This n that

The holidays are not all cheery, warm, lovely feelings amongst family for everyone. Meshell was really bumbed out as thanksgiving approached. Her dad had gotten out of jail a couple of weeks earlier. She had so looked forward to that day. They had written each other regularly while he was locked up and her conversations were always sprinkled with her delight about writing him or getting a letter from him. Then he came "home" to his current wife (not Meshell's mom) and has not called or visited his daughter Meshell who lives in the same small city. She had wanted to see him for thanksgiving, but he wasn't coming because he wouldn't come if his wife didn't go and she wasn't going to go. The logical reason that it would just be weird for an ex-wife and current wife to dine together does not fly. There are much bigger issues. When Meshell's grandmother died, Meshell, her mom, brothers and son moved in with her dad's current wife (while he was still locked up). Yeah, I thought that would be totally weird. Meshell and her mom, Maria outstayed their welcome from what I can gather. But they don't see it that way. In their mind, they were helping her out by having half a dozen people move in with her and them sharing their measly disability checks.

Upon returning to the Fair Mother City, I tried to call Meshell and see if she'd heard from her dad, or how her thanksgiving went and their phone is disconnected. That sucks. NO car, no phone really bites!

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Frieda and Jessie constantly have a friendship/hateship going on. It was rocky right before thanksgiving, but now they are cool with each other again. It was fun to see them throwing snowballs at each other- in their t-shirts and no gloves- just being silly and enjoying each other and the snow.
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Apparently my medicaid for the kids is not all resolved yet. I realized I have a WIC appointment next week and need the medicaid as a proof of income. I still haven't gotten the promised cards in the mail, so I went in to get temporary cards, holding my breath and whispering prayers. It paid off, because I got them without a hitch and to beat all, some medicaid lady even gave me a pest control kit while I waited to be helped. She said they were handing them out as some program. I thought that was a cool program- especially since there was no red tape. I signed my name so they could do a head count. Ah- if only all the programs were like that. It felt like it was just a nice blessing, not an ordeal to battle through.
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A friend of mine and her husband were wanting to give a cooked turkey and gifts to a family in lieu of doing their own gifts. She asked if I knew of someone who needed some help and I told her about Mbamie. It's awesome, because with her husband (Peter's) arrival, there have been a lot of extra expenses, including moving and having all the utilities transfered. He still hasn't gotten his lost luggage back and doesn't have a job since they have met major snags with delays in getting his arrival ID card. Mbamie was issued hers the minute she stepped off the plane here, but apparently more red tape was added and it can take 3 weeks, or for him, many months to get his photo ID, which will allow him to get a regular Texas ID. I called them today to make a list of things they need/want and instead of focusing on all that has gone wrong- Peter said that it has been like a big celebration with his coming. First thanksgiving and now this gift of a xmas for them.