Hanging Out & Happy New Year!

Hi there!!

We are having a lovely time although it could be a bit warmer.  It's unseasonably cool here this year and we are getting a laugh at the locals shivering and hopping around trying to stay warm in their winter coats, if they have one.  Most of the plants are being covered at night because of the frost.  Cactus will frost on the tips and then I think the whole plant dies.  It is interesting to see the cactus with Christmas lights on them - probably a challenge to do!  The palm trees have lights all the way up the trunks too, so stunning.  The Christmas lights are wonderful and so different with no snow. Here's Mom knitting in the sun in the back yard.

Tuesday Lunch and Fashion Square Mall
We met some lovely people from Western Canada on our cruise last January and they have a place down here in Mesa.  We have kept in touch and arranged to meet them for lunch on Tuesday.  We met them at a restaurant by the Fashion Square Mall so after lunch we had a wander through.  It's a very large high end mall and people watching there is amazing.  They have valet parking and some very nice stores.  I managed to stimulate the economy a tiny bit once I found some things that didn't give me sticker shock!  New orange Fit-Flops for me!!  This one is called Biker Chic...too funny. 

Wednesday Lemons and New Years
Drizzling and cool but very nice for walking.  Craig usually walks in the mornings (and misses his four legged friends who are at home in the spaw) and I relax and enjoy my coffee.  Today Mom and I were up and dressed and the two of us went for a wander around the neighborhood streets.  It is amazing this time of year how loaded the fruit trees are.  The grapefruit are huge and ripe and the lemons are beautiful.  One house had a huge grapefruit tree and a lemon tree, both loaded with fruit, on their front yard.  Mom grabbed a lemon off the ground that had fallen off a tree and it is so perfect.  Here it is on the counter. Looking forward to trying it. 

We can't believe people let them fall off and don't pick them.  They must just get used to having them so it's not a treat for them any more.  I am going to check with the garden center and see what time of year a fruit tree can be planted.  Imagine fresh picked grapefruit for breakfast?  Or fresh lemonade? That would be pretty cool.  We have a watering system so we may be able to grow some.  You can see how much our plants have grown in two years. (The grass is fake!)
                       

We had a run through Costco in the afternoon.  You can get a meal there with all the samples they have through the food area.  So many food samples!!  Bought new electric toothbrushes since we miss ours from home when we are here.  Also a couple of grocery items but they are mostly too large for our time here.  On the way home we made a stop at our favorite grocery store "Fresh & Easy" and stocked up some more.  We relaxed and watched the last episode of "Fleming - The Man who Would be Bond" (very good, check it out on Netflix, might be USA only though) we got cleaned up and went to the casino at the Talking Stick Resort .  People watching here is amazing.  We put a couple of bucks into a couple of slot machines but no winners.  The casino is on Indian Land in Phoenix and they allow smoking.  It was like getting hit with a wall of smoke. We forget what it's like to be exposed to that.  None of us could stand the thought of trying to eat a meal in that environment so we left and stopped in at an old favorite restaurant ZTejas in Scottsdale and had a nice supper.  Or rather Craig and I did.  Mom's dinner was not to her liking but she managed some corn bread and a bit of it.  No worries, we had some wine and munchies for a movie at home.  We got in our comfies and settled in.  None of us made it to midnight so we heard the fireworks outside as we were drifting off to sleep.  Another year out, another in.  

Happy New Year from Phoenix!!  Hope you are enjoying the blog.

love, 

Lynn, Craig and Liz

Artisan Market, Gingerbread Houses & a suprise!

Christmas Day
We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.  We had a lovely quiet day and a nice dinner.  Here we are about to dig in.

Saturday
The sun is so bright and even though it is a little cool, it's perfect for exploring.  The internet is so great for finding out what is going on in the city and you just have to get out and see what is there.  After a lazy morning where Craig spent a good hour sitting in the sun in his shorts having coffee, we headed downtown Scottsdale to the waterfront.  The waterfront is really the water managment aquaduct canals and the city takes advantage of them by having lovely condo's and walking paths.  Today was an Artisan Market.  There was an interesting array of things from wood cutting boards, metal work, knit and felted items, and a huge selection of jewellery including lucite color ones that were light as a feather.  My favorite was a lady who had hand made pearl necklaces and also a lot of turquoise set in hand hammered silver and goldplate.  Too pricy for me but lovely to look at.  Here's some pics.

If you look in the water you can see glass globes and some hanging overhead.  It's a temporary art exhibit similar to the spring Water Striders.  We will have to go downtown at night and check them out.

You can see all the tents set up along the side. It was quite a large event and it's there twice a week. 

Craig spoiled me and after the market took me to a very nice knitting store.  The Scottsdale inventory was of course lighter yarns and wools, very few heavy ones like we get at home as there is probably less interest in that.  They had some lovely samples around the store and they even have a couple of couches and a coffee bar.  Very nice place to spend some time - because Craig left me there to go to a couple of motorcycle shops.  A win/win day!!

After dinner at our favorite revolving sushi bar we stopped in at the JW Marriott hotel to check out their Gingerbread Christmas display.  Last years was the largest Gingerbread display, breaking some records for size.  This year's was a lot smaller and the theme was Frozen.  We have to see that movie some time!!  Here's some pics and there are more on the link.  Note that everything is made from sugar or chocolate.  The sleigh was made entirely of chocolate and the blue ice castle was sugar.  You could smell the sugar!!

 Chocolate sleigh!!  Fondant gifts. 

We stepped outside to see about having a coffee but it was a bit too cool, even with the lovely fireplaces around the lounging area.  Here's Craig who refuses to wear anything but shorts when he's not on his motorcycle. 

It was another lovely day spent here in Phoenix.  We continue to be amazed at all the events, sights and opportunities in this beautiful state.  Mom arrives tomorrow and we have lots planned, even some low key stuff like pedicures for all!!  It's our tradition to do that early in our trip and start the relaxing.  The forecast is for cool but sunny and a bit warmer later in the week.

Special Day today!! 
And folks, wrapping up I have to let you know that today is a very special day.  It's our 30th Wedding Anniversary.  Hard to believe the time has gone so quickly.  We feel very fortunate to have a wonderful life together and to be able to enjoy so many wonderful friends.   Here's a memory most of you won't have seen.  It's Craig and I before we were married attending a motorcycle rally.  One of the games was a weiner bite.  You had to have the driver go slow enough so the passenger could get a bite of the weiner.  Enjoy!

Merry Christmas from Phoenix!

Hi from Phoenix!!

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Phoenix!  We had a great travel day yesterday considering it was Christmas eve and were pleasantly suprised how quiet it was at the airport, nothing was as nuts as we were expecting.  We had to park outside as the covered lot at Pearson was full but there were a lot of spaces at the outdoor lot.  So glad to leave the rain and damp behind!!  The temperature is cool but the sun is out so it's like lovely fall days at home. 

We were picked up at the airport and the driver said it has been quiet here for shuttles and hotels too.  We settled in fast and went out for lunch and to get some groceries in for Christmas day.  We are having BBQ chicken and stuffed mushrooms and some rice for dinner.  Ice cream for desert which is never wrong in Craig's book!!  I will have to get my turkey out for dinner since Craig is not a fan. 

There is a lot to see and do in the city this time of year so I have been going through the brochures and web sites and making plans for sight seeing some new things.  There are amazing zoo lights we have been to and the Botannical gardens have strolling musicians that would make a nice evening out.  That is high on my list to go to.   Whatever we get up to I will try and get some photos and share them with you.   Here's Zoo lights from our visit a couple of years ago.

Merry Christmas!

Lynn and Craig

Lakes, Food and Fun - Fall Wrap Up

We had a lovely day out with our friends Faye and Bob.  We enjoyed crepes and coffee at our favorite place in Cave Creek and then carried on to Bartlett Lake.  We have never seen the water this high up. 

There has been more rain in the last few months than in the last year. 

 

And here's Faye and Bob posing for the camera.   

 

Our wee car, running like a top and great on gas.   You can see how busy things were (not!) that day.  There were lots of cars and boats there but not as many as there on weekends. 

 

 

 Along with the rain comes the washout. They had started the road cleanup but there was still a lot to do in some places.

We had so much fun at the sushi place for diner one night - all those dishes going by on the conveyor it's hard to choose just a few!!  The charge is based on the color of the plate. 

 

 In our tours we also came across some interesting items. This is a neat wind object - looks easy to make. 

 These are objects made from old metal parts.

We saw our friends off to the airport and had a few days on our own at the condo.  We did the usual housework and cleaning, just like home.  Also got to enjoy some crepes again and discovered a new cafe to check out on our next visit.  It's like a grotto and includes a consignment store with some neat stuff for sale but all of it was very large.  Check out this bed frame and the cafe.

We are safely home now and adjusting to the cooler weather.  It was a great trip and we really enjoyed ourselves.  We are really looking forward to going again at Christmas. 

Cheers and thanks for reading my blog!!

Lynn