The Ten Million Migration?

 When I hear that 10 Million Plus Californians are under Fire Warnings, that's beyond catastrophic and apocalyptic still.  If that many folks actually become permanently displaced, where would they be expected to go and be relocated, even temporarily, let alone permanently?!  Absorbing that much Humanity in Crisis Mode would be catastrophic for any area receiving that many in desperate circumstances.   Things aren't great almost anywhere right now and funding for immediate needs is parsed out sparingly even without such a Crisis.   And, the incoming Administration Leadership has openly voiced retaliatory measures for many Americans. So, how unbiased and responsible can we expect them to be to responding to various Crisis across America?   It's concerning since it's a big Question Mark, nobody can be sure of.

I do Hope that the Wildfires can eventually be contained, better sooner than later.  But Hurricane Forced Winds are Predicted all Week, not Good!  I know they're doing the best they can.  It's still only about less than 17% contained and worse Weather conditions coming aren't gonna be Helpful.  It's heading all the way down the Coast now towards the Baja California/Mexico Peninsula!!!  I cannot even imagine the level of fear and suffering everyone there is feeling and enduring, it's heartbreaking.  I'm so Thankful that my Family and Friends in Cali are all Safe and not directly in harm's way from what they tell me.  I've only visited Cali a few times so really don't know a lot of the Neighborhoods, Cities and where on the Map they even are.   The aftermath will be complex, since Claims, lack of Coverage, Denials, Rebuilding or Relocating and such are the next barrier the Victims will face for a considerable time to come.  I do hold out Guarded Hope our Government stands Tall and Honorably, but I'm kinda doubting it, the incoming have no Honor, Humanity or Conscience it seems.

I priced a couple of Specialty Cross Body Bags to take in to the Antique Mall to put in our Locked Case.  One is a Nintendo Gameboy Shaped one and the other is an Old School Red Typewriter Shaped one.  I was shocked to see what they're Selling for Online, so, glad I did my due diligence so I didn't grossly underprice them.  *Whew*  I like Quirky Bags and pick them up whenever I find any that are gently used, they tend to be a quick Turn.   Plus, we're doing Well with Resale of Vintage and Specialty Tees and Accessories more than with Antiques and other Collectibles or Decor items, which, are kind of Flat in Sales.  I think the Younger Shoppers are more Interested in Vintage and Specialty Fashion Wardrobe, Jewelry and Accessories, or Music, than they are Home Decor or Collectibles.  And Older Shoppers just aren't spending the Money that the Younger ones are.  So Our Customer now is under 40 for sure.

Speaking of Young People, the Oldest Granddaughter of the Trio in Mexico, who turned 18 in Mid-December, sent us some Holiday pixs and Selfies she took of herself, with her Boyfriend, and with Cousins, Sisters or Friends.  Their Dad is back in Prison, I see that as a Good thing, for them.  His Lifestyle and Choices are not Good.   It seems all of the Sisters did get to spend time together for Christmas and it was a good one.  It was their first one without their Beloved Paternal Grandmother and mostly the Oldest Grandchild was funding everything for her Younger Sister that lives with her in Grandma Saint Maria's House.  Their Dad's Sister-In-Law was providing it for the Youngest one and helping the Older Two as well, so it was mostly spent at that Tia's Home and with her lovely Family.   We sent what we could but it wasn't much, we had a lot going on here of coarse during the Holidays, not all of it good, as you well know.   I'm Hopeful here in 2025 things improve so we can do more, we just don't know tho'.  We all do what we can.

I'm Thankful the Kiddos didn't expect much and were okay with us concentrating on immediate Crisis rather than on Christmas Gifts.  They sent their Love and some Photos, I'm Thankful they're all doing Well and adjusting to Life as it now is for them now that Maria is gone.  Grandparents Raising Grandchildren know we can't become Immortals, so, eventually this is what happens, we just try to last as long as we can and do all we can.   I'm Proud of the Grands turning out so Well.  The Oldest one in Mexico seems to have a nice Boyfriend, they've known each other since they were Young Children and The Daughter knows him and said he's a good Guy and very supportive of everything the Granddaughter is doing with going to College, Working at a Job and also doing some Modeling on the side as well.   She's very Mature for her Age, Beautiful inside and out, and very Smart Academically as well.

She's gone back to her Naturally Blonde Hair Color, for a while she was Dying it Dark to fit in better since being so Weta Light, and having an American Mom, is hard there.   She's thriving tho' and that is her Home, so tho' she wants to come to America some day to visit us and see America, she has no Interest in moving here permanently and I understand that.   I did get to see and hold her when she was still a Baby, she was a Beautiful Baby too, but, I haven't seen her since she was about 14 Months Old.   I only Wish we'd taken more Photos during that visit, but it was before Cellphones and I owned a really old crappy Camera at the time... and didn't Blog.  *LOL*   I can only Imagine all the Photos I would have taken over the Years if we'd had comparable technology and better Digital Cameras way back then.  *Smiles*

We did go to the Antique Mall to drop off those Cross Body Specialty Bags.   Princess T tidied up our Showroom for me, it was crowded with Customers, even in our Room, but, this 1st Week of the new Pay Period has started off really Soft in Sales.   Just becoz a lot of people are in the Mall doesn't mean they're spending Money and Buying.  We had some Theft in the Showroom, just Smalls, the Thieves intentionally leaving the empty Bags they'd cut with a Razor and Stolen the Contents of.  Amazing to me that anyone would Shoplift items under Five Dollars, absurd!   So, a Bag of Shopkins grew Legs and Walked Out unpaid for.  *Le Sigh*   When the Bags are Razor Cut and it's Collectibles very Young Children Collect, you know it's the Parent that is the Thief, not the Child.  Chances are they had the Child with them in the commission of their Crime tho'.  That makes a Misdemeanor a Felony BTW in Arizona and adds Charges.

I know with Valentine's Day coming up that the rest of the Events for this Month will be Valentine's Day Inspired.   My Friend Cyndie had this Sacred Heart Necklace with a Pink Heart Stone set in the Silver, this Thursday will be Opening Day at the Event there at SWEET SALVAGE.  The Theme is "Refresh".   When we were Downtown at the other Event I noticed that the Brick and Mortar Shop that my Designer Friends Roman and Gisele used to Own was Closed and Vacant now.  They're still at The Sweet, but, clearly, it's very difficult now to maintain a Brick & Mortar Indie Shop, no matter how outstanding your Merchandising and Product is... and theirs was.   I kind of knew it might happen the last time I'd visited the Shop.  And then saw that they were focusing more now on the Events again like they used to.  They've had Shops off and on for Years, but, every Location eventually had to Close, even tho' each was Fabulous and Unique.  I have many Fond Memories of their Shops.

This is Why I don't Complain much about my Retail Spaces, since I've managed to Weather the Ups and Downs for so long now without having to Close Shop in the doing of it.   Many much more Talented Designers and Indie Shop Owners haven't been so fortunate and their Spaces and Stores absolutely Rocked and were some of my favorite Haunts and to purchase fabulous Unique Inventory at.   They excelled in the Art of Display and had the best Merchandise around.  I miss each and every one of those Shops or Booths that now are gone.  It kind of makes me upset that the Crap Hawkers can endure when the Quality Retailers can't stay Solvent.  It just goes to show that Crap Sells and most Shoppers are more willing to spend their hard earned Money on POS Product and disposable crap, than on Quality Merch... go figure.   So, it's not the Fault of the Sellers IMO, many superb Sellers have had to fold 'em, even if they're doing everything Right to Market Quality Merch.  If Shoppers don't want Quality, you're not gonna be able to Sell it to them.

Anyway, Above and Below are a couple of the Sneak Peek Images from the Event that will Open on Thursday.    The Daughter and I have been Working some more on The RV Garage Mahal, it's really coming together in inspiring increments now.   Just seeing my stuff Styled in Vignette's again instead of just Crated up unseen or unceremoniously dumped in there after the Big Move, feels so good.   Nothing looks good when it's just a Chaotic jumbled Hot Mess... it just looks like a crazy Hoard if it's not Styled, Showcased and Displayed in an attractive way that Honors it properly.   And it can get damaged if not properly handled or Stored right.  I've been exceedingly fortunate that so few things got damaged or broken during the Big Move and for having been just any kind of way in there for so many Years now.  *Whew*

In Real Time I get my Heart Monitor off this Afternoon, Yay!  I'll pop it in the Mail, they gave me a Postage Paid Mailing Box for it, being explicit about not losing said Box.  *LOL*  I haven't had any trouble with my Monitor but it's hard to Bathe with it since it's only Water Resistant and not Waterproof, so you can't get Water directly ON it.  Have you ever tried Showering without getting your Front directly in Water?  Yeah, I've mostly resorted to Sponge Baths coz you cannot take a Bath or Sauna either, or Swim, and, I haven't felt dirtier than having to be so Mindful about Bathing and not wetting or getting Water on a fairly good sized area of my Chest!  *Smiles*  It reminds me of when I had a Broken Arm as a Child and had to wear a Cast, itched like Hell, smelled Bad and you couldn't get that Wet either... it was gross and uncomfortable.   This at least doesn't smell Bad, which is the only Plus different than wearing a Cast.  *LOL*

In the Above Pix The Granddaughter looks so much like her Mama that she looks like she Cloned that one!  *Ha ha ha*   I'm Surprised her Boyfriend is Light Skinned since that's not been her Type.  She and Princess T prefer very Dark Skinned Hispanic Guys and not the Fair ones.  Of coarse this Granddaughter is Gender Fluid like her Older Brother, The Young Prince, and their Cousin, our Older Daughter's Youngest Daughter in Pittsburgh.   So, the chances of either Girl having a Girlfriend rather than a Boyfriend was about 50-50.   Culturally, there in Mexico, it was best for this one to have a Boyfriend, most of her Paternal Family would not accept her otherwise and she's Aware of that.  She knew it was a Non-Issue for our side of the Family and thus when she Identified that way as part of the LGBTQ+ Community of Pansexuals, she told us.  Knowing, no judgment, self-righteousness, condemnation, bias or Uptight Hang-ups, Discrimination, Hatred or Fears that the Homophobic have about Sexuality different than theirs.

 

Every time I go into the Antique Mall now all the Young Workers who are the Ages of my Grandkids come up and ask me how I'm Feeling and when will I be back?   It's Touching coz their genuine concern is so obvious... especially the Young Men, I guess I'm like a favorite Surrogate Grandma to most of them or something?  *Smiles*   We really NEED you back so many of them tell me.   And, to be Fair, we've Lost so many of the Elder Vendors in recent Years, that I think it hits the Youngsters of Life's End and Human Mortality when they Know more Old Folk and we start dropping like Flies?  Most Young Folk see a lot of Old Folk around in the Wild but don't really form Relationships with any of them, so, it's not so evident when some go missing.  *LOL*   I know my Senior Friends in Retirement Communities say it's more evident, Death, when you're around nothing but Seniors in a Community, I suspect it is, so you'd hesitate to get real close to many?

Most of my Friends now are way Younger than me.  Seriously, I have actual Friends now who are the Ages of my Kids and Grandkids, almost exclusively, and that's who I'm around almost all of the time except for The Man.   All my Peers who I Befriended, mostly Dead now.  I didn't have a long lived Peer Group of Friends and most of them really Aged Badly and let themselves go, so they acted and looked Geriatric before their Time IMO.  It bothered me to see them morph into someone I didn't recognize, and I don't just mean appearance wise, coz some of them really did go to look Busted, as Princess T would describe looking like that.  *Bwahahahaha*   No, their Personalities morphed too, they used to be Edgy and Fashionable, Artsy and Cool... so, WTF happened to you I'd have to ask?!   I didn't "Get" it coz Aging hasn't Changed WHO I am at my Core.  Present Me is not much different than 1960's Hippie Me... you'd recognize either one... and Lifelong Friends tell me I haven't Changed.

My Grandkids tell me that is Why they don't see or think of me as an Old Person, coz I'm the same as I've always been and not like any other Old People they see or know.   And my Adult Kids mirror that Sentiment and say I'm the Same now as when they were little Kids and I was in my 20's and 30's.   My Longest Time Friends have known me since Childhood and Teens, they tell me the same thing,  So, I'm not Imagining it, the consensus is that tho' Physically I've clearly Aged in Years, and this Rose is Fading Fast *LOL*, in my Spirit and Who I am at my Core, hasn't Changed at all.   So, I guess I just expect that in other people and when they do Change in Spirit and Who they are over Time, I just feel like I don't Know them anymore, Who IS this Person now?  And WHY?  Coz it's never that they Changed in a Positive way, you see, that would be preferable.   No, they're doing Old People shit and Acting Old as Princess T calls it.  *LOL*  She once told me she's glad I don't Act Old, tho' she did say I sometimes Walk Old.  *Bwahahaha*

She told me she likes hanging out with me becoz I don't Act Old and I'm "Funner" than even her Friends that are her Age.  *Smiles*  I take that as a Sincere Compliment from a Teenager, and from her Friends, that they actually LIKE hanging out with me and think I'm "Funner".  *LMAOROTF*   Anytime I've run into one of her Friends in the Wild with someone they're hanging out with that's never met me, they introduce me as "T's Gramma, you know, the One I told you about..."!   So, clearly I'm a Topic of Conversation and I'd Love to be a Fly on the Wall to hear some of those!!!   I'm Sure they're saying only the Nicest of Things, but, it would be Interesting, since, I would never expect to be the Topic of their Generation's conversation with their Peers.  *LOL*   Of coarse, my Mom and my Maternal Welsh Nanna were "Funner" Seniors too and always had a bunch of Young People voluntarily wanting to hang around them, visit them, be Friends with them.  So, perhaps it's Hereditary?

All of The Daughter's Lifelong Friends STILL talk fondly of her Nanna and miss my Mom terribly.   My Mom's been gone a Decade now so the fact these Adult Kiddos still tell the Stories of hanging out with Nanna makes her Legacy a lasting one.   My Friends did the same, and since most of them are Dead now too, I suspect they're hanging out with Mom in Paradise as we speak and having the time of their Afterlives?  *LOL*   The Daughter once even said she bets Heaven is a Trip now that her Nanna is there.   I think so too, Mom would be Turning Up Heaven.  *Smiles*   Dr. Nick won't be happy that I didn't fill out my Daily Heart Diary, but, the Symptoms Daily were consistent and the same so I just filled out one Page and said that.  Shit, I forgot that part of the Instructions actually, and that I even had a Daily Diary, until I Opened the Box to figure out what I'm supposed to do Today to send the Monitor back in!  Oh well... Que Sera Sera.   I forget a lot of things now, I'm glitching, buffering and not staying on Track consistently, while I'm Recovering from the Stupid Stroke.  *LOL*

Yes, I'm fucking Fatigued all the time now, I don't need to Write it down every day.   I can be Fatigued now doing Nothing, let alone the Checklist of what were you Doing when you felt that way?   Some of the shit was pretty regular for me Pre-Stroke, so, chances are, were my Baseline Normal, or so I thought anyway.  *LOL*   When you have always had a particular "Symptom" and it's your Normal, you don't even think anything is Wrong or amiss, it's just always been that way.  It's not as if I've never seen a Doctor in my Life or had Tests and shit, so, clearly they never caught anything that appeared to be an Anomaly during all those Visits over my Lifetime!   Of coarse, I grew up in the Military and Married a Military Man, so about 90% of Doc Visits were to Military Hospitals and Military Docs, not Civilian ones until quite recently... so... yeah, let us not even Go There shall we.  *Bwahahaha*   Most of my Wellness Checks and Physicals were, "You're Fine..."

And thus, as a Woman Thinks, so she Is... hey, I'm Fine, they said so.  *LMAOROTF*   I didn't even think I had Mental Illness for a very long time, I thought everyone was this way, felt this way, and since it was my Baseline Normal it never occurred to me that it wasn't "Normal" or Unusual.  Granted my Mom was Diagnosed SMI from early Adulthood, but her Crazy looked totally different than mine.  *LOL*   I think I already had Kids and they weren't Right and got Diagnosed before their Docs told me, well, since you're this way too... LMAO!  Oh... and The Man to this day thinks that's absolutely hilarious that I thought I was perfectly Normal and Just Fine for so long and that nothing was Wrong with me.  I acknowledge now that I'm probably not what you'd call a Well Woman.   And, it seemed obvious to everyone else, just not me!  Go figure.  *Bwahahaha*   The Daughter said she was Middle Aged too before she became actually Aware.  It would have seemed apparent, but, to her it was not.  *LOL*

I suppose that's normal with Mental Health Issues, very seldom do The Crazy go around saying, "I'm so Crazy..."!   *LOL*  Usually the ones doing that are faking it for a Check or something... or to avoid Prosecution after they do something Crazy Bad, but, not becoz they're necessarily afflicted with a Mental Health Disorder.  Even among The Crazy, very few are legitimately Insane.  That's a whole other Level of Crazy I haven't even attained, I think.  *Winks*  There are just some Criminal folks out there who are perfectly Fine, just Career Criminals or Evil Fuckers.   I know a lot of folks Diagnosed with a Mental Health Disorder and the vast majority are very good and decent people, most are functional, and you'd really like and enjoy them without regard to their Medical Conditions.   We are not a monolithic Community of Beings.  No Community of People is.  It's bullshit to lump any Group of People and Paint them with Broad Brushstrokes as all the same.   

Anyway, my Labs all came back from my Primary Care visit and everything was perfectly Normal Range except for my Glucose Levels, which, we already know, Post-Stroke, and even slightly Pre-Stroke, have been jacked up higher than usual.   I am taking the necessary steps to lower that again, I had been damned near to 6 in my A1C, mostly in the low 7's, and now I'm at 8, dammit!   And my Glucose levels are elevated.   I can adjust that with a stricter Diet and more Exercise.  I like Healthy Foods but even many Healthier Foods have high Sugar Contents, so you do have to watch Fruit intake and Carb intake all the time.   I add more Greens to my Diet to lower A1C even tho' eating just Green Veggies can become quite tedious and boring to the palate.   Some Veggies are higher in natural Sugars, like Carrots, Green Peas, Onions, Sweet Corn, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squashes, Tomatoes, Rutabagas, Beets, canned Pumpkin.   I know all this, it's depriving to eliminate them all from my Diet, I ain't gonna Lie.

So, back to Broccoli, Spinach, Cucumber, Lettuce, Beans and Lentils, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Asparagus, Cauliflower, Swiss Chard, Celery, Mushrooms, Zucchini, Eggplant, Green Beans, Bell Peppers... Yawn, yeah, I LIKE all of them, Sure, but, I do miss having to eliminate Color from my Diet and those Tastes.  Bummer.   Usually I go on a Vegetarian or Vegan short binge, which I don't mind and always lowers shit I need to Medically lower, but, is lacking in Energy, so, Proteins are necessary long term or you'll go frail and feeling depleted.   Have you ever seen a hard core Vegan?  Exactly, no Thanks.  With the exception of perhaps Lenny Kravitz, they don't look Well.  He looks like a god... even at 60... so, I'd have Vegan Lenny be my Life Coach any day, just looking at him Shirtless in my Kitchen or beside me at the Gym would improve my overall Well Being, pretty Sure.   Lenny at 60 looks better than most 20 Year Olds I see tooling around.  I'd hit that... Yes I would! *Bwahahaha Um Um Um and OMG... Winks*

Listen, I've Lusted after Lenny since his Romeo Blue Days and he's only gotten better with Age IMO.  *Smiles and Winks*   I don't have a lot of Celebrity Crushes, but... *Ha ha ha*   Anyway, I've got to make a Grocery Run Today, The Family always forget to make a damned List of what they are out of that I'm not Aware of.   So, I do the Shopping and then a Day or so later they're like, Oh, BTW... next time you're at the Store, I'm out of... fill in the Blank!   The Man is most notorious for this and so this Morning he's lamenting he's out of this, that, the Third... and I'm sitting there with Resting Bitch Face coz I just went to the Store the other day and he says nothing at all about what he's out of!!!  *Le Sigh*  Yes, he has severe Memory Care Issues so I often give him a Pass.  Usually he isn't even Aware of what he's out of until he goes to get it, can't find it, and we realize, shit, he's out of it and now gonna go into Meltdown like Rain Man coz his Routine is now interrupted and be like Dustin Hoffman in the Fish Sticks Scene.  *LOL*

For those that don't recall the Classic Tom Cruise/Dustin Hoffman Movie about a Man and his newly re-united severely Autistic Older Brother, they only have 3 Fish Sticks and the Autistic one Melts Down coz he always has Six in his Fish Stick Dinner Routine... and Tom Cruise thinks on The Fly like Yours Truly and cuts those Fuckers in Half... Problem Solved.  *Winks and Smiles*   We do a lot of that here, Problem Solving on The Fly when a Disabled Loved One is Melting Down in Real Time and a Solution is absolutely necessary to regain a Balance in The Force and get them back to Center and Restore everyone's Calm.  *Smiles*   So, anyway, Today we'll be on a Lipton's Peach Tea Run or he'll be Obsessing about not having any.  Even tho' we have other Options, better Options actually for a Diabetic, that's his Routine, Peach Teas, and, if he's Out, it's as if it's the End of the World as he knows it.  And if it's gotta be Death by Lipton's Peach Tea, his Docs and I are at Peace with it now.   *Bwahahahaha*

He could be Fixated on worse choices, so, you just Learn to choose your Battles Wisely and strategically at a certain Season of Life.   His Teas aren't a Hill I'm willing to Die on.   As my Dear Ole' Dad always did say to me, "Ya gotta Die of Something..."   True that.   The Man is very Stubborn and set in his ways, he's in his Mid-70's now, so we're not gonna be able to Change that and Modify his Behavior all that much to adjusting to a lot of Change.  Even in a healthier direction, for his best interest, he resists to the point it would be exhaustive for the rest of us.  I can get him up and moving around if I suggest doing something like Environmental Cleanup, which he's very excited to do and which gets him up and moving around, stimulating his Mind to look for Cans and do something for Hours on end.  Getting him to do anything for even Minutes, let alone Hours, is a Big Deal.  As his Caregiver, I'd prefer him to be on Board for what he should do, but, which he usually won't do.

Other than sending my Heart Monitor in to be Read and going Grocery Shopping, it's a very uneventful Monday and not even a Manic Monday.  *Winks*   The Daughter has Company over and fixed Breakfast for everyone, she already did all the Housekeeping and Laundry, The Man even voluntarily chipped in and did the Dishes.  *Gasp*   He made it a Point to tell me that HE had done those Dishes.  *Winks and Smiles*  So Praise and Flattery ensued, I told him now he's my Favorite.  *LOL*  The Daughter has actually been enjoying being Helpful and Useful, she's feeling more confident that she can function at a level that's contributing to the Family Well Being.   Usually her Self Esteem suffers from the Awareness that her Mental Health is pretty severe and limiting, not able to be Controlled, even by Medications, which she can't even take anymore anyway, so, it's disheartening to her usually.  She was saying that when she's Working in The RV Garage Mahal, she doesn't even have her Mental Torment bothering her like it usually does... go figure!  So, it's a good distraction for the Schizophrenia apparently... who knew?

*******

For now we're having our Cake and Eating it too... Up by Faith and Know it WILL Hold... Dawn... The Bohemian