Now Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding

 

Yes, it's a Silly intentional Post Title Hook, but I once had an argument with my Parents that Figgy Pudding actually was Real!  They thought I just made it up... I made them listen to the Old Christmas Song about it.  And I've never had any and want some just to see how it tastes?  *LOL*  I'm one of those Weirdos that really likes Fruitcake and it looks a lot like that.  We did go to our Favorite Italian Bakery and picked up some Homemade Fruitcake and a bunch of Italian Confections for Christmas.  Plus, I always get some to give to our Neighbors for Christmas, they Love the Mini Cannoli.   And, they were having Fire Oven Pizza Night there at the Italian Bakery and Deli, which they have on Friday and Saturday Nights now, so they stay Open later those Nights.

  I had intended to get up early and go to an Event, but I think perhaps Work had kicked my Ass.   Coz after taking Princess T to Work early, I crawled back into Bed and slept until 11:00 a.m.!   I feel rested tho', so, it was for the best.  But, now I can't make the trek to the Event before she gets off Work and needs me to pick her up, mebbe afterwards we will then instead?  Update: Yes we did, since she got off Work by Noon, which gave us plenty of time to do what we wanted to do after we picked her up and dropped her off at Home.  It gave us the entire Afternoon and Evening to ourselves... whoop whoop!!!

 The Weather warmed back up to almost record temps of near 80, so it's glorious out there and I just want to be out and about in it.  We got everything accomplished that we needed to at Home, so I wouldn't be shirking housekeeping, The Daughter got that all caught up for me.  She and her Brother, with their Friends, got all the exterior Work caught up for me too, they've been quite a Blessing.  It Saved me hiring someone this Month to do the Yardwork.  The Man and I wanted to just be immersed in the whole Christmas Vibrant Vibe going on everywhere, with all the Sights, Sounds, and Energy of it.   Rather than just languishing at Home.

The Son gave me $100 to do his Christmas Shopping for everyone, he Hates to Shop, doesn't know what anyone would like, and rather I'd do it for him.  He knows I Like to Shop and would get it all Done in a Day.  He felt bad that his limit was $25 per person, and I told him we'd agreed not to exchange Gifts, so it is more than enough and a nice Surprise nobody will be expecting.  He really did well paying off his Court Costs and that Judgment from the Predatory Lender, so has a bit of extra Money now he's back to Work from the temporary Layoff he endured.   And, he gave me an extra $100 for his Dad and I to spend on ourselves, so, we did.

The Daughter sent all her Money to her Kids in Mexico, they need it more than we do.  So she can't even buy something for Princess T and laments that fact.  It's the very first Christmas they'll spend together in the 19 Years since that Daughter was Born, which is Gift enuf for Princess T.  But, I'm going to Buy a little something and have her Mom wrap it and sign the Gift Tag from her.  She's been admirably Working off anything I bankroll for her, here at the house, and helping a lot with her Dad's Caregiving, which is Priceless to me. 

I may even give her the Money and ask her if Monday she would like me to take she and Princess T to The Big Retail Mall and have her Daughter pick something out together with it?  I think Shopping for the Gift together would be an additional Gift they'd both enjoy doing.  The Gift won't be so much a Surprise then, but the fact her Mom is Buying her one and going Shopping for it with her would be.   Princess T is the only one with Money in the Bank right now and not broke this Holiday.  *LOL*  She's been Saving like a Miser to fund buying a Car and paying Cash for it.  I'm Proud of her.

Even tho' she's earning her own Money now, she's very frugal with it and very much reminds me of myself at her age.   My Family always borrowed Money from me rather than a Bank becoz I always had it squirrelled away and could loan it to them Interest Free.   My Dad always worked Two Jobs so that my Mom didn't have to Work outside of the Home.   But, my Parents were not that great with Money, Dad had no use for it and Mom liked to spend it freely.  So, for them, it worked out Splendidly in their Union.  *LOL*

They never were in Debt tho', they just didn't Save or Invest and I was a Saver and Investor from The Jump.  An Anomaly in my Family coz my Brother was like my Parents, he made great Money and Saved none of it and didn't Invest any of it either.  I had a Savings Account when I was Two that I'd earned the Money for myself Working my little Hustles.  I enjoyed the challenge of seeing what I could grow, be it Money, Plants, whatever I could grow, I would grow.  *LOL*   So, my Room was always like a Jungle you needed a Machete to get thru and my Bank Account and Investment Portfolio was always healthy.

So, I don't like being broke right now, it's uncomfortable to me, becoz too much came up in the way of financially draining Crisis, that I couldn't predict or prepare adequately enuf for in 2024.  I suspect 2025 to be all the more challenging and expected, so I am rising up to it.  I do like a good challenge and this is an opportunity I suppose to have a big one?  *Bwahahaha*  Okay, so, I've been Rich and I've been Poor, Rich is better, I ain't gonna Lie.  *Winks*   Poor is a State of Mind mostly tho', when I was Monetarily Poor it never felt necessarily deprived or Poor, becoz I was Rich in other ways that offset it considerably.

And I've met many Rich folk who are miserable and tortured Souls, so all the Money in the World couldn't Buy them Contentment or the Happiness that eluded them.   I personally see 45/47 as a deeply damaged Human with a very miserable and tortured Soul.  Which is why he's so angry, vengeful, Hateful, wants retribution, defines himself and others by who Likes him and who doesn't.  Since, he SEES himself as some kind of Victim, in his own Mind clearly.  Those that constantly blame others for their own bad choices and situations in Life, can't Face themselves.  It is too hard for them to see THEY are their Problem, not everyone else.

Anyway, enuf of Psychoanalyzing a Psychopathic Emotionally Damaged Leader that we're installing soon, seems some Americans are wanting that kind of Leadership and now they shall have it again.  Trusting a Psychopath can never have a Happy Ending.   The Fairy Tale Imaginings of Life under such unstable incapable Rule will come crashing down soon enuf.  I'm personally enjoying this Month all I can in preparation for next Month and the next Four Years of what I know is gonna be Bad beyond Belief.   I don't think the Bad Guys are the Problem, since, why expect Bad Guys to be anything but Bad, and what they've clearly shown you they are?  They do what they do.  It's the Good Guys doing Nothing and folks Supporting and Championing Bad Guys that I got a bigger problem with. 

That's not Pessimism, it is more Realistic and even Fatalistic, given it was all quite evident, yet, we couldn't seem to Change it to avoid a Bad Outcome?   Dad used to say some things are just Meant To Be, especially some Bad ones.   You can try very hard to Change the way Events will happen, especially the Bad ones, and yet it cannot be avoided.  Thus, here we now are.   I accept it, in part, as something I wasn't responsible for at all, but was unable to Change happening and will have to live with the consequences of anyway. 

 I will resist all that is Wrong with it tho' with every ounce of my Being.   I know America made a very Foolish Choice, we'll ALL suffer the consequences of it.   No, it's not Fair, but Life isn't Fair or Bras wouldn't come in Sizes my Friends.  *Winks*  I don't mind suffering consequences of what I've brought upon myself, nor do I blame someone for what choices I've made in Life.  I can Own my Mistakes and we've all made some.  We've all also Dealt with Mistakes others have made as well, that Touched and impacted us even tho' it wasn't our Choice or fault.  It happens, you Deal with it.

Harboring a lot of bitterness, resentment, ill will, or even Hatred, never is Helpful or Productive IMO.   You might initially Feel it, but, let that shit go or it will eat you alive and eventually consume you completely.   I saw a lot of the MAGA Movement manifested from Anger and Negative Emotions like Hatred, bitterness, resentment and ill will.  Negativity that needed to be projected outwards, coz the inner turmoil of the afflicted also needed handy Scapegoating to justify such a tortured Soul and disenfranchised State of Being being Felt and unleashed upon Society.

  I can't even Imagine being that mired in Inner turmoil to where Cruelty becomes the Point and desired result.  Where being hurtful is the only way that makes one Happy.  That's my Observation, Angry Americans that misplaced their Anger and frustrations in a direction that will actually Hurt them too, becoz Hurting people Hurt people, and themselves actually.  Nobody Wins, everyone Loses, and it becomes a very vicious Cycle that needs to be broken or it perpetuates indefinitely from Generation to Generation like a Curse.  Can't we just Evolve past all that nonsense and become Enlightened and not keep Devolving and erasing all progress?  Same Bullshit, on Rinse, Repeat, different Decade.

But enuf of that nonsense too... let's get back to the Fluff of Life. The Man and I ended up going to the Event and running into some Friends there we hadn't seen in a long while, which was nice.  Catching up with and running into Old Friends by pure Chance is always a Bonus to going out and having a good time not expecting it.  We were both at the Event at the same time, on the next to the last day of it and not long before Closing, what are the Odds?   The Son had given me some extra Money for The Man and I go go buy something nice for ourselves from him for Christmas and we did.

We got him an Antique Templar Knights Sword, it's really spectacular and we got a killer Deal on it compared to what they Sell for when you can even find one For Sale Online.   And for me I got an Art Bottle with a Stone Buddha Statue soldered onto it and a 1920's Midway Carnival Kitsch Prize Chalkware Glittered Sailor Boy.   So, below is our Retail Therapy and picking out our own Christmas Pressies, Color us Happy.  The Man was doing really well this day with Mood Regulating, so we stayed out a long time and it was really enjoyable, he didn't deteriorate when the Sun went down this day.   We had Dinner at "Tom Yum" Thai Restaurant, got all Christmas Shopping Done, and Socialized with Friends.  It was a very Good Day.

The Blade of this Sword is elaborately Carved too, every inch of the Sword and Scabbard is Ornate and so detailed.

My Buddha Art Bottle {Above} and Carnival Kitsch Sailor Boy {Below}, he was only Four Bucks coz of a well done repair, I didn't mind.

But there was some Non-Buyers Remorse too due to how crowded the checkout lines became at the Event part...

I was prepared to Buy this JOY Trio of Holiday Decor Blocks, but the Lines were too long at the Warehouse Event we attended on Thursday, so I came away from that one with nothing from it.   Bummer.   I know the Vendor but don't have her on FB Contacts to ask her if she'd just hold them back and Sell them to me from her Space in the Antique Mall instead?   I don't know if after the Warehouse Sale is a Wrap she'll put her Christmas Inventory in her Booth tho' and it's a long ways to go to Hope she has and that she'd even still have it.   But, if I go back to the Antique Mall and she does... well, I'll Buy them then and get my Military Discount on the Purchase.  *Smiles*

I even thought about going back Today, Sunday, since, we don't have anything else planned and why not?  *LOL*   It's a long drive, but a Scenic one and mostly Freeway all the way.   I'm kinda waffling about it, but, being around a Christmas Themed Event isn't torturous.   But sometimes being stuck at Home can feel like it is.  *Ha ha ha*   No, really, The Daughter has done so much for me that I can relax and just go have a good time and The Man lately has wanted to be my Sidekick doing anything I want to do.  He's been Traveling and Behaving quite well and I know the sensory stimulation is good for him so long as it doesn't overwhelm him.  Lately, he's been coping with Sensory Overload a lot better too, which is Progress in the Right direction.

I might ask Princess T and The Daughter if they want to come along and make that their Mother/Daughter Christmas outing so her Mom can Buy her something together?   The Daughter only has $34 to her Name right now so I'll Front her some Money so she can leave that in her Checking Account to keep it Open until something turns up for her to Earn some actual Money.  Right now she does Work for me since she can't afford to give me anything to offset her expenses here and of coarse I can't pay her what all that Work is worth either.   We both don't mind, but, I'd like her to be able to feel like she can pay her way without feeling like a Charity Case or a burden on anyone, especially us.  

So, that bothers her a lot, but she's just not ready yet to be dragged along to Social Security to try to re-qualify for SSI.  She barely got thru the DES Paperwork for 90 Days worth of qualifying for Nutritional Assistance and the package of Paperwork is still here not turned in.  Becoz once you turn it in they want to do a Caseworker Interview and sometimes that goes well and sometimes it overwhelms her depending on whose assigned to us.  Last time it just happened, by Divine Intervention, on a PHONE Interview there no less, to be a Woman I used to go to Church with and she breezed us thru!   Knowing my Daughter's Condition Firsthand in Person and the whole Situation with our Family and how much Caregiving I'm doing for so many Loved Ones.  *Whew*

But you don't always get a Caseworker familiar with you or who actually knows you personally, or even a Caseworker who Cares or gives a shit whatsoever.  So, I'm going to take her in to do all that for the Food Assistance on a Day I know she won't have a Mental Meltdown during the Dog and Pony Show Process they put you thru.  Years ago, one time when we spent about Eight Hours trying to get her Approved for bare minimum Services, when she was about 19 Years Old, and they gave her a Voucher for only Eight Dollars for Food {I Kid you NOT}, she flipped out right there and then.  She went totally Psychotic, tore the Voucher up and threw it at the Caseworker's Face and was climbing over the Desk!   Yes, it was Qualifying for No Dinner, but one Helluva Show!  *LOL*  And I knew it was coming, I'd told the Caseworker she suffered from Serious Mental Illness, and wasn't Stable enough to be Employed so that she could Buy her own fucking Groceries, which wouldda been easier and far preferable. 

 But, Caseworker couldn't have given a flying Fuck and Triggered her anyway... Que Sera Sera.   They had to call Security, coz I sure as Hell couldn't restrain her enough after she'd been Set Off with the Indignity of all Day being jerked around to get parsed out Eight Dollars for to Eat how long?  And so The State then had to spend a shit-ton more than just Food Stamps to Institutionalize her until she wasn't a Danger to Self and Others.  *Eye Roll and serves them right as my Mom used to say...*   Pay now or pay more later Motherfuckers.   I'm too Old to go thru all that again on Repeat... I'll just Feed her myself, she doesn't eat that much to Survive, or to be put thru all of that to Qualify to be given something as basic as fucking Food, you hear me?   We Treat Animals without the ability to get their own Food with more Compassion.  And I've seen folks worry about the Welfare of a Dog more than the Welfare of a Child in a similar situation... just sayin'.

  Hell, I'm already providing the Shelter... coz not a one of them of Two Generations behind us, can afford to have their own place due to how high Rents have been jacked up around the entire Valley and no Affordable Housing is being built.   Tons of enormous Apartment Complexes that resemble Chinese Prisons are hideously being built everywhere but they're "Luxury" Apartments to House people who mostly can afford Rents in Excess of Two Grand a Month and probably have secondary Housing somewhere else too.  Kamala's Plan for that Lower Income Housing to House Three Million Lower Income Working Families unable to afford current Rents, is now kaput.  Being the American Public apparently couldn't Care Less about the Unhoused as they like to PC Label The Homeless now, judging by how the Vote went and Who they chose to be installed instead.  

And so whatever now happens to Tank a bunch more Households to a level of desperate Need, America asked for it and that's what they'll now get.  And good Luck with that and we'll see how that all Works Out for everyone?  He'll make everything crazy more expensive and unaffordable, cutting Social Services Safety Net Services first, to give more Handouts to the Billionaire Boys Club, you mark my Words.   If they don't mess with Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid to even just fund the outrageous amount it will cost to try to implement the poorly thought out Mass Deportation fiasco, I'll be very Surprised.  Where else do you think they'll siphon the Money off of to pay for it, by Taxing the obscenely Rich or Big Corporations now Courting them with Billion Dollar Bribes... um, Oh, I mean Donations {wink and a nod} to Charities that don't even yet Exist and probably never will... I don't think so.   And when you give people nothing to Lose, it's Dangerous Ground to tread.

 Mebbe a Marie Antoinette Moment will happen with the "Let them eat Cake" statement that Cost her... well, her Head Execution Style.  The Fate of her Children wasn't much better.   When the Obscenely Rich think they can mistreat everyone, it does end up having a breaking point and we're already seeing that happening with the blowback of the Insurance Industry Assassination.   I'm not saying it's Right, I'm just saying it's likely to start happening when desperation and revolt seems more effective than Peacefully and properly trying to do the Right thing with little to no results evident.  There will be those that will resort to violence and the violent will take it by force... I just Hope it doesn't come to that, but I'm not confident that's not where we're now heading.  When the Lunatics are running the Asylum, is there any Hope for a better Outcome... I kinda doubt it.

******

Now bring us some Figgy Pudding and bring it right here, now  *LOL*...  Dawn... The Bohemian