I just don't get it...............

As of right now we are staying in Yuma, Arizona.  Along with being a border town this area is  also  referred to as the lettuce bowl of the United States.

Please explain to me on why that on January 18, 2011 I went to the grocery store, purchase a head of lettuce for the whopping amount of $1.49.  I look on the packaging and I  see that this head of iceburg lettuce is from some podunk town in Florida.  WHAT!!!

Like I said I just don't quite understand the workings of the agriculture business.  Having said that wouldn't it be better to buy what is grown local???  Not just because I paid waaaay too much for a head of lettuce to be transported from Florida to Arizona.  I bet someone just like me in Florida is saying WTH am I buying Arizona lettuce for when they grow the exact same thing down the road.

I am a tad annoyed..........but then I'm the dope that paid $1.49 for the stupid lettuce that came all the way from Florida to my market here in Arizona.

Week 51............project..........naps

Ahh the goodness of naps

Bogey has a new playmate

Well Hi there!!  Aren't you cute.

Well not really playmates in the strictest sense but he was quite interested that we were outside with these furry creatures and he wasn't.

An explanation needed here these are wild burros that roam these desert grounds.  They have been around for a very long time, back in the gold rush days............read about them here.  Norm calls it donkeyland!!

You brought a friend









Our neighbor John getting acquainted with these  nosy burros.

 


What a sweet face..........this one was quite small.





I think Bogey just might enjoy the hummingbirds that frequent the area  a lot more than these wild burros. 

Week 52.............a project

Breakfast of freshness

A project...........starting Monday

That photo class I mentioned earlier, well  I got kicked started with an assignment in addition to the class.   There was mention of a project that has been around awhile called 52 week project, meaning a photo taken each week and shared.  There is also a 365 project however that is just a tad too ambitious for me at the moment. 

Think I can handle the 52 week project.  So you as friends and visitors keep me honest and hold me accountable.  Let's see what I can come up with................

The Gypsy Caravan has landed

We have landed in the Copper State  (AZ)  enjoying seeing friends from last year. 

Have great intentions of organization, some schooling on photo taking for me, Norm is gonna take a beading class (I can hear his friends now gasping).  But he's really good and with a little more knowledge to sharpen his skills he should be great.  He does the peyote beading which is the very small tedious weaving.  He calls what beading I have done just stringing rocks, hmmmm!!

There happens to also be a very full calendar of goings on in the Yuma area.  We will be attending the Tucson Gem show the beginning of February, stopping in  Quartzsite for their  Craft show along the way.  The Air Show in Yuma is a must towards the end of March.

One of the reason we'll be going to Tucson is to pick up our wood for the floor we will be installing in the RV.  Looking at all the goings on wonder if we'll have time  for the floor installation.

I shall take photos so.......................

No resolutions for me!!

How bout  2011 being a year of content and comfort. Actually any year should be content and comfort!!
I plan to................in no particular order

*organize my photo's

*plan on winning back my bottle of tequila

*to be more physically active

* go paperless  and plastic bagless whenever possible.

* watch the sunset every nite over the  beautiful Pacific Ocean

* buy rain boots cause I might need them where we are spending the summer

*To explore the moments in life that lead to contentment


I borrowed this idea from my friend Sandi at Whistlestop, one of her promises is to spend more time in Tuscany................Sandi I hope that happens because hearing of your adventures is wonderful!!

Wishing you a very Merry

Tree lot goings on.............

I'm sure you know by now that Mr Doodles and I manage a Christmas tree lot in Southern California.  Now having said that the weather is usually quite nice,warm days in the 50's or 60's and nice crisp cool nites.  Well the weather God's must be annoyed at someone cause the forecast is to rain for the next three or four days.

The weekend before Christmas that't just not right!!  But we have about eight really great, young burly lot boys that can do just about anything  on the lot.  But they are happiest when the place is packed with people and they are busying around load trees for the nice folks.

That just isn't happening right now, it is cold and rainy and the BOYS get bored.  When we sell a tree it is put thru a contraption that is called a netter.  It keeps the tree from getting limbs broken plus makes it eeasier to get the tree into the house.

keeping track and tabs on boys that are in their early 20's is like herding cats.  But this group we had this year is just the best. They make me look forward to next year cause they all have said they will be back next year with the exception of one.

They all have other jobs or are going to school.  We have a couple of paramedics, a  fellow that is going to be a Dr,  ones a dirt bike racer, And what makes it the best is they can lift big a$$ trees up on top of cars all by themselves.

It's a fun and festive place to work/play, the owners are terrific, our family is close by so we get to have Christmas with them............life is good..............we look forward to next year 

Miss her everyday

Happy Birthday Momma!!

One of many favorite quotes

May the light always find you on a dreary day.

When you need to be home, may you find your way.

May you always have courage to take a chance.

And never find frogs in your underpants.

Good Morning

LET THE STRESS BEGIN!!

The Christmas season is upon us and we will be very busy.  My friend Bee is an avid collector of quotes I hope she enjoys this one as much as I do.

I'll try to post a few photos of the trees in our lot.



Shhhhhhh............... they are sleeping

Next stop 41

But in the mean time the celebration for our 40th anniversary was so very special.  Sister found a cool little tratorria over in Culver City.  Brunello's was a terrific choice. 
After spending the afternoon at the Petersen Auto Museum, we met up with sweet niece and hunky nephew in law at Brunello's.

They have a pretty standard Itlian fare menu but their specials were quite special.  One of which was an artichoke potato soup.  Sister and I have a habit of trying to recreate a dish if it's something that alerts our taste buds.  Well that soup certainly was one that caught our attention.  If it sounds like something that would tempt your taste buds try this recipe.  I should have known Giada would have this in her repetoire. 

I made this soup exactly as the recipe stated and turned out just divine. Yes I said divine.   Oh wait I think she calls for two cups of chicken stock I used the whole package which is 26 ounces. It was thick and creamy just as I remembered that special nite of celebrating.

Thankful early

To be honest I'm rather thankful all the time but it seems

this year I have a lot to be thankful for.  I'm not gonna bore you to tears with my list of thankfuls, because those that read my blog know what I'm thankful for. 

But I will tell you here and now I am so very thankful for family.  If you have family hold them close because everything else is secondary.

We as a family gather early to be thankful earlier than most.  Reason being is that Doodles and Mr Doodles open up that Christmas tree lot the day after Thanksgiving.  Lots of preparation needs to be done to open the tree lot on that dreaded Black Friday.  I know I was shocked when I found out how many folks want to purchase a tree Thanksgiving weekend.  Guess it has a lot to do with tradition on when folks want to put up there tree.

I also need to put in a plug here for real trees vs fake trees, real trees are so much better for the environment as well as good for stimulating the economy so I would appreciate it if you would stimulate the economy as well as the environment.

So back to being Thankful.  We will gather our small family this Saturday to be thankful together and of course EAT!!!  We have a wicked menu planned of all the usual food items with a few newbies making an appearance.

So.................

Forty..............WTH!!!

Forty years................................ good lord seems hard to believe.  Not that we haven't enjoyed most moments of the past forty years, but it just flies by.  I swear I am hearing all the elders in our family that told us stuff and we all just laughed. 
Trust me young-uns  it's right around the corner.

Trust me Mr Doodles is dern lucky after this incident a few years ago.  I thought I had written a blog about us getting hitched and why Tombstone guess not.  I'll save it for fifty maybe.  The other day Mr Doodles  heard about a couple celebrating  their eighty years of marriage (holy crap) he says "hey we're half way there".  Gotta love a guy with a vision.

Look at that picture, I had hair,  Mr Doodles had dorky glasses and a pocket protector.  We had just gotten married by this wacky Judge Sharpe who had just gotten out of the hospital wearing a neck collar.  Here we both are  with our witness  standing in Judge Sharpe's  antique office, I mean some gorgeous antiques.  And the view out of his second floor office window was over looking the Lavendar Open Pit Copper Mine just outside of Tombstone, Arizona, home of our favorite movie Tombstone.

Thanks Mr Doodles......................it's been a hell of a ride!!  .

If Bogey ever requested a playmate this little guy would be perfect. Is that the sweetest face!!
Maybe I'll just get Bogey a hat next year.

Here's the trick

When your born start out your life eating really healthy, then when you get older your arteries won't be clogged and you can enjoy that fried chicken, biscuits, gravy, pecan pie, etc.


But now here we are with sodium, fats and sugar are evil,  lurking everywhere. Oh don't even get me started on the calorie counting.   Keeping us healthy has always been at the top of the list.  Retirement is easy it's the rules of life that make it difficult. It isn't that one does not want to change their eating habits, it's hard to change your taste buds.  


Grilled  chicken and salads are fine but to a point.  But we all know that moderation is the key.  I will accept all recipes emailed to me as long as there is NO kale, green tea or spinach smoothies.


So here we are at this stage in our life about to celebrate our 40th anniversary and my dear Mr Doodles has been recently diagnosed with plaque.  Nope not your easy to remove dental plaque, oh no he got some sticky arterial plaque diagnosed by a cardiologist.


So now the next step is the roto rooter dude, aka cardiologist is going to remove that plaque.  Should be an easy procedure "they say". 


Here's a question if your heart and most of your arteries are positioned around your upper left hand side of your body/chest, why would the cardiologist go in thru your groin waaaaaaay down there.  Couldn't they train dentists to do  angio whatevers and go in thru your mouth, it's a lot closer.  It's just the way my mind works folks.

As always

Greetings.............from my favorite Witch!!

My last Halloween best wishes...............isn't this just the greatest!!

Happy Halloween

Here's hoping

that President Obama didn't lose the UCLA vote.........  read about it here

Bogey

Nope I don't have one of those beautiful Cossack hats with a long black tail that is our crazy cat  Bogey.  Bogey usually jumps  up on the top shelf of the closet mid morning  and retires for several hours.  I thought it would be because he was cold but oh no he was up there during the hottest temps the last few days.  Like I said  Bogey is a bit loony!!

Weather update

The weather has cooled and the A/C has been shut off. 

My prayers have been answered cause no one wants to get ready to Halloween in 90 degree weather.

My dear, sweet Sister has offered to sacrifice a chicken for me.........God love her!!

A complaint

I am sick, sick I say of HOT weather!!!  If I wanted hot weather I would go see our friends in Texas and visit friends or go see step-momma who lives in the desert.

Having said all that Mr Doodles loves it hot, the hotter the better.  Guess Bogey does too cause he sleeps in the closet all day and it's danged hot in there.

My motto I can always warm up but sure is hard to cool down when it's...............

96

The good news is it's expected to cool down for the weekend cause FYI the pumpkins don't like it hot either.

Greetings from Sunny Southern California.......update

Oh I forgot.................greeting from freakin hotter than the hinges of hell Southern California. Holy crap I long for the cool windy days and brisk nites of Colorado.

In spite of the hotter than holy hell weather we are having fun doing what ever it is we do. 

By the way Bogey is pretty angry we made him bring his fur coat with us cause it certainly isn't necessary here!!Temp today 109 degrees.......................yep 109!!


Todays update ...........temps have cooled drastically, plus there is moisture in the air.  Supposed to change to a bit warmer but praying to the weather Gods it stays out of the three digits.  Bogey still has that fur coat ya know.

One more update..............http://frenchbenefits.blogspot.com/2010/09/there-is-disturbance-in-force.html