Our windows and sliding doors are FINALLY done. They came back this week to finish up the sliding doors. When they tried to install them with the windows, they discovered the new frame on the sliding door downstairs was cracked or something. They had to reorder a new one and they finally came out this week to install it. They also retrimmed the sliding door upstairs with a wider trim. We will see if it makes a difference on our electric bill. We need to replace our front door because you can see light through it. It isn't sealing our house so heat and air are getting in that way, too.
I lost a few pounds since going to the doctor 3 months ago. I was doing good at first getting my 10k steps/day and eating healthier. It's getting harder now so I fluctuate up and down a couple of pounds (145-147). I still force myself to do 10k steps/day, but the diet is hard. I cut down on my coffee, but I just can't give it up. I was only going to drink it on Fridays, but that only lasted a few weeks. I need my daily iced lattes. So I am getting them daily, but I am getting smaller sizes, with less pumps of syrup, nonfat milk and 1/2 the caffeine. I think a large part of the problem is hormone imbalance. I have made appointments for my annual ob/gyn exam and to discuss HRT. I am hoping that if I go on HRT that it will help me lose weight and help with a lot of the other perimenopause symptoms I am having. I also had blood tests done after visiting my doctor. The #s weren't good. My blood sugar was slightly elevated and my cholesterol and triglycerides were high as usual. The doctor's office contacted me and suggested that I go on cholesterol lowering meds. I told them that I would try diet and exercise first, but going on meds is probably inevitable. I am hoping that HRT will improve these #s, too, though. I can only be "good" for so long. I love food. I love sweets and I crave certain foods from time to time. So long term I don't know how I can ever eat heathy and never cheat. Getting my steps and exercising is hard because I don't have a lot of energy and time and I am getting more aches and pains as I age. Like my left arm has really been hurting the last few weeks. I am thinking it may be arthritis. I am supposed to get new blood tests and see my doctor again after 6 months which is less than 3 months from now. This summer will make it hard to achieve my goals. It's so hot outside that I can only get my steps by walking around inside the house which takes a lot more time and is not nearly as enjoyable as walking/hiking outside in the cooler months. Plus, plantar fasciitis keeps trying to come back. I feel like I can't win this losing battle. My Cologuard test came back negative so that is good. My heart rate has been good. I am still not sure why it got so high a few months ago and wouldn't go down for like a week. I think it just has to be stress, something that I can never seem to get rid of.
Nathan got out of school for Spring Break on 3/14. It was also the end of Q3. He got an A in German 1, a B in Marketing 1, an A in Art 1, a B in AP Biology 5, an A in Algebra Honors 2 and a D in Pre-AP English 1. I contacted the principal about the D in English. Nathan is not a D student. He has always had As and Bs in English and performed well on the state testing for English. There is no reason why he should have got a D. This teacher had it in for him (and other students) from the beginning. The principal passed off my concern to the vice principal. Supposedly, the vice principal talked to the teacher. She showed an example of Nathan's work to her. The vice principal replied to me and said that she concurred with the teacher and that it seemed like Nathan was not doing his best work. I was shocked that she actually agreed with the teacher. Nathan said that none of the other teachers like his English teacher. I guess she is not returning to the school next year. I am not sure what happened. Nathan said Mountain View didn't offer her a position for next year. Is that the same as getting fired? Nathan says she is going to be teaching at a grade school next year. I wish she would have left a year earlier because she crushed Nathan's GPA. For Q3, he ended up with a 3.42. I think that is still honor roll, but it could have been so much higher if he got a higher grade in English. I would still like to have another English teacher read some of his English papers and give us another opinion.
3/13, I went to Home Depot and Lowe's to photograph their flowers.
3/17, For St Patty's Day I made corned beef and cabbage in the crockpot.
3/19, I went to Green Things Nursery.
3/20, I went to the Wildlife World Zoo. There was a kangaroo joey, a baby giraffe and a lot of otters playing together.
3/22, we went to see the Thunderbirds Thunder & Lightning Over Arizona air show.
3/23, Nathan made steak. He made it with garlic cloves, rosemary and Irish butter. It was actually really good. He had me buy him this counter top electric cooking device. He's been watching some chefs and getting cooking ideas.
3/25, I went to Lowe's, Home Depot and Green Things Nursery.
3/27, I went to Green Things Nursery and Tucson Botanical Gardens.
3/29, My pink claret cup bloomed and my ladyfinger cactus bloomed in our yard. The first cactus flowers to bloom in our yard this Spring.
3/31, My pink claret cup bloomed in our yard. I went to Lowe's and Home Depot to photograph the flowers and I bought an Argentine Giant "Big Bertha". I also went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery and Pima Prickly Park.
4/1, I checked out the claret cups on Lambert Lane and there were some prickly pears blooming by Oro Valley Hospital. Then went across town to the Reid Park Rose Garden. It was the reopening of the rose garden after winter pruning. The garden is starting to look nice again after the renovations they are doing since the COVID closure. I also went to Home Depot to photograph the flowers.
4/2, A different pink claret cup in our yard bloomed and I went to Home Depot to photograph the flowers.
Nathan bought a banjolele with the money grandma and grandpa had given him before to buy a banjo on 4/7.
4/7, I checked out the claret cups on Lambert Lane again. I also went to the Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery, Tucson Botanical Gardens and the Reid Park Rose Garden.
My Argentine Giant bloomed on 4/9. I went back to Lambert Lane to photograph the claret cups, to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Pima Prickly Park and Home Depot.
Nathan and I had eye appointments on 4/10. There is no change to our vision since last year. I felt like mine worsened, but my prescription is the same. Nathan's vision slightly worsened, but still does not require corrective lenses.
My June Noon hybrid bloomed on 4/11.
My First Light bloomed on 4/13.
4/14, My pink cactus had two flowers. I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Reid Park Rose Garden and Pima Prickly Park. Roses were in full bloom at the Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and the hollyhocks were starting to bloom. Tucson Botanical Gardens had some beautiful wisteria growing.
Nathan took a practice ACT exam on 4/14. I still don't think we know the results.
Paul's Argentine Giant in the front of our house bloomed for the first time on 4/15. He didn't even know that it was a Argentine Giant. The two pink cactus flowers that bloomed the day before bloomed again in addition to another flower so I had three of them in bloom. I went to see the claret cups on Lambert Lane again and then there were some more Argentine Giants blooming by Oro Valley Hospital. I also went to Home Depot to photograph their flowers. I bought a pink cactus there.
4/16, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima Prickly Park and Lowe's.
I went to the Desert Museum on 4/17.
4/18, I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Tucson Botanical Gardens, The Reid Park Rose Garden and Pima Prickly Park.
Nathan took a mock AP Biology exam on 4/19 to prepare for the actual AP Biology exam on 5/5. I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.
Easter was 4/20. We went to church. I bought honey baked ham for myself. We made deviled eggs.
4/21, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima Prickly Park.
4/22, I checked out El Rio Preserve for the first time. I only had my wide angle lens so I wasn't able to get good close up pictures of the birds there. I also drove through Saguaro National Park.
4/24, I went to Maeveen Behan Desert Sanctuary, Arthur Park Park to find the ground squirrels, Bach's Cactus Nursery, the Reid Park Rose Garden and Pima Prickly Park. My favorite cholla was blooming at Pima Prickly Park.
4/25, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery and Pima Prickly Park.
My June Noon hybrid and pink cactus bloomed again in my yard on 4/27.
My pink cactus flower was still open on 4/28. I also went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Pima Prickly Park.
My white cactus bloomed on 4/29. It had one flower with five more getting ready to open. My Argentine Giant also had a flower. I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery and Tucson Botanical Gardens.
4/30, My white cactus had 6 flowers open! My peach cactus also had a flower. I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and I drove out to B & B Cactus Nursery. Tohono Chul had a lot of cacti blooming in pots, including the Flying Saucer. Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens also had several Flying Saucers blooming. B & B had a ton of cactus flowers blooming! They also had a lot of different rocks for sale so I bought a small pistachio opal. I almost bought a Neon Dawn cactus, but didn't. I probably should have.
5/1, I went to Bach's Cactus Nursery and Pima Prickly Park. I also drove across town to check out the roses at Mesquite Valley Growers. I only took pictures there with my phone.
Nathan made us grilled cheese sandwiches on 5/2!
5/3, I went to Boyce Thompson Arboretum to see the spring flowers. There wasn't as much in bloom as I had hoped. However, I found the coatis. I love seeing and photographing them. There was a baby, too. I then went to the Mesa Community College Rose Garden for the first time. Most of the flowers were not doing well with the heat, but there were a few good ones here and there to photograph. I am glad I finally checked it out, but I still prefer the Reid Park Rose Garden and it is right here in Tucson! Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens also has nice roses in the Spring. Then there is Mesquite Valley Growers on the other side of town that has massive varieties of roses!
Nathan called 5/5 Cinco de Bio since he took the AP Biology exam. We have not heard back yet to see if he passed.
Tucson Window and Door installed our windows and door the week of May 5th. They had to come back this week to finish the sliding doors. They sliced my ethernet cable on 5/6 when they were working on the upstairs sliding door. They said the company would reimburse us, but I was able to find a cable the same day at Walmart and it was inexpensive.
5/7, I went to Pima Prickly Park.
5/8, My peach cactus bloomed again and I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens.
5/9, My pink cactus bloomed. I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and Green Things Nursery.
5/10, Nathan made me a steak for dinner for Mother's Day. The next day, Paul cooked chicken shish kebabs on the grill, per my request.
The saguaros have put on a show this year. Unfortunately, it's because we haven't had much rain. They produce more flowers when dehydrated and they bloom up and down the sides instead of just on top. There was a saguaro by Fry's on Ina & Thornydale that had a ton blooming on 5/11.
5/13, I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things, Pima Prickly Park and Bach's Cactus Nursery. I discovered a new cool flower at Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens - Bells of Ireland.
5/14, My First Light had two flowers and my June Noon had one flower. I went to Tohono Chul Park, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Reid Park Rose Garden and Pima Prickly Park. Tohono Chul had another big cactus bloom in their pots.
5/15, My peach cactus bloomed and the First Light and June Noon flowers from the day before were still open. Paul's Argentine Giant in the front yard had four flowers. I went to Oro Valley Hospital, Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery, Pima Prickly Park and Home Depot. Green Things Nursery had a lot of cactus blooms. There were several pretty cactus flowers near Oro Valley Hospital, but they were starting to close up by the time I got there. Pima Prickly Park had several cactus flowers, including one of my favorites, Apricot Glow. Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens was in mass bloom. There was a whole bouquet of Flying Saucers. There were several June Noon flowers in bloom, too. Unfortunately, it was a Thursday so all of the workers were there. It made it a little more difficult to get pictures.
5/16, I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery and Reid Park Rose Garden.
5/19, I went to Ajo Way to photograph the nesting caracaras. That was the first time I saw such a nest in the wild. There were a lot of other photographers there. My pictures didn't come out the greatest because I could have benefited from a longer lens than my 300 mm. It was still very cool to watch, though. From there I went to the Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park. On the way to pick up Nathan from school, I noticed a saguaro on Linda Vista that had a ton of saguaro flowers so of course I had to stop to take pictures!
5/20, a large piece under my car came loose so I took it to Pep Boys. They fixed it for free. A couple of bolts/screws got loose. While it was there we also got an oil change.
Nathan's last day of school was 5/22. He is now officially a sophomore. He ended Q4 and S2 with an A in German 1, a B in Marketing 1, an A in Art 1, a B in AP Biology 5, an A in Algebra Honors 2 and a D in Pre-AP English 1. His S2 Pre-AP English grade was a 69 and he needed a 69.5 to have a C. It still seems like the teacher was intentionally giving him undeserved poor grades. He said his last paper was really good and he thought he should have got an A on it. She gave it a failing grade! Something doesn't seem right with that. His Q4 and S2 GPA was 3.42.
5/23, I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery and Pima Prickly Park. I discovered the caper bush flower at Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, the same plant that produces capers for my chicken piccata!
Also on 5/23, I got the first of the 2 shingles vaccines at CVS. I have to get the 2nd one in 2-6 months. It was the only vaccine that my doctor strongly encouraged.
My June Noon bloomed on 5/24.
Nathan had minor surgery on 5/29. The podiatrist removed part of his toenail on his big toe. Earlier in the year it was digging in his skin and got inflamed. The pediatrician gave him an antibiotic. That did not get rid of it. The dermatologist gave him the same antibiotic, but had him stay on it longer, two weeks instead of one. It helped, but still did not eliminate the problem. She said he had to consult a podiatrist who ended up removing part of it. He said it wasn't anything Nathan did, but that some people have this problem, particularly young males. The nail just starts growing down into the skin on the sides.
5/30 I went to see Jacque at TMC. She was having surgery on her shoulder that day. I got there and had trouble finding parking, but I got to see her just before she was taken back for surgery. Her niece Dorothy and Sue Slankard from church were there, too. Sue and I stayed with Dorothy while Jacque was in surgery.
6/2, I went to Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens, Green Things Nursery and I drove out to Mesquite Valley Growers again to photograph their roses. Green Things Nursery had the biggest hibiscus I have ever seen. It was called a swamp rose mallow.
6/6, I went to Tucson Cactus and Koi for the first time. There weren't many cactus flowers, but there were two pretty waterlilies.
6/9, I got up early and went across town to Sandy Kaiser's house to see her cactus flowers. We counted almost 40 First Light cactus flowers. She also had Easter Lily cactus flowers blooming. From there I went to visit Jacque at rehab. On the way home I stopped at Pima County Cooperative Extension Gardens and they had several cactus flowers. That evening I went back to the other side of town to help with VBS. This year we had 4 of us helping with the pennies - me, Sandy Kaiser and new members John and Jan Torchia. It still got a little crazy, especially during last minute calls, but at least this year we didn't have to write down every child's name with how many pennies they were buying. VBS was 6/9-6/12. Boys won 3 nights and girls won 1. The last night was close, but the boys won. They brought in $6k-$7k for the week with the money going to our missionary kids. 11 souls were saved including 10 kids and 1 teenager who was observing VBS.
6/10, I had two flowers on my hedgehog cactus.
