My favorite flower bloomed a few days before Valentine Day. I asked Hubby not to buy me flowers as nothing could top the first blooms of my sweet peas! SO instead.......He bought me a little chihuahua! He fell in love with the picture of her posted on the local store bulletin board.



She is 7 weeks old and fits into the palm of my hand. The seller cried when he paid and picked her up. Told him she would give his money back for up to a month if we didn't like her (Sounds like my daughter!) As soon as he brought her home we headed to Pet Mart to purchase food and necessary puppy paraphernalia. I'm not sure how anyone can afford a pet!!! Puppy pads--$7.99 for 10! Dry dog food--$16.99 for 6 lbs! I wanted a tiny dog carrier--$49 and up! She is so small she need a ferret collar and carrier! I think I need to visit Wal-Mart and compare prices. Her little bed was $15.99!! What about Vet bills? But wait... none of that matters as we are totally in LOVE with her and I'll just have to get over it! Little Lolly has already earned her keep--little hearts are floating out of her eyes when she looks up at me....ahhhhh!

Whirlwind....

This past month has been a whirlwind of activities! I'm exhaling--finally!!! Christmas brought all my family together for what seems for just a brief moment. Army Grandson, along with NC Granddaughter and great grandson, were all here in Arizona to say our goodbye before his deployment.

My two daughters, granddaughter and I flew to Kentucky to see my grandson off to Afghanistan, and then drive his truck and belongings to NC for storage. Seems the Army charges the soldiers storage fees for their belongings, so we didn't see much sense in wasting money like that. After helping him pack at least 90 days of supplies in 4 small bags--we went to the base to see him off. It was very dramatic seeing mothers and fathers leaving their small children, families letting go....

Watching through old eyes,this poignant occasion gave me quite a jolt, as these young soldiers looked to be about 15 years old! Our well trained, courageous soldiers deserve, at the least, daily prayers from all Americans who believe in a higher power!



Goodbyes were hard and I will keep this moment in my heart forever.





Just that quick we were off into the cold, driving straight through to NC on icy roads.




I think this is somewhere in Tennessee--no way to know as there's not much difference in scenery, just snow, ice, cold!





We made it to NC in 8 hours--my daughter driving the whole way without a hitch!
NC wasn't as cold but with as much snow on the ground. I'm so blessed to live in this hot, dry desert wearing only shorts and sandals! I hate-, just hate, being constricted under piles of clothing, with scarves wrapped around my neck choking me, and gloves--I couldn't even dial a phone! But then, a welcome distraction!

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Ryder!!!!!!!!!!! He welcomed us with a big smile! After a few days visit, grounded planes and layovers, we made it home!

Welcome back to the "simple" distractions of everyday life. All these big events in my twilight years have taught me that I can handle much more than I ever thought I could! I think I need a little dog to keep me distracted from life's worries. Bet my sister will say "You are just trading worries--better think about the implications and hourly responsibilities of having a pet. Pay attention, don't be impulsive." I'm going to the pound tomorrow....!

Minor Miracles

A friend wrote and said she was tired of seeing "that darn turkey" on my last blog entry, so I decided I needed to update. I have a lot of excuses as to why I haven't blogged, so here goes. I can't sleep, so I can't focus during the day! However, I guess if I could sleep I wouldn't be able to enjoy the beautiful sunrises. This was photo was taken yesterday morning--then today, there was zero visibility--an unusual fog enveloped the Valley! It was so dense I couldn't even see my backyard.



My granddaughter has been visiting the past two weeks and I try to spend my days enjoying their company, because they will soon return home. Ryder is 15 months old now and at that stage of destroying everything in his path!

I am running after him every second. Might lose a few pounds in the process!

Out the door and onto the swing.....

back inside....

climbing on furniture.....up and down the stairs....

Then... just as quick--he becomes a little angel!!!

My Army grandson will be here today--if the Midwest ice storms allow the planes to fly. He will be home for 14 days then off to Afghanistan. We are trying to be positive and not wonder, WHY?

Hubby's truck was broken into--radio and tool box stolen--steering column has to be replaced along with the door locks. We were lucky in that it was not stolen! No theft insurance--the truck is just too old to justify the premiums. It is a 1994 Chevy, very popular in this region as it is a great landscaper truck! It was stolen and stripped four years ago and that cost us $3,000 to get it up and running then. This time it only cost $400.00. Again, lucky us.

Once again I lost my billfold! On my way to a friend's who had broken her ankle I stopped to get gas. It was still dark at 6 am, and I must have left my wallet on top of the car while pumping. I know, I should focus, but I'm not wired that way, dammit! But wait--there's more--A Christmas miracle! A Good Samaritan found it about 4 miles down the road, looked at the driver's license, got my address, left a note that everything was intact and they would bring it to me! It had been ran over and only two cards destroyed!! From planning my suicide to save my family from the grief of placing me in a home,or worse, my sister scolding me for another screw up. HALLELUJAH!! Saved, once again!

And then, another miracle--granddaughter is pregnant! Couldn't get any better than this, unless it would be twins or triplets! My father was a triplet and he also had twin sisters. Some one, some day should get lucky in this family that way--might as well be her! (She may disagree with that!)

All in all, we have been blessed many times this year. Hopefully the USA will be blessed again. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Our Thanksgiving was awesome! Family, great friends and superb food made many pleasing memories! We

Most of the wild flowers are ready to bloom! I guess I won't have any for the spring.

Snap dragons, petunia's and al are filling in as expected.

Broccoli , Brussel sprouts and red cabbage are growing fast. For some unknown reason the radish and carrots never came up.

I've been super busy this month! Grand daughter and G-Grandson visiting for 2 weeks. Just learned another one on the way!! We are in heaven~ Army Grandson will be here for Christmas and that means more food and fun!
Another good report for Hubby~still in remission! It can't get any better than that! oh yeah... should be 80 degrees today. Our blessing

just reached a zillion!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Con, Chem or Kid's Toy? Our Own Sky Mystery

Sunrise--11/5/10. Never heard a word about this strange sky. Guess it wasn't as dramatic as the one in the news of late. Could it be an airplane? Or a missle? Or a kid's toy?

Contrails...short for condensation trails. X marks the spot.

Or is it Chemtrails? Chemtrail conspiracy theory holds that some contrails are actually chemicals or biological agents deliberately sprayed at high altitudes for a purpose undisclosed to the general public. I guess we can all come to our own conclusions about these things. This plane made a couple fast turns. Glad I wasn't on that flight!

The "Wonderful" Season is Here

I am spending most all my time in my garden. Everything is growing just fine without much help from me! Pots of flowers are watered daily and that is about it! All the flowerbeds are on drip irrigation and I don't have any weeds to pull so I have lots of time to just walk around, telling my plants how gorgeous they are and how much I love them. The weather has been perfect! I have even started my daily walks again!



The swing is ready with new cushions I found on closeout at Wal-mart. I am going to try to find a new hummingbird feeder again. I'm sure there must be a perfect one for my patio. I know I say that every year...even after all my previous hummingbird feeder disasters.

The rims of the Sacred Datura flowers have developed a light purple tinge. The leaves are looking raggedy and it has spread about five feet across the upper patio. I will cut it back to the ground after it stops blooming. The flowers are still very fragrant. I have seeds if anyone is interested....

Hubby didn't see any Elk on his hunting trip in Northern Arizona. But just being surrounded by the beautiful scenery, friends and family, definitely made up for his disappointment.

Great Grandson picked up Poppy's stethoscope to play with over all his toys. I would pick him for my Doctor! It is so hard not having him here to hold, hug and to pinch his little cheeks! He will be here in December and I'm trying hard to stay home instead of heading to North Carolina! My Army Grandson will be home for Thanksgiving--and hoping for a Christmas visit before deployment. Bittersweet for sure....