“How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward.” — Spanish proverb
“Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face.” — Nelson DeMille
“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.” — C.S. Lewis
“Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he’s in trouble.” — Dennis Fakes
“Very few of us are what we seem.” — Agatha Christie
“The only time you run out of chances is when you stop taking them.” — Alexander Pope
“Find someone you can dream with. It can turn a wish into an adventure.” — Unknown
“Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.” — Bill Watterson
“An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance.” — David Lee Roth (various attributions)
“The happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist. For man it is to know that and to wonder at it.” — Jacques Yves Cousteau
“Don’t let your struggle become your identity.” — Ralston Bowles
“When it comes to eating, you can sometimes help yourself more by helping yourself less.” — Richard Armour
“The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” — Richard Bach
“The role of the writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” — Anais Nin
“Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket: and do not pull it out and strike it, merely to show that you have one.” — Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield
“I live in my own little world, but it’s ok, they know me there. ” — Unknown
“Failure is a bruise…not a tattoo.” — Jon Sinclair
“When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” — Ronald Reagan
“Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.” — Doug Larson
“I don’t recognize you – I’ve changed a lot.” — Oscar Wilde
“An apology is a good way to have the last word.” — Unknown
“Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.” — Frank Lloyd Wright
“The head never rules the heart, but just becomes its partner in crime.” — Mignon McLaughlin
“The past, the present and the future walked into a bar. It was tense.” — Lex Martin, Dearest Clementine
Living in what I call a designated tourist area such as Phoenix, Arizona has both positive and negative aspects. Of course during those months that are cold in a good part of the United States and Canada, we have an influx of tourists, part-time residents and guests.
When guests come to visit us, one of the areas we like to take them is Old Town Scottsdale. There are some historical attractions which we look at, but the gift shops of all varieties are the real draw.
As the resident Phoenician, I get a kick out of going to the tourist shops to see what new desert themed T-shirts are displayed. They generally come in two categories, 1 – The beauty or uniqueness of the desert or 2 – Poking fun at the unusual life styles and/or environment of the desert.
The t-shirt below reminds us of the beautiful wildlife we have in the area. We do have some extraordinary lizards, although nothing quite like the one pictured.
Of course Phoenix is a big draw as well as Scottsdale…
And to celebrate the heritage and uniqueness of the desert…
Then there are those that make fun of the harsh environment and cowboy atmosphere and this one tackles both…
115 degrees is hot, but c’mon it beats 30 inches of snow, doesn’t it?
One of my favorites this day was this punful one…
All of these T-shirts were found at Scottsdale Southwest Gifts and Apparel just north of the Scottsdale Historical Museum on the same side of the street.
I am not making a recommendation although I have made purchases there. Many stores offer unique apparel both authentic southwest as well as humorous or stylized southwest items.
When you visit Scottsdale’s Old Town, be sure to bring your camera and your sense of humor. I am sure you will have a good time. Don’t forget the Scottsdale Historical Museum in the center of Old Town.
“Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.” — Hal Borland
“Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be.” — Rick Warren
“When I tell any truth it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those who do.” — William Blake
“You can’t be a rascal for 40 years and then cop a plea the last minute. God keeps better books than that.” — Wilson Mizner
“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You know, all that matters is that the people you love are happy and healthy. Everything else is just sprinkles on the sundae.” — Paul Walker
“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them and it will change your life.” — Amy Poehler
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” — Winnie the Pooh
“To have a great idea, have a lot of them.” — Thomas Edison
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” — Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
“It is in the character of very few men to honor without envy a friend who has prospered.” — Aeschylus
“By midlife you are a cranky snowflake of personal history, political opinions and experiential scars. No one will perfectly align with you.” — Michael Grady