So, we went to "Coldwater Coffee House & Bakery" for Brunch, since, they've got it boarded up where the Car drove thru part of their Business and were open by the next day after the accident. I got the Egg, Cheese & Herb Bollo with an Iced Caramel Latte, The Man got the Ham, Egg & Cheese Bollo with Sweetened Green Iced Tea, I also got their Halal Bacon which is Divine, and some fresh Fruit, which was sliced Nectarines, also delicious. They were Sold Out of their Baked Goods and Fresh Produce, since, we got there rather late, at 10:00 a.m.. We'd done Environmental Cleanup from 6:30 a.m. 'til then and gotten more River Stones for the Mosaic Project, plus turned our Aluminum in to the Recycle Center that Morning. It was Humid but Cooler, due to the big Storm the Night before.
There had been a lot of Monsoon Rain after a big Haboob {actual Photos of the Haboob rolling in are Below so you can see the scale of it compared to the City and Skyscrapers}. All the Panaderia's were also Sold Out of Bolillos, and it's Hatch Green Chile Day, so they'd had a run on the Bolillos with the Cream Cheese and Hatch Green Chile in them... and the ones with Chorizo... dammit!!! I did get Two big Orders of fresh Refried Beans from a Mexican Restaurant nearby that makes the BEST Refried Beans I've ever had, they used White Beans.
Steam rises out of these piping Hot fresh Bollo's and they are Sublime! The Owner makes them from a Family Recipe handed down Generations in his Family. Lots of International Students and College Kids were hanging out at the Coffee Shop while we were there so you were hearing Languages from around the Globe being spoken. There were some Dutch Students at one Table, some German Students at another, an Asian Student at another Table. A lot of the Students are in Aviation and Goodyear Airport has International Training of Commercial and Military Students from other Countries.
The Son took German in High School and speaks it almost fluently, so the German Pilots love when he can converse with them in their Native Language. And of coarse The Daughter is fluent in Spanish. I always encouraged all the Kids to try to learn at least a 2nd language. When I was Young I could speak Five Languages, but, if you don't use it, you lose it. My Mom was multi-lingual and could pick up languages easily, she could have been a Linguist. English was not her first Language, Welsh was. In her Generation more Welsh spoke it.
But, also in her Generation the Teachers at Schools in Wales were English and beat Welsh Kids if they heard them speaking Welsh. My Mom in Grade School once had all her Fingers Broken by an English Teacher becoz she was caught speaking Welsh. He made her put her little Hands on the Desk and hit her Hands with a Ruler, it broke all her Fingers!!! My Gran-Gran went to the School and threatened to beat the Teacher for what he'd done to his Child! My Gran-Gran was an intimidating Man to try to mess with. Same with Indigenous Tribal Kids in America, beaten for speaking their Languages at the Indian Schools... lots of abuse, Children even Died. It's Shameful History often Covered Up.
Moving On to Cuteness and Positive Stories... this Great-Grandson saw his Older Sisters getting their Pixs taken for the first Day of School and insisted he get his taken too. *Awwww... Smiles* He had no idea why his Big Sis's were being Photographed but he certainly wasn't gonna be left out! *LOL* And the other Great-Grandson, Below, was also pretending he was School-Bound. *LOL* I'm glad both Granddaughters document all of the Milestones. The Middle Granddaughter just did a Video of her Daughter's first Steps, she Learned to Walk just the other day and now is already Hell on Wheels just a day or so into Walking! That one's Two Kiddos are full of Piss N Vinegar she says... but then, so was she. *Bwahahahaha*
Below are actual Photos of the Haboob that hit Metro Phoenix last Night, some good local Photographers said they'd waited Years to capture one in progress. Now, for Scale, some of those Skyscrapers in the City are almost 30 Stories High or so, and are dwarfed by the Haboob! Visibility during one is Zero and it can Sandblast Glass and can take the Paint right off Vehicles with how strong the Wind blows the Desert Sand!!! It's Horror Movie or Apocalyptic Movie worthy!!! I've had Windshields pitted so badly that I've had to have them replaced before due to being caught in one while Driving. You have to pull off the Road, turn your Lights Off and Pray nobody crashes into you that isn't doing what they should. You don't keep your Lights On coz then other Vehicles will try to follow, don't know you're stopped, and crash into you.
The Rains were torrential after it so we did have some Flooding and glad we'd Sandbagged the Back Porch with new Sandbags recently. *Whew* Mando and The Daughter had been filling new Sandbags recently coz some of our Old Ones had split and spilled their Sand. They don't make the Sandbags out of Fabric anymore, now it's a Tarp type Material that only lasts a Season and then deteriorates/rots in the Heat & Sun. Below are my Belgian Waffles, they're so good, even if you don't Toast them. I should have bought more since they were on clearance, but I didn't know they were individually packaged inside of the main packaging or I would have. I would have bought a bunch more and frozen them. I drizzle Whipping Cream over the fresh Fruit. It tastes so decadent.
The Daughter is so Crazy she set this up {See Pixs Below} in the Hallway of the 5th Wheel... LMAOROTF! It's her Snoop Dogg Robe she got for Christmas, with one of my Halloween Masks, some of her Jammie Pants and her Nike Kicks, with a Bling Necklace and fake Blunt... hilarious! The Body is just Shopkins Plushies stacked up and then dressed! We are easily Amused. *Bwahahahaha* In the Dark this would scare the shit out of anyone walking in there if they didn't realize it wasn't a real Person standing there, coz that Mask glows in the Dark and looks so Sinister!!! *LOL* Not sure but I think it's a Mask from the Movie "The Purge"? *Smiles*
And look what some Crafty Chica did utilizing an empty TIDE Pods Container to make a Jack O'Lantern, it was only Two Dollars at SAVERS so I bought it and will keep our TIDE Pod Containers now so we can make some Tole Painted ones of our own Creation for Halloween Outdoor Decor, you could put those Battery Operated Lights inside to light it up:
When The Daughter's Friend Marcos in Mexico saw the Pixs I posted on FB of all the Kids in the Pool this Weekend he sent us this one of him, he lives on the Beach and owns a couple of Beachfront Properties in different Locations in Mexico... we were Laughing our Asses off, he's a Riot! *LOL*
The Son said his Girlfriend's Mom is Hospitalized with a Blood Infection, she'll probably be okay but it was quite a Scare. He's known her whole Family since he was a Tween, but hadn't seen her Mom and Brothers for Years until now. So, even tho' they were getting together at the Hospital for something Serious, he said it was good to see all of her Family again. I don't know if some of her Family still lives on the Rez or not, she wants to take The Son up to her Reservation sometime. We've been thru the Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona, it's quite large, over 27,400 Miles, about 16 Million Acres, and the largest Reservation in the United States, founded in 1868 but the Navajo have lived on the Land for Thousands of Years. There are just under 400,000 enrolled Members of the Tribe, about 170,000 live on the Reservation.
I had to send more Money to Mexico for the School Uniform the Granddaughter needs, the one we just paid Tuition for. She and her Younger Sister are both Seniors this Year and we know the Younger one will Graduate becoz she's an Honor Student. But the Older one is a Special Needs Student and got held back a Year already, she struggles in School like Princess T did, so it's been a tough row to hoe for her Academically. Unlike Princess T, that one got fed up and quit trying, so we told her if we pay for Tuition and Uniform this Year she has to give it her best and try, whatever her best is will be good enough for us, but she has to take it seriously. Otherwise, she might as well drop out and just go to Work. Faced with that option and sentiment she decided she wanted to enroll in School. *Winks*
She's been a handful, that one, and her Older Sister is now Raising/Supporting the Two Younger Ones, now their Paternal Grandma Died who was Raising them. We couldn't get them into the Country or they'd all be living with me. But the Oldest had a Scholarship to College, a Job and was also Modeling as a 2nd Job, so, she really didn't want to leave Mexico. And, it is their Home, where they were Born and Raised, have extended Family they know and all their Friends, so, it's understandable they were hesitant to want to come to America. They'd like to visit some day but have no grasp on the English language and hear bad things on TV about what Immigrants are experiencing now in America, especially Hispanics, so it scares them. It scares me too.
Above is a Pix of me at Age 2.5 and my Brother who was 6 Months Old and weighed more than me! Coz I only Weighed 16 Lbs. at Age 2! *LOL* He had the Peaches and Cream Skin of our Mom when he was Little and I was Swarthy like my Dad, but he had the Blue Black Hair and Darker Eyes, and I had the Lighter Hair and Pale Grey Eyes. He was such a Cute Baby and always Smiling and Happy... I was that Baby that always Scowled and looked dead Serious. I think there are NO Smiling Baby Pixs of Yours Truly!!! My Parents said I'd give people The Death Stare as a Baby, so they never quite knew what to say Nice about me?! *Ha ha ha*
Another Blast From The Past of my Maternal Nanna, who was of Irish descent and had very Curly Blue Black Hair and the most Beautiful Green Eyes like The Young Prince has. In this Photo my Nanna was already in her Sixties, she lived to be 84, just like my Mom. My Nanna had been a Dancer and Actress on the Stage as a Young Woman when my Gran-Gran met her. She had a Beautiful Voice, as did my Uncle and Aunt, my Mom also was an excellent Dancer when Young, everything from Ballet, to Tap, to Ballroom Dancing and Modern Dance. My Nanna's Dad was a Conductor for an Orchestra and could play every Instrument. Her whole Family were in the Entertainment Business of Theater, Stage and Music of their Era, before Television. I think perhaps The Young Prince Inherited that ability from that side of the Family becoz he can play any Instrument as well, self-taught.
This is my Mom when she was in her 80's, that's The Young Prince, and of coarse myself. That Photo in the background is her and my Dad at their Wedding, I think my Brother has that Photo now, I'd like to have it. Mom was already in a Nursing Home here in Arizona during this time, with Advanced Dementia and failing Health, before my Brother pulled some strings/favors with his Celebrity Friends to get her on CalCare and move her to Cali to a nice Nursing Home and then Hospice there. Arizona would only pay for 21 Days at a time of her Nursing Home Care thru Medicare and I just couldn't keep taking her in and out to play their Qualifying Games, the Cost was $11,000 a Month! She was the Widow of a Veteran who had Served 27 Years in the Military, she should have Qualified to be at the Old Soldier's Home. Some Dependent's Qualify if they were Married for the bulk of their Spouses Career over 20 Years of Service, which, she was.
Above is The Man, back when he could still go on Hikes. We used to go Hiking a lot in those days and on various Wilderness Adventures, I do Miss doing that with him. We had a similar situation with him not being allowed into the Old Soldier's Home for Long Term Care even tho' he'd Served 39 Years in the Military!!! Which, is why we have him at Home Caring for him instead, tho', Honestly, I think he's better off with us for as long as we're able to manage it. But if the Dementia gets advanced, like it did with Mom, it becomes too complex for Family to manage, especially with failing Health too, you can no longer meet them at their Point of Need and that gets scary if you can't get them into a Facility. I was so Grateful my Brother and his Lady had Famous Friends from being in the Entertainment Industry for their whole Careers. So that Mom got properly taken Care of when my Brother and I no longer could meet her at her Point of Need.
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We got Dad into a Hospice that was Non-Profit when he was Dying and he didn't last very long there and they did cover everything. He just gave up the Ghost the very Day they transferred him to Hospice from Hospital, and had told me before he lapsed into permanent unconsciousness, that it was a Good Day To Die, his very last Words in fact. That was his way and that's how he chose to Exit this Realm. My Mom's Care was lengthy and lasted for Years, we could never have afforded any of her Advanced Care. I would prefer to Exit this Realm like my Dad did. He would take no Medications and stayed in Good Spirits until he decided it was his Time, he had a total Peace about Dying and embraced it as coming Full Circle in the Cycle that is Life & Death, whereas my Mom didn't and tenaciously fought Death for a very long time. The Son looks a lot like my Dad's Side of the Family and my Ex, who was also part Native American.
The Daughter {pictured Above on the Left}, has been Organizing my Photos for me and putting them in Vintage Suitcases for protection and Storage, we also have some of the Older ones in Cigar Humidors. I appreciated her getting involved in the Time Consuming Labor Intensive Organizational Projects like that. I can get so bogged down in that Minutia and become quite Overwhelmed, especially Emotionally, becoz the Photos hold a Lifetime of Special Memories that are poingnant and often deeply Emotional. So, I can only browse thru them for a Time before next thing you know I'm an Emotional Mess. *LOL* Sometimes in a good way, sometimes not in a good way. Some Photos are Triggering to me Emotionally and I can never tell when or why they'll be at any given Time I'm looking at them? I'm a Sentimental and Nostalgic Person so I guess that's a big part of it?
A Photo of a Great-Granddaughter and her Dog hugging whilst Napping can send me over the Edge Emotionally. *LOL* And of coarse Photos of anyone I Love who have Crossed Over, well, it goes without saying. I sometimes NEED to see a Photo of them, but sometimes it's still hard, even after all the Years they've been gone... and some, more recently. So some of this Post went down Memory Lane quite a bit. The Daughter has been taking Pixs with the Cellphone and downloading them to the Computer of some of the Hard Copy Photos we only have One of and no Negatives anymore. I know that's a good idea to, tho' sometimes they don't Photograph all that well, it's an added layer of Preservation. I saw a Special recently on the 20th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and some of the People lost so much that what little they had left was SO Cherished. One Man only had been able to Recover and Save Three Photos of the Mom he Lost in the Hurricane... and only One of the Baby he Lost in it... both Loved Ones got Washed away, can you only Imagine?!
He was sitting 20 Years Later on what was left of where the Home once was, just the Cement Steps... and he had a Fabricated Home that replaced it. He said so many of his Community never returned and of coarse many Died in the Hurricane too. Recovery has been slow but resilient in New Orleans. I've never been there, but it is a City that has always intrigued me due to the Unique Culture, Unique Architecture it has, and delicious Cuisine. The Man went there once, many Years ago. I have Friends who have gone for Mardi Gras. And I had a Dear Friend, Clay, who was Born and Raised in New Orleans, who was in the Military and Stationed here at Luke AFB in the 1970's and 1980's. My Friend Pierre was from there too and introduced me to Creole and Cajun Cuisine in the 1980's. I doubt I'll ever get to go to Louisiana or New Orleans now.
One of our Neighbors gave us a Commercial Dolly they had no use for, it's a nice one, the kind we use at the Antique Mall to move large Furniture and such. It will make moving anything large or heavy much easier than the Dollies we had, which are sturdy but smaller. You can move large items with them, but not as easily as with a larger Commercial one. We sure could have used it for moving that large Marble Top Coffee Table we just Scored for Free too on Bulk Garbage Day. *LOL* Once we got the Table onto our Concrete Slab it rolled coz it had Wheels under it. So, we did get it under cover on the Back Patio before the big Monsoon Storm hit. *Whew* I didn't want Water damage to it. The Marble would be fine but the rest of it is Wood, so needed to be under cover out of the elements.
But, I confess when The News is on, I didn't turn it on to hear about Rainbows, Buttercups and Unicorn Farts, if it was all just News Fluff I might not Need to Know? Life would be perfect and I'd just know this without having to be adequately Informed that there was no Trouble in Paradise, just sayin'. I'm being Honest, tho' I do have to limit the onslaught of the Bad News we've had an Avalanche of since 2016, and expose myself to smaller micro-dosing of it, coz it's some epic Heavy shit all the time now, I do still Need to Know, and keep Informed enough, you know? Yes, I'd prefer everything to be Swell all the time, but I wouldn't Need to Read about it being Swell all the time. And probably neither would you I suspect? Am I Right? BTW: Aren't my 1960's oversized Old Man and Old Woman Norfin Trolls, with their original Tags still intact, adorbs? And valuable now too. Trolls are hideously Cute and why I am drawn to them... so Ugly they're Adorable and make me Smile.
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I have so few Pixs of my Dad that I Cherish the few he was agreeable to having taken. He was very Superstitious about Photographs being taken and wouldn't Own a Camera. The few Pixs taken were usually with a borrowed one and I was respectful of he and his side of the Family, the Elders anyway, not liking their Photographs taken. I would have wanted them for the Memories to look back upon. There are no Photos I know of when my Dad was a Child, I think the first Photos he had taken was his Military Photos when he was a Young Adult. He'd joined at Age 17 but I think the earliest Photo taken was what my Mom had taken of him when he was around 21 and Stationed in her Country. Pixs above were taken when we were Stationed in Massachusetts, Michigan and when Dad was Stationed in Alaska. Below, him in Massachusetts and Alaska taken at Work by a Friend of his, who sent them to me.
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