Boredom And Blogging ~ And Dia de los Muertos ~ Part II

 I got bored with my Tan Blog Background and went Darker.   I can always go back if I get Negative Feedback from Dear Readers.  I used to have the best Vintage Wallpaper Graphics as my Blog Wallpaper, Loved it so much.  But after several Years it went away and subsequent "enhancements" Blogger has made over the Years just make it so I don't mess with Settings and changing things much anymore.  Too much can go Wrong and get screwed up when you're Tech Challenged like Yours Truly and I don't want to run damage control behind myself.  *Smiles*  Plus, for some odd reason the Wallpapers that you can auto choose, don't load like they should with Graphics you really like, just a single Solid Color and I don't know Why and never figured it out?

Blog Friend Shirley was saying she's been Locked Out of my site for Weeks now and doesn't know Why, neither do I since I haven't changed anything that should Block any Dear Readers.  I haven't activated any Screening for who shows up, it's Public and anyone should be able to access the Blog.  Only obvious Spam Comments are sent to Spam Comment Land and I take a look, delete them if they truly are Spam/Trolls/Bots, Un-Spam them if they're legit Commenters.  Sometimes someone gets thrown into Spam, only via their Comments, I know not Why that happens either, especially if they're regular Dear Readers and have often left Comments before.  I even allow Anonymous Comments coz I know on my Cellphone I have to Comment as "Anonymous" and then Sign the Comment as me. 

So, anyway, other than a Color Background and Font Color Change, everything remains the same at Bohemian Valhalla Blog.  *Smiles*  I just felt 'Darker' and so the Charcoal Background with White Font seemed more apropos.  *Winks*   I happen to like it better than the Tan, but I do prefer the Neutral Non-Colors over the Colorful Wallpapers they had as Options.   I would of coarse prefer a Graphics Wallpaper that is either Vintage, Benign Neglect, or very Bohemian.  Remembering how to even change my Blog Banner is so far in the distant Blog Past tho' that I don't wanna re-learn how, too lazy, I'm a lazy Blogger, what can I say.  If it ain't broke I am not tempted to fix it.

The Son got me to watching a NetFlix Mini Series called "Black Rabbit" starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman, it has 8 Episodes.  I haven't seen Jude in anything for a very long time.   I'm also binge watching a Special Effects/Make-up Contest based out of London called "Glow Up", where aspiring Make-Up Artists compete in Colorful Challenges.   It's been on for Six Seasons but this is the first Season I've ever seen it.  It reminds me how much Edgier Fashion Wise the Europeans are compared to America.  I have lived in Europe and their Fashion and Music to me was way Edgier and more appealing to me.  I remember when I moved back to America and came to Phoenix in 1974, my Fashion Sense was very Bohemian European and people here looked at me like I'd come from another Planet.

It reminded me of how people thought about Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin's Fashion Sense, which, was very much like mine back in my Young Hippie Days.   Swinging London Fashion was I think what they called it, and Jimi fit in much better in Europe, I'm sure of it, than he did here in America.  He was not only dressing to be Uncommon, but to suit himself and his own personal Aesthetic, being completely Authentic to Self.   He Believed some Clothes restricted your Personality, I agree completely... Style from Electric Ladyland.   It's not for everyone and it's not meant to be, why be Pedestrian, Cut & Paste, or Basic when you can be Extra, it's so much more interesting, liberated and Fun.

  I liked Exotic Fabrics with lots of Handwork, especially Velvet with Hand Embroidery, I wore a lot of Velvet Hand Embroidered Caftan Tops from India and Dashikis from Africa.  I liked the outrageous Jackets like Jimi often wore and I had several of my own.  My Kids and The G-Kid Force still Joke if they see anything reminiscent of Jimi or Janis' Style and say, "Mom/Gramma would totally still wear that...", with no Inhibitions, and they'd be Right.  I still do. *Winks* So funny to me that The Man, by comparison, was not allowed, growing up, to express himself with Fashion or Style, the Mormons being pretty Uptight about Fashion and Conformity.   Which is probably Why, by the time I met him and he'd been well Traveled and in the Military for so long and having to wear a Uniform, on his own Time he had Swagger when he dressed. 

 Finally able to express himself and not have his Personality as restricted.  He was a Sharp Dressed Man when he was in the Clubs DJing and being their Bouncer.  Now of coarse he wears just Demin or Carhartt Shorts, Baseball Caps and T-Shirts, which is Fine.  You should have seen Pixs of him in the days when he was Undercover and infiltrated Outlaw Biker Gangs, he looked the part totally!!!  He still looks fierce in Biker Sunglasses and a Leather Vest... he still likes them, but doesn't wear them so much... he could still look like an Old Outlaw Biker tho', easily.  *Ha ha ha*  He did semi-joke that with this corrupt Regime in Power, any of us might have to become and be considered ruthless Outlaws for our own protection and well being of our Families, he could be Right?  

I'm having Fun pulling my Dia de los Muertos Imagery out of my Photo Archives for these couple of Posts dedicated to the Holy Days it encompasses.  In Real Time it's only the 26th coz I'm several Pre-Written yet Unpublished Posts ahead still.   So, I have about a Week before the actual Celebration where I'll be taking 2025 Pixs of it and of Halloween Night.   Only Five Days left in Real Time before it's Halloween and then the Dia de los Muertos Celebration is November 1-2, which falls on a Weekend so The Desert Botanical Gardens did said they'll devote that Weekend to the Celebration of it.  I'll definitely attend, I always do, it used to Host more days displaying the Art, the Ofrendas, but now it's just a Weekend.  And one Year they didn't do it at all, so I always check Online first to see what Special Events they ARE Hosting there?  Like I said, their "Strange Garden" Event was just Strange and quite disappointing.

 

I was thinking of going to The Gym this fine Sunday Morning but I'm very sore and had done a lot of Walking Yesterday, which qualifies as a Workout too.  If I'm too sore I don't push it coz the last thing I want is to risk injury and strain that would sideline me from usual activity levels.  The point is to become healthier not injured or compromised of your usual activity levels due to doing too much.  I'm very active for a Senior so I know I've never been a sedentary sort of Older Person at all.  I was still Raising Grandchildren when most of my Peers had long since quit doing that level of intense Activity that Children require.  *Smiles*  I was trying to keep up with Children my Grandkids Ages plus their Peers much Younger Parents that were the Ages of my own Adult Kids or even Younger Adults than that who were also Raising Children.  You ran in different Circles than your Retired Senior Friends when you still have Young Children at Home and in tow all of the time.

Even now, I'm mostly hanging out with my Granddaughter, whose 20, and my Adult Kids in their 30's-40's, and their Friends.  I'm not running with those in their 60's-80's like most of my Peers are.  I do know some Seniors in Real Life, mostly at the Antique Mall who are other Vendors. But what they're doing, other than Selling in an Antique Mall, is so different than what I'm doing, that we just don't do stuff together at all in our Social Lives.  In their Personal Lives they all just live with either an Elderly Spouse or Alone too, big difference than me living with 3 Generations of Family together under one roof.  So, the Older folks we know don't come over for visits as often as the Young folks we know who are over all of the time and Socialize more.  For most Young Friends this is like a second Home too, and I swear they just end up like part of the Family they're here so much.  *LOL*  They don't even visit their own Parents or Grandparents, or extended Family, as often as they visit with us and come over for Meals and Activities.  *Smiles*

I don't mind coz they pitch in while here, always bring Food with them if they're joining us for a BBQ or Gathering, help with Cooking and Cleanup, provide Socialization we wouldn't normally have, so, there's no Down Side to their visits.  Being a full time unpaid Caregiver would otherwise be Isolating as Hell if it were just The Man and I.   We'd only be seeing his Weekly VA Nurse on Tuesdays for as long as she is able to come if it were just the Two of us here.   I do take The Man out 2-3 Times a Week to get his exercise and Sunlight exposure, but, he likes to do that in Natural Settings where it's really just the Two of us and random sparse Peopling of anyone we'd happen to meet while doing our Environmental Cleanup.  He can handle that level of Casual Socialization with a complete Stranger who we'll likely rarely see again.  Tho' people do remember us more than we remember them, Oddly, we're memorable folks I guess?   The Kids are like, "Well, how many Old People even LOOK like you Mom/Gramma?  Of coarse they remember you."    *LOL*

The Man tends to wear the Old Career Veterans "Uniform" of a Military Logo Baseball Cap and Military Logo T-Shirt, long Beard, and letting their Hair grow long.  *Winks*   When Princess T was a Toddler she could not Identify for sure her Grandpa from any other Old Veteran that looked so much like him, it was hilarious!!!   She called him her "Honey" and would yell out to any Old White Veterans with a White Beard, "Honey! Honey!!  There's my Honey!"  *LOL*   It's funny to me coz one of my Mom's Favorite Stories about me as a Toddler was that my Military Dad was deployed so much that she didn't realize the main thing I recognized about Dad was that he wore a Military Uniform and had Dark Skin.  

 So, when I was Two we were at the Train Station waiting for my Dad to come Home from a Deployment and a Black Man in Uniform exited the Train and I ran up to him so excited, grabbed him by the Leg hugging him and gushing, "Daddy! Daddy!"   Mom said that poor Young Guy's Face was Priceless of the shock that this little swarthy yet Blonde Toddler thought he was her Daddy!!!   She said all he could muster was, "She's NOT mine, I swear!"  *Bwahahahaha*   Dad finally exited the same Train and then the Guy realized how I Identified Dad, Dark Skin and Uniform, and my Parents and the Guy Laughed about it and my confusion, that every Dark Guy in a Military Uniform wasn't Daddy.  But, as Mom pointed out, any Native American in Uniform probably WAS my Daddy, coz my Dad seemed to be the only Indigenous Soldier everywhere we went.  Tho' my Dads Brother and my Paternal Cousins were in the Military, you still didn't see many Native American GI's.  Until I was an Adult and saw a Navajo GI at Luke AFB here in Arizona that everyone called, of coarse, "Chief".  *Smiles*

In WWII Arizona enlisted a lot of the Navajo to be Code Talkers and at every Veteran's Day Parade in Phoenix those still living come down from the Rez to be Honored in the Parade.   There are only Two still Alive Today, Peter MacDonald and Thomas H. Begay. {See Below}  They were both Fine Handsome Looking Young Soldiers in their day.  I remember how Handsome my Dad looked in his Military Uniform.  And how Proud I always was and have been of his Service to his Country, in spite of the discrimination and segregation he always faced even while Serving.  Originally there were 534 American Indian Code Talkers in WWII, the larges Group being the over 400 Navajo Marines who Served in the Pacific.  Most of the Comanche Code Talkers were Serving in the European Theater of Operation.  But over 14 Tribal Nations participated in the Program.  The initial Group numbered only 29 Navajo Men, until the American Military realized how effective and valuable their contribution was as our Secret Weapon of WWII.  Their Code was never broken and only 13 Died in Combat.

  

I Share some of this important History before it can be disappeared and Whitewashed, or falsely re-written, by this vile Administration that is trying desperately to eliminate all contributions made by Americans of Color and of American Women from our History.   It's not just Cis Gender White Males who've made important contributions to the History of our Country.  And so we may have to resort to Verbally passing along important History like both of my Parents Cultures were used to doing and preserved their History that way by Word of Mouth for Centuries.  It is still an effective way of relaying History to our Future Generations so that it isn't Lost and cannot be eliminated effectively by any vile and corrupt Regime trying to do so.  I have verbally relayed our History of all our Ancestors, the Welsh ones and the Native American ones in Stories to my Children and Grandchildren, as they were thus passed along to me by my Elders.

It's not exactly 'New' that History and Accuracy has been suppressed or eliminated handily by Governments, any of them.   My Dad always found it quite ironic that the U.S. Federal Government only "Recognized" certain Indigenous Tribes, and refused to "Recognize" others as being Indigenous Peoples so they could deny them Land and compensations of any kind.   To this Day there are a minimum of at least 400 Native American Tribes that are Non-Federally Recognized!!!  They did not receive Recognition thru Treaties and some were even terminated when the Government now refuses to Recognize their Status, for any reason they deem fit to not restore Status.   The 1950's-1970's saw the U.S. Government terminate Relationship with over 100 Tribes, which then removed their Special Legal Status as being considered Indigenous!  

So, all of the discrimination remaining, but none of the benefits Tribes would Legally receive!   I foresee this vile Administration trying to do away with all Federal Funds, Grants and Services to create hardship Socially and Economically on all Tribal Nations.  There are currently 574 Federally Recognized Tribes.   My Dad's direct Ancestry are among the East Coast Non-Federally Recognized Tribes and most were herded out West and intermarried with Federally Recognized Tribes in those Regions in and around Oklahoma, primarily the Cherokee Nation.  So, most of my Cousins are Federally Recognized due to the intermarriage of their Ancestors.  But my Dad Married a European, so he nor us were ever Federally Recognized as Indians... which is just the irony of some of the tainted History of our Nation never taught or discussed.  

 And probably also why Ancestry dot com labeled me as 21% Other Of Undetermined Origin?   *Bwahahahaha*  That Origin is likely Indigenous yet Unrecognized as such by our Government.  *LMAO*  Both of my Dad's Parents were Indigenous and likely also considered Half-Breeds of their day.   Which, Oddly, was considered "White by Law", but, not REALLY, since, they were still treated like Indians and most still lived on Reservations and not Off Rez and were not going to be welcome nor assimilated into American Society ever in their Day.   Kind of like the "One Drop Rule" most Americans of Black Ancestry faced.  It does put  you in sort of an awkward Cultural Limbo of sorts sometimes, depending on how Dark or how Light you happened to turn out?  *LOL*  I have always been considered White by my Dad's Family and Indian by my Mom's Family.  And that's Okay coz I have a Family that on Mom's Side was very accepting of my Dad... not so much on my Dad's Side.  And I understand, I look White Enough to have avoided a lot of the discrimination and bias, not always, but, mostly.

  

History Lesson for Today now over, we'll Move On.  *Winks*  Now for some Food Porn, since, it's always Necessary and a nice Fluff Top Break from Serious Stuff, Right?  *Winks*   I took these in the Bakery Section of "Whole Foods" while I was there, their newly Remodeled Bakery Section is open now.   We're BBQing Two kinds of Bun Length Hotdogs and Two kinds of Hamburgers this Afternoon and I have some Bakery Items and Deli Potato Salads, Two kinds.  My Finale' of "Halloween Wars" is on Tonight.  The Guys will be the Grill Masters of cooking it all since I did the Shopping for it all.  *Smiles*  "Safeway" had Sodas and The Man's Peach Teas on Sale, so that's where we got everything. Instead of going to The Gym we went and did Environmental Cleanup and got some more River Rocks.  It worked out that kink I had in my Shoulder Blade that had been painful for a few Days, so, it turned out being the Right Thing to do for it. 

Tomorrow Princess T has her Dental Appt. which I'm taking her to and The Man has his VA Doc Appt. which The Daughter and Mando are taking him to.  He'd scheduled his Appt. on top of hers, within 15 Minutes of hers, so no way I could do both.   This is why I don't like him making his own Appts. when they call to set them up, he never looks at the Calendar to ensure we don't already have something on that day which would conflict with whatever Appointment he's agreeing to!!!  Rather than change it, in case he wouldn't be able to get in to the VA again in a timely manner, which is common, Mando and The Daughter said they'd take him.  *Whew*  They've never been with him to an Appt. so that should be Interesting.  *Winks*  

Now they'll see what I go thru with him at Appointments.   He rarely tells his Docs anything Truthful or even Accurate, so you have to keep him Honest at them and be Accurate FOR him, which is my advice to them.  He'll Argue it all, but the Docs usually know now his Brain is a bit scrambled and Believe the Family version.  Dr. Kline is very Kind about it with The Man, I'm sure he sees a lot of Old Disabled Veterans who have either Emotional or Mental Health and Brain Damage Issues, involving Physical and Emotional Trauma from their Years of Service related Injuries and what they've been thru.  He himself Served on Battlefields in Vietnam and other Theaters of Operations, he's an Older Doctor with a thick Yiddish Accent, whose also seen a lot of Action during Wartime.  We just Love Dr. Kline and am so glad he's The Man's Doctor.

And doesn't this Juice I had at "Snooze" look Refreshing?  And, it was, and was called "The Rejuvenator".   It's a hydrating Drink made from Pear, Lemon, Ginseng, Agave, Prickly Pear and Coconut Water, rimmed with Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, very tasty and balances Electrolytes and aids in Hydration while providing a boost in Energy, at about 180 Calories.  I switch from either ordering this or other Energy Drink Juicing they provide on the Menu, or the Lavender Coffee Latte.  Below was my Breakfast there, the Bacon But Different hadn't arrived at the Table yet, but, I had that too.  I'd worked up quite an Appetite walking the Gardens for a couple Hours, and it ended up lasting me 'til Dinnertime actually.    

  

The Bella Bella Benny is on the Left and was the one they'd taken off the Menu for a while and reintroduced by Popular Demand to.  The one on the Right is the Habanero Pork Belly Benny, I chose the Benny Duo where you can choose Two different Bennies for a small Upcharge on just the Pork Belly One, worth it.  Usually it comes with Hashbrowns but I substitute Fruit at no extra charge to reduce my Carb intake due to being a Diabetic.  Also, with being on Ozempic, my Appetite is suppressed so too many Carbs fills me up too full and I end up not being able to eat it all.  I don't like wasting Food so I'd rather Order something I know I can polish off if I know I'm not going straight Home and it would sit in the Truck when it's Hot Outside. 

One of our Lifelong Friends is making Dia de los Muertos Altar Candles for her departed Family Members.   Her Uncle Art on the Far Left, and her Grandpa Albert, on the Far Right, were Lifelong Friends of ours when we all lived in the Old Barrio in South Central Avondale.   So our Kids knew them all their lives and are still Friends with all of their Generation they grew up with from there.   Art was the Brother of another of our Lifelong Friends, Dino, and his Wife Yolanda, who are still Alive.   So few of our Old Friends are still among the Living tho' now, we're some of the last of our Generation still Piping along.   So, their Kids often come to visit us now we're back in close proximity to the Old Neighborhood.  We owned Two Properties in the Old South Central Avondale Neighborhood, one being the Historic Home.  I do miss both Old Neighborhoods, we visit them when we can.  This Neighborhood is outside of the Historic Barrio, but, just a few Miles Northeast of it.  In a more affluent area of higher end Homes, and our Community has Acreages.

Our Community is what I'd call a Vintage one, since it's been here since the early 1960's.   So all the Homes in the Mini Farm Community are Custom Homes on Acreage, no Two Homes are alike, and used to be quite Rural and nobody around them back then.  But, fairly high end Residential more expensive Subdivisions eventually built up around them, and Businesses/Commercial/some Industrial too.  So now it's all part of Urban Sprawl and the Metro Area, so no longer Rural at all.  I don't mind since now it's the best of both Worlds, yet in a lower Crime Rate area than our Historic Home was or our other South Central Home was.  As you get Older, even if you know a lot of people in your Community who are decent law abiding folks, you don't wanna have to Deal with the Criminal Element People or Gangs in a higher Crime Rate area, which, do exist.  Police response is just better in more affluent Neighborhoods with lower Crime Rates.

The Daughter took over the BBQ of everything and was Grill Master, since her Brother and Boyfriend had to work on The Son's Car again.  They're limping that POS along since he can't afford another one, so pretty soon the whole damned Engine will be rebuilt with new parts.  *Le Sigh*  She'd never done BBQ before so asked me to Supervise her, but, she did really good and the food turned out great.  That gave her confidence that she can Grill too.  *Smiles*  We all sat and watched Marathon Semi-Finals and Finale's of Food Network Halloween Competitions.   The Winners of "Halloween War" was my favorite Team and deserving of the Win, but the runner-up who took 2nd place had been an Underdog thru the whole Show and had a Pumpkin Carver who was almost my Age and it was her 1st time there.  The Cake Artist also was her 1st time and she was an exceptional Artist from Guyana originally.  Only their Sugar Artist was a Veteran of the Show.

I think every Team on the Show this Season was really so good that Judging was difficult, mostly smallest of details eliminated Teams really. I enjoyed the whole Evening of Binge Watching The Food Network Shows.   A whole Day of ignoring The News and what Fuckery might be coming out of the White House was Needed, it's all so much, too much, far too depressing to process every day.  Oh how I Wish that Kamala had Won.   So that all of this could have been avoided and he would have probably Died or been put in Long Term Care, in almost virtual obscurity during her Term.  And his Sycophant Cabal of People might have also dispersed in Four more Years of a Normal Functional and Sane Presidency?  So much could then have been avoided and not threatened our Democracy or harmed the American People and our Allies.  *Le Sigh*  Sometimes Bad History, the Wrong Side of History for a Nation, is just allowed to play out tho', and so, here we now are.  It makes me beyond Sad and Angry that Americans who Voted him in again caused this.

During my BIL's Visit we were careful NOT to bring up Politics coz he's Old and MAGA, but tho' I'm sure he's still quite Team tRump, coz he'd never admit he was Wrong, he also was more subdued about NOT bringing it up either, which isn't like him.  He liked to blame Biden for everything and now that Side just can't, their Guy has to Own what's going Sideways now, Biden isn't the President anymore, so the Fuckery of the Day is Square on the Retrumplican Party now.  Denial will only take the Cultists so far before what IS hurting THEM is obviously their own Choices and not someone else's Fault to Blame it on.  He defaulted to saying he's so Old and near the End of his Life now, that it doesn't matter anymore, the Politics!  

 But I told him only that it DOES matter to his Child, his Grandchildren, and all Future Generations of us all.  So, it's reckless and irresponsible for any of us to fuck the World or the Nation and the Future up, for them to have to run any Damage Control behind.  Native American Cultures Believe you do not Inherit the Earth from your Ancestors, you Borrow it from our Children, for at least Seven Generations.   This is precisely why most Indigenous Cultures around the World did not leave a harmful Footprint on the Earth for Hundreds, if not Thousands of Years, of being on any Land they occupied exclusively.   Modern Societies tend to look at that as being Primitive or Uncivilized, but it was Ecologically in Harmony with Mother Earth and Nature, all of it that we Share this Planet with, that should be acknowledged.   We Witnessed during COVID how Nature rebounded so quickly and was back in Natural Balance, during Humanity's Trial Period of being Sidelined.

I don't think Humanity Learned much from that tho', they should have, but, most didn't at all.  Anyway, Mando had to take The Son to Work coz they didn't get the Car Repaired in time, they worked on it all Day tho'.  A New Part they'd gotten from Auto Zone was faulty, it's Metal and the Metal broke into pieces!!!   So, they took it back and had to have it replaced and do all that Work all over again!!!   The Metal on that part was so faulty it was literally crumbling and could have caused an Accident had it fallen to bits on the Freeway, Thankfully it didn't, but it crumbled in their Hands when they removed it!  *Whew*  I swear the Fabrication of Parts is declining so much it's scary how shoddy the Workmanship is that could cause harm or even Death!!!  I don't know where these Car Parts are made, but the Quality is shit.

Princess T came Home from Rusty's with Two Carved Pumpkins into Jack O'Lanterns, so she'd talked him into doing that with her at his House this Year.  *LOL*  She either talks her Gay Boy Posse or any current Boyfriend into doing the Carving of the Jack O'Lanterns, not sure these Young Men would still be doing that kind of thing otherwise, unless they had Children, which, none of them do.  *Smiles*   I thought she'd make her Brother do it with her since The Young Prince enjoys such things too still and Carved One of his own last Halloween at his Home in New Mexico.  At once time, since he likes Sculpting and is so good as a Sculptor, he thought he'd wanna try his Hand at Professional Pumpkin Carving.   But, he found the Medium of Carving Vegetables quite different than Sculpting with Clay or other Food that is malleable.  As an Artist I found the same with Oil Painting, it wasn't a Medium I had the Skill for.   I could Draw with any other Product, just not make great Art with Oil Paints.

Of coarse she wants me to Photograph her Jack O'Lanterns, which she sat on the Front Porch Vignette, when the Sun comes up.  It's still Dark Outside at 5:00 a.m. when she rolled in, Rusty drops her off on his way in to Work on a Monday.  She doesn't Work on Sunday or Monday, so usually goes over his House on Saturday Afternoon after she gets off Work.   So far things are still working out for him at his Dad's Home, so I don't know what's going on with the Mom and Sisters moving in and his Dad moving out of that Property?  I know all the Male Roommates left that his Dad was Renting Rooms to, in preparation for his Ex and Younger Kids to move there and Rent out the other Home they own that she and the Kids lived in.  Why she's Renting out the Home she occupied is a Mystery and cocked up the good arrangement his Dad had set up to pay for everything with his Son and Male Roommates helping with Costs?

Princess T said she thinks the Mom doesn't Work, and only the Oldest of the Sisters Works and moved out to live with her Boyfriend.   The Younger Sisters are still in School and don't Work.   The Dad Works and probably pays for everything for both Properties?   Rusty Works long Hours and pays a LOT to Rent his Room from his Dad, a Grand a Month, but, it's less than half of what Rents Cost Locally.  Anyway, she said the only Positive is that the House the Guys live in has never been Cleaner and she likes that a lot, coz the Guys were all messy and it looked like a Bachelor Pad or Frat House.  *LOL*  Princess T would not go over to visit unless the Aunts... or the Mom... came over first to help clean it up to presentable Standards.  *Bwahahaha* 

 My Granddaughter certainly wasn't doing it like she was some unpaid Maid Service, that's for damned sure.   She gives her Boyfriend a hard time all the time about being a messy Man and relying too much on his Female Relatives to do all the Housework.  That doesn't Fly with our Grandchild from a Matriarchal Society Upbringing.  *Winks*   I'm sure Glad he took one for the Team by Carving her Pumpkins with her that he Bought for her tho', I'm not into Pumpkin Carving at all and just leave my Real Ones Natural and whole.  Mostly coz I Buy the Heirloom Varieties I like best and they're not Ideal for Carving Jack O'Lanterns, we know this from Experience.  *Eye Roll*  It used to be that the Traditional Orange Plain Pumpkins were Cheaper than Heirloom, now the Price Point is usually comparable.  And I still prefer the Varieties of Unusual Heirloom Pumpkins best of all.

 

I could immediately tell this was Rusty's Jack O'Lantern and wondered, where's his Lid?  Well, he Carved it in such a way it didn't fit on top anymore without falling inside so I had to set it back up on top skew wiffy so it would stay up there without falling thru!   And sorry my blurry Nighttime shots of these are inferior, I am not waiting 'til Daylight to wrap up this Post.  *LOL*  I'll for sure take better Pixs in the Daylight for another Post tho'.  I just had to go out there with The Man and do our Obligatory ewwing and awwing of them for her to be Satisfied that we just Loved and fully Appreciated the results of their handiwork and contribution to the Halloween Vignette out front.  *Winks*   I do like the Shadows the Images threw off at Night even tho' the Clarity was bad.  More of a Creep Factor going on with the Pixs.

And the Cat Jack O'Lantern was of coarse hers, coz she usually Carves a Cat, and this Year I think Hello Kitty was her Inspiration?   And also, I knew she would pick the Pumpkin with the Best Stem and clearly Rusty didn't Care about his Stem like we do.  *Bwahahahaha*   Tho' he did pick a Pumpkin with a good Shape too.   I don't know where they went to Buy them, pretty sure she insisted they go Pumpkin Shopping, but, whether that was Grocery Store or Pumpkin Patch, I haven't asked yet.  I will on the way in to the Dentist this Morning.   She's used to being up at 5:00 a.m. for Workdays so she'd already Slept enuf at his House before coming back Home and being dropped off.  I tend to rise Earlier now too that I take her to Work on her Workdays, it's hard for me to Sleep In now actually. 

*******

May the rest of Autumn go well for you my Friends, now this Holiday is a Wrap... Dawn... The Bohemian