The Loss Of Another Dear Friend And Spot On Matriarchal Superstition Omens

 We won't start the Post with the Bad News that my Matriarchal Superstition Omen about a 3:00 a.m. Call right AT the Witching Hour, with nobody on the other end, indicating someone close to us Dying that Day, was fucking Spot On unfortunately.  All Day I was waiting for to know who had Crossed Over tho', or would be, and the Family knew it.  Hoping I was Wrong, but I hardly ever am about such things.  And, in my Gut, I kinda Knew Who too, so it was just a matter of Confirmation and Validation when it happened.  It's not like I WANTED to be Right again.  To me the Call was just her saying Good-Bye to me just Hours before her Soul Departed.  So, Fluff first:  So, the Granddaughter calls me real early to tell me a Yellow GUESS Purse was hitting the Sales Floor that she desperately wanted, could I Buy it for her?  She can't Buy anything until it's Three Days in Inventory, so I headed out and ended up getting some things too, plus her Purse. 

 They had some expensive Quality Beach Towels with great graphics for only $3.49 each and Today is Customer Appreciation Day so another 30% Off that low price.  I got Three of the Beach Towels, a Copper and Amethyst Crystal Chunk Necklace, a 1960's Metal and Enamel Mixing Bowl with Mushroom Graphics, a Pewter Cynthia Rowley Ice Bucket with Rhinestone Bling around the Rim that Online Retail Sells for $100 {I got it for $4}, a Bag Lot of beautiful fancy Ink Pens in Gold & Silver, some Art Stamps, and 5 Books which included Cookbooks and a Tie Dye Fabric Art Book.

And Below is my exact Mid-Century Enamel Metal Mixing Bowl, Online it Sold for $35 and I got it for $5.  Not long ago I got a Hull Cornucopia Shaped Art Vase for $4 there too, that I just Love, it's pictured below the Mushroom Mixing Bowl Pix.   I like some of the Hull and McCoy Vintage Art Pottery.   The Vase Online said it was from 1946 and had Sold for $90, I knew my $4 was a Steal coz I do know something about the Line.  Tho' Art Pottery Value has been all over the place, it's still worth Collecting if you Love it, Display it, and get some at a Bargain Price.  As for Resale of it, it's still iffy unless you Sell it Online and reach a broader Client Base of Serious Collectors of just about anything and everything. 

The pix Below is exactly the Ice or Wine Bucket I just Scored for Four Bucks, but this one Sold for $100 Online.  I Google stuff as I'm Shopping that catches my Eye to see what the Value might be if I'm unsure.  I have a "Good Eye" as they say in the Industry.  *LOL and Winks*  Her Yellow GUESS Purse is a Vintage one and Online I saw it at $217 and I got it for her at $3.  I think it's Ugly, coz it's a bright Yellow, but, she likes it, so, that's all that Counts.  Online it came in Beige too and the one exactly like hers pictured online was the Beige one rather than the Yellow {See Below}.  I don't Like either one, but it's not for me or all about me, and she really liked the Yellow and noticed the Quality.  She's got a "Good Eye" too, that Kid can spot the Good Stuff since when she was sitting in a Booster Seat and Scored me a $35,000 Persian Rug Curbside on Bulk Garbage Day while sitting Shotgun in her Booster Seat!  *LOL*

I didn't wanna spend much so close to "Before Payday", but, by Tomorrow when we do get Paid for May, all of it wouldn't have been there.  And I had a good time with the Retail Therapy, still Cheaper than Real Therapy and much more effective and therapeutic IMO. *Winks*  My House is cluttered right now and messy, it's Clean, but, we've really had some deferred Housekeeping lately.  And I'm the worst Offender when it comes to Clutter, in fact, I'm the only Offender, Truth be Told.  *Le Sigh and Shrugs*  I try to do better and for a time I do.  The Kiddos say if it keeps me Sane and able to Function at the High Level I do to be in Charge of this Shitshow, it's Fine, don't risk trying NOT to do it then.  *Bwahahahaha*  They could be Right?  If I had a Non-Cluttered existence and quit the habitual Clutter tendency, perhaps I'd go Insane, we just don't know?  And we don't wanna find out either.  *LMAO*

My Inquiring Mind wanted to know, so I Googled why some of us are prone to Clutter and here's what I got:  People are prone to Clutter due to a combination of Emotional, Cognitive, and Lifestyle Factors, including Mental Health Challenges like Depression, ADHD, High Stress, Perfectionism, and Deep Sentimental Attachments to Items.  Procrastination due to Decision Fatigue, Lack of Organizational Systems, and Growing Up in a Cluttered Environment also contribute.  Well, except for that last part, since I didn't Grow Up like that at all, My Mom kept a spotless uncluttered Home even tho' my Parents were avid Collectors and our Home was always Tasteful and filled with The Good Stuff from their World Travels, all the rest of the Symptoms that cause it are Spot On. 

So, bottom line is, I'd be a Poster Child for Why you're Prone to Clutter then.  I had 10 of the 11 Reasons.  *Smiles*  There were other Reasons they expanded upon, like it buffering the effects of Trauma, had a LOT of that over a Lifetime... or Isolation/Loneliness, which Full Time Unpaid Caregiving of Loved Ones definitely Creates... but I quit Counting at 10 that I definitely had.  Pretty sure I could have kept Counting.  *LOL*  But, it wasn't really a Contest of how much of the Reasons I do it, as just Understanding Why I probably do it and find the Habit of it difficult to quit entirely for a sustained period of Time.  I can do it for perhaps a Fortnite before I fall back into Bad Habits and slowly it piles up again.  The Daughter helps me with it, so does The Young Prince, but, they know it will be temporary and I won't be Healed or Cured.  *Le Sigh but Smiles all around... since, Yeah, this is as Good as it Gets!*

And they personally Feel that since I take Care of everyone and always have, with a Lifelong Vida Loca, without losing my Mind completely, well, it's a small thing to be my Coping... or Not Coping... Mechanism, to Fall Back into or upon.  And they think I could have had much worse Coping Mechanisms actually, which is True... I don't Self-Medicate with Alcohol, illegal Drugs, or any reliance on any Prescription Meds except for the Type II Diabetes.  The few times I've had Professional Therapists/Shrinks even have me tell them a SMALL fraction of what I'm trying to Cope with On The Daily, and have been for just about Sixty Plus Years now, closing in on Seventy Years, with no real Breaks... they said I've Coped remarkably Well.  These are my Monkeys and this is my Three Ring Shitshow to be Ringmaster of.

I don't think the Pros in Mental Health could Handle Hearing it all, so I just gave them the Sampling of some Highlights.  *LMAO*  Which was more than enuf for them to Process Professionally and already think was Too Much I'd been thru or Dealing with still.  *Bwahahaha*  If I'd dumped the whole Bale on any of 'em, I could tell it would have been a very thick Case File and way too much Therapy/Sessions needed that would eat up the rest of my Lifetime and not really be Helpful.  *Bwahahahaha*  So, there, Professionally speaking they think I should have gone Off Rails or Offline Completely Long, Long Ago, given just the Highlights, and I didn't.  So, I try to just extend myself some Grace about what pesky Coping Mechanisms I've developed to stay relatively Sane and Alive considering the WHOLE Back Story.  Which is a Crazy One, you can't make that shit up.  *Ha ha ha*

It does make for some Good Blog Fodder tho', I ain't gonna Lie.  Coz until I got a Blog, I never told hardly any of this shit to anyone.  *Bwahahahaa*   You all have Handled the Telling of it better than I thought most Dear Readers would, which was Very Nice.  *LOL and Winks*  And it's been very therapeutic to dump here and just release into the Universal Ether of Cyberspace.  Then just Purge the Posts regularly and Delete them after they've been up a little while.  I'm not Attached to anything I've Blogged, it's no Legacy I'm Planning on Leaving Behind.  The only ones that will stay up indefinitely will be the ones Written just before I Drop Dead and thus will never get Purged when I go Offline from this Mortal Realm Forever.  I don't know if my Family will give Closure here or not, they don't Blog, they don't Read Blogs.

The Man is watching some Marathon "American Pickers" Episodes, they're doing some Old Ones when Mike and Frank were still doing it together and long before Frank Died.  I think I've probably watched every Episode ever made, but I do like to watch Old Reruns coz most of them I long forgot about and still therefore Enjoy.  Just like the very Old Episodes of "Roseanne" that I watch all the time.  I got so Invested in the Characters of the few Shows I ever have watched regularly.  I particularly liked all the Characters on "Roseanne", you'd want Friends like them and their Friends, coz they were more Authentically portrayed than most Sitcoms, IMO.   I'm not big on TV watching.  I didn't even own a TV of my own until after I Married The Man.  

I had a small Black & White for the Kids to watch their Cartoons on, that's all, and they weren't big on TV and still are not either.  The Man LIVES for his Shows and watches way too much TV in our Opinions.  The G-Kid Force never watch TV.  Princess T has one in her Room and keeps it on Marathon "Sponge Bob Square Pants" Cartoon as entertainment for her Cat, Eli, who Loves to watch TV and that Cartoon in particular, and for just Background Noise for herself, she's not watching it herself.  The Daughter and her Son don't have a TV they watch, tho' she has a nice one in the 5th Wheel that came with it, and he has one he brought from New Mexico and never watches.  The Son has a TV and is a Gamer, it's usually what he's doing with his TV.

As of Today we've been having Phone Harassment from The Daughter's Ex-Boyfriend, Mando, whose acting completely unraveled and unsafe.  We told him not to call here again, so if he persists or continues Stalking Behavior, I'll involve the Police.  The Daughter is feeling very unsafe and Paranoid becoz of him persisting and indulging in Stalker Behaviors.  She doesn't want to bring any dangers to the Family becoz of someone she was in a Relationship with.  So, she's been staying a lot at Friend's Homes that he doesn't know or have contact with.  If I see him anywhere in this Neighborhood, nobody around here is a Friend of his so he shouldn't be creeping around here.  

  He's been calling from all kinds of different Numbers all Morning, but we recognize his Voice, even tho' he refuses to Identify himself.  He has left Voicemails, so we do have Proof of the harassment and how many incessant Calls have been coming in during a Single Day with the same Voice from each Number.   I think he's unhinged and has Anger Management Issues.  I also was told by our Neighbors Cousin, that he didn't feel Safe around him becoz he owns a Gun, he's a Convicted Felon, so, for that alone he would be in violation.  I don't know where he got a Gun, but an unhinged Person with a Weapon whose acting erratic and deranged, plus, knows he's Dying, is something I feel is potentially a dangerous situation and I will convey that to Police.

  

I don't Need his shit being one more thing, since The Grandson's unhinged Ex is problematic right now too and threatening to show up.  Far too many Crazy Folk to contend with and so if I can make Trouble for them to keep them away from our Family, I certainly will, and then they can contend with all of that.   Other than that, everything is Swell.  *Eye Roll*  I did some Environmental Cleanup and filled up another Bag with Aluminum Cans and Scored 22 Packets of Spicy Shrimp Top Ramen still in their Retail Case left at the Park.  I asked the Homeless folks if it was theirs, they said No, Park Rangers say they have to throw it away if nobody takes it, which would be a Waste, and it was near Noon when they will be removing Trash and anything left behind, so I brought it Home.  The Food Banks often leave such things for anyone to take and we could use it, I just don't want it thrown away and wasted.  I got a lot of Mouths to Feed here who aren't getting Nutritional Assistance Benefits.

I made some Chicken Pho Ga Vietnamese Packet Ramen for The Man and I, and to use up the scraps of the Rotisserie Chicken we had left from Yesterday.  It was delicious.  We eat a lot of the Ramen Soups, Princess T practically Lives on them.  *LOL*  The ones Sold at the Asian Grocers are the Best, just like what you'd get ordering at a good Vietnamese Restaurant.  You can add in what your Family likes in the way of Fresh or Canned/Frozen Veggies, Fresh Herbs I grow, and any Meat Scraps so none are Wasted.   The Man enjoyed a nice Asian Chicken Soup coz he hasn't been Feeling great again, so Chicken Soup is always a good standby when you aren't Feeling 100%, great Comfort Food when you're Sick or chronically Unwell.

We did have the incessant whacko Calls from Mando stop when I finally picked up one, Lost my Calm and sounded like Lucifer himself telling him Never to call this Number again.  The Visceral Anger, okay it was Pure unrestrained Rage, in my Tone, even unsettled The Man.  He was like, Holy Shit Honey, you sounded Demonically Possessed right then!  *Bwahahahaha*  But, the Calls stopped, it had been really causing The Man too much Anxiety for the Phone to keep ringing off the Hook constantly for several Hours this Morning with this Nonsense.  He agitates easily and the Phone disrupting his Programs coz it's blowing up with the same Person calling over and over and over, who shouldn't even be calling that Number in the first place, was Triggering to him.  It's our Landline Phone Number, not our Daughter's Number.

But, The Son said his Sister broke down Yesterday while helping him do Yardwork coz her Phone was blowing up incessantly and it was Triggering to her Mentally too.  He asked who the Hell was harassing her like that and she finally told him what's been going on and she can't take it anymore.  It's Feeling Unsafe, it's Feeling completely Crazy and Unhinged... and tho' she's Seriously Mentally Ill, even she has never done that to someone, no matter how unraveled she has ever been.  The Fixation is very Creepy.  I'm thinking he got Locked Up for 13 Years for way more than he ever has acknowledged even to himself, frankly.  Very few folks are Locked Up that long for Nothing.   

A Jury felt it was for something, a Judge felt the Sentence was suitable.  He got released before his whole Sentence, but my Gut instinct is, he wasn't an Innocent Man by any means.  His Behavior I've Witnessed in a brief time makes me feel he has gone off the Deep End and Violently, before.   Anyway, my Niece called, the had to quit the new Job, it wasn't working out.  What they told her they'd hired her to do wasn't the actual job they had her doing and it was just a mess.  They'd gone thru half a Dozen other people in that position in short order before her, and now she knows why.  So, they'd been deceptive, some of the previous people who rotated in and out had sabotaged some of the Programs.  They felt they got burnt so they burned the Company on the way out.   

 

It's a Family Owned Biz and she said they weren't treating anyone Right and that has backlash if you burn thru good people, you just end up with less Qualified folks.  She is a typical Millennial tho', "Yeah, No" and they just Quit, without having another Job already lined up, they just walk off and never come back.  Now after only 3 Months she's Unemployed again.  But, I didn't weigh in on that, I'm from a different Generation and the Millennials are how they are when it comes to Work.  She's quite Brilliant at I.T. Work and has a Genius I.Q., so she can Automate a lot of what would take others Weeks to do and get it done in 8 Hours.  So, often she Works herself right out of Full Time Work by successfully shortcutting Procedure with Automation she Developed, to where it's no longer necessary to have someone there now Full Time.  She didn't seem to understand if you whiz thru the Work coz you're TOO efficient, they won't wanna Pay you to then sit around for Six Hours if it only took you Two to finish!!!  *Eye Roll*

You've Automated yourself right out of a Job.  Which, yeah, saves the Employer a Half Million Bucks in some Cases, but now, they don't Need you, Problem Solved, less Employees needed.   She is now Developing some AI in Classes she's taking for AI, and she knows the downside to it, but, for someone like her she sees the opportunity and excitement in the Development of it.  Companies will want AI Gurus for sure, but, again, it will put a lot of People out of Work, just like Automation has done.  Double Edged Sword that Companies will Save Money on and Profit off of more, but at the expense of People having Jobs.  Anyway, other than talking about Work, we had a nice conversation otherwise updating one another on what's going on.  She doesn't seem upset she no longer has the Job, she didn't like it, or the Company.  So, she was unhappy there and feeling undervalued, uncompensated and unappreciated.

Okay, now for the Heavy Topic of the Post Title:  Remember my Phone ringing at 3:00 a.m. The Witching Hour this Morning?  I think I put that in my previous Post that hasn't Published yet either, I'm Two ahead now.  But, when that happens and nobody is on the other End it always makes me immediately think, is someone going to Die Today?  It's a Superstition my Mom had, that if you get a Phone Call at exactly 3:00 a.m. or a knock on the Door at exactly 3:00 a.m. but nobody is on the other end of the Line or the Door, it means someone is Crossing Over that Day, and that's The Sign you will get to know it will be the Day.  If you're not Superstitious or weren't Raised with Superstitions you probably think that's all bullshit.  I don't.  So, all Day I had been expecting to hear that someone I know has Died.  Well, it's 6:58 p.m. and The Niece in Texas {no actual Biological connection, she's a Best Friend's Youngest Daughter}, just informed me that 5 Hours ago her Mom Died.

My Bestie is like a Sister to me, our Families are like Family to each other and have been for about 30+ Years.  We share so much History and so many Stories.  Four of her Five Kids are like Nieces and Nephews to me and like Cousins to our Kids, I didn't know her Oldest Daughter, who never lived in Arizona.  My Friend developed Stage 4 Cancer and had been told she had until March or April, they couldn't do any more for her.  She went thru all the Treatments, lost her Hair, but Rocked the Bald Look coz she's a Beautiful Woman, and was in Home Hospice at her Youngest Daughter's Home in Texas.   We've talked extensively about Extreme Caregiving since Alex began Extreme Caregiving for her Mom.

I feel numb Emotionally, the Emotions spent some time ago about it when we were first told her prognosis was so grim.  But expected this to be a Final Good-Bye last time I'd talked to her a few Weeks ago.  She was at Peace with Dying, knew she was Dying.  The Caregiving was Extreme and too much for her Daughter, so, it has now Released them both.  No more Suffering, no more Pain.  I wouldn't have wanted her to endure more.   We were always there for each other thru the Years and many Tears and Crisis.  I only Wish they had still lived close so I could have been there for her in recent times as she battled the Fight for her Life with Cancer.  R.I.P. Kathie, Love You and will Miss you always.  Have been Losing so many Friends recently, it's never easy even when expected.  The Docs had told her she wouldn't last beyond March or April, so, she held out 'til the very last Day of that Deadline, April 30th.  {In Real Time, this won't Publish for a couple Days.}

We had a lot of Crazy Times together, good Crazy times and the worst Crazy times over the Years of our Decades long Friendship, which lasted close to 40 Years and we remained Close and Tight thru all of it.   She Raised her Oldest Grandchild for the first 8 Years of his Life and then the last 10 Years he went to live with his Mom, one of her Three Daughters, and the 2nd Oldest.  I remember Kathie joking with me about Raising both of The G-Kid Force by saying, "Hey, are those the Grandkids you said you were never Raising Dawn?  Got double for your trouble, didn't ya my Friend?"  *LOL*  She had Dark Humor like that, busting your Chops especially for the things you said, in ignorance or arrogance, that you'd NEVER do. *Smiles*  Ya just gotta keep on Living...   You never REALLY know what Life will hand you to do that you thought you'd NEVER do in Life.

When I got my Hysterectomy she'd had a similar Pre-Cancerous Biopsy too and I told her, get it done as well.  She wouldn't, and didn't, coz she was fearful it would make her gain more Weight too, as it usually does, and she was already a Big Woman.  I had been Skinny before mine and gained 60 lbs., she was overweight and always Dieting, so she was wary to risk that much gain herself.   And tragically, that turned out to be a Mistake and a Bad Decision, coz it did turn into Cancer and by the time she realized it had, it was already at Stage 4 and Treatments failed coz it had spread too much and was everywhere now.   In hindsight she lamented that she should have listened to me when I pressed her to get the Hysterectomy and perhaps this all could have been avoided?   I'm a Fatalist, so, mebbe not?  Our Time is just when it is.

I Hope she's Greeted by all her Loved Ones and all mine who Passed before her.  Mom and Kathie always got along quite well.   And my Dad felt she was like another Daughter to him.  When he was close to the End of Life, we both came over regularly to ensure he could stay at Home and live Independently for as long as possible, before he finally had to be Hospitalized and then go to Hospice.  Kathie Cared for him like she had her own Dad when he was Dying, and not many Friends would be All In like that with you as your Parent is deteriorating and Dying.  It was a lot of Work and she would do whatever it took, no matter how unpleasant, right along with me as if it was her Parent.  That's the kind of Ride or Die Friend she always was.  The kind you could call at 3:00 in the Morning with a Major Crisis and she'd be there immediately.  She always told me I was the only person she'd ever met who was Crazier than her.  And she meant that in only a Good and the Best Way.  *Smiles*

It is with a heavy Heart to Lose such a Treasure, you might only ever get a Handful of People in Life who you remain that Close to and keep in your Inner Circle.  Watch each other's Kids grow up and Grandkids grow... only One of her Grands is an Adult, the rest are still quite Young so they didn't get as many Years with her as the one she had first.  I attended his Birth as Coach coz she tricked me and told me to Deliver some Chinese Food at the Hospital.  And when I arrived with the Food she had me help Deliver her First Grandchild instead coz she said, "I can't do it..."    And so her Daughter, who is The Daughter's Bestie too, was okay with Aunt Dawn stepping in and being her Birth Coach when her Oldest Son was Born.   He's in his late 20's now, they grow up so fast. 

This Old Pix is of me with my Welsh Nanna when she came for visits to Arizona.   Having 3 Generations together was Special, tho' she Lived to be a Great-Grandma, she never could come to America to see my Kiddos coz she was too Old by then to Fly and get Insurance.  I Wish my Kids and my Grandkids could have known her tho'.   Princess T didn't even get to know my Dad, he passed the Year before she was Born.   LATER: Brand New Day, I decided rather than Grieve the Loss of yet another Friend with any more Tears, I'd feel Celebratory of her Life and all the Good Times we had for almost 40 Years of being like Sisters from Other Mothers.  I feel that when your Quality of Life is Gone, it's Time to Go and most of us won't wanna linger Holding that diminished Space of Suffering.  I wouldn't want to, I wouldn't expect anyone to want to.

I bought The Daughter some fake Hair at SAVERS that you just add to a Ponytail, it was just $1.99 but matched her own Hair Color and Texture exactly.  She brushed it out, washed it, put it on and it looks amazing and makes her look Younger.  She used to have thicker Hair, before Drugs, Food Insecurities for over Twenty Years and Peri-Menopause took it's Toll.  She had more Hair loss than me and I've had it pretty Bad due to Aging and Health Related Issues with the Meds Diabetes requires.  It's why I got Dreadlocks and that's helped retain some thickness, but I'm still Balding on Top like I'm turning into a Man with my Female Hormones cratering.  I even feel as aggressive as a Man, I swear, now I know why they're pissed off all the time.  *LOL*

My Fav Photo of Geronimo, to me, one of the Greatest and Wisest Warriors for his People that ever Lived. I liked his Funky Style in this Photo of melding Traditional Wardrobe with what was imposed upon his People by the Invaders who took over all Tribal Lands as if they Discovered something that someone else had already had for Centuries and thus presumed Ownership of it.  I always equate that for Today's perspective of me walking into a Parking Lot and Discovering your Car and presuming Ownership of it now.  My Dad never could wrap his Mind around the Concept of Humans "Owning" any of The Earth and considering it Personal Property.  

I did FINALLY convince him to Own some Property when he was quite Old, but he never felt comfortable about it.  The Earth to him belongs to no-one and is Free to every Living Thing to Exist upon... we're each Generation just to take Care of it for Seven Generations into the Future.  Even Materialism meant nothing to him and rather than use Money he'd much rather work out a mutual Trade with you instead.  If he had Two of something and you had none of it, he'd just give you the other one.  And he felt your Footprint on this Earth should be minimal and in Tune with all of Nature.  I took so many of those Teachings to Heart and so he had no problem with me being a Hippie of my Generation.  He felt many of the Young Hippies had the right Ideology in their own fashion of exhibiting it against the Establishment, but he knew their drugging would undo the Movement.  He wasn't Wrong.

 

This is a Pix of Eli the Cat when he's Pissed Off at his Human, his Facial Expressions speak 1,000 Words I tell ya!  He cracks me up.  He has fucked up those Satin Sheets of hers when he's Mad at her.  *LMAO*  My Kiddos {Son and Daughter} are doing my Yardwork in preparation for Irrigation coming on Monday.  Now The Son gets Text Notifications of when it's coming so I don't have to try to keep calling to ask now that I don't have E-Mail, which is how they used to send it to me for our Rotation Schedule.  We'll be getting Irrigation more often now it's Spring, then Weekly when it's Summer.  Tapering off during Fall and Suspended during Winter.  The Rotation will be coming at Four in the Morning tho', Ugh... Hate those Crazy Hour Rotations Assigned by SRP. 

I did some Environmental Cleanup this Morning, light on finding Aluminum Cans but Scored the Kids a Basketball.  Then I went to the "Dollar Tree" and got 4-Pacs of bottled ICB Cream Soda for The Man for only $1.25 a 4-Pac!!!  So, I bought all of them they had, Six 4-Pacs for him.   I also got a slew of Frozen Jumbo Burritos in different Flavor Fillings for only $1.25 each and some "Michelina's" Frozen mini Dinners for $1.25 each too, we Love their Salisbury Steak with Potatoes.  Sometimes you can get the mini Dinners for Ninety-Nine Cents still at some Grocery Stores... so the Dollar Stores now sometimes charge more than just a Buck for everything, up to $1.50 each now in most Dollar Stores.   I got 18 different Flavors of Popsicles for $3 a Bag of them.  

I'm trying to stretch our Grocery Budget more, coz now that Gas in Arizona is almost at $6 a Gallon for Regular, way above what most of the U.S. is paying, since ya'll are just barely over $4, you might be forced to choose between Gas or your Groceries and Medications.  It's costing me almost $100 a fill-up and Phoenix Metro is a big City over 200 Miles Across in every direction and Urban Traffic all the time.   So, you might need to fill up Twice a Week if you Work or have a lot of Appointments and don't live close to everything you might need.  The Walk Score in most of Metro Phoenix is not good, and our Weather is too Hot to Walk Far, so you must Drive.  Our Public Transit sucks too and isn't Safe, too many Bus Pirates being Stick-Up Artists.

And I'm a Foodie and I've been Hungry before, never wanna revisit that situation of having Food Insecurities, so, I do Stock the Pantry and Budget for Eating Out.  I'll work my Hustle to ensure we got enuf Food and can indulge in at least nice Meals.  But with Gas so high and going higher almost Daily with no End in Sight, well, it's putting the Screws to everyone, isn't it?  Transporting Goods is costing more so everything will cost more.  They Deported most of the Migrant Workers and those doing the Jobs Americans were no longer doing... since this vile Administration doesn't realize America was Built on the Backs of waves of Immigrant Labor doing the hard work, so that's gonna cost everyone more as well.  You ain't gonna get your Snowflakes out there in the Fields or in the Meat Processing Industries doing those Jobs.

Anyway, I did good at the Dollar Store and picked up much of what we Needed, on The Cheap.  The Son cooked a nice Breakfast for us when I got back, The Young Prince's BFF Sayde joined us coz she's here this Morning with him.  The Kiddos finished my Yardwork so the Property looks fabulous and manicured... like I got Landscaper Service.  *Winks*  The Son used to work for a Major Commercial Landscaper when he was Younger, so he knows how to do it like the Big Major Resorts have it done.  And, since he's my Spawn, he's Working for me for Free, so, that's the Right Price.  *Winks*   His Sister helped him this time, she knows how to do Landscaping good too... it's a big Property for just One Person to do.  Even the Professionals would send in a Team for a Property of this Size, which is just over an Acre.  In Metro Phoenix, that's a Big Lot tho' and a lot of Private Green Space.

I had Brad, the Hot Pool Guy Owner, whose in his 30's, do the Pool Pump Repairs for Free, so that this one, looking all Cute like this when she came out to tell him she'd cover the Cost for her Gramma, didn't have to pay a damn thing.  *Winks*   Yeah, she knew what I was doing when I said, "Hey, I know you said you'd cover it for me Darlin', and I told him you were, but, could you come out here and Negotiate that with Brad, asking him what it will Cost ya, lookin' all Cute... which is the BEST Negotiation Tactic with any Man... EVER."  *Wink Wink*  Next thing we knew, The Daughter was waltzing in saying Brad said he would try to Fix it at No Cost and see if that Works, so that my Daughter doesn't Owe him anything, Mom.  And... I KNOW what you did, Mom... you're goin' to Hell!  *Bwahahahaha and she Winks... coz it's a Tried and True Tactic passed down from Generation to Generation.  That my Nanna and Mom Taught me.  Smiles.*

Sheeyit, when I was Young and Hawt I could get shit done for Free too and don't think my Nanna and Mom didn't use that to their Advantages.  And the same when our Daughters were Young and Hawt.  And now our Granddaughters are... so the Tradition continues.   Me Below when I was 17, with one of my Paternal Native American Aunts from Oklahoma who was visiting Arizona to see my Dad.   That was back when Hot Pants was a Fashion and I'd just come from Europe, which was way more Liberal about Fashion, and Fashion Forward than America {always has been}. And my Folks would tell me to put on my Hot Pants and Tube Top, with my Honey Brown Skin that looked like a Good Tan Year Round and was Flawless at that Age, and we'd go Negotiate us some Deals my Friends.   Words were never really Necessary.  Just Eye Contact and a Smile... *Bwahahahahahahaha*  An Old Lady just can't pull that off... so... I Need the Heirs to now... *LMAO*

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Hey, I didn't invent the Patriarchy and how they just are... Winks... Dawn... The Bohemian

A Tale Of Two Lives... And Maternal Family Superstitions

 

We went to a new place, The Son, The Daughter and I, called "TORTAS PAQUIME", it was good Mexican Street Food on The Cheap.  Each Taco Order came with Four Street Sized Tacos, Above was the El Pastor and Below was the Carne Asada.   I also had the Mexican Street Corn and an Horchata, which was very creamy and delish, everything tasted as good as it looked and a fraction of the cost of most places, we'll definitely go again.   Us Three ate there and took the rest Home to Share with The Man and The Young Prince.  I'd called in to Work before Noon, to say The Man was too Sickly for me to Work Tonight, which, he is. 

Steven, our Manager, when he set up all these Shifts for me to fill-in for, knew it was subject to change without much Notice depending on how my Husband was doing after the Heart Attack and Surgical Recovery from it.  Everyone knows my Situation at Home means I give Family the Priority and there's a lot going on at any given time.  Which is precisely why I won't obligate myself to take on a permanent Shift anymore actually.  I can't make commitments like that right now.  But they appreciate that I often fill-in when they can't get anyone else on short Notice too.  I don't live far away and can take on a random Shift called in Sick or just doesn't show up.

The Man is less Anxious knowing I called in and cancelled filling-in, he wasn't wanting me to go and I knew it.  When he's really feeling bad he knows I'm the only Driver and doesn't want me gone so that if there was a Medical Emergency, we'd have to rely on Paramedics, the Fire Dept. or an Ambulance.  That would also mean going to the nearest Hospital within sight of our Home which isn't the best ER, we go to the one a little further away which Specializes in Heart Attacks and Strokes, has an excellent ER and isn't packed with as many Street Folk or Folk from Da Hood.  At most Urban Hospitals it can be a Walking Human Sideshow in the ERs and even a little scary Dangerous.

Here's an Oldie but Goldie of when I first got my Dreadlocks and how Micro-Dreads and Short they were, about the size of pieces of Yarn.  That was Eight Years ago, and some are down to my Ass now and thick as Cigars.   Plus, now I don't have 60 of them, I am down to 15 and let most Congo and just grow together for less Care.  If I had let 60 of them get more Mature and individually Phat, I'd have them so thick off my Head it would be Crazy to look at, to Maintain, Style, and keep that many separated.  It's hard to take Pixs of your own Hair, for me it is anyway, so Above is Before when they were Baby Dreads, Below is now they're Mature Dreads and that was taken a while ago so they do keep Evolving.  I like them best in the Below Pix, than even now, coz they were tidier and about the Right amount of them then.

As they keep Evolving I Love 'em, and then get less pleased with the Evolution of them off and on, but, let them just do what they do.  I'm a Lazy Dreads kind of Dread-Head, I don't fuss with them, I keep 'em Clean and mostly keep 'em Separated.  I should have kept more than 15, but hindsight being 20-20, I gotta now wait for New Hairs and instead of letting them combine with an existing Dread, let them form a New Baby Dread I guess.  Right now mine are going thru a messier stage, it happens, I don't get too fixated on it, they constantly Evolve as a Hairstyle and I actually do like that about them.  Low Maintenance and they can pretty much take care of themselves in what they Naturally will just do if left alone to do it.

I roll out of Bed and don't have to do a damned thing with 'em.  I can have the Wind blow a Gale thru my Hair and not worry about it coz it just Locs 'em up better to get Knotty.   The only thing The Man says if we have all the Windows down in the Truck is, if one whips at him, it's like being beaten with a Cat O'Nine Tails.  *Bwahahahaha*   In fact, in most Prisons they make them Cut them off or they could be used as Weapons coz they're strong as any Rope.  I could Strangle you quite effectively with one wrapped around your Neck.  *Winks*  If one gets stuck in a Chair, being as long as they now are, it can lift it off the Ground!  *LOL*  A thinning skinnier one can break off and look like a Dead scary Hairy Caterpillar. *Smiles*  But the really Phat ones ain't breaking off now, too Mature, cutting them damned near Impossible too.

The Son spent most of the day doing Yardwork and prepping for Irrigation, then they Texted him from SRP that it's changed Date to the 4th!  He was okay with that becoz all the Kids had Plans with Friends around 5:00 p.m. and Irrigation was slated originally for 4:00 p.m..  So, he's now gone to Volleyball, about a Dozen of his Friends meet on some Wednesdays to play at the YMCA.  The Daughter's Friend Danae came to pick her up to go out and have a good time.  And Princess T has Rusty picking her up to go out.  So, only The Young Prince is Home with us Tonight it seems.  It's a good thing I did call in to Work and cancel then, coz I can't really leave those Two Home Alone together and have a Peace that the coverage of Caregiving is Fine.  *LOL*  Short periods of time The Grandson could oversee Grandpa, but, it's like the Blind leading the Blind if you left them alone very long.

This is the only Pix that The Young Prince has with both his Dad and his Paternal Grandpa, who is a very Weto Hispanic too.  His Gramma Lydia is a very Dark Hispanic with some Black Puerto Ricans in her Family.  The Grandpa lives in Cali and many Years ago The Grandson would go visit him and the Family his Grandpa has now, often with his Dad and his Aunt Stephanie.  It's been many Years tho' since that's happened.  His Gramma Lydia lives here in Phoenix, she's been Unwell for Years with what can be a Terminal Illness, Type C Hepatitis.  She's had it for a long time, her 2nd Husband Died of it, and he looked so fit but Died Young from it.  We liked him a lot, he kept Lydia more grounded, she's a Wild One.  The Young Prince couldn't visit his Paternal Gramma unsupervised coz of her lack of any appropriate judgment. 

 

Her Kids, all Three of them, pretty much Raised themselves.  I get along with Lydia just Fine, but not everyone does coz she can be volatile.  And she has her Lifestyle, which, I knew what it was, but figured my Grandson didn't.  As it turned out, Genius Boy, with his 148 IQ had figured it all out before he was even in School.  I only found that out much, much later when he was almost Grown, that he always knew, but never Judged her.  She belongs to The Streets.  And her Grandson is Okay with that, he is a very Non-Judgmental Person like I am and I worked with a lot of folks in my Ministry Work that belonged to The Streets.  Mebbe it's why his other Gramma and I always got along so well and she never, ever, had problems with me, and, she Adored our Daughter.  The Daughter belongs to The Streets too and has no Shame in her Game.  Her and Lydia are so much alike, similar Mental Health Diagnosis too. 

The Daughter can relate very much to Lydia, even tho' they're a Generation apart.  She jokes that every actual Relationship they've ever had with someone, that person was trying to Play "Captain Save A Ho".  In many ways the Two of them remind me of Female Comedian Luenell, whose very Open in her style of Comedy of belonging to The Streets.  Luenell is a Comedian and Actress and if you've never caught her Act, you really should, she's absolutely HILARIOUS.  "Town Business" is a Comedy Special MUST SEE.  The Daughter and Lydia can be equally hilarious with their Stories about their Vida Locas... sometimes Comedy is born from a Life of Tragedy and Pain, coped with by a Wicked Sense of Humor and perspective about it all that is a Rare Gift to turn it into stuff folks can Laugh about, no matter how tragic.  Even their worst Stories they can make hilarious Comedic Stories about in the telling of it.

Anyway, The Daughter and The Son always do say my Stories rival their own and they could be Right?  *Winks and Smiles*  I have had a Colorful Life to be sure, especially during my wayward wasted Youth of it, but I balanced a Vida Loca Personal Life with being a Bank Executive and then working for a 2nd Career at the DA's Office, quite a juxtaposition.  I always did joke that Dark Dawn had a Life and Dawn Of The Light had a Life and they intersected seamlessly my entire Life they Shared.  *Winks*  Dark Dawn made some very risky and bad decisions, while Dawn Of The Light made some very good decisions that balanced everything out Miraculously just Fine, and kept me among the Living.  *Bwahahahahaha*  In many ways it's a Tale Of Two Lives I've led.  And I'm transparent about both, even if it can shock some folks to be Open about your Darker Side of Life, which, often has the Best Stories tho'.  *Winks*

I'd venture to say that us Crazy Folk often have some of the BEST Stories, coz you can't make that shit up!!!  *Winks*  You really can't, it's often unbelievable when WE think about what we've done or been thru and are still here!   The Man likes to Joke that he's been thru many Wartime Situations, in a Special Forces Assignment way most of the time, so he got some Stories.   And some of what I've been thru or been unafraid of having to go thru and moved thru without showing Fear, he would give Pause about himself.  *LMAO*  Seriously, I've taken him to Neighborhoods I've Lived and places I've done Ministry Work in and he's like, I wouldn't dare to go there if you weren't my Backup Honey.  And he's been in Wars and Serious Dangerous Situations where folks were intentionally trying to Kill him! *Bwahahaha*  As a Sniper in Vietnam, he had a Thirty Thousand Dollar Bounty on his Head in 1970!  And I Joke, Damn Honey, for Thirty Grand in 1970 I might have Killed you myself to Collect!  *LMAOROTF*

Every Decade when they did Census I'd Sign Up and got Paid handsomely to go do Census in the parts of the City, or where the peeps who Belong To The Streets are, that they couldn't get many to go Count them in.   Yeah, I'm Crazy enuf to do it I guess.  Mostly coz, some of them be my People.  My Tribe, so to speak.  *LOL*  Some of them only have the misfortune of Living La Vida Loca all the time with no relief from it.  I've been Homeless before and I've Owned and lived in a Million Dollar Listing.   I been considered Rich and I been considered Poor, Rich is better.  Sometimes and usually quite often actually, Poor isn't a Choice.  Many who've never been Poor have no Point of Reference to know and realize that.  Poverty tends to be a Hand Dealt that is very difficult to Escape out of.  Just like Obscene Wealth is never Earned, no Billionaire ever got to be one Working to 'Earn' it.  Billions aren't EARNED!   Below Meme incapsulates how one obtains Billions.

I've found some good Memes lately, either from other Bloggers or from my Algorithm Feeds, which know me better than ya'll even do.  *Winks*  I don't mind the Algorithms, tho' I know how Sinister their development was intended for from a Psychological standpoint to exploit the masses of a Capitalist Society that has run amok and Worships the Almighty Dollar rather than any God.   I always said, in my 1st Corporate Life in Banking, when I ran Collections, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcy Departments for Major Financial Institutions and protected their Interests in their Bad Loans, as a Fixer of what goes Wrong, and to mitigate Losses due to what went Wrong in that Industry's Portfolio of Loans... I didn't Care or Listen to what you TOLD me your Priorities were.  All I had to do to KNOW what they were, is look at your Checkbook or your Financials. 

If your Priorities were People First, then Money, then Things, it would reflect that Order of Priority... or any mixing around of the Three.  EVERY time and without exception.  Just like nothing sorts folks out quite like Trouble, which shakes 'em out EVERY time and without exception too.  It's not Rocket Science at all.  And when there's a Serious Societal "Problem" that hasn't been Fixed, ever... you almost always have to just Follow The Money... and it will explain Why... and Who is Involved in Leaving it that way and benefitting most from it Staying that way.  All the Lip Service or Excuses trying to Spin it any other way is just pure Bullshit.

The Man has been spending most of the day being morose.  Hard to know how to Cheer him up and navigate thru more limitations he's having to accept.  Along with the rest of us trying to have some strategy to help him rehabilitate, if we can pull that off again?  It has to be quite depressing and he's not one to Talk about stuff, he just doesn't and won't, he's always been a Man of few Words.  But, I also can't run with a Generic "I don't Feel Good" complaint from him Daily, that isn't specific enuf to warrant yet another expensive Trip to the ER or Hospitalization either.  If he won't drink his Water, his BP drops, he Hates Water and has been told for Years he MUST drink more of it to avoid Dehydration and Blood Pressure Issues.  He doesn't wanna put in the Work to regain his Leg Strength coz it's Hard.  But, if you don't Use it, you risk Losing it.  And once Mobility is gone the decline tends to be rapid and compounding.

Plus, he does crave the Attention that "Not Feeling Well" has afforded him and one can become somewhat Addicted to all that personalized Attention and therefore resist trying to Be Well.  I went thru that with my Mom, if she wanted Attention, she often Magnified her ailments or how she Felt, coz then everyone was making her the Center of Attention.  And tho' both she and The Man had legit illness, magnifying it and exaggerating it can fail to incite pity and arouse only irritation after too many False Alarms.  Not only for Loved Ones, but even for Medical Professionals.  If someone is coming in too often for much ado about nothing, then you can miss something Serious becoz it's assumed it's another Cry of Wolf that didn't Warrant Emergency Care.  

I got a Rotisserie Chicken for the Three of us Tonight for Dinner, and a Cheese Tray with Crackers for The Man, so now he's Happy as a Clam at High Tide again, no more Dramatics.   I do monitor him closely to ensure his Health isn't crashing again, but most of the time he needs to just hydrate, put his Legs and Feet up to prevent Swelling, and do his minor Exercises to start building up Strength.  Doing what he can and stopping when he can't, Simple as that.  But nobody can do it FOR him, that's Self Work and you have to Motivate your own Self to reach Wellness with the Determination and Desire to Be Well, for as much as is possible or probable.  In your 70's and beyond, shit is gonna start wearing out and breaking down, but, you can keep Active Mentally and Physically to try to stave off decline as much as is possible or probable for you.  It's up to you.

The Rotisserie Chicken was really good from "Fry's" and like the ones we used to enjoy from "Boston Market" before they went Belly Up.  I miss that Chain, I liked their Food.  They had unpaid Taxes, unpaid Rent, unpaid Employees and Vendors, so had Lawsuits and Seizures, which led to mass Evictions.  They had chaotic Management and didn't pivot as they should... but, Locally the Quality of their Food and Value was always exceptional compared to competitors.  So, it's a shame to me they failed due to how they were being run and perhaps not being as popular as the crappier competitors, who had better Quality of how they Honored their Obligations and Strategies.  

 

Severe Financial Issues and Corrupt and Poor Leadership can Tank any Business or any Country for that matter.  We're seeing that in Real Time in America due to Poor and Corrupt Leadership.   And nothing being 'Sold' to the American People at all, so they don't know what's going on, it changes constantly, coz this Administration doesn't seem to know what they're doing except Wreck everything and leave carnage in their wake while raking in record profits only for themselves thru how they're making every decision about a Long Con and Big Grift, or cozying up to Bad Actors who clearly are bribing them and Buying them, so, we know we're being Sold Out.  If you don't you're naive.

Well, Alex, the New Guy, asked The Young Prince out Tonight, so now it's just The Man and I with the House all to ourselves.  I'm REAL glad now I didn't accept that Shift and cancelled doing it.  I wouldn't have had coverage for The Man and he can't be left Alone.  Granted, one of the Kiddos would have taken one for the Team and cancelled their Plans to cover for me, but, now it wasn't necessary.  I want them all to de-stress themselves from how Stressful everything has been for us all.  They're all Young and Need to have Fun and do their own Thing and have a Life.

I was so angry when our Landline Phone rang at 3:00 in the Morning and the Caller I.D. said it was the City Of Avondale, but there was nobody on the other end when I picked up!!!  Woke me out of a sound Sleep and then I had trouble going back to Sleep, wondering WTF that was all about?!  Of coarse a lot of Spam Calls now come in with Faked Caller I.D. to try to trick you and your Phones Anti-Spam Device so that you'll pick up.  But, this Rang several times, announced it was The City on Caller ID, and then nobody there, so I hung up but then was up and startled Awake.  Any Call coming in at 3:00 a.m. usually means some Emergency or very Bad News, so it gets your Heart to Racing.  And, 3:00 a.m. is the Witching Hour too, the barrier between Worlds being the thinnest.  So, a part of me wondered if it was some 'Sign' from supernatural forces, like someone Beloved whose Crossed Over or gonna Cross Over that very Day?  That's a Superstition passed on by my Mom's Side of the Family.  So all Day I will be waiting to hear if someone close to me has Died now!!!!

And then of coarse my Mind went to a couple of Friends of mine who are very ill and might have Passed or will be Passing soon, like my Friend Kathie in Texas, whose on Home Hospice.  Or if all the Kiddos were okay and accounted for, since everyone had gone out last Night and everyone wasn't back Home yet.  I'll have a Peace when everyone is accounted for.  I'll keep you Posted, probably in the next Post, if someone did indeed Cross Over as it's been an Omen my Family Maternally Believe in.  If you get a Phone Call or Knock on the Door at exactly 3:00 a.m., and nobody on the other End of the Call or Door, it means someone is gonna Die that day.  

My thoughts went in too many directions to go back to Sleep tho'. My ADHD Mind kicks into hyperdrive when something creepy happens that is unexplained and just Weird and unsettling.  If it's nothing, Fine, just a Weird coincidence and I don't want it happening again.  Who wants some Mystery Call at Three in the damned Morning waking you out of a Sound Sleep too often??!!!  Nobody ever!!!  We'd gone to Bed early too since all the Kiddos were gone, so the House was so Quiet.

 

Anyway, except for Emergency Services I wouldn't think the City would have their Phones Manned at 3:00 a.m. either?!   And, it's typically not a Time when a Spammer would try to contact you either really with telemarketing or the usual Spammy Call.  Enough about that coz now it's past 6:00 a.m. and I have to be up for to take Princess T in to Work.  As far as I know we have nothing on the Calendar Today and no Home Visits for The Man's Care.   Expanded Services are needed, but it means you have to be Home all the time and keep your Days Open to receive them coming to the House.  Often they don't have a specific arrival time, it's a Window of a few Hours, since, they have several Clients they go to, with Traffic and how long the other Client might need them to be there, it at least makes sense.  Nurse Remi is usually the one closest to coming almost on the Dot of 11:00 a.m. every Tuesday, she's punctual, but spends a lot of time with The Man during any visit.

He really enjoys Nurse Remi and she has such a Maternal way about her that he listens to her advice and doesn't shut down.  So, we joke that it's like he has Two Wives now looking out for him.  *Bwahahahaha and Winks*  It's a long standing Joke coz of The Man being LDS.  Back when he first Married me I had Two Single Girlfriends that used to attend all the Sporting Events on Base that his Squadron held and played in.  The Man was very Athletic back then so he was in all the Squadron Sports and all his Military Friends thought we ALL were his Wives and he played along with it.  Most folks didn't know the difference between someone LDS and someone FLDS so they thought all Mormons had Polygamy.  *LOL*   So, my Friends Tina and Leigh played along and each of them had a Daughter, I had The Daughter and The Son, his Friends were like, you Mormons sure don't mind taking on all them little Kids!!!  *LMAOROTF*

To be Fair and Honest, he didn't mind Kids, and Raised Two Generations of them that weren't his Biological Spawn, but you'd never know it.  He has never referred to them as "Stepchildren" and they've never referred to him as "Stepdad" or "Step-Grandfather", we don't use those Terms.  I don't think them to be necessary Terms even tho' far too many people do.  It made me cringe when my Friends who had Adopted Children would have people ask, usually even in front of the Kiddos, if they were their "Real" Children!!!   WTF?!   Well, they're not "Pretend or Fake" Children, of coarse they're "Real"!!!   But you know what they mean or insinuate and it's ignorant, inappropriate and offensive to the Families.  

Some of my Friends Adopted Foreign Children of a different Ethnicity than they are.   So, if you see a White Couple with a Child of Color, it doesn't always mean both Parents aren't Biological anyway, perhaps that Child(ren) were from a previous Relationship.   My Kids aren't White and so quite often they'd be asked if The Man, who is White, was their "Real" Dad!?  I was used to my Family being asked that a lot about me too, or if I was Adopted, coz my Parents were an Interracial Couple, and, I came out with the Light Hair.  I had Dad's Darker Complexion, which I was Darker as a Child, but I was very Blonde and all the rest of my Family has Blue Black Hair, including my Younger Brother and Mom.  And I didn't speak with an Accent like my Foreign Born Mom, whose 1st Language wasn't English.  So, it would confuse people all the time.

Oddly, when Raising The G-Kid Force, most folks assumed we were already their Parents and not their Grandparents, which was just flattering really. *Smiles*  At our Age it would have been nothing short of a Miracle for me to still be Breeding!  I was Old and had a Hysterectomy!  Even tho' Old Men can still Father Children.  *Bwahahahahaha*   And it took 15 Years before I was forced by the State to actually Adopt them and now can say, Yeah, I'm MOM, Legally, but, also, Gramma Really.  And they still call their Mom their Mom, tho' "Legally" now she's their Sister and their Uncle is now their Brother... but Grandpa is still their Grandpa coz he wasn't allowed to Adopt coz of his TBI and Disability Status.  *Ha ha ha*   

They have never called me Mom, I'm still Gramma.  The Adoption to us was a formality forced upon us by the State and the ever changing Laws about Kinship Placements, but not actually necessary in our opinion.  We'd always had them and Raised them, regardless of our Societal "Labels".  Now that all of them are Adults, people just get more confused when they're calling me Gramma in Public or calling their Mom their Mom.  Still flattering tho' coz we're always told we don't look Old enuf to be that to them.  The G-Kid Force Point out peeps looking and acting way more Geriatric than me, holding the Hand of a Toddler who IS their Oldest Grandchild, and saying, well, Gramma, that's Why!  They could be Right.  I've mistaken some Old Folks Grandkids for being their Great-Grandkids, Oooops.   Coz in my Head the Math isn't adding up as to how they Look way Old to have Grandkids that Young still, when ours are Adults already and sometimes this Gramma is much Older than me.

No, Seriously, if someone is in their 70's or 80's I expect their Grandkids to be Grown now, not a Toddler.  So, see, I'm making my own inaccurate assumptions.  *Smiles*   I do hear that many Grandparents say they can't keep pace with their Grandkids for more than an Hour or Two and I have to Laugh since I Raised some of mine.  So, was with them 24-7 and 365 and I kept pace, when you have to, you just do and don't have the option of Tapping Out and handing them back early if you've had enuf fun.  *Ha ha ha*  But, now mine are Grown and we're in Great-Grandkid Territory, I know I'd lag some for the Long Haul with a Little One.

  Tho', Oddly, the Teen Ones don't bother me as much as Teens could in the Past.  Teens can have so much going on Hormonally that it can be like Dealing with a Menopausal Woman or a Man going thru Midlife Crisis.  *Winks*   And wrapping up this Post, Below is a Drone View looking down on our Property, looks so purdy from Above... we're so fortunate to Own this Property, we Love it.  It's a rarity to have this much Personally Owned Green Space and Land in Urban Metro Phoenix Area Arizona.   And finishing out the final Chapter of Life here is Good.

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