Archive for February, 2016

Wow, I did that?

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2016

With a lot of instruction and patience I made two rings!

I simple textured band

I simple textured band

Kind of looks like a wedding band,  It isn’t perfect and is only a stepping stone to what I will be making this winter!

Setting a stone

Setting a stone

Using the skills I learned with the first ring, soldering, buffing, polishing and a couple of new skills, second solder, setting I made a real ring that someone might buy from a street vendor!

Beginnings of a pendant

Beginnings of a pendant

This will be my 4th and final piece that I make this winter!  It will be a pendant that I will definitely wear once I get it done.  So far I have spent $100 on silver and classes, giving me two rings, a bracelet and a pendant that I made all by myself!  Where else can you have this much fun.  The hardest part of going to class is it is in the morning and I miss tennis and the weather has been spectacular so I really don’t like to be inside.  It is only 3 hours so I have time for a good walk or hanging out at the pool in the afternoon.

The activities are endless in the resort and outside the park there are lots to do also.  We finally got out for a hike!

Saquaro Cactus

Saquaro Cactus

We took a short hike on a very warm afternoon up 900 feet elevation over 1.5 miles to Wind Cave in Usery Mountain County Park.  The park is very close to Mesa but definitely in the desert.  The views from the top of the hike are beautiful.

Wind Cave

The trail is very rough and my ankles were definitely sore, Duke was extra thirsty and we were running out of water on the way up!  We met a guy on the trail going down who overheard me telling Duke that the water was getting low.  He was on  his way down so he filled our bottle from his and off we went up the trail.  The cave is really only an alcove and for some reason there are lots of bee hives in the walls of the cave!  I saw no flowers anywhere so I wonder where they get their food?  At least they were more interested in their hives and left us alone.

We also have been enjoying some local entertainment.  Paul gets me out at least once a week to square dance and we have noticed the crowd is quite young compared to other activities in Mesa.  I wonder why?  We also have seen a great magician and a George Strait Tribute

GeorgeST

This guy was young but definitely had done his homework cause if you watched him you might think it was George!  Most songs were right on, a couple not so much but still good entertainment for  $20.  We have also gone to a couple of concert venues like what you would see in Branson.  Fun entertainment

Friday we played Bingo in the hall.  It’s real Bingo, for real money.  It cost us each $12 for the evening and we took home $369!  First I won the big split pot of $279 and then a couple games later Paul won a Bingo pot of $90!

Then some days we just do ordinary stuff!  Like yesterday I played Tennis for about 1 hour, then went shopping!  I think I spent all my winning on more clothes!  It was a lot of fun knowing it was bonus money.

We have a new addition to our home.

Coffee/ottomans and a new soft rug

Coffee/ottomans and a new soft rug

It makes our home seem more cozy to me, Paul says “Whatever!”  They work great for somewhere to put my drink and feet when I’m watching tv.

Today was Tennis, tonight is Square Dancing, tomorrow is Silver and Tennis, Thursday is Tennis League play, and Pinocle, Friday is Silver, Golf, and Bingo again!  Never a dull moment!  I have to squeeze in writing my blog cause I would rather be at the pool than infront of the computer..