Neighborhood Oct 2018

The changing seasons of NC have kept me from longing for the Beautiful AZ sunset/sunrises that I so loved. I’m still in awe of the beauty of the color change. This is my first encounter of four seasons. 73 years of living in the SW desert, I only knew hot or warm, and not much of any color change.

My youngest great grandchild of four just turned five-pretty much going on 16- so what a wonderful surprise that two grandchildren announced they were expecting! They are only 3 weeks apart. We can’t wait to meet them!

Monsoon season will be here soon! Can't wait for all the clouds to roll in! Never bought a new camera-I usually buy one once a year due to dropping and breaking. This one will take all blurry pictures for a while, then lets me have a round of good ones. Go figure...
I have been busy doing "projects" lots and lots of them! I sold -gave away really- my little rent house-remember the one Hubby worked so hard on....Took the first offer soon after his death, just to relieve me of the stress and cost of it all.  Anyway I used all the money on my home. I was able to repair much need repairs and also a few "wants" done. All this keeps me from having to face the death of my sister and Hubby. I just stay mad at Sis for dying and keep so busy there is not any time for grief. I will deal with it all later I tell myself..... And another thing... I am going to be a flower granny at my grand daughter's wedding in Oct! So......another diet started and have to lose that 40 pounds that just never has come off  but this time it will!! I have 3 months to do it starting today, well I stared last year, but, I always wait till closer to the date. that's the pattern I have always followed and it never works-but I always have hope for the next time.

My New Life

After a three year hiatus from blogging, I had an urge to start it up again.
So many changes have happened in my life in such a short time. After Hubby passed away, I decided to update my beloved home of 26 years. The air conditioner was still working, but being as old as the house I had it replaced along with the leaking roof. I had the oak kitchen cabinets professionally painted white. The inside and outside of the house painted, some lighting, and fans replaced.
 I hadn’t ever been afraid in my home before, but being all alone for the first time in my life, I felt a sudden fear. So I had two sets of custom security French doors installed. The yard was becoming hard for me to mow and the sprinkler system needed to be repaired so I installed artificial grass- best move of my life!. I replaced the dining room carpet with wood flooring. With a surprise check from a niece, I added a beautiful library with a rolling ladder. I dedicated it to my recently deceased sister who also had a love of books. A few pieces of furniture thruout the house and I felt I could live there forever. I loved my home, before the redo and certainly afterwards. I would jump on the library ladder and take a ride  whenever I felt the urge which was often! I loved looking thru the beautiful screen door and seeing the perfectly groomed yard. Remember the view? I have hundreds of photos of the sunrises over the lake. Perfection! And then............ sitting on my new swivel, rocker, recliner, I started feeling lonely. That was the first time I ever felt the emotion. Even thought I had everything I wanted or needed, it just wasn’t enough. I kept telling myself how perfect my life was, I had just enough needed to be happy. But something was missing-family was missing . So......
My beloved home was sold and a move across the county, a home purchased all within a four month period! My head was swimming, but it was so exciting. I’m only a few minutes from all my family. Fourth generation Desert Rats and all have moved to this area. Unbelievable don’t you think?
I’m still wondering how it all happened.......

Arizona Springtime

 Spring time in Arizona is my idea of heaven on earth! It has been long lasting this year. Today is only 66~small amount of rain. It won't last though it always hits 100 in May and keeps climbing through July.

Blooming in my garden....Red Aloe

Santa Rita

Shirley Poppy

Torch Cactus

 

Thompson grape

 

Snapdragon~petunia 

Artificial Grass~~~best decision of all time! Wish I would have done this years ago.

 

 

SAUDADE

Saudade= where I am at the moment. Trying to find my place in my world. Saudade. If I ever have a desire for a tattoo, this is the word that I would use. I guess I would place it on the ring finger- it's about the only place that hasn't  or won't sag as the rest of  my body has in the past few years. Sau-da-de~Is the nostalgia when you are missing/longing/yearning for something or someone that is gone (or happened), a lingering memory....I am not in a depression-but that feeling is always hanging around. I feel sad that my Sister didn't see her only Grandchild get married or become a great Grand mother.That Hubby also missed so much already. Soon I will experience being alone in my home. Children will have moved on and another change that I will have to deal with. In a funny way I am looking forward to finding out just how I will handle it all.....

POTTED MEMORIES

                                                             Fall day at the lake

The date palm has been in this pot for over 5 years. We named him Walter Rose.  Before the transplant, WR was just a sprout growing next to his 20+ feet family. SIL rescued him in 1994, after the sale of the family farm.  He kept it in a bucket on his side yard, kept it watered and always wondered why it never would grow. Not one to throw away any plant struggling to stay alive, my SIL never gave up on Walter. Before the sale of his home, he transplanted him into this pot. Seems that was what it needed!  He gave it to me after the sale of his home.
 The first date palms planted on the Farm was in 1919. There were about 8 palms lined in front of the orchard, in front of the family home. Spending a lot my childhood on the farm, date season was the favorite time of the year. First date picking/eating was September. As long as there were dates on the tree and the birds were kept at bay, we were all in date heaven!  When the trees were to tall to climb, we would line the ground with old irrigation tarps, shake the trees until all the ripe ones would fall. We always saved just enough for Grandmother to make date desserts.  Now I pay $9.99 per lb. at our local health food store...missing the old days.....

SADNESS ABOUNDS

                                                                 
                                                                On Sept 4, 2014, I lost my husband of 38 years. He fought the battle of cancer for 5 years. It was bittersweet, losing him, but wanting his suffering to stop...... A well attended memorial, he would have been humbled by it all. Don was the only person I have ever known to always speak the truth, he never wore a mask, and he was what you saw. A man of many talents, a decent man, but most important, he had common sense. I loved him and he loved me.
                                                                 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. 11Timothy 3-7

Sleep over.....

Loving Monsoon season!

 

 

 I found this in my drafts. Never got around to publish it.  Sister had just lost her Hubby and was having a hard time after his death. She would stay with me when the grief became hard for her to bear.. 

 

 

 

Sis spent the night -first time in over 50 years- she found out how I really live. I am a closet hoarder-there I said it!! She told me it was time  to get organized!! Now how she expects a 69 yr. old dyslexic, scattered, ADHD person to change is beyond me! I always wanted to be able to know where anything I needed would be in a proper place. Believe me I have tried, but always get so stressed I have to take a break .Most breaks lasted years..  She should have worked on me years sooner!  We stared in the kitchen and this is what came out of my top cabinet's. 

 

 

 All this on the counter tops and island have been stored for years. At the least, 99 % of the stuff was never used. She ask why I keep all these things . Some of the things I just liked, were old, belonged to my Grandmother, some were gifts and others were just a darn good bargain. She told me that each piece that I wanted to keep, had to be displayed and if not then I had to  get rid of it! That is how I was able to give it up. I didn't find any that I really wanted to keep out except a sugar jar. I loved this little jar. I kept it on display for a few days. I got tired of looking at it, didn't match my décor, but couldn't make myself  donate it, so I  hid it on the top shelf in the very back where she wouldn't see it. Think of that, only one piece out of all the mess that I wanted to keep! This is going to be fun after all! It sure felt like a huge burden lifted from me-a burden I never knew existed!

 

 

The plan was her coming back to finish my whole house but her death got in the way.......

A little of this~~~~A little of that~~~

 

SUNFLOWERS                 

                                             

 No soil, not much water-maybe next year the snapdragons will come up in all
 the cracks on the patio!

Lolly Bee and Buddy Dee wanting to get away from all the pollen.

Love my desert museum palo

 

verde  tree even though the yard and patio are filled with yellow blooms.

 

 Grand son home safe from Afghanistan!!!!!!!!!  Prayers answered!!!!

 

 Not getting outside much. Hubby has finished all options for fighting his cancer. Hospice nurse comes to our home twice a week....... .

Healing....slowly

 

 

Sunset at Estrella 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love this picture of my newest great granddaughter. My sister didn't get to meet her, but she did know what her name would be and the date she would be born. I met her the day my sister passed away. 

A TIME TO WEEP

With great sadness and a broken heart, I come to tell you that my sister Aiyana passed away September 27, 2013. You know by her very popular blog ( Water When Dry) ironically  her last post entry was  titled -Time to say Goodbye.  She died of complications from surgery. Sadly her beloved husband passed away four months earlier. My sister was two years older that me and that made her "THE BOSS."  I depended on her for the answers to all my life's questions.  She became a expert in everything that interested her and that was almost everything!  Our family is still in the denial stage- after all, she was "larger than life"- how could this happen????.   

 

 

To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

 

Hello--Goodbye

BUDDY 

I watched a video on Facebook about Buddy. He is 7years old, NO TEETH, 3lbs., potty trained, gets along well with children and other dogs.  Buddy---that was my sign! I had said in the passed that Lolly Bee needed a buddy. She expects me to play toys with her throughout the day and even wants me to lay on the floor while she eats her treats!!! I make all my plans around her and sometime run out of groceries because she can't go into the store with me. I know we created this little person but it has to come to an end!  So enter Buddy. Great little dog, learned to use the doggie door in two tries, but they won't play together!!!!!! They don't fight-just tolerate each other. Guess what? Now I have twice the problem!!!! I am laying on the floor playing with two- at least Buddy doesn't have me on the floor for treats-he can't chew!. Now what?????

 

Good bye to TURR TULL

 

This past winter we put a lot of time and money into a great house for Turr Tull. This was the 4th or 8th location for a home on my postage-size lot. He always dug out, mostly ended up on the patio or dug holes in all the wrong places. He wouldn't even go inside this last place. He hated it!!! Never knew why. I found him under a slotted bench in the rain and the first freeze of the season. I put him in his dry home with a roof and porch-he left immediately

and  crawled back to the exposed area. After a few tries I finally I put him in a box in the garage for the rest of the winter. I don't have any place left to try to fix him another home, so we decided to give him to a friend that has acreage, and is all set up for turtles plus she only lives a few miles away. He will be very well taken care of. It was a sad day. Changes are suppose to be good for you, keeps the  mind young, but.... I'm not liking many of the changes that have come my way the past few years! In fact, it has the opposite effect- it's making me OLD!!!

Bathroom Remodel

 

Another  beautiful  sunset!! 

 

Another project!!!!!!! This is a big one!!!!! I have a small rental-  two bedroom one bath old, old house. In fact it was built in 1929- a Spanish-Mission style. I lived in the home off and on for a lot of years. I bought it from my Dad when I was about twenty years old..  Over the years  family and friends have lived there. I rented it out for many years without having to do much maintenance. I kept the rent very low so I was never bothered for repairs. My renter of 23 years kept the place livable and always paid on time. The last two renters never bothered with maintenance.  Well, now it is time for major projects!! Hubby is on his 4th round of chemo, but still loves to have a project to work on, so I gave him the biggest one yet!!!!! He started on the bathroom tearing out everything.  We will have new plumbing, a new window, new-used tub and sink, new lighting fixture, newly tiled floor and shower/tub surround. Next will be the kitchen and new flooring in the living room/hall. The time has come to sell the old home as we don't have the wherewithal or inclination needed to keep it rented.  We have been on the project for 4 months and even with help it looks like another 3 months. This round of chemo is kicking butt and keeping the work schedule to just a few days a week. Hubby is amazing as he keeps on keeping on! He will stay on chemo for 2 more months and that should give us another year in remission!  The house is off the ground about 2 feet and as you can see, he took out all the flooring!!!What a job!!!! 

A gorgeous ending to a wonderful day......

 

Gifts from the Heart

Sunset 5-13

 

                                           My friend Betty made this beautiful throw for me. I  have been friends with Betty for over 60 years! Each square takes 6 hours to complete.  She has a special machine that I don't understand! I never learned to sew on a machine and never had a desire to learn. She made it for my California king size bed. Now that's a lot of work and time!!!!

Each panel  is a different color and pattern. I love it! Who does that? Such a special gift from the heart!

I met Bobbie 13 years ago just as she started selling her stained glass pieces.  She is a multi talented artist and her latest creation is the beaded, embroidered fairy pillow she made for my birthday. I know the many hours that took her to complete. I don't have the talent or patience for such things and I highly admire her many talents.  I cherish both their friendships and their gifts from the heart. Thank You!

EMPTY NEST SYNDROME

After finding the hidden quail nest, I made sure they were comfortable with plenty shade and water.
 Several times a day I would check to make sure the eggs were alright. Two weeks later after checking  the nest, I found that  all the eggs had hatched and the babies were nowhere in sight!

I was sure something had eaten the mother after seeing all the feathers left in the nest. All the eggs looked like the tops were evenly cut off. I searched all afternoon for the babies never losing hope that they were close by.
Lolly Bee stayed with me never making a sound.

 I kept my camera on and ready to capture the perfect shot! When I  checked the nest once more-  I was startled to see

 they were back!!!

 

Little stripped babies, all ten of them. They didn't make a peep-just looked at me. They were so cute!  I just wanted to scoop them all up and pet them.....of course I didn't!

 On the 2nd day the father showed up walking on the block wall calling for them to leave. She marched out of the nest with all the babies in a row behind her. The perfect photo and the camera would not come on!!nothing!!-the battery was dead! &;X;#@$%#@ and a few F's ! By the time I got back outside with the camera phone on and ready they were gone!  All the waiting and time spent worried about them , they just up and leave! Just like that! Not even a look back! But I am so grateful that I did get a few shots of them in their nests. Hoping they will choose to come back next year and give me another chance.....

BLOOMING IN THE GARDEN

  Each year after the wild flower bed is cleared of the California and Shirley poppies, the struggling cosmos come to full bloom within a few days. They are already over 4 feet tall!

  The coreopsis have also enjoyed the room to grow and the full sun they recieve after the clear-out!
Hollyhocks have a few buds left on the tops. They don't look very good with the bottom flowers spent.

 

The orange jubilee that was cut to the ground after a freeze this past winter, is about 4 ft tall and has just started to bloom. I couldn't get  the root out, and when it started growing again, I didn't have the heart to cut it back. It's so fast growing, messy and I just need it to be gone! Oh well, I'll put  up with it another few months.

                                              Red and pink hibiscas blooming in time for Turr Tull who just came out from hibernating. The spring had been cooler and longer this year, and he was able to sleep awhile longer-unlike me never getting enough shut eye!

My two bower vines  have started to bloom -they will bloom untill late fall.

Blue plumbego is still a very light color. I'm not sure when they will turn the darker blue that I love.

 

Red bird of paradise will bloom till early winter- a winner for our hot, hot summers! I am dreading the next few months of hot, but the GOOD NEWS for the summer are visits from Grand daughter-great Grand kids and Grandson home on leave!!! PARTY TIME!!!!!!!!