't have an Agreement and Arrangement anymore.  It's Helpful to me to have it, it's definitely Helpful to her to have it, but I won't go Hungry or not have a place to Live if she couldn't come up with it.  She could in a Worse Case Scenario, and I drove that Fact Home to her also.  She has to acknowledge that I was Speaking Truth in Love even if it wasn't what she WANTED to Hear, but definitely was what she NEEDED to Hear.  A Gambling Addiction is not a Hobby anymore, it's being Dependent on something you're clearly having difficulty getting Control of and can Negatively impact your Life.  If you're Losing, Stop, Walk Away.  Perhaps a Winning Streak will resume, but if it doesn't, don't go above what you can AFFORD to Lose.  That would be Responsible Gambling.  Facing her Demons may be something she isn't Ready for entirely, I can see that.  A lot of Mentally Ill folk have Addictive Personalities, it's common.  I always wanted to know WHY... so I've done my Due Diligence.  To have better Understanding of Why we do what we do.

People with Mental Health Conditions are Two to Four Times as likely to struggle with Addiction than the General Population.  It's a Condition known as Dual Diagnosis or Co-Occurring Disorder.   Saying "Addictive Personality" isn't a clinical acknowledged Term tho' or recognized Medical Diagnosis, that's my layman term for it.  Environmental Factors do explain why Mental Illness and Addiction frequently occur together.  There are hypothesis as to why we're prone to Self-Medicate:  It eases Suffering.  Turning to Substances or Behaviors that numb or escape Painful Emotional States... such as depression, despair, fear, anxiety, distressing hallucinations.   It's a False sense of Control.  Since Substances or certain Behaviors can initially make you Feel "Leveled Out" and more "Balanced" and Calm.  You can come to rely on that rather than Medical Care/Medications prescribed.

But there are also Shared Biological and Brain Mechanisms:  Overlaps of Circuits, since Mental Health Disorders and Addiction affect the same Brain Regions responsible for Reward, Motivation, Stress Management and Impulse Control.  Dopamine and Chemistry play a role too since those of us with ADHD involve Dopamine regulation Pathways that are nearly identical to the Brain Circuits Triggered by Drug Cravings and Immediate Gratification. {ie: perfectly explains my Addiction to Retail Therapy, Winks}  Then there's Genetic Vulnerability.  Specific Genetic Traits related to how the Brain processes Dopamine and Stress can make a Person more inherently more vulnerable to both Psychiatric Symptoms and Addictive Behaviors.

Then there's Emotional Dysregulation and Impulsivity.  If you have difficulty Coping due to certain Mental Health and Personality Conditions, it can be hard to achieve Emotional Equilibrium or tolerate distress.  And a big one, for most of my Family anyway, is Risk-Taking Traits.  Impulsivity and a desire for Immediate Relief, coupled with a propensity high for Risk-Taking {common if you're Bipolar, ADHD, have Personality Disorders} just fuels the Cycle of seeking quick Fixes, whether thru Substances or Behavior you've Adopted as your Coping Mechanism.  And tho' it's Short-Term Relief, over Time, chronic use of whatever it is alters Brain Chemistry and worsens Symptoms.  Dual Target Therapy is what would be most Helpful, most people can't get or afford even Therapy for the Mental Illness... or the Addictions developed tho', so most won't be Helped at all.  And addressing one without the other rarely Works either.

Love the Nick Cannon Costume Above... Bwahahahaha.

There, so I went deep into those Weeds becoz having some grasp and understanding has been Helpful to me to Manage The Asylum and all of us in it.   Despite any and all Treatments over a Lifetime not being all that effective or Helpful.  You have it for Life, so you better Learn how to just Live with it and Cope as best you can, or, most get to the Point where they End Life becoz they just find it harder to Live than to Die.  I only got to that Point the one time, and failed at Ending it... which gave me that now infamous Week involuntarily in Psyche Lockdown... which is somewhere I'd rather never go again frankly, it wasn't Helpful either.  It just Warehouses Residents until they deem them Restored enuf to be released back out into Public and the Wild.  *LOL and an Eye Roll*  They wanted to Release me Four Days Early, I resisted, Three was not enuf to Stabilize me and I knew it, and tho' I Wanted to Leave, I also knew it would be a huge Mistake to Release me and I told them so.  I'd go back to everything that sent me there in the first place, so I hadda be able to Cope better first with my Reality.  Caregiver Burnout aside, I'm Mentally Ill too... juggling both, is a Full Time Job 24-7 and 365.

Not very many Mentally Ill folks will know that or say that, or admit the Space they're trying to Hold, or so I'm told, but I know when I'm Off Rails, and potentially a Danger to myself or others, I've been Me a long time already.  *Winks*  And, I know I'm all my Family has got.  But, I could have Manipulated them into Releasing me that early, I can Look like I'm doing better than I am and give the Appearance of being Okay when I'm NOT.  In fact, just coz you're Crazy doesn't mean you're Stupid, and so it's also not uncommon for someone Mentally Ill to Play you and tell you what they know you Want to Hear.  I can give Textbook Answers to all the Questions if I want to be deceptive, that's why it's often very hard to Evaluate someone.  I was so Relieved that The Young Prince, in this last Eval, was Honest and not deceptive or as Guarded as he usually is, to avoid detection as being as ill as he is.  There is a level of Fear and Stigma of the Paper Trail, that if you were to reveal how ill you are, involuntary Commitment is a possibility, so, mostly you'd avoid that decision to be left in the Hands of a Stranger taking Notes Professionally. *Winks*

Even The Daughter, as Open as she is, will be Guarded until and unless she has felt out whose asking the Questions before she'll give them accurate Answers without deception.  I still have yet to get her in to that Advocacy place that her Insurance suggested we go to in order to have an Advocate to apply for SSI.  Clearly Mercy Care felt she really would benefit from this place in order to Qualify for Federal Services again, and I'm sure she would.  It might grease the Tracks even to get her certified again after a long absence from receiving Benefits and Services if an Advocacy Group that is well known is involved?  The Hospital Caseworker that voluntarily hooked us up for The Young Prince was very Helpful in getting thru to Social Security and aligning Evals and Appointments for him since clearly he could never pay the Hospital what he Owed them.  And he'd be back if he didn't get any Treatment, regardless of still having no Income.

 

And I knew The Niece had gone to the Casino and been vulnerable that day becoz she's Stressed Out about having to drive all the way back to Texas before her Car is fully Serviced and stay with her Dad again so she can get thru the New Career's Training Program.  She knows she'll do Well in the Career, she's the Right Person for the Job and to be an Asset to that Employer developing their Programs and their AI capabilities.  But, her Dad is a Hot Mess and so is the rest of her Family, so she'll have to Deal with Job Training and the Stressors of a Family she'd rather at this point, cut off and out of her Life completely... for her own Well Being... and just Love them all from afar, which is probably Best.  And we're not pointing any fucking Fingers, nobody in this Familia is Fine either, but we acknowledge it and aren't Ashamed of it.  We don't give a Rat's Ass how anyone Feels some kind of way about it either.  Most People have their own Demons they're wrestling with behind Closed Doors and when nobody is looking.  *Winks*

Anyway, on to less weighty Topics, like Two Days after Halloween ones.  I spent the Evening, while having the Come To Jesus Talk with The Niece, sitting there emptying out most of the Halloween Bags of Candies we hadn't handed out.  Sorting it into what we'll keep to eat, or the Toys we'll just hand out next Year and keep the Nice Sealing Designer Bags for next Year too, and what we'll Donate and hand out 'til it's gone Today at the Antique Mall and where Princess T Works, or where ever we see someone who'll enjoy getting a Bag of Halloween Candy due to Halloween being Rained Out.  We're Diabetics, The Man and I, so we don't want to Keep all that was left over.  I'd gone more than a bit overboard getting the really good Quality Candies on Sale before Halloween.  And the Snack Size of them is perfect for Rationing out to the One who has a Sweet Tooth in this Household, The Man.  *Winks*

I dropped off all the Halloween Bags of Candy at the Antique Mall, everyone was on 'em like Flies on Rice.  *LOL*  It was gone before I even left.  *Smiles*  I took The Man to ARBY'S for a Roast Beef Sammie for Brunch, we ate in the Park, I had their Gyro, which is quite good actually, he ate all his Sammie.  We went to go to the River but Emergency Services had the Roads Closed off coz with all the Rain the Rivers were all Raging and Flooding Bank to Bank, for the first time ever in all the Years I've lived here, the Rivers were breaking the Levies and spilling over like Waterfalls!!!  This is really Bad.  I'd gone to The Desert Botanical Gardens early this Morning coz the Weather was Glorious for Today, but up to 4 more inches of Rain is expected, which is not Good.  They'd postponed Dia de los Muertos Celebrations until Nov. 6-9th.

It was still so pleasant to walk around the Gardens after the Rains subsided and then stopped coz everything smelled wonderful and it was only 66 Degrees all day long.  Anyway, we went to the White Tank Mountain Park instead to do Environmental Cleanup, lots of people there Hiking and such, the Waterfall there should be running with all this Rain.  I haven't Walked the Waterfall Trail in Years tho'.  The Man enjoyed our Outing so much and I took him to "Olive Garden" for Dinner and we had the Endless Soup, Salad and Breadsticks.  I started with the Zuppa Toscana and then had the Minestrone.  He started with the Pasta Fagioli and then had the Minestrone.  We took most of the Salad Home for the Kids and the extra Breadsticks the Waitress brought us.

So, we were out virtually all day until 6:00 p.m. and our Street has bumper to bumper Cars Parked coz the Cemetery Lots are full for Dia de los Muertos, so they come and Park on our Street, which is still walking distance to the Cemetery.  So long as they don't block our Driveways or try to Park ON our Property we don't mind.  Tomorrow will be the last Day to Honor their Dearly Departed and the Cemetery is filled with Beautiful Altars/Ofrendas.  I'm looking forward to the delayed Celebrations at the Gardens, perhaps the Weather will be better by that Weekend?  It was great Today but I don't know for how long before the next series of Bad Storms hit?  It is so Bad in Arizona right now we're making National and International News!  Even my Brother in Cali called me to see if we were Okay?  He saw on the News about the Four Tornados we've had here, the Flooding, 600 Water Rescues in a single Day on City Streets, and the Lightening Strikes hitting People!!! 

Cali, Nevada and Mexico are also having this Bad Weather, but Arizona seems hit particularly hard it seems.  While I was at the Gardens one of the Sweet Elderly Female Docent Volunteers took my Pix for me, she took more than one coz she wasn't used to my Phone Camera and wanted to make sure she got at least One good one, I think they all turned out pretty good.  In fact, all the Pixs I took Today turned out decent enuf to use as Blog Fodder for Posts.  I'll save a lot of the Desert Posts for later after I've Shared all of my Autumnal and Halloween Images I've taken.   The Daughter is Home now and has been working on tidying up and Decorating her Spaces in The 5th Wheel, it's looking way better already, I'm pleased.  She made an Altar in there for Mando, coz his Family gave her one of the small Urns with his Ashes that they gave to those closest to him.  That was Sweet of them to include her, but they said our Family made the last Year and a Half of his Life better than it had been and he cherished that. 

The Daughter was upset Today when she went to make an Ofrenda at his Memorial Site where he was struck and Killed coz someone {and they know who it is}, had vandalized and desecrated it, and put a Pitchfork behind his Cross and a nasty defamatory Letter on the Altar.  Which is Uncool and Sacrilege, you don't mess with someone's Sacred Sites, Graves, or Ofrendas/Altars to their Dearly Departed, even if you didn't like them in Life, you don't Vandalize Gravesites or Memorials, it's very Bad Karma.  Let the Dead RIP.  I know why this Family has done it, they Lost a Loved One they felt he was responsible for the Death of, but I'm still in disagreement with what they did to his Memorial regardless if they feel justified and angry it's there Honoring his Life.  Anyway, she took both the Pitchfork and the Letter and disposed of them, going on a Crazy Rant down the Street loudly, holding the Pitchfork in the Air. *LOL*  The Guy Friend she was with said it should make a bold Statement to that Community... coz the Family that did this lives in that Area so they will know that his Crazy Ex-GF is on a Mental Rampage if anyone messes with his Memorial again.  *Smiles and Winks*

And... most people around these parts know our Family and a great many do think we're Witches, so... they wouldn't wanna risk Hexes and Curses be upon them either.  *Winks and Laughs*  Anyway, I am Sad someone desecrated the Site and hope they won't continue to do so and upset his Family and Friends more than they already are that he was the Victim of a Homicide.  Of coarse anyone that Loses a Loved One to a Violent Crime has a wide range of Emotions that last Forever, so this other Family is clearly Wrestling with that too, they Lost a Child.  And tho' he Served 13 Years in Prison and then when new Modern Evidence overturned his Conviction and exonerated him, they felt some kind of way about that too.  I don't know the particulars of the Case coz it wasn't a Case I remember Working at the DA's Office and even if it was, I didn't know him back then even tho' it was a High Profile Case.  And if New Evidence overturned a Conviction, there had to be circumstances to Question the original Conviction by Jury.  And he did Serve 13 Years very Hard Time whether he was Innocent or Guilty.  If he was Innocent that's a long time to Serve Hard Time for something you didn't do.

Anyway, I had told The Son and The Daughter about the Situation with The Niece, so that neither of them Loan Money.  She has profusely apologized to me and knows she messed up, and is now having to do a lot of Gig Work to make up the Loss of an entire Paycheck in a Day.  I just Hope she acknowledges she has a problem?  Sometimes it takes a lot of introspection for someone to come to terms with something that has become problematic or an Addiction.  Gambling can be a really bad one and the ruination of some people.   Anyway, now Moving On to Politics... a reliable Source told me that they knew some Senators when they used to go to some High Class Parties.  And every one of them bragged constantly about it being one big Party and Drug Fest when they were actively in the Senate!  Cocaine being the main Drug of Choice, so, seems a lot of Senators are Coked Out Cokeheads, so is it any Wonder they're making Bad Decisions!?  I Wish she had Named Names but said she wouldn't risk being Sued if she did.  Valid point.

I know when I Worked in the Jewelry Business after High School in the 1970's, for a Big Jewelry Store in the Valley that a lot of the well known and Wealthiest in the Valley shopped at, they Sold a lot of 14 K Gold Coke Spoons, 14 K Gold Razor Blades for cutting Blow, 14 K Gold Toot long Cylinders for Snorting it, etcetera.  And a lot of Celebs and well known Residents would come in and Buy that Paraphernalia... so it was well known that at most Parties Cocaine abounded, even in that Era.  And of coarse in the Seventies this was a Mob Town, with the Gambino Crime Family running Phoenix and the Bonano Crime Family running Tucson.   Sammy The Bull Gravano was sent to Phoenix when he entered the Witness Protection Program after testifying against John Gotti, he still lives here.  

I found it very Odd tho' that their whole Family kept their Real Names and Identities and everyone knew where they relocated... so, it wasn't typical Witness Protection.  And he got involved in the Ecstasy {Molly} Ring here, so still did some Time.   The Daughter used to know his Daughter and one of the Cousins when she was Dating a Sicilian Guy in the Nineties that owned a bunch of Strip Clubs Locally.  That's a whole other Story of how she met THAT Guy!  *Bwahahahaha*  They tend to like the Crazy Gals, that's for sure.  He and his Cousin were Cruising Central Avenue one Evening in his Cousin's Mercedes and stopped to Proposition her and she took off her High Heels and smashed their Windshield coz she felt Offended that they acted like she was a Hooker!  Anyway, they thought that was 'Cute' and he asked for her Number!  And began taking her with him to very Upscale Clubs around the City. *Smiles*  I didn't know she was hanging with the Italians and Sicilians at the time and exactly who.  I wasn't Okay with it... but she was my Wild Child... and Bat Shit Crazy... still is.

 I remember my Uncle was visiting from North Wales when the Guy showed up one Night at our Historic Home looking for The Daughter.  My Uncle came to me and said, our Dawn, some Paisan is here wearing an Armani Suit, a President's Rolex with a Diamond Bezel, driving a Red Lexus with Gold Rims and a Baseball Cap turned backwards... he said his Name is Antony and it's probably not good he's here being you Work for the DA's Office and this Guy looks like a Made Man for sure.  *LOL*  Well, sho' nuff, he introduced himself to me as her 'Boyfriend' and I'm like, you can't be seen here... if you're under surveillance I'll have explaining to do at Work and I don't Need that kind of Drama and a Headache Son, capische?  *Ha ha ha*  In my wayward Youth I knew a lot of the Older affluent Italians in the Valley, some who Owned Casinos in Vegas, and they liked to have Pretty Young Things as Arm Candy.  I was never interested in being some Old Married Made Man's Goomah.  But I had Pretty Friends who were back then, and they bought them Houses, Cars, Jewelry...  But this Antony was only 19 and Owned many Strip Clubs... so... he was Younger than most Shot Callers and that made me nervous.  Young Men are more reckless and careless.

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May your Autumn Vibe be a pleasurable one my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian