Thursday, February 17, 2022

Apricity West 2

February 11, 2022, Friday
Pedicure - nail polish color is CND’s Drama Queen. 
Stopped at the Elks - nothing exciting there. 80 degrees today.
 
February 12, Saturday
Hair appointment, laundry, line dance lesson (Terri learned her first dance), dinner at T&J Resort…


February 13, 2022, Sunday
63rd Annual Tubac Art Festival
WOW! Gorgeous day reaching 80 degrees and pictures will be the essence of this day’s post...
 
On our way there, we stopped at the Tubac Country Club for lunch at the Stables Restaurant. A lovely spot - Jim took Terri there for a get away for her 60th birthday! 

It used to be a ranch - Est. 1739
 

Original tower


Mission Chapel


Water hazard

On to the Art Festival…



Gorgeous tile fire pits with iced Lazy Susan centers as well.


The aroma of these dried fruits and bay leaves was heavenly.


Fancy metal work.


Fascinating Horsehair pottery.


Wood turning with precision.


Divine forms.




Lena the Javelina


Check out the authentic saddlebag, boots/spurs, gun/holster, rope!


8 legged shuttle service…


I left with a beautiful pair of bicolor gem earrings which change from brilliant purple to lush green sparkles. Also a Large bag of caramel popcorn - my day is complete. 


Just drove by this…

On the way home, I learned something new. As we drove through Green Valley I asked about ash colored hills in the distance thinking they were snow. Not. They are Copper Tailings...

  • Copper tailings are a finely ground waste after copper mineral has been extracted from the ores during beneficiation (the process where ore is reduced in size and gauge separated from the ore).
  • In this community they tried to plant flora to control the ash which blows with the wind. 
February 14, 2022, Monday
Happy Valentines Day!
We finally met our neighbors on both sides of us, just as they are pulling up stakes. They are brothers with their families from Las Cruces and are here working the Gem Show (and have been for 31 years) which ended yesterday. We commented on how much labor was involved and as they are getting older, they have started to cut back on the larger items, going smaller and lighter now - silver jewelry.
 
Mark and Regina Linsalata drove here from Oro Valley to visit. Nice people - great senses of humor. They bought a home and sold their travel trailer last June - it isn’t easy to leave the RV minimalist life and suddenly be responsible for the house, yard work, and all that goes with it. Thanks for the Valentine chocolates - a nice treat! 
 
February 15, 2022, Tuesday 
Can’t believe that my oldest grandchild, Leanna Robin Driscoll, becomes a teenager today and has High Honors in 7th grade! 


I did a Treasure Box for her (based on her interests) and she loved it. We had a nice conversation on FaceTime.


After my nice brisk walk while listening to my new book, we went to our first of 20 Breweries in Tucson, Harbottle. Since I don’t drink beer, I had root beer today and since they don’t have a kitchen yet, we ordered from Chop Stix next door and they delivered our lunch - pot stickers and shrimp tempura appetizers. It was a very friendly bar with good folks and conversation.


February 16, 2022, Wednesday 
A chilly, rainy day in the desert! So a trip to Firehouse Brewery for lunch. We enjoyed a tray of loaded Nachos  - lunch is becoming our big meal of the day!


February 17, 2022, Thursday 
Today’s brewery for lunch was Borderland Brewery in the barrio. This place is amazing - rustic, eclectic, historic, artistic, and good brew too! I had my first beer since I got sick on it in high school. It was called a cider - Mango Foxtrot - which contains more wine than beer. Very nice! Rich’s beer was coffee/French Vanilla.
 


The menu is various flavors of tacos - shrimp, carne asada, buffalo chicken, veggie, and a blend of pork and beef. We ordered the Flight which is one of each of the meat flavors. Delicious!
  


This brick building is 100 years old and sits next to the railroad track. The basement is where they stored produce; the other side of the building is a children’s performing arts studio with the meat storage beneath - hooks and cold storage. I would like to believe that the building before this one was wooden and built 200 years ago. This takes me back to the storyline of the book, These Is My Words, by Nancy E. Turner, which I just finished. Sarah, heroine and author of the diary beginning in 1881, talks about going to the Depot to pick up packages of perfume and other ingredients for her handmade soap which she sold for extra money. She didn’t want to pick it up in town to avoid gossip. 
 
As you look around the building, you notice art of some kind on every wall, which are all for sale. Artist, Richard Jones, has a series of 12 Rotary Hoes hung along the loft:

Notice the washroom sink outside the restrooms!

Rotary Hoes are large implements built for use on farms to do a variety of jobs such as tilling the soil, mulching and weeding. They were originally pulled behind horses and mules and later behind tractors in "gangs" that consisted of as few as 12 to 80 or more individual wheels. Over the years there have been many different manufacturers each creating a wide array of forms and designs depending on their use and function. Most of the manufacturers that made these wheels are no longer in business, due to either being bought out by larger companies or to the lack of demand due to "changes" in farming. New farming techniques/methods are making Rotary Hoes "obsolete" and many are being sold as scrap metal and not replaced. I am attempting to save some of these "wheels" as "art" and as a way to "honor" what they have done for us in helping American Farmers feed us and the world.
 
We will return with T&J soon. 

Homeopathic allergy meds seem to be working - praise God! 🙏
 

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Apricity West 2

February 5, 2022, Saturday
Trying out an air purifier in hopes it will clean the air of all that haunts me.


Met up with Terri and Jim at their house and headed out for an early lunch at Transplant. They "transplanted" to Tucson from Detroit.





A very thick, yet light and fluffy crust for pizza and roast beef and horseradish sandwich. Delicious! In line with the Detroit auto industry, they serve food on trays that look like drip pans.

On to the Gem Show which pops up all over the city and outskirts. There are dozens of tents along both sides of Interstate 10. 





Here at the Sports Arena shares a huge footprint with tents and outdoor booths - wares include gems, leather works, woven attire, animal pelts, furniture, musical instruments, rocks large and small. 



What we saw was a microcosm of the numerous popups around the city. The amount of labor that goes in to setting up the booths and their contents blows the mind. 


Sat in the “thrones" overlooking our “court” in the lovely backyard for cocktails - so relaxing...
 
It was a sniffle free day… got home to find that Lily had burrowed under the bedding on my side of the bed. 
 
February 6, 2022, Sunday 
Woke up sneezing and took a new, full box of tissues for the day and had a grocery bag to dispose of the used ones. Terri gave me some homeopathic tablets to try starting tomorrow. Fingers crossed. 🤞
 

Another early lunch, this time in downtown LaCo/Tall Boys, which was mobbed and had a 25 minute wait to get in, so we stood in line at the bar with one bartender. It gave us time to take in the eclectic surroundings and figure out what we wanted from the very diverse menu. When we ordered the waitperson told us the kitchen was behind about 40 minutes, so we ordered the salsa and chips to hold us over.  The food came early and was worth the wait and the guitar soloist was very talented. 

Then we walked across the way to the January 8th Memorial - 
On Saturday morning, Jan. 8, 2011, at 10:10 a.m., a young man shot nineteen people who were gathered at the Safeway store on the corner of Ina and Oracle in northwest Tucson to talk with their congresswoman, Gabby Giffords, about varied issues and concerns.
 
In the days that followed, the community came together to provide comfort and support to one another at spontaneous memorial tribute sites… These community-created tribute memorial sites were spontaneous and organic, a place for people to gather together in shared grief and hope. The beautiful and diverse materials placed at the three spontaneous tribute sites around Tucson in the wake of the shootings of January 8th form an amazing collection of the community's heartfelt response to this tragedy…
 
While the tribute memorials could not remain indefinitely in the locations where they grew up, the need to preserve these touching items for future generations was clear. In early February 2011, the tribute materials at University Medical Center, Safeway and Congresswoman Giffords' office were carefully gathered, dried and given basic preservation treatments…






Reflection Pool
 

Went back to the house and gave Terri a quick ukulele lesson and left the smaller instrument with her so she can dabble over the week. She is interested, but has beautiful long fingernails which will surely get in the way. Not sure she wants to make the sacrifice! My friend Marcia Eveland lived in Hawaii for years and has given me this information:
Ukulele is pronounced:   oo koo lay lay
It means: dancing flea for the speed of the flying fingers.  Uku means: head lice when you have a kid who is in Hawaiian preschools. 
 
February 7, 2022, Monday
Made calls to Allergists in the area - no one is taking new patients until March 1st. Existing patients have to do TeleHealth visits until then due to surge in Covid cases. Took the homeopathic medicine as directed throughout the day and the symptoms are subsiding. 
 
Other than that, the day started out very positive - apple fritter breakfast, working on art, strumming, lounging around with no worries. Then we went out for the afternoon errands and not much went right! 
  • Trying to find eyeglass frames that fit my lenses since they have been glued and re-glued for several days now - Vision Works can’t help unless you bought frames there. Walmart (where I bought them years ago in Pittsfield) doesn’t have records before 2018. The clerk popped out the lens to find a match, but no luck. Then she gave me 2 business cards of shops who repair frames. Found one but the craftsman wasn’t there and I would have to leave my glasses until tomorrow. NOT!
  • Got a call from Shear Force (hair salon) that my pedicure person was out for the week due to Covid exposure. The only other appointment this week is Friday. We had just made plans to meet up with friends on Friday. Will have to reschedule with them - thankfully, they are flexible and understanding. I haven’t had a pedi since October! I know…
  • Next to USPS to mail 2 small packages for grandkids back home. The clerk was very courteous, helpful and efficient, but I couldn’t believe it cost $21 to mail them. 
  • Drove to the Elks for a nice cold drink - they were closed!
So we went back to the RV park and poured our own...
 
February 8, 2022, Tuesday
Toured around the area in search of a better (more activities, not just free donuts) RV park for less. Ha! Checked 3 out and they are all lovely, but twice as much or more than Crazy Horse. For activities, we will have to get back in the saddle of our bikes and do some walking as well…                                                                                                 
 
💔 RIP dear friend, Barbara Puleri - has it been 7 years?
 
February 9, 2022, Wednesday  
Well, today was an expensive one and all before noon. Called another Glass Frame Fixer and knew he was the one when he said, “I can fix anything except your car and your marriage!” And he did, for a mere $85 - well worth it. He suggested we go to the Blue Willow nearby while we wait an hour or so. What a unique spot! It was 11am and there was only one parking spot left - a good sign. You walk through a gift shop to get to the restaurant which was serving breakfast and lunch. It was a toss up, but I got the Mac ’n Cheese and Rich got the Meatloaf. 




Both were delicious and I took 1/2 of mine home so I could leave room for dessert - Peaches ’n Cream Pie.




Since you pay for meal ($80) at the Gift Shop, I poked around and found a wall of pocketbooks - I have been on the look out for one lately. 


Voila - for another $50, I do not have to look anymore. 


Staying home for the rest of this gorgeous, sunny 73 degree day...
 
February 10, 2022, Thursday 
We are starting my new walking routine before our joints lock up from lack of motion. Rich walked for a while, and I continued. 

Walking while listening to a great book, These Is My Words, by Nancy Turner. How appropriate as it is about a diary of a young girl at 17 years old during her wagon train journey from Prescott, AZ to San Angelo, TX and back to Tucson, AZ. The story is based on the life of the author’s great grandmother, Sarah Prine, as told in a memoir by her older brother. With much research and imagination, Nancy portrayed it as a moving love story after many trials and tribulations earlier in her life. Times were hard for all in the late 1800’s and Sarah did the work of two men most of her life, and birthing and raising her 9 children while her husband, Army Captain Jack Elliott, was off chasing Geronimo until his surrender. Their love was strong. I plan to go to the small museum of Fort Lowell here in Tucson to bring the story to life for me. 
 
The week has been very good regarding the allergies!!

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Apricity West 2

January 28, 2022, Friday

Had a delicious steak at the Elks; then went to the Wickenburg Country Club to hear Danny play then share a piece of Chocolate Mousse cake.
 

Sunset at Wickenburg Country Club
 
January 29, 2022, Saturday 
Back to the Elks to drop off some of Rich's cards as promised.
 
Then to the Art Club to drop off Rich's wood burned piece. Today his art in the category of Pen and Ink was juried and he “passed” which means that he can display his works in the main showroom of the Wickenburg Art Club, as well as other shows in town like Gold Rush Days. Quite an honor...


Our last dinner at Nichols West tonight. 

Zucchini Fries


These are not ours, but looked cool on the bar…
 
January 30, 2022, Sunday
Took our last bike ride at North Ranch today. Loaded the bikes on the back of the rig.

Here are the rocks I painted for teacher appreciation...

Theresa - line dance volunteer teacher for Beginners 


Christine - line dance volunteer teacher for Intermediates


Joanne - ukulele compadre 

Winding down at the end of the day…




January 31, 2022, Monday
A lot of lasts today… my last line dance class - I did all of the dances in Beginner and Intermediate (new ones) and tried to really dance today, rather than just walk through the steps. I have access to the step sheets in case anyone wants to have a go at it. Also had my last ukulele session with Joanne at her house. She walks me home after and today we stopped in at pickleball court for a while. I may give it a try next year if I am still able… 


Rich had his last guitar lesson with Gary and has made great progress.
 
We had our last lunch at the Elks - Gentle Ben was there sprawled across the floor. Can’t believe he is only 9 months old!


It is bittersweet to leave North Ranch - we have had so much fun, experienced new things/places, and learned so much from awesome people. Looking forward to Terri and Jim in Tucson...
 
February 1, 2022, Tuesday
Buttoned everything up for the trip today and were on the road by 9:30am. The folks who left North Ranch about a month ago (Lu and Roger) texted to suggest we meet in Casa Grande for lunch - great idea! So we met them at the Olive Garden for great food and conversation. Arrived at Crazy Horse, Tucson at 3pm and got settled. 
 

Daughter Nora, had her second knee replacement and is doing great! Will stay in hospital an extra night to be sure pain meds are adjusted properly. She’s a trooper...
 
February 2, 2022,Wednesday
Rainy, chilly day - good for doing bookwork, working on art, doing laundry, etc. The temp is dropping to 29 degrees tonight so precautions are being made by all. I know it doesn’t compare to what’s going on back East but it’s still a lot to deal with here🤪

Somehow I broke a stem off of my glasses - thank goodness for SuperGlue. 
 
February 3, 2022, Thursday
A cold start today but after creating some new Southwest cards, Rich went outside to assemble his new grill. The other one wasn’t working to his satisfaction - sooooo. 


Guess where we are!

The management gives visitors the first round free! This place is huge compared to Wickenburg. Just volunteer food service so no Friday night fish fry here. They do have longest non-motorized parade - February 24th…

Pool room 





This was a great fundraiser for a new roof - people donated $100 for each tile. A yellow star means the person is deceased…

Crazy Horse Thursday night special - pizza. Yum! But we weren’t necessarily full!


Free donuts  - Friday and Monday mornings! Our favorite is  Apple Fritters… Oy!



New England 7

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