Jams, Jellies & Food Gift Boxes, Oh My!!!

Since I'm only One Unpublished Post ahead now I'll start this one, I'm trying to keep ahead of The Game and Post regularly.  It's like a good Therapy for me to Blog and I enjoy it.  I consider it like Journaling in temporary form, since, I don't keep Posts Archived for long before just dumping them in a regular Edit & Purge.  Now that I have Cox Unlimited Data, I probably don't have to cull it now, but I still will.  I like a manageable Archive of mebbe a Month's worth of Old Posts.  Once they stop getting regular Reads, why keep them?  I'm not trying to leave some Blog Legacy behind for Historians to contemplate.  *Bwahahaha*

I do keep extensive Photo Archives tho'.  The Young Prince was telling me that Memory Cards don't last, I didn't know this about them deteriorating.  Only 5-10 Years is a short period of time, previous forms of Photos have lasted Generations.   And Memory Cards weren't that cheap, so, that sucks for the Future of Preservation of your Photos with Modern Technology being so fucking brief!  I guess Modern folks don't intend to Preserve a damned thing for the Future tho', they're a Disposable Society now and seem Okay with that.  When us Dinosaurs all Die Off there will be no Need for Preservation I guess they figure?   Not of Structures, their Photos, or the Environment.

As an avid Preservationist this used to bother me a lot.  Now, Honestly, I've done my part and if Future Generations don't do theirs, they will suffer the consequences of those Choices, not me.   I won't be around and so it won't matter anymore to me.   You do get to the Season of Life where you have less shits to give about the Future coz yours is nearing it's ending and there won't be one, so, it's all relative and subjective.  As America is quickly falling apart at the seams, I'm actually glad I'm Old and not one of the Younger Generations that will Inherit what happens. And have to Deal with it and run damage control, cleaning up behind poor Leadership that was installed and wrecked it.  Nothing Is as it Once Was.

That's what will happen, so the Fixers better get busy and Fix some of it now, it MAY not be Too Late?   Before it's Forever Broken to the point of putting a Daisy on it and giving America it's Last Rites and a Eulogy.  But, with each passing day I must say there is a new bottom to how low it can go and how low some can go down with it.  That's been quite enlightening to how fucked up some of our Citizens truly are.   It's about 39% Statistically now, but, that's still a high percentile of fucked up Citizenry IMO... and a whole Political Party of truly fucked up folks to consider, who are presently in Power and holding all the Power, which is in a Word, Scary.  Perhaps even Terrifying.  But, I try to find Beauty amidst the Ashes.  You just gotta Look Harder now to.

Listen, I've lived thru some hairy shit, but this shit has been Epic FUBAR worthy shit.  For those that don't know, that means "Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition".  I don't Recognize this America, it's abhorrent and Twisted to the point I do not Like it nor embrace it.  It doesn't hold any of the Values now that I hold Dear and represented my once Great Country and what I thought it Used to Stand For.  I've had Friends and Family who live Internationally even Joke with Gallow's Dark Humor, that if they don't "Make American Great Again", we could always seek refuge in their Countries.  But, in Reality, it's No Joke and even they recognize America is in serious Trouble and it alarms them too and is tragic to Witness.

I watched King Charles Year End and Christmas Address to his Nation and the American Pope's Year End and Christmas Address to the Faithful, what a stark contrast in Messaging from our vile Leadership!   Our Leaders Messaging is the antithesis of their Messaging, in every way, and that's just fucking embarrassing and shameful for America, it truly is.  It's showing it's dark and sinister present underbelly of what we are, or have become, not sure which it is anymore actually?   I'm getting kinda weary of people implying this ISN'T Who we ARE, coz it fucking seems it IS folks, or it wouldn't be so self-evident!!!

  I'm not saying ALL of us, coz it's NOT Who I fucking am, and never will be.   Mebbe not YOU either, but as a Collective... it's what America is now representing to The World and to our Citizenry, it's on full garish and hideous Display.   And nobody has Stopped it, so there.  They MUST be Okay with it, or, they would and could put a fucking Stop to it if it was considered Unacceptable Enough!!!   Apparently NOT???  It's who we now Are or have Become and that's just the Truth.  Even if some can't handle the Truth anymore and live in that Alternate Reality of a Wonderland Crazier than Alice's ever was of their own Creation.

Today's Release Rant now over, what should be Talked about now?  *Bwahahaha*   What Uplifting Topics can we dredge up to bring some Light into the Darkness?  *Winks*  I have no more Events to go to this Year, tho', we don't have many Days left to this Year and it seems another Year is rolling up on us real damned fast again.  What will 2026 hold I Wonder?   I don't make New Year's Resolutions, I just try to be a better Human every Day.   And not start thinking about it on January 1st as if I have some ridiculous Clean Slate just coz the Ball Dropped in Times Square and we said Happy New Year.  If you're a Wreck, mebbe don't wait 'til January 1st to start Working on it, just sayin'.  *Winks*

I found a Junior Mints flavored K-Cup for our Coffee Maker at the Dollar Store.  They only had Two Boxes of it left so I Bought both, they're really good.  I can't eat Junior Mints but the smell always appealed to me and the faux flavoring for this Drink is really pleasant and doesn't upset my Stomach like Chocolate would.   I put some mini Marshmallows in it and am sipping it while Writing this and waiting on Princess T to get ready for me to take her to Work.   With going to Bed so damned early last Night I was chipper and up by 4:00 a.m. this Morning!  *LOL*  Seems I'm getting that Senior Internal Clock Mix-up they Speak of when you get Old and start Operating on Retirement Time?  *Bwahahaha*

Eli is protesting loudly in the Song of his People coz he hears me up Typing and if he hears the Keyboard in Action he thinks he should get Fed first.  He always has his Dry Kibbles available to him in one of those a Self-Feeding Stations.  So, it's not like he's dying of Hunger, but he knows he has the Special Christmas Wet Food and he wants some, NOW!  *LOL*   His Human was straightening her Hair, she got a new Straightening Iron for Christmas for Days she doesn't wanna Curl it or have Time to.  I think Straightening it take as long, but... whatever... I have No Care Hair so I don't have to mess with mine ever, Dreadlocks are No Maintenance really and I Love that about having them.  Keep 'em Clean, I don't even bother to keep 'em Separated anymore, and those were the only Two real requirements.

 

I still have a bunch of Holiday Photos to use up for Blog Fodder.  But I wanna sprinkle in some Non-Christmasy Imagery too now, as we ease out of the Holidays now.   I ease out of every Holiday slowly, I don't mind putting it up early, but I tend to take it down later than most too, in increments.  I still have faux Pumpkins, a few that weren't Orange, on the Front Porch, that looked Okay with my Christmas Exterior minor Decorating.   None of us have been Working The RV Garage Mahal lately and we assumed we would as Winter rolled in.  But, I just haven't had the motivation or inclination to and The Daughter has been trying to work side Hustles to earn some Money, so she hasn't had the Time or Energy to either.

Above is a Pix of Mom in Hospice, we used to stock her up with Jewelry Making Supplies coz she liked to make them and hand out to Friends, Staff and their Families when they were around.   She herself always had Rings on her Fingers, Necklaces, Earrings... I never recall my Mom being without her Jewelry, ever!!!   I remember Staff telling my Brother and I to be concerned about Theft and I told them I pitied the Fools who would try to Steal that Old Gypsy Woman's Bling, she'd put Curses & Hexes upon them that they'd never be able to shake off for Generations to come.   

 

Oddly, nobody ever was Tempted after we said that.  *Bwahaha*  She did get the Gypsy Carpet Bag I made for  her Stolen tho'.  And I'm pretty damned sure whoever was foolish enuf to take it suffered the effects of her Curses and Hexes coz she Cherished that Bag, it has her Image on the Label, and she insisted my Brother let her bring it to the Hospice with her.  It wasn't worth it, they'd of been better off giving it back and having her lift the Curses she put upon them.   Tho', when my Brother told me about the missing Bag, I ain't gonna Lie, I doubled down and up on those Curses, so...   Whoever still has it, or anyone they give it to, will have a Life filled with Misery now and forevermore, Trust and Believe.  They may or may not understand Why.  I don't Care.  Stealing from Vulnerable Adults and the Dying, or even the Dead, deserves that Thief to be eternally Cursed and they'll possess a Cursed Object.  *Smiles and Winks*   

Even Skeptics and previous Non-Believers, if they end up in the possession of a Cursed Object, doesn't matter what they won't or don't Believe, coz, they've activated something beyond their Control.  What happens to them will be Real enuf not to wanna Mess With again lemme tell ya.  *Winks*   It would be hilarious to one day have that Bag just Mailed to us and returned with an Apology... only then would I even consider lifting what was upon the unrightful Owner of it.   I can extend Grace and Mercy, but it did upset my Mom to have it taken and not returned in her Lifetime.   But, all of her Jewelry was returned to my Brother when she Passed, nobody messed with it.  Hard to know really whether Staff, Residents or the Visitors of Residents are the Thieves, you just never know with some folks how Shady they are in Secret, when they think nobody is looking or would know.

Here's my little Princess back when she was Swarthy like me.   We did the Cornrows that Year coz the School had a terrible outbreak of Medical Treatment Resistant Head Lice and infestations were so hard to rid.  I didn't want any Quanans coming Home on my Kiddo's Head of thick Ass length Hair at the time, so I had her Braided up.  Took the Gal over Eight Hours to do it, but she didn't get any Lice that Year like her Classmates did either.  *Whew*  Princess T wanted me to have Cornrows too, along with her, and to make sure she was agreeable to it I did it too.  I didn't look nearly as Cute tho'.  *Winks*  And it was like getting an Instant Natural Facelift, I looked 10 Years Younger coz them Braids are so Tight.  

  

They're way higher maintenance than Dreadlocks tho', had to wear a Bonnet to Sleep in.  And, after about 2 Weeks, I had to set my Hair Free, they don't have the permanence or commitment of Dreadlocks.  She kept hers longer and liked them enuf to get them done once again when she was a little Older.   But if your Hair is even slightly long, it takes as long to install Cornrow Braids or Caribbean Braids as it does to install Dreadlocks.  It's a LONG and expensive Process if you get it done Professionally.   Which is why some folks Opt just to get Hair Extensions and Weaves instead for the Look.  But not mebbe the Time Consuming Process, tho' Extensions and Mermaid Hair aren't Cheap either and can take a Minute to install.   And they seem to damage your Hair and sometimes cause Traction Alopecia.  I wouldn't get them.  My Dreads are heavy and long enuf without adding more Hair.  *Bwahaha*

 

But, my Eyebrows and Eyelashes are disappearing with Old Age, whatssup with that?!  *Le Sigh*  I've never had much Body Hair, it's sparse what I do have and I never needed to Shave really like most Cultures do.  If you're even part Indigenous, you don't have hardly any Body Hair and Full Bloods generally have None to speak of.   My Dad couldn't grow Facial Hair if his Life had depended on it.  The Military made Indians and Polynesians Shave, but most wouldn't put a Blade in their Razor coz they weren't actually Shaving Off any actual Hair, so it was Stupid and just a Military Disciplinary Requirement that they had to Shave like all the Men who actually had Facial Hair and could grow it!  *LOL and Eye Roll*

This Morning I hit the Antique Mall early to pick up my Check and Deposit it right away so I could then go After-Christmas Sale Shopping for those Food Gift Sets from TARGET and Wal-Mart that I'd Jonesed for before Christmas.  They still had every single one and all marked way down so I got a bunch of them for the Pantry and a nice New Year's Day spread.  The Man was Jazzed about the Hillshire Farms, Butcher Shoppe, Hickory Farms and Old Wisconsin sets I got with Cheeses and Summer Sausages, Mustards and Crackers, one has a Marble Cheese Cutter and another had a Bamboo Cutting Board.  I got Breakfast Sets, Jam & Jelly Sets, Salsa Sets, Honey Gift Sets, Mustard Sets, Sampler Sets, Belgian Cookies, Peppermint Coated Peanut Butter filled Pretzel Bits, Starbucks Gift Set.  All came in lovely reusable Holiday Boxes that you can use for Gift Giving.

 

I particularly Loved the Stonewall Kitchen Gift Sets that TARGET had, I thought the Jars would be small Sampler Sizes like Hillshire and Hickory Farms, but when I opened them up, they're Full Sized and the Breakfast Sets had Cloth Holiday Napkins in them!!!   So quite a bargain for what I only paid.  Hickory Farms gives the puniest sized items for what you pay. The Man and all the Kids dug right in to his Cheese & Crackers in Three of the Sets, they're already GONE!  *LOL and Eye Roll*  They were like Vultures Circling a fresh Carcass and then picking it to the Bone in short work!  *LOL*   

We all have always Loved these types of Food Gift Sets so the Kiddos know it's a sure thing to get us some.  Princess T always gets her Grandpa One or Two every Christmas from Hillshire Farms Gift Shoppe they set up in the Malls before the Holidays.  I always wait until after Christmas and Hope they have some marked down.  Sometimes they Sell Out, but this Year they had quite a few left, I think people just didn't have the Money to buy better quality Gift Sets full price this Holiday Season?  And, the After-Christmas Sale, most folks were scooping up Candies and Sweets, and not the good quality Food Gift Sets that would be nutritious and not just empty Calories.

I thought I'd have some for New Year's Buffet Spread, I doubt it will last that long tho'.   *Ha ha ha*   The Hot Sauces pictured Above I didn't even Buy, there was a discarded Christmas Gift Bag outside that was really pretty, so I picked it up assuming it was empty, it had some Tissue Paper inside and when I got it Home, these Three Hot Sauces were still in it!  I think whoever got the Gift assumed they got everything and didn't see these Three miniature Hot Sauces!?  Or, mebbe don't use them?  Anyway, their loss, my gain, we'll use them and people do toss things of Value, it happens all of the time actually.  Even if it's a brand new Gift, rather than Donating it or giving it to someone they know who could use it, I don't understand that kind of wanton Waste.

  

The Christmas Gift Bag discarded on the Picnic Table in the Park also had that lovely little sequined colorful Heart Keychain as the embellishment on the Bag, also just left behind discarded!   I was at the Park feeding the Wild Migratory Birds early this Morning and that's how I found the discarded Gift Bag with contents.   I was the only person at the Park that early, it was Foggy, like England, coz it had Rained last Night and so the Grass was very Wet and Steaming, plus the River's Dry Wash nearby isn't Dry, it has Water running now and so that also had dense Fog over the River, it was Beautiful and Ethereal looking.  You don't get Fog much in a Desert, but in Winter we sometimes do and it's always Lovely, especially hanging low around the Mountain Ranges surrounding the Valley. 

I bet you thought with all these Images, that will last a good long time, didn't ya?   Not with a large Household of Three Generations of Adults it doesn't.  *LOL*   Sometimes I Need one of Jesus' Miracles, of Feeding the Multitudes with 5 loaves of Bread and 2 Fish, that never runs out.  *Smiles and Winks*   Anyway, I was thrilled to be able to afford all of it On Sale, and Princess T was glad I used the Money she'd given me and didn't just pay Bills with it coz she wanted me to Buy Gifts with it, mostly for myself, but she knew I was likely gonna get something to Share with everyone else.  I'd told her that after Christmas, if I got a Check from the Antique Mall too, I was gonna hit the After Christmas Sales to see if those Food Gift Sets I wanted were On Sale and not Sold Out? 

My Fav Christmas Photo Card this Year was from our Lifelong Friends Yolanda and Dino.  They had used my Fav Christmas Pix they had Professionally taken along with their Youngest Daughter and her Family. Of all the Photos, which were all Good, this one had been my Fav and so I was Happy they had Christmas Photo Cards made to put into their Hallmark Christmas Card, and sent one to each of their longtime Friends and their extended Family.   Yolanda and Dino have been together even longer than The Man and I, but they only Legally got Married last Year. Which Surprised us all, even their Kids, which Yolanda brought into the Union from her first Marriage, but Dino had Raised as his own, his Children already being Grown, since, they'd been Common Law for almost 40 Years!!!  Each having been Married before, they'd originally not wanted to get Married again.  The Kiddos always bugged them to Marry.

Anyway, I took The Man out for Lunch to "Cracker Barrel", their Combo Luncheon Sampler is enough for Two Meals for us, so we brought half Home.  We ate the Meat Loaf and brought Home the Chicken N Dumplings with Biscuits, for later.   It was their Fish Fry Friday but when we saw the Sampler Combo, which was Cheaper, we figured that was a better Deal.  You could have gotten it with Three Entrees or Two, but we didn't want the Fried Chicken as the 3rd Entree, it was already too much Food with just Two Entrees for us.   But, now we don't have to cook Dinner either.   The Handsome Young Waiter hooked us up with extra Biscuits and extra Peach Tea To Go too.

And our damned Phones really do Listen to us and pay attention to where we're at too coz when I Photographed the Above Food Porn of our Meal, the Image Below popped up on my FB Feed instantly!!!   With a 'Cracker Barrel' Ad!!!  *LOL*   Our CB was still Decorated for Christmas, so had the Mantle all tricked out in Silver and White Garlands, and a big Christmas Tree off to the Side with White Fairie Lights, but didn't have the Fire Burning coz it's been really Warm again Today.   It's been an absolutely Gorgeous Weather Day, Sublime in fact.   And, more Good News, when I went in to pick up my Check at the Antique Mall, they ran me a Printout for this Pay Period and I'll Killin' it so far!  Even Selling some actual Antiques and Vintage items for a change!  *Whoop Whoop!*

Surprisingly they still had the Christmas Tree up and playing Christmas Songs still at our Antique Mall, usually they can't wait to do away with it or even to start playing it for the Holidays.  All the Stores still had Christmas Music and keep their Christmas Decor up, as people seemed more in the Mood to Buy Gifts now AFTER Christmas, than before it... so it did set a Gift Buying Atmosphere and Holiday Mood extended.   The Economy needs a boost, so, extending things can't hurt.  You won't hear me complaining...  I drag out every Holiday for as long as I can.  There's no Ba Humbug in me!!!  *Winks*   Below is the 1928 Soda Fountain Shoppe called "Mac Alpine's" in Downtown Phoenix and those Shake Mixers in the back are from 1928 and they still use them to make the best Milkshakes in the Valley!!!  And they still have the 1928 Wooden Booths, Counter and Diner Stools as well.   It's like going back in Time.

*******

Dragging Christmas out a bit longer... Dawn... The Bohemian