Easter Weekend

Our daughter and family visited us for Easter

Our grandchildren filled the house with stories and games and laughter.  Lucy could not have been happier

morning pose

A display appeared on our pillow

sledding...

a yardstick, a ball, a boy and a dog equals a game of hockey

Grandpa playing guitar...

and making nachoes

The Easter Bunny came to our house

Finding eggs

Bracelets and another soap dish

The soap dishes are so much fun - here is a new one

and some new bracelets

Starting plants from seed

My favourite gardening years at the coast were when I had shelves of grow lights and started all my own seeds.  I had a huge garden and grew all our vegetables.  (I hadn't discovered flowers yet!)  I froze, canned and dried and it was all very satisfying. 
Subsequent moves downgraded my gardening experience until at the end, my garden was on a small balcony on the twelfth floor of a highrise.  Still, I had many pots of flowers (at this point, vegetables were a thing of the past).  My containers lined the balcony, on shelves, perched on the railing and hanging.  My theme had become flowers and leaves that could be pressed. My grow lights were packed away and I prowled the garden centres for bedding plants.
Now, we have left the coast and I am adjusting to a different climate.  My compost takes a lot longer to decompose, and our first summer here we lost our tomatoes to frost on July 1st.  However, my old cardboard and hay method of preparing a garden worked and I am enjoying all the space.  Last year, I decided to pull out some of my grow lights and installed them under my kitchen cupboards.  This is nothing like my original set up and I am starting seeds in large pots that will go directly outside at some point.  But it allows me once again that thrill of watching seedlings push their way up through the soil -  renewing the circle of life.

Dichroic glass pendants and Soap dishes

The kiln has been humming!  Here are some beautiful pendants and unique soap dishes...

the Markets

We are feeling very spring like.  The first Farmers Market in 100 Mile House is just a few weeks away.  But - there is still snow on the ground.  Ron has been out and about on his snowshoes.  Lucy is still a bit stiff but wherever Ron wants to go, she is right there.

I have made several batches of paper over the winter.  This is the latest.  Paper is drying on boards all over the house

We always enjoy The Stained Glass Shop in Glendale, Az.   Suzanne treated Ron to some kiln molds and he has been having a lot of fun with them.  Love the sushi plates

This will be a soap dish

The dragonfly mold is very special - endless possibilities

On the Way Home

It was great to have a couple of days in Vancouver on the way home from Phoenix - but not enough for proper visits.  And apparently not enough time to pull out my camera!
I did get pictures of Louize and Liam.  Louize has adopted a chihuahua who was the victim of a puppy mill (she was the mother, bred over and over).  Sheila is very sweet and though a little nervous, she likes her new friends, Mackie and Vegas.  The latest Sheila update is that even the monster (although beautiful) cat, Ella, who lives at Louize's house is softening towards her - the other cat, Sid, who lives outside, is going along for walks with her.

Louize, with Sheila and Vegas

Liam and Mackie

We had a wonderful visit with Liisa and Roy.  Good to see them.  They are back on line now, which is great!  Although it was fun to get and receive cards.

So fun to spend time with our grandchildren.  Their Arizona cousins want us to bring them with us next time!

Pick up soccer game

walking by the lake

On Sunday morning, we visited Dave and Debbie.  Debbie made us the best brunch wrap.  I have to get her recipe!  It was good to catch up.  No pictures, though!

We had a fun afternoon with Lee and Xiao Li.  We went to Ikea, which I love - wish we had one up here!  Once again, no camera.

We also squeezed in a visit to Holly.  Amanda and her little ones came over to see us.  We got to see the soap Amanda is making, and got to bring some home.  It is wonderful!  And... no pictures.
We stayed with Erin and Reg - no pics of them either.  They were very good to us.  We had dinner in our old west end neighbourhood.  Also went to a movie!  And experienced Malaysian cuisine, which was amazing.

If you are at all squeamish, you may not want to scroll down to the next picture.  If you know us, you know how much a part of our family Lucy is.  We left her at what we thought was a wonderful dog boarding place.  We were told before we picked her up that when she was let out that morning, her eye was swollen.  The theory presented was that a piece of hay or straw had poked her eye.

But this is what she looked like...

Her eye was actually fine, but there was a nasty injury to the left of her eye, and nicks and swelling across her nose.  An appointment was made for us at a nearby vet.  The injury was so painful that the vet couldn't touch it, but he put her on antibiotics.

We realize, in retrospect, that we did not ask enough questions - or any, for that matter.  We were kind of in shock and just wanted to get her to a vet and then home.  

But something happened to Lucy - she was in an altercation of some kind that, besides the obvious injuries, affected her whole body.  She was very stiff, and only began to run again yesterday.

The good news is that the antibiotics are working, helped along by a homeopathic cream given to us by our friend, Holly.

Arizona

So good to be back in Arizona.  Ken and Brendt met us at the airport after midnight, even though Brendt had to go to school the next day.  He is as tall as I am now - what a difference a year makes!  Of course, Philip towers over me.
Suzanne and Ken's home is so welcoming.  There is always a seat at the table and a bed to sleep in.  We are fortunate to be given "Anne and Ron's room" and each year there is something personal to us hanging on the wall - this year there was a collage of pictures from their visit to our home.
We love all the grandchildren  - we have watched them grow up. 

Out with Brendt and Abigayle

Brendt and Myranda

and Philip

Myranda and Ashley cooking our breakfast

It was delicious

Callie and Ashley, and with her mom, Karen - Callie is two now

Suzanne and I at the Scottsdale Craft Show

Leslie joined us and we stayed cool in a nearby restaurant

Ron playing Philip's guitar while Ken cooks

One of the highlights of our visit was the Music Museum.  It displayed musical instruments from all over the world  - there were videos to watch the musicians and earphones to listen to the music.

The boys waiting for us

Ashley, Myranda and Philip

Suzanne and I, and Brendt

On St. Patrick's Day, Ken cooked us corn beef and cabbage.  Myranda made salmon for me.

Niki and the St. Patrick's Day spread

We love Tubac and spent a day there

I have a very respectful family - they insisted that we go to a vegan restaurant

We love Sedona

The Desert Botanical Gardens - we go every year and there is always something different

The butterfly house is amazing

Of course we all had to pose as a butterfly

Gardening in Arizona is very different than here in BC.

Brendt is starting his own garden

Ken is growing a tomato plant upside down

On our last day we had fun helping Ken do yard work

Niki reading a bedtime story to Brendt - he was a trouper and got up at 3:30 am to come to the airport  with us.

We are always sad to leave.

We will be back soon....