Hey Jan - This one is for you!

From left to right - sisters K&C, Just Laura, cousins Mike & Jan

My cousin Janice visits the post periodically and reports the occasional news to everyone back home in Illinois. I thought I'd honor her with a blast from the past. Jan is on the far right - another cousin Mike is next to her.

Jan came to visit (with other family as well) one summer in 1978 (the year after we relocated to AZ). I remember all of us kids sleeping in one bedroom with the scent of vinegar lofting through the air. Someone had gotten a sunburn and vinegar was applied for the its cooling effect.

I remember singing "Oleander, Oleander, Oleander, Oleander" to the theme of Hallelujah Chorus although I'm not sure how that one got started. Parents and older cousins went to Las Vegas and all of us minors =) stayed home with Grandma Mary.

Memories from the past - Jan played clarinet in high school (When The Saints Go Marching In and Bear Necessities) and had beads hanging in her room. A yellow T-Shirt with "Dangerous Curves" written on the front. 5yr age diff between the two of us?

Good times! Love you Jan!

The Heat Is On...

98 degrees today. Triple digits are not far behind.

The worst part of the past couple weeks - allergies. I have not suffered from allergies this severe since 4th or 5th grade when we first moved to Arizona. My mom reminded me I used to be her little helper in the garden - just like Ben - until we moved. From that point on I was the inside helper.

I remember going to the nurse because I had something in my eye. At first glance the nurse thought I had pink-eye since my eyes were so red. No such luck. Allergies.

Ben wanted to play outside last week so I grabbed a book and figured he could run like a wild child while I sat peacefully with my literature. My nose (& eyes) started running but I stuck it out thinking this was the worst. An itchy face is fairly normal with my allergies - mind you I'm sitting on the patio, not rolling in the grass. A new symptom has reared it's ugly head on my face - a red rash & hives on my eye lids. Yippee!

I pray for the heat only because allergies lessen when things stop growing. And things stop growing in the dry Arizona heat of summer. Woo-hoo! ???

Welcome to the Neighborhood

With the onset of spring comes life. We have a family of baby birds living in our saguaro cactus. The saguaro has boasted several large living areas with scenic views ever since we moved into the neighborhood. I have always seen local avians coming and going but no moving vans ever showed up. This evening as I was passing by, I could hear the small cry of hungry babies.

I believe we have a woodpecker family currently housed within the skeleton of the saguaro but I'm not sure. Parents seem to be gone in the early AM as I leave for work and home serving dinner before I am.

I will try to catch up our new neighbors sometime during the week and catch a snap shot or two for posting.

I Just Knew It...

So guess what? My prediction for the spring forecast was correct (see previous blog) - I went & screwed it all up. We've been ranging the mid to low 80s for the past week(s) and its been kind of nice to work in the yard and work on some color before swimsuit season.

Weather person indicated during the news earlier this morning, "If you have outdoor stuff for the weekend, get it done on Saturday." Evidently, our high for Saturday will be around 78 and sunny (not altogether odd for AZ). But Sunday, high of 64, cloudy with chance of rain.

Maybe I should do the ultimate outdoor activity and wash my car just to clinch the inclement weather around the corner. I guess Ben and I will work on getting the backyard mowed and trimmed before grass & weeds are too high to deal with. (see the weeds over there under Ben's right hand - it's in his sandbox)

For those of you with temps below 64 - I do not mock our low temps or believe them to be even close to yours. I just don't want to give up my shorts so soon - I was kind of enjoying the shorts and tank weather.

Spring Has Arrived

Now that I have absolutely jinxed the entire spring process for the Sonoran Desert...

It is spring here in the SW Desert known as Sonora. My job frequently takes me to different places throughout the state and I love this area. Yes, the summer is hot, sweltering hot but as they say it is a dry heat and as long as you drink lots of water survival is easy. Anyhow, my travels are very routine and frankly the sometimes 3 hour one way drives can get monotonous to say the least. I have taken to looking at the map and trying to differ my routes to various state highways and other roads.

Earlier this week, I took my camera with me and was able to snap a couple pictures of spring taking over the hills. Poppies cover numerous hillsides and bright purple, yellow and red flowers color the local roadways. I am always impressed by the palette of vibrant colors available for my senses to experience here in the desert. Aside from the recent cool weather (mid 80s), spring is the best time to experience the Sonoran Desert.

As I travel throughout the state, I will bring my camera and hopefully introduce my readers to the wonders of my home. Soon, our state tree, the Palo Verde (spanish for green stick) will start to bloom and I'll do my best to show them in their glory.

Hola!

First off, I'd like to say hello to all and apologize to anyone who has found my blog after searching for the actor Joaquin Phoenix. Obviously, this is not his web site so I guess you have a choice... should you stay or should you go now?

If you haven't guessed yet, I live in the Phoenix area. Otherwise known as the Valley of the Sun pretty much centrally located in the great State of Arizona. While I'm on the subject of Phoenix I have to say GO WILDCATS! Although I didn't attend school at the University of Arizona I grew up in Tucson (another city in Arizona) and am a fan of everything Wildcat. Just so you know and I'm quite happy to say (and note), not all Phoenicians worship the Solar Prince of Darkness of Arizona State.

I have had several attempts with journals, diaries, lists and letters but to no avail. I just can't longhand as quickly as I can type. Hopefully two things will be accomplished with my blogspot 1) my writing skills will improve with use and 2) you'll return to keep up on the latest in the life of Just Laura. It's not exciting but definitely an outlet.

Don't lurk for too long - make a comment, keep me engaged, help with ideas. See you soon!