Donnie Two Dolls & His Cabal Of Vulgarians

 The catchy Blog Title Hook was partly stolen, ummm, I mean borrowed, from Blog Friend Savannah Marsh Mama, Thank You my Friend.  *Winks*  Part of the reason I Opted Out of my attendance of a Fav Event is the Heat lately, along with not feeling 100%, to get there early enuf to get good Parking means standing in Line in the Heat.  If you get there as the Doors Open then there's no close Parking and you have to walk in from the Lower Forty, in the Heat.  So, no Win-Win come Summertime.  I really didn't have it in me and the day progressed to this temp {See Below} where it hovered between 118-120 all damned Day!   Not "Officially" of coarse, but the "Official" Temp is always a Joke and much lower than the Real Temps everywhere in the Cities of the Metro Phoenix area, we all know this Fact.  So, since I wasn't Photographing an Event I was feebly & crazily Photographing the Floral section of my Grocer instead for Blog Imagery Fodder.  *LOL*

Mebbe it's Heat Induced Crazy with me lately, I dunno, not Sure?  *LOL* I've also taken to Photographing my accurate Thermometer in the Truck to prove what the Temps actually are where we are too, we don't take the "Official" Temps seriously, since, they're not at all accurate.   I've stayed in my Jammies all day now for a few Days, reconciled with The Daughter and The Granddaughter Princess T, who each offered me their apologies for how they vilified me on Wednesday Afternoon and threw me under the Bus.   After I'd been so good to everyone, providing Transportation and everything they needed and asked for, including, but not limited to getting Chips & Salsa for The Diva Child.   She Thanked me for it Today, even tho' she'd enjoyed it Yesterday without Thanking me.  *Winks*  Why?  

Becoz she was still Mad at me for acknowledging that it was she, her Uncle, Grandpa and I that needed her Mom to understand that constant Company of hers was not something we're used to or want at our Home.    We don't want Guests of hers here every day, all day.  We don't wanna Host Guests at Home, we hardly ever Invite our Friends over, we Socialize outside of the Home, if at all.   We're just not so extroverted about Entertaining folks in the Home or Hosting a continuous stream of them that aren't even OUR Guests, but hers she Invited, or who show up Uninvited, even after being told not to.   The Optics aren't good either when people are coming and going constantly, Neighbors and better Neighborhoods don't like that.  Even if nothing is going on it gives the Appearance that it is and we don't need that Shit or someone calling the Police to check out what's going on becoz they're concerned about the Traffic coming and going.

So, The Daughter has acknowledged that, she has too many different Friends coming over and nobody else in the Family is comfortable with that much intrusiveness and Company.  Plus, I don't like or know some of these people very well.  Sure, I knew them as Kids, but I don't know some of them NOW, their Habits, Lifestyle, or who they know now?  Are they still in The Life, or, if not, how long they been out of The Life?  These Questions are important ones.  Home is our Sanctuary to get away from the World out there and it's Issues.  We like and prefer it to be Peaceful, Serene, Laid Back and no Drama or Headaches, or Baggage that Non-Family Members might bring with them when they're here visiting.  Entertaining and Hosting Guests can be exhaustive, especially a constant stream of them.  And some stay too long and become too comfortable not leaving when they should or showing up when we'd rather they not and don't want Company.  Some people aren't capable of managing that and become a Problem Guest.  If you don't Live here, there's no Need for you to be here all the damned time, period.

 This ain't a Hostel or Hang Out Joint.  I don't tolerate Problem Guests, you're not Welcome here once you've become a Problem or I perceive you to be one.  I don't Care why you feel justified being even the least bit Problematic at someone else's Home?   Or acting any kind of way we don't tolerate, now you've outstayed your Welcome and you just need to Go.  If I have to ask you to Leave, or to not come back, then you've already crossed acceptable Boundaries of being a Guest here or Welcome anymore.   And, you MUST Treat everyone Living here well, if you can't get along and play well with those who actually Live here, then mebbe you're not compatible with your Host or/and their Loved Ones, take that information and Process it as you Leave.  If you're arguing all the time with a Partner or even a Friend, chances are, that Relationship has become Toxic and not Compatible.  It's a Clue.

I don't have any Toxic Relationships myself, once it becomes that way, Be Well and Be Gone, very Simple Solution to Solve that Problem.  I'd rather be Solitary than be with People who I can't or shouldn't be around becoz it's not working out between us.   Even our Kiddos all know, now that they're Grown Ass Adults, they can do anything they want and I won't presume to tell them how to live Life, they just can't do it here if we don't approve.  Go do it somewhere else, Be Well and Be Gone.  You can go be Wild and Crazy if that's your Choice now you're Grown, just NOT HERE, this is OUR Home, so we make the Rules here.  Abide by them or make other arrangements.   Your Life, your Choice.   Choose Wisely.   Same with your Friends, the ones I don't want around me or my Home, I don't want around me, period... not my Friends... but it is my Choice to have them HERE or NOT, Deal with it.

And, due to the Blog Post Title Hook of this Post, you just know I've got to insert some of the Fuckery playing out with this Administration, of Donnie Two Dolls & his Cabal of Vulgarians.   That's my newest catchy and accurate Nickname for them all that is perfectly descriptive and I like at the moment.  *Winks*   Getting us into a War with Iran... listen, I already got 99 Problems and I don't need us being in another War that will be very Bad for us to be One of them, Okay?   This was allegedly the No War Prez, even tho' he was exhibiting behaviors to the contrary since he seems to dig violence, threatening, intimidating, showing he's a Bad Bitch and Tough of which he is neither.  He was too Cowardly to go to War himself, but he'll send your Loved ones to and instantly put 50,000 of our Troops in the Middle East in peril.  That will not End Well for any of us, rest assured.  Just being an Aggressor and dropping Bombs doesn't equate to Good, Strong or Wise Leadership.

 I personally think, like most Dictator Authoritarian Totalitarian Types, he's a Warmonger and Cruel to his very core.  And he'll have Henchmen and our Military do his dirty work FOR him, so he doesn't have to get his own Hands dirty.   He's already shown his Hand at doing just that with The Ketamine King, ICE and the FBI, that he's sent to do present dirty work and take the Heat and the Fall for what's been Ordered by him or his Cabal of Vulgarians to be done on their behalf.  Cruelty and Intimidation is The Point, it always has been for him and his Cabal of Vulgarians.   And he seems Hell bent on a destructive course in all his ways by the Policies and Politics he's implemented thus far that just aren't working out for the Nation, most of the World, or most it's Citizenry.  He might be lining his bottomless Pockets that he insatiably cannot fill with enuf Spoils to pacify himself or his Greed.   And so we come to Why else what's happening is probably happening... 

In a Word: Greed, it's all very Transactional for how much they might stand to Profit from anything they do, whether it wipes out everyone else or not here at Home or Globally.  His ratings are plummeting, the Emperor has had no Clothes on for a while now, and he knows it and that he's Exposed, so he'd burn it all down to still Rule over the Ashes, we know this already, he's as much said so.  Plus he's 79 and in Decline, so what Future does he actually have?   And this isn't a Game.  It's not to see who has the Bigger Balls and Hardest Dick, so they can Chest Bang like a fucking Silverback Gorilla Displaying perceived Superiority! 

 And Listen, if you're a Pearl Clutcher with delicate sensibilities you've stumbled onto the wrong Blog that won't Offend you, I keep it 100% and Raw, if you can't Deal with that you need to get your News and what you Read elsewhere.  But, I digress... Saner, more Strategic, and Diplomatic Heads should prevail in Great Leadership, he's the one whose most Vulgar and Vile.  Know how to Deal with who you're coming to the Table with successfully.  Every Nation has it's Internal Dynamics and Face to Save with their own Citizenry.  A good Diplomat and Negotiator knows this and will give them that Route to a more Peaceful Resolution or "Out", if it's more desirable to them and possible.

He's neither a Good Diplomat or a Good Negotiator, he's failing and flailing miserably at both.  Why he bails early on things like the G7 Summit, he's out of his League among REAL Leadership and he knows it. When some in his most Inner Circle have been thrown under the Bus, they're revealing tidbits of how much in Decline he actually is and is being sloppily covered up.   Like he smells of soiled Diapers and has epic Tantrums where he becomes very agitated and violent in how reactive he is.  Sounds like onset of Dementia to me, and this is the stuff that gets you sent to a Nursing Home folks, in the Extended Care Unit no less, and should require you be assigned a Caregiver if you remain at Home.   And this Guy was Not Well Mentally a long time before he wasn't cognitively or physically anyway.  It's not just Age decline that Ails him, but, it's surely Magnified it.

 Melania doesn't strike me as Sacrificial Caregiver Material.  Her facial expressions lately don't even belie her disgust and contempt of being seen with him now.  She's clearly annoyed and embarrassed, he's not Dying fast enuf and she's getting impatient it seems, he's lasting too long already for her End Game.  So, I'm not sure he's even still capable of making decisions for himself, let alone the Nation or Global Affairs?   And, if he can't, then Who is?   But, he's Useful to them who can't or won't be Seen or Known.   I've always highly suspected he's just the Front Man and Veneer, who is adept at Political Theater and cheesy Reality TV Dramatics that mebbe his Base are addicted to watching and dig, so they eat it up.  Tho' not appropriate for actual Leadership, it's highly Entertaining to them and their Red Meat they happily devour and get all Ginned Up and frothy about. While being Clueless and Insulated otherwise, since Reality isn't actually their strong trait to distinguish when you're out of Touch with it and no longer tethered to it. 

And, for every Front Man that's a Theatrical Distraction, there is much more Behind The Scenes that are actually Decision making and pulling the Strings and making the Plays. You just don't see them or necessarily know who they are coz they keep a low profile.  There's a reason for that, how can you hit a Target or Fight an Adversary you don't even see or know about?   They're invisible and you'll Fight them all day long and never see one.  Thus making them a very effective Adversary you'll likely never completely subdue or have Diplomacy attempts with, they're virtual Ghosts and a complete Riddle, Wrapped in a Mystery, inside an Enigma.   As Churchill said in 1939 and it can still hold True Today to describe a Situation beyond comprehension and difficult to understand what is really happening?

Do any of us know what's REALLY happening, since there's no Transparency to this Regime and just Lies, intentional Misinformation, Propaganda, a Spin Doctor Cycle with Rinse and Repeat, and Political Theater constantly being used to Distract us?   The Rule of Law certainly isn't being adhered to anymore and is completely Ignored.   So Legalities went out the Window as well, Illegal Acts abound to the point the Courts can't even catch up and keep pace.   And it's a slow behemoth anyway to do anything the Right way via the DOJ, while Criminal Acts can and do move fast to evade consequences or being caught and prosecuted successfully.  And some Judges have been Pocketed, Bought and Paid For, all the way up to the Supreme Court, like Alito and Thomas to name just a Couple we KNOW about and is glaringly Evident, unless you're Deaf, Dumb as Fuck and Blind... or totally Ignorant of the Law and simply cannot distinguish Legal -vs- Illegal Activities.   America is in Trouble, just about a little more than half the Citizens even knows it tho'... the rest will have to play Catch Up... and Wake the Fuck Up!

*******

Well, that's all I got for Today my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian 

Doc's Follow Up... I Am Fine... Well... Allegedly

 I didn't tell you how my Doc Follow-Up went, I am Fine... well... allegedly.  *LOL*  In fact, all Testing came back good, no problemos, and, the bum Foot turned out to be nothing more than overuse, probably tendon or ligament fatigue, since I have ramped up my exercise and Walking.  *Whew*  So, I might be Good for another 10,000 Miles or so?   Well, so long as I take it easy and Dial it back a bit with the Old Feet being tortured by Overuse.   Funny tho' how only the Left Foot felt Overused, I mean, far as I know I'm Using them both Equally?!   *Winks*   And the Doc is happy I'm Exercising more, she knows I'm trying to lose excess Weight the most Natural and Healthiest ways possible.   No easy Process, even when I'm Religious about adhering to it, results vary and usually don't reveal all the effort I put into a regimen, coz apparently Stress is a Factor and that ain't going away.  *Eye Roll*

Wednesday was just a rough day for me, so I went to Bed really early, at 5:30 p.m. early, I was so fatigued physically and emotionally.  The Daughter and Princess T had been Emotionally Raw and somehow I became the Villain in that Story... whatever.   One is a Hormonal Teen and the other is Pre-Menopausal, plus you got their Emotional instability from a Mental Health standpoint too, it can be hard for them to Mood regulate.  I can usually roll with someone's Mood, but pick one, pick A Mood, any Mood, and just stick with it a Minute will ya?  *LOL*  And, with heading up a multi-generational household, you've got each Family Member coming to you individually with legitimate Complaints about One of the others, which they expect you to resolve or confront, but the Source expects to remain Anonymous... catch my drift?!  Names have to be Changed to protect The Innocent Confidential Informant, like a Witness Protection Program around here!

So, I'd gotten Complaints, individually, about a Family Member from each of the other Three, about the same thing, and I confronted in an attempt to resolve.  Only, to make a Point about it being a whole Family Issue Problem and Complaint, I made it clear the Complaint had been Unanimous with the other Four of us.  *Gasp... the Horror*   So, then, now I'm The Heavy AND The Villain, becoz some Sources wanted the Cover of Anonymity, catch my drift?!  *Le Sigh*  I apparently shouldn't have had their Name in my Mouth during the Resolution and Confrontation of said Problem.   Problem got Resolved mind you, coz I'm Solution Oriented when it comes to Problems, but that became a moot point now.  *Double Eye Roll*   See how complex it becomes to Solve a Family Issue when you got Three Generations Co-Existing under One Roof and everyone is "Special"?  *Triple Eye Roll*

 

So, The Asylum was in an uproar and I got Upset and felt thrown under the Bus, so just told them to leave me Alone, I was Upset, and needed time to come back to Center, Restore my Calm, get some Rest and Balance to move thru the Drama and a Headache it had all become, and decompress.   Apparently that became THE collective bigger Issue, insert more Drama amongst them... well, Three of them, coz The Son stayed completely out of it, he's no Fool.  *LOL*  He hid out in his Room but pretty sure he heard it all transpiring in Real Time, how could you NOT?!   He would have been in Agreement with me, coz we'd privately already had his discussion and sentiments about it, he just wanted it confronted and resolved.  So, he would have had my Back.  

This Morning he and I did discuss it on the way in to his Work and he agreed.   It puts me in a bad spot when I've got to find Peaceful Resolution to the Family Problems and sort it all out with healthy compromises everyone needs to make.   And it's not as if anyone hasn't been The Issue of the Moment, we've all had our Turn, but, if it's problematic to anyone else, it has to be addressed so we can work it out in a way everyone is Heard and can adjust accordingly.   Compromises are vital when a Group lives Together and Shares Space, it's the only way it Works Out.   So, anyway, Princess T flounced off to Rusty's last Night so I guess he's taking her to Work instead of me, which is Fine, I get to then Sleep in after taking The Son to Work, yay!  UPDATE: She came Home later and I still had to take her.  *Eye Roll*

 

  

Plus, I just found out The Young Prince just got out of the Hospital after having what they think might be Stress related Seizures!!!   He hasn't been to a Doc in over Five Years so could have an underlying Medical Condition he wasn't previously aware of, so we don't know the cause of onset, he just was seen in an ER setting so far.   I had never heard of Stress related Seizures but Dr. Google did verify it can happen, who knew?   I should be Seizing like a Motherfucker then.  *LOL*  But, it is concerning my Grandson has now begun to have them becoz he does have Brain abnormalities and has always had severe Migraines and was often seen by a Neurologist while in his Teens and on Meds for the Headache Relief.   

 Plus, he's Schizophrenic and they have a higher rate of having Seizures compared to the general population.  I just want him getting good follow-up Medical Care, but he has no Insurance or ability to be Employed.   I am worried about him, he already didn't want to be an added burden here which is why he hasn't come Home yet and trying to stay there with Allen, tho' they hardly talk anymore and just co-exist and Share Space now, no Relationship exists.   So, I'm sure that's Stressful and awkward, he's totally reliant and dependent upon Allen coz he requires a Full Time Caregiver, so, it's a tough Space to Hold and why I wanted him to try to get back Home to Arizona once I realized they were splitting up.   I didn't want him Abandoned in a State he has no Friends or Family.   The Niece is still willing to go get him and bring him back, she lives in Oklahoma, so it's closer to New Mexico.  I talked to her just last Night, but before I learned of his Seizures.

  

It was the Opening Day of a fav Event this Morning, I didn't go.  I Slept In after taking everyone to Work, not really in the right Head Space for Socialization or attending really.   I'm working on it, but, still in a Bipolar Funk Low it seems and feel rather Checked Out of doing anything.  I'll move thru it, but it takes Time to regulate back to the Manic Highs I prefer and can function in, the Lows are The Devil.   I know that The Man kept peeking in at me, he knows I should have gone to "Sweet Salvage", so, when I didn't, it's made him concerned, tho', he'll be happier to have me here at Home and not handed over to The Daughter to give me the respite of a "Me Day".   Sometimes lately he has also asked to Tag along and I definitely wouldn't have been up to that, even if he's on best behavior.  *LOL*

First of all his Hat Gal, Brittany, our adorable Young Creative Friend, wouldn't be there anymore and he wouldn't remember she told him last Month was her last.   That would make him Sad to go back to the Warehouse Section and have the Let Down of her Space being occupied by another Designer now, he'd be confused too.  That was always the high point of his attendance, visiting with Brittany, she enjoyed him coz he reminds her of her Dearly Departed Grandpa and he's also a great Model and Muse for her fabulous Cowboy Hats.  He has a great Collection of them now and he looked so good in all of them, I enjoyed helping him curate another Collection he thoroughly enjoys and now is proudly displayed on the Walls of our Boudoir.  He Designed almost all of them with Brittany, so took part in the Creation of each.   Above is The G-Kid Force the last time we saw my Mom at her Hospice before she Passed Away... it doesn't seem that long ago, yet, it was.

My Dad never Lived to see or meet Princess T or any of her Younger Sisters that The Daughter had, only The Young Prince.   He knew about his Great-Grandkids back East that the Oldest Daughter had, but, never got to see or meet any of them in person, we never have gotten to see or meet the Youngest Two in Person either and they're Grown Women now and Two of the Three have Children already.   Time flies past, it's hard to keep pace sometimes and fit everything and everyone in that you'd like to.  Anyway, I don't expect to see or meet the East Coast Kiddos coz it's unlikely this Show would or could be taken on the Road that far and they've had to cancel the West Coast Trips they had planned in the Past.   There is an Open Invitation should they Travel this way tho'.   The Oldest Daughter forgot to even call her Dad on Father's Day, luckily, with his Memory Care Issues, he didn't remember she didn't.  *Whew*   Her Stepdad is now in a Nursing Home, and she knows this one has TBI and Dementia, so, I'm sure it's hard and awkward for her.

I also severely Purged my Post Archives again, I really only want or need the most Popular Posts of the Moment Saved until they fall off the Top 10 List.   I never go back to an Archived Post, not attached in the least to any of them, so, Bye-Bye, irrelevant now and Old News.   And what happened a Week ago I really never let Live Rent Free in my Head, I've Moved On already.   I easily find it a Habit to be Mindful of the Moment and be fully in the Present, not really think too long or hard about what the Future might or might not hold, and the Past, well, it's Over.  I am Nostalgic and Sentimental, but mostly about Things and Preserving them to recall some of the Best of Times and People... but... Old Blog Posts isn't being Curated or Kept.  I like that Cyberspace is Vast and you can just endlessly Play with it like an Art Form and not be Attached to the Outcome.

Above and Below are The Daughter and I, she was about Age 11 or 12, we had it Professionally done and they piled on this Kabuki White Makeup on me to lighten my swarthy Complexion and make me look Whiter, it felt like I was wearing a Mask!  *LOL*   And the amount of Hairspray the Stylist used probably made us Flammable!  *Smiles*  I had to wash it all off after the Photo Shoot coz I had a White Face and the rest of me was Swarthy, so it just looked ridiculous outside of a Picture Head Shot.  Why does that Woman have a White Face and Brown Hands, Arms and Legs?!  *Bwahahaha*   She'd told me, the Pro Makeup Gal, that my Complexion didn't match my Eye and Hair Color at all {Duh}, so she would have had to use Foundation for a Person of Color and she wasn't sure that would Work as well?  I never use Foundation for that reason, matching my complexion seems complicated, I guess that happens when you're a mixed Ethnicity???  I don't like Makeup so it never bothered me to not wear it. 

 

But, Mom said it was Interesting to see what I would have looked like if I'd been Born her Complexion and Color, rather than more like my Dad's! Since I'm a Shade in between each of their Complexions, not as Fair as her and not as Dark as him, and we Laughed and Laughed about that.   Below is Mom and I so you can see what she meant... indeed the Makeup Gal had given me a more European Complexion and Look, but, it felt Weird.    When The Man took these Pixs in to Work his Boss and Co-Workers didn't Believe it was me and said I'd be Mad if I knew he had a Photo of some other Woman in his Wallet!!!  *LOL*  No kidding, and his Friends of Color told him, that's not Dawn, that's some White Woman, and we Laughed and Laughed about that too when he came Home from Work and told us.  *LMAOROTF*

Mom and I often went to The Desert Botanical Gardens together and I sure miss that.   She was in a Wheelchair by the time these Photos were taken of the Two of us, by some Sweet Person during each visit, who asked if we wanted them to take some of us together, I'm so glad they did.   The Top Pix was taken before my Hysterectomy, so I was still Naturally Thin then... the Below Pix taken after the Surgery and I'd already begun to have the Hormonal Shift Weight Gain that has been a scourge ever since.   It was like Two Me's and I've been trying to get back the Naturally Normal Me that having such a Surgery took away.  Mom had the same outcome after a Hysterectomy, she'd always been Rail Thin, after the Surgery she got quite heavy, so I guess it's common and my Doc even told me to expect about a 60 Lb. Gain, he wasn't Kidding!   Neither of us could Risk getting Cancer tho' without said Surgery, so, a double edged Sword of sorts.

Mom was a Cancer Survivor as she got it in her 40's, so the Surgery did help her live to be 84 and double her Lifespan.   I didn't have my Surgery until I was in my 50's, but I've been overweight ever since it and only lost the excess Weight once on NutriSystem, but only for a 10 Month period of time.   Their Maintenance Plan didn't Work for my Metabolism even tho' I followed it Religiously, so slowly I regained the 61 Lbs. I'd lost, and a Year later, it was all back, plus a few Pounds, which was maddening!   Especially since, during the 10 Month period of time I was Thin and my Normal and more Natural Weight again, I didn't have Diabetes and got off all Oral Diabetic related Meds and all Injections... I didn't have to take ANY Meds at all... dammit!   So, I'm working towards attaining that Goal again of shedding the excess Weight getting Spayed caused.  *LOL*

This was me at my absolute Heaviest of about 225 Lbs., I did look Jolly, but folks had to Sneak Pixs of me, coz I was quite aware of how big I was getting and Docs couldn't seem to tell me how best to regulate or control it!   So, that was Scary.  I hadn't changed my Lifestyle or Diet Post-Hysterectomy and I'd always been Skinny my whole Life just having the Lifestyle and Habits I had, so I didn't know what to do or what to Change?   And Diabetes is no Joke, at one point I was up to Five Injections a Day!   So I knew I had to do something since the Weight had onset the Condition for me and for my Mom.   She was an Insulin Diabetic from the time of her Hysterectomy to when she Passed, so she never was able to remedy what it had caused either, nor her Doctors.   And Mom was a Vegetarian and drank only Tea and Water, she didn't have bad eating habits and was a very light Eater, yet the Pounds packed on regardless after the Surgery for her too.

An Old Photo of The Man when he  used to still be able to go Hunting, which he just Loved to do with his Friends or his Brothers and Nephews, and we had a Freezer packed with Wild Game back then.   Below is how he looked when we first met many Moons ago... when he was a lean, mean, fighting Machine.  *Winks*   It's taken in front of the F-16's he worked on at the Base.  He's been in every Branch of the Service during his 39 Year Military Career except the Navy.  But, when he was part of the Marine Corps. back then they were part of the Navy and not a separate Branch yet.   He was a Special Weapons Tester, a Sniper and was in the Elite Special Forces in the Marine Corps..   He was a Field Medic in the Army.  And he was an Electronics Technician, skilled on all Seven Levels of the Aircraft when he was in the Air Force, plus, he Trained Reservists.   

He got Drafted before he even finished High School, since his Draft Number was Five and he had Two Brothers, he knew he wouldn't get a deferment, so he just voluntarily Enlisted in the Marines.   He just wanted to be an Office Clerk, but he maxed out their Rifle Range, so they said, Son, have we got a Job for you!!!  *Another Eye Roll, he was only 17*  So, he never finished High School and went straight to Vietnam, and places we never were {Eye Roll}, for Two Years Tour of Duty as a Special Ops Sniper.   He Married Young, as a Teen, had a Child, and decided to just make a Career of it and become a Lifer.  Same thing happened to my Dad, they'd recruit Young impoverished Native American Men off the Rez.   Most of my Dad's Brothers and Nephews became Scouts and Trackers in the Military.  Dad went into Food Service becoz he'd always been a Culinary Jedi and attained a level of Master Chef in the Civilian World, without Formal Training.

  Dad only had about a Grade School Education, so it's not like he'd had Educational Opportunities at the Indian Schools so he felt he could get a better Education and his GED thru the Military and he did.   Dad and his Brothers were about 17 when they were Recruited too.   Dad also decided to make a Career of it and become a Lifer, Serving 27 Years and meeting Mom in her Home Country when Stationed there in the very early 1950's.  His Brothers didn't become Career Military and went back to the Rez to Marry Tribal Gals and start their Families.   So, Dad's trajectory in Life was quite different than the rest of his People, unless he went Home for Visits, he never saw another Native American and he'd be the only one.  He did that Sacrificial Love, for our sakes, so we'd have a better Life and more Opportunities, and to Assimilate into Mainstream American Culture.  Above is the last Pix I have of my Dad, he was 74 when he Passed.  He Loved Bright Colors, Gaudy Jewelry, Tribal Music and Tacky Kitsch... I Inherited a lot of that "Lack of Refined Civilized Taste", as Mom always humorously called it.  *Bwahahaha*

 Mom's trajectory in Life was quite different than the rest of her People too, with Marrying an American and outside of her Race and Culture.  Which was quite Sacrificial for her too, for our sakes.  Never seeing her Homeland or being able to converse to anyone in her Language again until the end of my Dad's Career when they got another Assignment to Great Britain in the early 1970's.   Mom was also usually the only person from North Wales anyone had ever seen or met.  Most Americans thought erroneously she was Australian, and mixed up New South Wales there with the Country she was actually from.   You'd be surprised how many Americans didn't have even a rudimentary knowledge of other Countries or Cultures at all.  And back then the only Welsh person anyone saw on TV was Mulatto Iconic Welsh Singer Shirley Bassey, so people thought my Mom was a Fair Black Woman too, and perhaps all Welsh People were, coz Mom had nappy Blue Black Corkscrew Curly Hair.  And she could get quite Dark if she Tanned, coz my Welsh part Romani Gran-Gran was quite Swarthy. *LOL*

 And Mom wouldn't correct them, tho' she knew their innuendo and what it implied, coz she'd experienced Racism firsthand in America by then.   If we lived off Base in most States it was pretty segregated and Indians couldn't live and weren't Welcome in White parts of Town.   And So Mom would just say, "Yes, Shirley and I are both Welsh, tho' she hails from South Wales and I hail from North Wales.", which, was absolutely True.  *LMAO*  So, both Mom and Dad were rather an Enigma where ever we went.  *Smiles*   I rather liked having a Family that was different and didn't conform to the norms, even if we were often Social Outcasts.  I felt a lot of the norms were quite rigid, far too homogenous inclined, uptight and had considerable biases I couldn't align with nor understand.  I still feel that way.   I'd LIKE to say the Country has become more enlightened and progressive, but, that wouldn't be True.  In fact, America is digressing and going backwards.  Atrocities of our Past aren't such Ancient History, lest we forget.

Yes, I'm Dour Today and I know it.  I'm Missing a lot of People, both those that have Crossed Over and those who have moved further away.  Photo Deep Dives have dredged up a lot of range of Emotions.   Perhaps if I'd girded myself to get out of Bed again and attend my Event I'd of snapped out of it, but, I couldn't rally myself to.   I'm in Day Two of wearing the same Pajamas and not getting Dressed.   It's a funky funk to be stuck in and usually it doesn't last 48 Hours, but this one has.   If I wasn't Blogging I'd still be in Bed just Sleeping it off until I have to go get Kiddos from Work, in my Pajamas and looking like a Crazed Rastafarian coz my Dreads are not Tamed right now either, I haven't done anything with them and probably won't bother to.   *LOL*   I don't wear them loose and hanging a lot coz there's a lot going on right now with new NutriFol Hair growth at the Scalp and it's not Locked into any Dreadlock yet, so looks absolutely Crazy and Wild.   But that Shit really does work if your Hair is Thinning for any reason, Medical or otherwise... and the new Hair grows fast too!  And that's the Positive part of Today's Post... *Smiles, sorry...*

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Deep Funk in the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

HIPPIE Means To Me: H.elp I.n P.roducing P.eaceful I.ndividual E.xistence

I just wrapped up and Published a Post, but I'm languishing waiting to leave for my Doctor Appointment so decided to just start another, why not?   Eli, The Cat, is delighted that his Human is Home Sick coz now he has her all to himself all day long.  *LOL*  He's quite the Nurse Nightingale too and will not leave her side while she's not Feeling Well.  He's a very attentive Fur Baby to her, tho' he loathes and barely tolerates the rest of us, showing nothing but unveiled contempt.  *Smiles*   Eli HATES being Photographed, meanwhile, the other Granddaughters Dogs are Hambones in front of the Lens. {Above & Below}

 Eli is not really what they'd call a Pet Quality Cat and tho' we got him very Young from her Friend Anthony, I highly suspect he was Born of a Feral Mother Cat.  The Litter of a Feral, even when Domesticated and Handled, always seem to retain a bit of that Wildness about them even once Socialized.  We've Raised Kittens from a Feral Mama Cat before and that's been our observation and experience.  Eli is huge and has a bad attitude, not a good combo.  I'm the only other Human that will dare be around him.  We've had our Come To Jesus Moments, he and I.  *Winks*

Anyway, so he's Babysitting his Human and I only have to peek in every once in a while to ensure she's doing Okay?   She'll likely stay in Bed all Day with the Shutters Closed and it Dark as a Vampire's Cave in there.   She is and can be quite dramatic when she's not feeling so good, and a bit Testy, so it's best to just leave her be to move thru it undisturbed, Eli can handle it.  *Bwahahaha*  She'll probably be good enuf to return to Work by Tomorrow, most of the time her Bad Spells just last 24 Hours and she bounces back now.  She's gotten Stronger as she's Matured, she was a very Sickly Infant and Child.

In lieu of not yet having Human Kids, the Youngest Granddaughter back East takes scads of Pixs of her Fur Babies, our Great-Grandpups.  They are pretty Adorable, but then again, I'm highly Biased and Braggy, as you know, about my Grands and Great-Grands, of the Two and Four Legged Varieties.  *Winks*   This one clearly sidles up to the Puppy Chow too often and looks like he's recovering from a Binge there?  *LOL*  The Granddaughter who has these Pups is an accomplished Professional Artist and does all kinds of Art Forms and Special Effects Makeup.  Below is some of the Creations of Crocheted Animals she makes both to Sell and to give to her Nieces and Nephews.  I don't even think she uses Patterns, she makes the Creations up as she goes.

We made Spaghetti and Meatballs Tonight, making the Sauce and Meatballs in the Crockpot and then boiling the Angel Hair Pasta, and having Freshly Grated Romano Cheese to top it.   Turned out really good and I could just let it cook while I went to pick up The Son after Work and The Daughter did the Pasta while we were on our way Home so it would be ready when we arrived.   Usually we make Garlic Bread too, but everyone was so Hungry we dived in and didn't bother with the Bread this time.  *LOL*   The Daughter makes a mean Garlic Bread tho', she's actually a better Cook than she thinks she is and she Likes Cooking.  And, I Like people Cooking FOR me.  *Winks*

  We'll have some leftovers, but not much, we only had a half dozen Meatballs, but, Princess T usually Opts Out of the Meatballs.  So that left Two each for The Son and The Man, One each for The Daughter and I, who tend to eat less Meat anyway than the Guys.  The Meatballs were Freshly Made uncooked at "Sprouts" and they had a Sale on them in the Deli section, Six to each packaging of them, with Fresh Herbs and Romano Cheese sprinkled on them.   It was therefore cheaper than making our own from scratch.   Above Pix is not our Spaghetti, I didn't Photograph it before devouring it, but, ours looked like this with thinner Angel Hair Pasta tho', which, we prefer.  *LOL*

 

Lately we've had Cravings for making such things as Mexican Street Corn {Pictured Above}, Loaded Baked Potatoes, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Chili... I think we're all comforted by eating our favorite Comfort Foods lately.  I watched a really good Action NetFlix Movie called "Plane" {2023} starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter.   This was a nice addition to NetFlix, I really enjoyed it from start to finish.  I didn't recognize most of the rest of the Cast, but they were all really good in their Roles.   And it seems one of the French Actors, Jean-Francois Richet, also Directed it... while Gerard Butler also served as Producer of the Film.

I found this Old Pix of my Mom when we lived in Massachusetts on Cape Cod in the very early 1960's, while Dad was stationed at Otis, AFB.  I remember my Dad made a Cake for then President Kennedy when he visited the Base.   Dad was Active Duty Air Force but he also always worked a 2nd Civilian Job as a Master Chef at a Famous Restaurant there in Falmouth called "Smith's Olde Surrey Room" {1900-1999}.   They had many Celebrities eat there in those days and Dad had some Stories about some of them.   Burl Ives, American Singer and Actor, was one of them and one of the Cooks wanted to get an Autograph and followed their Limo after they left the Restaurant.   Then stopped by some Woods, got out and he and the Chauffeur had buried something in the Woods saying nobody would ever find it there.  

 The Cook dug it up and apparently rather than use the Restaurant Restroom, you guessed it, Burl had took a Shit in the Hole!  *Bwahahaha*  Well, that was the Cook's Story and Dad said he had no reason to think the Guy made it up coz he was pretty disgusted relaying it.  Especially since he'd expected they'd buried something Valuable!!!  *LMAO*  Why Burl waited to relieve himself in the Woods rather than in a Classy Restaurant's Facilities, is beyond us, mebbe he was freaky like that or just couldn't wait and needed an Emergency Restroom Stop?  *LOL*   But, after that I could never see Burl Ives on TV without thinking of that Story the Cook told everyone at Work the next Day.  And No, he never got that Autograph, I think what happened actually was a turnoff for Fan Boying the Actor, I dunno?  *Smiles*

Above are some pixs we had taken at "Pioneer Living History Museum" while my Welsh Uncle, Mom's Older Brother, was Visiting us from North Wales.  He used to come over every Year and spend a Month with us, and did so for about Eleven Years, we always enjoyed his visits so much.   You can see how Young The Daughter and The Son were way back then, this would have been the late 1980's.   It was always such Fun to do the Costumes of an Era and have Group Pixs taken of the Family.  We did it in Vegas too at "Excalibur" Casino and were in Renaissance Costumes.  My Uncle used to Love going to Vegas with us too, sometimes he and I just went and The Man stayed so we didn't have to take the Kiddos along.   Taking this whole Show on the Road could be challenging.  *Winks*

I've been doing a Deep Dive into my Old Photos and Photographing some to transfer to my Online Photo Archives in case something happens to the Originals, which have no Copies I'm aware of.   I've been Sharing the ones I have with some of my Cousins on both sides of the Family, those on the Rez in Oklahoma and those in North Wales that I keep in contact with.   They do the same, so we can expand those Pixs each of us possess of our Parents, since, not a lot exist, especially of my Dad's side of the Family.   The Two Pixs above are Mom & Dad in the top Pix, when we lived in Upper Michigan and were Stationed at KI Sawyer AFB.  Dad had just done a Tour in Vietnam and our next Assignment would be Great Britain.  Mom was delighted coz it meant she could see her Family and go Home to North Wales while there.  The bottom Pix is of one of my Dad's Older Brothers with his Wife and a Grandchild at Graduation.  That Uncle was Retired Army and returned to the Rez after getting out of the Military.

Below is another Dance Recital of one of the Great-Granddaughters.   The Daughter has been assisting me with the Deep Dive into Old Photos.  She'll probably end up being the Kiddo that becomes the Keeper Of The Past of all the Old Photographs I have, she appreciates them as much as I have.   Most Family aren't interesting in having the Old Photo Hard Copies so sent them to me for Preservation and being the Keeper Of The Past.   Any Family that wants a Copy tho' usually asks me to just send it to them via our Social Media rather than a Hard Copy and I'm assuming they just preserve theirs in an Archived Online Photo File instead.  I do that too but I'm Old School enuf to still want some of the Photos in a Hard Copy too that are my Favorites, or are the original Old Photos taken before Digital Photography.  Even my Brother, the Retired Hollywood Photographer, doesn't keep Hard Copies anymore.  They all know I'm a Dinosaur, probably some of the last of the Dinosaurs that do such things?  *LOL, but Le Sigh* 

  

I'm a total Photo Geek, so I've always regret that I didn't own a Camera until I was quite a bit Older, in my late Teens.   And I also think that's why my Younger Brother became a Professional Photographer too, we just didn't have Cameras growing up and had to borrow one to take any Pixs we had of our Childhood and our Family.   I remember the very first Cameras we ever got was for Christmas when we were Teenagers and got a Kodak Polaroid Instamatic each, a big ugly clunky thing.  The kind you Shook the Film as it was instantly developing, and those Pixs didn't Age well at all and the Film was spendy, so we didn't really get a lot of Pixs taken with them.  Shake it, Shake it like a Polaroid Picture!  *Insert Lyrics from Hey Ya by Outkast*  {2003}  It was very Sacrificial for our Dad to afford them tho' and he got us both one as our main Christmas Pressies that Year and we were absolutely thrilled.   I can't even imagine the Hours he Worked at his 2nd Job to make that happen.

The Blast From the Past Pix above always makes me LOL, it's a Two Year Old Princess T pretending she's going to School, so we'd bought her a Backpack.  She'd pack it every Morning when we were getting The Young Prince ready to actually go to School.  We lived in Da Hood at the time in a pretty rough Barrio, so, notice what she had tucked into it, her Older Brother's Toy Gun!!!   *Bwahahaha*  Whilst wearing an ensemble she picked out that claims she's "Sweet"!  *ROTFLMAO*   Now, you must remember, all Kidding aside, that this is all during this Era when there are a lot of School Shootings going on, so she felt this was necessary to stay Alive whilst going to School, even at this tender Age!   So, tho', Yes, it made me LOL in inappropriate Gallow's Humor, it made me Sad too, that any of our Young People actually DO have to Worry about such things when they go to School in Modern Times.   Princess T in High School actually had a couple Drills so they'd know what to do if they had an Active Shooter Situation.   She already has Social Anxieties, so you can only Imagine how Anxious those Drills made her Feel.

 I miss all the Grandkids I don't see anymore, those I have never seen in Person, and cannot spend Precious Time with.   So, Photos do Help.  Of coarse it's not the same as being there and is no substitute.   But, having grown up in a Military Family that Traveled extensively and often, and Marrying a Career Military Man too, we're used to separations from Loved Ones and being in different States and/or Countries from one another.   My entire Life was like that, being a Global Nomad, and often separated from Loved Ones, so perhaps I accept it more than someone who didn't grow up that way as their Normal?   I remember my Civilian Friends would ask me where I was "From" and I'd have to ask, "What Year?"  *LOL*   We were "From" Everywhere and yet Nowhere in particular.  *Smiles*

 

This is a Pix of Princess T's Dad when he was an Infant.  I was Surprised at how much like his Daughters he looks, given he's Dark now, but as a Younger Child he was Light like his French Ancestry Mom.  Saint Maria was Born in Mexico and spoke only Spanish, but her Parents were originally from France and Immigrated to Mexico and got into high positions of Government there.   So, a lot of Salvador's Maternal Relatives are Blonde with Green Eyes and probably why some of his Kiddos with The Daughter turned out so European looking and were Blondes?   Princess T is Darker Eyes and Hair like her Dad now has, but her Abuelita was a Natural Blonde with Beautiful Green Eyes.   All The Daughter's Five Kiddos look a lot like her, but when I saw this Baby Pix of Salvador, I could definitely see their resemblance to their Dad too.  He was a Cute Baby... and a Handsome Man.   He and The Daughter made some Pretty Daughters.

I am light on fresh Blog Fodder Pixs so have been trawling my Photo Archives for Post Pixs and enjoy looking back at not only those of Family and Friends, but other stuff I did and Photographed.   It's good to be a Pathological Picture Taker becoz otherwise I wouldn't necessarily recall a lot of it.   Blogging helped me to want to Photograph things that normally I probably wouldn't have.   And it replaced Letter Writing, which I missed doing, but went the way of the Dinosaurs.  I think my Welsh Uncle was the last person that exchanged Letters with me and he lived to be 90, and when he was gone, no more Letters.   I miss his Letters, English wasn't his first language and so I always got a kick out of his expressions in English while Writing to me, knowing he was Thinking in Welsh.  My Mom said she always Thought in her First Language even if she was almost always using her Secondary Language, which, makes sense.  When Mom got Mad or Upset she'd switch to Welsh coz she couldn't even Think of English when too Emotional.  *LOL*

 

The Daughter said once you're fluently Bilingual it's often hard to switch Thinking in one Language or another.  There are times now, since she spoke predominantly Spanish for over 20 Years now, that she sometimes can't Think of a Word in English now, becoz she can only remember what the Spanish Word for it is!  *LOL*   Her Spanish, she's often told now, is better than most of our Mexican American Friends Spanish is.   She speaks it about half the time now she's back in the States, but it comes in handy in Arizona becoz of how many Spanish Speakers here aren't fluent in English, so she translates a lot for them when we're out and about.   

 

It is funny to see the expression on the Faces of Latinos who aren't expecting this Non-Latino Woman to speak Spanish so good.  They always Thank her profusely for helping them with translation tho'.  She said in Mexico many Bilingual people were Kind to her that way until she became fluent in the Country's Primary Language.  And of coarse her Children born & raised there don't speak or understand much English.  Likewise, her Children born & raised here don't speak or understand much Spanish.   The G-Kid Force do understand it better than they speak it, so do I, but none of us is fluent.   Of coarse I know the profanity in Spanish and in Welsh, you pick that up first.  *Bwahahahaha*

 

My Brother attended the Renaissance Festival in Cali and he covers it and takes Hundreds of pixs for the Participants, since he does their Press, which he's loaded and Shared Online.   Like me, he found it virtually impossible to allegedly completely stay Retired.  *Bwahahaha*   His other Friends in the Press usually get him out in front of the Lens so that I'll get some Pixs of him... or, like in this Pix, some of the Friends he has that are Participants want a Selfie with him and take some.   I miss my 'Little' Brother, tho' he's not that little at 6'4" and well over 200 lbs., he's a big Guy... but then, all the Men on Mom's side of the Family are really big powerfully built Men over 6'4" or more.   On Dad's side they were just very tall, but slender.  All the Men in Dad's Family were 6'2" or taller, one was 6'7" and had to bend down in most Pixs to fit into frame in close-ups.  And everyone in Dad's side are very slender people, I only stayed that way until my Hysterectomy in my 50's. *Le Sigh*

All of The Daughter's Five Kiddos are slender like she is too.   She and Princess T often had trouble filling out Spandex Pants.  *Bwahahahaha*  I remember Once Upon A Time being that Skinny too.  *Smiles*   The Young Prince is Tall and slender as well, it helps him when he's presenting in Drag to appear more authentically Feminine.    But he said he has to really watch not building up his "Man Muscles" becoz he is quite a lean but Muscular Guy as well, so, if he's not careful he can look too buff for Drag.   *Ha ha ha*   I never thought about that about the Queens.   I think if Blog Friend Mistress Maddie makes those T-Shirts to match the Sign made for the No Kings Parade that say "This Queen Don't Need No King" I'll have to buy one for The Grandson!!!   Loved it!   There were so many Good Signs, weren't there?   People were SO Creative and had such a wicked sense of humor expressed!!!   *Winks*  One of the best things for me is reading everyone's Protest Signs.  *Smiles*

And, if you're that person wearing a T-Shirt with a clever Message, The Man and I are the ones Reading it too.  *LOL*   Princess T and I Sell a lot of Tees with clever Messages in our Showroom, they're very popular and an easy Turn.   So, when we're Junquing we're always on the lookout for clever T-Shirts and Vintage Band T-Shirts for our Inventory.  I was relieved this Morning to see that FINALLY our Social Security Checks hit, not as late as last Month so I shouldn't substantiate any Late Charges and Negative hits to my Credit and FICO Score due to the Administration fucking with our Money again.   I've worked hard all my Adult Life to build exemplary Credit and a very high FICO Score so I don't want Corrupt Politician Billionaire Criminals and their Buddies fucking that up for me by messing with OUR Money!  I am wondering if they only Targeted those of us in Blue and Swing States primarily, to fuck with our Pensions?

 

I know our AG is Suing the Federal Government about the Social Security Fiasco in a Class Action Lawsuit, we're participating in it.   And The Daughter's Friend Steven told us last Night that at his Workplace, they were told that if ICE shows up to call the Police becoz allegedly Arizona is pushing back on that and our Local Policing Forces are aiding Workers not to be rounded up at their places of Employment or hassled, kidnapped and disappeared.  That's negatively impacting Businesses and our Economy if Workers are Scared to show up at Work!  Steven is a Mexican American, but, becoz he's Hispanic he knows he's at risk for being Racially Profiled in these Raids.   His Family have been Americans for Generations and he doesn't even speak Spanish so he doesn't wanna be whisked off to some Foreign Gulag just becoz of his Appearance/Race.   The Son either.  It is making Citizens nervous about these Gestapo Like Tactics Targeting Hispanics especially, but now, even Politicians of any Ethnicity, being manhandled and Arrested with no Charges or Explanation given.

They had at least Two more  Elected Democrat Politicians Targeted, manhandled by ICE and detained roughly, tho' they'd done nothing Illegal and no Charges were Filed or Explanation given.  Sure, they had to release them, after Hours of just holding them with no Just Cause and Illegally, since ICE can't Arrest U.S. Citizens and Why would they even?!  It was just Politically an Intimidation tactic to instill Fear in them, their Party, and their Constituents, disrupt the Opposition, and Humiliate them Publicly.   Also, to try to incite Riot or Violence so they can then have a handy excuse to enact Martial Law against the American Citizenry and put Military against it's own People!!!  This has got to Stop immediately!!!   It's Illegal, Immoral and blatantly Corrupt in a Society that is a Democracy.   They're the ones vilely Breaking the Law, not the folks they're detaining, kidnapping and disappearing.   It's not about finding the most hardened Criminals, it never has been for them, that's a Smokescreen and blowing Smoke up the Asses of their rabid Base.

I'm sure glad my Mom didn't have to Live to see this, she carried a Resident Alien Card almost her entire Adult Life and would have been Anxious about Deportation under these circumstances.   As the Child of an Immigrant Parent and a Native American Parent, I fiercely Advocate against ALL of this happening.   Nobody is Illegal, first of all, on STOLEN Land.   Every person who isn't 100% Indigenous has some Immigrants in their Family History, every single one!!!   And, here in Arizona and most of the Southwest, these Lands once belonged to Mexico before the U.S. Purchased it.   So, many Hispanics were already here when it was a part of Mexico and have been here for more Generations than any Non-Hispanic!   Except some of the Original Indigenous Tribes that also occupied this Land and didn't even Believe in Land "Ownership" or that it could be just Bought and Sold.   My Dad had to comply with Anglo Beliefs, but he never Believed Mother Earth "Belonged" to anyone in particular and shouldn't be Bought or Sold.

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Ramblings From An Old Hippie In The Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian