My genius friend MacGyver created a font for me out of my very own handwriting!
It's SO awesome. This is what the font looks like in all uppercase letters. I almost always print in all caps so this is what my handwriting looks like whenever I write.
And this is the font showing the use of upper and lowercase letters:
I knew it. Now if I could only convince my mother. 10 word smart people always use. Vitamin D can strengthen your heart. Interesting. Tired of peanut butter? That was a stupid question, who gets tired of peanut butter? But if you are, try out it's close friend, almond butter. Cats of all kinds are amazing. I first heard about Dr. Lustig several years ago from my friend Marlaina. She's on top of the no-sugar thing. I'm still having a hard time grasping it. And on that note, here's a recipe for a cookie that although I haven't made yet, I know would be dangerous to have in my possession. A lemon cookie that dissolves on my tongue? Give it to me. We ate at Versailles, took pictures in Little Havana, but didn't explore nearly enough. Check out Cuba in Miami.
This is the top of US-70 - a little rest area location at the crest of the Organ Mountains which are part of the San Andres Mountain Range - between Las Cruces and White Sands, New Mexico. About 100 miles from this location is the area where the first detonation of a nuclear weapon took place. It was July 16, 1945 and the detonation was conducted by the United States Army as part of the Manhattan Project. Its code name was Trinity. It marked the beginning of the nuclear age. From the top of the hill you can see the White Sands Missile Range facility in the distance.
Last week we passed The Holy Land experience in Orlando, Florida. Pictured is the Church of All Nations auditorium.
It's a non-denominational Christian theme park and church owned by the Trinity Broadcasting Network. Among their many exhibits, they have a Jerusalem Street Market, a Last Supper Communion where guests can partake of the last supper with Jesus and the disciples, a Prayer Garden, and a replica of a boat found in the Sea of Galilee, called The Jesus Boat. They even have a re-enactment of the crucifixion! Boy, that sounds like a lot of fun.
This photo taken as we were driving by because I couldn't imagine ever stepping foot into this sacrilegious monstrosity.
Today Ed and I started a regular haul, what people in the industry call a "dedicated run". We'll be running back and forth over four western states, seeing a whole lot of nothing - open spaces, mountains, tumbleweeds, dirt - but we'll only be working three days a week, and be home the other four. So there's that.
Because I'll have to compensate for the lack of "travel" in the "trucking meets travel" part of the blog, there will be a few changes in the subject matter. There will still be photos, maybe recipes, favorite links, and some other stuff. This run is a temporary gig so I'll be doing what I can until we get back to traversing the entire country. We'll also be doing work on the house and yard and touring Tucson while we're home so maybe I'll write about that, too. I'll do my best to keep it interesting and daily.
So keep coming back to see what's happening in our neck of the woods.
"A man doesn't plant a tree for himself. He plants it for posterity." ~ Alexander Smith, Scottish Poet
Yesterday we went tree shopping and took our friends with us. The tree above is called a Fan Tex Ash. We love this one and eventually plan on getting a few for our property.
It's lush, looks like a real tree (as opposed to what passes for trees here in Southern Arizona), and provides beautiful shade.
We didn't get the Fan Tex Ash on this visit, but we didn't leave empty handed. We bought ten Australian Bottle Trees. They also provide good shade, have an attractive upright shape, and they're evergreen so they'll keep their leaves all year.
I didn't get a good picture of the bottle trees while we were at the nursery, but you can see a picture of them here.
The following is is a saying that's been attributed to many sources: "The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now."
Our now will start when our trees are delivered this week. We can't wait!
Since the cat is so good at napping, she accompanied my mother in the land of slumber the afternoon of her procedure just to make sure she was doing it right. They were two peas in a snoring pod.
My mother is going in for a heart procedure today. It's April Fool's Day. Let's hope they don't pull any practical jokes!
OK, seriously. The doctor is great - my mother has been going to him for years and loves him - and my best friend works at the hospital, knows him personally, and vouches for his reputation.
The WOWs have a prayer thing going, Ed and I are escorting her to the hospital so she has someone there when she gets out (we're bringing our Scrabble game because you know how horrid waiting areas are), and my brother is on standby. And if this balloon-with-helium thing actually makes her weigh less, I'm totally scheduling an angioplasty for next week.
This song was included in the Scandal soundtrack of tonight's show. It was released in 1966, a year before I was born and I remember hearing it often as a kid, maybe when I was 7 or 8 years old. Great flashback memory. It was written by Bobby Hebb and after all these years, I still remember most of the words.
SUNNY
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain.
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain.
The dark days are gone, and the bright days are here,
My Sunny one shines so sincere.
Sunny one so true, I love you.
Sunny, thank you for the sunshine bouquet.
Sunny, thank you for the love you brought my way.
You gave to me your all and all.
Now I feel ten feet tall.
Sunny one so true, I love you.
Sunny, thank you for the truth you let me see.
Sunny, thank you for the facts from A to C.
My life was torn like a windblown sand,
And the rock was formed when you held my hand.
Sunny one so true, I love you.
Sunny
Sunny, thank you for the smile upon your face.
Sunny, thank you for the gleam that shows its grace.
You're my spark of nature's fire,
You're my sweet complete desire.
Sunny one so true, I love you.
Sunny, yesterday my life was filled with rain.
Sunny, you smiled at me and really eased the pain.
The dark days are gone, and the bright days are here,
The desert is truly in bloom. Usually we're not here this time of year so we rarely get to see all of the color.
This is an Ocotillo plant. It looks beautiful with these bright scarlet flowers, swaying in the wind like fingers waving for you to come get a closer look.
But don't let its beauty fool you. Underneath those little green leaves that line their stems, and below those bright red tips, you will find this.
On this trip back to the house we noticed that much of the desert landscape was in bloom. The most noticeable were the Palo Verde trees. Yellow everywhere! Big, bushy, and bright!
In 1954, the State of Arizona named the Palo Verde as its State Tree.
We visited the government center in the Town of Marana, Arizona for the first time recently, looking for some planning and zoning information.
Marana was named for the Spanish word maraña ("thicket") by 19th century railroad workers who had to clear a line through the area.
Over 30 years ago, when we first moved to Tucson, there was nothing in Marana but horses and people who lived in trailers. In the seventies and eighties, a government air base was located there, and still remains. Generally, Marana was a joke, a place that no one wanted to be from or live in. That all changed in the early nineties when it became one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona. During that time housing developments were built at the speed of light, and it's still growing. Where there was once nothing, you can now find everything from a Five Guys selling burgers to an outlet mall selling high end brands. Oh, and cotton. They grow a lot of cotton in Marana. Marana is so much more now, and our experience was good. The government building was beautifully designed and the people who assisted us were the nicest government employees I've ever dealt with. We look forward to any interaction we may have with them in the future. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 2015: Live It 2014: Blizzard To The East, Clear Skies To The West 2013: The Discriminating House Hunter 2012: Oh, Sweet Cream Cheesus 2011: Pit Stop 2010: Sorry, no post for this day. 2009: A Peek Behind The Sacred Pantry Door 2008: Thistle Or Thatle 2007: Big, Rich, And Free 2006: Look, Honey! A Grist Mill. 2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!
My mother recently sent me this photo of Maezy - the cat who's "never on the counter". Despite being told repeatedly to get down, the cat decided she was going to do what she wanted, as cats are wont to do.
And what she wanted was to sit on the stove.
I might have trouble getting people to come over to eat after this picture makes the rounds.
We're sitting around in North Carolina, recuperating from whatever ungodly germ has gotten hold of us. We've both been feeling under the weather and the only way I can seem to get any sleep is when the coughing stops. Which doesn't happen often. I think I got three hours last night, and it wasn't even all at once. I'm pretty miserable.
I have no intention of leaving the truck until I feel better. We're fully stocked with food and water so we can eat, shower, and sleep undisturbed. I was planning to do laundry after we delivered our load yesterday, but since I have enough clothes to last me several weeks and I'm not planning to go anywhere, why bother?
I can't talk on the phone because I have no voice. And if I do attempt to talk, the vibration in my throat sends me into a coughing fit - not pleasant for the person on the other end. So I've been texting.
And I'd also like to tell you, home remedies are bullshit. I've done tea, tea with honey, plain spoonfuls of honey, tea with mint, saltwater gargle, Vicks on the chest, Vicks under the nose, Vicks with hot compress, Halls cherry cough drops and Halls honey cough drops (they're both just candy), Robitussin, DayQuil, fluids, etc. NONE of it works.
Today is already a little better than a few days ago, so maybe I just need a little time. Ed's voice isn't as bad as mine - he's fielding phone calls - but we're still going to hang around for a few days and get some rest.
