I’m Joyce, a.k.a Mom, Grandma, small business owner, and,  a Flagstaff woman.  Welcome to my world!

In case you’ve never heard of us and  didn’t see Forrest Gump when he stepped on a pile and invented the word s*** while running on a Flagstaff downtown street, we’re near the top of the state of Arizona.  Not all the way north to the Grand Canyon, but when you reach Flagstaff, you’re almost there. 

No, we’re not desert and we don’t see summer temps hoovering in the 100’s. Located at 7200 foot altitude, Flagstaff is in the middle of the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest (and unfortunately in the middle of a long drought), has snow in the winter and has the clearest blue sky you’ll see in a long time. 

In most ways, a Flagstaff woman isn’t a whole lot different than a New York woman, a Boise woman, or a woman from anywhere else in the U.S.  Very few of us were born here.  Most came from somewhere else.  We’ve all  experienced dreams, goals, heartaches, and successes just like the rest of you. 

Most of us own one or more of those creatures that produced the pile in the middle of the the downtown street that was squashed under Forrest Gump’s tennis shoes.  Mine is a Westie named Wooster.  He was named after the quirky character Wooster in the British sit-com “Jeeves and Wooster”.  I should have named him Jeeves as he’s the dumbest dog on earth, but he’s my dog and I love him.

Dogs are an important part of life in Flagstaff and are a great way to get into a conversation with a stranger that you meet while out walking.  And, yes, walking is an important part of Flagstaff life.  With all the great trails and Forest paths surrounding our town, an evening walk with your dog is a regular event. 

In case you’re thinking I love dogs more than kids, there’s also two of those (both grown and married), four grand-kids, and a great husband.

Very few Flagstaff residents my age were born here.  Most came from somewhere else, liked it, stayed and became a part of it.  I’m no exception.  I arrived in Flagstaff in a round-about way, starting life in the deep South.  Growing up in the navy town of Pensacola, Florida, I was destinated to meet and marry a sailor (much to my Daddy’s horror!)  I’ll have to tell you about the meeting with Ron, my sailor sweetheart that I’ve grown old with,  in a later post. 

Marriage, a few months living in Washington DC, and then travelling all the way across country to his hometown in Santa Cruz, California took us through Flagstaff.  When I first spotted that snow-capped mountain, known as the San Francisco Peaks, through one of the observation windows at Walnut Canyon, I fell in love and dreamed of returning.  You can read more about that trip at route 66 memories.

After college and living in numerous Forest Service communities in California, Flagstaff became our home.  That was over 25 years ago and the evolution of a southern belle into a Flagstaff woman is still in the process. 

You’re invited to explore the discoveries of a Flagstaff woman with me as I write about this evolution.  I’ll share experiences, events, and even some photos of this gorgeous part of the country — just to make the rest of you jealous.  I welcome you to share your experiences and comments with me as a part of this blog.  And email me at shopcreativegifts@yahoo.com