Happy Spring from Arizona, USA

Hello all you good friends out in blogland!  

I've b

een out driving around to the store, appointments, and such and I have seen the most gorgeous cactus flowers, trees, and such in the area.  

Since

 I don't have much of a green thumb for flowers, anyway, I so admire yards with lovely plantings and  pretty flowers.   If I could have raised beds, I would love to have some flowers and vegetables, but that is not possible right now,  so I really enjoy seeing what others do with their yards.  

And I have to be satisfied with 

my potted plants.  Which is fine.  Maybe I will get some for Mother's Day, and plant them.  

But in the meantime, I am enjoying  our rides where we can see the beautiful works of  Mother Nature, God, and neighbors!  Some go to a lot of work to pretty up their yards.  It is a lot of work, or maybe just picking the right plants for our dry, hot region.  

Many, are satisfied with pots of flowers, even vegetables, but even then, you have to be vigilant in keeping the plants moist enough, or they will shrivel up and die, as mine have.  Haha.  

Some of the region's trees, even tho they may not necessarily flower, are beautiful.  

I don't know the names of the different cactus, but this one has unusual blossoms, don't you think?  

And I thought this was striking with the white flowers on the cactus, and then the Bougainvillea in the background against the house. 

I had to stop the car and get a few photos in this yard, as they had really done a nice job of it!  The cactus, dressed up with their little hats and scarves, the metal road runners, and the petunias spilling out of large, overturned pots.  

Really, gorgeous!  

And the soft pink flowers of this bush.  

On my way out of the yard, I noticed these old cowboy boots under the ladder.  Nice touch, eh?  

Lastly, a different kind of cactus with white flower spikes coming out of the top.  I had never noticed one of these before, so I was fascinated with it.  

I really must learn more about the cactus in this area, their names and flowers, etc.  I am not good at that.  Too much to remember!  

Well, maybe I will learn........  Later........JO.  

P.S.  I really hope you enjoyed my tour of Arizona beauty!  

HAPPY EASTER!

May you all have a very Happy, Blessed Easter!  Enjoy and love one another and remember the reason for the Season!  Thank you all for visiting me.  xxoo.    Later.......JO

Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

Hello All!

The weather here has been absolutely deelightful!!  I've just had my guys come and completely clean, and trim the yard, so everything looks so nice.  The orange and grapefruit trees got trimmed back a bit also, and now I can see when a coyote wanders into my yard.  Haha.  I haven't gotten any plants for the yard yet, and I guess that will have to wait til after Easter.

But, having this done

 (finally, as I have been procrastinating about it), has inspired me to do more inside the house, and in the patio.   Helps me get ready for Easter, as I will be having the gang here.  I have my menu all planned out - ham, of course, with 

pineapple slices, and mustard and brown sugar glaze, as my Mama made it, glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, green beans with sliced almonds, rhubarb pie, and pineapple upside down cake.   Sound good to me!  

The only 

 finished project I have to show is the little bunch of rabbits, and the Easter eggs I made for my daughter's holiday tree.  They are getting there kind of late, but I know she won't mind.  She knows how hectic life is for this old woman!   I know she will love them.  Then I will have to get busy on the next ornaments.  Any suggestions on what I can make for the summer months?   I will make red, white and blue stars for Memorial Day, and for Labor Day, but I don't know what to make for in between.  Help??  

Well, I hope you all have been enjoying the gorgeous weather in your area, except for those of you who have gotten more snow, but fear not, nice weather is coming!  For us, it is starting to get warmer by the day, and we have already had temps in the 90's.   Dread the hot summer, but it is not too great a price to pay in exchange for the wonderful weather, of Spring, Fall, and Winter!!  

So, I hope you all have a wonderful Spring, I hope you get outside as much as possible, smell the flowers, fresh mowed grass, trees, and hear the birds singing to you!  

Until .....Later........JO  xxoo

Ain't Life Grand!

Hello All!
   

I've been absent from my blog for awhile.  Dentists, doctors, etc., have kept us busy for the last month or so.   And we still have some ahead of us, mainly carpal tunnel surgery for both hands for my hubby.  Poor guy has so much pain in his hands, and I have to help him a lot because of it.  But, hopefully, the surgeries will help alleviate the pain, and allow him a little better use of his hands.

But, we haven't been without  interesting things in our lives.  We've been out and about, taking day trips to local areas, seeing things we haven't seen before, picking fruit and making orange and grapefruit juice, cooking, crocheting (me!), and visiting with friends.    Below is a photo of us with some special friends, who are traveling the country in their Airstream.  They were here in Arizona, and we didn't want to miss the chance to visit with them.  They've gone on to California, and will continue around the country.  Lucky folks!   

Plus, we have been picking the fruit from our yard, which we have in abundance, as we have three orange trees and a grapefruit tree.  I looooove being able to just walk out in the yard, and pick a grapefruit or orange for my breakfast.  I love making fresh fruit salads,  and they are even better when you can add something from your own yard.  

When I went out this morning, I noticed that  the flowers on the grapefruit tree had produced these tiny little grapefruits that I had never noticed before.  I guess I had just never really looked;  I would just go out and pick one and go back inside.  Now, I know that the process works as such; first, the beautiful aromatic flowering buds, then the fruit, but I had never seen them in this developmental stage.  They were no bigger than my little fingernail!  I was amazed, and ashamed of myself that I had never taken the time to notice them before.  Aren't they amazing??   I mean, I am always the one saying "Stop and smell the roses", but I hadn't been doing it.  So I shall try to pay more attention to these things.  Ain't life grand?!!  

So, since I went out there for a couple of grapefruit, I cut them up and added them to my wonderful fresh fruit salad.  I love it for breakfast with a dollop of Greek yogurt, and a sprinkling of raw sugar, and a tablespoon of granola!  Mmmmmm, perfection.  And healthy!  

Speaking of healthy, I am still working on my diet, trying to eat healthier, and have lost, in total, only about six pounds, but it am keeping at it!  Also, working on organizing so that life is more tranquil, and peaceful, because I know that clutter just makes life seem chaotic!  

And lastly, I am still working on my eldest grandaughter's purple afghan.  I did all the easy squares, and am now working on the bobble patterned squares.  I've discovered that I do not like the bobble stitch in a project of this size.  I have to make 12 squares of each color;  purple, lavender, and sparkly white.  And it is too slow for me, (I like to see more progress), and too tedious.  I may try to alter the pattern of squares, so that I don't use as many bobble squares as the simple ones.  Is that wicked of me?  I don't like to have to spend this much time on one project.  I want to see results much more quickly!   I guess that is just so that I can get on with another project.  I have so many projects I would like to try, and so little time!  

I shouldn't complain, as I am very fortunate that the good Lord has given me this time to do what I love.   Retirement has afforded me that time, which I didn't have when I was working, so I am blessed and thankful.  And I have had so much inspiration from other bloggers, and from Pinterest.  I have found so many things to do that I love.  

Maybe next time I post something, I will have some photos of some finished projects, so I can show you my progress.  I will work diligently each day.  

So, I will talk to you again.........Later.........JO

Be Kind

Hello All!

 
So.....I was driving down my street two days ago, I saw a nice lady, probably about 80, taking a casserole across the street to her neighbor.   It made me pause to think.  You don't see that as much anymore, do you?  Or am I wrong?   Let's say, I don't hear of it very often anymore.  I do it occasionally, so it made me think - "I am going home and make something good for my brother and brother-in-law and take it over to them".

So, I came home after going to the grocery store, and treating myself to some Very Pretty Flowers, and made some homemade chicken noodle soup, and oatmeal raisin cookies.

The soup came out good, tho I had to add bullion, which I don't like to do (too much salt),  but it does add flavor, and made it just right.  The cookies came out too fat the first batch, then better, after I added just a little flour.  So I hope they like my offerings.    I have try to do this more often, because I like the little things one can do for another.  So be kind, and do something nice for a neighbor, relative or friend, or even for a stranger!

Then

 , just an aside for you, I found this cute  photo on Facebook, (I think it was on Susan Branch's friends page).  Isn't he (or she) adorable??  

Well, so that's what I have been up to for the past few days, and, oh, by the way, I lost four and a half pounds in the last two weeks, after gaining  two, so I am back on track!  And I am working on my closet!  Photos to come when it is finished!!  That may take awhile, because this is quite a job.  I have neglected it for a long time, and it's getting back at me!   Anyway, that is for another time.  

Have a good week ahead, and be kind.    Until,    Later.........JO

P.S.  Sorry about the photos.  The light was not right in the kitchen, and I am not the greatest at taking photos, anyway.  But you get the picture.  Haha.  

Life is slow.

Hello all!

   Life has been slow lately, as far as my crochet life , that is.   I did mail out the hearts for T., my daughter, for her year - round tree, and I have just finished the three leaf and four leaf clovers, so they will be sent out today.   These were also made using the pattern from Sarah, at Sarahndipities.  Thanks, Sarah!  

Those will make her happy.  I wasn't sure about the cream color ones, but that was what she wanted, for some contrast.   

I am working on my older grandaughter's afghan now, so that is taking up most of my time.  She loved the pillow, so I feel confident she will love the afghan.  

As far as kitties are concerned, we tried to find some, but it is not "kitty season", we were told when we called the humane society.  So we will wait awhile and look in a month or two.   We were disappointed, as for me, because when I decide to do something, I want to do it NOW.  I guess this will teach me patience, which you would think I would have learned by age 69.  But no.  

Well, that's about all I am up to right now.  Still working on the weight loss, and organization skills, 

and will update on those another time.    

So I will talk to you all ..............     Later..........JO

Here Kitty Kitty!

Hello all!  

I've been working on several projects, and finished the little hearts for my daughter's tree, which she decided to keep up year round so that it brightens up her apartment.  So I will be busy making the appropriate crocheted decorations for it for each season/holiday.  So the hearts went out to her;  two of each, white, light pink, rose pink, bright pink, and four red.  That should do it for Valentine's day and a little while after, then I will make her shamrocks!   I made the hearts from Sarahndipities site, crochet heart garland, except I made them singly, with a loop to hang them on the tree.

In case I haven't mentioned it before, my daughter lives alone, and hasn't had a Christmas tree for several years, so this year I forced one on her, and she is tickled with it.  It's only a three foot lighted tree, so it doesn't take up much room in her tiny apartment.  So it is this that we are decorating for her.

Anyway, aside from my obsession with all that is crochet (or knit), I have been thinking for awhile that I miss having a cat, so we are going to get a kitty, or maybe two.  I have had several cats over the years, and I enjoy the company of an animal.  When we lived on the farm, we had one cat, and two dogs.  The dogs were given to us, as we had 117 acres in Vermont, so they said "oh, the farm is the perfect place for our dog, as we don't have enough room for him, or her".  "Please, please", they said, so we took them.  One was Boots, a black and white Springer Spaniel, and other was Georgie Girl, an Airedale.  We had to give them to another farmer when we left Vermont, and I don't want the work of a dog now, so it will be a cat!

I'm excited!  So is our grandson, as he always loved having a cat.  The last one we got was when he was very small, and he is 22 now.  When he lived with his dad for a couple of years, they had THREE. kittens!  I am not even sure about having two!  What do you think?  This process is going to take some time, I imagine, as we have to find them first.  Maybe if we get two, one will be a little older, and we can adopt one from the humane society or SPCA.  So many older animals don't get adopted, cause everyone wants a kitten.  So we'll see.

So maybe I will have some photos in a week or two, so I will see you .....Later.......JO