Well, it's the last Day officially of Celebrating Dia de los Muertos, since in Real Time it's the Morning of the 3rd of November. So many visited the Cemetery near us that our Street looked like a used Car Lot with the overspill of people needing to Park somewhere close by. The Lots at the Cemetery had filled up before Noon and most Families will stay all Day by the Gravesite of their Dearly Departed, clear into the Evening. So, it all fills up fast and is Decorated with Colorful Ofrendas, it's quite Beautiful and poignant, Love Lives on even after Death separates us. The City provides extra Police Escorts to keep Traffic flowing on the Streets around the Cemetery, becoz Traffic will back up to any Special Event that will have large Crowds. Nobody blocked our Driveways or parked ON our Property, so it was all Good that they were Parked in front of it respectfully and didn't leave any trash behind to have to clean up.
The Weather might hold Today too, it was Gorgeous Yesterday on the 2nd, even tho' the Day before Halloween, Halloween, and the 1st of November we had those catastrophic once in Four Decades Storms hit. Our Manager at the Antique Mall called me Yesterday to ask me to strongly consider picking up a permanent Friday Night Shift again. He said he can adjust my need for taking time off for Family Medical Issues with no problem, they're flexible coz they know my circumstances, which, I appreciate them giving me that consideration. He said everyone wants me back on Friday Nights and not just as a Fill-In. I know this coz Paid Staff and Vendor Co-Workers have told me that every time I fill in for someone else, they'd rather be working with me. It's flattering, but they know I do good work and am easy to get along with on a Shift. But, that I don't put up with anyone's bullshit either. Some are too timid to speak out when something needs to be said, I'm not... at all. *LOL*
So, anyway, I accepted, it will help with these dismal Sales to have more comped Spaced Rent so that I get Checks that are better and with more consistency when Sales Flatline, if I've got lower Rent to pay. And, truly it's my Happy Space there and I enjoy the Work, the Customers and my Friends there who are other Vendors and Paid Staff. I even get along good with Upper Management, they respect me and know I have been there from the beginning without wavering, always make Rent, always do good Work and give 100% when I'm On-Shift, and people tend to Like me and often tell Management that I'm pleasant, helpful and friendly, plus know a lot about the Industry and items being Sold. It is my Wheelhouse becoz Collecting and The Love Of Old Things has been my Passion for as long as I can remember, even as a small Child. I think I was an Old Soul from a very tender Age.
My Maternal Welsh Didi Kai Gran-Gran, who was Buddhist, would say that I was Reincarnated and had been here before, and that's why I knew things without knowing how or Why I knew them. Buddhists Believe in a Process call Rebirth, which isn't a Traditional Sense of Reincarnation... since it involves no Permanent Soul or Fixed Self. Instead Death and Life are a continuous stream of consciousness or chain of cause and effect. Hard to explain, but I wasn't opposed to his Beliefs or Philosophies of Life even tho' I chose Christianity as my Spiritual Path. I don't Believe Energy ever Dies, it just Changes Form. And my Practices aren't necessarily Mainstream or Traditional, I don't particularly care how anyone might feel some kind of way about it either... I Worship as I choose to and allow them to Worship as they choose to, or not Worship God at all if that's their personal Choice. Since, my Belief is that God gave us all Free Will to make a Choice.
And a lot of Buddhist Philosophy was Taught to me by my Mom since she was Raised by a Buddhist Father and a Christian Mother. My Nanna belonged to a predominant Religion in Wales, The Church In/Of Wales, which is Gaelic Anglican, she had all the same Saints as Catholics but without a Pope. My Parents were actually Married in that Church and their Vicar Baptized my Dad before the Wedding. A lot of Tribal Philosophy and Spirituality was Taught to me by my Dad, becoz before he chose Christianity as an Adult, before Marrying my Mom, since it was required by her Church in order for them to be Married there in Wales, he was Raised by an Indigenous Mother who held on to her Tribal Spiritual Belief System her entire Life. The Missionaries would often Feed Indigenous People to attempt to convert them, but they didn't always treat them well or as Equals. Most Tribal Religions are deeply connected to the Natural World. Scholars generally consider them Animistic, Shamanic or Pantheistic. I'm Okay with any of the Three and Practice it to some degree, always have. Much to the chagrin of my Christian Spiritual Leaders... who did at least Understand my Heritage's leanings.
So Dad's Siblings and himself would attend each a different Religion/Church on the Rez to get extra Food coz they had severe Malnutrition and Food Insecurities. He had no problem with Jesus... just with how many Christians and their Missionaries behaved towards his People. If they'd been more Christ-Like it would have bourne a better Witness for Christ, I agree. Later in Life he became a Baptist and attended regularly, but that Pastor failed to come to his Deathbed, refusing to when asked! So I had a Catholic Priest come instead, the Catholics will always show up to give Last Rites even if you're not of their Faith, one showed up for my Mom in Cali too when she was Dying... and my Street Ministry Pastor also made it in time before he Died.
I appreciated Two TRUE Men of God showing up. Not every person who calls themselves a Man or Woman of God really walks that out even if they talk the talk, not walking the walk speaks louder, walking the walk speaks louder too, without Words presenting Christ's Teachings in Action. I had nothing Good to say about that Baptist Preacher too lazy to roll out of Bed at an inconvenient time to come to the Dying of his Congregation. Coz my Dad had been a Member in good standing, his Younger Sister too. Whose the one who got him to go to that Church coz she'd become a Baptist first some Years beforehand... and came to live with my Dad when she became a Widow, as is Culturally done Tribally, Brothers taking Care of Widowed Sisters for the rest of their Life.
My Parents were never Churchy, so we never went to Church. Mom's Church wasn't in this Country, but she became a Member of my Street Ministry Church later in Life and loved our Pastor, First Lady and Congregation and they Adored her too, everyone there called her Nanna. Growing up we Honored God Daily in our Life and Worshipped where ever we happened to be, Nature, Home, we didn't need to go to a particular Building or a specific Time to Honor God or Worship Him. Tho' my Parents encouraged us to Learn of various Religions and Freedom to attend any we wanted to as Observers and make our own Free Will Choices of Religion or from Religion if none lined up for us Spiritually. We could be of No Religion in their Opinion and yet Love and Serve our Creator and have Relationship beyond a form and a fashion of any particular Religion. I still Believe that.
And, anyway, I don't Believe everything some Christians Denominational Faiths Believe either. Since just about every form and fashion of even the same types of Religions interprets and expresses what they Believe quite differently. That's why they have Denominations, or even have Non-Denominational Teachings and Churches. Which is Fine with me, interpretation of what has been passed along as knowledge, godliness, and Scripture has various interpretations too from what I've read and learned about each and of the various Religions I've studied to know more about every one of them. Each person Believes what they will... or won't.
And I generally don't discuss Religion or Politics with Individuals becoz folks tend to have their Passions about each and I'm not here to change their Minds or Opinions about either, that's up to them as they Journey thru this Life. Whatever grounds you Spiritually is fine so long as you don't try to force it upon me. And if you're an Agnostic or Atheist I Respect that too, since I defend your Freedom and Right To Religion or From Religion here in America. I do not support America being or becoming a Theocracy tho'. If a Religion has to be Forced upon you I don't even consider it a Godly one, God never intended to Force me to Believe and have Relationship. A forced Relationship would be meaningless to anyone in it.
So of coarse on TV Election Day 2026 is on every Channel, control of both the House and Senate being in the Balance. We'll see what shakes out thruout the day as they tally Votes. We'll also see how it's all Received when the Winners are announced. I'm hoping Peace and a more functional Democracy will prevail this time and not Extremist bent violence and inability to accept results, whatever they are. Elections are Won and Lost, it's how it should work and be accepted depending on what the Voters chose... not what some Extremists want to overthrow if they Lose and those too hungry to hold onto Power that they'll do so at any Cost and pervert the Outcome by promoting violence, chaos and an attempted Insurrection again. I want to remain Guardedly Optimistic that most people didn't Support what happened January 6th except the Extremist Insurrectionists that showed up and committed Violent Acts and he Pardoned despite their Convictions and Sentences by Juries of their Peers, Corrupting Justice, as he always does, since he's Corrupt and a Criminal.
Anyway, I'm doing Laundry and Blogging, not Dialed in to listening to the News or Politics right now, I'll tune in much later when Results are known so I'll know what was chosen and who. I cast my Vote, as did Family Members who Vote, so we did our part, that's all we can do and we did so very early and by Mail. We know that being a Swing State we're subject to his Revenge and Retribution Tour if he doesn't like our Results, he's done it consistently, trying to intimidate, threaten and basically cost Taxpayers a lot of Money doing Investigations into false accusations of Voter Fraud, when none is ever found, by whoever he's Hired. Even the incompetent and suspect Cyber Ninjas he Hired at Taxpayer Expense didn't find any Fraud in Maricopa County, so he Seized our Ballots from the last Election... Lord knows Why or what they did with them either... all very Suspect and insidious. But, as we all well know, Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Absolutely Corrupts.
And at this Season of Life I'm all about Simplicity and Efficiency, whatever I can do in about 30-45 Minutes its all that's getting Done now when I'm Decorating for Holidays. I don't wanna spend Weeks or Days putting it up, nor taking it down now. Tho', probably within a Week I'll take the Halloween items off the Front Porch and just leave the Harvest Themed part of that Decor up until Thanksgiving. This Year then I'll put it all away, I didn't even bother last Year to put most of it away, but it will get too Weather Worn if I do that again and I want to be more Organized and less Lazy this Season. *Smiles* I would like to put out some Christmas Blow Molds I have a Collection of for Exterior Christmas Decor this Season too. Otherwise I don't even know why I'm holding onto them and not Selling them coz they fetch a lot of Money now. I have Two whole Blow Mold Vintage Nativity Sets and several individual Blow Molds of Santas, Angels, Penguins, Christmas Candles and Grinch Characters. I just don't wanna get rid of them coz they do Display beautifully as Simple quick Exterior Christmas Decorations. We don't put Exterior Lights up... most Neighbors do.
I like Exterior Lighting for Christmas, we go around and look at the Lights every Christmas. We've just never done it, our Utility Bills are high enuf without the added expense of that during the Holidays. And it's so dangerous to put them up unless you Hire someone who does that, many do advertise that they do and I'm seeing the Signs saying they do and giving their Number to call for Christmas Light installation. I like the Lights on my Tree, that's enuf for me. Once the Lights no longer function on our Trees is when we generally Donate them coz I can't be bothered trying to re-string Lights and that whole mess and work involved. Most Trees now come Prelit anyway and last a few Years before the Lights fail. Those hardy Souls who still do Extreme Christmas Decorating, well, God Bless 'em, we go look at their Labor of Love every Year coz we sure as Hell ain't doing it ourselves. *LOL* Half the time now we do a consensus and opt not to even exchange Gifts anymore. And my Christmas Card List gets smaller every Year now too. Either folks opt not to exchange Cards anymore, or they Die.
I was recently talking to some Industry Friends about the lack of Biz Blogs, there used to be so many about the Genre that I followed. Fellow Junquers and Pickers, folks Selling at Shows/Events or Antique Malls, taking us along vicariously to their Space, their Travels to Source their Found Treasures and showing off their Hauls/Scores or the Big Shows they Sold at across the Country. They'd show off their Shops or Booths and I got a lot of Inspiration from those who did it Masterfully. Of coarse even Locally, a lot of the Shops have now Closed, the Events are fewer and way different now, and many Biz Bloggers just quit Blogging or maintaining an Online Presence anywhere even if they are still in the Business. Most of my Industry Friends used to at least use FB or Instagram to promote their Biz and now their Social Media hasn't had Activity in Months, sometimes Years. I used to Link my Blog to their Sites for my Dear Readers benefit, now only a few exist that are Active.
My Blog is diverse in Topics, but I did enjoy the Biz Blogs of what I'm Passionate about too. I especially enjoyed it when some of those Biz Bloggers took you into their Personal Private Spaces and Lives too. A few even had their Homes profiled in Magazines. I now lament that I turned down an Offer when I lived in my Historic Home for a major Magazine to come to do a spread on my Art Studio Cottage. I would have had major Anxiety inviting them in, but, in hindsight, I wish that I could have overcome that so that my Old Beloved Art Studio Cottage could have been in Publication. I bought the Magazines or Books that my Friend's Homes got covered in Publication. They all had encouraged me to do it too, I couldn't overcome the Anxiety of it tho'. *LOL* It's one thing to Blog about my Spaces, quite another to have some Major Publication Team come over and get it Editorial enough to cover. *LOL*
Anyway, Hindsight always being 20-20, even at the Villa McManse, my Meditation Room could have had that kind of Coverage and been quite Editorial enough I wouldn't have had the same level of Anxiety Years later. This Home has no Space I could say that about, I've not attained a level of Function or Visuals here that I've had at previous Homes and we have too many living here to attain it now either. This had the potential to, but it just didn't happen that I was able to get another Art Studio or Meditation Room up and running coz Family now occupies those Spaces full time and probably will for an indefinite time now. I even Blog on a Card Table in the Corner of our Bedroom behind the Door now rather than having an Office Space like I had at other Residences. *LOL* It's a nice little cubby area tho' and serves it's Purpose. And I'd rather have Family being safe and sound around us than struggling out there trying to find affordable Housing that doesn't exist anymore.
This is what I bought from The Desert Botanical Gardens Gift Shop coz I J'adore Prickly Pear Flavored stuff. Lately a lot of Restaurants have been offering Prickly Pear flavored Teas, Coffees and Lemonades, infused in Butters and Jams or added to Batters to make Pancakes or French Toast... it's wonderful! I have some Jams and Jellies, but the Honey was new to me. The Simple Syrup is wonderful added to any Beverage like Lemonade, Tea or Coffee. Like Lavender Simple Syrup I've begun using it to flavor some of what I drink quite often. I now drink Lavender Iced and Hot Coffee or Latte often and even Starbucks has it as a flavor profile Seasonally now. Several Restaurants do that are more upscale and have good flavor profiles on their Menus, it's where I learned that Lavender added to Coffee was so damned good!!! Now The Young Prince drinks it too, like me, he likes things that are unique and different flavor profiles.
Now that all my Shows for Autumn Holidays are a Wrap I am not watching hardly any TV again. I am trying to watch a NetFlix Series called "Falling Skies" {2011}, which is Post Apocalyptic Sci-Fi starring Noah Wyle and Will Patton. There's an Actress whose Name is Moon Bloodgood and I thought, now there's a real Hippie Name! Sho' Nuff she was Born in 1975 to Parents Named Shell Bloodgood and Sang Cha and is of mixed heritage of South Korean and numerous European Combos. I had lots of Hippie Kid Friends who had names of the Era. Even my Name being Dawn in my Era was very Bohemian and my Parents Named me that becoz I was Born at the break of Dawn and in my Dad's Family the unusual Native American Names abound. My Mom's Family have some Welsh Gaelic Names and The Daughter liked some of them so much she Named one of her Daughters with a Welsh Name. The Son's Name is Gaelic and was uncommon until a certain Irish Actor became well known who has the same Name. *LOL* The Daughter's Name is Native American for "Wild Flower". My Brother Dated a lot of Hippie Gals Born in the 1960's with Names like Sunshine, Rainbow, Misty Delight... which these days would sound like Stripper Stage Names. *LOL and Winks*
I remember when the G-Kid Forces CPS Caseworker told them, without my consent, that they could change and choose their own Names upon the Adoption!!! And The Young Prince had the Wicked Sense of Gallow's Dark Humor to pretend he was gonna change his name to... wait for it... Crimson Rose and almost gave me a Heart Attack upon that announcement! Especially since Miss Gretchen, the Young naive clueless CPS Caseworker says, Oh, that's a Lovely Name to replace Robert!!! And I'm like, are you freakin' kidding me, it sounds like a Tranny Stripper Stage Name and he'll never be taken Seriously in Life, Names are Important, and he's already got loads of strikes against him being Racially Mixed, Seriously Mentally Ill, and Fabulously Gay, he doesn't need yet another one!!!!!!!!!!!!! He then Laughed and said, "Psyche!!!!! Just kiddin' Gramma, you should have seen your Face!" In hindsight, Punking me like that was hilariously Brilliant. I bet I should have seen my Face!!! *LOL*
But, he did change his Name at the Adoption and had good reason to since he's Named after his Dad and Paternal Grandpa, both of whom were Convicted Felons for Serious Crimes, plus had Bad Credit. So he didn't want mistaken Identity haunting him, quite well thought out for a 14 Year Old I thought. But he's got a high IQ and has always been a Deep Thinker. So, we did change his First Name at the Adoption, and kept the Surname, Princess T wanted to keep her Birth Name intact. She was only 10 and liked her Names. And The Young Prince's Paternal side of the Family had fits about the Name Change coz he was a Namesake, but, they hadda just get over it. Especially his Gramma Lydia, who was about to have one of her huge Mental Episodes and melt down publicly about it until they brought me in to Square Off with her. *Smiles and Winks* Lydia is as Bat Shit Crazy as they come, sometimes violently so, and her Family have often had me smooth and calm the Waters with her coz for some reason she respects my level of Crazy enuf not to go to the Mat with me about anything. *Smiles and Winks* Lydia knows if that Crazy Train leave the Station, only ONE of us is getting off afterwards, it's not worth seeing who it is. Especially since clearly she doesn't think it would be her. *LOL and Winks*
Plus, Lydia and I LIKE each other and get along. I could understand her being Upset, I'd been Upset too that a foolish Young Caseworker overstepped my Guardianship Boundaries and said something to the Kids without consulting me first to see if we'd even be Okay with it. So I told her, Listen, I didn't expect to change the Names of the Grandkids either, but the damned CPS Caseworker told them they could, behind my Back, and he wanted to and has the Legal Right to now. So be Supportive of his decision to, he's chosen a good First Name Replacement. And his Dad, who he's Named after, didn't even get this upset about it Lydia! Bobby understands why his Son made the decision and it's a legit line of reasoning, not meant to Offend or get you this Upset. Which, he did, it suits him, and we transitioned pretty well in remembering not to Dead Name him after the Adoption. Not easy when someone has been Robert for 14+ Years and now has a brand new First Name. Now I can't even think of him by his Dead Name and he'll have his New Adopted Name longer in just a couple more Years now.
And speaking of folks in Froggy Crazy Mode Moods, look at The Man's Countenance at "The Olive Garden", since, Sundown was approaching and he was really struggling to have Fun anymore. *Bwahahahaha* I have to give him The Look I have with what the Kiddos call my "Crazy Eyes" to Offset his "Killer Sniper Eyes" and say, "What?!!!!??? Coz I don't like the Tone you're Lookin' at me in, Honey!" *Bwahahahahaha* He'll respond with he wasn't looking at me 'Funny' or in a 'Tone', and then behave himself and Calm Down, coz he knows I ain't backing down or away from Squaring Off if we have to. In front of God and everyone. We probably wouldn't be Invited back to "The Olive Garden" and I do Love their Breadsticks, so I'd miss that. *LOL* And this is him having a Good Time... so Imagine the Days when he isn't, ot can be rough sometimes, no Wonder the VA Old Soldiers Home won't take him and VA Psyche Ward often had him in Restraints... everyone wants to go Home Alive. *Ha ha ha* But, after I got him back Home in front of his favorite Reruns of his Shows, he's as passive as a Puppy Dog. But Caregiving ain't for the Faint of Heart and each Day is a New Adventure. And now to show you where we're Flooding and Levies broke:
It's hilarious to me when I see some Grandparents out with Younger Grandkids that clearly they don't get to spend a lot of Time around or with. It's evident coz they look so Tired, Ass Kicked and Busted just spending brief amounts of Time with their Grandkids! *Bwahahahaha* When you're Raising them you have a completely different dynamic with them as a Custodial Grandparent, coz you simply HAVE to if you wanna Survive it and not Die before you get them all Raised!!! Becoz it is trite but True, that whatever doesn't Kill you does make you Stronger!!! I'm a Living Testimony to that Saying being accurate after having Raised Two Generations of Special Needs Kiddos who weren't your Garden Variety Children and were super High Maintenance and Challenging!!! You gotta be Tough as Old Boots!!! And you end up usually looking like a Pair of Old Boots too by the time you're finished!!! *Winks, Sighs and Laughs*
Well, the Blue Wave was more like a Blue Tsunami, I couldn't be Happier, especially since several Native American Women were Elected for the 1st time in 250 Years into High Government Positions!!! I'm so Proud. And many Black Women were Elected into High Government Positions in States like Georgia, making History too! High Five and Celebration! And many Red States flipped to Blue, very unexpected in Deep Red States that have been that way for 50-90 Years!!! I'm Celebrating the Victory. I went to check out the Deep Discounts and Post-Halloween Sales and got a bunch of things 60%-70%-90% Off!!! You're not gonna get anything cheaper than marked 90% Off!!! I walked out of TARGET with Three full Bags of Sale items and only Paid $12! At MICHAELS I got another Audrey Plant and my Houdini Platter to match my Houdini Cake Stand, both were the last ones and marked 60% Off. They are specifically what I went for and was hopeful to Score, so, Color me Happy, everything else was just a Bonus Score!
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