Holidaze- This Is Thanksgiving

  So as I mentioned before, I'm not blogging a whole lot.
Still this is a Holiday, one based on Gratitude and Thankfulness


(provided one ignores the fact that it's a WhiteFolks Holiday, celebrating that all our WhiteFolk ancestors moved into a new land, and DECIMATED the non-white Folks who were already here.  Rant brought to you by the fact that my Roomie is a 100% Native American Navaho) 

This is my Roomie, who would be pissed if she knew I was posting this picture of her here.
Both she and I are  not shy, but reluctant to post pictures,
lucky for me she doesn't know about this blog.  My Roomie. My Best Friend.

 

Here's what I have to be thankful for.

I am still here!
And maybe I'm a little wiser than I used to be.  I have some food in my fridge and cabinets, and a strong possibility that I will be able to get more on the 1st of December.  My bills are paid, and God willing I will pay them again next month.

I AM REASONABLY HEALTHY!
Sure, I have aches and pains and gripes about arthritis etc etc, but who doesn't, after the age of 50 or so?
I am thankful that my general health is as good or better than many others of my age.  I'm happy to accept myself as I AM, not as I think I'm supposed to be.

 
My be-loved animal Pals are all healthy and happy, and they make me feel good by trusting me to feed, care for, and love them.  This is Marshall

This is Mickey

This is Magic, who actually belongs to my LandLady but lives here

And my bird, Ak-Ak-Tookie, and my new cat Lefty, neither of whom I have good photos.


Here's what I have to be Grateful for.

SUNSHINE,  even now in late November.  Freezing cold nights are survivable, as long as the sun shines the next day.
FOOD: It's nice to see something in the fridge and cabinets, and hay and dog food outside.
THE INTERNET!!  For that I am so grateful to my neighbors!  I wouldn't have it without them; they've made my world a better place daily for the last few months.  Thank you!!

So here's my Thanksgiving Post-  Bless Y'all  and I'll see y'all here again around Christmas, ok?

Family Matters. FAMILY MATTERS!

I'm not much of a blogger anymore.  It's not because I don't like to write, it's more like I think I manage to say all the trivial shit I ever want to say in facebook.  Kinda like the rest of us, huh.

  For 10 years I've been keeping this poor old computer busy stuffing it full of everything on my mind, at least the stuff that mattered to me enough to type it out and hit 'save' or 'publish.'    I resurrected  this blog after destroying it once just to put the things I DON"T want to say on facebook, but still wish to keep.
  Maybe I just want some hard evidence of my writing to review later, much later.

 Here's a picture of a really cute baby.

This is my grand daughter.  She's looking mildly grouchy on the day that my Son married her mother 3 years ago. Her parents had been together for awhile, maybe a year before they married.  She was 14 months old.  I was invited to this wedding as an afterthought, but I was there.

  Today I don't know where she is. I'm getting closer though, I just got off the phone FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME EVER with a  lady from Child Protective Services who claims she is the Case Manager for my two grandchildren. (Yes; there is a second one that I don't really know very well yet, a boy named Daniel Jr who's a couple years younger.)

I've been trying to find them since last April when I found out for sure that their father, my son, was incarcerated and facing several years of hard time.  I was told at that time that their mother, my son's wife, had released all parental rights to them.

  I learned a LOT about this state's Child Protection Laws, and a lot of what I learned was so disheartening that it was damn near paralyzing to me.  My son's wife just disappeared; not answering phone calls, texts, emails, or facebook enquiries from me.

This week I discover that she's still around somewhere since she's suddenly updating her facebook page. Not mentioning her children at all, but she does offer her friends my son's prison address..

Today I find out that both my grandchildren are being cared for by what Social Services calls Foster-Care Non-Related Kin. As the Case Manager explained to me, that means someone who knew these kids and had cared for them before.  Not family.

She told me that the kids are healthy and growing, although my grand daughter has a full time Therapist to help her 'adjust' to all her trauma.  I am scheduling a face-to-face interview with the Case Manager so that I may prove to her 1.) Who I am, and 2.) that I love these kids and wish to help them.
  We need to discuss the pros and cons of possible supervised visitation from me.
 
  Grandparents in this state don't have a lot of legal pull in the Child Services world.  At least not without a lawyer,
and custody cases don't attract too many pro bono attorneys, yanno?

All Crap Aside,  THIS FUCKING SUCKS!!!  (I'm sorry Mom- NO I'M NOT!)  Mom would have understood my pain and frustration and feelings of helplessness, and she would have told me

To suck it up, most likely.  Fix the things you can, accept the things you can't or learn to ignore them. 
I am just really really REALLY glad that I know of no one else in my family that's ever had to deal with this kind of situation.. it's so, so.. UNCIVILIZED, damnnit!

Please don't wonder why my facebook posts are so often frivolous, it's just me, staying sane.