Polly Want a Cracker?

Anyone who reads this blog or knows me knows that A) I am an avid people watcher B) sometimes I see really random things C) I am fairly observant and D) (how appropriate that it came to the letter D) that I still love Dunkin' Donuts even though they don't carry my favorite donut here in Arizona anymore.  Well, all of these things met in perfect harmony on Sunday while making our way to church.  As you probably know, Husband likes to treat me to DD from time to time.  We left the house early, a little tired because we had yet to have some coffee, and made our way to the newly renovated DD on 19th Ave and Northern just off the 17.  We tried one of their new bagel sandwiches (delightful) and of course had a donut and ICED coffee.  An interesting mix of people always frequent DD's no matter the locale.  As we were leaving I had to stop dead in my tracks and call Husband's attention to my latest encounter...

...there sat a man in his car with his little dog and the window rolled down.  No big deal, right?  Well, on the window ledge was a Senegal Parrot walking back and forth and observing himself in the side mirror!  Of course we paused to talk to the friendly gentleman.  He told us how he takes his dog and parrot on a walk.  The dog on a leash and the parrot perched on his shoulder.  He made sure to tell us that his wings were clipped and he would not fly away.  The parrot's name is "Gunny" and just as I was getting ready to ask if the gentleman had been in the Marine Corps he said, "He reminds me of a drill sergeant I had in the Marine Corps, bossy, bossy, bossy!"  We laughed.

Oh how I wanted to take their picture and place it here!  But I didn't know how I would get the photo from my phone to the computer.  Even if I did, I don't think the resolution would have been very good.  Such is life... you will have to use your imagination.  Darn it for not having the camera with me this ONE time!  Ugh.

I guess the man's wife was in the store picking up their Sunday treats, too.  I hope I see these folks again.

In case you were wondering, I have now adjusted my top places for people watching...

1.  University Campus
2.  Airport/Train Station/Bus Station
3.  Dunkin' Donuts
4.  People driving (but one should only do this if you are the passenger!)

Shades of Green

I am sure that Husband will give that "look" and sigh when he reads this.  Then I will laugh.  You see, he didn't realize that he married a green girl.  Well, that's what he would say.  I would just tell him that I am not but he doesn't agree.  Let me first state that I probably wouldn't recycle if we didn't have a recycle day.  I am thinking about making my own laundry soap only because I think that it would be fun.  I opt to do cloth diapers because I was tired of the "blowouts" and THEN it became fun because there are so many options out there.  I try to get Husband back about being green because we have a bi-fuel car.  Really, in the end it was about saving money... not the environment.  Once a friend legitimately used the phrase "sustainable living" in a conversation with me and I laughed.  Thankfully, it was via e-mail.  I probably should have refrained from laughing but I could hardly stifle the giggles.

I will say that I don't agree (obviously) with the global warming mumbo jumbo.  Is the climate changing?  Sure.  I am sure that the climate has continued to change at some level since the Lord created the heavens and the earth.  Is it caused by Man?  I doubt it.  Do I think that we should try to be good stewards of the earth?  Sure.  However, what that means to different households can run the gammut of things.  I will try to respect your prespective if it goes a little further down the road than mine... as long as you respect the fact that I am not that far down the road.

Well, now you had a look into a not really green, but people might think we are green, household.  With that said, I love my cloth diapers and if you want to chat about them it won't take much to get me started.  :)

Spring Planting

 Spring is quickly arriving here in the Valley of the Sun.  Some of you may wonder if summer ever leaves.  Let me assure you that it does.  However, autumn and winter kind of get rolled into one short season.  So, while most of the country is trying to get out from under piles of snow or shivering from a blustery wind we are playing in the dirt.

This last weekend Husband and I decided that we would plant flowers in the MANY pots that we had laying around the house.  I am not sure where they all came from but they get the job done.  We planted a variety of colors of Snapdragons and Zinnias.  Both are rather heat tolerant and can do well i n some partial shade.  Seems like the right kinds of plants for us.

This was really the first time that I had done any flowers in containers.  Most of what I have known has been in flower beds, etc.  It made me think back to the house that I grew up in where we had tulips, daffodils, roses, lilacs, and some other varieties that I cannot remember in the areas surrounding our house.  Unfortunately, I don't think that bulb plants (tulips and daffodils) do very well here because it doesn't get cold enough and they are some of my favorites by far.  Roses don't really fit in with our landscaping and I have heard lilacs don't fare too well here either.  Such is life.  Different things for different places.  We are quite fortunate to have uch a variety of beautiful plants here in the desert that usually bloom all season.  Lovely, I tell you, lovely.  The chamomile trees smell AMAZING as do the blooming citrus trees.  We may have more than one lime this next season and maybe some oranges, too!  Finally!

Maybe the desert is an aquired taste?

Where Oil and Water Mix

It finally happened.  I helped my sweet mother-in-law make soap about a week ago.  I waited until now to tell you about it so I could get some final product photos and because, well, I am just now having the time to sit down and write about it.  :)  I am reading a book given to me by my mother-in-law that explains how to make a variety of natural soaps.  It is quite interesting as it gives some tidbits on how soap was developed and how it works.  I must admit that I have a whole new appreciation for this product that I use everyday with little thought to how it does what it does.  It was more of a mentality of "Well, it's always here and I was told to use it."  Rather than really knowing the whys and how's of it all.  It's an interesting process that happens really fast... at first.  Once the soap is poured in the "soapbox" then a whole new process begins to happen and it's a game of hurry up and wait.  The box then needs to sit in a thermal stage.  The box is covered with a top and a BUNCH of towels to keep the heat in that is emitted from all the chemical reactions going on in there.  It helps the soap set up.  24-hours later we open the box to find a lovely batch of soap.  But the process is not done yet.  Even three days after the thermal stage the soap is still feels like a soft cheese.  Not really what you want when you head to the showers.  At this point the soap is ready to be cut and have a variety of decorative things done to it if one so desires.  Then the soap usually needs to sit exposed to the air for another SIX WEEKS to harden and cure (making sure there is no live lye still in the soap.)  So, while it is a timely process it is quite fun.  I hope to be making my first batch on my own in the coming weeks.  YAY!!

In an attempt to further my pampering creative skills my sweet mother-in-law gave me a recipe to make lotion.  It was beyond me that I could really make my own because, you know, like beef, lotion comes from the store!  (ha ha!!)  Well, I gave it a whirl and it didn't come out half bad!  However, I must admit the fragrance isn't the best.  I think that I must have used a bit much of the essential oil and I think this particular one needs to be coupled with another fragrance and not just stand on its own.  All in all, the lotion itself is really quite nice that it light and not heavy and oily.  It feels really nice on the skin.  I may try it again.  But I am not so sure what to do with all this lotion that I already have.  Maybe I will just use it on my feet for now.

So, I will let you know how my first batch of soap comes out in the future and any other recipes that I try in this arena.  So many ideas!!