Cleaning Out Closets

I have room for my heart for Love Man, but not in my closet.

I don't know what has happened, but I have now taken over our entire closet. Not just my half. And, to further complicate things the nasty burglars messed up my office closet. View photos to see for yourself. There is nothing good in there. Wrapping paper, frame parts, old school projects, flags, games, etc. You know, the run-of-the mill closet junk.

So, now I have to "bucket brigade" everything out. I have already warned the girls that they

will be helping. They are going to be on my "bucket brigade" team. They are delighted.

I first have to clean office closet in order to get my seasonal stuff out of our closet. I have asked several friends if they want to come over and help. "No, they say". I have even offered to regalle them with funny stories. "No." So, I am on my own.

Please note I have viewing the messing up of the closet and the stealing of my planner as a hate crime. I am.



I'm taking anything I haven't worn for 1 1/2 years to Goodwill. Can you say the same for your clothes?

Pool Party

It was good. I think there were 20 girls here. Hard to tell, really.

But there is always a story. This one mom called about 15 minutes before the party started and wanted to bring popsicles. I told here I had them already, she didn't need to bring anything.
She kept insisting about the popsicles. "No." I said, "we are fine."

She arrived with her invited child and three other girls. One of which I have never seen in my life. Hilarious. My girls kept looking at her trying to figure out who she was.

I think everyone had fun. It seemed like they did. They ate every drop of food. I may have one watermelon left and some granola bars. But, the cookies are history. Blonde Girl didn't even get one!

Rise and Shine

Get up monkeys, we are having a party and there is a lot of stuff to do. Cleaning,
shopping and getting things ready for the onslaught of girls.

School is Out

Okay Mom, her hair wasn't like that all day. Be sure to notice Sam in the doorway.

This is one of Miss Brunette's pals. She is a sweet, deep girl.

We have gotten a lot of mileage out of these poodle skirts. I ordered them online from some

web-site called Pokey Snoo or something nutty like that. Pookey was hilarious.

We are glad school is over. Next, is the pool party, which is Friday.

Soooo . . . .

We are good. I am going to Miss Brunette's end of elementary school ceremony. They call it

End of Year Culmination. She has advised me what to wear and how to do my hair. Actually,

her suggestions were pretty good, so I am doing it.

Love Man is moving back to Phoenix. Somehow my clothes have expanded to his side of the closet. I am going to have to shift things around a bit. Or, maybe an amoire will be waiting for me somewhere out there.

Shaw Butte

On Monday we hiked Shaw Butte. It is the one I hiked when the girls were in preschool.

There is a trail that leads to the main trail from the parking lot at my school. It is okay.

I got winded, but made it. See that patch of road. I walk on that.

The view from the top is very pretty. It is not uncommon to see people run up and down the mountain or ride mountain bikes. You also see very elderly men and women hiking. Sort of inspiring. And, you know they have done it for years and years.

Preview: Shaw Butte Trail 306 may be the best all-around hike in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. It offers a challenging hike to the summit, a scenic loop through the desert floor, panoramic overlooks around nearly every turn, and fewer crowds than Piestewa Peak. Located at the northwestern corner of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, Shaw Butte offers another popular and challenging hike in the heart of Phoenix.

Yesterday, Trail 100

Yesterday we did Trail 100, heading east. It goes on forever. You can wind around forever. It took about 90 minutes. The girls were happy to see us go and watched TV. Blonde Girl did negotiate a play date. I told Love Man on the way home I had lunch to make, clothes to fold and a house to straighten up.



I think it is billed as a mountain bike trail. I can't imagine that. But, you see people biking and running up the mountains. They have evidently have had a lot of practice. Trail 100 is very pretty through parts.


Here is some information on it. I cut most of it out, it bored me and I live here.



Trail #100 - Charles M. Christiansen Memorial Trail Length: 10.7 miles. Elevation: 2,080 ft. - 1,290 ft. Multi-use trail. Difficulty: Easy to moderate






The Christiansen Trail is a multi-use trail that traverses the Phoenix Mountains Preserve west to east and serves as the major artery for the trail system in the Phoenix Mountains. The trail passes through tunnels at Seventh Street, Cave Creek Road and Northern Avenue avoiding any conflict with vehicular traffic.