Terrified Is A Pretty Good Place To Start

 

I'm lethargic Today and I don't know if I just wiped myself out having a Fun Day at the Event, or, just lacking Energy in general?   I woke up tired.  And, as the Day wears on, I'm not feeling particularly more Energetic or Motivational to do much of anything.  I spent about 10 Minutes in The RV Garage Mahal making a small Vignette before I Tapped Out.   The Vignette looks Cute, and it's on top of my newly purchased Mercantile Haberdashery Cabinet, but, Seriously, it was not much to do in order to feel like I couldn't do any more!   I'm glad I got my Halloween Decorating done early, or, it might not have gotten done at all?!   I did put up my newly purchased Halloween items bought, like my Green Entomology Beetle Trio and Creepy Dour Old Victorian Lady in long Black Dress Tintype Photo.

Those tiny Halloween Decor Smalls are easy to tuck around in Vignettes already existing, so, takes no real Energetic Efforts.  *LOL*  And it was Fun to then Photograph them, since, it's looking very Holiday Appropriately Festive Inside the Home now.  The Adult Kids enjoy it more than I thought they did, since, they generally don't join in on the doing of Decorating for Holidays anymore like they did when Small.   But, The Son, Princess T, and even The Daughter from where she's at in Mexico, applauded how it all looks and says it Feels like Halloween now.   They would have been disappointed if I didn't do it, since, I've always done it, and so, it's expected I guess.  Who knew?  *LOL*   The Man even noticed and said something complimentary about it.  He's not a "Holidays Person" and I think perhaps he grew up with his Family not doing much Decorating for Holidays?

 

I recall my Parents enjoying Holidays and Mom liked Decorating her Home for anything or everything Festive or Seasonal.  She took great Pride in her Home and it always was a Showcase of Style and a very Bohemian Spirit.  Our Home never looked like anyone else's Home when I was growing up, and not matter how financially limited they were, my Parents always managed to make it look Opulent.   Both were very Creative and Resourceful, and, they recognized Quality and The Good Stuff.   They'd always Buy the very best of everything they could afford and Trade Up as they went along.   They were Consummate Collectors and had a Good Eye and Taught us the Knowledge they had about it all.  I've done the same with our Kids and the Grandkids we Raised.   And, I've Supported them all being Authentic to Self.

Tonight Rusty took Princess T to the Pumpkin Patch to pick out her Pumpkin to carve.  Usually she and I do that so I'm glad he's taking her if she still wants to do that this Year with him instead.  She got all dolled up to go pick out Pumpkins.  *LOL*   She looked adorable so it's more like a Date than just going to a Pumpkin Patch with your Grandma.  *Smiles*  She's always roped Guys into coming to the House to Carve Jack O'Lanterns with her every Year.  If she didn't have a Boyfriend at the time she'd have Timmy and Matthew come over to carve them with her.   It was sweet to see older Teens enjoying doing that together and not feel like they'd outgrown such simple pleasures during the Holidays.  I haven't bought any Real Pumpkins this Year yet, but, I've Photographed some nice ones I've seen at the Stores.  I like the Heirloom Varieties, very interesting looking. 

And some of the most unlikely places had some of the best Pumpkins this Year, like SUPER TARGET!   Yes, I might go back and buy some within the Week, I usually don't Carve the Heirloom kind since they are notoriously hard to Carve, very thick Walls, but, they last a long time, sometimes clear thru 'til Summer!!!   I try to find some with great Stems since I always keep the Stems for Fabric Art Projects like Fabric Pumpkins.   And, I've often given Stems to Industry Friends who Create Fabric Pumpkins, I always have an abundance of them since if I do go to a Pumpkin Patch I bring a Green Bag and ask the Staff if I can glean any Stems that are off the Pumpkins and they always oblige, they're not gonna do anything with them.   We got all our Halloween Candy at TARGET Today and some Halloween size Individual Snacks, which come in handy for the Kiddos to take to Work for their Breaks.

I Love the Halloween Line and Dia de los Muertos Line that TARGET always carries, a different one each Season.   So, I had Fun Photographing some of that too while we were there, to utilize for Blog Fodder Imagery.   So, I do have plenty of fresh Holiday Eye Candy now and won't run out.   I Hope it helps get you in the Mood, if you aren't already?  *Winks*  Tonight is "Halloween Wars", "Halloween Baking Championship" and "Outrageous Pumpkins".  I'm so glad I'm no longer Working Sunday Nights so I don't miss any of my fav Halloween Shows on a Sunday Night.   I just saw a Preview of a new Horror Movie and the best Line of the Trailer I've used now as my Blog Post Hook Title... "Terrified is a pretty good place to start."  *LMAO... Brilliant Line that could become a Classic, isn't it?"   

The Son and I watched a Brilliant Horror Thriller called "Unhinged" {2020} starring Russel Crowe, who must have put on weight to be about 350 lbs. for that part!  It was terrific, but kept you Anxious thru the whole thing, with no breaks in the Heart pounding Terror of it!  Another really good Thriller was "A Sacrifice" {2024} starring Eric Bana, which takes place in Germany and delves into Cults as a Topic.   Princess T had gone to a Drive-In Movie with Timmy and Matthew, their Treat, to watch a Clown Horror Movie "Terrifier 3" which she said was really bad, none of the Kiddos would recommend it... tho' it has it's Fans among Younger Movie Goers, which is why it's gotten to the point of a Trilogy.   She was disappointed in it, saying it was gory in a ridiculous way for the sake of over the top shock factor that was gruesomely obscene like some kind of low budget Horror Porn.  *LMAO as she relayed Scenes of some of what she meant by that.*

Above is my Vintage Pharmacy Jar full of Wooden Game Pieces.   Funny how nobody was noticing it at all, until I was holding it in the checkout line and then it sparked Interest from several people.   Below is my Antique Black Cat Halloween Noisemaker.   I've got some Vintage Halloween coming via E-Bay Auctions I Won, sometimes that's where you can now only find the Vintage Halloween Merch, it's scarce around these parts, especially at prices I'd be willing to pay for it whenever I can even find it anywhere.  It seems most Local Sellers are more in Love with their Merchandise than I'd be to Own it.  *Smiles*   I like the Old Metal Halloween Noisemakers from the 1920-1960 Eras, I remember those being handed out from some people when you went Door to Door as a Kid Trick-Or-Treating.   I liked getting something like that more than Candy, since I've never had a Sweet Tooth.

So, yeah, over the Years I've tried to Buy Back some of my Nostalgic Childhood and add it to my Vintage Halloween Collectibles.  *Smiles*  I've got some Bids in that I haven't yet Won, we'll see how Lucky I get?  There is sometimes fierce competition for Vintage Halloween, so, I only put in an Opening Bid and don't get into a Bidding War for any of it.  Most Consummate Collectors of it have Deep Pockets for what they want and are willing to Pay for it.   And, even Online, some Sellers have stratospheric Price Points on their Vintage Halloween, so, I don't know if they're reluctant to actually wanna Sell it, or feel they can get those inflated Prices for it?   Anything is only ever worth what someone is willing to Pay for it.   I do my Due Diligence before placing any Bids on anything and a Seller can entice me by providing Free Shipping so that it doesn't add to my Costs... or offering a Buy It Now Option, so what I'm willing to Pay, I know I can just immediately Buy It Now at that Price.

Example:  At our Antique Mall a Vendor had one of these Witch Noisemakers, some have the Tambourine Feature, some don't, it's a relatively large Noisemaker Four Inches across.  She was asking way too much for it but I liked it, so I started looking for one Online.   Sellers wanted anywhere from $19-$165 for the same thing, depending a lot on Condition.  I Scored one on a Buy It Now Feature for the $19 and Free Shipping.   The one pictured above was $165... mine below was $19.   They are the same Size, mine just doesn't have Tambourine Cymbals sticking out the sides and makes it's noise by spinning from a Handle instead.  The Awesome Witch Graphic is the identical one tho' and tho' mine has a few scratches from use and Age, I'm Fine with paying so much less, becoz, I want The Look.  It will arrive well before Halloween to add to a current Vignette for this Year.  Then it will go in my Vintage Halloween Cabinet Of Curiosities on permanent Display.

I just think you can't beat the Vintage Halloween Graphics.  I'm actually Glad that the major Makers of Halloween have resurrected some of their most Popular Vintage Halloween as Reproductions of the Originals they made way back when... Companies like Beistle.  I'm not opposed to Buying Repops of things like Halloween Paper Decorations in Vintage Graphics.  I have some Real Deal, but, they're so Fragile and weren't made to last, so, it's easier to utilize a Reproduction with similar Graphics and not worry about damaging it.  The Real Deal I keep in a Display Cabinet behind Glass to protect them.   There are now Repops on Halloween Costumes from some of the well known Makers too, some enlarged Masks of the Old Classics, to use specifically for Display purposes.    Often the Boxes/Packaging was as Cool as the Contents and had Awesome Graphics too.

As a Kid our Family couldn't afford to Buy Store Bought Costumes, so we always made our own and improvised.   They only did just One Year and even tho' looking back, those Costumes weren't expensive, it made me realize how Low Income we actually were.   How Sacrificial it was for our Parents when they did Buy Store Bought things like that for us.   So, that One Year we had Store Bought Mr. and Mrs. Bugaboo Costumes for my Brother and I, mine had a big Rubber Black Widow Spider on the Mask, which looked rather like a Gypsy Woman's Face... and my Brother's had a big Rubber Green Lizard on the Mask.   We could hardly Breathe thru the damned things and I recall the Mask was Glow In the Dark but See-Thru, so our Skin was visible underneath, and it all fogged up and got beaded moisture from our Breath and we ended up spending most of the time wearing the Masks up on top of our Heads.  *LOL*  And the Costume Suit was some kind of Plastic like a Plastic Tablecloth Material and enlarged so it could fit over Winter Clothing.

That was handy, since, at the time we lived in Upper Michigan when K.I. Sawyer still had an Air Force Base and my Dad was Stationed there during the Vietnam Era.   Well, when he wasn't sent off to Vietnam to fight the War there.   I recall the Year we got the Store Bought Costumes was around the time he was in Vietnam and so probably my Mom got them for us as a distraction so we wouldn't be thinking about our Dad being in a dangerous situation at War.  At the time, a lot of the Vietnam War was being shown in Real Time on TV coverage and we were terrified to look at The News lest we see our Dad on there as an injured Soldier!  He came back Physically whole, but, as most Veterans of War do, Mentally Scarred from the Experience and Horrors of War.  We couldn't slam a Car Door for YEARS or he'd hit the Ground and take Cover.  The Man is the same, the 4th of July is always hard for him still... he's been in numerous Wars and Mentally as well as Physically Scarred from so much Combat.

It's why I get so angry that the Cowardly 45, who had his Rich Daddy pay off a Doc Friend to fake a Medical problem with alleged Bad Feet when he was Young {But, nothing apparently Wrong with his Feet now and he's almost 80}, so he wouldn't have to Serve his Country and go to Vietnam.   Yet, he's got the gall to diss our real Patriots of the Military who do and have Served our Country with Honor and Bravery, saying he considers them Suckers and Losers!  Offending our Gold Star Families whose Loved Ones made the ultimate Sacrifice.  And saying nobody wants to have to 'See' our Disabled Veterans!!!   Plus, making Fun of John McCain's Disability and Capture, where he was a long time Prisoner of War and suffered horrendous Torture!!!   Then goes and Dishonors our Military Cemetery for a Photo Op and disobeying the Rules you must abide by while there as a Guest!!!   Says we should Execute one of our finest Generals for his own personal vendetta!!!  He is a Disgrace and Offensive to our Military Families.  He has no Honor and isn't fit to be Commander In Chief of our Military.

 

  I know the Sacrifices that Generations of our Families have made to our Country by Serving in the Military and preserving Freedom, at Home and Abroad.   The fact this Demented Cowardly Asshole wants to strip Americans of their hard Won Freedoms now at his own whims and to appease Extremist Fanatics who would prefer a Theocracy or Autocracy, just Angers me.  Okay, so got that off my Chest... I'm more Centered now.  *LOL*   A Friend of mine said it best when she mused that anyone who wants to live in a Country run by Men and Religion should just move to a Country like Iran... and see how that works out for them.   The Average American has absolutely no point of reference as to what that really would be like living under such a Regime and Fanatical Theocratic Oppression that is very prone to Violence and Atrocities to preserve and enforce their extreme Dogma.

The Man wanted to go to Bed very early and my Computer is in a Corner of our Bedroom, so, I'll have to suspend working on this Post for Tonight.   I thoroughly enjoyed "Halloween Wars" earlier in the Evening, but have had trouble with sustaining sufficient Interest in "Outrageous Pumpkins".  I want to like it more than I actually find that I do not like it all that much this Season.   When you have Adult ADHD, it's hard to focus if your Interest wanes even just a bit and cannot hold your Attention.   Sometimes the Competition seems too rushed and so the quality of the Displays suffers for it.  I'd rather they give them more time to put out fabulous Displays and show what they're capable of.   Then you'd really know whose the Best of the Best and worthy of Winning the Grand Prize, IMO.

I thought I'd Sleep In on Monday Morning since the Granddaughter doesn't Work Mondays, but, I'm so used to getting up Early now I didn't.  Plus, The Man wakes even earlier and once he's up he's loud and I'm sure he does it purposefully to try to wake everyone else up?  He's like a Child that way now and Yes, it's just as annoying as when a Kid does it to you.  *Insert Resting Bitch Face since I am NOT a Morning Person*   He's crumpling his Plastic Lipton Tea Bottles, which, he doesn't HAVE to do to throw them away in the Recycle Bin in the Kitchen, I think it just makes a satisfyingly loud crunch for him.  *Eye Roll*   At least he went out of our Bedroom to be noisy.   When he sits in the Media Chair in here, which is on my Side of the Bed, Sighing and Fidgeting, well, when THAT Wakes me up angrily, he knows damned well some retribution is going to be exacted.  If I Wake Up in a Mood becoz of his antics, well, he is NOT gonna have a Good Day either, Trust and Believe.  *LOL*

Having Raised Two Generations of Children and been responsible for Taxi Service to and from Schools and then Work for The Asylum Crew and help them often get ready, plus Full Time Caregiving, well, Sleep at all has been a Rare Luxury for Yours Truly.   So, tho' I'd rather Wake with the Joy of Jesus in my Heart and truly TRY to if nobody Tests or Triggers me, it is something I have to TRY to do on Purpose.  *LOL*   And when I have the Luxury of Sleeping In, well, I don't want anyone fucking that up for me either, Okay?  I will Wake Cranky for damned sure on that Day!  Fatigue and Sleep depravation is not something conducive to being a Cheerful Human and the Best Version of Yourself, let us just say.  Tired Dawn is likely not going to be having Dawn Of The Light be the best dominant Personality being Fronted unless I really, really, force myself not to let Dark Dawn out of the Bag and be unleashed.  *Winks*

But, what I usually do, if Awakened prematurely, is sit here at the Computer and Blog a bit, which brings me back to Center and is soothing to my Soul.  *LOL*  Yep, you all are still way Cheaper than Therapy.  However, Mister Eli, The Cat, when he Hears the Keyboard Tapping, will start his Yowling for Breakfast.  *Le Sigh and Smiles*  It's Amazing to me he can Hear it, but he does, and Mornings is when he gets his Canned sloppy Food and gets his Litterbox Cleaned out with fresh Litter and Deodorizer, and his Water levels checked, so, he's Anxious for all of that, Naturally.  *Smiles*   I just bought him some more of his Canned Fancy Feast when we were at TARGET and I agonize over the Flavors as if I'm gonna eat that shit.  *LMAO*   

Saying shit like, "Oh, he'll like this one, it's Trout... oh, and this one's Salmon, Shrimp and Sole Feast!"  And The Man in tow, who really likes good Seafood, will say that the damned Cat is Eating better than he is.  Becoz he likes Trout and Salmon, Shrimp and Sole Feasts too!!!  *LMAOROTF*   And then I'll counter with the Fact that Eli's Servings only cost me Eighty-Nine Cents each and he eats every bite of it in Minutes, but a Restaurant Serving for The Man will cost me over Twenty Bucks a Serving and he'll wanna take most of it Home to reheat later and stink the whole House up!!!  *Snicker and OMG Ewww*   Or worse, he'll forget he has it in the Fridge and I have to keep track of the number of Days it's been in there, so he doesn't get Food Poisoning by eating Bad Fish if he then remembers or... forgets to throw it out and then the Fridge reeks of spoiled Fish!!!  *Ugh*

We actually have a Rule now that if we're at a Restaurant and he Orders Seafood at all, he must eat all the Seafood or it gets left behind.  And then I'll be seething that we spent the Money on it and he didn't actually eat it.  He's notorious for Ordering shit he doesn't eat, sits and moves it around the plate like a Child playing with their Food, then say he's NOT Hungry!!!   And wants to then take it To Go, then never eats it here either, but has a Hissy Fit if one of the Kiddos asks if they can eat it so it's not wasted!?   I tell them just don't ask in front of him, go ahead and eat it, if he miraculously does remember it, I'll just tell him he already ate it.  *LOL*  Listen, he should have ate it at the damned Restaurant and it's not like he'll never eat again.   One of our Guilty Pleasures is taking ourselves out for a nice Meal cooked for us by someone else and he likes the Experience even if he sometimes fails to consume the Food while we're there and can't keep to Task!

Hey, it works and avoids Drama and a Headache, coz with his Memory Care Issues, he recalls next to nothing within Five Minutes.  If he says he doesn't remember eating it, I just deadpan, "Well, you did..." and keep going about my business uninterrupted, Case Closed, Keep on Truckin'.  I know, I know, I'm going to Hell, but... whatever... I said shit like that to Two Generations of Kids too, in order to avoid hassles with them all Melting Down over fucking trifles.  *Evil Cackle*  I made up Names of Food so they'd eat them too.  It wasn't until they were Grown and couldn't find one of their Favorites of Childhood "Popcorn Fish" at the Grocers, that they asked me where I got it and I said, "Oh, it's Fried Clams..."   *Bwahahahaha*  

Hey, they'd of never even have TRIED it if I'd Served it as Fried Clams... but Popcorn Fish is Appealing to a Child and they LOVED them coz they didn't know what the Hell they were Eating!!!   *Winks*  With Kids and Brain Damaged Old Men, the Devil is in the Details my Friends and you just choose your Battles Wisely and Strategically or you'd be Battle Weary in no time!!!   Psychology works wonders, my Parents used it on us all the time, especially Reverse Psychology, where they'd give us Permission to do something most Kids figure is Forbidden and thus a Temptation they're gonna for sure Rebel against.   Like Smoking and Drinking for example.  My Dad didn't want us doing either, especially the latter, given that his People have a problem with the Fire Water and he knew we'd be more prone to Alcoholism than the average Non-Indian.

And so, when each of us Kids turned 13, he took us aside and told us we could Drink a good Wine or Liqueur at Home with our Meals and he'd Buy it from the Fine Restaurants he Worked at on his 2nd Job.  He was also in the Military, but always worked a Civilian Job as a Master Chef at Fine Restaurants too.   He didn't want us sneaking around with our Friends drinking shit Kids buy behind their Parent's Back to Rebel, like Mad Dog 20-20 or Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill.  *LOL*   So, while my Friends were drinking that shit I got exposed to Good Wines and Liqueurs that my Dad's Boss gave him, but, my Parents didn't Drink, so they saved it for Guests and this Lesson for us.  *Smiles*   And, I never liked any of it and had Permission... so... it had zero Appeal and thus, I never really Drank and became everyone else's Designated Driver for Years.  My Brother doesn't drink either, probably for the same reasons.

Neither of us Smoke either, becoz when we turned 13 and our Friends were Sneaking around behind their Parent's Backs Smoking... my Dad, at Age 13, said we could Smoke, but we had to Buy our own damned Cigarettes.  He and Mom Smoked during that Era, Mom eventually gave it up, he never did.   But, becoz we had permission, and came from a Smoking Household, and HATED Cigarette Smoke and how bad it Smells on Smokers... my Brother and I never Smoked either, never even wanted to.   The Man even gave up Smoking and Drinking when he met me, and he came from a strict Mormon Upbringing where both were Forbidden... go figure!   *LOL*   His Parents and Siblings were Amazed that I convinced him to give both up, since, the entire Family had been unable to for Years.   I guess I'm just Scarier if you don't take me Seriously, becoz I definitely don't fucking Play, I dunno???!!!!!  *Winks and Snicker*

I just told him that if we were going to be a Couple, he wasn't allowed to Smoke IN the Home or Smell like a fucking Ashtray.  Plus, The Son is Asthmatic and when he was a Kid, he couldn't be around bad Air or he'd end up in the ER.  Go Figure that as an Adult, he Smokes tho' and knows it's ridiculous for an Asthmatic to... but, my Prodigal Spawn did a lot of dangerous shit that was Addictive, so, Reverse Psychology didn't always Work on them like it did with my Brother and I.   And, with The Man, I told him that if you Drink, don't dare come Home Drunk, coz my Ex was a raging Violently unpredictable Mean Alcoholic and that's a For Certain Trigger for me and I'll Leave your Ass too, in a Heartbeat... oh, and take Half for my Troubles!  *Winks*   He doesn't miss Smoking or Drinking and frankly, I think he did both to smite his Family and Rebel, since the Fundie Religious thing was just not for him.

I mean, the Mormons won't leave him Alone, it's like they put a Chip in their People to Track them, I swear.  *Bwahahahaha*   When nobody else can Find you, they can, Trust and Believe, it's fucking Creepy!   Anyway, they leave me Alone, since... well, they've MET me.  *Winks and Snicker*   The Man says it's becoz they're convinced he's Married to a Witch... or something they just don't wanna Mess with... and, when Invited inside, well, they can SEE the House... he could be Right???   *Bwahahahahaha*   And the Jehovah's Witnesses know that the Mormons are like JW's on Crack, so, if they come around I just sic The Man on them to debate extreme Religion.  He's not a Member in Good Standing, but, he got all the indoctrination, so can still recite it until you crack and run off, which, they always do.   Or, if they meet The Young Prince in Drag... looking like Tim Curry in "Rocky Horror Picture Show" as he comes to the Door to Greet them and Invite them Inside.  *LOL*

Yes, at the Villa McManse my Grandson met the Jehovah's Witnesses canvasing the Neighborhood at the Front Door at 9:00 A.M. in total Drag and invited them in.  They declined and were afraid to even pass by our Home without walking quickly, he made such a lasting impression in his Red and Black Sexy Bustier Corset, Daisy Dukes, Fishnet Stockings, Make-Up, long Mani Fingernails and Deep Voice.  *LMAOROTF*   He'd been doing his Tik-Tok Video when they'd shown up and we weren't Home, we'd gone out for Breakfast.   Much later the same JW's were canvasing the Hood and quickly walked by our Home while I was outside Gardening... just nodding and saying they'd  already Met The Grandson.   *LOL*

And, since he'd told us the Story of that Morning, well, no Surprise they weren't gonna Stop by.  I was out there with my Long Dreadlocks and a Scarf Wrap looking like a Voodoo Priestess.  I don't know what Talisman's the JW's would have to Ward Off The Grandson AND I? *Bwahahahahahahaha*   The Mormon Missionaries they send to talk to The Man always seem uncomfortable around me, so I usually just leave him to get rid of them himself.   They're always very Young Wholesome looking Boys the Ages of my Adult Grandkids, so I'm Kind about it.  They're just doing what they've been Raised and Instructed to do to get into Heaven or where ever they go in the Afterlife if you've been a Good Mormon?  *LOL*  

Hey, to each their own, I show Respect for anyone's Belief Systems so long as they don't force it upon me or get to where it's such Cult Devotion it's deeply disturbing.  Religious Extremes have been responsible for more Humanitarian related Atrocities than anything else.  Bad Religion is downright dangerous.   And History bears Witness to that unfortunate and shameful Fact.   Bad Religion and Bad Politics are responsible for a Host of Social Ills and Crimes against Humanity that Society has had to endure over the Centuries.   I'm a deeply Spiritual Person and want to Honor God, but I am distrustful of most Organized Religion and their Leadership especially.   And when you talk to a lot of people they've been hurt more by those who profess to be 'Religious' than by anyone Secular, which is not a good Testimony or bearing a Good Witness for The Lord IMO.   Wearing a String of Pearls doesn't make you an Oyster anymore than attending any particular Church makes you Godly.

Anyway, onwards to how I expect the Day to play out now that I'm up early.  *LOL*   Yesterday I got such a late start that the Day was almost over before I headed out the Door to do what needed to get done.  Today I Vow to do better, but, here I sit Blogging in my Jammies and feeling quite Content with that... so... I dunno.  *LOL*  Tho' I had The Man in tow all Day Yesterday, he tends to have separation Anxiety and stick to me like Glue, he'll ask me where I'm going if I just head for the Bathroom!   I'll quip, "To use the Bathroom, Why, wanna come?"  *LOL*   I can't just dump him on Princess T on her Day Off with a clear conscience, so, no ditching him Today either.   And it's hard to know what he can tolerate these Days, Yesterday began to deteriorate at Sundown, since he gets Sundowners bad.  *Look it up, Yes, it's a Thing*

I'm not quite down inside the House with decluttering, got a bit stalled out on 90% Done, since, now it involves clearing off the Diningroom Table, which got badly cluttered and is where I pay the Bills.  We never actually Eat there except during Holidays, so it's more an Aesthetic Project to clear it off of what's unnecessary or Decorative.   And, what I use for Bill Paying really needs to stay there at one Chair's spot so that I can find everything needed to do that all efficiently too.   I'm a Creature of Habit at this Season of my Life so if I change things up too much in my Housekeeping and Decluttering Projects, then I can't locate a damned thing and forgot where I might have stashed it.  *Le Sigh and LOL*   I am getting somewhat Forgetful myself, which, is probably a Normal amount of Forgetfulness as you're fast approaching Seven Decades on the Planet.  But, it is bothersome when you're responsible for so much and cannot have lapses.

  

So, the Halloween Stash was dumped in a couple of Bowls now, a Halloween Porcelain Cauldron and an Antique Mixing Bowl.   And the Halloween Sized Snacks into our Snack Antique Crock, for the Kiddos to take to Work for their Breaks.  I don't have a Sweet Tooth so it's no Temptation for me, tho' I did forget how much I do like Sugar Babies... *Smiles*  So, the Trick-Or-Treaters might not get any of those.  *Winks*   I mostly Buy Chocolates since Princess T and I don't eat Chocolate, so we don't get into the stash we've bought to hand out.  But, The Man and The Son do, hence, I Buy more than I know we'll need for handing out.  I was Surprised how much of the Halloween Candy the Stores are almost already out of!   And when we got to the Register at TARGET with our unhealthy amount of Candy and Halloween Snacks in miniature Individual sizes, the Cashier casually asks us if we get a lot of Trick-Or-Treaters?   And when we says NO, she Laughed heartily, I guess she hears that a lot?  *Smiles*

I must say the Bagged Lot of Zapp's New Orleans Kettle Style Voodoo Potato Chips are pretty good, very much like our Local Poore Brothers Potato Chips.  We once lived a Block from where Poore Brothers has their Plant and you could smell what Flavor of Potato Chips they were Producing on any given Day, it smelled Sublime.  *LOL*   A lot of the Bagged Snack Sized Product is downsized a little more for Halloween distribution and makes the Packaging Holiday appropriate, so, it gives you more Servings in smaller Sizes per Jumbo multi pack Box of them.  So I always load up for the Kids for Snacks, Lunches and Breaks at Work.  Otherwise it's a fortune spent on the Vending Machines at Work.  I'd rather they give me the Money they'd of spent and I'll be more frugal and get more Bang for their Buck.  *Smiles*  Plus, the Two Cookie Oreo Halloween Size Serving is Just Right as a Ration of them for The Man.  *Winks*

He has no Restraint and he is an Insulin Diabetic, so, tho' I don't deprive him of Treats, I do Monitor them for him or he'd be in a Diabetic Coma.  We don't punish the whole Family for his lack of Restraint by banning everything he shouldn't have from the whole Household.   Everyone just watches him like a Hawk to keep him Honest and from Bogarting everyone else's stuff I Buy specifically for their use.  *Smiles*   I did take him out for Dinner Yesterday and we went to "Appleby's" and I got the Wonton Tacos, which I just Love, even tho' it's an Appetizer and small portion, it's Just Enough for me.   I got Boneless Buffalo Wings to Share with the Kiddos, so took half of that Home for them.  The Man had the Mac N Cheese with Chicken Tenders and a Breadstick, but then also Ordered the Tomato Soup.  I knew he was Ordering too much and would only eat the Soup... I was Right, so all of the Below went Home with him.  *Le Sigh*

Tho' he will likely remember to Eat these leftovers, since he does like Macaroni and Cheese, so, it wasn't likely to end up Wasted, so, I didn't Protest.   And it wasn't such a large portion, and it means I won't have to Cook for him, so, works for me too.  *Smiles*  He's as fussy an Eater as Princess T, so I don't like Cooking for either one of them, it's a big hassle to.  Most of the time you prepare a nice Meal and they don't want it and refuse to even eat it.   Princess T becoz she only Eats about Four Foods on the whole Planet... and him becoz he won't Eat anything Healthy and only wants Unhealthy fare, which, I never Cook for myself.  His side of the Family seem to like fattening Foods and it shows, most of them are overweight.   Our side of the Family like Healthy Foods and tend to be lean and Skinny most of our Lives.  I didn't get Fat until I had a Hysterectomy.  I don't eat large portions, Junk Food or Fattening Food, don't even like it. 

 

When I go to a Buffet I'm always shocked at how much Food the average American there is putting on their Plates!  Holy Mother of God, even their small Children are eating more in one sitting than I'd be Eating for an entire Day, mebbe Two Days!!!   Such Gluttony is not what you see when you Travel around the rest of the World.   No Wonder America has such a problem with Obesity!   The Daughter, having lived in Mexico for close to 20 Years, said it took some getting used to how much Food Americans consume on a Daily Basis.   She's always been Skinny her whole Life, but, she said she hadn't really realized, in spite of our Family's Healthy eating habits, how much more Food most folks here put on their Plates for a Single Meal and manage to eat it all!!!   And then often go back for Seconds!   We'll sit there at a Buffet, her and I, and marvel over it!   There will be a Two Year Old in a High Chair at a Table next to us eating more than either of us have on our Plates!  And we're Full!  We're like, where's that Baby putting it??!

And when I see Obese Children, I ain't gonna Lie, it makes me Sad and makes me Wonder if their Pediatrician is saying something to the Parents about how Unhealthy that is?  It's almost a form of Child Abuse IMO to allow a Child to become that overweight and risk the Health complications and even the Psychological harm it's sure to inflict.  Kids rely on the Responsible Adults to provide the Healthiest Environment, it's not like they're out there Buying their own Food and Cooking it up.  I Babysat once for a Friend's Daughter's Kid and she'd show up in the Mornings with a Toddler and Bags of Donuts to Feed her for Breakfast and Snacks!  Then she wondered why her Kid was a Sugar Fiend, overly animated and wound up tighter than Seven Day Clock, she was practically acting Feral!!!???   I refused to Feed that Baby the Donuts and would give her a Healthy and Age appropriate Breakfast and Serving Size.  She became a different Child with just small changes like that in her Dietary intake.  She liked the Healthy fare too once exposed to it.

I always had a Victory Garden of Herbs and Veggies on our Properties, so, I'd always take the Kiddos out to help Harvest it Fresh and for whatever Meal we might be preparing with it.  When Kids get to grow it and pick it themselves, they really enjoy it and then when you go out to Eat, they'll also Order something similarly Healthy instead of craving Fast Food or Junk Foods.   Our Kiddos will always choose a Vietnamese Restaurant over a McDonalds.  In fact, as Kids, the only thing they really wanted from a Fast Food Joint was the Free Toy that might come with the Kid's Meal.  *LOL*   Even tho' Princess T is notoriously fussy, her choice of what she likes is usually more Wholesome Fare and why at 19 she still is Thin, when a lot of her Peers at School were overweight.  Some of those Girls were bigger than me, and they were only in Junior High School, it was just Sad to me.   I'm still about 30 lbs. overweight, but even at 60 lbs. overweight I was in better Shape than most of those poor Children!

 

It is a delicate subject to broach with Parents tho' when their Kid is Obese, it's as if they refuse to acknowledge it.  And to be Fair, Fat Kids usually have Fat Parents too, so, it's clearly Lifestyle Choices to blame.  Or, mebbe the Mirrors in their Home aren't revealing to them that things have gotten out of Hand and they should address it before Health deterioration occurs and they end up on some Reality Show like My 600 Lb. Life?    And I know that some folks might have a Condition or have to be on Medications that makes Weight Gain inevitable.   Mebbe Gluttony isn't their particular problem.   So, I'm not without Sympathy there, like I said, after a Hysterectomy in spite of Good Diet and Exercise, then having Insulin Resistant Fat with having to be on certain Meds, it is a difficult Journey to regulate to a Healthiest Weight again.   But I don't pretend like it's Healthy or Okay to be out of Shape or Obese either.  And if you get to Morbidly Obese, it can cause premature Death or serious complications.

When I attend The Gym, I don't see a lot of Out of Shape People there and I attribute it to the Demographic that Exercising regularly and Eating Healthy attracts.  If you go to most Buffets, same Observations, I don't see a whole lot of Skinny folk sidling up to a Buffet, unless it's the Salad Bar or Sushi Bar there.   And, they usually will also have smaller portions like we have and so it's evident as to why they're in decent Shape overall.  They're not gorging just becoz it's an All You Can Eat Buffet and as if it's gonna be their Last Meal.   *LOL*   I know, I know, sensitive Subject matter and potentially Controversial... so, I expect some to Agree to Disagree about any or all of it, mebbe even take Offense?  *Winks*   The thing with Offenses is that you don't have to TAKE them tho', I usually just sidestep an Offense, whether it's intentional, accidental or unintentional, and breeze on past it.  Life is just less complicated that way and then you remain Unoffended by Choice.

Right now I'm Winning on Three of my Bids on E-Bay for Vintage Halloween Noisemakers I threw my Hat in the Ring for with an Opening Bid.   There's only 7 Hours to go on Two Bids and Six Days on a Box Lot of Noisemakers that I don't expect to Win unless nobody sees what a Deal it is?   Very unlikely, but, gotta Try, Right?  *Ha ha ha*  Often the Box Lots just don't get a lot of Attention becoz Bidders don't want everything in the Lot.  But, I Sell what I don't Keep, so, often it more than Pays for what I Kept, with Profit ta boot, so, Win-Win for me if I do Win the Auction.   The Box Lot I've Bid on has some Keepers and a few things I'll just Sell Off and my Profit Margins will be decent.   The Noisemakers I won't Keep are the Vintage New Year's Graphics ones and I'll Keep the Vintage Halloween ones.   The other Two Bids ending soonest are Single items and the Price Point was Fair and Reasonable, but not so Low as to glean too much Attention or initiate a Bidding War.

Even if I don't Win any of the Trio of Bids, it's Okay, becoz I got Two Buy It Now Items that I did Win.  I prefer The Buy It Now Feature actually, saves me Time and then I know I got what I wanted.  I don't Bid on a lot of things anymore, mostly Rarer and Hard to Source Collectibles I'm most Passionate about and still Building Collections of.   Vintage Halloween primarily since, over Years, you're Lucky to Source just a few Annually.   So, it's not like your Collection will get out of Hand if you don't Overpay for any of it.   Primo items don't come at a Bargain hardly ever anymore, so it's the Thrill Of The Hunt for those that are still a Bargain or Good Deal that I Live for.   As an Investment Vehicle, I've never gone Wrong with a Good Quality hard to Source Collectible, especially those in High Demand.   And Vintage Halloween is always in very High Demand.

I got The Man a very Early Christmas Pressy at our Antique Mall during my Friday Night Shift.  A Vendor had Marked some of their Imported elaborately Hand Carved Walking Canes way down and then I got another 15% off that price, so I got him this Dragon Cane at a really good price.  He's supposed to use a Cane but unless I get him really Fancy ones that people will stop him and comment on, he won't use them.  *Eye Roll*   I'll take a Good Cane on Hikes with me, mostly to use as a Weapon.  *Smiles*   Anyway, we have a nice Collection of really Interesting Art Canes I've Bought him over the Years.  The Young Prince even asked for some when they were here Visiting last and his Grandpa Gifted him with.  The Young Prince, like me, uses his as a Weapon, as a Trans Male, it's always a good Idea to be well Protected with how openly and unashamedly Hateful Society is becoming.

 

It's really Odd to me how many Millions of Dollars the Alt Right has spent on their Transphobia Campaign, when, it's not even a Voter "Issue" at all.   I haven't met a single Individual who feels Fearful or Threatened by Transgender People, their Community isn't a Threat to National Security like the Alt Right actually is.   You'd be a real fucking Weirdo if you were actually afraid of someone being Transgender, since, they pose no actual Threat to you, it's Imagined and Fabricated.  And their Community receiving appropriate Healthcare is none of your business any more than you receiving appropriate Healthcare is anyone else's business.  That's between them and their Health Professionals or Mental Health Professionals, stay out of it.  Just like Women's reproductive Rights and Care are nobody's business but that Woman, her Family and her Health Care Professionals... Period.   I don't want any Politician, Supreme Court or Religious Group dictating or interfering with any of our Healthcare or denying us Safe Access to it.  Or making Threats to us or our Doctors.

I do Hope the vast Majority of Voters put that nonsense to Bed once and for all so that the Majority Rules and not a Minority of Extremists that want to impose their Will and Beliefs upon the rest of us by force.   If you refuse that Healthcare, that's your Right... but, don't infringe upon the Rights of the rest of us with your Weirdo Extremist Values we don't Share at all.   And they are Weird, that was exactly the Right Word to use when it comes to so many of these Alt Right Beliefs and what they're trying to force upon the American People who don't want any part of it.   And, you can be a Real fucking Weirdo in America, you have the Freedom to be as fucking Weird as you wanna be.  I defend your Right to be a complete and utter Weirdo.  Worship and Live however you fucking want to, it's Fine with me.  Just, keep it in your own Lane and stay out of my Lane, that's all any of the rest of us is asking of you.  Mind your own business and stay out of everyone else's.

So, I've addressed all of the latest Hot Topics have I?  *Winks*  I'm getting ready to put some Day Clothes on and Migrate to Breakfast, I'm thinking of making a Pilgrimage to the East Valley to eat at "Snooze".  It's another gorgeous and Cooler Day, so I want to be out and about in it and take advantage of it before the Triple Digits come back, which the Weather People warn it is going to... dammit.   I've been trying to conclude this Post for a while now and can't seem to finish it.  There's a lot going on and my focus is scattered right now, I ain't gonna Lie.  We did get some more Good News from Mexico about the Middle Grandchild we're having Trouble finding adequate Placement for.  One of The Daughter's long time Male Friends, Sergio, and his Wife, have agree to take her in if the Immigration Issue cannot be resolved and the Child has to remain in Mexico.  She Loves him and his Family, they're the ones last time that let The Daughter and all Three Kids Live with them for Six Months after their Dad got shot and abducted, just so they'd be Safe. 

He is a successful Businessman, owns several Beachfront Businesses and has a fabulous McManse on the Beach with Acreage.  He owns Horses and Rents them out to Tourists.   His Home is like something out of Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous and they have Smaller Children that our Grandchild Loves to help them with.  So, all she has to do is help with their Kiddos so they can Work, which, she wants to Live there and so that's probably gonna be the very best Option actually.  She'll still be in her own Culture and Country, with People she's known all her Life, get to attend Schools she's familiar with there.   And, he and his Wife are very Traditional and Strict, so they can handle her and the Behavioral Challenges she has.  He has Children from a previous Marriage who are Grown, so, it's not his First Rodeo with Raising Kids.  *LOL*  He Adores our Daughter and they've been Friends almost 20 Years, he's helped her out a lot and always had a Room for her at any Property he's Owned.

I have a Peace about that arrangement and he'll Teach her how to Work at some of his Businesses, since, she wants to start Working and earning her own Money.  She's not very good in School due to her Learning Disabilities and being Behaviorally Challenged, but, she's a Quick Study and Smart, so, she'll do well with proper Instruction and Mentoring.  She's the one that took Care of her Ailing Grandmother for Years and became her Full Time Voluntary Caregiver without complaint.  It was Extreme Caregiving and would have been beyond most Adults to do, but that Kid did it with Love and Dedication since she Loved her Abuelita Maria so much.   She's a Good Kid, she's just a Special Needs Child, and Sergio is capable of handling that as is his Wife, and willing to, so, may God continue to Bless them richly.  They are answer to Prayer for us. 

 

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