Sunday, April 19, 2009

Lowrider Show, Guadalupe Arizona

These photos are from the Guadalupe Arizona Low Rider show. The weather was perfect and there were some awesome lowriders there.















All my friends know the low rider
The low rider is a little higher
The low rider drives a little slower
Low rider is a real good goer
Low rider knows every street yeah
Low rider is the one to meet yeah
Low rider don't use no gas now
The low rider don't drive too fast

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Luci's Healthy Marketplace ~ Best Latte's in Phoenix


I had a meeting this morning with a co-worker and we decided to grab some coffee after the meeting. We headed to a nearby Starbucks when I spied a coffee bar across the street.

It looked interesting from the outside. I love to try new places so instead of Starbucks we crossed the street. I'm so glad we did. This place was such a pleasant surprise.
There were two guys behind the counter and they were so friendly and helpful. I would go back just for the service. I didn't know what to order and they suggested a Latte. The "Latte dude", (I just made up that title as I like it better than Barista) whipped up two Lattes for my friend and I. One word - AWESOME!


Not only were they awesome but our "Latte dude" made some wonderful little designs in our froth. Too damn cute. So cute I didn't want to drink it and ruin the design.

We enjoyed our Latte's at one of their cute little booths. They also serve donuts, pastries and there is even a little sort of neighborhood grocery store.
I totally loved this place and will recommend it to anyone who asks. I'll definitely go back.
Luci's Healthy MarketPlace, 1590 E Bethany Home Rd. at 16th St. Phoenix, AZ 85014.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Baked Goodness, The Shortcut

I bought this box of frozen Chudleigh's Apple Blossoms at Costco. There are 12 in a box. I decided to write about them because they are easy to make and delicious and I am also hoping someone will send me a free box of them...hint hint.

This is a fantasy of mine to blog about something and then actually have it appear. Sort of like how The Secret works, or so I hear.

Anyways... These blossoms are little pastries with apple inside. Sort of like a strudel but awesomer. They are easy to fix and are delicious hot with ice cream.

For my family of two this is a nice treat to keep in the freezer for those times when you want a nice warm desert but are too busy to make something from scratch.

I love Costco too. (Please feel free to send me a free membership)

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Wet Monday = Happy Dyngus Day!

Oh Yes, it's Dyngus Day again! Get out your bucket of water and pussy willow whips.



Dyngus Day is an old time holiday celebrated in Poland and some fun Polish communities in the U.S.A. Dyngus Day is celebrated on Easter Monday as a day of feasting, drinking, playing pranks and customs such as drenching loved ones with water and hitting them with pussy willows.



If you drench someone with water and they look at you like you have lost your mind, holler out Dyngus Smigus! Surely they will understand.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Monday

Happy Easter

We hope you have a relaxing Easter Sunday!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Joe vs Al - This is gonna be good

Cuidado viene Arpaio, translation "Arpaio is coming, be careful".

You may or may not have heard about Maricopa counties famous Sheriff Joe Arpaio who is known as Sheriff Joe. Sheriff Joe has many strong opinions about keeping the peace and enforcing the law. He has been in the spotlight lately due to his immigration sweeps in his county.

Recently Al Sharpton has gotten in on the bandwagon and is asking for Sheriff Joe's resignation as Al feels he is racially profiling Hispanics for his immigration sweeps. Well DUH. If your sweeps have to do with illegal immigration the chances of illegal aliens in Arizona are that they will more than likely be Hispanic and possibly from South America. You can walk here from there.

I wanted to share a little local drama with my blog readers. My personal opinion is that yes, Joe has a strong personality and is in your face but he is doing what he is hired to do. If what he is doing is not within the scope of the law then remove him. If the laws allow him to run the county the way he is then again, he is doing his job. With the recent attention by Al Sharpton I am looking forward to watching the drama unfold. Joe vs. Al, It's on baby!

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Article from Reuters - comments my own.

Al Sharpton calls for Arizona sheriff to step down / Because he knows better than the Arizona voters who keep voting for Sheriff Joe and the towns that keep hiring his office to protect their communities.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. civil rights activist Al Sharpton weighed into a fight over an Arizona sheriff’s immigration sweeps on Tuesday, accusing him of racially profiling Hispanics and urging him to step down. The Hispanic population in his county has a high Hispanic population.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has dispatched deputies into Hispanic communities in the Phoenix area, where they stop people and arrest anyone who cannot prove he or she is a legal U.S. resident. I would say that Maricopa County IS a Hispanic community.

Under a deal allowing them to enforce federal immigration laws, the deputies have arrested more than 1,500 people who they determined were in Arizona illegally, triggering street protests and condemnation from Latino activists who accuse him of racial profiling. Keyword "Illegally"

"I am first calling for the resignation and or removal of Sheriff Arpaio … harassment based on color is nothing short of racial profiling, which many of us … helped to fight to make against the law," Sharpton told reporters. So is this about color or illegal immigration?

U.S. Department of Justice officials recently launched an inquiry into Arpaio’s activities. The U.S. House Judiciary Committee also held hearings last week about the federal program that allows for such enforcement tactics. "Arpaio needs to be confronted, he needs to be removed. … We also need to suspend the law that he is using. We must stand with our brown brothers and sisters," Sharpton said. Sharpton said he would travel to Arizona to make his case. So there is a law on the books that allows this? So is he acting within the law?

Arpaio, who has held the job since 1992, called charges he carries out racial profiling of Hispanics ridiculous. "I’m never going to resign," he said. "The guy is living in a fantasy land if he thinks he is going to pressure me into anything. He doesn’t even know where Arizona is." You go girl.

We suspect that for once Mr. Sharpton will not get away with his race-baiting shakedown routine. This is going to be good. I'm buying more popcorn and plan to sit back and watch the show.

And we say that knowing he also has the moral weight of Mr. John Conyers and the rest of the Democrat Congress and Mr. Holder’s Department of Justice – and even apparently the Vice President – behind him. At least we hope Mr. Sharpton and the rest of these thugs won’t get away with it.

(Thanks to CGardner for the heads up.)
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The shirt shown above is being sold through Phoenix New Times who are supporting the ouster of Joe Arpaio. See link below.
http://microapp.vvmedia.com/phx/tshirts/

More wikipedia about Joe Arpaio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Arpaio

PS - I think we might really need a t-shirt that says: Cuidado viene Sharpton

Sunday, April 5, 2009

The Artistic Approach to Recycling



In keeping with my Art theme this week I wanted to show a real artist not the smart ass tongue in cheek art of my two previous posts.
Saturday I attended an Arts in the Park event at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, one of my favorite places. There were some awesome artists there but this time there was actually someone exhibiting that I know personally.
The artist is Jenn and she makes these wonderful rustic crosses from wood and found items from the Arizona desert.
My photos do not do them justice but here is a small sampling from her show this weekend.

It's hard to see in this shaded photos but I love this piece of tree hung art made of found wood from Lake Roosevelt.
If you'd like to take a better look please go to the following link...

Have a great rest of the weekend and enjoy an artful life.