Finally, Some Good News To Share!!!

 Sit Down, get Comfortable, Strap In, coz I'm going Long and we'll make this a Two-Fer Post kinda day.  *LOL and Winks*  We just got a Bill from who Provided The Man's long series of Tests for our reasonable Co-Pay of $17 on a $30,000+ Bill.  We had been told that with our Insurances there would be no Co-Pays, but, for $17 I'm not going to War about it.  If I get too many Bills for Co-Pays we shouldn't be getting tho' I will challenge it.  But having to Appeal paying on such a small Bill is hardly worth the Stress, Energy and Time I'd have to spend fighting it and losing my Peace, you know?  Every Dollar Counts on a Fixed Income already stretched thin, but I know how much the Providers are already eating and getting stiffed by the Insurances that they didn't Pay and "adjusted" down.  So, I don't wanna Protest too loudly to those Companies providing Services who are getting Screwed more by the Insurance Companies than even those of us Insured are, you know?

When I see the amount Billed, the amounts only Paid, it is shocking really how much Insurance Companies won't and don't pay for of the Bill and those Companies mostly end up having to Write Off!   After The Man had his Catastrophic Accident way back many Years ago, and 10 Months worth of Hospitalizations and Care for it, his outstanding Bill was $997,000 and Insurance only paid for $57,000!!!   That amount was distributed among several Providers, St. Joseph's Hospital Level One Trauma Center, Barrow's Neurological Center Rehab, and the Nursing Home he was sent to for further Rehabilitation.  He was sent Home to me in terrible condition becoz he was becoming too expensive and nobody was getting properly Paid for their Services!   He had Three Insurances... Imagine if he'd been Underinsured or Uninsured!!!

Then, when he got his Accident Settlement, which wasn't very large considering the extent of his Injuries, but we'd had to file against our own Insurance Company coz the Driver causing the Accident was in an Uninsured Vehicle which was also a Borrowed Vehicle, Unlicensed, and an Illegal Alien who just got deported to Mexico for almost killing someone with reckless driving... we had to repay TriCare HALF of his Settlement, to reimburse them for what they had expended!  Even tho' he'd still require Lifetime Care for his Injuries and need a lot more expensive Medical Treatment for Years and the rest of his Life!!!  Our Attorney's advised us to just let them pay it out of the Proceeds, becoz fighting the Government is just too expensive and we'd spend more trying to Win than we would just paying out.  

That's how the Government works when they end up taking you to Court... they have bottomless deep Pockets and Resources and you don't.  So, even if you Win, you Lose.  So, I'm very Jaded about our Healthcare System and the Insurance Companies, it's all rather looking like a Racket.   But it's not like Patients have any Choice when they're Sick or Injured or Disabled.  Anyway, it's an affordable Co-Pay so I was just Surprised to get one since we'd be told we wouldn't have any Co-Pays by the Provider of the Service, and now, we do for some reason?  Don't know if it's an Administrative Error or not?  I don't like Surprises tho', however modest they may be, they add up if they're financial ones.  You end up Nickle and Dimed to Death.  I choose my Battles wisely, yet, if you're not supposed to have to pay for something, my instinct is to fight it then when they Bill me for it.  *LOL*  I'm fighting on too many fronts right now for bigger matters, so the small stuff I have to swallow hard and just let it slide by not going to War about it.  *Winks*  

Other that that, everything is Swell.  *Bwahahahaha*  I've been getting easily annoyed lately, I think it's just a feeling of being overwhelmed and the reaction is annoyance if just one more little thing happens, however trifling or trivial.  As I'm Aging, I'm finding my annoyance factor increasing.  When I Googled it, which, of coarse I would *Winks* it says: As we Age, a reduced tolerance for annoyance is incredibly common, but it rarely happens 'just because'.  It's frequently tied to underlying physical and neurological shifts, such as fluctuating Hormones, chronic Pain, or even conditions like Geriatric Depression.  Which, disguises itself as irritability rather than sadness.  Sensory Overload and Sleep, due to reduced tolerance for Chaotic Environments, bright Lights and loud Noises decreases.  Disrupted Sleep can dramatically limit your ability to Emotionally Regulate during the day. Well, there ya go, Explained.  I Love Dr. Google!  *Bwahahaha*  

Psychological and Emotional Factors play a part and of coarse I know what all those are that remain unresolved when things aren't going to improve and are a constant you must Deal with, as best you can.  I try not to have resentment, but it creeps in there sometimes.  So it manifests in low grade anger and impatience manifested when I'm feeling somewhat resentful of the Daily Grind, such that it is and will always be, day after day without a break.  I always envisioned Retirement being different than what Hand has been Dealt.   I thought in Retirement I'd get to Travel and do the things that a couple of demanding Careers and Raising Two Generations of Kiddos made impossible until I Retired and everyone was Grown.  Even Caregiving for so long, I felt perhaps The Man would be in good enuf Shape to take the Show on the Road once we got Kids Raised and still go places and do things.  I know, it wasn't a realistic expectation, but it's the one I HAD and no longer have, past tense now Reality is painfully evident.

I know many people who are doing things in Retirement and I do enjoy hearing their Stories and what they Share of it Visually on Social Media, I go along Vicariously now.  That has to do coz it for sure ain't happening for Reals and I know this.  You make a Peace about it, yet, once the Hope of ever doing it is gone, it's something you have regrets about not being able to accomplish and do.   It used to be a high Priority to have Quality of Life, I strived for it, attained a lot of it, so just Existing and being in Survival Mode constantly, alters your Mood about a lot of things.  You don't wanna just Exist, you wanna LIVE Life fully, or at least I do and still try to, with limitations restraining me, but not preventing me from at least attempting to still Live my Best Life Daily, within Reason and Reality now.  The Dreamscape can exist, it's just Fantasy now tho', it won't happen and so the Hope of it happening is fading fast.  I used to think it would happen... for a long time.  I Wish I still could.

I do think about, IF I had the Freedom to do whatever I wanted to do, what would I be doing and prioritizing?  It's good to ponder such things from time to time, since Priorities do shift almost constantly as Time passes.  And I spend less time doing what wouldn't even be on that list, which is why perhaps a lot of the Editing and Purging has stalled coz, does it really matter now, is that the Best use of my Time at this Season and juncture?   Will it ever actually be finished even if I devoted tons more Time and Energy to it?   Often the answer is a simple No, I'd rather be doing something else more Enjoyable, and, so, I do, when I can.  If something is so grandiose a Vision to get Done, and will probably Realistically take Years to do, do I even have that Time?  No.  So, I'm kinda just setting some of it aside now, not all of it, but I may not eat that whole fucking Elephant in the Room, no matter how Hungry I get to remove all of it from my Space now. 

I do start some Edit & Purge Projects real early, but by 9:00 a.m. it's already way too Hot to be out there or in non-climate controlled Space trying to do any of it.  And last Year, due to Climate Change, it never cooled off until Winter Months, Fall was still too Hot!!!  So that was a whole Seasonal Quarter we used to get things done in that remained too Hot to do much at all or utilize Spaces that don't have AC.   I don't think that is going to improve based on evident new Weather Patterns that may just be our New Constant Seasonal Shift?  What I end up doing is tiny little increments of things that don't make a lot of Progress that is evident or even satisfying or giving any feeling of accomplishment.  That's disheartening coz during COVID and the Lockdown, we did get so much accomplished here even thru that turbulent period of unsettling times we weren't sure wouldn't be like that Forever?  I'm glad they weren't but now there's New Devils Plaguing us.

Hey, I Finally got Good News to Share and is Positive.  I just stepped on one of those missing Rhinestones, the bigger ones that had been Missing, from that Birthday Pressy to Self!  Yeah, we already replaced the missing ones now, but, apparently this had fallen on the Floor when unpacking the Bag and so both missing ones had been Mailed, fallen out of the Vintage Brooch part... one found in the Box, now this one found on the Floor!  We'd Swiffer Swept the Floor before now too, so a Miracle it was still there and got missed, whew.  I had to go pick Princess T up from Work, she was Crying and they were sending her Home Sick, but she has no Sick Time and didn't know what was Wrong?  She was light headed, dizzy, severe Headache and Nausea, felt like she was going to pass out, so had to immediately sit down rather than Stand.  I took her to Urgent Care, they ran some Tests and feel like it's severe Allergies so gave her Prescription strength Meds.

I know The Man has been Wheezing a lot and find it hard to Breathe.  They're doing so much Construction around here there's always dust and particulates in the Air, plus stuff is Blooming, so no telling what's stirred up causing Respiratory sufferers to get really Sick?  I felt relieved it wasn't something more serious coz she does have frailty in her Health and is a tiny little Sprite.  I thought mebbe she got dehydrated again working in the Heat of the Receiving Room in the back where she's stationed at Work?  That happened last Summer and it's not unusual in Arizona for Heat Related Work Incidents if it's not kept Cook enuf.  Anyway, she felt somewhat better after they Administered the Meds and we got something to eat on the way Home from "Wildflower Bread Co.", Soup and a Sammie.  The Italian Wedding Soup was good but I wasn't so fond of the Buffalo Chicken Sammie on Ciabatta, first time having it.  They put some kind of Horseradish on it which I HATE Horseradish so it ruined the Sammie for me and overpowered my palate.

I wouldn't order that again.  She fell fast asleep the moment I got her back Home.  Her Rx at the Pharmacy won't be ready until after 2:00 p.m. and it's not even 1:00 p.m. yet.  I fed The Man some Orange Chicken when I got Home, he was here by himself but I wasn't dragging him along to the Urgent Care.  It's 113 already and I didn't even wanna be out in it, let along him shuffling along and loading his Walker in and out of the back bed of the Truck and waiting on him to walk at the speed of Death.  She was already Crying and Miserable, that was enuf to handle at the moment.  She calmed down once she knew it was nothing Serious, it had scared her to have the sensations she was having and not know why, so she had a Panic Attack.  Plus she was upset about Work coz they make Employees feel bad and like they might get Fired for being legitimately Sick.  She did get a Note from Urgent Care to return to Work.  She had a Young Cute Doctor who said he Hates when Employers threaten Employees who are Sick with possible Termination.

She had taken a Pix of me and a Selfie of herself at the Restaurant, mine was dreadful, I'd stabbed myself on the Chin with the sharp long Toothpick holding my Sammie together and it was Bleeding.  She thought it was funny coz she didn't know it was Blood and thought it was Beet Juice or something from the Sammie, she felt terrible when she realized I was Bleeding!  I didn't even know I was until she showed me the Pix and I tried to wipe what we thought was some kind of Red Juice off my Chin!  And, it was Blood and kept Bleeding rather profusely!!!  We then had inappropriate Humor about calling out, "Medic!" and suing for getting injured by a Dangerous Instrument in my Sammich.  *LMAO*  Anyway, it was good to get her to Laughing since she'd been quite hysterically Crying beforehand, which always makes us Grammas tense and anxious to have a Grandchild Crying in distress or pain.

Okay, and now for some other Great News...  FINALLY a Call Back from the Doc's Office after pestering them incessantly since July 1st, which I'd been waiting on those Test Results.  The MRI showed no "Mass", so it came back Clean, no Worries, perhaps was an Intestinal Blockage that cleared on it's own?  I know when I knew they said the anomaly was near Ovaries or Intestines, I started eating Holistic things to clear out whatever may be backed up, in case it was something like that.  I'm big on Holistic Remedies and rely on them a lot coz they're the least invasive of Treatments and have no addictive qualities to them.  I'm very Relieved and know my Family will be too.  The Office said no other Follow-Up Needed.  *Whew*  Well, that was the Best Possible News and Outcome, Right?  I had been Hoping that No News meant Good News, but would have liked to have had that information a Week ago to alleviate the distress and alarm my Family was having about this.  I was staying Calm and Collected, but it was on the back of my Mind that it could be something Serious too... or not.  I'd doused myself with Holy Water Daily while waiting on those delayed results.  *Smiles*  And now, it's just Gone... whew!!!  They couldn't tell me what it was or where it went, but I don't Care... it's GONE now.   

I'm glad they were thorough and did the CT Scan, the Ultrasound and the MRI... whatever it was is evident in the first Two Tests but by the 3rd one was completely gone, not a trace of whatever it was.   So now I can carry on without that hanging over our Heads and being Worrisome or trying to fit one more Medical thing into the Mix.  *Whew*  Princess T is still Asleep, she really was wiped out by not Feeling Well.  So, I'm glad they sent her Home and the Urgent Care gave her something stronger for the Pain and for the Symptoms to alleviate Nausea and severe Congestion lest it turn into an Infection.  I got her Rx just now and Eli the Cat hasn't left her Side since she got back and went to Bed, he's Devoted to that Girl!!!  And he can tell when she doesn't Feel Well, he won't leave her Side when she's Unwell.  I do Hope when she returns to Work Tomorrow with the Doctor Letter that they don't give her a Bad Time or Write her Up or Threaten Termination again, it Stresses her out and she doesn't need that.  She's a damned hard Worker and cannot help having chronic conditions they were told of and aware of before even Hiring her.

 

Of coarse we all know that Employers don't give Two Shits about their Employees anymore and that's primarily why nobody gives a Shit about their Job or their Employer either.   My Paternal Cousin has lived in and worked for a Company in Japan all his Adult Life.  When he tells us of what Japanese Employers Offer as Usual and Regular Employee Benefits, if American Companies did that they'd have Loyal Workers from Cradle to Grave!!!  He gets a Paid Vacation anywhere in the World every Year that his Company provides for him, all expenses Paid.  Before Work every Morning they do an Exercise Class that also is for Emotional Well Being as well as Physical Benefits to the Workers.  They also have Universal Healthcare... the Government usually pays 70% or more, depending on Age and Income.   Anyone living there 3 Months or more gets Enrolled.  My Cousin has enjoyed excellent Health and Well Being and attributes it to the whole Environment and Work Experience there, he only comes back to America for Vacays and Visits, he'd never live here again.

Irrigation is coming 7:00 a.m. on Monday Morning and The Son will already be in Work so The Daughter and I will have to do it again, ugh.  At least at that Hour it will be Light and not in the Middle of the Night at some ungodly Hour like the last Two rotations we were assigned.  *Whew*  So, we can see what we're doing and the Water shouldn't be as Cold.   The Son also cleaned up the Irrigation Ditch and raked everything up in the Yard that was debris after he did the Yardwork this time.  The high temps have really parched the Grass even with Irrigation coming regularly for the Summer.  This time I won't oversleep either, like I did last time, which left The Daughter to do most of it alone coz she didn't have the Heart to wake me, so things weren't done very well and I had to let the Pump run past our rotation coz we hadn't taken on near enuf Water and would have potentially flooded Neighbors then downstream who got theirs later.  You have to take on all the Water you're assigned or you could flood other Properties with the excess they'll then get.  Plus, your Property needs that Water, especially your Trees.  

My Family are all settled down and relieved now to know I'm Okay, it was really Stressing them out and I couldn't alleviate that until I knew more after received Bad News about 2/3 of the Tests I'd had previously.  I'm glad it didn't take some Biopsy or Exploratory Surgery that would have sidelined me and been invasive with recovery time.  It's all the greatest Outcome I could have Hoped for and I'm so Grateful to have Good News for a change and not more Bad News or sketchy information that was vague and troubling.   And I'm so glad they can have relief from worrying about me, I didn't like that, makes my job as a Caregiver harder if they think I'm Unwell and things will fall apart.  Everyone becomes despondent and scared, emotional and more unstable becoz the sense of Security and Well Being is now compromised.  Nobody knows what will happen once I'm gone, I don't even know... so that Unknown is some scary stuff coz there's no Replacement or Volunteer to step up or step in and we all know it. 

Rusty's Sisters one very Young Female Cat, whose not even a Year Old, got out one day and got pregnant.  The Two Cats his Dad got for his Younger Sisters are both Females and both Inside Only Cats and under a Year Old.  The Sisters don't live in the Home full time coz the Parents have Shared Custody and they mostly live with Mom, so Rusty got stuck Caring for their Kittens. Princess T has helped him.  Well, one day as his Dad went to Work one slipped out as he exited, she came back, but had gotten knocked up.  So, she just had her Kittens, Five of them, the first Two born Alive, the Three were Stillborn she had after that.  Rusty will have to bury them and the Two are very small coz the Mama Cat is so Young and inexperienced.  She seems to be doing okay at Mothering them, but they look like Runts and Princess T is worried about their frailty and the Mama Cat's inexperience.  She found a Home already for one Kitten once it's weaned and old enuf to be Adopted by a Co-Worker.  Another Co-Worker wants the other one but is only 19 and lives at Home so has to get her Parent's permission.

Princess T said the ironic thing is that the Two Cats, the one that got out is the more mellow and obedient one, the feisty one never did get out.  The feisty one doesn't like her Sister Cat's new Kittens tho', so they have to keep her away from them coz she hisses at them and now isn't as close to her Sister as she was before that one became a Mama Cat.  Before the Sisters were very close, they had come from the same Litter.  Princess T showed me the Pix of the Kittens, both Black like Mama Cat... no idea who Baby Daddy Cat is, there's Three Possibilities of Cats in the area and of coarse Cats can have Kittens in one Litter by different Males Fathering them.   I asked her what the Three Outside Cats around there look like, one is Calico so we can dismiss that one Fathering them, Calicos are Female... but the White One and the Orange One are likely candidates, 50-50 on the White One being Male, and 80-20 that the Orange One is Male.   Also, Tortoise Color Coat Cats are almost always Female too and a rarer color.  Most of our Female Cats have been Calico, Tortoise, or Tonkinese Cats.

Our Tonkinese Cat, Jasmine, came to us as an Older Stray, Tonkinese are quite Rare, so we figure she must have belonged to someone, coz they can cost $600-$1,000.  She was missing Teeth and our Vet had said she was already a Senior Aged Cat when we got her, but she lived quite long after that, only dying after getting injured being hit by a Car.   She never wanted to be an Inside Only Cat with having come to us as a Stray and Older, it was hard to break her Life's Habits as a very Mature Senior Feline.  She was great with Kids and would Walk the G-Kid Force to the Bus Stop at the end of our Street at the Historic Home and then come back Home after they got on the Bus.   As she got Older she got slower, of coarse, and got hit while crossing the Street to get back on our side from the Bus Stop one day.  It was a slow Speed Limit but some folks drove fast down the very short Street, which wasn't heavily trafficked tho'.  I didn't even know what a Tonkinese Breed of Cat even was before we got Jasmine, she was a Beauty and already Spayed when we got her... evidence she had been Owned by someone.

We also ended up with a Stray Siamese Male Cat who was so Handsome, named Yul, he too was a great Cat with Kids, especially Princess T.  Yul was one of the few Fur Babies I had to have put to Sleep becoz he developed Feline Leukemia and would have spread it to our other Cats becoz it's highly contagious.  And, he never was an Inside Cat and didn't want to be Inside ever, nor was he litterbox trained.  All our Cats were typically Working Cats on our Acreage and lived Outside full time, except for Rat Boy who lived her whole Life Indoors and had never been Outside in her whole Life.   Eli is our only other Inside Only Cat becoz he too has never been Outside and doesn't want to be.  He's such a fraidy Cat he doesn't even like to be outside of Princess T's Bedroom!   He'll timidly venture out and then rush right back in, nervous the whole time he's out of their Room, which is his Sanctuary and his whole World and he's Okay with that apparently.   We have tried to make him feel comfortable and at ease outside of that Room, he's not having it and is a Happy Feline Recluse.  *Ha ha ha*

I do think Princess T is Sleeping the whole Day away, she really was feeling Sickly and Exhausted, Clearly!   It's almost 7:00 p.m. and she's been Asleep since this Morning after coming back from Urgent Care, before 9:00 a.m.!!!     I haven't Woke her coz clearly she needs this Down Time to recuperate and Feel Well enuf to return to Work with her Note from the Urgent Care showing it was legitimate.  Her Employer sent her Home, but I know they'll penalize her anyway, they've been Firing good people for much less, it makes no sense from a Corporate Standpoint to lose your best Workers over trifles.   Attendance is important, but when folks are legitimately Sick you shouldn't want that liability of making them feel obligated or afraid for their Jobs and come in Sick.  Had she passed out and fallen, gotten hurt, or been contagious, they risk making an Employee feel like they have to stay anyway for Fear of Termination.   She's been there Two Years now, is one of their Best Workers and they know doesn't abuse any of the Rules in place.  She's a very Rules Oriented Person, she used to make up MORE Rules for herself as a Child!!!  Not kidding!!!  *LOL* 

It's 8:00 p.m. now and I'm trying to stay up, I didn't get my Nap Today so I'm struggling to.  *LOL*  I have become like a Child with my Need for Naps and an earlier Bedtime now.  Oh, and as you can see in my Quest to Buy some Vintage Toys and reclaim some Childhood.  *Winks*  For some strange reason Vintage Toys are appealing to my Collector Gene right now.   I did get my Turquoise Grumblies Tremors Toy I bought off a Seller on E-Bay, that rounded out my Collection of them.  He was so quick Mailing it to me and it is in great condition and was very reasonably priced.   They just make me Smile with their goofy expressions, what they say and how they look like Colorful Cousin It's or Gonks.  In a previous Post I had profiled Pixs of them, now I have Four of the Line, I won't get the remaining few I don't have coz I don't particularly care for their expressions, like the Purple one Below.  I have the other Three and one not Pictured in that cribbed Advertisement.

I guess I'm just in my 2nd Childhood full on now?  *Bwahahaha*  And I don't Care, I'm enjoying my Toy Collectibles as much as any of the other shit ... ummmm, I mean, Precious Objects I've Collected and had Obsessions about.  And one day my Heirs will have to dispose of and wonder what the Hell did Gramma/Mom have this for?!  *Winks*  Actually Princess T won't say that coz she Collects her version of Toys she's infatuated with so she Gets It... and we have Fun showing each other what we just got and added to a Collection.  She's bought me some of mine, I've bought her some of hers.  Rusty really encourages it coz he's bought many of hers.  *Smiles*  And, apparently, for a Guy in his Mid-20's he's also got a Passion for certain Toy Collectibles like some of the more intricate LEGOs Kits and Model Cars.   So she's bought a lot of his for him too.  Sometimes it can be quite an Investment you can Profit from.    

When I do Sell off some of my Vintage Troll Collection, I get a huge Margin Profit from them.  I have some very Early and Rare ones, and some of the more Popular ones from various Eras.  I've Loved the Trolls Line since I was a Child.  They don't do anything and you never actually Played with them, but the Appeal has lasted thru many Generations of Kiddos and they're as Popular now as they ever were.   I still have a Collection of Liddle Kiddles and their Clubhouses.  Loved those when they came out and they're hard to Source now, but every so often I got Lucky and found some, even at Chazzas!!!   But, especially on E-Bay where you can find virtually anything.  Literally ANYTHING... I bought a Johnny West 1974 Princess Wildflower that was missing her Right Hand.  Got a Deal on her coz the Hand was Missing.  Went on E-Bay, typed in Right Hand for Princess Wildflower on their Auction Search Engine, they had one For Sale for under Five Bucks with Free Shipping!  Drops the Mic!  What are the Odds of something THAT Specific, I tell you!!!!!!!!!!!??? 

My Brother had the entire Johnny West Line and we played with it even tho' at the time I was Older.   But he always wanted me to Play with him and since he was Younger and we were so close, we had fun doing it long after we should have outgrown it.  We stayed Kids at Heart so long I doubt we ever outgrew anything actually.  I would Play stuff with my Kids and then the Grandkids I Raised, I didn't mind Playing with Toys with them at all actually.   We'd have such quality time together doing it and they remembered those times fondly and how we didn't make them grow up too fast if they wanted to linger longer in Childhood.   Growing Old is Mandatory, but Growing Up is entirely Optional as far as I'm concerned.   You can be Mature and still have Childlike Wonder and Youthful Joy for as long as you Live as far as I'm concerned.  Above is me and my Welsh Nanna, she would Play with us, do Pantomimes for us as Kids coz she had actually been a Stage Actress, Dancer and Singer before Television.   

My Nanna never Grew Up and I LOVED that about her, she would be Silly in Public just to make folks Smile or Laugh.  Her Favorite Life Tips were:  Better to make someone Laugh than Cry.  And don't let the Sun go down on your Anger.   So I've always made it a point to make someone Laugh rather than Cry... and to never end a day stuck in the Emotion of Anger.  It was Wise and Sage Advice I'm glad that my Nanna imparted to us... along with not bothering to Grow Up.  *Winks*  I am such a Big Old Kid, you have no Idea.  *Ha ha ha*   My Kids and Grandkids Love that I will do or say the Craziest things with no embarrassment or shame in the doing of it.  I will always splash thru a Puddle, I can't see a Puddle and NOT splash thru it!   And Princess T will always Laugh and always say the same thing when I do it, "Gramma, you're such a CHILD!"  *Smiles*  But, guess what, she'd rather hang out with her Childish Gramma than any of her Peers coz she said I'm MORE FUN!!!   So, there!  I am... FUN.  I will ensure you will have the MOST Fun you can have without getting Arrested.  *Winks*

And I have never, ever, had someone walk into my Homes and not say, this is the most Interesting and Unusual Home I've ever seen!!!  And they will walk around asking me about all of it.  And that's an excellent conversation starter, even for Hired Help that are coming to perform a Service, they always stick around after they're done and want to see more and ask about things, then talk about what they like.   I don't care what they FEEL, but they will FEEL something, and that's better than Feeling Nothing about what they're experiencing.   I think your Home should be a reflection of who you are and be surrounding you and your Loved Ones with what you Love and is Meaningful to you, useful to you, or brings you Joy.  Ours is always Evolving over Time.  My Homes have never looked the same or static, each has had a distinctive Look for the Home's Essence as well as my own.  To me each Property also has a Personality and Essence to it.   I connect to that and Decorate it accordingly.   I Adore the Weird and Wonderful, Oddities, and always wanted to Channel my Inner Morticia Addams. 

In fact, when I was Growing Up my Favorite Homes on TV were The Addams' Family Home on the Sitcom, and The Munster's Home in the Sitcom when it was still in Black and White.   I always told my Parents, my Homes will look like that when I'm Grown... and... often they really have and my Parents were not at all Surprised.  I was that Creepy little Kid that enjoyed the Macabre, what was very Different and Quirky or Eccentric openly, remaining Authentic to Self.  I didn't Dress like anyone else and I didn't Act like anyone else, regardless of what was Trending, I wasn't all that interested in Following anything or anyone.  I definitely never Conformed in anything I did or have ever done, and that wasn't so much on Purpose, as it is just Who I am at my Core of Being.   Princess T says that by Today's Definition I am very "Extra", but as a Compliment, not a Criticism, she Likes that I'm "Extra".   She said it's much more preferable than being a Copy & Paste "Basic" Bitch... of which there is a Dime a Dozen and so overdone.   She's more than a little "Extra" herself and always has been.   *Bwahahahaha*

I'm taking The Man out to Estrella Mountain Park and the Nature Preserve Today very early before the Heat sets in.  To get him out of the House and in Nature for a while and I'll do Environmental Cleanup after we have Breakfast Alfresco out there.  I've brought plenty of drinks to keep hydrated, I LOVE our new Icemaker in the new Fridge, makes thick Crescent Shaped Ice Cubes, up to 10 Pounds of them Daily.  And they last a long time in Drinks and in an Ice Chest with Drinks.   I'm contemplating what Breakfast to bring with us to eat while at the Park, the Budget is tight so it will be some Value Meal.  *LOL and Le Sigh*  I'm almost thinking of some "Cracker Barrel" To-Go tho', he likes their Breakfasts and they have a good selection of Breakfast Meals that are decent and not very spendy.  We still have 5 Days before we get our Social Security Deposited, so I'm using "Can Money" from Recycling to Fund anything "Extra" right now.

 

He is busy watching his Dual Survivalist Shows this Morning, with that Arrogant Asshole Character Joe being mean, arrogant and uppity with my Fav Hippie Matt, whose his Survivalist Partner this Episode.  He's very condescending and disrespectful to Matt, who is so Sweet, so Chill, and not a Mean Bone in his whole Body, he stays Kind even when Joe is being a complete Know It All Macho Acting Asshat.  I'd go to a Survivalist Thing with Matt the Hippie from Utah... or Cody, the Barefoot Hippie from Arizona, Nice Guys, with Personalities and Essence I'd Gel well with.  We'd be Fine and I'd Trust their Judgment and expertise at Surviving without undue risk.  But, that Joe... he wouldn't make it out Alive, I'd have to say some tragic accident befell Joe if he were my Survivalist Partner.  *Winks*  Yeah, coz I'm pretty sure I'd have to do away with him when he made me Snap on his Ass. *LOL*  

I'm waiting for that Episode where they Air Lift that pretentious Prick out for doing something really stupid and risky to Show Off.  *LOL*  The Man gets a kick out of how much I despise Joe... he knows how I am with Men like Joe, he'd be a notch on my Belt.  *Smiles*   The Man has met many a "Joe" and said Guys like that who brag a lot and boast of how Tough they are, usually are trying to overcompensate for their insecurities and what they AREN'T capable of, or THINK they know in their Arrogance and Ignorance.  The Man agrees with me, he's an actual Survivalist and Observing all the Guys they've had on this Show, tells me which ones are the most competent and not "Made For TV" Hyped Up as Master Survivalists.  Just like Donnie Two Dolls was Hyped Up as being a Successful Businessman and Deal Maker on cheesy Reality TV... a lot of TV Personas are Illusions and Hype that Watchers can fall for Believing is Real and Authentic.  It's meant as "Entertainment" and Scripted, not Reality at all.  

But, The Man still likes to be Entertained by these Shows and since he's no longer in a Survivalist Mode, he likes to muse about how he'd fare in the Situations they are put in.  He's been in Real Life Situations of Survival and Survived, where folks were actively trying to Kill him, so he said much of what they're doing is more the Stranded kind of Survival Imaginary Scenario being Played Out for TV.   He said in most Cases and Episodes, there are probably Locals in Villages nearby that have been Living 24-7 and 365 like that for Generations and "Surviving" just Fine.  *Smiles*   He relied on the Indigenous Tribes in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos when he was in Southeast Asia doing Force Recon.  He said the persecuted Minorities of Indigenous Peoples were Friendlies and helped a lot of American G.I.'s and Welcomed them to their Villages for Respite when they were deep In-Country in thick Jungle.  

He said the Indigenous were so stealthy they could have killed any one of the Americans any time they wanted to, no matter how Primitive they were.  Coz they could Braid a Hair Bracelet on you while you were Sleeping, as a "Protection" for you, and you'd just Wake Up with it on your Wrist and never know they'd been that close to you for that long!!!  So, if they'd wanted to kill you instead, they certainly could have, and never did.   He liked all the Tribal People of those Countries and my Dad said the same, he made many Friends of the Indigenous Tribal Cultures of Vietnam... who are Ethnic Minorities and Hill Tribes.  They liked my Dad for being a Tribal Indigenous Person himself and The Man had a Navajo Tracker, who made it out Alive with him even during their last "Suicide" Mission which the rest of his Team, sadly, did not.  That Haunts The Man to this day coz he was the Team Leader and they were never told it was a "Suicide" Mission none of them were expected to or probably intended to Survive.

They never got picked up like they were supposed to and to this day he's suspicious they were never meant to?  Nobody expected he and his Native American Tracker to make it out Alive and when they did... they had no more Missions, were sent back to the States and he couldn't leave the Continental U.S. for 10 Years or talk about what happened!   He said after that he finished out his 39 Years of Service, Loving his Country and Serving it, but not Trusting his Government one iota.  And that's how I've always felt and my Dad too, we Love our Country, but don't Trust our Government.  My Dad's People have never been able to Trust the American Government, Indigenous had many broken Treaties and the whole "Forked Tongue" of the White Man was not a Myth Historically.   Dad said if his Culture gave you their Word, it was Binding and had Honor behind it that was meaningful to whoever gave you their Word and would be Honored.  I try to Live by that Standard myself.  If I give you my Word, you not only can Trust it, but know I will Honor it.  You can't Trust a Thief or a Liar... and my Dad said the Land was Stolen and the Lies were abundantly told.   It continues to this day.

*******

Riding High on the Good News received... Dawn... The Bohemian

The Cabal Of Vulgarians

 I decided that while The Man is doing his Cardiac Rehab Today I'm taking the unpriced Pokemon Cards in with me to the Antique Mall and looking them up and pricing them while there to add to what's already in the Locked Case.  I have Priced Inventory I'm bringing in with me and will be putting Security Tags on, almost all T-Shirts and a Tote, I'm concentrating on what is Selling since Sales fell flat again this past Pay Period, after expenses I made 75 Cents, I kid you not... which is pitiful, but at least I didn't owe, a lot of Vendors said they owed the Mall, so they were seriously underwater for the Pay Period.  Sales flatlined in spite of Two Holidays during that Pay Period, Father's Day and the 4th of July 250th Celebration, but, The Mall didn't do anything Special for either, so, there ya go, missed Opportunity to Stimulate Trade on Holidays is adding to the problems there.

They had a LOT of move-outs too, I highly suspect people are either Closing Shop for the slow Summer Months, or, they're Renting from our new Competitors.  Since, another very large Antique Mall that opened on the Westside will be stiff competition for both Vendors and Customers and they are probably doing all kinds of things to attract both.  In the East Valley that Antique Mall does a lot of Trade Stimulating Events and it shows, they're busy every time I'm there but it's too far away to Rent Space at.   And their Booths are rather small, at the going Rate for Rents, you need square footage to make it remotely pay off overhead and expenses.  Having a Showroom helps us a lot, the Booths have very high turnover but the Showrooms don't, we usually fare better than Booths or Cases. 

 My Locked Case is paying for itself tho', can't complain for what I Sell out of there that needs the added Security of being Locked up.  Still, Summer is always rough, Tourists and Snowbirds leave the State when it's Hot.  If it were not for the World Cup they wouldn't even be here from other Countries.  Our International Visitors quit coming due to COVID and then due to this Regime and how this Prez has alienated the whole World and virtually destroyed our Reputation as a Nation.  I know that the International Community doesn't blame all Americans, all my International Readers, Friends and Family abroad know we're not all like him and not all MAGA Maniacs, but, still, they also now know how Unwelcome he's making our Visitors from other Countries and how they cannot Trust our Government under his Leadership.  He's been so insulting, ignorant, offensive and contentious, it's an embarrassment and a disgrace to decency. 

Anyway, so, right now Sales suck and so I'm trying to cram in there what is most likely to Sell with whoever does still Shop when it's 117 Degrees outside and the Economy is in the shitter?   I myself am broke now after I pay the Bills and Buy just the Essentials every Month.  So, if I don't have the discretionary income from our Sales there, then there is no discretionary income to spend.   Princess T will give me Money as I need it if the ends don't meet, so will The Son, but, they both are earning Minimum Wage with Part Time Hours and no Benefits... so they can only help out so much.  The Daughter never really Earns enuf to give me much, but she always does anytime she has her little side jobs.  The Grandson has zero income except anything Allen sends.  So he's spending most of the Summer in New Mexico he says.  So he won't be a financial drain until we get some Word from Social Security on whether he will Qualify to receive SSI and any Services or Benefits?

I did get The Man this Cap at our Antique Mall while there Today, he Collects Caps, this Commemorative 250th one was very Nice.  I'm sure many Families are also having to be careful with their Budgets, we're better off than most coz we have Earned Pensions and Social Security, and The Man has a Disability Pension for being a 100% Service Related Disabled Veteran.  But, Fixed Incomes are just that... Fixed... so if Inflation is rampant and we go into Recession or a Depression... ya gotta try to stretch Fixed further.   And I'm frugal and good at stretching a Buck, but, we have a Family of Six here to Support and no longer have a Paid Off Mortgage or Paid Off Vehicle like I was used to and had Planned to have thruout Retirement.  The best laid Plans of Mice and Men... ha ha ha... shot to shit... Life happens, Shit happens... whaddya gonna do?   I could use a Lottery Win, how about you?  *Winks*  No matter how Carefully you Prepare for anything, unforeseen Events can and often do still cause your endeavors to fail or go awry.  *Le Sigh and Shrugs*

Ah well, things could be worse, I've been in much worse Situations thruout Life.  I've been Homeless with a 6 Week Old Baby and a Four Year Old, with a Psycho Ex threatening to Kill us back then, while holding down a stressful Corporate Banking Career, running Five of their Departments in Collections, Foreclosures, Bankruptcies, Taxes, and Insurance, as well as doing Internal Audit, it was quite a Juggle.  I was living out of my Vehicle and Couch Surfing at various G.I. Friends who offered temporary Shelter and Protection.   I did get back on my Feet and by the time my Kiddos were 3 and 7, eventually met and Married The Man, who offered First Rate "Protection" due to his Military Skillset.  *Winks*  The Psycho Ex got sent up to Serve 27 Years in Maximum Security Prison and shot during a failed Robbery... which was less than a Block from the Bank I was an Assistant Vice President of!!! 

 Yeah, it made the Local News in Real Time and The Man called me at Work and asked, "Honey, what was the Name of your Ex Husband?  Coz I think he's making Major News right now that I'm watching on the TV, and is on the run from Police real near your Work, he got shot Robbing a place less than a Block away!!!  Took a Taxi to a Robbery, that's real full on Psycho!!!"   And yep, it was him, and I hadda live that down, coz... it was a Big Story at the time, made The News, Front Page of the Papers, Big Trial, the whole shebang.  And I cannot say I was the least bit Surprised coz he was a True Psychopath and I Divorced him due to how Dangerous and Violent he became, and he began Using and was an Alcoholic, so mixing that with being Psycho was seriously No Bueno.  He was Handsome, Charming, Intelligent, a Hard Worker and made excellent Money in the Trades, but, being Married to a True Psychopath just never Ends Well.  It became Unsafe to stay in the Relationship and once I Believe he had Harmed one of my Kids, The Daughter, I left him and got a Divorce before I wanted to Harm or Kill him.

 I mean, I'm a bit Psycho myself, and probably the only reason I'm still Alive actually... but I knew if I stayed Married to him, someone was getting Toe Tagged and it would have been Premeditated on my part, with no Remorse, just sayin'.  If it was gonna be me or him... it was definitely gonna be him.  *Winks*  And anyone who'd Hurt one of my Kids, is in my Crosshairs... Forever.  And I did Curse him... I think that stuck by what happened to him later.  The Daughter's Bio Father too.  Yes, I'm a vindictive Ex who Hexes.  *Winks*   So I still do Feel abundantly Blessed and Favored right now compared to then.  And The Man said he don't want no Hexes upon him.   Now, Honey, Why would I Hex you?   And he responds, well, I saw what happened to the ones you did... so... I ain't risking none of THAT!!!  You or your Mom!   He was very Nice with my Mom and she Respected that, even tho' they didn't get along, he knew she put heavy Hexes upon folk otherwise, which never Ended Well for the Cursed.  *LOL and Winks* 

 The Psycho Ex is still among the Living and paying 40 Years worth of back Child Support he owed me, so that was a big Surprise, may he now live Forever.  *Bwahahaha*  Coz it will take Forever for him to reimburse me the 18 Years worth Owed me... and he owes the State of Arizona even more for The Son's Mental Healthcare.  Coz I had good Insurance but they have Lifetime Caps on Mental Health Services they'll cover.  And you use those up quickly with any Special Needs Child and then the State covers Vulnerable Children via AHCCCS who have a condition with no Cure once no Insurance will Cover them.   Arizona does have a Law that every Child should have Healthcare, it's the one good thing they've done to ensure Children aren't among the Uninsured or turned away for lack of Insurance when they're Sick, Disabled, or Injured.  A Family with even One Special Needs Child could otherwise go Bankrupt easily from just the Medical Expenses.  I had several Special Needs Kiddos, so even Good Insurance had Lifetime Caps on how Deep In they'd go in the Expenses, especially with Mental Health Needs, or even Chronic Physically Disabling permanent Needs.

Anyway, so since 2025 I've been getting Back Owed Child Support Checks now for a Kid who turned 40... after receiving no Child Support Awarded me for the 18 Years he was a Child, which was ironic and hilarious, as well as unexpected.  I never got a Dime prior to this.  What I didn't know is if a Deadbeat Parent files for their Social Security, any Back Payments Owed for Child Support will be garnished from them out of their Social Security... Good.  Anyway, better late than never, Right?  *Bwahahaha*  And every little bit Helps... it's not much, I was Awarded a paltry amount of $100 a Month, like that would actually Help Raise a Child, even in the 80's and 90's, especially one with significant Special Needs.  They now reimburse me $108 a Month for the Back Payments never received.  Haven't figured out what the extra $8 is for?  *LMAO*

Of coarse I have a Funny Story about Social Services that isn't really Funny Ha-Ha, but fascinating.  When The G-Kid Force were really little, Princess T required expensive Specialty Formula due to her Gut Issues and Frail Health with significant Medical Problems.  I never received any compensation for being a Kinship Placement for either Child, you're considered a "Volunteer" Placement since you're Related to the Children so the State, even tho' they were Wards of the State of Arizona, would only cover their Medical and Mental Health, coz I had no Insurance after I had to take early Retirement and The Man's Insurance, would cover me, but wouldn't cover his Custodial Grandchildren, also, they're not biologically connected to him either and he wasn't allowed to Adopt them due to his extent of Disability.  So, becoz her Specialty Diet was costing me a small fortune I applied for WIC's Nutritional Assistance Program for the Kiddos.

They reviewed our Case and awarded me $203 a Month for The Young Prince in Nutritional Assistance.   And, wait for it, for a Second Child in my Care {Princess T who had the most Nutritional Assistance needed for her Specialty Medical Foods and Formula}, they awarded me $1.98 a Month.   I'm not fucking kidding!!!   That was the Formulary they used and calculated for a Two Child Kinship Placement by The State, coz you know, Feeding a 2nd Child, even one requiring Specialty Foods due to serious Medical Issues, should only cost you about Two Bucks a Month more apparently???!!!!!!!  *Enormous Eye Roll*  Needless to say I'd have to spend all of it on his Sister to afford her Specialty Formula and Foods, but, it was better than receiving Nothing.   I don't know how much Foster Families receive to Feed Foster Kids, or that it's on a seriously reduced sliding scale for each additional Child... but I'm assuming it's much more?   Princess T was 9 before she was off the Specialty Formula or out of Pull-Ups.   They can only remain on WIC until the Month of their 5th Birthday tho', then it stops.

Ah, those were the days.   So, with all the Cuts to all of those Programs, I don't know how much more fucked up and pared down or parsed out it is?  Probably way worse?   Yet, we apparently have plenty of Taxpayer Money to spend on Vanity Projects like Ballrooms, Arches, Reflecting Pool Fiascos, tackily Gilding Statuaries, and Gilding just about everything in the White House so it all looks gauche as fuck!   And a Budget for ICE that exceeds our whole Military Budget for National Defense.  But not Food or Life Saving Medicines or Cancer Treatments for Children, go figure!   *Shakes Head in disgust.*   And are they doing a "Weekend At Bernie's" regarding ole Turtle Face Mitch McConnell?  Do we even have Proof of Life at all?   Wonder if they'll do the same with Donnie Two Dolls?

You know, a lot of the Great Native American Leaders of the Past made Astute and Profound Observations about the Invading Culture.  I often get their Quotes on my Algorithm Feed coz my Native American Cousins Share a lot of Ancestral Tribal stuff with my Brother and I... so FB knows our Algorithm has a lot of Native stuff of Interest.  *Ha ha ha*  Anyway, this is another one I Liked:

When Jesus Christ came upon the Earth, you killed Him. The son of your own God. And only after He was dead did you worship Him and start killing those who would not. ~ Tecumseh

It is a very Astute Observation and why my Indian Grandmother stuck with her Tribal Spiritual Practices and never became a Christian.   Tecumseh was a Great Shawnee Chief & Warrior. {1768-1813}  And what he said wasn't Wrong, and probably was extremely confusing to Tribes as to what Christianity professed to be all about.  My Grandma felt the Missionaries didn't treat the Indigenous they tried to convert like Equals, or often even like Human Beings.  So she was not receptive but sent each of her Kids to a different Christian Church coz Food was scarce and they would Feed them if they listened to Sermons.  So each of my Relatives that Converted belongs to a different Denomination.  *LOL*  I do not Like nor have Time for Organized Religion.

The Man's Cardiac Rehab went very well.  I Priced about 2/3 of the Pokemon Cards while at the Antique Mall and looked each one up, what a chore, but one was worth $59 so ya gotta do it, I wouldn't have a Clue of Value otherwise.  I tidied the Showroom too and hung up all the newly Priced T-Shirts and Tote in there.  I talked to an Elderly Lady and her Middle Aged Daughter, first time at our Mall, they were having a Big Time and were a lovely Family.  They'd gone to Buck-ees that Morning and she said that was quite the Ordeal, they took some Pixs, said it was very loud, and now can say, Been There, Done That, won't go back.  *LOL*  She didn't understand folks losing their Minds about the place. But they Loved our Antique Mall and will come back, so that was good to hear.  The Old Lady had sat beside me while I was Pricing in the Back of the Mall, coz she was Tired by the time she got to the back and her Daughter had migrated to our Upstairs.  

We have an area set up for Vendors to do that in the Back Downstairs, so we can Price without obstructing Shoppers, but sometimes Customers will come sit and Chat, I don't mind.  She didn't have it in her to go Upstairs this visit.  Her Daughter took Pixs up there and sent them to her Mom's Phone.  *LOL*   It is a 55,000 sf Mall so a lot of folks can't do it in a Day and come back several times.   Some will spend Hours there tho', there's a lot to look at, so it's not something you can do in a Marathon Rush.   I was Pricing Pokemon and she saw that, I guess her Daughter is the Collector and they came all the way from Mesa in the East Valley.  Which is why they'd never been to our Location in the Far West Valley before, tho' they'd been to our Downtown Phoenix Location before and many other Antique Malls around the Valley.  Including the New One I haven't been to yet here in the West Valley and must get around to visiting.

I took The Man to Brunch after his Cardiac Rehab coz I knew he hadn't eaten, he's not a Breakfast Person so often skips that Meal of the day.  I LIVE for Breakfast or Brunch, I'd skip Dinner first.  *LOL*  Anyway, we hadn't been to "Kiss The Cook" in Downtown Glendale in ages, so I had a hankering for their Crepes and Gramma's Fried Potatoes.  So we went, saw a lot of New Development along the way, and a lot of Store Closures in Old Towne Historic Glendale.   I was disappointed in my Crepes, they must have a new Chef since last time we were there and they don't know how to make Crepes, the Batter used was too thick and tasted like Pancakes, not Crepes.  And I think they just made thin Pancakes and rolled them up actually?!  And the Side of Fruit had Browned Pineapple... and some of the Fried Potatoes were overcooked and hard as the Devil's Toenails... so I left the hard ones, they were inedible.   I ate most of the Meal tho', their Prices had increased significantly, so, it will be iffy now that I'd go back often.  I won't pay Premium prices for marginal Food. Photos were Nice and Editorial tho' and are Lead Images for this Post.

The Man enjoyed his Meal, he'd gotten the Corned Beef Hash Breakfast and I guess nothing was Wrong with his Meal coz he ate every bit of it without playing with it.  *LOL*  They do give you the best Complimentary little Muffins in Two Flavors that come with every Order.  And the Restaurant is Decorated with Antiques and is in a Historic Building in Olde Towne that has the Old Hardwood Original Floors.  At each Table they have mismatched Antique Diner Chairs, it's Kitschy in a Cute Yesteryear Nostalgic way.  And they give each Patron a Hershey's Kiss as you leave, hence the Name "Kiss The Cook".  It's been around Forever it seems, tho' it was Founded by a Family in 1982 that still Owns it.  

My Mom used to go there with her British Friend Esme' all of the time, coz they used to have the best British Style Scones and their Crepes do use Clotted Cream.  The Crepes used to be made European Style and were excellent, which is why it's a pity the New Cook they must have doesn't know how to make them Right, coz they were renown for their European Style Crepes and Bakery Items... and Hot Teas.  I Love their Orange Spice Hot Tea.  It only opens for Breakfast and Lunch.  I'm still trying to get my MRI Results from my Doc's Office.  They claim they called me 3 times on my Cellphone but there is no History of them doing that, Princess T checked.  They claimed they left Voice Mails, there are none.  I confirmed if they had the right phone number, they do, so I don't know whose pretending they called, but, they didn't. 

 I thought it was odd the results weren't in yet when the Mammogram Results were in 2 Weeks ago and I had both Tests done the same day.  And the MRI was more important due to the findings of the CT Scan and the Ultrasound both finding what they simply referred to as a "Mass".  So the MRI was to know more about what is was and if I should be concerned about it or not?   The Male Receptionist said he didn't have Authority to discuss the results with me, which is Fine, but I informed him that there had been no Calls or Voice Mails, tho' I've Called now Three times and got no Information yet, and it's been since Mid-June now I've been waiting.   And that my Family is getting Anxious about not knowing what's going on, coz, they certainly are and me telling them not to Worry isn't Helpful, coz they're still Freaking Out about it.   I'm staying Calm but I do wanna know what this "Mass" is they speak of?   I've had Bloodwork done too, so far nobody is telling me anything definitive.  And it's not like they've had a sense of Urgency either to contact me.  I still haven't gotten the Return Call they said they'd do Today.

Anyway, other than that everything is Swell.  *Bwahahahahaha*  Remember I talked of the Mad Tea Parties that Princess T and I always had when she was little?  Well, found a Blast From The Mad Tea Party Past while wading thru some Photo Archives of her with one of my Vintage Demitasse Diner Cups, which she Adored and preferred drinking her Tea out of coz they were Child sized.  I had mini Vintage Spoons too and she'd use those as well.  Sometimes we'd dress up and put on Silly Vintage Hats for the Tea Party and she'd bring her Fav Dolls and Plush Toys to sit around the Table with us, it was such Imaginative Fun to do with her.   Since she's wearing her Halloween Bat Top in the Pix I'm guessing this Photo was taken sometime in October and we were sitting under our Gazebo on the Acreage of the Historic Property we Owned at the time.  The new Owner hasn't taken that down, tho' a great portion of the Beautiful Old Rock Art and Adobe Wall has fallen down or been taken down and some Cheap Ass looking Wood Fence and Chain Link Fence put up in it's place surrounding the Property... Ugh!

It does make me Sad that he started our doing Preservation Work initially to have us Sell the Property to him and now is letting it get rundown and doing a hack job of Restoration, which really is more like remodeling with Modern shit that doesn't fit on a Historic Home, so looks out of place and a mish-mash.  I personally think he's divided the large Property up into Rental Units again, which happens to a lot of larger Historic Homes... for Investment Rental Income with no regards to Historic Preservation, it becomes kind of a Slum Lord scenario in Older Neighborhoods really.  I didn't want that or I could have Sold it for 3x the amount to an Investor/Developer in the first place.  So I do feel like he acted like he was a Preservationist and probably wasn't, but knew we wouldn't Sell it otherwise.  I'd of just kept it actually... and a part of me always wishes I just had.  All of my Family felt we should have kept it, but Vacant, we were having lots of problems with Trespassers, Vandals, Squatters.  It was becoming a hassle and I was Dealing with a lot at the time... and the City was terrible about doing anything to Prosecute Offenders.  We'd have them Arrested, Press Charges, they'd just let them go.

Here we have a better Police Presence even tho' it's in the same City... they just don't do much about Crime in the Older Parts and so Crime is higher where they aren't Serving and Protecting as well those Communities.   If you live in an area predominantly populated by Minorities and Immigrants, the Police act differently, they really do, and it's not Right.   And it's why you don't get proper Investing and Developing in those Communities becoz even Businesses know they'll be Targeted with higher Crime and the Police won't really do much, if anything, about it.   And becoz they don't Care as much about those Communities, is why the Crime escalates.  Same with this Government, nobody is stopping him or his Cabal of Vulgarians and so their Crimes have escalated and intensified coz there are no consequences and no Policing of any of it.   So, no deterrents.  And so Honest Public Servants are either being illegally Fired, Threatened, bogus Charges filed against them, or just Quitting in droves.  It's a complete Cluster Fuck going on.

The Young Prince did call me Today, to check in on me, he's worried sick about his Grandpa and I so has been having Panic Attacks about us.  And so now is waffling on whether to spend most of the Summer in New Mexico?  I guess the visit is working out Okay, he had one Hospitalization while there, which is why they didn't come back for the 4th of July, but says he's okay now.   His Skin was breaking out badly, it's probably his Nerves from Worrying about our Health, he gets really Bad Skin Infections when he breaks out from Emotional stuff and then itches, scratches it raw, ends up getting sores Infected.  He has a Picking Disorder where he constantly picks at his Skin and causes Wounds too. They gave him Meds for that and it Helps, so I'm wondering if some of them got Infected?  He has Ointments they gave him to put on where he has picked himself raw, but sometimes he forgets to apply it with consistency.  He does engage in Self-Harm sometimes so we have to watch closely that he's not doing that.  He'll often cut himself when the Pain and Torment on the Inside is too intense... he says it "Lets it out".  So, he's pretty scarred up from that too from healed lacerations which cause Raised Scars like intentional Scarification.

But on a Positive Note... Above is my Niece, in the Middle, with her Son {my Godson whose Birth I was her Coach at}, and her Son's Wife on the Left.   He's a Life Flight Helicopter Air Rescue Paramedic now.   She's an Attorney for the IRS, I don't know what her Son's Wife does, I've not met her, but the whole Family Love her.  They now all live in other States, the Niece in Florida, her Son and his Wife in Texas.  Her Younger Sister in Texas, a Younger Brother in Oklahoma, a Younger Brother in Texas.  She does come to visit us tho' and has made several trips here since we've bought this Property, her Younger Sister has too, but, none of their Brothers has.   Yes, she looks Young coz they were all Young Teen Moms.   She has Three other Younger Children that aren't Grown yet, they usually come with her on Visits.  She has Two more Sons and a Daughter.  None of her Kiddos look like her, they all look like their Fathers.  I didn't like any of their Fathers, all were no good Scoundrels, but the Kids turned out great so that's a relief.

 She's also helping to finish Raising one of her Younger Brother's Children, a Teen Daughter, that he Fathered by some Girlfriend... I don't know what happened to the Girl's Mother, but I know her Brother wasn't fit to Parent a Child, he's a Heroin Addict and has never been Clean as far as I know, which is Sad, I always Hoped he would eventually gain Sobriety and it would Hold, he never has.  He didn't even attend his Mother's recent Funeral.  Nobody in the Family knew where he was or if he's still among the Living???   I'm Proud of this Niece coz she put herself thru College by Working as a "Hooter's" Waitress and a "Corona Girl" at Clubs, and now she's an Attorney for the IRS, has a nice Home in Florida, and Raising her Family and her Brother's Child as a Single Parent.  She and The Daughter were very much the Wild Child Teens and got into a lot of Mischief and had their Kids way too Young by Men who were just Trouble.   This is a good Pix of her with the Daughter-in-Law, who she Adores, her Son found a Good Woman to Marry and he's turned out so well, his Mom put him thru College too.

Lots of the Northern Parts of the State, and surrounding States, are on Fire and I think it's delaying the Monsoon Season and changing the Weather Patterns due to the intense Heat of those Fires.  Many of them are barely contained.  It was 115 Today, a little Cooler than the 117 the day before, but, still Toasty enuf to just stay Inside and not venture out if you don't have to.  Those with frail Health, like The Man, are quite vulnerable to Extreme Heat Warnings in place, so I don't take him out unless he has an Appointment and try to schedule those as early in the Morning as we possibly can so we're Home before the heat of the day.  I put Water and Seed out for the Wild Birds early so they're not stressed out looking for either in the heat of the day.  If they're well fed and watered then they may just roost in Shady Trees during the harshest part of the day and not have to fly around looking for a meal or a water source.  

I found some Old Archived Pixs of the Rock and Adobe Art Wall that used to be around the entire Historic Property we Owned, over an Acre of this Wall.  These Pixs were taken when we Sold it, all the Walls were firm and fine, they had stood for over a Century, so I have to Believe something intentional was done to knock them down.  Adobe and Rock is very Strong, it doesn't come down easily unless a demolition or really bad accident happens.  And even if a Vehicle had hit them, it would have done far more damage to the Vehicle than to the Wall, coz it was about 14-16 inches thick and these Stones were very large and mostly Granite.  And so much of the Wall has been taken down now that I have to Believe it was done on Purpose and I don't understand why? 

  It protected the Property, matched the Architecture of the Home and gave it far more curb appeal than the flimsy ugly Wooden and Chain Link cheap Fencing now up, which won't Age well in this Climate {the Wood} and Chain Link offers no Privacy.  The Wall was mostly 5-6 Feet High and provided a lot of Privacy and Seclusion and a Sound Barrier from Street Noise.   I miss how it used to look, so much Handwork, the Stones used no Mortar and were fixed together like mortarless Stone Walls in Europe and South America, so Unique and Artistically done, around an entire Acre and even on the actual Home about halfway up the Main House.  I Loved this Property with my whole Heart and Soul, so hard to give it up, it was Paid Off and we would have had a very nice Retirement on our Pensions with not having a Mortgage and the lowest Tax Base it had due to being Grandfathered and a City Island Property with no Zoning Restrictions imposed coz it predated the City by Decades.  

  

The City wasn't incorporated until the late 1940's, this Home was built around 1920 or thereabout... perhaps earlier, Records didn't go that far back to say for sure.  When we did some Restoration we found Newspapers in the Walls from 1920... but some Artifacts from the 1800's, it was built of Salvage Materials at the Turn of the Century.  So, some parts of it's Structure were from Razed 1800's Buildings, the original Owner and Builder of it had been involved in Salvage, and a lot of other early Arizona Businesses, many Parks, Streets and such are Named after him Locally, he was quite influential in Arizona, Nevada and California, owning Mines, Properties and Businesses in all Three States in the 1800's and early 1900's.   By Researching him and finding Paperwork he and his Heir had Hoarded in the Outbuildings, I pieced together some of the History of the Property and their Lives.  The Nephew was the  Old Man I knew and went to Church with, who had Lived there all his Life, Owned it and was Single with no Children to Inherit it.  I would have liked my Heirs to have Inherited it... they would have Loved to. 

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Glancing back while moving forward... Dawn... The Bohemian