Tamales... Tea... And Tim Curry

Probably only part of the Blog Post Title for Today makes any sense at all... until I explain the rest.  Let's go back to 9:00 a.m. this Morning, our Grandson, The Young Prince, Creates Theatrical Comedic Transgender Videos for Social Media, usually in the early Mornings.  He's already developed rather a Cult following in a very brief time period, he has a wicked sense of Humor and does Theatrical Make-Up and Drag flawlessly.  His Alter Ego Persona looks something like Tim Curry's Dr. Frank-N-Furter Character from the 1975 Cult Classic 'Rocky Horror Picture Show'.  He's in the midst of Creating one of his Videos early this Morning when he hears a knock at the front Door and goes to answer it.  Resplendent with full Make-Up, Collar and Corset he opens the Door, it's the Jehovah's Witnesses!!!   *Bwahahahahaha!*  He said you should have seen their faces and reaction... every time I think of it I'm still LMAO!   The Man shakes his Head and says only at this house would that not be Surprising!  *LOL*  It was a Comical way to start the day!   I'm sure they'll have a Story to tell!  *Winks*  Meanwhile I had wiled away my Morning Creating a tiny Goblet Christmas Tree, I almost super glued my Wedding Ring to my Finger!  Note to Self: Get the Gel kind next time!

Miss Priss is rolling with a New Posse, she has Claimed Princess T's new oversized Christmas Leopard Family as her own!  Instead of being afraid of them she has bonded with them, it's hilarious, she even cleans them and lays down with them watching the TV together!  *Smiles*   Miss Priss has been pushing a lot of boundaries lately when she comes inside the house and not behaving.  She's breaking her usual House Rules on purpose... she's become quite defiant!  I guess she thinks she can now that she's a Leopard, I dunno?!!??!  *LOL*   She's not allowed Upstairs because we have The Young Prince's Reptiles up there... she goes Upstairs and taunts The Young Prince with her disobedience!   With his Beloved Ivara and Alduin at possible risk it's not Fun and Games, so she's been put out a lot by everyone when she refuses to stay within her boundaries inside.  It's become rather a pain in the Ass actually!   Does she Look like she Cares?  I think NOT... she's a total Rebel now!

But that's not the only Problem... I took The Man out for Breakfast at Lo-Lo's Chicken And Waffles this Morning too, he Needed Comfort Food.  Why?  Because his expensive New Media Chair is on the fritz already and the Furniture Store is coming to replace it on Friday!  We think the Young Men who delivered it screwed up the mechanism by the way they manhandled it into the house?   At least it's defectiveness showed up right away so we could do an immediate exchange before I make the first payment... that's if they ever wanna get paid?   Of coarse he was disappointed, the Chair was rather a Big Deal Gift for him.  He has the enormous Box the Big Curved Screen TV came in stashed in the Single Car Garage... because they say you should keep it in case the TV has 'Issues'.  But now I cannot get to The Holy Family Nativity Blow Molds to put in the Front Yard to piss the HOA Police off... so it's going to the curb on bulk garbage day!  If said TV has 'Issues' they'll fix them or risk not getting paid, I don't Need a freakin' enormous Box stored indefinitely and in the way of getting to everything in my nice newly Organized Garage Space!

This is Why I prefer Vintage items and Antiques, they were built well and to last... seems anything newly built, no matter how expensive, is a piece of shit!  An expensive piece of shit, but a piece of shit nonetheless!   He sure does Love that piece of shit New Media Chair tho' so the replacement one better have no problems!   When I spend that much Money, I won't accept defective product!  Initially the Furniture Store said they'd send a Tech out to 'assess' said defective Media Chair's problem and see if it could be fixed?!  I said I didn't want a 'fixed' Chair that cost that damned much, especially one that has Issues in less than five days, they put me on Hold a Minute to mull that over.   So... after a Minute of mulling they said, based on what I'd told them it was doing, it didn't Need an Assessment after all, they'd just send a brand new one out on Friday.  Splendid... I'm glad they reconsidered I told the Girl on the Phone.   Otherwise we'd all have "Issues" and not just The Chair... and that would be no Fun... and certainly not in the Holiday Spirit and all.   Me not having Fun anymore isn't Pretty, just sayin'.  *Winks* 

Miss Priss and her Leopard Family are not the only potentially Dangerous Beasts in this house you see.  *Winks*   I had a very busy itinerary Planned for this Holiday Week, so I don't have Time to be jerked around and staying Home for Deliveries or Assessments really.   But better to get his Chair replaced right away, before they get any Money for it... leverage is everything when you have a Problem!   The Man didn't want any Drama tho'... he knows how I can get... he said he didn't really mind the loud noises his New Chair was making... AFTER he wound me up about the Problem by insisting I hear what it was doing!  *LOL*   It sounds like it's going to fall apart I says dryly... and I'm not Okay with that after what this thing is going to cost us... so let The Games and potential for Drama begin... depending upon if The Furniture Store wants to Play me Hard or Soft?!  He was relieved they chose to mitigate quickly so I didn't have to go Feral and come out of the bag on them.   I really am a Nice Person, until and unless someone gives me a reason not to be Nice.

I am very Hopeful they don't bring the wrong damned Chair Model on Friday tho', they have a lot of Models in various Styles and Colors.  I Carefully went over which his was... and that it's the most expensive one and in Black... and nothing less will do.   We live out in the Boonies so I'm absolutely sure they won't want to make a 3rd freakin' trip out here if they screw up again?!   Not to mention The Man is rather petulant and anxious that he can't enjoy his New stuff now for another Four days.  His concept of Time is jacked since the TBI so that seems like an Eternity to him... he keeps asking me when it's coming again?   I'll tell you when it's Friday I says... that's when it's coming.  And for the Love of God don't keep asking me if it's Friday yet Okay!?!  *LOL*  As I'm saying this to him I see Miss Priss, out of my peripheral vision, trying to slither by unseen to go Upstairs again!   *Le Sigh*  In this Image notice The Scorpion Black Light Flashlight on the Floor behind her {it's Blue}.  That's the primary reason she's now a House Cat part of the time, she's a great Working Cat and Scorpion Assassin! 

And of course in the Evenings particularly, we don't want her being prey to the other Dangerous Predators that inhabit the Natural Desert nearby.   They are not nearly so Friendly as fake Leopards.   There is an abundance of Wildlife around these parts and I Like that, but you do have to take more precautions with your Domestic Pets than you do in the City.   She's adapted quite Well to Rural Living actually and is a Street Savvy Cat, she'd been a Stray until she Adopted us.  She's also been a Working Cat so she's not what one would call Pet Quality really by Shelters Standards of what constitutes a Pet Quality Animal.   She Loves Princess T, that's her Human... she merely Tolerates all other Humans.   I think you can see it in her Eyes in almost every Photo taken, that skittish Alley Cat Look.   Her other Look is the Leave Me The Hell Alone Look, so unless you're Princess T, she's rather aloof and barely Tolerant of you.   But her and The Kid are Tight, so whaddya gonna do?  She J'Adores her one Human!  *Smiles*

Now don't get me wrong, she's not one of those Cat's From Hell you see on that Cat Whisperer's Show... otherwise she'd of been a sitting on a Park Bench in the Rain kinda Cat.  *LOL*  Before she thought she was now a Leopard she'd been very Obedient when I tell her to do something.   Now that she's a Leopard, not so much... I guess to a Leopard I'm not nearly as Intimidating, I dunno?

Another thing I did was go to the Annual Tamale Festival Yesterday in Downtown Phoenix.  Food City Hosts one every December and since I'm too lazy to make Tamales from scratch, since it's so labor intensive, I just buy them at two bucks a pop each, which is Cheap.   Not to mention you can get a bounty of varieties, there's usually about a dozen varieties of Tamales available.  I say usually because this Year at about Noon, on the 2nd and final day of the Festival, THEY RAN OUT OF TAMALES at most of the Vendor's Booths!  *Gasp!!!*   I got there at about Noon on Sunday, the lines were long and just when I got up to my turn, most varieties were already Sold Out... Vendor after Vendor... dammit!   I snagged the last half dozen Sweet Corn Tamales they had at the whole Festival... whew... those are the Family Favorite... I couldn't come Home without some of those!  

I had to go to several different Vendor Booths to Score a half dozen Red Beef Tamales too... for the Family... since now I don't eat Meat.   I was only able to Score two of The Young Prince's Favorite Pineapple Tamales.    And only four of my very Favorite Cinnamon Raisin Puerto Rican Style Tamales.   The Yucatan Banana Leaf wrapped Tamales were only available at one Vendor this Year, luckily I Scored four before they ran out.  Can't eat those anymore unfortunately, since they have Chicken in them, but if you've never tried a Banana Leaf wrapped Tamale I find them to be way moister and absolutely delicious!

Here's what they look like, they're actually wrapped and cooked in Plantain Leaves that have usually been soaked in Broth.  Traditionally they have either Pork or Chicken and sometimes they will be bundle shaped and tied like a package rather than flat.   There is also a Vegan option of Yucatecan Tamale that is filled with Ibis Bean, ground Pumpkin Seed, Chives and Tomato Sauce and usually wrapped in Banana Leaf or Sacred Leaf, but that is more commonly eaten at Easter and not Christmas.   So I've never seen those at the Christmas Tamale Festival and they don't have a Festival at Easter time.

I could only find one Vendor that still had Chile Cheese Vegetarian Tamales left and they weren't giving out Samples to taste test first.   I bought six anyway, but found them to be too dry for my liking, tho' the Masa was a pleasant taste and pale with smooth texture.  There was plenty of Roasted Green Chile and Cheese inside so the filling was ample, I just prefer a moist Masa in our Tamales, I don't like dry crumbly Tamales.  So this was my Haul, not nearly as many as we'd usually buy, this won't last long in our Home so I'll have to Source some more elsewhere in the Old Neighborhood I suspect.   This time of Year many Locals make their own and Sell them.

Another destination was Glendale Glitters in Historic Downtown Glendale, where they string up thousands of Christmas Lights and which now has become a destination for Vegan Cuisine and Vegan Grocers, Zen Tea Houses, Astrology Stores and Herbal Vendors... which I totally dig.  So I loaded up on various Fresh loose Leaf Teas for our Holiday Mad Tea Parties.    It's nice not to have to go to the East Valley to find good Tea Houses now and my Hippie Vibe Shops.

Especially since the Favorite Tea House of Princess T and I, Chakra 4, that we had gone to for Years, sadly closed in the East Valley and I'm almost out of their loose Leaf Teas now.   Replacing a Favorite Haunt is not always easy... so when I'm finding any I ask around about what other Shops have opened in that genre so that I can support those New Local Small Businesses we prefer to be patrons of.   The Sweet Young Girl at this New Tea House I went to, TANGLED ROOT BOTANICALS AND NAMASTE' CAFE, was kind enough to tell me of all the other Cool New Shops, Grocers and Restaurants that offer Vegan and Vegetarian options... or Alternative and Holistic Health Services and Products.  Their Loose Leaf Holiday Chai Tea was excellent and so I brought a bag of it Home to brew for the Holidays.

VIA: Facebook

These Sweet Ladies run a Delightful Shop that is a Family owned Small Business and have a wide selection of Teas, Herbs and Products.  Please Support all of our Wonderful Small Businesses my Friends, they are the backbone of America and the strength of our Communities! 

Several other Shops in the area carry great lines of Tea, Essential Oils, Crystals, Herbs and Ritualistic Materials for such things as Saging and Smudging.   So we'll be having ourselves a Tealicious time here at Villa Boheme' for the Holidays!

I just Wish you could Smell the Delightful Aromas of all of these Teas we now have... Sublime!   And I picked up some Essential Oils for Christmas... The Young Prince has his Favorites and I've been seeking them out for him.  I accidentally put on some of his Fav 'Dragon's Blood' Essential Oil instead of my 'Nag Champa' Essential Oil Today and it smelled Wonderful on me actually.  It's an earthy potent aroma that is infused with Orange, Patchouli and Cedarwood Essential Oils.

So as we sit here with Alice In Wonderland Mugs filled with fragrant Hot Tea Tonight I'm reminded of what makes our Christmas Traditions and Rituals so Special for us as a Family.  I'm looking at the top of my Tea and reminiscing about Mom 'Reading' the Tea and what she would have said about my Cuppa of it Tonight.    She would have surely said, "Money is coming Love...", well, Mom, I Hope you're spot on as usual... sure do Miss you and Dad.  

I'm hunkering warm and cozy down our Rabbit Hole Tonight... some Evenings, especially the Colder overcast ones, just relaxing at Home and doing nothing is the most Blissful Holiday activity of all.

I got all my Holiday Shopping done early and loaded up the Antique Mall Spaces with new goodies... including these 1940's Optical Advertising Lithographs which can be found in Showroom #114... so I can now have a more Laid Back Holiday Season... I Hope you can too my Friends?!

*******

Blessings, Love, Light and Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Bonus upside to The Man receiving his early Christmas Pressies is that if I am sleeping in too long, he'll make me Breakfast in Bed so that I'll get up and he can now go in there and watch his Big Screen TV!  *LOL*   Yeah, this could work out real fine... it'll be the Gift that keeps on Giving!  *Winks*

I'd slept in too late anyway, another Hour and I'd of slept the whole Morning away!  That's the only real downside to working Nights, if it's been a super busy Shift, I sleep in too late the next Morning as I'm clearly recovering!  *Smiles*  When I'm talking to other working Seniors, it's not so uncommon for us all to recognize the slowing down process after pulling our Shifts.

Doesn't even matter if it's only Part Time work and short Shifts, the Stamina factor has diminished considerably from the days of our Youth.  I'm still a very hyper Senior, I move quickly and get a lot done... but in shorter spurts now.  About four Hours of intense Work and I'm knackered now!  That's about all I'm good for and then I hafta call it a day!  *LOL*

One big Project at Home and I'm finished... Yesterday it was mountains of laundry before and after Work.  So along with Working my Shift, and seemingly an eternity of Hours of doing laundry before and after going to Work, I was clearly in shut down mode!  So when I retired for the Evening I slept clear thru til about Eleven o'clock this Morning!  I might have slept in longer had The Man not woken me up with Breakfast in Bed.  *Winks*

As I ate my Breakfast there in Bed I watched some very Old episodes of "Roseanne" on his new Big Screen TV.  I'm saddened by what happened by that whole "Roseanne" fiasco recently, on so many levels I'm saddened.  I'm still saddened by the polarization of our Nation, I Hope we can move past it some day and have a National Healing.  With more Sincere Kindness extended towards one another?

Social Media can give a glimpse into the troublesome Nature of the whole Beast of not getting along and playing well with others.  If anyone voices an Opinion, even one that shouldn't be all that controversial really, tempers rise, snarky comments can't seem to be held back or at bay, ugliness and hostility prevails and can even run rampant!  *Le Sigh*  When did that Shift happen I Wonder?  Or has it always been there, simmering beneath the surface of America?  Perhaps of the whole World and of the Human Species?

Why is it difficult at all to Plant Happiness, react in a Kind and Loving way towards anyone or everyone?  Be somewhat Tolerant that not everyone thinks, looks or behaves the Same, the Human Condition has Differences.   Celebrating Differences instead of Condemning them or belittling them might mediate many of the Problems of Society.  Not that everything thought is Right... or Wrong... but just Different.

A Peaceful and Respectful dialogue might uncover Commonalities between us that could promote Harmony and Unity, rather than fixating upon such Differences that threaten to divide us and cause strife.   I think back upon some Christian Street Ministries I did for many Years in the deep Inner City of a predominantly Black Muslim Community.  A Community where I could go for Miles and not see anyone LIKE me, so my Differences stood out... which wasn't necessarily always completely Comfortable for them or for me.

We just Peacefully and Kindly handed out Tracts to Invite the general Public to be a Guest at our Inner City Street Ministry Church.  A Church which provides many Wonderful Ministries to marginalized portions of the Community.  Everyone and anyone is Welcome at our Church, no matter the Glorious Mess they might arrive, it was Embraced without Judgment nor Condemnation.  We just talked to the People with Kindness, Respect and Love... no pressure to come, just a simple Invitation if they felt so inclined.  We became regular sights within that Community, getting to know the Residents, whether they ever came or not.

Now I might add that I was the only White Lady in our group, the only person with Light Eyes, so I was rather a Curiosity handing out Tracts in a predominantly Black Muslim Community.   Therefore, People would stop and talk with me, sometimes out of mere Curiosity.  Eventually even the Militant Black Muslim Young Men handing out Tracts to their House of Worship and who preached of The Blue Eyed Devil.  I knew this, I knew their Tenants of Faith to have some strong racial prejudices and bias infused, but I Sincerely Welcomed interaction and Exposure to one another.   Exposure is Everything as my Dear Old Dad used to always say!   Without Exposure HOW CAN YOU KNOW?  Many fallacies and assumptions are due to lack of Exposure and pure speculation and indoctrination to an Idea not always entirely factual.

I remember my Pastor, who is Black and also a Dear Friend to this day, would initially be concerned I might be Offended by what these Young Men might say to me, how they might Receive or Reject me.  A White Lady with Light eyes handing out Christian Tracts on their Turf?  I told him not to worry, one has to TAKE an Offense in order to BE Offended.   In fact, I had many stimulating, interesting and Wonderful Conversations with these Young Men.  Sure, the conversations may have began with some animosity or hostility on their part towards me, but as they got to KNOW me, it tempered.

I sought some Understanding and some Common Ground as Human Beings, as to what they Believed and why they Believed it?  To what lay BEYOND the not so Lovely parts that would typically cause Offense to one Different and maligned by another?   We also were able to move PAST all that and just Converse about all kinds of typical things one Converses about with someone you've now formed some bond with in a Respectful way.   We had many really Deep conversations about everything from the ills of Society to Politics and Religion... to what we'd recently Enjoyed on TV, as we passed Time together handing out our Polar Opposite Tracts to the Public.   Sharing a Corner Peacefully and Respectful of one another, in spite of our obvious Differences and way of just Being.

What I'm trying to convey is that I could have been intimidated, I could have been Offended, I could have REACTED in Kind and chosen Conflict due to our Differences.  I could have not even tried to make any kind of meaningful bond at all with someone who clearly initially despised me due to merely the Color of my Skin and Eyes, even my 'Religious preferences'.   Perhaps that persisted even once they got to know me and talk with me often, I may never have Changed any of those Individuals really... but I MIGHT have.  There is that Possibility some Reflection on both our parts caused different Outlook after our encounters.   It did for me anyway, I had better Insight into a Community I wasn't at all Familiar with previously.  And at least that Exposure to one another in a Respectful way, being Harmonious on Purpose and with Effort, is a Positive step in the Right direction.

I can Honestly say that even the Hard Core Older Men, who initially looked at me with disdain and deliberately avoided me, eventually showed me due Respect for even being there eventually... more Tolerance.  For coming Faithfully to do My Thing for God... and being Kind, engaging in Meaningful Conversation, even if we would never see Eye to Eye on various Issues or the way each of us thought, looked or behaved.  I have my way of Being and they each have theirs... our God must Work upon the Heart of each of us to promote Real Change, Voluntary Change that even He will not force upon any one of us.

I would have broken Bread with any one of those Young or Old Men who were so very Different in outlook to myself, to keep having Meaningful stimulating conversations that gave deeper Understanding and actually developed a Human Bond with one another.   That moved past any Hatred or Prejudices on the part of how they felt about me without Knowing me.  Because once they got to KNOW me, beyond just how I Look and my Differences, I noticed a Positive Change in our interactions.  If they then had to Dislike or still Hate me, it had to be way more Personal than me just being a Christian White Lady with Light Eyes, part of a Culture different than their own.  Apparently they could find nothing about ME to actually Hate beyond the superficial Differences, they Received me in a way that could be thought to be quite unexpected.

May we Challenge ourselves as Human Beings to have Exposure to that which isn't necessarily Comfortable or Lovely sometimes, that which is very Different. To HEAR and to be a Good Listener, to Listen twice as much as we Speak... so we might better have at least SOME Understanding, without the Temptation to Prove OUR Point and give OUR Opinion forcefully and self-righteously!   To forfeit our Need to be Right sometimes and not jump to the conclusion of what is Wrong with someone else or their Opinions, even if we Feel that way strongly. There may be no Conversions at all, we may remain quite Different and the Similarities might be slight.  But Peace and Harmony... so much more Godly than Conflict and Hate my Friends... so much more Positive and Powerful!   So much more revealing of the Heart and Spirit of each of us.

*******

Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Baby It's Cold Outside

Yeah, I'm intentionally NOT being PC again by using the Newest Controversy as a Post Title Hook!  *LOL*   I find it hilarious that a Song released way back in 1953 is causing such an outrage and some peeps are clutching their Pearls as if it's the most offensive thing they've ever heard... which I seriously doubt!  *Winks*  All of the Drama and Controversy about it will likely make it a No. 1 Hit again I suspect?!   I guess I'm just not that easily offended and hyper sensitive to give a shit really!   Especially about something so irrelevant as a Song from that far back that is only dredged up and resurrected on Holiday Stations this time of the year anyway.  *LMAO*  News Flash, the Fifties has been over for a very long time, many folks who were Adults in that Generation are even dead now, just let 'em Rest in Peace!

Today it's Cold and dreary, it's raining like Hell and the temps have tanked from 79 degrees to 49 degrees just like that in a day... Welcome to the Desert!  I'm glad that I got it all cozy with Christmas Enchantment inside of Villa Boheme' so I can just hunker down and luxuriate in it.  Well, as much as you can luxuriate in it while doing mountains of laundry, which kinda is a buzzkill to the whole warm, fuzzy cozy thing I could have going on... but hey, that's Life, right?!  *Smiles*   The Young Prince had clearly run out of clean clothes to wear since I found some of mine and his Sister's clothes in his laundry!  His laziness knows no bounds, so to avoid domestic enslavement he'll wear Socks with 13 Year Old Girl Emojis all over them and Gramma's Hamsa Shirts if he can get away with it without our knowledge!  *LMAO*

I can't say anything about it in Real Life or his Little Sister won't want to put those damned Socks on her Feet again!  *Bwahahahaha!*   I guess he's getting 'even' for her stealing his make-up... I suppose a plus of having an older Gay Brother is that you can steal some good make-up from Sephora out of his room without catching any shoplifting charges!   We've had the Talk about respecting the boundaries of what belongs to each other, but the covert ops continue with the 'borrowing' without permission.  So there's almost constant Drama about it between them all and the wailing of who took my ____________ going on, since all are Guilty as Charged really!   Now when my shit disappears then it's really On... since they seem to think if it belongs to Gramma it belongs to us ALL and is Communal Property.  Most especially my Art Supplies and Tools... since I Like and Want them to be Creative, Right, they use as a Defense when we hold Court about it?!  *Le Sigh*

So at least now the Mystery of why she couldn't find hardly any of her Socks is solved.  Since she takes them off everywhere we'd been accusing her of just not gathering them all up when she does her laundry.  Yes, that one Likes to do her own laundry since she's very particular about shit fading or being folded correctly, she's very OCD about her Wardrobe and things being done a certain kinda way... her way!  It's color coded in her closet and is more organized than is Normal for a Well person.   She spazzes out if I try to assist her because apparently I do it all Wrong, who knew?!   I thought I had laundry and the hanging and folding of clothes Down after this many decades of doing it... guess NOT by her OCD Standards?!?   Well, one less Bell to answer, one less Egg to fry so I don't really Care, she can knock herself out doing it the Right way and relieving me of the duties!  *Winks*  

Now her Brother is the Polar Opposite, I swear if nobody did his laundry he'd just throw his clothes away, probably out the window and onto the roof... as you might recall the dirty dishes episode a few years back?   Yeah, when he couldn't get one clean he'd toss it out his Kitchen Window and onto the roof... 'til The Enforcer ratted him out and asked me if I knew her Brother was tossing his dirty dishes out the window and onto the roof up there?  WHAAAATF!?!? Yeah, Seriously Mentally Ill peeps sometimes do the weirdest shit imaginable as if it's Normal to, so nothing surprises me anymore!  So I made him lean out the window and retrieve them all and we had the Come to Jesus discussion about how Abnormal and Mental throwing dirty dishes on the roof really is, so stop it!  I bet you have never had THAT conversation, right?   Sometimes I can't even Believe I have these conversations myself actually, to the point of getting used to it even!  *LOL*

So remember I told you all I Needed to do now was buy some Fresh Christmas Greenery?  Well, it couldn't be found, which isn't all that unusual here in the Desert and probably wasn't the best Idea anyway, since they would dry out so quickly and perish, leaving me with a big mess.   So I opted instead for faux Christmas Greenery, since 'Michaels' was having 70% Off already to purge the Christmas Garlands and Greenery... perfect timing for Yours Truly who Needed some!   They look Real enough and the Pine Cones on them are Real so it gives some authenticity to the Displays.   This Season a lot of Succulents were added to Christmas Greens since Succulents are Trending right now so they're putting them with everything.  I Love Succulents but wasn't too sure it gave a particularly Christmasy Vibe to any Bouquet, so I opted out of having that Look.  Since I have Sundays off now I'm going to the Tamale Festival in Phoenix this Sunday to load up on Christmas Tamales!  Yay!   What, you think we make 'em from scratch, are you kidding me!?  *LOL*  Did it once, down in Mexico... once was enough, it's a lotta Work my Friends, easier to purchase from the Master Tamale Makers!

The big News was that all of The Man's early Christmas Pressies have arrived, delivered and set up for him in our Boudoir, so he's Jazzed!   His Media Chair does everything but make Love to him and there are so many Controllers now that he's in Tech Heaven, he Loves his Gadgets that Man!  *Smiles*  The more shit the Gadgetry does the more he Loves it and is delighted playing with it!  I Need something more User Friendly myself so I'll never figure it all out unless he and The Force do it for me!   He spent a considerable amount of time showing me all the shit this Chair, the TV and his Media Center does, as if I'll remember how to do any of it... the Cup Holders even Light Up, which I suppose is important if you have a Blackout?  *Bwahaha!*  It's great to see him so happy and excited about his Pressies though, so I'm happy for him!

I didn't realize all the shit the Media Center Fireplace does, tho' I suppose our thorough Saleslady told me.  I kinda lose Interest and my Eyes Glaze over when anyone goes Tech on me, tho' I suppose The Man paid close attention to the spiel and so went over it all again for me while I basically ignored it and just took pixs for to Share with you.   Like how the Fireplace Logs not only throws off enough Heat, if you want them to, in order to Heat half the house... but also turns SIX different Colors!   I'm Impressed, I don't know that Real Fire can do that, at least not on Command and under our Control?  *Winks*  So he went thru all the Rainbow of Faux Fire Hues for me and I snapped off Three of the Six for you, in case you Care?  *LOL*  The sliding Barn Doors on it reveal Bookcases or hide said Fireplace if you want a different Look.  There's Bluetooth Speakers too so he has sensor-round Volume to his Shows now.

The TV is a 70" Curved Screen high def so you can watch it from clear across a large Room... kinda like being in your own Private Movie Theater.  And the real Beauty is, he can now watch all of his marathon of NCIS reruns without Princess T dogging him about it and losing her Mind when she's endured Hours of it and can't watch her Shows... you will Note what's on the Screen... Winks.  And she can now luxuriate in the Livingroom watching the Tween Shows we can't stand on the other 55" high def TV we bought when we first moved in!  The Young Prince now has our Old Bedroom Flat Screen TV up in his Room.  It was a Fifty Dollar Goodwill Score, but it's got a decent picture, albeit a thin black threadlike line that runs slightly off center and you can hardly see... which is why it was probably Donated brand new from a Store to Charity?  So there's now no trouble in Paradise!

In fact, if I now buy him a little Fridge, he may never want to come out of our Bedroom ever and thus I will no longer have to Mediate between he and Princess T when they have their daily spats about trifles that bug them about each other.  *LOL*   The Young Prince stays sequestered in his Suite Upstairs unless he comes down for Food, so keeping them all separated solves a lot of Drama and Problems.  *Ha ha ha*   I Miss Grandpa she said the first day, so came in and laid down on my side of the Bed to watch his endless NCIS reruns with him for a few Hours, it was Sweet and he felt the Love.  I was tickled, tho' they often spar like Cat and Dog, they are tight that pair... he's her Favorite for sure and she looks out for him since his Brain Damage.  She kept checking in on him every day since, to make sure he's Okay and didn't Need anything... Awwww!  *Smiles*

Another Sweet, yet slightly Crazy 'Normal' thing happened in the Familia recently too.  The G-Kid Force's Mama has been Clean and Sober now for most of the Year and hasn't had as many Serious Mental Health Episodes for a while either.  So we've had a lot more contact from Mexico and she's doing Well and is in a Good Place in her Life for a change.  It's so good to be able to have rational conversation with her without the hindrance of substance abuse and Psychotic Episodes with intense Paranoia brought on by her Mental Illness.   The Force aren't really used to Mama being Well at all so it's often difficult for them to relate to her being able to try to relate to them and just converse about anything and everything.  She Loves them dearly and wants to try to form meaningful Bonds tho', and in her often Crazy way it can be quite Interesting and Comical how she goes about it ... our Gallows Humor always 'Gets It' and everyone is Aware so we can also discuss it freely, even with her.

The Young Prince has Reptiles... is really 'Into' Reptiles... so she found this to be a Topic they could Bond with and have great discussions about.  She lives in a Rain Forrest area where Sky Mountain Wildlife abound... next thing we know she's caught herself this Giant Iguana like Creature and brought it Home!  *Uh Oh*  Now this is someone not competent enough to raise her Kids, nevermind an Exotic Creature of unknown origin or habits!  *Yikes*   So she shoots off some Pixs to her Son of her new Pet... and tells him she's feeding it Carrots because it Likes Carrots!   The Young Prince comes bounding downstairs in a Panic, coz his Crazy Mom has tried to Bond with him by catching a Wild Reptile to keep as a Pet!  What turns out to be, since he Googled it immediately to Identify the Creature... a highly aggressive endangered Species indigenous to only Sky Mountain Tropical areas of Mexico and is carnivorous and grows Huge!   And like Carrots don't grow Wild in Rain Forests Gramma he deadpans, this is a carnivore, so my Mom is gonna probably accidentally kill this thing, she needs to let it go... make her set it Free right away!  *Okay so I'm laughing my Ass off, this is so Typical of my Daughter's erratic SMI behavior and him being SMI he 'Gets It'!*

We convince her to let it go Free again, much to his Relief, since she said it had grown weary of Carrots and Celery and began to want to eat Meat, which is expensive in Mexico... so it hadda go!  *Whew*   She and I laughed about the Wild Carrots of the Rain Forest Thing, she has a Wicked Sense of Humor about some of the Crazy Shit she actually does.  She is Aware she often does some really Crazy Shit that she thinks is Okay or quite Normal until someone reminds her, No, it's NOT... it's Mental actually!  *Winks*   So, the Big Lizard now roams Free and will Live, she didn't manage to accidentally Kill it, and since it's Endangered that's a very Good thing!  *Whew!*  How she got the thing Home and had it not being aggressive with her and acting like a Pet one will never know, mebbe it sensed The Crazy, Animals can be intuitive like that!  *Smiles*  I have a Mental Image of her carrying Big Lizard Home and then back to the Wild with the Locals thinking... there goes that Loca Gringa again Dios Mio...  *LMAO*

So right now said Prodigal Daughter is trying to get her Passport, since all the Years ago she moved to Mexico you didn't Need one and now you do.  So she's trying to get all her necessary Paperwork in Order now for her and the Girls, so she and our Grand-Daughters from Mexico can travel back and forth anytime they want to.  They intend to continue living in Mexico, since the Three Younger Kiddos were born and raised there and she Likes Mexico better herself, and is in a very Loving Good Relationship with a Mexican National who is in Law Enforcement there.   But we want to be able to have Family Reunions on either side of the border and everyone having Passports is just a Good Idea.  But it's easier said than done and there's a lot of bureaucracy and hoop jumping to be done.  You can get jerked around a lot... and become costly as they keep adding things you apparently Need in a certain time frame or you lose all your money you already had to pre-pay in deposits.  *Le Sigh*

So they're asking for all kinds of random Shit like Old Yearbook Page Photos to prove she's her and all that.  She has her Name Tattooed on her damned Ankle and Fingerprints but apparently that's not enough... nor Birth Certificates, Immunization Records, Baptismal Certificates, so on and so forth that have already been provided!  *Le Sigh*  So I shoots off this High School Yearbook Page that includes her... and then we all laugh because except for the one White Boy, everyone else is Hispanic and this could be mistaken as a School in Mexico!   We lived in Da Hood for many Years and it was predominantly a Hispanic Community.  I can just hear it now, "Wait, I thought you said you went to High School in America, why all the Vatos!?"   *Bwahahahahaha!*  I can hear her Boyfriend and Mexican National Friends laughing hysterically too in the background at that one!  *Smiles* 

As she also Needed a progression of Images of her growing up, so they'd know she was her and all... I was taking pixs for her to have the Evidence.  It was a Blast from Christmases Past... as I found Images of her with Gran-Dad and Nanna, my Parents.  We sure do Miss them particularly at the Holidays, a Rush of Memorable Nostalgia of Christmases spent with them thru the Years came flooding back to all of us!   It was a Bittersweet Trip down Memory Lane, with Smiles and Tears mingling.   Dad's Bronze Smiling Face made me Smile... and Cry... can't Believe he's been gone over 14 Years already!

Yeah some were grainy and out of focus with taking pixs of Old pixs with my Cellphone Camera to send off... the Beauty of that Technology makes it easy to get them where they Needed to be immediately to aide in her Cause tho'.  I personally think they're jerking her around to extort more money, but you do what you have to do while living abroad and having things just be different in how The Systems just Work elsewhere.   Fighting any System is futile, even here in America, if you have to utilize The System to get any Help it can be convoluted and designed to discourage you and mess with people because they CAN!  She's dealt with the Mental Health System here in America practically her whole Life, so she said dealing with any System in Mexico is not any worse really.  True that, she has the right Attitude about it... and plays the Game they want you to Play.

And some Images had faded out considerably... cheap Old Film and Age showing!  We laughed about the Crazy Fashions, like my Groovy Nineties Glasses!  *Bwahahahaha!*  Hey, those were Trendy back in da Day... and I was Blind as a Bat too... Thank God for Lasik many Years later or I'd look like Mister Magoo Today!  *Winks*    And looking at our Daughter when she was the same age as her Kids now are was kinda Surreal too!  The Years flash by in seemingly the wink of an Eye everyone is Older!

I think back upon some of the rough Holidays we got through over the Years. Numerous Years when The Man was deployed to War ravaged Countries during the Holidays... when my Dad was deployed to War ravaged Countries during the Holidays.  When Loved Ones crossed over during the Holidays or we were Dealing with other significant Crisis between Halloween and New Years.   So this Christmas things aren't so Bad really... in the grand scheme of things and Christmases Past where we had a tougher time for various reasons and Seasons of Life.   There have of coarse been the Years when everything was swell, but honestly those are not always the most Memorable just because of absence of difficulties.   Some of the most poignant Holidays have been ones where we rallied around Friends and Family to move through the tough times during Celebratory times and managed to still Salvage our Holidays somehow and keep them intact!

To remember and pay Homage to our Savior Who is the Reason for the Season and was sent as a Sacrificial Gift to Mankind.  That had to be Sad for God I would Imagine, to Give His Son for us, knowing all along what it would take and what He would have to endure on our behalf.  Intense suffering was experienced by Jesus Himself, so He is not without a Point of reference and Empathy to our suffering, our Pain, our Grief and Trials.  It is part of the Human Condition to have a blend of the Good and the Bad in Life... nobody is immune to it, nobody is actually spared from it.  Sometimes the Illusion can be that some are, but they're really not... we don't know the back story of everyone's Life and circumstances they've Privately moved through and perhaps never Shared.

Suffering, pain and sorrow comes to every Life in some forms.  I don't presume to think mine is any worse... any better... than someone else's.  Suffering is suffering, pain is pain and sorrow is sorrow.   The intensity that one Feels it is Personal and not to be judged, it's theirs to Feel and to move through as best they can in their own way.   This Holiday Season I know people who've experienced suffering, pain and sorrow during the Holidays, my Heart aches for each of them.   I know how tough it is, particularly during the Holidays, to have that burden to bear, it can be heavy and threaten to derail all Festivities and Joy.  It can take you to a very Dark place and Space to Hold, during a time when you would really rather not Deal, if you had the Choice not to.  And I Pray that if any of you is experiencing that, the Peace and Comfort that only the Lord can bestow will be upon you and embrace you like a Warm Hug from One who Loves you unconditionally... and always has.

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Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian