Old Fashioned Method of Going Green

Forget about the dryer! What an energy sucker! Noisy! And it shrinks cotton shirts! Bad Dryer!


Hang those clothes to dry! Even in the winter, back east, my basement had clothes lines, and clothes hanging everywhere. Sometimes I just hang wet clothes on a hanger, and they go on the shower curtain rod. If the weather is inclement. Which is rare out here in the southwest.

(Growing up, my Mom refused to have a dryer. She hated them! )


But this is still the best - hang 'em outside! Let the sun and wind do their natural job!

the littlest one

The littlest one in the house wasn't feeling so well last night. What was wrong?? She couldn't rest - she would lie down and then a few minutes later jump up and run to another spot. She shivered a lot. That indicates pain.

She also licked her lips a lot. That means her tummy doesn't feel good.

She looked for grass to eat outside. We live in the desert - not a lot of grass around here.

Her tummy felt tight.

Her nose was cold and wet.

I called puppy urgent care.

We debated.

We waited and watched.



She seemed to get better.



Poor Puppy!!!

Amazing new jewelry design

Created from natural Cholla - a cactus that grows in the wild of the Sonoran Desert - is this magnificent piece of jewelry.

You sure don't want to touch Cholla when it is alive, but when it dies, the wood is filled with natural nooks and crannies. No more thorns, just beautiful natural wood.

My husband, Eric, has gotten creative. He used natural turquoise and filled some of those crannies. The result is a wonderful treasure - one of a kind - never to be exactly repeated again. As, even if he decides to make more, each piece of Cholla is unique. Each chunk of turquoise is different.

This piece of jewelry carries some of the desert with it - you can faintly hear traces of Native Americans who walked where we live.

Available at Buster and boo.

Educational Toys

I did not home school my kids, but I SO believe in the incredible value of educational toys - even, or especially! if your kids go to a traditional school.

One of my oldest son's favorite toys was a wooden alphabet puzzle - like this one:

Alphabet puzzle available at Wood That's Fun.

It taught him the alphabet! Colors! Manual dexterity! I made sure none of the letters got lost. I was kind of fanatical about it.....

Beneath the Rowan Tree has another take on alphabet games, with these coins -

The Enchanted Cupboard has another game - sorting and stacking bowls:

The acorns can be found at FairyFolk's shop.

It's been on my mind for a long time to create a memory game - Voila!

Available at Woolies!

Give your child something fun, that they will treasure forever! (Well, maybe not forever, they do turn into teenagers....)

:)

Together we Thrive, Tucson and America, The Memorial

6 lives. From age 79 to 9, gone. Our country mourns this tragedy.

Barack and Michelle Obama came to Tucson yesterday, to mourn with us. 14,000 filled the McKale Center at the University of Arizona for a memorial service. It was broadcast live on local TV here in Tucson. We were riveted.

My son was actually there. At 18 years old, this was an opportunity to witness a once in a lifetime event. To see his President. To hear words spoken that will be broadcast many times. To mourn with his city, his friends, his country.

He took his place in line at 1am. The doors opened at 4pm. When he got home at 10pm last night, he'd been up for 40 hours. Yes, I'm making him go to school today, no matter how tired.

I can't wait to hear more about it.

While he was in line, he was interviewed. He was on live TV (NBC) yesterday morning at 6AM, and quoted in the Arizona Daily Star. He is eloquent, and beautiful.

I am so very proud of him. How can I protect him from crazed shooters? I have to let him go out in this world, and it terrifies me.

Photo credit KVOA.com

Too Close to Home

We've all know the horrific stories of mass shootings. Columbine - Virginia Tech - someone goes crazy and buys a gun and plots how he is going to kill everyone. I think we can all agree that these people are seriously disturbed.

We live in Tucson Arizona, not far from the Safeway at Oracle and Ina. Where there was a mass shooting on Saturday. 20 people shot.

My son used to work at the Cold Stone Creamery in that shopping center.

And when it happens 10 minutes from your home. Your safe haven doesn't feel so safe anymore. Is it safe to go to the grocery store???

I have not met Gabrielle Giffords, my congresswoman. But I voted for her. I really like her - her positions on most issues, how she speaks, how she seems to approach obstacles. I really like that she does "Congress on the Corner" - and just wants to get out to meet with her constituents. Face to Face. Shake hands. Hi, what's going on with you? I like that. The police didn't even know she was going to be there this past Saturday. No secret service. No guards.

And, someone was able to buy a semi-automatic weapon and mow down 20 people, before some heroes tackled him.

My first instinct - we need to change the gun laws.

My second instinct - I'm not sure that I'm in a hurry to go anywhere in public - where there are crowds - people. Is it safe?

I was at the doctor's yesterday; the nurse told me her granddaughter was friends with the nine year old child who was shot and killed. My husband got hay at the feed store on Saturday, the guy there is buddies with the brother of the shooter.

Too close to home.

I'm saying prayers for all those killed and injured. And I pray that Gabrielle Giffords somehow pulls through unscathed, and changes some laws.

Winter in Tucson

Frost.

Belle wanted to sniff the camera. Hey, if anybody wants to come ride, let me know! My horses need some exercise!!
Their water trough had ice over the top, they hadn't broken through yet this morning. :)

New Work

My blog has been quiet cause I've been so busy! I wanted to share a few of the things I've been working on:

These guys are a few of the Woolies that are on their way to The Baby Gardner.

Just a sampling! Lots more, and LOTS more ideas for my SHOP. :)

Happy New Year! It Snowed!

Yep, it snowed in southern Arizona! Temps below freezing, and SNOW! It was rain at my house, but we did see some flakes, and lots of frozen water troughs. We took a drive on New Years Eve, about 11 miles north, to the town of Oracle, where the elevation is about 4000'. SNOW~! Lots of it! A foot in some areas! LOVE IT!

(not the greatest pics, taken with my son's new phone....)

Happy new year!!