~~~Ahh, Winter In Arizona~~~

Oh yes, life is rough in AZ in January. These are roses from my garden. I cut them and placed them on my kitchen sil.

My roses bloom best this time of year, because some summer, they get fried. I hope you enjoy.

Come On Over~Lets Paint Together

I was going through my box of wooden shapes, when I came across some more of my snowmen.
I can't remember when I bought these, but they are so cute. I wanted to invite you in to paint with me.
You can purchase wooden shapes at any craft store, most of mine are from Hobby Lobby, but JoAnn's and Michael's carry them too.

Some shapes need a little sanding and cleaning up along the edges, so you have to watch for that. These are pretty clean and ready for a couple coats of cottage white paint. I also added some pink for the details of the shoes, scarfs, mittens and hats.
Once you have them painted the way you like, you can either paint some roses on the front, (that is if you have talent, I for one, was not born with that gene, so I use rose decals.)
I use Modge Podge to seal and add German Glass Glitter for a holiday sparkle.

Once the glass glitter has dried, you can begin to add any ribbons, lace, buttons or bobbles you like.
I have a love affair with handmade paper roses and so most of everything I create, has them added in one way or another. If you have wondered where you can find these little beauties, you can go HERE.
I use a hot glue gun to attach the ribbons and the roses, along with the faux pearls.

I added a large faux pearl to the tip of her hat, making her a cottage and shabby pom-pom.
I also enjoy using vintage and new seam binding ribbons. You can find those on ebay under the name of Zipper Stop. Love that company out of New York.

Two are alike, and the one above is a bit different. They are easy to make, would be beautiful on the tree, great as gifts, especially for teachers, and are perfect to decorate packages.
I hope you will give this a try, you will be hooked.
These and more can be found on my website, Someplace In Thyme.

I AM STILL HERE

Working on a roll pillow, I finally finished her today. Made with pink teacup fabric and lots of florals, this is as pretty as can be. Venise Lace across the top too.

I haven't been able to sit in front of the computer to blog in a very long time. I have missed all of you and hope in the next couple of weeks, things will begin to slow down for me.

I would love nothing more than to be able to sit down with something wonderful to drink, relax and visit. Until then, be well, be safe and thank you so much for stopping by my friends.

~~Where Have I Been The Past Month?~~

Sometimes life has a way of throwing you a curve ball and you never see it coming.
Every year, hubby and I load our two babies (in the photo above) into the car and take off for a week to Colorado Springs to visit my MIL and her second husband Bill.
This year was going to be difficult as Bill was moved into an Assisted Living facility back in Jan, leaving mom all alone in a large five bedroom home overlooking Pikes Peak. We knew changes were coming, we just didn't know what changes, or when.
Mom is 87 years old, Bill is 91. I knew that going into the home the first time and not being greeted by this very loving and warm man, would be hard, but I didn't know if would hurt so much.
About a month before we were getting to leave on our annual road trip, we were speaking with my brother and sister in law in Denver, when we realized mom was beginning to have some problems of her own. We had all agreed that she could not longer be alone, and she had spoke of moving into an apt or a small condo.
Learning that she was having memory problems, trouble knowing and remembering what day it was, reading a calendar, things like that, we knew that some serious decisions had to be made for her own good and safety.
I don't think I have ever spoken so much to my sister in law as we did in those few weeks. Mom's memory loss was coming on too fast. We wondered if there was something wrong that had not be diagnosed.
Dawn (SIL) told me of her mother that was hallucinating by seeing people in cars that were not there.
Did you know that women over the age of 70 can have hallucinations when they have a UTI? It's very common place, although I had never heard of it, but it was a starting point.
Off to the doctor in what we all hoped was going to be a very simple diagnosis. That was not meant to be.
No UTI.
O.k, maybe some silent strokes.....
We had her neurologist give her a head scan and we found lots of good information there, but not necessarily what you might want to hear.
There is a lot going on in mom's 87 year old brain. Like for instance, some evidence of silent strokes. Those are the strokes that kill the blood vessels and eventually kill the area of the brain that no longer received blood from those vital vessels. So, memory loss......
I think you could call it some "dementia."
I found out that day that dementia is not a disease of it's own, like I had always thought, but it's a symptom of anything disease, such as good old age. :) We'll all be there if we are lucky enough.
"she won't get any better", he said, "she is going to only get worse." Of course, no one can predict how long that could take, maybe years, maybe months. It's any ones guess.
So, the decisions are coming fast and have to be made. I told my hubby, I have loved your mom for 40 years, lets bring her here to live with us. She will be well cared for, be so close to her grand children and will be able to get to know her great grand children. It's perfect for all concerned.
We thought about it, talked it over with the rest of the family and it was final.
I didn't want mom in a locked down facility, she is not ready for that step yet. It's so hard when you are between being able to live alone and have to give up your independence.
We have no idea how long we will be together, but it's all good and we are up to the challenges this will bring our family. After all, what is family there for, is not to help each other in any way we can.
Needless to say, we didn't have a vacation after all, but instead spent four days packing boxes and cleaning up, changing addresses and getting all the medical things sorted out.
We cut our vacation short and along with the help of our nephew, we brought mom and her car back with us. One big happy family....well, not always, this is very hard on her. it's not easy to be told you can't live alone, your memory is suffering and decision making abilities are impaired, but we are getting there one day at a time, one step at a time.
Dawn did ask the neurosurgeon about mom being able to drive and this is the advice he uses when the decision comes down to take the keys away:
IF you have an accident
IF you get a ticket
IF you get lost, it's hand them over. Pretty good advice I think.
Since then, I have been busy creating and doing what I love to do. Here are some recently listed items on my website, Someplace in Thyme

More mom stories to follow.

A Trip To A Cactus Farm And Pink Saturday Too

One day my mom and I decided to take a trip to a 10,000 acre cactus farm in Tucson, AZ. If you are looking for a specific cactus for your garden, a farm is the best place to find everything. Many cacti are protected and those types of plants can only be found at licensed nurseries.

I knew this was going to be fun the minute we pulled into the parking lot. The first thing I saw was this gorgeous plant from Africa. It's ten years old and had a price tag of $400.00 on it. Notice the root system? Not much there, but oh were the blooms beautiful.

Next, we headed for the newest greenhouses to have a look inside.

So much to choose from, so much to see.

You are so cute, what to come home with me? You would add lots of color to my yard!





The temperature was in the 100's the day we visited, so we walked around a little but the sales help drives you around in a golf cart from greenhouse to greenhouse.

There are so many varieties, sizes and types to choose from.

When the cactus are propagated, they are cut on an angle so that the moisture or water does not sit on the flesh and cause rot. The piece that was cut off is left in the open until the fleshy part is dry, then it's planted in a special soil made for growing cactus. Lots of sand, rock  and a rich soil.

I am going to end right here, this is to be continued, but there is only so much one person can take in one blog post!! HA! I have a few more pictures and some lovely Mexican style pots to share, but I will wait and put that post up later this week. I hope you have enjoyed your tour through a cactus farm with me.

Thanks so much sweet Beverly from How Sweet The Sound, for putting this week and every week together for us pinkie bloggers.

If you would like to join Pink Saturday, or have a look at what other bloggers have put together for you, please visit Beverly's blog HERE.

Flowers Of Puerto Viarta For Pink Saturday

I have missed the last couple of Pink Saturday's because I was away on vacation in Puerto Viarta, Mexico. I want to thank all that came by and left me such sweet comments. I had the best time just laying on the beach and soaking up all the local beauty.
I was able to take many pictures of the flowers around me, but sadly missed many. You just can't count on getting pictures when you are riding around in a taxi. HA! Somehow, it just doesn't work out the way you might wish it to.

Because the weather is tropical, there are lots of hibiscus in all colors and vary from smaller blooms to very large blooms. I thought this one would be perfect to show off for today. Love the darker insides.

Stunning.

The way the white of the center radiates outward was fascinating to me.

What's not to love about a double red?

I want a pot like this on my patio. We grow lots of bougainvillea's in the desert, they are perfect for our weather and can with stand the heat of summer.

Pretty blooms and a plant that pretty much grows all year long.

This would make a statement! What an entrance into the yard.

Tropical weather, tropical flowers. When I worked in a florist we used to charge $6.00 for one stem of ginger. Wow.

We could get $25.00 for one stem of Heliconias.

Tropical leaves are a must for a tropical arrangement. Love the colors of this plant. Can you imagine awakening to something so beautiful each and every day?
Happy Pink Saturday everyone. I hope you enjoyed my offering this week. I appreciate you coming along for the ride. If you would like to see more, please visit Beverly from How Sweet The Sound. There you will find the list of Pink participants.
Thanks again sweet Beverly for all you do each week. We know that you work very hard for us. See you next week, be safe and have a lovely weekend.

PINK SATURDAY HAPPINESS

This week I have been very busy working in my studio, so once again my pinkie shares are going to be my work. I hope you don't tire of seeing the things I create. My garden is not producing anything exciting and so these will have to do.
A strawberry cake with two petite fours.....yep, they are fake, but don't they look good enough to eat?

Just look at that yummy top. Handmade paper roses, pansies, faux pearls and some rhinestones too.

Three sweet mini snowpeople in a vintage jello mold. These can also be used as ornaments, as they have ribbon hangers. Perfect teachers or hostess gift.

A trio of very sweet pink gingerbread ornies. These are large and measure approx. 6" in length.

So cute and look good enough to eat, sugared with german glass glitter too! Yummy Yum Yum.....

When I was a child, one of my favorite stories was "The Three Little Kittens" so of course a set of mini mittens reminds me of that story.....only I didn't loss any mittens....HA!

These too, are sugared and just as cute as can be.

Last but certainly not least is another beautiful stocking. I am happy to say that most have sold, but this beautiful lady is available.

All this and more can be found on my website, Someplace In Thyme.
I would love to take a moment to tell all of you how much I appreciate your comments and your blogger friendships. This time of year seems to be a perfect time for reflection on our lives and how we affect those in our lives. You have all blessed me beyond belief and I appreciate you more than you could know. My wish is that each and everyone of you have a safe, loving and wonderful Thanksgiving. Be warm and be happy and most of all, HAPPY PINK SATURDAY!!!
Thank you Beverly from How Sweet The Sound for all you do to make this possible. I appreciate you so much and all your hard work. You can find all the participants for this week's Pink Saturday on Beverly's blog, so please go over and offer your lovely comments to as many posts as possible.