Another One Bites The Dust... Dammit!!!

 

It was with a heavy Heart I was informed by a Friend that "Ivy & Sage" will be Closing at the first of the Year, so unexpected, since the Scottsdale location only just Opened a few Months ago.  The Gilbert location, which is the only one I've gone to when The Daughter does her Housecleaning Jobs in Chandler, has only been Open Five Years.  It's an incredible Shop and most of Today's downloaded pixs were taken when I was just there!  It's all so sudden I do wonder what happened?  I know the Economy is shit right now, but, they JUST Opened and expanded, so, to suddenly close with no real explanation is Odd, to say the least.  And, it's very popular and well received by the Community.

That said, I had noticed this last visit that some Vendors had already either left or downsized considerably, the Inventory.  The one I get Jams and Jellies from only had 2 left of the flavor I wanted and none left of most of the others.  The Vendor I got a Necklace from was no longer there either.  Perhaps their Vendors just became unable to continue and it's not structured, as a Shop, that can have Empty Space, coz it looks cohesive and like One Shop, no actual Booths for Vendors, just areas within the Shop that they must Rent?  And those that Rent the most Space, perhaps gave Notice?  I just don't really have an explanation, just a Sadness that yet another great Small Business is Closing.  Another one bites the dust, and there's already been too many that have in recent Years.  

I'm wondering if there will be a Store Closing Sale?  Since it's individual Vendors, perhaps not, they'll just remove their Inventory and perhaps move on to another Business Location that Rents them Space?  I know the Vendor that makes the OOAK Art Dolls like my Gnomes and Snowmen I bought from them, used to be at "Highland Yard Vintage" Years ago.  Before moving to "Ivy & Sage", and I was happy to find them somewhere else, I hadn't known where they'd gone?   I hope to find out where they might relocate to, I doubt they will quit doing what they do as prolific Artisans with a highly popular Product Line.   So, anyway, didn't see this one coming... I'd JUST been there and nothing was Posted at the Store, a Friend just sent me their Instagram Announcement, their FB Page hadn't said anything.  I don't use Instagram.

Anyway, so I will make another Pilgrimage down there just before Christmas, since The Daughter has another Housecleaning Job for that Friend of mine who informed me of the Closure.  Dammit, I just HATE that all my favorite Haunts are Closing or have Closed and a scant few are even left and hanging on!!!  It's kinda scary really, becoz that's an Economic Indicator for sure.   When Small Businesses, which are the backbone of America, start folding en mass, and the Oligarchy now own and operate everything, a Monopoly then exists and you're beholden to the obscenely Elite who care not about the 99%ers they Lord over and now Control both Supply and Demand, as well as what it will Cost you, at their whims, like a Feudal System with Peasants and Royalty.   And I don't know about YOU, but nobody I know is in the Royalty Category and I don't wanna be relegated to being a Peasant.

I had thought our Irrigation for the Season was already Suspended for the Winter, but, it came this Morning and luckily both Neighbors on each side of us, Rob and Omar, came and woke Mando & The Daughter up in time to receive ours.  *Whew*  So, I guess it's not Suspended yet, tho' it should be getting close to when it will be.  It's Colder than a Witches Tit out there so I'm glad I'm not slogging around in it, at 49 Degrees that Water would give you hypothermia if you're Old.  I'm glad the Kiddos have taken on the responsibility for doing it FOR us.  That's the Beauty of Multi-Generational Living, they take over the duties of Home Maintenance that you can no longer manage so well, if at all, anymore.  And, The Daughter was just Approved for her Medical thru AHCCCS being extended, so that was Good News that she still has Insurance Coverage Medically with Medicaid for the Disabled/Indigent.  *Whew* 

 

We're still waiting on her Nutritional Assistance Approval, and for both Medical and Nutritional Assistance Approval for The Young Prince and The Son.  Since The Son didn't get Unemployment, with the Employer screwing everyone over on that, he has no Income to pay for anything now either and no Job prospects yet.  His Car isn't working again so he'd have transportation issues and no Money to do more repairs on it or Buy a new one either.  So, it's grim right now and he's not handling it well.  His Girlfriend came over last Night and she's still Unemployed too, she lost her Job in a shitty way as well, with the Government/Federal gutting going on, a lot of Women and Minorities were screwed over by this Administration Targeting them specifically due to Race & Gender, not Job Performance at all.  The Niece in Oklahoma is still Unemployed since August, and she's a Computer Programmer, but she's also a Gay Female who is over 40. 

So, hard times are upon us and we must move thru them with Dignity and Grace despite how much inequality and discrimination is escalating.  The Niece would be moving in with her Dad, they've reconciled after a long Estrangement so don't know how that will play out?   I'm glad they managed a reconciliation tho', Family is important and she needs a Support System that is biological, as well as Lifelong Friends who are like Family {ie: us}.  I worry about her and about anyone struggling right now to even survive, let alone thrive, with Job Losses, loss of Medical, no Social Safety Nets in place coz they're all being gutted or eliminated.  Qualifying for anything now has become a worse Gauntlet than it even was before, and it was never easy/simple to Qualify.  Only someone whose never needed it makes the faulty Assumption it's so easy to get.  I wish every Critic of the needy receiving Aide had to need it and apply just once and try to Qualify, so they know what it's REALLY like.

Food and Shelter are Basic for any Living Sentient Being, whether Human or Animal, so doing without either is Inhumane for any Animal, let alone any Human Being.  You have to be some kind of Special Cruel and Inhumane Being to be Okay with any Living Thing being without Food or Shelter, or Medical Treatment when it's needed, and be so callous as to intentionally deny it to them.  We are the Wealthiest Country on the Planet, yet practically the only 1st World Country with such an inadequate and unaffordable Healthcare System for it's People.  We could emulate and implement a System like successful 1st World Countries that have National Health Systems, but, we're Capitalism run amok and so we won't.  The Elite convinced the masses it would be Socialism. 

 Yet, we have had Socialism for the Wealthy for a long time already and many of our best Programs for our Population are a form of Socialism already.  It reminds me of the Anti-Vaxxers who wouldn't get Vaxxed coz they thought Bill Gates was putting Tracking Devices in the Vaccines.  While they held their Cellphones with a Tracking Device in it.  And had their Debit and Credit Cards or Frequent Shopper Apps, all with Tracking Devices in them.   And already had all their personal information out there at every Bank, Employer, or Social Media site out there.  You've been Tracked for Decades now and besides, what' so Special about you that Bill Gates would be Tracking YOU anyway?  I'm Curious.  And it's absurd.  *LMAO*

We had a lousy head of Water for Irrigation so Mondo had to do a lot more Work to spread it around adequately, but, we got coverage, it just took a lot longer.   We're probably going to look at Christmas Lights Tonight.  I don't want to take The Man along becoz he doesn't do well after Sundown and lately the Night Air has not been good for his COPD Issues and Shortness of Breath either.  He's not happy to be excluded but I don't wanna Court a Medical Emergency when we're trying to do something enjoyable and relaxing for Family Holiday Time either.  It's gonna be a tough enuf Christmas without him having yet another Medical Emergency around another Holiday and Medical Costs on top of all the other things becoming more and more unaffordable and debt laden.  He likes the Idea of coming along, but when we arrive, if it's Too Much for him, he's no longer on board a lot of the time too, and spoils it for everyone else.

He's asked to come Home before you barely do anything so I'd just as soon he just stay Home with his Shows and take it easy than ruin an Activity for the rest of the Family that are going.  When it's all of us it's more difficult for me too, it's a lot of Loved Ones with challenges to manage all the personalities and their particular Issues that could be Triggered when in a Group Activity or Outing.  This is something I want to enjoy, we're risking taking him to the Tamale Festival Tomorrow, it's a lot of Walking, just finding close Parking to it is impossible, so, he really might have difficulty.  But he's adamant he wants to come along, and we want to try to include him in Holiday activities.  So we're taking Two Vehicles so that if he fades fast, Mando & The Daughter said they'd just take one for the Team and take Dad Home.

Princess T told me she's not even sure she's going to either Activity on account of the Challenges of it having too many of the Family and too much risk of Drama and a Headache.  She said if it was just her and I she'd go to both.  She may go with Rusty instead so they don't have to be around everyone.   She embarrasses easily so if her Grandpa, Mom or Uncle become difficult or start to unravel, she is mortified in Public.  She's not ashamed of them, but, I understand, when in Public, if you have someone acting Mental it draws a lot of unwanted Attention and sometimes scares people to where Police could get involved... not something you want happening on an Outing that should be Fun.  *LOL*  If I could take them One at a time it would work out better, but, in a Perfect World a lot of things would work out better, Right?  *Winks*

I'm deciding what time I want to go to Downtown Glendale to see both "Glendale Glitters" in the Historic Downtown area, and go to the Santa House, a private Residence that does total exterior-interior Decorating in every Room of his Home, his Front and Back Yards.  It's been a Tradition and Ritual to go to his Home since my Kids were little, so Three Generations have enjoyed his Labor of Love he provides to the Community.  It used to be he and his Life Partner who did it, but the Partner Died of AIDS in the 90's and he's continued it to this Day by himself.  He's Elderly now so I don't know how much longer he can sustain this, but for as long as he does, we shall go and make a Monetary Donation.  It must take him Months to put it together and renders most of his Home not able to be all that functional during the Holidays, so it's quite Sacrificial. 

Extreme Holiday Decorating used to be a big Thing in the 70's thru the 90's, less so after that, so only a scant few still do it.   Malls used to do more too to Decorate their Malls and their Stores, compared to how they used to Decorate for it, not much to see here now IMO.  I used to hit every Mall to see the Decorations and what kind of Santa they had, but, don't do that anymore, it's just too generic and Pedestrian, nothing worth going out of your way to behold now.  I noticed how lean the Stores seem to be in having Christmas Merch too, must have been the Tariffs, I suspect, since, pretty much most Mass Produced items aren't made in America.  Our "Dollar Tree" nearby had a decent selection of Holiday Candies for my Candy Display on the Silver Lazy Susan.  I unloaded what had been left of our Halloween Candy at the Antique Mall's Kandie Drawer, it was a big hit.

There used to be lotsa places to Shop and Eat in Historic Downtown Glendale, it was Antique Row at one time with plenty of Antique Stores, interesting Boutiques and Trendy Bistros and Restaurants in the Historic Buildings.  Now, it's blighted and not a Destination at all.  A Chinese National named David Chang apparently bought up most of the Buildings, kicked out the Tenants and didn't renew long time Leases or increased Rents so high they had to vacate.  So, most of the Buildings lay empty for Years, intentionally, so he could Buy up more and Cheaper.  My Chinese Eastern Medical Doctor and Friend, knew of this Guy and had told me what he was doing and that he was Bad for the City.  She herself Sold her Medical Practice becoz of it, that was in the Historic District, and moved up North of the State.   But, the City of Glendale does some Christmas Light Decorating, and Hosting Events, but not as big as before tho'.

Last Year when I went to see the Lights I was disappointed, it was a Shadow of what it used to be and looked like they might even discontinue doing it.   Princess T told me that it's been moved this Year, from the Big City Park in the Center of the Historic District, so I have no idea where they moved it to actually?   Below are some Blasts from Holidays Past there, some Images are from Years ago when it was really a Destination, and they had Horse Drawn Carriages to give people Carriage Rides in a Victorian Style way for many Years.  I didn't see the Horse Drawn Carriages last Year tho' and most side Streets were no longer lit up either.

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Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian