Just Peachy

Decided to join in Nancy's Random Five but I am going to have to dig deep to come up with anything worth mentioning.

One, Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.  I hope you spend some part of your day with someone you love.

Two, the kids went to the beauty shop yesterday and got all prettied up.  And Cinder even has a new sweater.  The red one was getting a little ragged since she has practically worn it non-stop since I bought it before Christmas, due to our less than spectacular winter.

Three, I love taking pictures of animals.  I took this image while in Arizona at a small sheep farm right in the middle of the suburbs.  They move the sheep around, so one day you see them close to the road, the next day they are gone.  This day they happened to be in a fenced off area in a field with tall grass, a banquet for the sheep after they had obviously been stripped clean of all their wool.

Four, I have a thing for doors and windows too.  Especially those found in Tucson.  Here are a few more you haven't seen.

Five, I am not going to mention how the walls are closing in, how my back bumper was hit by an unknown assailant and to fix it, I need to pay for it out of pocket due to my insurance being so high right now (caused by an accident, my fault, 2 years ago that cost $13,000 to fix my car, and I have no idea what it cost to fix the one I hit, thus the high insurance), or that our book club this month is reading The Snow Child that has a setting in Alaska in the wintertime which is I am thinking we should have chosen a different book for February, or that I am gathering all my tax info.  Other than that, things are just peachy.

"True salvation is freedom from negativity."   ~ Eckhart Tolle

PS - I need to work on that....!!!

Until next time.....

A Few More

A few more shots from the Desert Botanical Garden...no words, just pics!!  Went to the zoo yesterday, today the Butterfly Garden, tomorrow the doors of Tucson.  Be still my heart!!

More to come....

Until next time.....

Chihuly In The Desert

After the initial happy dance, hugs, and hellos....we not only enjoyed our special time together but we were in for a special eye popping, photography op display of Dale Chihuly's magnificent glass creations.  Just a wee bit of info on Chihuly, born in Tacoma, Washington in 1941 (you would think with a name like that he would have been born in some exotic place), graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, (I mention this because I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, TX, only 2,115 miles apart and that is definitely the only thing we have in common).  He became an artist in glass blowing and between losing his eyesight in one eye in a horrific car crash in England in 1976 followed by a body surfing accident in 1979 which dislocated his shoulder he could no longer perform the art of glass blowing. It was at this time he became more of the choreographer & director of his pieces, many of which are on display around the world.  He has a very unique style and once you have seen a Chihuly you can immediately recognize his pieces for their originality, their beauty and their amazing colors.  

But first a few other beauties....Barb H, Terri P, me and Barb B,  

I was fascinated with his ability to incorporate his glass pieces into the Desert Botanical Garden, enhancing both the beauty of his pieces as well as the beauty of the desert plant life. 

What a terrific day we had together, with two more outings planned before I return home on Friday.  It is still snowy and cold in Chicago, cool here in Phoenix but definitely an improvement.

“It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?” 
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Until next time....

Uneventful

I packed yesterday,  I set my alarm to get up early this morning, I waited for the limo driver to pick me up at 6:15 AM, I arrived at the airport, I checked my bags, I walked to the gate and held my breath.  And just about an hour before our scheduled take-off time our plane taxied up to the loading dock or whatever they call those things that you walk thru to board your flight and only then did I breathe a sigh of relief.  The plane took off without a hitch, on time, and uneventful.  (ie: uneventful means it was a perfect flight with no problems).

I went from this at -9 degrees this morning.....

to this -- about 75 degrees in just under 3 hours and 50 minutes....(the fella sitting behind me was using the flight tracker on his smart phone and said that was Roosevelt Damn just below the airplane wing.

I sat on the patio and spotted this....

 and this

and this....the Cactus Wren, the state bird of Arizona so I must be here after all.

Man am I glad to get out of that wretched winter we have been experiencing and soak up some sunshine, 10 glorious days.....thank you God.

"Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope-  a slight change, and all patterns alter." ~ Sharon Salzberg

Until next time.....