When Will It Be You?

 

I got this set of 4 Tiki Dinner Plates with a Matching Bowl from SAVERS, tempting to keep it but I put them in the Showroom For Sale with my Tiki Merch Display.  Vintage Retro Tiki Decor really Sells well.  It would have been nice to have for Pool Parties, but, I'm trying to streamline how much Kitchenware I have that isn't being used all that much anymore.  I'd Sold all my Vintage Fiesta Ware, I had many Colors and used to use them a lot for Fiesta Parties during Cinco de Mayo Celebrations, but, hadn't in a long while, and, they Sell well.   Purging excess has to be done and sometimes it's hard to Let Go of what you still like and might use again.   I'd rather have the Money and extra Space now tho'.

I took The Man out for an early Luncheon at "5 & Diner", Traffic was heavy since it's a Holiday Weekend for Labor Day.   We had to sit at the Counter since the Restaurant was mad busy and they said a lot of people had called in pretending to be 'Sick' for the Holiday Weekend.  So there was only one Cook and Two Waitresses, the Manager had showed up to help wait on Tables and help the Cook!  So, who did show up were so slammed, yet stayed pleasant, but I felt so bad for them, they were run ragged.   We both got the Meatloaf Meal, which is exceptional there, so is their Strawberry Lemonade.

Then we went to "Whole Foods" to get Fresh Produce and some Bakery items, since, it's not far from that Diner.  I got myself Two little Tartlets... Brown, Green & Black Fresh Figs... Fresh Black Plums... Fresh Nectarines... Sweet Onions... and Peachcots {cross between a Peach and Apricot}.  I got some Veggie Samosas from the Deli Buffet section, where you can buy anything by the Pound on their vast Buffet of Salad, Soups and other Hot Foods.  If we had one closer to Home I'd probably buy something from that vast Deli Buffet every day and never have the same thing twice all Month!  They have no locations in the West Valley, only Eastside.

That was the scope of our day since it did get to 113 again, plus it was Humid, so, like a blast furnace miserable out there.   They were doing an expose' on TV News about the 1950's and 1960's Experiments the American Government and Military did on unsuspecting Civilians in St. Louis, mostly Black Neighborhoods.  They deliberately, during the Cold War wanted to 'Test' Radioactive Materials on Humans and sprayed a Chemical Weaponry Fog on the Projects where over 10,000 people lived.  They also fed Radioactive Oatmeal to Children in Orphanages, and gave Pregnant Women Radioactive Prenatal Medications to see how Radioactive Materials would cross the Placenta!!!   Can you only Imagine how Twisted, Morally Bankrupt and Evilly Depraved you must be to Experiment on Pregnant Women and Children, knowing you're doing them irreparable harm and possible horrifically agonizing Deaths?

 

Now, this isn't the 1st Sinister and depraved thing our Government has done, especially to certain Groups of Americans.  But, it's taken this long for some of this to finally be exposed and questioned.  There's still Survivors of this Nazi Like Human Experimentation they did without the knowledge or consent of the Victims or the general public!    And The Man recalls when they used Atomic Weapons above ground when he was a Child growing up in Utah in a predominantly Mormon Community, without regards to what it would do to those Citizens either when they were exposed to the inevitable Radiation.  Their demographic too have suffered religious persecution discrimination.  

Even when he was in the Military, early in his Career, the LDS were still segregated in the Military.  Due to the large size of their Families they were disproportionately Drafted during the Vietnam Era, his Draft Number was 5, he was definitely going before he even graduated from High School.   So, he was in Vietnam from the ages of 17-19 on Two consecutive Tours of Duty as a Special Forces Marine Corp. Sniper and leading a Team on Covert Ops.  He didn't choose the Military, it chose him, but, he did make a long Career out of it and managed to stay Alive thru numerous Combat deployments from Vietnam forwards to some Combat situations in places we allegedly never were.

 

He always says he Loves his Country and is fiercely a True Patriot, but, he doesn't Trust his Government, he knows too much about what they do in Secret, and not just to the alleged Enemy.   Anyway, Moving On... since I doubt those Victims will ever be awarded Settlements for the harm done to them or the Families of those that perished from the effects of it will ever get compensation for the pain and suffering intentionally inflicted.  Some of those exposed as Children went on to Serve their Country in the Military, not knowing until later in Life, what had been done to them and their Community there in St. Louis when they were mere Children!!!  Of coarse those Veterans feel particularly betrayed, especially those that made a Career of the Military Honorably yet didn't know they and their Loved Ones and Neighbors had been used as Guinea Pigs during their Childhood and offered up as involuntary Sacrifices.

 They remembered the Men in Haz Mat Suits spraying from the Rooftops on them.   But they were told flimsy Stories/Lies about what it was that was being sprayed on them or who those Men were and what they were REALLY doing, on purpose, to them!  They'd play in it, unknowingly, coz it was so thick and stuck to their Skin, Cooling it during Hot Summers!!!   Many have Died or been Diagnosed with Rare Cancers caused by the Radioactive Materials.  One Lady that was supposed to be Interviewed had even Died while it was being filmed and before she could give Voice to what happened to her!!!  These are Stories that must be revealed and told.  I'm glad they're Naming Names of who was involved and responsible.  Becoz if they did it to them they could do it to any of us.  When will YOU be the next demographic of inhumane 'Experiments' and Treatment?

We've been great at Pointing Fingers at other Governments that committed atrocities against their own People, but, America has done it numerous times too, so the hypocrisy is repulsive and shameful.  Okay, really Moving On this time... *LOL*  It's just a Topic that really makes me so angry due to the Inhumanity of it, and how Evil it truly is.  And I want my Beloved Country to be better than that, you know?   I want for the American People, as a Collective, to be better than that too, more elevated and evolved in their Humanity and extension of it.  It is not so difficult to be Humane and Kind towards other Sentient Beings, I do it all the time and it's a Natural Response.  It should be for everyone, unless they are very broken and damaged.  Honestly, if it were an Animal, Wild or Domestic, that went Rogue and dangerous like that, we'd have it killed and justify that decision for obvious reasons.

I did watch some Comedy Specials on NetFlix, to balance out the horrific of what is Real Life Evil perpetrated by Mankind.   You have to seek that balance of outrage against Evil and just finding Levity when and where you can so you aren't exposing yourself to too much of the Darkness of our Times.   I still want to feel Guardedly Optimistic and maintain a semblance of Hope for the Future and for our Species evolving in Positive ways towards Enlightenment and more Civility and Tolerance towards each other.   The Man and I did Environmental Cleanup on Labor Day, went in to the Antique Mall to foof the Showroom again for the last day of the Holiday Sale, and went to the Opening of "Spirit Store".  They put it near us in a large Vacant Store that used to be a "Big Lots".  Of coarse I took loads of Blog Fodder Imagery of all things Halloween.  *Winks*

Some of the Tiki and Halloween Vignettes in our Showroom.  The Mall was Crazy busy for Labor Day, Mondays are usually a slow day, so, Labor Day being Monday is a big help.  I only bought one thing at the "Spirit Store" which is the Portal to the Cat Dimension T-Shirt pictured further below, tho' mine is the only XXL they had.   It was a good day, we collected more River Stones and I got some awesome and large Wishing Stones this day.   I'm thinking of making a Wishing Stone Rock Garden Poolside.  I visited with some of my Vendor Friends like Crazy Ed, Rita and Cindy while at the Antique Mall.  Rita is adjusting well to being a recent Widow after losing her Husband Dan, who was also a good Friend of mine, I really miss him.  They were both in their 80's but didn't look or act it at all.   They specialize in high end Native American Jewelry and Tribal Collectibles, and Western Collectibles, Accessories and Vintage Cowboy Boots/Cowboy Hats.

The Daughter cooked a Spiral Ham, her first, and it turned out as good as her 1st Turkey had, delicious, and thanks to her Online Tutorial from Martha Stewart or someone similar she watched first for instructions.  *LOL*  We had both The Daughter's Boyfriend and The Son's Girlfriend over for Labor Day Dinner, so needed something to feed several.  Rusty, the Grand-Daughter's Boyfriend, didn't stay for the Meal.  Usually Princess T doesn't like Ham but this turned out so good she even ate some.  I had Seconds of the Ham while re-watching the Series "Mindhunter".   She made a version of Spanish Rice with it, that had Elote in the Rice and flavored with the Ham/Honey/Brown Sugar/Pineapple Juices she glazed the Ham with, very good too, nothing wasted.

The Son's Girlfriend had done a Six Hour straight drive down from the Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona to spend time with him for the Holiday.  She'd gone up there coz Western Medical Doctors had been unable to Cure her Mom of that Blood Infection that Hospitalized her. She was getting worse, not better.   So, she'd gone to see their Tribal Medicine Man for Tribal Remedy and said now her Mom is making better progress towards Recovery.  I grew up with my Dad using almost exclusively Tribal Medicine when we got Sick.  I never recall being taken to a Pediatrician very often, becoz he used Time Honored Traditional Tribal Medicine instead of Western Medicine.  And Mom was okay with it coz her Dad, having been Raised by a Chinese Family, had used mostly Eastern Medicine and not Western Medicine growing up too.  Dad himself didn't go to a Western Medical Doctor until he got Cancer as an Old Man.  And my Welsh Gran-Gran always went to Chinatown for Remedies when Sick.

  

Anyway, with Dad, when Diagnosed with Cancer, his Specialists said they couldn't Cure him, removed an Eye, but it had spread by then.  So he went back to Oklahoma, consulted their Medicine Man on the Rez, and he lived way longer than his Oncologist had given him and didn't Die of Cancer.   His cause of Death was something completely different and not anything previously diagnosed, or, he might have just beaten that too, I dunno?  *LOL*   His Docs were perplexed coz he just never came to see them again for the Cancer and took no Painkillers either, just Social Visits every now and again so they could see he was still vertical and they did call him regularly to see how he was doing.  *LOL*  His Oncologist was fascinated by the Tribal Remedies Dad would brew up at Home and drink.  I should have Written many of them down, only a few I have committed to Memory for some ailments. 

I have used some on myself, my Kids, my Grandkids, and The Man over the Years, they always worked.   Anyway, Marina does have more of a Peace now her Mom had been Advised by their Medicine Man on how to Heal from what ails her, glad they made the Pilgrimage for the Consultation.   Your Mind, Body and Spirit has to be in Harmony for a complete Healing of anything, to Partner with your Body's ability to just Heal as best as it can Naturally and with your Help to aide it to.  Anyway, with the Navajo also being a Matriarchal Society, Marina's Mom being so Sick has really troubled the extended Family since she is the Matriarch and Oldest living member of their Family now.  

 Her Dad had Died of the effects of Alcoholism, which is why she told The Son he can never drink around her and he's respected and done that for her.  He hasn't gotten Drunk since they started being a Couple, I Pray that Holds?  They've known each other since they were Tweens, so have a long Friendship History first.  Above is the Age The Son was when he and Marina first met and became Childhood Friends, she said she always had a major Crush on him, as did many of his Female Friends actually.   It was funny that she was telling me that tho' she's 100% Navajo, she's a Brighter Skinned Tribal Member and some of the Tribe always joked if there wasn't a White Man somewhere in their Family's Woodpile?  *LOL*  There isn't, she's just a Lighter Indian, many aren't Dark.   She enjoyed seeing Pixs of his Maternal Grandparents, since, she never met my Parents, tho' both were still Alive back then.

When The Son was showing her Family Photos she mentioned that my Dad's People are Dark Indians, which, they are, even tho' they do have known Mixed Blood.  One of my Dad's Older Brothers and Older Sisters were so Dark people mistook them for being Black, since, most Americans had never seen a Native American ever except in Old Historic Photos.   We know of at least One White Great-Grandfather and the possibility of my Foundling Paternal Grandfather being a Mixed-Race Child, which is why he was abandoned, probably to save his Life.  Since, Infanticide of Half-breeds was very common in his Era, so many didn't Survive Infancy.  I'm darker than Marina, even being only around 1/4 Indigenous, so she was comparing our Complexion Shades and remembered how Dark The Son was when Younger.  I was very Dark as a Child and so were all my Kids and The G-Kid Force too, when Younger.  IF we stay out of the Sun that is.  *Bwahahaha*

 So she always knew The Son was at least part Native, and her Family always speculated how much, or of what Tribe, but were too Polite to ask us.  *Smiles*   So, her Family aren't opposed to them being a Couple, they like The Son, tho' the Navajo are more tolerant of Interracial Unions than most Tribes are.  They were fairly certain we weren't Pueblo Indians like themselves tho'.  She said The Son always struck her of being of the more Militant Natured Tribes that people are more Scared and Guarded of being in the presence of.  *LOL, I thought that was hilarious and she wasn't Wrong.  Bwahahaha*   We wouldn't have been Offended, we're often asked "What are you?" and I know the implications of that Question being asked.  *Winks*   My MIL's first Question to her Son when he Married me and she saw us, was, "What Nationality ARE these People?"  *LMAO Loaded Question with our Heinz 57 Blend, Smiles*  The Daughter used to wear Kabuki Makeup to look Whiter when she was a Teenager, which, she's embarrassed about now.  *LOL, see above, Kabuki Face her, The Son and my Dad, she looked like a Ghost!  Ha ha ha*

And she Loved seeing Photos of The Son as a Baby... he was a very large Baby, almost 11 lbs. at Birth *Yes, Ouch*, and so looked a little bit like a Baby Samoan Wrestler.  *Smiles*   My Brother's Oldest Son is Three Months Older than The Son, and at Birth The Son was the same Size and Weight as his Three Month Old Cousin!!!   In fact, he was always in the top percentile of the Growth Charts until he was in Jr. High School, then he leveled out to Normal Size and didn't end up Giant Sized like the Men in my Mom's Family are.   In fact, compared to the rest of the Men on both sides of the Family, The Son is much shorter, since, the shortest of our Menfolk was 6'2" all the way to 6'9".   And I'm shorter than any of the Women in my Family, most of whom were very Tall and Slender like Beanpoles.  I think I got every Recessive Gene in our Gene Pool in fact... Genetics being quite fascinating to me.  I once thought I wanted to be a Geneticist, I would have enjoyed that kind of Work and Career.

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Still not sure what I'd like to be when I grow up... smiles... Dawn... The Bohemian