In Real Time it's now Friday Night, The Daughter did the Housecleaning Job in Chandler between Noon and Four in the Afternoon and she has another one Scheduled for Sunday Afternoon in Chandler, same Client, whose readying her Home for the Holidays. That's giving The Daughter the ability to send Holiday Money to her Kiddos in Mexico and for their Birthdays too... plus give something to the Two Older ones here. And pay Princess T back for Money borrowed, since that Grandchild always has Savings, she's good with Money and works hard to earn it.
I sent the Grandkids in Mexico their Money for Christmas and their Birthdays Today too. And made up the Christmas Tins for everyone here that has Cash, Lottery Scratch Tickets and a lil somethin-something that's a Pressy as well. While The Daughter did her Job I hung out at "Ivy & Sage", they had Sold Out of almost everything already and I would think with Closing at the beginning of next Year, they won't be restocking Merch? It was Sad to see it already quite depleted, but I did still take some Pixs for Blog Fodder. By Sunday, I'm guessing it will be even more emptied out of Inventory.
I ate Lunch at the Mediterranean Restaurant, there's always enuf from the Mezza Plate Option to feed The Daughter too. So I save her the Greek Salad, the Pita Bread, the Tzatziki and half the Hummus. I eat the Dolmathes, Spanakopita, and Falafel with the other half of the Hummus. I just Love their Presentation and the Food is Amazing there, I hadn't eaten much in almost Two Days with feeling so Sick, so it's all I had Today and all I could really eat, but it was so delicious it was enough to eat half of it and Share the rest with The Daughter. It's always Editorial enuf to make good Food Porn Blog Fodder too. *Winks* And I got a Table right by their Christmas Tree again so a nice Backdrop.
Since he's been Laid Off Six Weeks with NO Income or means of Support, the Caseworker put him thru as Emergency Assistance. He made it clear he's living with Elderly Ailing Parents who can give him a Roof over his Head so he's not Homeless again, but he can't keep Transportation Costs up or give us anything for his Support and we can't really afford to Support Four other Adults having to Live here coz of their circumstances and lack of adequate Employment/Housing/Benefits. The only one Working is Princess T and she is earning Minimum Wage, which wouldn't Support her outside of our Home either, even if she gets overtime, which, they rarely approve them to do.
He said Mando has a good Caseworker and he was Lucky she was willing to be his Caseworker too. Your Caseworkers make ALL the difference. With The Son having Mental Illness & Autism, he's also considered a Disabled Adult who is just High Functional. And tho' some Employers don't Care, some do, so it can be a Barrier to Employment sometimes, even for High Functional Disabled Adults. Plus, now he's at that Age tipping point of being 39, and we all know that after 40, Age Discrimination kicks in for Employability, yes, illegal, still happens tho' and everyone is aware it does who is over 40. So, now The Son was encouraged that he may receive his Unemployment and some Food Assistance until he finds Work again. He's taken being Unemployed really hard.
So, that was some Good News amidst all the Bad. We'll take it. *Winks* As you can clearly see by my Pixs, I now have all Four of the Orphaned Vintage Bling Christmas Tree Altered Art that my Vendor Friend Michael had and gave me a 1st Cousin Deal on. I also got the Antique Trinket Box {Below} that probably the same Artisan had Altered that he had for only Six Bucks. I actually Collect those Antique Trinket Boxes and it gave me some Inspiration on how to Customize some of mine now with Embellishments on top of the Glass. Some came with Metal Embellishments, but some I have lost theirs over the Years and I have lots of things I could use to replace that now I see how Cute it looks.
They even went so far as to Embellish the inside with a Chandie Crystal and some Pearls, I wouldn't do that coz all my Antique Trinket Boxes like these have Velvet Original Lining in very good Shape. I have all Sizes, all Shapes, and have been Collecting them for Decades, so the Price he had on this was underpriced IMO. They always have the thick Beveled Antique Glass and Ornate Metal with little Lion Feet usually, quite heavy so they've stood the Test of Time quite well. The Art Nouveau is when most of these were popular {1890-1910}, but the Victorian Era of {1837-1901} had popularity of them too and I can rarely tell the exact Age due to that. They called them Gold Casket Jewelry Boxes. They can and often do fetch close to or over $100 even for the smaller ones now. Some even have Beveled Glass Sides rather than Gold Metal Filigree.
The Daughter is doing Housecleaning again Tomorrow so I'll hang out in the East Valley again while she's busy doing that Four Hour Gig at her Client's Home. I think this time I'll go to "Merchant Square" Antique Mall and see if "Highland Yard Vintage" is having an Event... or not? I'm Surprised they didn't all thru 'til Christmas actually. No sense going back to "Ivy & Sage" coz frankly they were just about Sold Out of what I most enjoy looking at and Photographing while there, or Buying. They do Sell Online, the one Vendor who Creates those OOAK Cloth Creations, but, you don't get to Choose yours, just if you want an Elf, Snowman, Reindeer, Penguin, Gnome, etcetera... and I like to pick mine out specifically, not Buy a Blind Box one and Hope I like it for the price, which isn't inexpensive.
I'm jealous that someone found this Creepy Christmas Altered Art Doll at their SAVERS, I so would have Bought this had it been spied in ours! Dammit!!! They didn't even Buy it but felt it was Social Media worthy about what you can find in a Chazza. *LOL* You know this is my Weird and Wonderful Oddity Aesthetic tho', Right? *Winks* But, I'm glad they Photographed it, inspiring for what can be done with a Creepy Old Doll Head. It almost looks like some kind of Horror Movie Cryptid! *LOL* Good Price too.
Now Healthwise I feel better from that Stomach Bug but wouldn't ya know now my Left Knee almost gave out on me for no apparent reason and I'm wearing a Knee Brace for support. I was just walking normally and suddenly my Knee felt like it was bending backwards and hurt, I felt like it might not even support me, so I stopped, steadied myself, and then it felt in place again but was painful to walk on. The Brace helps, it's just one of those Fabric ones you slip over your Knee and can get at the Dollar Stores. I looked it up and it's called Hyperextension and requires Rest, Icing and some Physical Therapy or Surgery if it becomes really problematic. Ligaments and Tissues that Stabilize could be damaged. It's not due to any injury, so it probably Age related Weakness or Posture, from what I was Reading about it.
Image via: Friend Tina
A Friend Shared some of her Interior Decorations and I thought the Above Image was Adorable with her Anna Lee Baker perched on her Vintage Mixer. She and I always see each other at "Sweet Salvage" and I plan to take The Man and go Tomorrow, it's Day Three, but, that was the earliest and only Day of the Four Day Event I could go. Saturday is the only Day of it I didn't have something on the Calendar or wasn't Sick. So LATER: The Man and I went to "Sweet Salvage", I mostly visited with my Designer Friends, I wasn't Buying anything for myself since I'd tapped out Buying for Children/Grandchildren, Mando and The Man for Christmas and Three Grandkid's Birthdays. It was Okay, nothing I couldn't live without.
Above is Back and Front of each of the Two Knifes with Damascus Blades and Leather Sheathes I got for The Man. Sorry the Bottom Pix is blurry and now I've Wrapped the damned things so I can't have a Do-Over of Photographing that side of it. *Shit* The Vendor who Sells them also Hand Makes all of them, it's what he does for a Living, making Knives, Swords, he's an exceptional Bladesmith and his Prices are so low for the Quality of the Knives he Creates, each one Unique. Plus, I get a 10% Vendor/Employee Discount and I had some Store Credit Built up with our Frequent Shopper Points, which were Double Points this whole Weekend. Usually I let him pick out his own, but this Year wanted to Surprise him coz he's not expecting anything for Christmas.
I like the more Colorful Handles and The Man has Collected Knives and various Unique Weaponry, for as long as I've known him, so I know he'll Love them for his Collection. Every time we go to the Antique Store he's looking in the Knife/Weaponry Cases most of all. Our Boudoir has enuf Weaponry Displayed in it, if someone broke in while we're Home, they could be slain with a variety of Deadly Objects, our Choice. And Believe me, we both know how to use them, him particularly, he's quite Lethal with his Bare Hands, so give him a Weapon, and you're definitely gonna be Toes Up if you pose a Threat and need to be Neutralized. He's already got a substantial Body Count during Wartime, so One more whose Threatening our Family, won't matter to him, he says and means it. *Bwahahaa* And he feels I wouldn't hesitate to Protect any of us, he could be Right. *Winks*
He and The Son vividly recall way back when The Son was in his Late Teens, at that Time a Son thinks he can Stand Up to his Dad, and mebbe Take him Down... and it becomes a Big Balls Testosterone Laden Pissing Contest that will only end Badly for one of them. They were scuffling in our Main Kitchen of the Historic Home, which was the biggest Kitchen, that Old House had Three. Well, I heard it and I heard also a Crash of one of my Antique Plates they knocked off the Wall while pushing each other and provoking an escalation to Fight. *Eye Roll* So, there was a favorite Plate crashed to smithereens on the Floor and me rushing in, they both now knew it was all gonna go Sideways from there, like WTF is going on in here??????????!!! *LOL and Ruh Roh, now SHE is Mad!*
Well, I Rushed in fully in Warpath Mode, coz, No. One: I ain't having NO Domestic Violence in MY Home initiated by others. And I've never started a Fight in my Life, but I've sho' nuff Ended my Fair Share with a Flourish. And, more importantly to The Man anyway, No. Two: Even tho' by then I was already Raising Grandkids, The Son is still MY "Baby" and Youngest Born Child and NOBODY, not even my Dear Husband, better get between me and Protecting any of my Spawn! I go fucking from Zero to Mental in a Heartbeat, I got Crazy STRONG Maternal Instincts that don't diminish over Time or Generations. *LOL* Sidenote: The Meatloaf Luncheon I took The Man to at "Joe's Diner", after we enjoyed "Sweet Salvage". {Below} I think he only came for the Food afterwards, coz he was like a Deer in the Headlights again at the Event, saying he'd Seen everything only 5 Minutes after we entered!!! Bless him, not knowing WHAT to do with himself??? *Eye Roll*
But, I digress, back to the Story: *LOL, ADHD is a Bitch like this, Smiles* I stood between them, Dead Calm, coz I get real Calm when I'm Angry and going Mental, facing The Man with The Son behind me. The Man was still so Angry his Fists were Balled Up like he couldn't Calm Down and all I heard over my Shoulder, in barely a Whisper, was The Son reminding his Dad, "Dad, Mom's in the Kitchen now, you know, with The Knives...", and it de-escalated just that fucking fast with both of them. I saw that info Process in The Man's Face and Eyes instantly. Somebody was gonna get Cut and Catch some Charges, if it all didn't cease and desist immediately, coz Nobody was hurting MY Baby, in my presence, unless over MY Dead Body, or their own. *Bwahahahaha*
Anyway, now that The Man is in his 70's and no longer in his full Mental Status or Capacity, due to TBI and Dementia, I don't like anyone winding his Ass up, coz it's ever so much easier to now. And I can't always diffuse him or distract him to where he Calms Down and is Manageable. So, I don't Need anyone, Strangers included, even looking at him Sideways, or saying something disrespectful of Snarky to him, coz, he sees it now as a potential Threatening instance. That day at the Chinese Buffet I thought for sure that Group of Old Men MAGA Assholes who were taunting him were gonna start something they wished they hadn't. You never know when you'll Encounter Crazy out in Public, trying to cause unnecessary Trouble. And there were Three of Them, all Male and clearly feeling Ballsy and Confrontational, only Two of us.
Some things you just can't avoid no matter how hard you might try to. That could have been one of them, so the onus was on the Assholes as to how they Played that Hand, Soft or Hard??? I was preparing myself for the worst, while hoping for the best. Thankfully, I Joked it off between us, enuf to Calm The Man Down some, gave them my Crazy Eyes Death Glare, especially the Mouthiest One, who then wouldn't make Eye Contact, and they Moved On and left. I'd of been clearing and overturning Tables, throwing Dishes and shit, causing a huge Scene, if they'd escalated it and posed a Real Threat.
Image Via: Friend Cyndie of "Vintage Envy"
Luckily, Chinese Buffets don't hand out Knives at your Table... but Chopsticks or Forks could stick a Fucker in the Jugular, Hot Soup can Scald, and a Sharded China thick Diner Plate can do some significant Damage as a Weapon in a pinch. I was relieved when they just left, they were looking for Trouble and had Targeted The Man that day due to his USMC Shirt, Hat and Medals he has on it. You'd be Surprised how many Asshats will try to start something with someone they see has had Honorable Military Service and they want to show they're "Badder" than. I don't like it, I especially dislike it when they Target a Geriatric Wounded Warrior who is a 100% Disabled, but Highly Decorated Veteran, who has Earned the Respect they should be given.
I will go Mental about that too if someone Targets him and Double Tag Team with him if it has to come to that. And The World has gone Bat Shit Crazy out there now!!! Crazy Hate Filled Violence prone Motherfuckers Right, Left and Center, they're everywhere!!! And most of the time they seem to Target Peace Loving People for no valid or apparent reason. So, no matter what YOU do, there is a likelihood you could become their Target anyway and for nothing you've ever done to them. It really has become an American Tragedy that keeps escalating and being promoted and ginned up by current abhorrent Leadership. And the Two recent Memes Below pretty much Square what's happening in America:
There could be plenty where those came from, but I won't Preach to the Choir, doubtful any from his Camp are ardent followers or anything I have to say from my little Independent Moderate leaning Platform. *LOL* Since, I can be somewhat Normally Liberal and somewhat Normally Conservative, always totally Non-Partisan, actually abhor Politics and Politicians, avoid most Organized Religions, and I will never join a Cult like MAGA or become an Extremist and a Hate filled embittered Human Being against fellow Human Beings. They've typically mocked and despised us Hippies, both way back then and now. Coz we are all about Peace, make Love not War, Nature Loving, Kindness Matters, Tree Hugging, Environmentally Conscious, Equal Rights Defending, Anti-Establishment, Free-Spirited folks, and always will be at our Cores. But, don't mistake Kindness and the Fruits of the Spirit for Weakness either. Even Jesus was known to turn over some Tables. *Winks*
*******
Merry Christmas from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
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