Last Week of April!
It’s the last week in April! How is that even possible?
I think that the popular proverb “Time Flies When Having Fun” applies to me this week.
I have so much to share with you this week. It always makes me wonder: some weeks, my mind feels quiet and a little stuck… and then, at other times, like now, my brain is overflowing with thoughts and stories. Not everything lines up in a neat row, but I am going to try to put these thoughts in order. I definitely can say I enjoyed many things this week, which leads me to another proverb. Variety is the spice of life.
Tea Time with Friends
One of the sweetest highlights was a lovely English tea with friends. There’s just something special about gathering around a table, teacups in hand, sharing conversation and laughter. We even added our own playful touch with English phone booths on the table.
The photo booths came together one evening at the local library, and from there, the idea of an English tea just unfolded.
Our friend Mary hosted us, and she made the delightful salads.
I brought chicken salad croissants, and the others contributed tea sandwiches, scones with jam, macarons, and plenty of delicious sweet treats.
Mini Crème brûlées were made by another friend.
And she also brought the most darling favors.
We giggled, chatted, listened, and enjoyed the time together. Such a memorable afternoon.
We are a monthly crafting group. I prayed for a group of friends like this out here in Arizona! God truly answered my prayers. Over time, we have grown quite close.
Saguaros are Blooming
Out here, spring likes to show off a bit. The desert is blooming, and the saguaros are beginning to wear their flower crowns. It always amazes me how something so strong and rugged can turn so delicate this time of year. Actually, I have felt a saguaro’s flower, and it looks delicate, but it feels very much like a flexible plastic. Nature has a way to share it’s beauty.
Just a reminder.
Saguaro is pronounced…
(Sah-wahr-oh)
My favorite photo of saguaros blooms.
Spring
Other cacti and bushes are blooming as well. I walk around the neighborhood to find all the beauty. Even in our own backyard, spring has sprung. Little signs here and there remind me to slow down and take it all in.
The following collages are templates from Pic Collage.
A Trip Up North
We also made our way up to northern Arizona, where the landscape shifts. We said goodbye to saguaros and hello to pines and cooler air.
Then suddenly the scenery changed again into something different— very much like a moonscape. Stark, beautiful, and a bit out of this world. It’s a reminder of just how much variety this state of Arizona holds.
When leaving to go back home we saw these rocks.
And in that dry moonscape we found these flowers.
Thank You!
Thank you for spending a little time with me today. I hope you’re able to spend time with friends or step outside to enjoy a bit of nature wherever you are.
As always, we truly appreciate you being here. Thank you for joining us for another Tuesday Tidbits.
Wishing you a lovely last few days of April.
Linking up with
©Nancy and Two Trails One Road, 2015-2026. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nancy and Two Trails One Road with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Please do not reblog. Thank you!
Beautiful flowers and a lovely tea with friends. What’s not to love! Safe travels east when you head that way.
Thank you Judy!
Hope Spring is showing up in your neck of the woods.
Your tea with friends looks lovely and delicious Nancy! ☕ I love the sweet party favors of mini teapots and playful nod at the table with the English phone booths. The Saguaros’ flowers are strangely beautiful. Love seeing the landscape differences too. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. 🩷
Thank you Mary. The English Tea turned out to be a delight. And we are very proud of our English phone booths.
Thanks for all the love.
Praying for rain for you!
Your photos are lovely! Of both the tea snd all of your nature shots. Arizona is gorgeous!! In my mind, I pronounced the “g” in saguaro. I’m glad to know his it’s actually pronounced!
Thank you, Maria!
And yes, you now know the correct pronunciation of Saguaro! 🌵
Enjoy these last few days of April.
So lovely. I enjoy seeing the toughness of a cactus all dressed up with dainty flowers.
I do too! They are always fun to see!
Thank you for stopping by.
Enjoy these last few days of April.
The saguaro flowers are exquisitely captured, Nancy! When we spent last May there for Dad’s services, their blooms were everywhere! I love Arizona for its diverse landscapes. Thanks for double-dipping with all your gorgeous florals!
Your tea party looks like so much fun. I love the idea of being in a crafting group! I’ll have to find one here! I guess it won’t be long until you head back East. Take good care my friend!
Our crafting group are all friends. Then one evening we decided to start crafting every month. So fun! Hope you find a group of gals that like to do the same.
Thanks for enjoying all the flowers and hosting your challenges.
Enjoy your last few days of April.
Aha, good to know!
Now that is one beautiful, enchanting tea party! I can feel the joy! The cacti are gorgeous. When my kids were little, I read a thousand times, if I read it once, a lovely children’s books entitled Cactus Hotel, by Brenda Z. Guiberson. It is a grand story of the saguaro cactus. ❤️
I think I have that book in Pennsylvania for my grandson.
Thanks for all the love!
Enjoy the rest of April.
What a delightful tea time with friends! Such cute decor and delicious looking treats. You are blessed! Your forays into nature, whether out and about in Arizona or in your own backyard, are so good for your health, both mental and physical. Have a great weekend.
They surely are. Keeps us going.
Thanks so much for your kind words.
Enjoy the last few days of April!
Wow, Nancy you had so much fun last week! The English tea party looks amazing, and I must say you do as well! The English phone booths are so cute. I was reminded of a photo I have of Butch in one of the iconic red phone booths in London from 20 years ago. The food looks delicious and the mini crème brûlées are calling my name. I always enjoy seeing the saguaros in bloom. The collages of all that is blooming around you are beautiful! I love that your state is so varied from north to south. It is hard to believe that flowers bloom in that dry earth! Wishing you a joy-filled week, my friend!
I agree. I could not believe those flowers were blooming in that dry moonscape dirt!
I am glad I brought back sweet memories of Butch in the iconic English phone booth for you.
Thank you for all the sweet comments.
Enjoy what the rest of April brings to you.
Your images are beautiful. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Arizona once. It was interesting to discover it’s illegal to cut down a cactus. When my Aunt had her house built, any cactus ‘in the way’ of building, they were replanted on the property to not interfere.
That is true. They are protected. When new roads, highways, or housing developments are built, saguaros are carefully removed and relocated to other areas.
Thank you for the visit and for your kind comments.
That English tea looks wonderful! I love all the blooms you can find this time of year.
Spring in the desert is worth seeing!
Thanks for the visit, Joanne. Thank you also for hosting your link party.
Enjoy the rest of April!
What beautiful pictures! Looks like the perfect week! Thanks for the pronunciation of saguaro – I would have never figured it out. 🙂
You are very welcome. Thank you also for your kindness.
Enjoy the rest of April!
Oh Nancy, I LOVED seeing your lovely tea party with friends. All the food looked so wonderful and the table was so cute with the phone booths. The party favors were absolutely adorable. The mini creme brûlées were so cute. I’m so happy you have a nice group of crafting friends in Arizona. Thank you for sharing about all the beauty in your area. The saguaros are amazing! How wonderful then to travel north for a different change of scenery. So fun!
Thank you sweet Kitty! I know you are another tea enthusiast. You just had a tea party as well. So fun!
Always so good to hear from you dear friend. Enjoy the last few days of April!
Nancy…you outdid yourself in this post. so much to see and so much to admire. Luv Luv Luv the tea party….how fun was that…the food looks so good! so many people think of the dessert as dry and ugly but you and I know there is beauty everywhere. I loved living in the high mountain dessert when we lived in N.M. Thanks for sharing your exciting and full of fun week. Have a Blessed day my friend
Yes! We love living here. There is beauty around every corner.
Thank you always for your sweet comments. Enjoy the last few days of April!
Your pictures caught my eyes! I love cacti and I love visiting Arizona because of that. Those creme brulee look so yummy too. Time with friends is a blessing.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Amen to that! I cherish these friendships!
Thank you so much for stopping by. How nice to stop by and spread kindness.
Enjoy the last few days of April!
Oh how I wish I could pop in for teatime. Looks absolutely delicious…yum, yum, yum Nancy Lou! As always, your photos are so gorgeous. But I hear you. Wow – what a week! I chuckled at the beginning of your post when you wrote: …”some weeks, my mind feels quiet and a little stuck… and then, at other times, like now, my brain is overflowing with thoughts and stories”. Overflowing with good stuff, for sure! Much love! 💝
Oh, it overflows for sure! 🤣😂
Thanks for all your love sweet Vicki Lou! 🥰😘
Mwah! Mwah! 😘😘
Hello,
I enjoyed the tea time. All the good eats, made me hungry.
I am so thankful you have good friends to enjoy life with. It does make a big difference. So many of my friends have moved away, that I am currently in a strange season.
I love that you shared all the blooms with us as well.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Love, Carla
I understand that season you are going through. Please pray for new friendships. God hears those prayers, and He will bring opportunities to you.
The tea party was quite lovely. I cherish these friendships.
Thanks for all the love. Enjoy these last few days of April.
Nancy I have been meaning to tell you that your ‘photo’ at the end of your posts is adorable! Did you have a famous artist paint you? I love all the details of you and your surroundings. Details please! Hugs Kari
>
Well thank you Kari!
Sadly, no artist painted me. What I did was upload a picture of myself to ChatGPT and told it some things that I like and my hobbies. I asked for a soft caricature. That’s what it delivered. I do not pay for ChatGPT; I just have some fun with the free app version.
What a fabulous time! I love those little phone booths and everyone certainly brought their A-game to the fabulous teatime. Those favors are cute, too. It all sounds delicious but the best part, I know, was the friendship and camaraderie!
I’ve never seen the cactus in bloom except online. The part of Arizona I’m most familiar with is Flagstaff in the north and, somewhat briefly, Wickenberg. I always enjoy your photos.
Thank you, Jeanie. It is wonderful to hear from you!
Wickenburg is about 40 minutes away, and it is growing. We are in the North Valley, just at the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains. If you go about a half hour north and get higher in elevation, the saguaros disappear. They only grow at a certain elevation.
The tea party was a lovely time with friends. Thank you for the visit. I hope the weather is improving for you. ☀️ Take good care, my friend!