Allergy Season

Here in Arizona a lot of people have rocks for their front yard. Some have these Mexican gold poppies, indigo-blue lupines and reddish-purple owl clover "sprinkled" in their rocks. Their front yards are beautiful during Spring time. I thought I'd go out and take pictures of these beautiful flowers. Spring time here is very short. With the weather man telling us that it will be 89 degrees by Monday - Summer time is just around the corner! I better get the pool ready. Looks like we'll be swimming by Easter.

Spring Training

Spring Training starts today. I've been downtown and watched the Arizona Diamondbacks play. It is a blast! We had tickets last time right next to the dug out. Perfect! We had private box seats from the company my husband use to work for. I liked being down by the dug out best.

Baseball .... makes you hungry for a hotdog!

Tuesdays at the Goodwill

Yesterday was an out and about run errands day. I went to UPS, then Albertson's ( had stuff on sale), then Target ( I'm always out of cat food or dog food). I passed the Goodwill and thought ummm.... might as well, I'm already out here. To my surprise, Goodwill changed their Senior Days to Tuesday - woohoo! So everything in Goodwill is 50% off to seniors on Tuesday (use to be on Thursdays).
I love to read. And... I love to find books I'd like to read for $2.00 or less! I found as you can see Marley and Me. A $21.95 book for $2.00 - woohoo! And I found book 2 & 3 to The Secret of the Rose series by Michael Phillips I had started awhile back for $2.00 each also. 1776 was only $1.00.
Looks like I'm going to have to start publishing "Tuesdays at the Goodwill."

March 16: Send Sunshine to Alaska

We've been in the 80's this week with today being 86 degrees. I sent some of our sunshine up to Alaska to http://www.mooseintheyard.blogspot.com/ today. Because of the Iditarod they need more snow. Soooooo..... by personal request I marked on my calendar to send the sunshine on March 16 instead. Anyone else needing some sunshine please make requests on my comments and I'll be sure to send some your way too! :)

Update

We got a little more done on driveway addition project. My husband had to stop and get another load of sand. He got one ton the first load - not enough! So he got 2 tons this load. And... we discovered that we won't have enough planter stone. Someway we need to come with another way to finish one more planter and make it blend in with the rest. The stones we bought were a closeout. I don't know where to find some more :::shaking head::: Oh No!
See the dirt on the lower left hand side of this picture? Well, there is 8 more feet beyond this that will "house" my aloe vera that was originally in this area.
Then that new concrete addition that I showed before ( 36 feet ) continues down the driveway to the sidewalk. Altogether it measures 72 feet long. Oh Golly! I didn't realize we had that much driveway until now.
*** I forgot and left the cat out last night. In the morning when we went out to start on the project, we discovered that the cat must have really "liked" the sand :(

Taking Chance

My husband ordered dinner to go tonight. He said there was a movie on at 5:30 pm that I had to see. He knows I don't like most movies. He said he stayed up late last night and watched it. He said it was a movie definately worth seeing! And he told me that I better have a lot of Kleenex ready.
I watched to the end. My husband has never been to Wyoming. He keep asking me "Is that what it really looks like?" Since Wyoming is a stomping ground of mine, I replied, "Yes, exactly like that!"
This is an excellent movie - check out the website at: http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/

God Bless Our Troops!

Previews

This is what started it! The "new" big black truck needed somewhere to be parked on our driveway. My daughter-in-law saw it for the first time last week. She told me when I picked her up that it looked like a pimp mobile (whatever that is??). My husband and I - two white senior citizens, ummmmm, pimps?? aw - NO!
This is what it looks like today. ( I got the pictures reversed in sequence )

This is Bandit superdogvising. (this was taken before she saw two guys walking by the house and broke her leash - oops - should have seen those two guys run!)

These are two loads of stones we picked up yesterday out in Gold Canyon. WOW! Is that pretty country out there AND... it is way......... out there! Wish I would have had my camera. http://www.goldcanyon.net/

This is that area that was shown above with the stones. This is about 1/3 of the area we have been "working" on. The new driveway in concrete took 1/3 of the area. Then we have some palm trees that need to be worked into this project. The palm trees are the other 1/3 of the area.

This is another before picture when the plants and rocks were removed. This is a lot of work. I'm sure glad this was "his" idea! He can't blame me for all the work "he" has to do. If it were up to me..... I would have hired someone to do this in a heartbeat.

Dan :)

A couple days ago I posted about trying to get a picture of Air Force One, remember? My husband asked at work if everyone else saw it that day. Everyone did. Dan, one of my husband's co-worker said "Yes, I saw it. And I got a picture of it" They were all thinking like my picture, one up in the Phoenix sky ( but a whole lot better). So Dan got out his cell phone and showed everyone his picture. Surprise, surprise..... it was a picture of Dan on the steps of Air Force One! My husband asked him to send the picture to me.
Is that cool or what???!!!

More Pics Arkansas Ice Storm

These are more of the pictures his brother sent us of the ice storm. Amazing! He said that people out in the country ( my husband laughed when he said that) still don't have electricity. My husband said: "Mike, you live out in the country." Mike says, "No, I live in the city."

ummm way...... different perspectives of city and country living :)

Arkansas 2009 Ice Storm

My husband's family lives in Northeastern Arkansas. In January 2009 they were without electricity for 8 days. My husband's brother sent us these and many more pictures of that ice storm. I thought you might like to see what he sent us. Brrrrrr!

More Truck $$$

My husband suggested that I post the "before." Remember the $47,000 truck we just bought in January? And then the $1,000 driveway addition? Then remember I said we would have to do landscaping on the other half of the driveway addition? Here's $250 worth of stones - with another $250 worth of stones coming tomorrow. Then it will take a truck load of sand - three truck loads of new dirt. Then the plants .... AND last but not least "the accessories!" :)
$50,000 invested probably when this is all done - Holy Guacamoley!
This weekend hopefully this project will be done (keeping fingers crossed). So far I've pick out Honeysuckle (on sale this week at Home Depot) and one Pencil Tree but the rest I haven't decided on. I want a bird bath but I am really picky. It has to be just perfect! The water lines will be installed tomorrow.
Special Note: This was not my idea! I was thinking we should extend the block fence to include this area into the backyard. But..... I got out voted! Those dang dogs love "Daddy" and voted with him. I couldn't find the cats to help vote on my side. You know... they have that 23 hours of nap time and can't be disturbed. Oh well!

Killer

Yesterday, I was out and about running errands. I had to return a tool my husband bought that he thought he needed (and then changed his mind). Next door to this store was a family owned pet store. I, of course, had to go in and check it out. They had all kinds of cool stuff. I've been looking for some "leather" for Bandit but.... found a spiked leather collar for Trixie. And I found a pink with flowers life jacket for Trixie when she goes swimming in the pool this summer. After spending $50 on the two items ummmmm .... didn't have any more money to spend on Bandit. Maybe next time!

Anyway, I put the spiked collar on Trixie and it reminded me of a card the grand kids gave me for my birthday last year. Do you think Trixie looks like a killer with her new collar? Or maybe, Mindy, with her evil looking eyes?

Right-Wing Conservative Waving Goodbye

My husband called me and asked if I listened to the speech Pres. Obama gave at Dobson High School in Mesa, Arizona this morning. I said no. He said the speech just ended - I could go outside and see the helicopter that would be following the President's caravan. Yep... I saw it. He said that soon I should be able to see Air Force One. I rushed into the house and got the camera. He was right. There it was..... I took as many pictures as I could but there were a lot of trees in my way. AND.... Air Force One moves pretty fast! So in this picture is Air Force One - I promise!
::::::waving::::::

Mail Carriers motto "We Deliver :)

br />

After May 11, a postage stamp will be 44 cents.
Be sure to buy your forever stamps now. And....
while you're at it make an appointment to see your
eye doctor :)

With Love, your fruits & veggies

Cabbage always has a heart;
Green beans string along.
You're such a Tomato,
Will you Peas to me belong?

You've been the Apple of my eye,
You know how much I care;
So Lettuce get together,
We'd make a perfect Pear.

Now, somethings sure to Turnip,
To prove you can't be Beet;
So, if you Carrot all for me
Let's let our tulips meet.

Don't Squash my hopes and dreams now,
Bee my Honey, dear;
Or tears will fill Potatos eyes,
While Sweet Corn lends an ear.

I'll Cauliflower shop and say
Your dreams are Parsley mine.
I'll work and share my Celery,
So be my valentine.

Almost Valentine's Day

As I've mentioned before - Three of my Grandchildren live here in Arizona. It's an hour drive to their house from my house "on a good day." So I went out today to give the kids Valentine "goodies." Plus two of my grandchildren got accepted into a private school. I wanted to also go out and check out this new school.
I drove out and picked up my DIL ( Daughter-In-Law). We needed to be there before noon because Fridays are half-days at this new school. I was totally impressed by this new school! I hope that there will be an opening soon for their third daughter.
The third daughter is still in public school. There are no half-days. So the four of us went to lunch at one of the many new restaurants out in their area. We came back to their house and played games, ate chocolates, laughed, ..... had a great time!
Their third daughter came home and told us that her school was on lock down all day. Some man was out in front of the school with a gun - Oh MY! The (public) school NEVER called and let us know:(
They gave me the beautiful roses I have pictured above AND chocolates :) and a beautiful card! Am I blessed or what?

Loveland Colorado "the Sweetheart Town"

Loveland, Colorado postmarks Valentines with a cachet every year. You can order them online. I have always been in Loveland during Valentines Day (but not this year). All you have to do if you are in the area is to drop your Valentines in the designated mailbox. They stamp the outside and mail it off for you.

The first picture is one of my postcards of Loveland, Colorado.

The second and third are the 2009 Valentine cards you can order. Website is:http://withlovefromloveland.com/

"going formal"

Maybe you're thinking.... Who buys those cards anyway? I did!

I opened it up and could not stop laughing. I opened it several times in the store and laughed harder each time.

Jeff Foxworthy says: If your idea of going formal is a BLACK TRUCK, you might be a redneck!

:::::: laughing::::::: ::::::laughing really hard::::::

That is MY husband!

Thru the Bible - Dr. J. Vernon McGee

check out this web site: www.thruthebible.org

Bandit - Our Protector :)

Bandit was born in September, 2008. She came to live with us the end of October. I brought her home in a baby blanket - she only weighed 20 pounds then. The bottom picture was taken Nov 4. She was sooooo cute!
The top picture was taken today February 9, 2009. She is now 5 months old. She weighs 63 pounds. And.... she is not one but two hand fulls!
Last night between 4 am and 6 am Bandit decided it was a good time to howwwwl. I tried to settle her down. It wasn't until 6:30 am that I was able to see what the problem was. She had cornered two vicious black things out in the back yard.
You'll never guess what they were - so I'll just tell you. They were :::::: drum rolls, please:::::: daddy's work shoes! She shredded those shoes to almost unrecognizable bits. Sigh! Oh -that dog!

Roses are Red

Roses are Red,

Violets are Blue,

Please don't kiss me,

'cuz I have the flu :)

This is a picture of me and my husband done in '02 by someone named Urias.

I'm the cute one!

I copied this idea from http://www.cloodyandfrank.blogspot.com/

I'm sure glad you all are ok.....

GooseberryPatch.com

Last Fall Gooseberry Patch offered two free cookbooks. All I had to do was fill in the necessary information ( name, address, etc.) online. They also paid for the shipping. What a deal!
I got them in the mail the other day. Please check out their website: http://www.GooseberryPatch.com
I have 12 of their cookbooks so far - each one is unique!

Truck $$$

Remember when we bought the new truck January 17, 2009? Remember I mentioned that we would have to add to the driveway to park all THREE trucks? Remember when my husband chainsawed down the orange tree? Today they finished the concrete work. He told me that in 6 days it should be hard enough to drive and park on. Woohoo! All three big trucks will be able to park side by side in the driveway.

I didn't show all of it because.... I didn't have it concreted all the way up (most of it - yes). A section up by the fence needs to be "landscaped." Next project!

Mr. Postman - Is there a letter for me?

In the mail today was this invitation to participate in "The Graceful Envelope." This is a yearly contest - the deadline is April 30, 2009. Check out their website at http://www.calligraphersguild.org/