Easter Sunday 2026

Okay, so Easter came so early this Year that it crept up on me too fast and I hadn't done anything for it that we usually do as a Tradition and Ritual to Honor it as one of our Holy Days.  I didn't buy our Hot Cross Buns by Thursday, usually you pre-order to ensure the Restaurant we buy them from has enough of them for Walk-Ins.  I didn't get a Reservation at the Greek Restaurant either that we eat our Spit Roasted Lamb Easter Dinner at, and then again on their Greek Orthodox Easter, which is April 12th this Year.  We Love going to "Dino's Restaurant" for that Spit Roasted Lamb so do it for both Easters.  I've had numerous Greek Friends so I always knew they celebrated Easter on a different Day for the Orthodox Easter.

Usually I sell all my Easter Merch but this Year it's been slow to move, so I think Easter snuck up on a lot of folks too?  I didn't even Decorate for it, I haven't even taken down my Valentine's Vignette actually and I'm Okay with that this Year.  Too much going on and I'm falling behind on keeping pace with the various Holidays this Year, let alone Decorating for them.  I always have so it's out of Character for me not to, perhaps when things aren't so hectic I can get back in the groove of Seasonal and Holiday Decorating.  In The RV Garage Mahal I do have some Seasonal Holiday Decor that is Displayed in there Year Round and it was always my intent to do that so it all gets put out and left up to enjoy all the time.  I have less Holidays and Seasons in front of me now than behind me.  So to maximize enjoying my Collections, why not?

 

I bought a couple of Cakes from "Safeway", I was just craving one of those light Mousse Cakes and they have a lovely rectangular Tiramisu Cake that I tried for the firs time.  It was good, but I prefer the Mousse Cake, which is now my fav coz I'm not big on Cakes or Pies, but Tarts and this Mousse Cake, I am addicted to those and NEED one every once in a while.  I also bought a large fresh Fruit Tray and a large fresh Fruit Bowl too.  Been craving Seasonal Fruits and this Season they've been particularly tasty, so clearly it was a good Season for growing them.   So, Below are my Two Cakes for some Food Porn.  Yes, they taste as good as they look, they do a very nice job at the "Safeway" Bakery, a lot of other Grocers don't, so I'll go out of my way to find a "Safeway" if I want Bakery items. 

And becoz we're doing fuck all coz Finances are so tight, the Cakes were my guilty indulgence splurge for April... along with the Spit Roast Easter Lamb Dinner that only The Man and I will attend this Year.  We can't afford to bring the whole Family and they're not as big on Lamb anyway.  I don't know that The Man ever ate much Lamb before meeting me.  My Family always ate it, my Mom used to make a Homemade Mint Sauce to go with it and I miss that and should have gotten her recipe for it coz I grow all kinds of Fresh Mint that I Harvest for other Cuisine we eat.   I think Mom used a White Vinegar to make it, but I don't know which Vinegar or what variety of Mint she typically used?  I'm growing Two kinds right now and have Vinegar, so I could experiment and see how it turns out, with some Lamb Chops, which should also be in Season now.

Now before anyone gets all Crazy about the ethics of eating Lamb, both my Parents Cultures ate a lot of Lamb and even Mutton, so I grew up eating it a lot and I do like it a lot.   It used to be what Poorer folks ate since Sheep are easy to Raise and provide Wool too, so a lot of Indigenous Raised them and spun the Wool and ate the Meat of them.  And a lot of Welsh do too, since, they don't have a lot of Cows, so you mostly saw herds of Sheep instead.  There are more Sheep than People in Wales, pretty sure.  *LOL*  Welsh Lamb is a renown Specialty in Wales and considered a Staple of Traditional Cuisine.   But, it was mostly eaten on Special Occasions, Mom's Family by and large were mainly Vegetarians with their Diet daily, by necessity.  Mom told tales of Foraging for Food a lot as a Child... and my Dad did the same. Dad taught us what Food we could Forage for in Nature and was edible.

When we had Desert Landscaping at some of our Properties here in Arizona, I'd Harvest the Mesquite Beans and pound them into a Sweet Flour that you can use for making Pancakes, Crepes and such.  We also Harvested some of our Cacti Nopales {edible newly formed Pads of the Prickly Pear Cacti} and the Tuna {which is what the edible Fruit are called on Prickly Pear Paddle Cactus}.  You can buy both at Spanish Markets and Grocers too in the Produce section or even Jarred Nopales and Tuna made into Cactus Candy which is very similar to Turkish Delight Candy.  I recently went to an International Market and got some various Turkish Delight Candy imported from the Middle East.  I'm the only one that eats it, the Family don't care for it.  So, I can make it last.  *Winks*

Now that the Kiddos are all Grown I do miss the Easter Egg Hunts and making up Easter Baskets, I enjoyed doing both as a Tradition and Ritual.   Now they don't even wanna bother with Dying Eggs, which, I'm not too crushed about that coz it is messy and they'd often lose Interest halfway thru the doing of it.  Tho', they ate the Hell out of those Hard Boiled Colored Eggs, so none ever went to Waste.  I Buy Heirloom Pasture Raised Eggs so they come in Natural Color variations of Brown, Tan, Grey, Pink, Blue, Green, Olive, Creme, Deep Chocolate, Speckled, and that's enuf for the Family now.  *LOL*  If we get Chickens I'd probably want to get Easter Egg Heirloom laying Hen Breeds.

As you can see these Eggs laid by various Heirloom Chicken Breeds are just as Colorful and Lovely Naturally as any you might Dye.  And if you Pasture Raise Hens the Yolks will be deep Orange and not Pale Yellow.  When we have Company they're always asking why our Eggs are so Orange Yolked when broken open and when Cooked coz they're used to less Ethically Raised Hen Eggs.  I only Buy Pasture Raised Eggs coz to be labeled as such the Hens have to be on at least 108 Square Feet of Pasture per Bird and have significant access to the Outdoors to forage for Natural Foods and have higher levels of Omega-3's and Vitamins D, A and E.  They also taste far better so are always worth paying a little more.  I am an Egg Snob, I ain't gonna Lie.  And we eat a lot of Eggs.

I kept just some of the Plastic Eggs our Kiddos used to Hunt for and we filled with Treats to hide for them, along with the Dyed Hard Boiled Eggs.  I Sold or Donated the rest and have some  in our Showroom now in see thru Plastic Egg Cartons for a Buck a Dozen, or also for a Buck for an 18-Pac.  Sometimes I just had the different see thru Egg Cartons in 12 or 18 Pacs and I just use them up to Sell the Plastic Eggs.  Another Fun thing we've always done during Environmental Cleanup around Easter time is to glean the forgotten Plastic Eggs at the big Parks where folks often do their Easter Picnics and Gatherings, Egg Hunts and Celebrations.  You'd be Surprised how many the Kids do not find, every Year we probably find over 100 Plastic Eggs left behind unfound.  *LOL*  Princess T came Home from Work Today with an Easter Bag they gave to all Employees with Candy and Plastic Eggs.

 

Our Exterminator Company just merged with another big Company, so I hope that doesn't mean their prices will increase?  They say combined they'll offer expanded services but we only have their Termite Service and don't have the other Pest Services since the prices increased significantly in 2025.  But Termites can cause a lot of damage and tho' we have mostly a Burnt Brick Adobe Home with very little Wood, it's an Older area with a lot of Stick and Stucco Homes in the Community so it's just a safeguard I want.  If neighbors get Termites it can spread exponentially if they don't take care of the problem.  Anyway, we'll see, everything seems to be going up except Wages and Pensions, they're not keeping pace with inflation, not by a long shot.  

And now this Regime wants to cut more Social Services to pay for his illegal War that's costing Taxpayers 2 Billion Daily, Services like Child Care, Medicaid, Medicare, Healthcare, Nutritional Assistance, WIC, and lots of other Social Programs that help struggling Americans.  Of coarse a lot of his Cronies and Family are getting the Government Contracts that fuel the War Machine so they're raking it in and further enriching themselves, as are the Oil Companies... and that's the real reason he started this War.  At your Expense and funneling those Funds to him and his Family and Cronies.  And it's not like the Conflicts of Interest aren't blatant as fuck, coz, they are and are easily traceable to who Profits most from these White House reckless for America decisions that make no sense, but, make sense if you're running your Grift/Con on who you're Victimizing and Playing.  Yep, he is Liquidating America and Asset Stripping it for their own Gain.

Moving On... at least Pam Bondi went under the Bus and got Fired... but, he'll only try to install another Sycophant Loyalist whose unqualified, corrupt and incompetent, that's all he knows how to do.  He isn't looking for any Qualifications, Intelligence or Experience, just, whoever covers his Ass and bends the Knee while Kissing the Ring and will take all the Falls for him at any cost to themselves.  And they're literally standing Knee deep in Line to do it.  Coz it will be a heady Power Trip and Big Grift for them while it lasts.  They'll be a wrecking ball to everything they're put in charge of, but, that's how you dismantle and corrupt the whole System in your favor.  They don't Care, it's the best Job they've ever had becoz they never could Qualify for such Positions except being Nepo Hires and Crony Hires.  

Most are just 2nd rate TV Hosts the same as this President was a 2nd rate Cheesy Reality TV 'Star' with a completely fabricated Resume' and a long History of Criminal Activities, yet paying off the right folks to get away with his Crimes... or threatening and intimidating those that could or would take him down.   His Family have a Legacy of Corruption that made them Wealthy and the Generational Wealth is mostly gained from questionable means and consummate Con Jobs, all of it.  But, his Base and those who Voted for him know he's a Criminal and totally Corrupt and a disgusting Human Being, it's well known he is and always has been, it's no Secret, but, they approve of it and thus support it.  You hear some pretty Crazy shit falling out of the Mouths of his devout Cult Following.  Tho' the MAGA Movement is showing signs of fracturing and imploding as they now turn on each other... and eventually, on him.  They will Eat their own in the end... desperate folks do desperate things.

In Real Time it's still only Thursday Night so Tomorrow Morning I'm going to see if I can get our Hot Cross Buns from "Wildflower Bread Company" and then make Reservations at "Dino's" for Easter Sunday Dinner and Orthodox Easter Dinner on the 12th.  It will be the only time we Eat Out for April, Budget being tight for indulgences this Month, so we're tightening things up.   The Son wants to go out with me to do Environmental Cleanup again, he enjoyed doing it and knows it nets us some Cash, I've got enough already again to turn in to the Recycle Center, so if we fill up another Bag full it will fill the back of my Truck Bed again.  

 

I've done it a couple times at Parks nearby and once by the River, since he'd joined me prior to that.  Busy areas are safer to do it alone, but if we do it in more remote or less busy areas I'd always do it with someone, for safety sake.   Our Weather has been Cooler the last few days too so it's pleasant when in the 70's and 80's rather than up into the Triple Digits.   I've been housebound a lot lately due to Family Medical Issues ramping up the Caregiving and also due to finances being tight, so less driving around with the current Gas prices.  Now I don't drive anywhere I don't HAVE to, coz a $100 fill up each time is ridiculous, on a fixed income especially.   And I can't help but think of what I could be buying with that amount of Money instead or saving up for that would last me longer than a tank of fucking Gas!!!

I make Mental comparisons like that all the time when I spend Money, to discern, is this really worth what I'm spending on it?  Especially since a tank of Gas doesn't last long in City Driving even if you get good MPG's like my Truck does.  Every time I turn my Truck off it gives me how many Miles per Gallon I got out of the trip so I can gauge my driving efficiency.  Anyway, so, I've been Home a lot then.  And, I've been watching You Tube Comedy Specials a lot since I Need the levity of Comedy right now to balance out and cancel all the Bad shit going on, both Personally and Globally.   One of my fav New Comedians is Matt Rife, my Kiddos are the ones that introduced me to his Comedy, I'd never heard of him, his Crowd Work is exceptional. 

So, I got a confirmation letter for The Grandson about his Social Security Disability Interview and Appointment and they stated they will also help him with SNAP applications, since, he was referred by his Caseworker he already has.  It really does help if you already have a Caseworker on your Case and Side.  The various Services and Agencies take it a lot more Seriously, I've found, than if you go in without Advocacy in place already and are winging it on your own.  Not that you can't be your own Advocate or just have Friend or Family Member Advocating for you, but a Professional Caseworker who does this for a Living is usually already Known and respected for doing what they do for their Clients.  So, a lot of the Work has already been done by your Caseworker, relieving you of that burden.  And the dovetailing of Help is then more common.  So, we may be able to cut out going to DES if Social Security is doing that part on his behalf now for Nutritional Assistance Services.  *Whew*

And it's also Helpful to have the Receipts with the Letters that New Mexico Social Services is now sending to us to prove he already was Approved and receiving good Services in another State when he was living there.   Coz the transition when you move from State to State can otherwise be challenging too.  Some States, like New Mexico, are much easier to navigate their System than Arizona is and to receive better and more Services.  Some States treat their Residents better than other States, which, shouldn't be so, but it is.   We're all Americans, so one would think it should be more consistent State to State what Services, especially Federal Ones and not just State ones, you can apply and qualify for, but, it isn't.  This is why Migrations happen shifting Demographics constantly... some States will have an Exodus and others will absorb all of that for one reason or another... and it's usually Economic or Climate related.

Arizona used to attract a lot of Retirees, now they're moving to States with a lower Cost of Living to stretch their Fixed Incomes further.  And with more of an Exodus of the Retirement Community, the Local Economy has had to shift due to that Void left by that Exodus and try to attract Newcomers of a different Demographic.  I see a big shift right now where clearly who they are attempting to attract are affluent temporary Residents the most.  We've always been heavily Tourist oriented in Arizona coz of the mild Fall and Winter Months we have and basic Year Round less inclement Weather.  So, we've always had a big Tourist Industry and Snowbirds who live here only part of the Year and have 2nd Homes here.  You don't own a 2nd Home unless you have means, most people now can't afford a 1st Home anymore.  Of coarse who they want to attract now is driving up the Cost of Living a LOT and that affects the Labor Force significantly.  Ripple effect.

There tends to be a glut now of lower paying but necessary Job positions they can't keep filled coz nobody can Live on that Salary here now anymore.   Housing is too expensive, Gas is way higher than the National Average and we don't have a great Public Transportation System for a City that is a Metropolis.   We used to grow a lot of our own Food Locally but now Agriculture has been bought up by greedy Developers and Urban Sprawl has replaced what Arizona used to produce and now doesn't.  That has driven up costs of what used to be locally Sourced and now isn't.   The West Valley where we live used to be prime Agricultural Land with Crops, Dairies, Egg Ranches, Orchards, Vineyards galore, lots of Farms and Ranches.  Now, most of those are replaced with sprawling Residential Subdivisions, enormous Apartment Complexes, or Commercial and Industrial Properties.  

 

The Industrial Complexes being built are massive too.  Amazon has SO many here and some are over 800,000 sf per Industrial Building!!!  That displaces a lot of what used to sit on that Land and if Amazon ever bailed, who the Hell would have Best Use of such a massive Space?  Oh, wait, ICE is buying up Mega Spaces like that at inflated prices beyond the Value of said Properties to Create their Human Concentration Camps!!!  And who wants a bunch of those... or Data Centers that use up all our precious Water in a Desert... in our Communities???  I'll wait...  It's changing the Landscape significantly and has ramped up considerably in recent Years with what's being built around the City. 

 I also see, across America, where the Exodus from small Town America has made virtual Ghost Towns now of other places that are becoming deserted and blighted.   The Rust Belt, as they call it, is really hurting.  And, other places that are enduring catastrophic Weather Events consistently now really have to reconsider whether rebuilding is even Wise if it will be devastated over and over again due to Climate Change and cataclysmic patterns happening constantly now with Fires, Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, prolonged Drought, Floods, etcetera.   I worry Locally that too many Migrating here are taxing the sustainability of having such massive Populations in a Desert?  Gotta get the Water from somewhere, nothing can live without Water for long.

It probably won't happen in my own Lifetime, but those who will Inherit the Future really have to figure out what has to Change so that Civilization can continue where it's at right now.  We can see from the Ancient Past that once great and large Civilizations did disappear and we don't always know why or where they even went?  Or, did they just Die off and not be able to go anywhere else in a mass Migration when their Cities were abandoned and Nature took it all back over?   Several massive advanced Civilizations no longer Exist, have vanished or collapsed.   We suspect mostly due to factors like Climate Changes, Resource depletion, Disease, or conflict.   There are conservatively about 50 entire Civilizations we know of that have vanished... and, could we be next?

Now on to less morbid Dark Topics, it's Friday in Real Time and I just bought our Hot Cross Buns and had Breakfast at "Wildflower Bread Co." with The Son.  Our Icing was melting off our Buns coz it's warm early Today, so probably gonna return to being a Hot one?   I split my Breakfast and took a little more than half Home to The Man, he gobbled it all up so must have been ravenously hungry!!!  Then we enjoyed a Hot Cross Bun each.  I'd picked up Wild Bird Seed at "Tractor Supply Company", a local Radio Station was having an "Easter Keg Hunt" from KUPD and The Son was tracking Clues, which led to there and we didn't find it, but I did find that they have Bird Seed cheaper than anywhere else, so, it's close by and will now be my Go To spot for it.   Each Keg found Wins something then there will be a Grand Prize Drawing for the 50 folks who found one of a $20,000 Grand Prize, so, quite an incentive.

 I enjoyed seeing their Live Chicks they have of various Chicken Breeds and Turkey Breeds, adorbs.  They even had a very Rare Breed available, and they say what kind of Eggs they lay and if they double duty as Meals themselves when Grown.  Some Breeds were Sexed, Females only, others were Unsexed yet, take your Chances on getting Roosters.  I would only want to ensure getting a Laying Hen, no Roosters.  Anyway, we don't have Chickens yet and no telling how Mando is gone whether we will coz he and The Daughter had the Friend who was gonna give them his Hens and they were gonna build the Chicken Coop to have them here.  I talked with her this Morning, she seems Happy to be back to a Lifestyle she's more used to, being Nomadic and basically probably Homeless, it's her preferred Normal and has been since she was 15.  Accepting that can be difficult more for the rest of us than for her.  She liked living here but the Responsibility factor was overwhelming to her.

So, these are my melting Icing Hot Cross Buns.  *LOL*  They are delicious and I get them there every Easter Season.  I was actually going to either do some Environmental Cleanup or Work in the She Shed again but it's already so Hot that I might do a Hard Pass on either.  It says it's only 75 Degrees so far but it's Humid coz we did get some Rain, and Humidity is what I can't handle, if it's a Dry Heat I do Okay even when it's searing Hot, but, Dry and Low Humidity.  Not being able to take The Man out anywhere it's best I stay Home with him and make sure he's doing alright and getting his Meds on time.  Princess T took Today and Tomorrow off and has Easter Sunday and Monday off too, so a nice Holiday Four Day Weekend for her to enjoy, so, she and Rusty made Plans together.  She has to give me her Debit Card before Monday Morning since that's when I go to do Taxes and she's covering all that, Bless her.  What a Great Kid she is.

I ran into one of our Young Fav Customers from the Antique Mall when I was at the Restaurant having Breakfast.  She's a trendy looking heavily Tattooed Young Gal from a big City back East, looks very Gangsta... and we hit it off the first time she came to our Mall with her Two Young Daughters to Shop.  She has some amazing Black and White Body Art... and a lot of it.   She approached me, hesitant at first since I wasn't Working and was out somewhere other than where we usually interact.  But, I told her I don't mind at all, it's not intrusive to me, and I had recognized her too, but decided to allow her to make any reaching out, which she did immediately.  It was her Youngest's Birthday so she said she is broke now from indulging that Child.  *Smiles*  

She misses some of the Foods of Big East Coast Cities, like the Pizza... but is finding new Fav Foods here in Arizona.  I can't recall if she moved here from Chicago or New York City tho', it's one or the other.   The Son is always Amazed that literally everywhere we go, we run into folks that Know me!  *LOL*  It's the Truth, literally we could be in the most obscure and random Location anywhere, far from Home, and we'll still run into at least One or more People who Know me and they'll always go out of their way to approach me and Talk.   He Jokes that it's no wonder I don't Need to Socialize intentionally on any given Day, coz I will inadvertently unintentionally run into Social Situations with random Folks I Know who will stop to Socialize briefly.  By pure Serendipity.  And, that's all the Socializing and Peopling I require on any given Day.  *Smiles*

I picked up more Pasture Raised Heirloom Eggs so we'll have a bunch to Hard Boil for Easter too, but won't need to Dye coz they already have come in an assortment of Natural Colors.  You can't tell very well by the Pix, but some are Pastel Blue, Green and Pink Hues.  They look Greener, Bluer and Pinker than they do in the Photo.   I like the Chocolate Brown ones too.   The Grey Hue ones are rare to get... they are Laid by the Olive Eggers and so the Hue can be anywhere from Grey to Olive and various Shades in between. {See Below}   I presently only have some of the more Green Hued ones that are paler and brighter than the darker dusky Hued ones right now.   But you can see how Lovely and varied they all Naturally are.

I didn't buy any Spring Bouquets but they sure had some lovely ones at all the Shops and good Prices too.  Anyway, it's enjoyable to see all the Spring Merch in the Shops even if I'm not Buying much of it this Season.  I filled up with Gas, still had a 10 Cent a Gallon Discount and yet it still cost me about $84 to fill up even with the Discount.  Ironically, while at the Gas Pumps there were Two Random Old, clearly affluent, White People, a very Old Lady in a White Cadillac and a Man looking to be around Retirement Age, in a Red BMW {its an area that has Geriatrics with Money}... who were discussing Politics at the Pumps while they complained about Gas Prices.  Both were clearly MAGA, so eavesdropping was a Hoot.  

Clearly they're feeling the Pinch that their Boy is Creating, yet they Stubbornly hold onto the Cult Devotion and refuse to admit Electing him was a HUGE Mistake. And so were saying, but... it's better than us becoming a bunch of Socialists, huh?  *Bwahahahahahaha, I almost couldn't contain my Laughter overhearing that shit!!!*  Yeah, let's just become a bunch of White Nationalist Supremacist Fascists instead then...???   Please.  Shut the Fuck Up!!!   When everything crashes down around them, and the Squeeze becomes really Tight for them too, due to who they Trusted and Elected, we'll see how Great America then is.  But, his Base is still out there, about holding at 39%, which tho' that's definitely not a Majority, it's still too high IMO, his Ratings should be more underwater than that by now with all he's said and done.

I have one more Crate of Inventory sitting here beside me that I haven't Priced yet and haven't Motivated myself to get around to.  Mostly coz I don't have the Space for it right now to cram into our Antique Mall Rented Space, it's pretty packed with Fresh Merch now.  A lot of Parents might be making up their own Easter Baskets this Weekend for their Kiddos so I did bring in a lot of Smalls for Children of the most Collectible little Toys that have always been madly Popular, and see thru Egg Cartons that hold a Dozen or an 18 Count of empty Plastic Eggs I put in them, for a Buck.  I also have Plastic Eggs containing a little Toy that are For Sale at a Buck each.  And Art Stamps are still briskly Selling and Paper Arts Supplies coz most of the Indie Craft Stores have Closed, even some Major ones, and others have reduced Inventory considerably, like, they could be going Under too? 

 

I was in a "Michael's" the other day and half their Shelves were almost empty, it reminded me of what happened to "JoAnne's" when it got Asset Stripped and just before they Closed their Doors forever.  Only the Hobby Lobby seems to be doing well and expanding locations and well stocked, but I know a lot of folks boycott them and I know why they do.  Them and The Chick-Fil-A have been outed for being quite Homophobic and Big Donors to Anti-Gay Rights Lobbies.   What you Support openly will always have it's consequences and in the Age of Social Media, well, once something goes Viral that you said or did, there's no taking that back and pretending it never happened.  It's biting this Administration in the Ass Daily now and they can't effectively retract or run enuf damage control behind what's already fallen out of their Mouths and been Done.  You Own it now.  Out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth always eventually Speaks.  And they've said a Mouthful and all the Quiet Parts Out Loud.

 

I dropped by the Antique Mall, foofed our Showroom and put in some more Small Collectible Toys from the 1960-1970 Era that might go well in Easter Baskets.  Remember the Colorful Plastic Cowboys and Indians Figures that were similar to Army Men of that Era?  Well, I had a huge assortment of those, some being Riders with their Horses, and Plastic Trees, Kids still Love those things and I remember countless Hours playing with such things with my Brother.  We used to line they up as if they were having a War and Bowl them down with our Shooter Marbles and keep Score of who took out the most of them down our Parent's Hallway, me at one end and him at the other end.  The Bags of Vintage Marbles I had have been Selling briskly, so Kids still Love those too.

The Mall was relatively busy but I don't know they're having a Holiday Sale this Weekend or not?  They should to draw a Crowd, especially since many places are Closed for Easter and we're not.  But you can't just rely on that access, or boredom, to draw folks in to spend Money on a Holiday.  I made our Reservations for Easter Dinner at "Dino's" for around 4:00 p.m. on Easter Sunday.  We'll pop on over to the Antique Mall afterwards since it's in the same Parking Lot, so, why not?  See how the Holiday Weekend panned out Sales wise?  This Pay Period has kinda flatlined from last Pay Period, which was fairly Strong.  So, I think all the Race Fans and Spring Training Baseball Fans have gone Home now?

*******

Happy Easter my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian

Standing In The Gaps

 I'm trying to get a few Unpublished Posts ahead again in case I don't feel like Blogging or get Bloggers Block, it happens.  *Smiles*  I like Blogging every Day if I can squeeze the Down Time to sit here and Create something, coz it Centers me and is very relaxing and enjoyable.  It's like a Mind Cleanse too where my Stream of Consciousness can be Activated, since most of the time I'm on Auto Pilot just dealing with the Daily Grind and various Issues of Life that crop up along the way and just have to be Dealt with on The Fly.  Some days I don't say hardly anything to anyone, so Writing releases all that has remained Unsaid or not expressed in any form.  Tho' I Write a lot and Share a lot here, in Real Life, a lot just stays in my Head and unsaid, definitely not Shared.  And I feel no Need to.

Usually the Days are just packed with so much that the Social aspect of Peopling just doesn't happen at all.  I may say more on any given day to some Receptionist at a Doctor's Office than I may say to anyone I actually know.  Not that it will be anything profound, and could be just random conversation that happens, just more Words than I've uttered at any other time during that particular day to anyone!  For some reason a lot of random folks I may interact with for the first time ever seem to want to talk about the Weather and initiate that conversation.  I will indulge in random chit-chat like that if someone initiates and they're pleasant, why not?  *LOL*  At the Cardiologist Office they had Three Receptionists and they all Chimed In about the Weather.  *Ha ha ha*  All very nice Ladies, a pleasant mundane brief and humorous Chat.

That was about all my Words I had, except that which were Mandatory to have, like with his Cardiologist or some Phone Calls that had to be made or answered.  The CPA Receptionist did talk about Taxation beyond just setting up my Appointment to get ours done.  Not Surprising since that's what she is involved with as a Career Choice.  And she was a Kindred Spirit about our Shared Sentiments about Taxation of the Average Person and especially Retirees.  She was probably my Age or Older, or mebbe she just looked Older, I dunno, very nice Lady too, it was a pleasant less mundane Chat.  She could give me no Idea if we'd get more Breaks or not this Year... her sentiments seemed to be that nobody really is... which, given this Administration... wasn't a Surprise.

I often talk to some of Princess T's co-workers, nice bunch of Young People, she has a good relationship with many of her co-workers too, she seems well liked.  I pick her up every day so sometimes have to be in their Store a while before she gets off, since her Hours aren't consistent.  I even now know their Security Guard.  *LOL*  Yes, they have to hire a Security Guard coz the Five Finger Discount folks show up even at Chazzas and Steal, or cause Trouble, since, sometimes the Unhoused show up or those who are on a bender with their Addictions, and must be asked to leave the premises.  This way you don't always have to call the Cops if you have your own On Site Security handling such things.  It's a Young Woman they mostly hire, she must be Diplomatic coz she sure ain't big or intimidating, just a nice Young Gal.

Our Antique Mall is too Cheap to Hire Security, they should tho', it might cut down on the Thefts, Vandalism, and nonsense folks who come in and cause problems.  Sometimes Management can handle such things but often they just don't and so it encourages that kind of undesired behavior and undesirables showing up with zero consequences.  I think a lot of Businesses are handling it in their own ways tho'.  I noticed recently some Remodeling at Major Big Box Stores making it a bit harder for the Criminals to Steal, and for Honest Customers to Shop too, perhaps it will be effective and make a Positive difference?  I liked what they did actually. 

This Morning, which is a Thursday in Real Time, I knuckled down and organized my Taxes.  I dread it every Year and yet, it never takes me more than 30-45 Minutes tops to DO it, so it's ridiculous that I have such dread about the doing of it!!!   Since Princess T is covering the Cost of doing them with our CPA, and paying anything we Owe for us, I have that weight off my Shoulders and am not so stressed out that I was worrying, do I even have enough to cover it this Year?  Everything has increased in price SO much since this Regime took over, and, we've had so many Emergency Expenses I couldn't have predicted nor Saved enuf to cover.  So, Debt load is higher than I like it to be right now, I like everything to be Paid for, I don't like Debt.

Anyway, so, that's out of the way and we have our CPA do the Taxes on Monday Morning.   I've got to get the Grandchild's Routing Number for her Account in case I need it at the CPA.  I know my own by Heart since I've had the Account since I was in my 20's.  *LOL*  She doesn't use Checks tho', the Young folks just don't, it's just us Dinosaurs now that have Checkbooks and don't go totally Paperless.  I like having my Receipts and a Paper Trail, I can prove anything by the fact I have my own Paper Trail/Receipts and Sign everything with my Real own Signature and don't do the Electronic thing unless they don't give you any other option but to.  So much fraud has been perpetrated due to Modern conveniences IMO.  It's a Criminal's Wet Dream. 

Anyway, after Monday I'll have more of a Peace about where we stand Financially after Taxes are known and out of the way again for another Year.  I plan to take the Grandson to a local Food Bank instead of DES since I think his Eligibility would be better there than going thru The State System that really now is a waste of Time, Patience and is too burdened with a Backlog to be remotely helpful to those with no Income and no means of Support.  If you knew you're gonna receive Assistance you might not mind the long waits, inability to contact them by Phone for prolonged periods, and In-Person being almost a waste of time coz they don't do In-Person Interviews, yet, don't answer their Phones either, so getting an Appointment is the Luck of the Draw.  But, sometimes you go thru all that for Months, for either temp short-term Help or no Help.

The Son said he'd never go thru it again to only get about $200 worth of Groceries to allegedly feed him from November thru March!!!  I'm not kidding, that's all he qualified for with no Job, no Income, Denied the Unemployment he should have received when they all got Laid off by an Employer who screwed them all over no matter how many Years they'd worked for them, no place to live if we didn't take him in, no Transportation!!!  The Young Prince can't even get Hired by a McDonalds coz a Schizophrenic is too much Liability for any Employer to chance, Customers and Co-Workers would be too scared if the person had a Psychotic Episode on the Job.  So they just won't risk it and thus someone with this condition is generally Unemployable and has no means to Support themselves or even Care for themselves without a full time Unpaid Caregiver.

The Daughter only finds little Jobs for people we know who are willing to Hire her occasionally when she's feeling Well enuf and isn't having a Schizophrenic Episode.  They understand when she ever has to say she's not 'Well' enuf for a Job or goes off the grid for a while coz she's had the Wheels come Off.  She made contact Yesterday and was lucid, she promised to contact her Children in Mexico, so I got her new Free Phone's number and also gave it to her Daughters in Mexico so they have a Point of Contact.  We can contact her now until the next time she goes Off Rails again.  I still think the Boyfriend is inhibiting her contacting Family and Friends. 

  He's too controlling, insecure, has a temper he can't control and abusive Mouth he won't control.   I also am sure he's Using, since what I found was in his Clothing in the 5th Wheel, not in any of her stuff, but, perhaps she's been convinced he 'Needs' it since he's Dying???  He plays on the Dying thing a LOT for sympathy.  So does TJ, our Neighbors Son who is abusive with his new Young Wife too.  And becoz both allegedly have Stage 4 Cancer, which I can't verify, so have to assume nobody would fake having Stage 4 Cancer, they rely on everyone feeling sorry for them and allowing them to use it as a handy excuse for Bad Behavior.  Which, IMO, there is NEVER a Good Excuse for Bad Behavior. 

 I don't Care if you're Dying, it doesn't give you the Right to then be abusive or unlovely to everyone else and project that Anger outwards aggressively and inappropriately.  I feel like if you are that way, you will and probably should just then Die Alone, coz you will have run everyone off that has done Right by you and tried to be Kind and Helpful during your Health Crisis.  I understand suffering is hard, and it's not an easy way to go.  But I've known plenty of Dying People who did so with Grace, Dignity and didn't inflict suffering upon others.  Or do them Wrong out of Anger or spite that they had a Terminal Condition and so wanted to Hurt as many others as they could get away with.  Especially doing that to someone whose only done you a Kindness, shows no appreciation for them Treating you Right while you then treat them Wrong.

The Daughter has doted on this Boyfriend since she does feel badly that he's suffering and has an incurable condition.  She tries to give him something to Live for and feel Hopeful about.  She has an incurable condition, it's just different, and she's always appreciated any Kindness anyone has shown her in spite of her Serious Mental Illness.  He doesn't show equal appreciation for her Illness that she shows for his.  He doesn't seem to try to understand Mental Illness impairs ability just as much as many Physical Illness do.  I personally think he may have had Mental Illness before he ever got Cancer, coz how he Acts seems very Bipolar, but, could be whatever Drugs he's taking, both strong Rx prescribed and Illegal ones that do impair Mood regulation and Behavior, for sure.  And mixing them or abusing them can't be Helpful either.

I picked up Two Wednesday Night Shifts at the Antique Mall for this Month, I needed to accept a couple, even with our full Schedule.  Not only to comp some Space Rent to help with that small stream of Income we Need right now, but it is my Happy Space to go there.  I enjoy being at our Antique Mall, either Working my Spaces or Working a Shift when I feel I can and want to.  It's good to get away and be around other people who enjoy similar Hobbies like Collecting and Selling Off their Excess, or what they enjoy Sourcing as a Recreational Pursuit.  The Incurable Collectors know what I'm talking about.  *Smiles and Winks*  It's a "Community" of Kindred Spirits who find commonalities to bond with.  Much like the Blogging Community, it's a Positive Community to belong to and be a part of.

I'll be Sharing more fabulous Imagery for several more Posts of "The One Legged Rooster" Vignettes, I enjoy promoting and supporting Small Businesses that I think are very deserving of the Free Advertising of us all Sharing their Shops, Events, Business Ventures, however Small or in another part of the Country.  I doubt I'll ever get to Missouri to visit this place in person, but it is on the Ole' Bucket List now as a Destination worthy of visiting should I ever find myself in Kansas City now???  I wouldn't have thought of Missouri as a Destination or Junquing Mecca, but, perhaps it is?  Never been to that State, might have driven thru it in the early 1970's, can't recall if I did or I didn't on our way out West?  We passed thru a lot of States that we didn't actually stop in, just drove straight on thru or mebbe spent the Night in a Motel there.  When you're a Military Family you end up passing thru a lot of places that are just on the way to your next Assignment.

For a vague Memory I do mebbe recal seeing that famous Arch, Gateway Arch, in Missouri, so, I could have been by that many Moons ago?  *Smiles*  That would have been St. Louis tho' and not Kansas City.  And I'm absolutely certain we didn't do any Shopping on our way to New Assignments, you don't have the Luxury of Time, you have a Deadline to be at your newest Permanent Change of Station.   Which, really isn't and wasn't "Permanent", just where you'd live for mebbe 12-18 Months before getting PCSed to the next Military Assignment.  Could be in any number of locations Stateside or Overseas.  You didn't really get a Choice, tho' you could have a Wish List and every so often my Dad or The Man would get an Assignment somewhere they had said they'd really like to be Stationed at, not often tho'.  

 

You get a lot of unwanted crappy Assignments in a long Career... along with Wartime Deployments or Unaccompanied Deployments, where you leave Family behind for however long you're gonna be Deployed there.  Separated from my Dad and my Husband happened a lot over both of their very long Military Careers, Dad 27 Years, The Man 39.  My Dad rarely got Choice Assignments, I think GI's of Color often got the least Desired Deployments actually, coz Dad got more than his fair share of shitty ones.  And The Man, tho' he's a White Guy, becoz of his specific set of Skills, got a LOT of Wartime Deployments, they wanted to get their Money's worth out of him.  So we were separated a LOT when he'd be sent to War... or what they called Theaters of Operations or "Conflicts", which is another fancy way of saying War without calling it a War.  Kind of like this Iran "Conflict", or what Donnie Two Dolls like to call a fucking "Excursion"!!!  WTF?!  Does he even know what Excursion means opposed to War?!  Like this is some unserious leisurely activity he's gotten us into!!!!!! That some of the Administration is correctly identifying as a War, and some are skirting around and hesitating calling it that.

My Dad also was a War Veteran, as were my Uncles and some Cousins, both my American Uncles and Cousins, and some of my European ones too in their Armed Forces Careers where they Served Country.  My Welsh Uncle was Military when Younger and was also in the Welsh Guards and was one of them at the Queen's Coronation in June of 1953.  That's also the Year my Dad was Stationed in Wales and met my Uncle, who then brought my Dad and a Black American GI Friend of my Dad's, Home with him to meet Mom's Family.  They'd never seen a "Red Indian" or a "Black Person" in their Lives and my Dad and Ernie were Good Sports about all the Questions asked and had some Wicked Fun with it.  They told Mom's Family they were the "American Night Fighters" coz they were harder to see at Night due to their Skin Color!!!  Sounded reasonable to Mom's Family, so they Believed it.  *Bwahahahaha*

My Dad and my Mom's Older Brother became Best Friends for Life after that and my Mom at the time she met my Dad, was Engaged to be Married to a Welsh Guy in the RAF who was an Officer.  But, she broke off her Engagement and became Engaged to my Dad, who her Family Adored and liked better than the other Boyfriend.  *Smiles*  The other Guy was Wealthy, but my Dad's Indigenous Cultural ways were very similar to my Didi Kai Gran-Gran's Cultural ways and they had so much more in Common in the Trials they'd endured due to their Ethnicities.  So, once my Gran-Gran wanted my Dad to be his Son-In-Law, well, it was bound to happen then and he approved my Uncle to chaperone my Dad on any Dates he had with my Mom, which was customary for their Culture and Dad Respected that.  She never went on any Date without a Family Chaperone to protect her Virtue.  *Smiles*

My Dad got a kick out of my Gran-Gran being very forthright about suspicions about the intent of any American Serviceman who wanted to Date the Local Women.  He said that there was Rumor about the American Men being Over Paid, Over Sexed, and Over Here.  *LMAO*  My Mom said only 13 Local Girls ever did end up with American Husbands and come to the United States as War Brides from her part of North Wales.  So, the entire time she was in the United States, which was pretty much for the rest of her Life until she Died at Age 84, she never met another Woman from North Wales who had Married an American G.I., or to speak her Language to anyone but us, and only then when she'd get so Mad she'd forget her English.  *LOL*  

 

 

I didn't realize how Isolating it was for my Mom being so separated from her People and Culture, or for my Dad, until I was much Older.  She's be the only Woman from North Wales anyone we knew had ever met and Dad would be the only Native American anyone we knew had ever met!  Until we moved to Arizona in 1974, then Dad would see other Tribal People, not of his Tribe, but Arizona has more Native Americans than most other States and a few live off Rez more often than in other States with Reservations.  Since we've lived in Arizona we've had many other Native American Friends, but, I've never once met anyone else from my Mom's part of Wales, ever, here in the U.S., the whole time I've been Alive!   Once we did meet a Woman from South Wales but she and Mom didn't get along coz the North and the South don't particularly get along and have distinct Cultural differences. 

And here's a Fun hilarious Fact, most Americans had no Idea where Wales even was on the Globe or that it's a Country.  Most would think my Mom was Australian or that Wales was somewhere other than where it actually is.  And if anyone thought she was English that's a huge Insult to Gaelic People, who were grossly mistreated, discriminated against and Oppressed by the English, so if someone is Welsh, Irish or Scottish, don't ever ask them if they're English, them's Fighting Words!!!  *Smiles and Winks*  And funnier still was that early on the only Welsh Person who was well known at the time was Singer Shirley Bassey, who is from Tiger Bay in South Wales and has a White Welsh Mother and a Nigerian Black Father.  So, people would ask Mom if she and Shirley were "the same"?  She would say, Yes, we're both Welsh and leave it at that.  So, a lot of Americans, both White and Black, thought my Mom was also Mulatto and that Welsh people might all be!!!!!!!!!  *Bwahahahaha*

My Mom having some Roma Ancestry in her Heritage she had very Kinky Corkscrew curly Blue Black Hair at the time and had to use Black Hair Products often, and tho' she was Fair, compared to my Dad or I, Mom could get Tan very easily and get quite Dark when she was Younger and used to Sunbathe.   So, I could see why the confusion would prevail if someone just didn't know any better.  Plus, back then we had to live in Black Communities coz my Dad couldn't just live anywhere in some places of America that were segregated still.   And a lot of my Mom's Foreign Female Friends who'd Married G.I.'s of Color, tended to bond together, so most of our Military Friends were other Interracial Couples.  

The Woman mostly being European or Asian, most of their Husbands being Black, or White G.I.'s that Married Asian Women.  We only ever met one Friend who was a Navajo Woman who'd Married a White G.I..  I was 15 by then and she was the only other Native American besides my Dad I'd seen off a Reservation!!!   They had a Daughter I used to Babysit.   Anyway, nowadays you see a lot more Interracial Couples.  In fact, it's kinda funny to me that we'd never see Families like ours represented on American TV.   And now almost every Commercial is an Interracial Couple!!!  I guess to make up for us being Invisible for so long on TV, I dunno, but, I find it to be overkill on compensating, but, I'm glad to see Representation finally.  *Smiles*

I felt like a putz when I realized that Yesterday I had been talking to the Youngest Granddaughter in Mexico of the Trio, and not the Middle one!!!  So I'd told The Daughter the Wrong Child had been trying to get hold of her.  So, anyway, realized my mistake Today and that I'd been speaking with the Youngest one via Translator on FB Messenger.  That one, like the Oldest one of the Trio has never been any trouble, it's the Middle one whose been a handful.  Anyway, I don't think the one I was talking with realized I thought I was talking with one of her Older Sisters?  *LOL*  So, no harm, no foul.  Now they're all much Older they don't look as much alike now so I can tell them all apart at least.  *Smiles*  One of The Daughters long time Elderly American Friends who lives in Mexico half the Year had called Today worried about her coz he hadn't heard from her in a while too.  So I gave him her new Phone Number.

I had a nice chat with him too, he's a very Dear Friend of hers and has done a lot for her and for her Kids in Mexico.  He's a Retired Pilot but still flies his Private Plane back and forth to Mexico rather than drive.  He has Property on the Beach there and Property on the Beach in California too, she's been to each.  She knows some Mexican National Friends who also have Properties on the Beach in Mexico and also Properties in California too, and spend time in both Countries as well.  Many have Businesses in both Countries and I've gotten to know some of them over the Years.  She has a lot of Friends who really Care about her and if they can't get hold of her they'll get hold of me now and see whatssup.  They aren't Surprised she has gone Off Rails again, it was only a matter of time until she unraveled.  They have known her long enuf to know the Patterns are fairly predictable and won't ever just go away, SMI is Forever, no Cures exist.

Sometimes I get too Hopeful that things are getting better and will Hold, but, they never do Hold, just sometimes a little longer in between Meltdowns and Bad Decisions.  As she's nearing 50 I don't think much will actually Change to a degree I'm Hopeful for, but, any Positives, however long or brief, are cherished.  She and I do get along better now she's Older, she's always been very good with Old People tho'.  *LOL*  It's True, I'm not meaning that jokingly, she's always been thoughtful and Kind towards Old People and Animals particularly.  The rest of Humanity, not always so much.  *Le Sigh*  Kids like her but she's not fond of Children, just her own Kids and even them, she can only handle for brief interludes, a little more now they're Older and have more understanding of what's Wrong with her.  When little tho', even The Young Prince was astute enuf to know she wasn't Well.

The recent conversation I had when she called and gave me her new Contact Number went very well.  She holds no animosity when she can't be here due to whatever went Sideways.  It's evident she's sticking with this Guy and so, until she's Over him, and she will be, her Relationships with Boyfriends never last, tho' some have been more long term than others.  When she's Done she's completely Done and he'll push the Ticket too far one day and that will be The End.  If he weren't Dying I think she would have dumped him already.  But she pities him at this juncture and of coarse all Relationships are rarely ALL Bad, and so that's sometimes why people stay in a Bad one, focusing only on the Good parts of it.  In the meantime, we just try to stand in the Gaps of Loved Ones who need that from us.

*******

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