Red Rock Crossing in Sedona

We had a great day in Sedona, hiking near beautiful Red Rock Crossing.  When our kids were little (Hey, when my husband and I were little!! :) we'd just go to the creek and splash around...way before the days of the State Park.

But with the huge number of visitors I guess it's good to have the spot cared for and monitored.  Always makes a person nostalgic a bit for "the good old days."  I used to hike in Oak Creek Canyon when I was pregnant with the Mommy in this photo.

First Kayak Trip

Toddler coming back from five minute trip...

Kayaking at Watson Lake with Toddler

Our son-in-law was here visiting and took the grand daughter out in the boat -- just for a few minutes, then Grandma walked her in the Bob stroller up to the little playground that has the newly donated Firetruck in memory of the Granite Mountain Hotshots.

After Mommy & Daddy had a nice paddle we met them back at the launching area.

We picked up the infant PFD at Costco.  The size is up to 30 pounds and it fit nice and snug.

Wednesday is free parking day at the lake.  Weather was warm and lovely.

Heritage Park Zoo

The Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary  

I didn't remember this Kiwanis Kid's Play Area from our last visit, but the grand daughter sure enjoyed it.  Also, the bear, javelina, coyotes and birds.  The tortoises are tucked away for the winter, but this animal sanctuary located near Willow Lake is a great "get out of the house" destination with grand kids.  We visited towards the very end of the day when all the animals were getting their snacks and that made it extra fun.

Flip City

Recently made a second visit to Flip City - Gymnastic Center here in Prescott -- located near Granite Creek Park.

Our daughter-in-law discovered their Mommy Play Day on Mondays when she was here visiting with our toddler grandchild.  This time we went back with  our daughter and second grand daughter who had just as much fun bouncing around on the in-floor trampolines with her daddy, playing in the inflatable jumping house, enjoying the slides...

The session lasts for an hour and is $3.00 per child.  A real bargain.

N.O.A.H. Thrift Shop Bargain

A fellow thrift shopper picked me up and we made a quick dash to the N.O.A.H. thrift shop --

The friend had spotted multiple little straw bonnets that would be just right for the 18 inch dolls -- at 25 cents a piece they were a real bargain!  Since they qualified as "Crafts" and were half price that day it was an even better deal!!

You've got to love a store like that!  N.O.A.H. supports animals in the community --

Be sure to visit the two stores, side by side.

I always run in before a trip to stock up on paperback books at a great price.

Viva Las Vegas

We're making our way down from the Willamette Valley of Oregon home to Prescott. Traveling with a 16 month old means a Stop N Stretch every two hours so we decided to spend the night in Vegas, then today it'll be a much shorter drive home. I'd hoped this hotel aways off the strip might live up to its high family friendly rating but it's yucky casino style. Huge good room  it not a keeper. Going through Goldfield, Beatty, Mina, etc Claire says every time. -- "Boy, nothing happening here!  This is so depressing". When we get into Vegas it's like...at last!  Lights!   I have to laugh!  I'll take that full desert moon that followed us any day!  Now THIS is depressing. I just don't get gambling.  Poor people that don't seem to have any lives. But don't mind staying here. Good StopOver Place between Oregon and Arizona...if we found another place to stay.

Eco-Friendly Hair Care

Interesting site for natural hair care products....this was shared in a Mary Jane's Farm chat room.  Since our shower here at the Casita on South Cortez is plumbed for grey water and goes to the compost pile...sometimes romped in by the hens...it's nice to have things as natural as possible.


Natural Hair Recipes

Susan's Christmas Shop - Santa Fe, NM

I love the northern New Mexico city of Santa Fe and spent alot of time there as a a young child starting in the '50's.  Susan's Christmas Shop is a place there that makes me want to take a road trip. This shop offers wonderful nativities, advent calendars and local art.

Elvis Presley's Birthday

I learned that on the radio coming home from swimming at the Y this morning at 6:00 a.m.

Steve, of course, knew that...??

That's pretty fun and the "old-y" radio station (that serves the Quad City area of Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt -- which, of course, is really FIVE cities) played a nice Elvis song while I was driving down Whiskey Row admiring the Courthouse Square Christmas lights.

What's not so fun is the fact that The King, had he lived, would have turned 79!!  Yikes.

I wonder if HE would have had hip issues...

Senior Discount Day at Walgreens

http://www.walgreens.com/topic/promotion/seniorday.jsp


The first Tuesday of every month you can save 20% at the Walgreen store on Sheldon in the Depot Shopping Center next to Albertson's.

You must be 55 or older and have a Walgreen's Balance Reward card which is free or be a member of AARP.

The above link says just one day, but the store says it's every month.

A New Experience -- Carpentry Project in the Mouth

So even though I had been humming "All I Want For Christmas is My One Front Tooth" through most of December, it wasn't until today that I was finally able to get the process started, with dental insurance paying all but a couple hundred dollars of the $2,000 bill -- yup, my first DENTAL implant....somehow I feel it's so important to stress the "dental" part.

I guess it could be considered cosmetic since I don't actually have to use that incisor to rip apart meat to survive, but I was convinced by the idea that NOT filling that space could lead to future problems.

Last year, while I was in Homer, Alaska for three months the tooth was definitely getting looser.  I'd had a cyst in the gum removed, a root canal in the past, etc., etc.  I decided to just wait until I got home to Prescott.  The dentist sent me to an oral surgeon to have the tooth extracted....

Here's where I have to sing the praises of modern dentistry...wow!  I don't even want to think about what life was like before anesthesia.

After the extraction, I had to wait four months for the bone to heal and grow back enough before they could attach the little post that will hold the "faux tooth."  Fortunately, everything worked...no bone grafts, etc. Hunh?  Might have changed my mind there...

So today I got to go in for my "carpentry project."  First, the drilling (I love it when he says you're going to feel vibration...since I went to my Happy Place in my mind -- where I go for things like Childbirth, Kidney Stones, Dentistry...I didn't have to focus on what was REALLY happening).  Then I guess he took a little tiny hammer and tapped in the post (probably would be better if an oral surgeon didn't say "Oooops" during this process...maybe he almost hit his thumb with the little tiny hammer), the best part, and I really did love this, was he explained that he would be using a little tiny wrench to tighten the post down...(Maybe like a little tiny allen wrench...is that how you spell that?)  A couple of "squrinch, squirench" turns with the little tiny wrench and we were all done.

Now I guess we have to let THAT heal up before we can work on the New Tooth...

"911NANA" Vanity License Plate

So I was coming out of the Costco parking lot and just ahead of me was a big shiny SUV with the license plate 911NANA...

I love that!

Maybe that's a good grandma name for ME!  Nana -- :)  This is a whole new stage where you have to think of a name for yourself.  My kids used to call my folks "The GZ's"  as in Grandpa & Grandma Zook....Steve's folks were the "GO's" as in Grandpa & Grandma Osborn...

My wonderful 90-year-old mother-in-law is still matriarch of THIS family so I'm  trying to figure this out...

It's a nice role....I'm flying up to Oregon on the spur of the moment this weekend so that 2 days later I can drive back down to Prescott with Daughter & GK  #2.  (Grandkid)  I'll be in the back seat with the one-year-old, bouncing snacks off of her on the 1200 mile road trip.

It's definitely great to be needed.  I'm fitting this in between my teaching commitments -- fortunately, Friday School.

Handmadeology

It's that time of year when we "micro-enterprise" business owners have to buckle down with the bookkeeping side of things.  I love the way Etsy makes life easy for us....but I still have a LONG way to go with organization...

I'd rather play with mud.

The great blog Handmadeology is a super resource for those of us who like to make things with our hands, share them with others through commerce, and keep careful records...maybe not so much.

I would WAY more be happy doing this in the Ash Creek Nativities studio...

Swimming 6 Days a Week at the YMCA in Prescott

So this isn't really one of those New Year's Resolution-things....I started going every day except Sunday several months ago...some of the other Seniors & Super-Seniors who hit the YMCA at 5:00 a.m. and I were joking that it's easier to just go every day...then you have one less thing to remember...you just do it!

You could go on Sunday, but the Y doesn't open til later....

I don't take a lap lane...I leave those for others who are hard-core swimmers, like the 92-year-old who only comes three times a week since her schedule is so busy.

I swim across the deep end, that way when I come back I have the diving board to remind me where the wall is...we all know about Hitting The Wall when we're running, but I'm probably one of the few swimmers who should wear a helmet...I used to swim at the Aquatic Center in McMinnville, OR when I was teaching and would be thinking something like..."If I just changed Johnny's reading group maybe he would..." Wham!! I'd crack my head on the side of the pool -- backstroke, of course.

I have friends who wear headsets and listen to books on tape, but somehow those always put me to sleep...at least when I'm driving...which is why I don't do THAT anymore.

I like the idea that swimming really gives me a good stretch, gets me aerobic and is kind of meditative...all at the same time.  I like the deep end because I can stop and tread water every once in awhile for several minutes.

Steve was kind of impressed I did that...that's really good exercise he says....REALLY? :)

Yup.  That's me...hmmm.  Kind of husky for a "spry" Senior Lady....

New Granite Gardens Trail

We finally made it to the wonderful new Granite Gardens Trail in the Dells on New Year's Day.  In 2008 Prescott bought the 35-acre parcel for $3 million.  Steep climbs (but doable even for arthritic knees with a walking stick) lead to the broad granite plateaus with some wonderful views -- but, of course, the main attractions are the fanciful granite boulders.  Steve was pretty sure he spotted the perfect "Clifford" face in the rocks.

We spotted a number of families with young children on the hike...I'm sure they loved the scramble through the "Grotto" which made me pause...hoping that the giant boulders weren't going to choose that moment to move after a million years...

The trail makes you appreciate all the hard work of The Over The Hill Gang volunteers that did such a great job of reinforcing the path.

The trail is very well marked by signs and in some places white dots on the rocks.

The trail head turn off is just off off Hwy 89, directly across from the American flag on the other side.  

A map can be downloaded at the City of Prescott website of trails.  The trail is most accessible during dry weather since Granite Creek can often flood the parking.

Holiday Dinner at IKEA in Tempe

I had threatened to take Steve to IKEA for Christmas Dinner -- instead we ended up there on New Year's Eve -- We went to buy another set of Billy bookcases -- I had given the first set to Steve for his music room...they work perfectly in The Casita with the 9 foot ceilings.  We add the top extension and it takes the shelves up to just under the picture rail.

This was Steve's first time dining at IKEA...we had baby back ribs, delicious moist cornbread, french fries, a sampling of Swedish meatballs...with sauce...and shared a slice of decadent chocolate cake.  Oh, and of course, the free IKEA Family card coffee....and a Festive Holiday Drink...What's not to love??

And THEN we'll get back to our usual healthy, fresh, clean diet...

I'd teased that since I was "practically perfect in every way" I wasn't going to make any New Year's resolutions, but then I remembered the famous Blog Each Day in 2014 Resolution == so here we go!

Festive Holiday Drink