In Honor of Patriot Day…

 

Tomorrow, 9/11, is Patriot Day.  It is also my 19th anniversary.  It is difficult to mix the sorrow and joy that comes with these two events.

This recently renovated memorial park in downtown Buckeye is a special place.

There is a beautiful black marble wall engraved with the names of all the veterans from the Buckeye Valley communities, benches to enjoy the shade of the huge tree that sits in the middle of the small park, and also bricks engraved with the names of some of those that made the park possible.

 

I found the construction of the sign fascinating.

Please take a moment tomorrow to remember those patriots who have given their lives through acts of heroism and sacrifices made in moments of terrorism. 

On this day…

 

thirty-three years ago God blessed me with the light of my life…my son, David.

If we only knew at the moment we’re given this gift all the joy and wonder that would fill our world, there would be a population explosion.

I had a living, breathing – yes, sometimes crying – doll.  We had so much fun together.  He held me up in times when I just knew I wasn’t going to make it through.

He’s icing Christmas cookies…put a little icing on, lick it off, and put a little more back on…singing Christmas carols the whole time.

See, I still had my doll to dress up. ;)  He loved Halloween and we always had such fun figuring out what he would be.  We never bought his costumes.  They were always homemade.

The first day of school and Grandma with us to see him on his way.

He grew up so fast…time just really flew by.

Pretty soon he was a big brother.  He loved his little sister, Nicole, so much.  Wasn’t much for babysitting, but loved her just the same.

Then sometime in the night someone came along and stole my little boy and replaced him with a grown man.   A man I’m proud to call my son.

He’s a father now himself and is much better at it than I was in the beginning.  I’ve learned so much from David about giving and loving and sacrificing.  Nicole has received the blessing of my experience gained from my time with David and I’d like to think he’s a better man because of all we’ve been through.

I love you, David…more than I can ever say.  You’re my little Kermie and always will be.

PS: Please excuse any typos…it had to be the tears in my eyes. 

When It Rains…

 

it pours!!  And boy did it!  Yesterday afternoon we had a storm cell move through that was very intense.

The pictures are lousy, but you’ll get the idea. It was so dark, that the lens needed to stay open long enough to catch all the movement from the wind and rain.

But unfortunately when storms like this move through, the winds can get to be quite dangerous.

The neighbor lost a mesquite tree in his pasture.  It came up roots and all.  Greg and I had just been saying we needed to trim this one so he could mow under it without getting stuck by the thorns. Guess we won’t have to be doing that now…time for the chain saw.   

PS:  It’s official…I was offered a job at Barnes and Noble and I have orientation on Friday!  Yippee!

Psst…Don’t Look Now…

 

but I think I have a JOB!!!  I’m so happy. I hate to say anything at this point, but I’m exploding with joy.  I had my second interview at Barnes and Noble and after passing a back ground check should (will) be offered a job.  I’m not worried about the back ground check and my son assures me if they’re going to that degree, then I can be pretty certain they’ll offer a job.

This is only one of three book cases that I have.  Not that I have issues with owning books are anything.  :)   I’m hoping that I’ll have a paycheck left to bring home.   I’m so happy!!!

Just a little touch of purple…

 

Had a really quiet weekend.  Spent some time with Annie at the Savers looking for used books.  Savers and Goodwill are two of my favorite places to find used books. I like the fun of the hunt and I like the programs that my money goes to support.  Sunday was a day spent with Greg and Nicole. Monday was just plain lazy. So no pictures taken, but I always have a flower shot to fall back on.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!

Just putting my head down…

 

and trying to carry on through the last of this summer’s heat.  I want so much to see beautiful flowers blooming and soft colors instead of this harsh desert sunlight.

Okay, I’ve had my rant.  Maybe I’ll see if Tracy is up for a day trip this weekend.  That should make us both feel better.

Annie would argue this point…

 

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”
John Ruskin

“Sunshine is delicious…

 

rain is refreshing…

 

wind braces us up… 

snow is exhilarating;… 

 

there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”  John Ruskin

All of this weather happened right at the cabin.  I know that Annie hated the snow trip and I totally understand why, but how could you not love it all in retrospect? 

How about a little…

 

protein with your sugar water?

This is a brand new feeder that Annie had just hung up earlier in the morning.  It didn’t take long for the ants to find it.

  

Or the wasps!!  See all the little ants bellied up to the bar enjoying a drink.

Wonderful Weekend…

 

We had a wonderful time in Strawberry and didn’t even land up in jail. :)  And the wash was running!  Actually it ran a couple of times during the rains. It was amazing how quickly it happened.

When we got there Friday night, it was cool and lovely. Slept with the windows open and the breezes blowing.  Saturday we had a lovely rain for most of the afternoon.

Now rain isn’t what time at the cabin is all about…but it sure helps with my coming-to-the-end-of-the-summer-can’t-take-the-heat-anymore blues.

  

We had such a good time…visiting, hiking (for those up to that), reading, beading, movie watching and just relaxing with no responsibilities or commitments.  It was lovely.

What’s in a name???

 

I’m sure I may have used this post title before, but c’est  la vie.  Didn’t know this was a multicultural blog did you?  :)

This sign has caught my eye for years as I head into Buckeye to visit with my buddy, Annie. 

The Bales family settled in the Buckeye Valley in the 1880’s and have been a part of Buckeye’s rich farming history ever since. There is a local road named Beloat after some of their early ancestors and fifth generation farmers still live on that road and continue their family tradition today. Coming from a girl who moved all over during her childhood and still finds it hard to put down roots, that amazes me. In the early years, the hay was stacked with a sling and derrick.

  

The above picture is courtesy of a Then and Now book on Buckeye by Verlyne Meck.  It has some of the most interesting pictures and facts.  I’m glad there are people who place importance on preserving and recording the history of an area.

I think it is very ironic that someone with the last name of Bales sells bales of hay.  Call me goofy…it’s okay…people do it all the time, but that strikes me as funny.  When talking with my sister-in-law about the post she said what about an orthopedic doctor with the last name of Bones. You get the idea. Do you know of any other examples of this type of phenomenon…yes, let’s call it a phenomenon. (I know there should probably be a question mark in there somewhere, but laudee with the way I talk…who know’s where?)

And speaking of Annie – you remember, way back at the beginning of this post – we’re headed to Strawberry again this weekend!  Yippee!  We actually got rain down here in the Valley last night, so I’m really looking forward to rain up north.  We’ve managed to talk a couple more of our bunco group into going with us, so I’m sure we’ll be raising hell. Watch the news for four geriatric women being jailed on charges of…well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.  Happy Friday and have the most wonderful weekend!  

What a difference…

 

a few days makes.  This is the shot of the newest baby dove on the 6th of August…just breaking out of its shell.

 

This is a picture of the baby at  just two days old on the 8th.

 

And this is the same baby at eight days old on the 14th.

I would guess in a few more days this little one will be flying and will have left the nest.  This is the momma’s  fourth clutch this summer…she’s been busy.   

Turtles and egrets and ducks, oh my…

 

Going…

going…

gone.

Tracy and I braved the hot weather and got out to take some pictures one day last week.  One of the stops we made was at Friendship Park in Avondale.  They have a nice pond there with lots of water fowl and turtles.

I think this duck has aspirations of being a flamingo.  He was quite comfortable standing around on one leg.  To sleep, some just preferred the old “looking behind me to see who’s sneaking up” style.

    

I never did get a very good shot of the Snowy Egret.  It was the only one of its kind at the pond and didn’t like it if we got too close.

I think his yellow feet are too cool.

 

There was something a little militant about this fellow.  Could be the stripes.

It was really nice to get out and about. It was WARM though by the time we headed home.  I guess that’s not going to change for another month or so.  We’ll just have to be brave and drink lots of water.

A sad little mystery…

 

The “New Beginning” pictures I just posted were taken on Tuesday morning. This is the picture of the nest that I took this morning – Thursday.

Now I know in the previous picture (plus I actually saw with my own two little peepers) that there were two eggs hatching that day.

 

 

But there is only one little baby in the nest.  I looked around to see if I could find the one who doesn’t seem to have made it, and I couldn’t find anything.  And I have to say, this little one isn’t so very little for only being in the world for two days.  Greg is thinking that maybe a roadrunner got the other baby, but I don’t know why it would leave one.  I guess it’s all about how life works, but I’m missing the other little fellow.

New Beginnings…

 

The momma dove has decided that the empty flower pot that hangs closer to the house has more shade.  She’s moved her house to this location for her latest brood.

 

On my way out the door yesterday morning, I noticed she had eggs in her nest and to my amazement they were hatching!!!

 

I was lucky enough to have my point and shoot camera with me. I’ve cropped these in pretty close and apologize for the quality, but I’m sure you can see the little ones poking their way into the world.

Put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

Am I in the Library???

 

li·brar·y     

1.    a. A place in which literary and artistic materials, such as books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, prints, records, and tapes, are kept for reading, reference, or lending.

I have had a truly deep love for libraries ever since the fourth grade when I was allowed to visit the public library after school in Sumter, South Carolina.  I have moved all over this country and even been to France.  The one thing I remember about every place since South Carolina was where the library in town or on base was.

These are not books.  These are movies.

The other side of this aisle had just as many video games.   I have to say, I have never (until today) checked a movie out of the library.  But I also have to say, I will in the future.  They even have several series from television.  I can see that it would be a great benefit for kids to try a new video game out before investing.  So, I’m trying to embrace the changes that libraries are undergoing, but I’m very sad to say….  

that in this branch of our county library in the fiction section at the end of this second set of books, we are already through the letter “C” and working on the letter “D” by author.  That’s not very many books.  Once when I asked at another branch of the county library for several of the classics…John Steinbeck, Pearl S. Buck…I was told they didn’t carry copies of those books because that wasn’t the demographic they were going for. Huh??  

How about you?  Do any of you still frequent your county or city library?  Are you enriching your children’s lives with the love of literature in whatever form that may take?

Sleep over movie night…

 

I’m such a big kid at heart.  I conned Nicole and three of her friends into watching the Paranormal Activity movies with me last night.

I’ve always loved “scary” movies as long as they’re not the bloody, gory kind.  I like suspense and thrills.  I have a memory of my childhood where my two older brothers and I sat up in our family room watching what are now “the old black and white” Werewolf and Frankenstein movies. I fell asleep and they turned things off and went to bed. I woke up and was afraid to walk through the dark house to my room and was crying.   My oldest brother heard me and came and took me to my room.  He’s always been my hero since then even though as often happens with brothers and sisters we’ve had our share of troubles.  But I know if things get dark and scary, I can always count on him.

But when you stay up  ‘til the very wee hours of the morning watching movies, this is what you find in the morning…

young people asleep on the couches, floors and in your spare room. I love it!