A Long Overdue Apology

 

Since I have to Work on a Friday Night I always try to Pace myself with what I do at Home Friday during the Day, so I won't be too wiped out for my Shift.  So, I decided to hang up and Display The Man's Custom Cowboy Hat Collection that our Friend Brittany has made for him.  He has Six, for some reason I'd thought he had Seven.  So I'd Bought Seven Antique Coat Style Hooks that have a screw built into them and were Aged chippy Painted in Black, Bronze, White and Sepia Old Paints.  They are all the same Style basically and will look good even if one of the Hats isn't mounted on them.   We've got them hung along the tops of our His/Her Closets here in the Boudoir, with a Javelina Taxidermy Head Mounted in between them on the Wall that divides his Closet and mine.  I have to do some E-6000 Dental Work on the Javelina, since one of  his bottom Tusks came loose and fell out while he was being hung.  *LOL*

Speaking of Teeth, I got some Antique Denture Samples from a fav Online Seller "Pocket Full Of Heirlooms", who has the greatest Merch and does fabulous Merchandising of it when she Photographs it.  I Save a lot of her Imagery for Future Inspiration, since, her Aesthetic and mine are so similar and she's Masterful at Creating Interesting Vignettes of the Weird and the Wonderful Objects she's known for Sourcing for Resale and Decorating her Historic Home with.  She used to be Based in Texas, but moved to a gorgeous Historic Home in Harrisburg, Arkansas.  It's been a Joy to watch her Transforming and Restoring her Historic Home and Decorating each Room in the Unique ways that she does.  I've never been disappointed in anything I've bought from Brandy and she has an Etsy Shop she Sells it from.  Right now she's having a 20% Off Sale to Celebrate her having 20,000 items in Etsy Sales.

  And now for Why I dubbed/titled this Post a long overdue Apology, one that is particularly meaningful to me on a personal level.  I had wanted to ask The Man to do some more Environmental Cleanup on the Gila River Indian Reservation and stop by their Convenience Store too to pick up some more Tribal Food Products produced by that Tribe.  But, for some reason we didn't end up having the time to do it and then I turn on the TV and lo and behold, the President, Joe Biden, was there on the Gila River Indian Reservation, first time a President had visited one in Person, and, even more importantly, he was making a Formal Apology from the U.S. Government for the atrocities of 150 Years of Stealing Indigenous Children from their Families and sending them involuntarily to Boarding Schools, the notorious Indian Schools, where horrific abuse, neglect, malnutrition and even Death was common.  {Both in the U.S. and in Canada BTW... a dual Nation Shame.}

   

He apologized for it not being taught in our Schools and virtually never talked about in our Nation's History as an atrocity that never should have happened and sought to destroy Native Culture and Pride.  There was an Old Saying of "Kill the Indian and Save the Man".  I choked up when I heard his Speech, even tho' we weren't there in Person and didn't know it was happening that day, when, we could have been there and had intended to be there for different reasons.  Because my Paternal Grandparents, Dad, all his Siblings, and all my Cousins who lived on Reservations have endured the Indian Schools up to and including my Generation.   Yes, it devastated all Native American Tribes.  My Dad Lost Two Younger Brothers at the Indian Schools, one to malnutrition and another just disappeared and no closure as to what happened to him.  My Paternal Grandmother resented it to the Day she Died, as any Mother would.   Those Sons were Lost at Grade School Age, think about that.

 

And it's not as if any of the Children were sent to the Indian Schools to receive a decent Academic Education.   Functional Illiteracy was commonplace and most were put to Work as Indentured Child Slavery and farmed out to Non-Indian Families who mistreated them too.  My Dad remembers he got to eat IF he did enough Work on the Farms he was 'loaned out' to... and Age didn't matter, the Youngest of the Children was often put to hard labor and it was called an "Education".  Some placement was run by Churches, so a lot of abuses occurred from alleged Christians.   Some Children were Adopted by these Christian Families even tho' they still had Living Parents who didn't give consent for either the Adoption, or for their Children to be taken from them by force.  Some Matriarchal Tribes like the Navajo, hid away at least One Daughter so their Culture and Language could be Preserved and that Daughter wouldn't have exposure to forced Indoctrination/Assimilation.  Many ran away, my Dad never finished beyond a Grade School Education and the Cousin who just recently Died, wouldn't go back after Age 13 and was a Runaway, from what I was told.  Many joined the Military very early, like my Dad, his Brother and that Cousin, to escape such a bleak Future.

They Served their Country with Honor and Honorably, even tho' their Country didn't Serve them with Honor or Respect.  Had my Dad chosen to go back to the Rez, that would have also been our Fate, so he made the Military his 27 Year Career so that my Brother and I could receive a proper Anglo Education, and most of his Career he sought to Serve Overseas, where he met my Mom.  Her Culture also had endured atrocities at the Hands of the English in similar ways, so, she had a Point of Reference.  I don't know that the Welsh ever got an Apology from the English, my Mom suffered broken Bones from her abuse by English Teachers, and was also forbidden to speak her Language at School IN her own Country, or be beaten.  My Welsh Didi Kai Maternal Grandfather never went to School and could neither Read nor Write, but could Speak Three Languages fluently and was a Skilled Tradesman.   NOTE: Above Pix is the Oldest Granddaughter in Mexico with her Boyfriend, they make an Adorable Couple.

So, anyway, I remember the Stories of my Parents and what they endured of Cultural Abuse and Discrimination.  So, this Apology was long overdue, over a Century and a Half overdue.  I Wish my Dad had been Alive to Hear it himself, I'm glad tho' it was done in my Lifetime so I could Hear it.   An Apology doesn't undo all the damage done, but, it's a step in the Right Direction and I'm glad Joe made a point to do it and humbly so with clearly the utmost sincerity.  He had Appointed the first Native American Cabinet Secretary as U.S. Department of the Interior.  She is a 35th Generation New Mexican of the Pueblo of Laguna, she was with the President here in Arizona to Right the Historical Wrong of forced Assimilation.   And we won't even cover the attempted Genocide of all Indians.  Of which there was considerable Success since some Tribes no longer even Exist into Modern times, all Tribes have such low Populations they'd be considered Endangered and Protected if they were Animals, and nobody talks about that either as our Great Holocaust.

Abject Poverty still exists on almost all Reservations and the outright contempt and Stereotypes perpetuation of most Indians is still very strong amongst Non-Indians.   That I have endured living outside of a Rez and remember the Hateful and Cruel things people would say to us about our Heritage and my Dad in particular.  I actually learned to Fight due to defending myself from Bullies who taunted my Brother and I for being dirty Indians, even tho' we weren't full-bloods.  Or, for also saying Hateful things about having a Foreign Mom... and about our Interracial Intercultural Family being an abomination.   I used to abhor the Old Spaghetti Westerns while growing up that vilified Indigenous People, as if they were the Heathens who committed all the atrocities.   Actually, things like Scalping, they Learned from the French... but, a lot of History still being Taught, and if you Google Online, pretends that the Europeans learned it predominantly from practices of Indian Tribes... misinformation still abounds to Whitewash History and the Truth. 

So, anyway, my little History Lesson now done, I'll step off my Platform and go on with just saying I Celebrated this Day of the long overdue Apology from our Government, it is a Big Deal.   We would never receive such an Apology from the Other Side, that's for damned sure.   They're speaking of rounding up Immigrants and deporting Millions, and you know what a Cluster Fuck of incompetency and poorly thought out planning that's gonna be.  Plus, 45 is from an Immigrant Family and his Wife is a Mail Order Foreign Bride, so it's quite Rich for him to loathe Immigrants as much as he does.  But, we all know he just means the ones that don't look like him, don't we?   He doesn't really Care if your Immigrant Status is Legal or Illegal really, he wants to just Make American White Again... becoz to him and those like him who Support that Ideology, that makes it "Great".   They Fear the Diversity of America with their deep seated insecurities and biases.  They Imagine themselves being 'replaced'.

And at a recent MAGAt Rally he referred to our Nation as a Garbage Can where Human Trash is dumped!!!   And his Audience applauded, need I say more about the demographic he attracts and only wants to Serve?  And if you don't bow the Knee, Kiss the Ring and his Ass, the Human Trash he's talking about IS YOU too, Trust and Believe.  He has zero intention of being the President for ALL Americans.  So, when they start rounding up folks if they Win, it won't be long before they might be coming for you too.   So, he simply can't Win and we already know he's scheming to pretend that it was another Stolen Election if he Loses, they're setting the Stage for that even tho' the Outcome is Unknown.  Such Irony is not lost on me, how if he Wins it was a Free & Fair Election, but if he Loses it was NOT and rigged.  *Dramatic Eye Roll and yet his Devoted Believe such an obvious Double Standard*

But, enuf of Politics too... by early November we shall know how fucked or not we truly are as a Nation, won't we?   I had a good Shift on Friday Night, started off real Slow and deserted, but by Mid-Shift picked up considerably.  *Whew*   I had some decent Sales for a Friday, but, mostly it was Pacs of Japanese Anime Trading Cards I have in my Locked Case and Sourced a large Box Lot of where my Granddaughter Works.  My Margins are great on them and I only now have 3 Pacs left... I expect they'll be Sold Out very soon, I haven't even had them in Inventory very long and they appeared to be New Old Stock Imports.   The Pacs and the Cards are all Written in Japanese, before you could get them in English too when they became Popular here and the Collecting of them exploded.   I could do decently there if I only Sold Pokemon or Anime related Merch, since, the Vendors who Specialize in that Product are Killing It and doing very well and you Open their Cases all the time each Shift for Customers and they Buy stacks of the Pacs.

Disney Merch too has an almost Cult Following of those who Collect and Buy it, they'll pay damned near any Price too!!!   And, most of the Buyers are not Children, it's Adult Disney Fanatics who Live and Breathe it!!!   Some come in wearing their Mouse Ears and Disney Pins festooning everything they have... clearly for them, it's become a Lifestyle and an Obsession.   Now, to be Fair, Sports Memorabilia and Team Devotion is rampant too, regardless of which Sport or Team, or Athlete, someone is completely Obsessed with.   I've seen Grown Men get giddy to Score a Bobblehead of their Favorite Athletes.  *Smiles*  Whatever floats your Boat I guess is Fine for you to Fixate upon and Support the production of, I won't Judge, but I can't pretend it doesn't also Amuse me at times.   

 

Today I had several Grown Men who were going gaga over Hot Wheels Cars for example, I haven't seen a Child get as excited or as delighted over Buying one!!!  *LOL*  But, the Joy was palpable and Joy is a Positive Emotion, I get Happy FOR them even if I don't necessarily 'Get It'.   I mean, I myself am a real Weirdo when it comes to what excites and brings me Joy too, so, no real Judgment from Yours Truly.   I'm an Incurable Collector of certain stuff, so I GET the Urge to Collect part of it.  I made a few Small Purchases from a fav couple of Vendors who'd gotten some Fresh Halloween Merch in.   One I got a Metal Black Widow Spider and a Skeleton Mister Potato Head Kit from.  Princess T doesn't wanna carve her small Pumpkins that Rusty got her, but she might wanna decorate it with the Mister Potato Head Pumpkin Set?   And I got a Steampunk Tarot Card Set from another Vendor.   All 3 items were such a Deal too and the Tarot Card Vendor also had an additional Discount on her already low Price.

My Friends Richard and Judith work with me on Friday Nights.  Richard has been feeling better so he isn't missing so many of his Shifts now.   And, Judith wasn't so bossy and moody as she'd been lately, she's still fairly recently Widowed and perhaps it's just an Emotional adjustment period for her, I dunno?   She's having to make a lot of decisions about stuff she and Gary Invested in and now he's gone, perhaps she feels keeping it all isn't the Goal anymore... I mean, she can't live in several Homes at once and doesn't want to Travel Alone now.  She's in her Late 70's so, Cashing Out on some of these larger Investments might be Wisest.   The large Home in Sun City she Bought fairly recently, she's now just using to Store Merchandise!!!   She used our Realtor Friend Germaine, and we all thought she and Gary were gonna Retire in that Home and Sell off the others?   She has Sold her large Home in Washington State, but not the large one in Buckeye she's living in.  It's a lot of House to Care for alone.

In fact, for a Retirement Community, the Home in Sun City is HUGE and gorgeous, it's a Contemporary New Orleans Style Home, very Unique and spacious.  For a Single Widow, it's a lot of House too actually.   But a shame that it's not being actually Lived in and just being used as a Storage Facility for Inventory.   But, clearly she has a lot of Inventory if it's filling up that Home.   And I've got a lot of Cargo too and filled up an RV Garage Mahal with it, so, I understand it's better than paying for Offsite Storage like many Vendors in the Industry do.   Judith helped us with our last Move, so, when she Bought the Sun City Home she wanted my input on it and I thought they got a Killer Deal on it, moreso coz they were paying Cash.  She Owns all her Properties outright, so, she has no financial concerns at Keeping any of them and doing whatever she wants with them.   The Home in Washington State Sold right away, it was a Lakefront Property and she used to Summer there when Gary was still Alive.

A lot of my Elderly Friends have recently Lost a Spouse, so there's more and more Widows and Widowers now than Married Couples.   I see them spending even more Time at the Antique Mall now they're Alone.   Perhaps it's a Welcome Distraction and Social Outlet while they're Transitioning to being Single again and knocking around their Homes all Alone?   I have a few Elderly Friends who've never Married or been in long term Relationship, so, for them, Living with others would be the harder part for them to Transition into I suspect?   When my One Friend came to Live with us for Six Months, while she was in between Homes and having a hard time finding affordable Housing after Retirement, she almost drove my whole Family Crazy, becoz she was not used to Sharing Space with other People and it showed.  *LOL*   You get used to what you are most familiar with.   For us it's been Multigenerational Living, so we are quite adaptive and used to healthy Compromises between multiple Generations co-existing Together.

 

Communal Living isn't for everyone either and I knew my Friend really struggled with having a house full of folks from several Generations all Sharing Space and melding Generational Lifestyle differences.   When you Live Alone there are few, if any, compromises necessary.   I saw that like most Grandparents who only see their Grandchildren very occasionally, a little bit of them, tho' Beloved, went a long way and wore her out or irritated her... and she's much Younger than The Man and I.  *LOL*   You would HAVE to Get Over that when you're Raising some.  *Winks*   Her Grandkids are great Kiddos and Three of them were Teens, one was a Pre-Schooler... so I felt they were pretty easy Kids overall, very well Raised by her Daughter... who is an Only Child.  I encouraged her to spend more Time with them if and when she could.  They Grow Up so damned fast... and if they're Local, enjoy them and be Invested in their Daily Lives.

I would have liked for ALL our Grandkids and Great-Grandkids to have been Local so we could have bonded like we have with those who were Local and those we Raised.   Having Family scattered across the Country and the Globe, it's harder to form the same close Bonds like you can in Person and really getting to Know them and be with them.   You become a very abstract Family Member when they've never been around you or perhaps ever seen you in The Flesh.   And, staying in Touch can be hard from a Distance, even with Modern Technology, it can only substitute so much for the Real Thing of being Present.   I did get some more Good News out of Mexico that the Ex-SIL was released from Prison.  That's good News tho' I have no Idea why he was imprisoned at all... whether for something he was accused of... or a Witness Protection situation after his violent abduction and release?   I mean, he was shot and Kidnapped, Tortured and spent 10 Months in Captivity... I didn't even wanna ask or know Why.  Third World Countries have crazy shit going on all the time.

It's Why in our Old Age I'd be reluctant to even Travel or Live Abroad anymore, like we often did when Younger.   I wouldn't necessarily feel it wouldn't be without Risks I just don't wanna take for a Vacation or to see Family living in another Country!   We've Traveled extensively and Lived Abroad often, so it's not like we haven't Experienced a lot of the Global Experience already.   So, now in Old Age, we're Good just staying in America... and with the exception of Bora-Bora, still No. One on my Bucket List, I have no Desire to Travel to a different Country anymore.  But, if Bora-Bora becomes a Possibility, Hell Yeah!!!   I haven't heard any Horror Stories coming out of Bora-Bora... so... low Risk.  *Winks*  In fact, when I'm trawling the Internet and doing a Deep Dive into Exotic Island Destinations, I'm finding more and more of them that seem intriguing, and even affordable, I ain't gonna Lie!!!   My PC Screen often has Eye Candy constantly rotation of Wallpaper, of various Global Destinations, and you can find out all about the Image and Place.

Princess T had come Home early on Friday, not Feeling Well and Crying, so they sent her Home by 11:30 A.M..   I knew something was Wrong when she called for pickup that early.   I don't know how she'll feel on this Saturday Morning and if she'll miss more Work or not?   She gets Anxious about having Sick Days when she's such a New Employee, but, we had explained that she has Fragile Health before they Hired her, so... we'll see if they roll with it or not?   She's not one to abuse calling in Sick, but, she missed a lot of School due to Health Issues, which was in part why she fell so far behind in Credits, as well as having the Learning Disability.  So, it is what it just is.   She's been a Sickly Child all her Life and has gotten stronger as she's gotten Older, but, it's still a major challenge.   This is why I don't want her losing her Health, Mental Health and Dental coverage that she gets thru the ACA.

She's gotten up for Work so I'm guessing she's feeling somewhat better and risking it?  She didn't have anything contagious, just a chronic problem that debilitates her when it occurs.  It's not something she'd want to have to talk about to her Boss or explain either, so I do Hope they respect her just saying she felt seriously Unwell?   She doesn't have a Doctor right now, when her Pediatrician quit seeing her she hasn't gone to see a Doctor for Adults yet.  I'd like her to see the one The Daughter and I have, so, if she gets to keep her ACA Insurances, she will.   She did squeeze her last Dental visit in.  I have to go to DES and see if she can Keep her ACA Insurance that she's always had since she was a Baby?   She's only earning Minimum Wage and isn't always getting Full Time Hours, so, she may Qualify to keep it?   If they don't allow her to keep it, then whenever she has a Medical Emergency she can't pay for and has no Insurance, we'd re-apply at a Hospital ER.

 

That's what The Son and The Daughter had to do becoz their Conditions are Title 19 Lifelong Disabilities that require a certain amount of Care even if they never get physically Sick or have a Physical Medical Emergency.   And none of them has Assets that would Disqualify them from receiving hardship Aide, if they didn't live with us they'd all be Homeless right now.  Without multiple Roommates, even on The Son's Income in the Trades, which he's been doing for Years now, the Wages are still not a livable Wage compared to the expense of Housing locally.  Even most Seniors, if they weren't fortunate enuf to pay off a Home or get it many Years ago with an affordable Mortgage Payment, have to apply for Senior Subsidized Rents to afford to live Locally.  The problem is, there's been a suspension for Years now in Senior Subsidies and the waiting list when they even did have one, was a wait of about 10 Years!  My Mom had to live with me until her Name came up a Decade after applying and waiting her turn to get the Vouchers for a Rental!!!

Something really needs to be done about the lack of Affordable Housing Locally or they'll be losing a critical Workforce as they have to Migrate out of State to find places they can afford to live.   All these Thousands of massive Apartment Complexes they're building everywhere now are all Luxury Apartments, mostly Housing those who Migrated from even more expensive States than ours.  Thus driving up our Cost of Living in Arizona and making it someplace to have to move FROM too, it's a vicious Cycle and why the Young and the Old are moving away in droves.  Pretty soon there will be no National place to move TO that is affordable, I suspect.   That's possibly when other Countries will suddenly have an Immigration Problem with American Ex Pats flooding in who could no longer afford to live in the U.S.?   The Daughter said that in Mexico, there are some areas with a high percentile of American Retirees now!  Almost rivaling the Population of Mexican Nationals there.

Anyway, after I got Princess T to Work I did head to The Desert Botanical Gardens to renew my Membership for another Year.  I decided to renew the Family Plan after all since it was only Twenty Bucks more than the one just for myself.  I might go back Tonight since Ray Villafane, the Pumpkin Carving Master who lives locally, has his Carvings on Display Tonight called STRANGE GARDEN, with other Halloween Activities, Guests can wear Costumes.  I made Reservations for The Man and I, it's Free with my Membership but you have to Reserve Tickets since they have limited Admission for Special Events.  Kids get a Free Pumpkin from the Pumpkin Patch.  While I was there this Morning it was Dog Day and everyone had their Canine Fur Babies, many Dogs in Costumes.

My Favorite Canine 'Family' had Four large Poodle looking Dogs, Two Brown ones and Two Black ones.  Two were dressed like USPS Workers in the Blue Uniform and Cap with fake Arms holding a Package.  The other Two were dressed like UPS Workers in the Brown Uniform and Cap with fake Arms holding a Package.  Adorable, and One of the Four Loved having his Pix taken so much he Posed for it, sitting down and Voguing... and then Photo Bombed the other One in a different Uniform I was also trying to take a Pix of!!!  Hilarious, he jumped in front of the other One, pushing it out of the way deliberately, and sat down in front of it so that I had to take HIS Pix again!  *LMAOROTF*   Clearly he was Delighted to be the Center of Attention and Posing in front of the Lens, the other Three were rather oblivious about it.  Their Human Family were a Friendly Younger Couple, I got their Permission first for the Photo Op of their Fur Babies.  I'll be Sharing the Images in another Post devoted to the Garden visit.

They also had an Art Exhibit on Display that were huge Metal Ornate Lanterns intricately Cut Out in Designs, from the Size of a Person, to about 20 Foot High.  I suspect they'll be lit up Tonight during the Event.  They had Colored Neon Lights shining on several Plants that are naturally Luminescent, which looked Cool even during the Daytime.  I suspect at Dark they'll look Spooky and even Cooler.   I once took my Mom to an Evening Event and it was a Luminaria around this time of Year and I recall how Spooky it is after Dark, even with the Pathways lit up.   The Natural Desert around it is Dark and has Eerie Sounds from the Nocturnal Wildlife rustling around in it.  Mom was in a Wheelchair at the time and I was pushing her and joked that if something jumped out at us, I was running and she better Wheel herself really fast to catch up.  She joked back that I couldn't run as fast as she could get that Wheelchair going if something was after us and she'd run right over me.  *LMAO*  Mom was a Riot like that with a Wicked Sense of Humor.

 

I was going to take Princess T with me after she got off Work, but, The Man thinks he wants to go and I'm only allowed One Guest over 18 with my Membership, and any Kids or Grandkids under Age 18.  It's a lot of Walking so I do Hope he can keep Pace?  I'm making him bring his Walker just in case he fades, since, I don't want him ruining the Experience for me by Tapping Out if he overestimated how much he could Walk and underestimated the Steps he'd be doing?   He does pretty well when we go Canning, which is the only reason I agreed, mebbe he'll enjoy himself, he wants to see Ray Villafane's Pumpkin Carvings.  He watches all the Halloween Contest Shows with me and Ray was on the First Season of "Halloween Wars".   We've gone to Ray's Events for Years, he used to have them in Cave Creek/Carefree.  Back in those days Admission was Free, then the Cities started charging Admission, and a lot per Person, so, Ray quit doing it there.

Anyway, when I first arrived at the Gardens this Morning it was just before they would be Opening, so, I was first in Line.   I immediately went to "Gertrude's" Restaurant for Breakfast and was first in there too and the Manageress yelled out to Welcome me and got me seated in a VIP section for Reservations Only.  She always does that even tho' I never make a Reservation.   I had the Lamb Mole Enchiladas, which are wrapped in Blue Corn Tortillas, with a House Chef prepared Mole, Nopales Relish, Spanish Rice and mine had Two Poached Eggs as well, the pix Below is from their FB Page of the Dish without the Poached Eggs.  I also had their Berry Basil Lemonade.

When I went into the Gift Shop to Buy my Fav Prickly Pear flavored Licorice, the Cashier Welcomed me back too.  It had been a full Year since I'd been there since I let my Membership lapse last November after Dia de los Muertos was a Wrap.  It was just such a Hot Year that I knew I wouldn't be going as often as usual to make it worthwhile to spend so much on a Membership.   But, I'd really Missed it and it's great Exercise, Fresh Air and they always have Events going on that are usually Free with your Membership, or, reduced price for Members if it's something really Fancy.  Tonight's Event will have Food Trucks, Music, lots of Halloween related Activities for Families, as well as the Pumpkin Carvings and even some Carving Demos.  Photo Ops with Unicorns and Fairies and a Free Book from the Witch's Library {for Kids & Adults} and the Free Pumpkin {for Kids}.   When The G-Kid Force were little they Loved the Halloween Events and Dia de los Muertos Event Hosted there.

During Dia de los Muertos they have Ofrendas set up, a large Mercado Selling all kinds of Hispanic Art and Products related to the Celebration, Food Trucks, and the Procession at Dusk.   I always try to attend that too.   I will usually put Sugar Skull Girl Makeup on for that one, even if I don't wear a complete Catrina Outfit.   They had the Monarch Butterfly Exhibit Today too and since it hadn't warmed up yet, they were all rather dormant and Sunning themselves to soak up Rays and Heat on their Wings to become more active when it got into the 70's or Hotter.  So, I got some good Butterfly Pixs and did so many Squats to Photograph them close up that I could feel The Burn in my Thigh Muscles!  *LOL*  My Legs felt like Spaghetti and Cramping a bit so I had to stop doing full Squats... clearly I'd done too many without realizing it, so, my Body was reminding me.  *Smiles*   I can still do full Squats and get up easily, but, if I do Dozens of them, well, I could get stuck down there if I'm not Careful, if my Leg Muscles give out from Fatigue.  *LOL*

That would be embarrassing when you go Alone and would have to ask some complete Stranger to help you back up.  *Winks*  So, once I felt the Burn and Cramping, I ceased and desisted from any more Pathological Photography Squats... I got enuf Pixs of Butterflies.  *Smiles*   The Butterfly Exhibit is Seasonal and included in your Membership as well.   You can Rent a Scooter, one Year I even Paid Extra for a Scooter use with my Membership, to try to encourage The Man to come with me that Year and get Sunshine and Fresh Air.  He never used it even once and never came even once that Year so it was a completely Wasted Upgrade to pay more for.  So, now he's gotta Walk, I'm not Renting him a Scooter now... dammit.  *LOL*

Princess T had said she might be getting off Work early, so, after we pick her up and drop her off at Home, we're going straight to the Gardens.  Our Reservations are for the 5:30 P.M. part of the Event when it first begins, perhaps the Crowds will be less then... most people will want to show up after Dark but for The Man, seeing where he's Walking with clarity is really important so he doesn't trip or fall with lower visibility.  He has his Neck, Back and Legs fused, from War related Injuries, so, he can't look down at his Feet anymore and is held together with so much Hardware he sets Metal Detector Alarms off at Airports and Courts.  *LOL*   Since I already got a lot of Steps in this Morning, I should be able to take is Slow and Easy Tonight while we're there, so that the Pace is fine for him.   Plus, I'll Treat him to Dinner at "Gertrude's" if we can get in without Reservations there?   I could have made Reservations there too and probably should... so I'm contemplating that right now.

Good thing I contemplated that Reservation or we wouldn't have gotten in.  So, we've got Inside Seating for 6:30 P.M. Tonight, I figured an Hour of looking around the Gardens would be enuf for both of us and work up a good Appetite.  *Smiles*  There's a lot on the Fall Menu {Below} that is Seasonally offered.   And they have a Full Bar for anyone who Drinks.  I like their Non-Alcoholic Offerings, but I must say their Alcoholic Drinks always are Visual Eye Candy... and The Daughter and The Son say they make a good Drink.   So, I'm including some Eye Candy from the Restaurant's Book of Faces Page to Delight you with.   You'll see what our Orders were in the other Post.  *Winks*   Princess T had Paid me what she Owed me, so, I'm not a totally Broke Bitch now.  *LOL*  The Kid had more in her Account than me now she's Working.  *Smiles*  But, I'd Fronted her some Money before she got her first Paycheck for Lunches and Snacks while she's at Work.  Now she can Pay for her own.

I have gotten some of my Online Orders already, a couple of the Sellers were so fast Shipping the Orders that I was Impressed.  And getting my Halloween Vintage Collectibles before Halloween also meant I could Display them this Year in my Halloween Vignettes too.   I'm expecting the rest soon, I haven't checked the Mail Today, so I might have some delivered?   LATER:  Yep, Two of the Vintage Halloween Noisemakers arrived that I Bought from E-Bay Sellers.   Now I just have another Order from "Pocket Full Of Heirlooms" while Brandy had 20% Off her Merch... and a TJ Maxx Vampire Lips Coffee Mug from "Poshmark" that I've been looking for ever since I saw one a few Years ago and neglected to Buy it.

This Year I actually found said Mug at The Goodwill and Bought it way back in early September.  But, when I got it Home and peeled off the Price Sticker, they'd deliberately and sneakily put it directly over some damage on the Mug!  A Crack and Chip completely hidden by the Price Tag, so, I took it back and demanded a Refund.  Usually they don't do Refunds on Seasonal Merch but the Manageress could clearly see how Tricky her Pricers had been to Hide the damage and that no Customer could see it until it was Purchased and they peeled the Price Tag off to reveal said damage.   I was so disappointed and hadn't found another one of these Mugs Locally ever, just the once at our Antique Mall, and the other secondhand one of damaged New Old Stock that Goodwill had, which, with it's damage, was something they shouldn't have even Sold.   So, I have been trawling Online Auctions to find one, and at a Price I'd be willing to Pay.

Around this Season and Holiday is when I usually add to my Collections.  I don't really Buy a lot for other Holidays, including Christmas, and have been Downsizing what I already had for those Holiday's Decor.   Easy to Sell Vintage and Specialty Line Holiday Decor and Collectibles.  Even previous Lines from TARGET's "Hyde & Eek" Line can command incredible Profits at Resale, becoz they were a One Year Limited Edition that was Madly Popular.   So, I've often Sold Off some of their previous Lines that I wasn't as attached to and knew I could really Profit from Reselling Years later.   This Year's "Hyde & Eek" Line wasn't that Special tho', it was mostly little Whimsical Fabric Felt Birds wearing various Costumes... and they didn't Sell Out and still have a lot in Inventory of them, so, not as Popular as previous Lines.  {See Below}

They're Whimsical and Cute, but, not for me.  Their Dia de los Muertos Line was nice, but spartan, they Sold Out quickly, I barely could Photograph any of that before you just couldn't find it anymore at any of their Locations.   Like I said before, even the Big Box Stores are lean on Inventory this Year and had Empty Shelves almost immediately and not really Aisles and Aisles of stuff when they first Stocked it either.   So, if you didn't get in the Halloween Buying Mood by early September, you were Shit out of Luck to really get anything.   By the first of October, hardly any was left and they were already rolling Christmas Merch out to replenish their empty Holiday Aisle Shelves.   I just can't get into Christmas in early October.   I just can't Rush my favorite Season of Autumn and my favorite Holiday of Halloween, and banish any of it, until the Day after Thanksgiving actually.   To do each Season Justice and each Holiday, I do think you can't warp speed forward too many Months.  Especially since we still have Triple Digits of Temps to this Day!

LATER:  The Event at the Gardens was really lovely and we got there an Hour before it began so they moved our Dinner Reservation up from 6:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. at "Gertrude's", which proved to be handy, crowds hadn't arrived yet, so, no Sensory Overload Risks for The Man.  He had the Elk Chops, which came with a Parsnip & Celery Puree, Lingonberry Yogurt Sauce and Roasted Squash.  He LOVED it and almost licked the Plate clean.  *Smiles*  No playing and fussing with that Dish, he gobbled it up and didn't tarry.  *LOL*  I had the Honeydew Melon Starfruit Cucumber Gazpacho and a Roasted Root Vegetable and Greens Salad.  And the Berry Basil Lemonade.  Divine, I LOVE their Gazpacho and their Presentation of everything is always Eye Candy.   Photos in next Post with Photos of the Event.

The Man did very well with all the Walking, it was handy we got there before it got really Dark or really Crowded, since, in the Dark, even my footing and Eyesight is questionable and it's not always level ground.  We were early enuf we got our Free Books at the Witch's Library, I got us Two Cookbooks and they gave us a 3rd Free Book that was a Native American Foods Cookbook, since a Tribal Member was there handing them out and promoting Tribal Traditional Desert Cuisine.  That one is my favorite Book of the Trio actually and a nice Surprise.  The Unicorns and Fairies were Adorable, Two Miniature White Ponies dressed in Unicorn Costume and so well behaved at just standing there with their Two Handlers, Young Pretty Girls dressed as Fairies, letting everyone take Pixs and Pet them.  I think the Ponies were probably very Old and don't move around much anyway?  Some Kids thought they were taking a Nap... and, they could be Right?  *LOL* 

Almost all Children were in their Halloween Costumes, so, even if we don't get a lot of Trick-Or-Treaters at our House, it was so much Fun to see all the Children in Costumes there instead.   Families had wisely brought Strollers and Wagons to carry the Free Pumpkins around, since, most Kiddos insisted on choosing them when they arrived when Selection was best.  So, they'd have to Walk around the whole Gardens schlepping Pumpkins.  *LOL*  And all Kids were so well behaved and well Supervised, a totally different Demographic of Parent tends to go to Cultural Events and it shows, their Children act more Cultured and not Feral.  *Smiles and Winks*  The G-Kid Force grew up going to Cultural Events and we were always complimented on how well Behaved they both were... and they still are in fact.  It does make a profound difference and impact in what and where you Expose Kids to.  They will Learn to Act more Refined in a more Refined setting.  Above:  Is a Retro Coffee Carafe that I reluctantly Let Go of and am Selling at the Showroom, the Money will be more Beneficial than Keeping it.

The Man and I have decided we want Experiences now over Stuff being Kept, so it Helps us to Purge Possessions when we delegate some of the Profits towards doing enjoyable things with the proceeds.  It can't all be just Bill Paying and erasing of pesky Debts, or, the Motivation to Let Go isn't as Painless.  *Winks*   Granted the vast majority is being used to eliminate the Debt Load we incurred having a Mortgage again and all the necessary expensive Home Improvements we've had since moving here... but, I set aside enuf that I can sometimes Buy something indulgent, like, The Man's fancy Elk Chops Dinner.  *Bwahahahaha*  He can't really go Hunting them anymore due to the extent of his Disabilities now, so, it's the next best thing, and watching him devour them was worth anything I had to Sell Off to fund whatever he wanted to Order at a Fancy Restaurant.   The Manageress was Adorable, she came to our Table and said, "Well, didn't see you for a Year and now here you are in my Restaurant Twice in One Day!"  *Bwahahahaha*   Below: One of my Antique Halloween Purchases off E-Bay... all have Arrived now.

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Happy Halloween from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian