Been through the desert…

 

in search of water.  Okay not quite the song lyrics you were expecting, but it fits what Tracy and I were up to on Tuesday.

This piece of art is entitled “Water Source” and is located at Goodyear’s Dog Park.  The artist Marta Thoma was inspired by the nearby Gila River. The art piece is made of recycled materials and has solar-powered illumination.  We’ll need to stop by some time after dark to see how it looks then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was, of course, also at the dog park.  But it’s more what I would expect to see.  :)

Guess who turned two???

 

Remember the little man who stole my heart the minute he was born?

His name is  Justin Donald.  If you missed some of our fun times together, you can check out one such story here.

 

He so totally owns me and will get whatever he ever wants from his Aunt Nancy.

 

How could you say “no” to this little guy?

 

 

 

 

So HAPPY SECOND BIRTHDAY, JUSTIN DONALD….little love of my life.

 

Lazy days…

 

                                              of summer…

 

I need to get out and take some new pictures, but the heat is keeping me inside.  This picture was taken in Strawberry at Annie’s cabin and it makes me smile.

I have a long weekend planned with Annie to head back up north in September. I can hardly wait. Hopefully, before then I’ll venture out and get some new pictures.

Thank you all for your kind words and support. They do mean a lot to me.

Trying to push back….

 

the hands of time.

 

Mom and I play games and do puzzles to help keep her mind sharp.  Some days we see progress and some days – not so much. I’m still making that transition from seeing her as astute and focused all the time to confused and foggy more often now.  It’s a hard transition to make.

Friends who have been down this path tell me that there will come a time when I will want to just nod my head and agree with whatever she says.  I’m not ready for that.  I want to try and keep her memory and dignity intact for as long as possible.  It somehow feels less than honorable to “humor” her. I know I’ll need to make a shift in my thinking, but I’m just not there yet. 

The worms crawl in….

the worms crawl out….

well you know the rest of it. 

I have passed this huge pile of these “worms” for months along an area of our freeway that is being widened.  From the very first, they reminded me of a pile of worms and yesterday I finally had an opportunity to stop and take a picture or two.
This is what they are used for….

Puzzling around….

 

In an effort to keep Mom awake and entertained, I’ve resorted to jigsaw puzzles.  Unfortunately, this one seems to be beyond her ability to see clearly enough and beyond my ability to just put away.  So, myself and my OCD will complete this one and then move on to one easier for Mom.

"There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle." - Deepak Chopra

Hope you all had a relaxing weekend spent with family and friends.

Paradise Lost????

 

No!  Paradise found.

 

This is where you will find Paradise….

 

This is what you will find in Paradise….

This is a Caramel Cream Coffee Smoothie.  As a testament of just how good it is,  anyone who knows me well knows I don’t like coffee.  Don’t drink it – never have.  But this I love! 

 

This is the new picture ID that comes up on my cell phone when Tracy calls me.  Guess who goes to Tropical Smoothie Cafe with me all the time? 

Do you have a favorite smoothie place?

He’s the Most Interesting Wine Sock Monkey in the world….

           When he cliff dives in Acapulco, the water comes to him.


                             He CAN see the forest for the trees.


                                 When he reads a book, the pages turn themselves.


                 For him, the Wandering Gnome quit wandering.


               He IS the most interesting Wine Sock Monkey in the world.

See what too much time on your hands can do to a person?  :)
Dedicated to Tracy and Lisa.

Addendum:  My 16 year old corrected me...it's Roaming Gnome not Wandering Gnome.  But as Tracy pointed out, I'm sure I did that to avoid copyright infringement. :)  

Sisterhood of the Traveling….

 

                                                   Bottle of Wine.

 

On a trip to World Market, Tracy and I did some wine shopping. Go figure!  This was back in late June and this bottle of wine (chilled) has traveled back and forth between our two houses on numerous occasions. For whatever reasons we never cracked it open.

 

But yesterday Tracy invited Lisa and I over for a girl’s afternoon of munchies and movies.  So guess what I took with me?

 

So we have now gone from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Bottle of Wine to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Wine Bottle….no more wine in it. :)  I think it was Lisa who got “creative” and decided Twizzlers made good straws from which to drink wine.  I didn’t try it….I had already moved on to the Watermelon Martinis.

Randy, where were you?  We had a Moose Drool waiting.  :) 

Disclaimer:  In case you’re worried, we do not have drinking problems. In the five hours we were there the only alcohol consumed was this sole bottle of wine…by three of us…and one Watermelon Martini each.  Okay one of us had two Martinis, but I’m not telling who.  :) 

Yard….art….?

 

This sits in a the yard of a house in my brother’s neighborhood.  It is quite an unusual piece of yard art.  

Weird sky at night…

 

As the sun was setting tonight, the light outside got really weird.  I had decided to not get up and try to get any pictures, when Tracy gave me a call.  She was just the encouragement I needed.

It wasn’t just the sky above me that had the unusual light quality, it was everywhere.  Walking around the backyard, everything had this weird glow to it.

It was really quite beautiful and I’m so glad that Tracy called and nudged me off the couch.

Weird sky at night, picture taker’s delight.  :)

Do you ever find yourself….

 

                          between a rock and a hard place?

 

Hope that doesn’t happen to you this weekend and that you have nothing but fun and smooth sailing.

Unfolding….

 

I’m sure life is unfolding just as it should, but right now things are extra busy crazy.  I’ve been neglectful of my blog, but not of my thoughts of all of you.

Get your butts home….

 

the chairs aren’t the only ones missing them.  Love you, both.  Hurry home.

 

PS:  Bill and Tracy should be heading home today from vacation.  I’m glad they had a good time, but now we want them back. :)

Found Art….

 

While taking another “creative” route with Annie the other day in Goodyear, we came across this statue.  It’s a beautiful piece and sits tucked back in an out-of-the-way parking lot.  I think it needs to be somewhere much more prominent.

I came back early in the morning thinking there wouldn’t be anyone around and the light might be better.  Wouldn’t you know it…the landscape crew was there and it was kinda cloudy.  But they didn’t mind me and I didn’t mind them and phooey on the lighting.

 

 

  

The artist’s name is Vic Payne.  I couldn’t find a title to the piece and  my shots don’t do it justice – it has such amazing detail.  From what I found, he has been sculpting for over 30 years.  There is a gallery that carries his pieces in Sedonna too, I believe.   But to find a work of art by someone so famous where we did just amazes me.

Thank you….

 

oh Heavenly Father for these gifts I am about to receive.

 

I think I need to get out of the house with my camera.  I’m going a little “nutty”.

A Tale of Two Kittens…

 

I have shared with you before photos taken by my oldest brother, Glen, who lives in Tucson.  He has been lucky enough to have a momma bobcat raising two kittens in his backyard.  Here is a series of pictures where momma is teaching the little ones tree climbing techniques.

 

Momma is looking at the camera while the one little one begins to have some trouble hanging on.

 

Things are getting a little hairier for the little one and momma has moved in to try and keep him in the tree.

 

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to hang on and she seems to be contemplating trying to catch him in mid-fall.

 

But alls well that ends well. 

Within the last week or so momma has taken the kittens over the wall and out into the big wide world.  Glen is wondering whether momma is one of two kittens that he saw a couple of years before in this same tree.  

All of the above photos were taken by Glen.

It’s feeling like….

 

the “dog days” of summer around here.