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April 2010
April 26 - 30, 2010
Monday, April 26. Happy Birthday, Walks! Everyone has taken off for work or school, Monica is sleeping in this morning and it is quiet in this house, so I'm drinking coffee and sitting at the computer - I feel right at home.

Rick wasn't feeling real good this morning, so Monica and I went to the mall, had some breakfast and goofed around for a few hours before stopping by his house. After picking him up, we went to a Fedex store to fax some paperwork he had to take care of, went and had a smoothie, got a little tour of Springfield's historic district, then went to the grocery store to stock up Rick's cupboards with liquids and soft foods. He wasn't feeling good again, so he didn't join us at Randy's for dinner, we hugged and said our goodbyes and headed back to Randy's house.

Arriving at the airport, we learned that our flight was delayed by 30 minutes - not too much of a problem, but a little inconvenient. The plane for the return flight was smaller and the seats didn't even recline, it wasn't very comfortable. Our flight was uneventful and Mike and Frisco were there to greet us.

I really enjoyed seeing my family again, and it was nice to be there for Rick - the family support should help him with his recovery. The poor guy has been through a lot the last few months and we are so glad that he is getting the medical treatment that he needs, has a nice place to live, and has Randy and his family nearby.

Tuesday, April 27. Happy 62nd Birthday to me! It won't be long now before those Social Security checks start coming in - yeah!! There was a nice stack of birthday cards on the table, a great way to start the day. And then the phone calls started to come in - I feel loved, thanks to my wonderful family.

It was a pretty lazy day after 4 active days of visiting and traveling. It felt good to get back in my routine with my boys, Mike and Frisco. We chatted with the neighbors this afternoon for a bit, had a steak dinner (a little too charred and overdone), an old fashioned, and a nice, relaxing walk this evening, all making for a very relaxing and enjoyable birthday.

Thursday, April 29. Dental hygienist appointments yesterday and we left there feeling great about having nice clean teeth but not so great about our future treatment plans. Mike needs 2 crowns and a bridge at a cost of about $3,000 and my plan includes an implant, 2 crowns and to redo 2 old fillings at a cost of about $6,500. There goes our plan to cut back on expenses this year. Wonder if there is anything in the Obama health plan to help folks with outrageous dental expenses. None of the work is critical, so it can wait until we return in the fall. We might just have to make a trip to the friendly dentist in Algodonas, Mexico.

We spent this morning working on the motor home, a great day for it as a cold front has come through and the temperature didn't get about 73 degrees today. I worked on sanding and painting over the rust spots on the trim panel on the back wall. I'm thinking that damage is probably now showing up but is from being parked on the coast in Pacifica for 9 months in 2007. Another coat of paint will need to be applied.

While I was working on the rust, Mike was putting an additive in the gas tank and disconnecting the batteries to try to get the "check engine" light to go out. This has to be done in order for the motor home to pass the emissions test so we can get it registered in Arizona. No luck today, but maybe after it sits for a while.

Sharon and Allan stopped by for lunch and, as usual, we had a great time chatting with them. It was about 3:30 when they left, and it was time for us to get ready to go across the street as our neighbor, Arlene, invited us for *bleep*tails and dinner. Had a nice time.

Friday, April 30. I spent a couple of hours going to garage sales this morning, but again came home empty handed - guess I just like the activity of looking at stuff. It is one way to check out different neighborhoods in the area. This evening, we met up with Nan and Dale and went to Max's (a neighborhood favorite of theirs) for one of their yummy burger and beer specials.


April 19 - 25, 2010
Monday, April 19. We're another step closer to being full fledged Arizonians - the Jeep is now licensed and insured in this state. An emissions test is required here and it was no problem for the Jeep, but the motor home would not pass because the "check engine" light is on - a reason for immediate refusal. This has been an intermittent (more on than off) problem since we bought the thing. We've been told that something as simple as a different brand fuel can cause it but will have to have it reset before we can pursue the transfer to Arizona. Another item added to the list to get done before traveling again.

I don't know why, but both Mike and I are feeling slow and sluggish today. It could be allergies because I was sniffling and sneezing all day yesterday and this morning, ended up taking a Benadryl (also known as Rose's sleeping pill). Ho hum!

Tuesday, April 20. By 10:30 we had all of our chores out of the way and I started twiddling my thumbs wondering what to do next. If I can't come up with something to do around the house, then I'm up for shopping. Today's quest was new sandals but after 2 hours of looking, I came back home empty handed. That is always good for the pocketbook but not so good for wearing the latest styles.

We were on call to hook up with Jim and Gwenn and their daughter, Erin some time this afternoon when they finish their chores at Erin's rental property. We met them at Rustler's Rooste, a very interesting restaurant on the southwest side of Phoenix. The place was built on the hillside near South Mountain, the historical significance is that it was a cattle rustler's hideout. Three floors with windows overlooking the city give you a great view and the place is quite interesting too. A country music band plays in the background, the floors are sprinkled with sawdust, a tin slide gets you from the top floor to the next, and we were entertained at our table by a magician that did a great disappearing coin and card trick.

It was such a coincidence that we even got together with Jim and Gwenn this week (last Wednesday's telephone mix up)and as we were talking about how we all met our spouses back at Rusty's in Middleton, WI in 1968, I mentioned Susan and Dean, another couple of our longtime friends that met there also. Jim immediately recognized their names and then we learned that Gwenn and Susan met at college they knew each other from Rusty's, and also knew them from living near Sauk City. I can't wait to talk with Susan about this now. It sure is a small world.

We had a very enjoyable dinner, great conversation, and a beautiful view of the city. We said goodbye until we can meet up again, and headed back home.

Wednesday, April 21. Allan and Sharon came by to pick us up this morning and we headed to downtown Phoenix to the Japanese Friendship Garden, a beautiful spot located atop the I-10 freeway tunnel. It is only a 3-acre site, but it is very nice, relaxing with paths that wander around a small lake and lots of waterfalls and a Japanese Tea House.

We took a short driving tour of the downtown area before heading to Monti's for lunch. Yes, we already ate there just a few days ago but had suggested this to Allan and Sharon, they were interested and the food is good, so we went. This time we both had the steak salad, a much lighter version of Sunday's dinner, and it was delicious once again. It's always nice to hang out with them and we've come up with a long list of things to do and places to visit, some of which will have to wait until later in the year.

Back at home, we closed most of the windows, shut off the fans, and put on our sweats as a cold front has come through and the temps dropped to around 67. Brrrrr!

Thursday, April 22. The only thing on my to do list today was to get ready for my trip to Springfield, MO with Monica this weekend and to get a haircut followed by a quick stop at Trader Joe's for a few groceries. Why do stylists always cut your hair too short? Is it because they want you to get your money's worth? Or they want you to see that they cut your hair? I told her my hair was at the perfect length, I only wanted a teeny bit cut off, just trim it up around my face and neck - and now it's going to take me 4-5 weeks to get back to that point again. It's a good cut, just much shorter than what I requested. What's a woman to do?

Back home, I got my clothes ready for the trip. It appears that we are headed to cool weather, so I won't be taking a lot of warm weather clothing. Jeans will be just perfect. I'm looking forward to seeing my 2 brothers, Rick (Monica's Dad) and Randy (and his family) and my 2 sisters, Rita (and her husband Denny) and Rene (and her husband Mike). The trip is all about getting Monica and Rick back together again, as they haven't seen each other for about 8 years, since Monica moved to Phoenix and Rick had been kind of living off the grid. I'm looking forward to being with my family again for a few days.

Nan and Dale stopped by this evening, as they were over on this side of town. I was fixing spaghetti and meatballs, so invited them to join us. Had a great visit - it sure feels good to have company and to have room to entertain them.

Friday, April 23. Most of today was spent just relaxing and getting packed for my trip. We picked Monica up and headed for the airport for our 4:15 flight to Springfield. The flight was uneventful and only about 2.5 hours, it was about 9 pm when we got there, a rainy and cool evening. Randy, Lanae and Rick met us at the airport - it sure was nice to see them all. Rick is quite thin and pale after his cancer surgery and treatment, but is in good spirits. We stopped by his apartment and it is a nice little bachelor pad.

Saturday, April 24. A very nice day, just spending time with Randy and Rick, having lunch (poor Rick can only drink liquids and the look and smell of food just drives him nuts), a stop an an antiques mall (they call them flea markets around here), dinner at Randy and Julie's and we called it a day.

Sunday, April 25. Happy birthday, sweet niece, Ali! Julie made some yummy blueberry muffins this morning, they made the whole house smell delicious. Ryan stopped over when he got off his shift at the fire department. Monica and I went to get Rick and when we got back to Randy's house, my sister Rita and Denny were there and shortly after that, my sister Rene and Mike arrived. Although they both live in Kansas City (about a 4-hour drive from here), they were at their lake homes, so they only had a couple hour drive today. We took lots of family photos and then headed to Logan's Roadhouse for lunch and nonstop talking for a couple of hours. It felt good to be together again.

Rick had had a bad night, so we dropped him at his apartment for a rest, then stopped by Julie's parent's house to say hello to them. Back at the ranch, we all settled in to watch a movie and nobody could quite get into it. Monica and I headed back to Rick's to just hang out with him for a while.
April 12 - 18, 2010
Wednesday, April 13. April is passing so quickly and I haven't been very good about writing lately. It won't be long and we will be hitting the road again. The summer plans are to travel east with Allan and Sharon - we caravan-ed with them last summer for a while and enjoyed it. We're headed to Florida and the coast of South Carolina, then will probably travel through the middle south until we get to New Mexico and finish off the summer in high country near the Colorado border. This area will be new for us other than a roadtrip many years ago.

On Monday, we shopped - Mike has decided to learn the guitar and so we shopped for a guitar. He bought an inexpensive acoustic to learn on, got some online lesson programs and off he goes. Initially, the lessons include getting your fingers in shape and exercises to help with the positioning. I bought fabric to make a shower curtain and window curtain for my bathroom, a pretty turquoise blue background with brown polka dots - the color theme is turquoise and brown.

Tuesday was sewing day and I finished the shower curtain, quite satisfied with how nice it looks.

Today, we officially became citizens of Arizona, legally licensed to drive a motor vehicle and registered to vote. We still have to license the car and motor home, but that involves a little more effort since Arizona requires emissions testing on both. Our fingers are crossed that we won't have any problems.

I finished sewing the window curtain this afternoon. I love the new machine and will have to come up with plenty of projects to make the investment worthwhile. So far, those curtains I just made cost way more than what I could have paid for a high quality curtain at the store - oh well - it's all about doing things you enjoy.

The strangest thing happened yesterday afternoon. I was on the phone talking with Rene when I must have auto dialed our friends, Jim and Gwenn, in Wisconsin - my phone said the call was on hold but I lost it. When I called back, we got a good laugh about these silly cell phones and the mistakes we can make when using them. Thanks to that mistake, I learned that they would be arriving in Phoenix this Sunday and staying until Wednesday. They had no clue that we had bought a house here in Mesa, so were quite happy to learn that we could get together. We're waiting to hear more details of their trip so we can make some arrangements.

Thursday, April 15. Frisco gave me a good scare this morning. I had him tied out on the patio but I got busy inside. After about 5 minutes I went to check on him and the leash and his collar were lying in the yard. I was frantic, looking in all directions and calling his name. I turned around and here he came running toward our house between the yards and headed straight for the door, anxious to get inside. It must have been quite the adventure (probably chased after a rabbit) because he was pooped for most of the day.

Our neighbors have been curious about what we have done to the house, so we invited 6 of them for dinner and *bleep*tails this evening. Even though I kept it simple and served pulled pork sliders, coleslaw, chips, and pickles, it seemed that I was working on getting prepared for the last 2 days. I enjoy putting these things together and also entertaining guests, so it was fun but a lot of work too. We had a nice time and it feels good to be surrounded by such great folks and they certainly have made us feel welcome in the neighborhood.

Friday, April 16. Allan and Sharon came by to pick us up around 9:00 this morning, we had coffee, chatted, and then headed to the Desert Botanical Gardens to see the gardens and the Central Arizona Cactus & Succulent Society's annual show and sale. It was a perfect time to visit the gardens as the recent rains have caused the wildflowers and the cactus to bloom in a profusion of colors. The place was alive with butterflies, hummingbirds, cactus wrens, a couple of kinds of lizards, and we even got to see a Common King snake cross the path right in front of us. Fifty-seven digital images later, it was time to move on - check out the photo gallery.

As we were leaving the gardens, Sharon's phone rang - it was a call to inform Allan that he had won an Honorable Mention award at the Arizona Pastel Artist Show in Sedona. Congratulations Allan! You can see their blog at the Art In The Sun link on the right side of this page. We will be going to Sedona with them next week to see the show.

We purchased a small barrel cactus from Argentina that had lots of pink blooms and a few babies crowded around its crown. It will have to be added to the succulent garden that accompanies us when we travel in the motor home this summer, as it is too young yet to survive the summer unattended.

After touring the gardens, we headed to Scottsdale to have lunch at the Havana Cafe. As we approached the patio dining tables, the yummy smells were already getting the best of us. Mike, Allan, and I all had the Cuban sandwiches and Sharon opted for the pulled pork. We got a dessert platter and sampled chocolate bread pudding, raspberry spoon cake (it might have had rum in it), key lime pie, and flan. We all agreed that it was a great place, the food was very good, and we would return in the future.

And now, it's nap time.

Saturday, April 17. Another busy day, starting with my usual Saturday morning activity, garage sales. I found a few good ones but only bought a rolling pin. I'm really trying to not fill up this house. It already seems like it has too much stuff in it.

When I got back home, I got some laundry going and gave Frisco a good grooming; brushing, nail trim, and a bath. He is especially good about being brushed, absolutely loves it. The nail trim and bath are tolerated, although I think the baths are kind of growing on him, especially in this warm climate.

We took a little nap and then headed to the pool. Four o'clock was the perfect time to go, not crowded and just the right temperature. Another very nice day in this very nice life.

Sunday, April 18. Jim and Gwenn arrived on a 9 am flight this morning, picked up a rental car, and got to our house by about 10:30. I fixed breakfast for us and we ate as we caught up on what's been going on since we saw them last fall in Wisconsin. We definitely chuckled at the strange coincidence that brought us together once again.

They are here to check on a house that their daughter, Erin, owns in North Phoenix - another victim of the poor economy and housing market. It was supposed to be a turn around investment that would help her to pay off her Aviation Academy student loans but, unfortunately, that didn't happen and she has had to be an absentee landlord. We drove by the house and things looked ok from the outside with the exception of some weeds peeking out of the gravel and an obvious repair to some wind damage on the ceiling over the patio.

From there, we headed to Old Town Scottsdale and strolled around, peeked in the windows of a couple of art galleries, and visited a couple of shops. Most of the shops were the usual t-shirt and souvenir shops - there just aren't enough of them around. The men couldn't resist buying hats, Jim chose a Tilley and Mike an Ivy cap. I will have to get a picture later.

Jim felt like going to a steakhouse for dinner, so we thought Monti's in Tempe would be a good choice. As we pulled into the parking lot, they both recognized it as a place they had been to before. That didn't really matter because the food has been great each time we have been there and it certainly was again today.

After a long day for them (starting at 4 am Wisconsin time) and a full day for all of us, they dropped us off and headed to their hotel for a good night's sleep. We will have to see what tomorrow brings.
April 5 - 11, 2010
Thursday, April 8. I can't believe it's Thursday already and I haven't written in my journal at all. It's not that I've been terribly busy either. Mike wasn't feeling too good on Monday and Tuesday, so he wasn't up for doing much at all.

I did go shopping for fabrics for shower curtains on Tuesday morning for a while. In the evening, I spent a lot of time scanning old photos for my Family Tree. I seem to go in spurts where I'm interested in working on it. Also trying to decide if I should post it to the Ancestry.com website where others would have access. A lot of work has gone into it, so I'm certainly not averse to sharing it.

Yesterday, Mike and I went to Nan and Dales to dig up some plants that they wanted to split. I got a nice bunch of Aloe Vera, a paddle cactus that has a vertical habit rather than horizontal, and 3 very good sized Century Plants. I had to chuckle at how easy it was to dig them up, the roots are quite shallow and it didn't take a whole lot of effort. The not so easy part was the scratches and jabs from needles that my arms and hands suffered, even though I was careful and protected with gloves. Thanks to the Aloe Vera, they were quickly soothed.

This morning, we proceeded to get them in the ground at our house. It's starting to look pretty good around here. I do plan to pick up a couple of Palo Verde trees and some shrub like plants for the back yard when we get back here in the fall. The Palo Verde is a really nice tree with an open structure (not dense leaves), green trunks and branches, and soft leaves that would provide some shade but not a lot - we don't want to block the sunshine in the back yard in the winter.

A trip to the pool for an hour or so this afternoon put us in such a state of relaxation that all we could do when we got back home is take a nap. It usually gives me energy, what's up with that? We did go for a nice walk after dinner.

Friday, April 9. Today would be our grandson, Owen's 3-month birthday and I can only imagine the fun that we would be having with him. Instead, we feel the sadness for his loss and remember the day for how sorrowful it was. We can only move on and hope that Jill and Ben are able to cope and aren't giving up hope.

I convinced Mike to join me for a morning of garage and estate sales. The 1st estate sale we went to was a good one, although there wasn't a lot that tempted us to spend our money. The sale was pegged as a hoarder's sale and they were right about that. I don't think I've ever seen so many matchbooks and note pads collected from around the world. Closets and cabinets were jam packed. We did see a table that we kind of liked, didn't like the price, so we moved on. The next estate sale that we went to was a total bust - how could anyone think someone would buy that stuff? You just never know. A couple more stops at garage sales and we were done.

Allan and Sharon invited us to join them for lunch, they made yummy tostadas, complete with their fresh guacamole and salsa and fruity smoothies for dessert. We always have such a nice time with them and the dogs get along so well together. It was a nice afternoon.

Saturday, April 10. Once a month, our park has a pancake breakfast and we decided it was time to check it out this morning. It's not that we haven't considered it before, we either don't get around to signing up for it or we forget that it is going on. We were introduced to and greeted by so many friendly folks that we barely had time to eat our breakfast. We were pegged as the "freshmen" of the community and were certainly made to feel welcome, even invited to a party already.

I read about the 1st annual Italian Street Art Festival, featuring 100 artists from around the country, so we went there with Nan and Dale to check it out. After lunch at the Gordon Biersch Restaurant, we walked to where the paintings were. There were a few nice ones, the featured artist's project was getting under way, but it was kind of disappointing. There might have been 30 or so, many were quite small but nothing like what was advertised. There is definitely room for improvement on future events.

I was quite surprised to find that the sewing machine that I recently ordered was sitting at my doorstep when I got home. Yeah! I proceeded to check it out and read the manual - this will be fun as it has lots of options and I will have to learn how to operate it. My first project will be shower and window curtains for my bathroom.
April 1 - 4, 2010
Friday, April 2. Yesterday, we said our goodbyes to Pat and Roger and headed back to Mesa, stopping to pick Frisco up at Allan and Sharon's before heading back home. They invited us to join them for dinner but we were pooped after 5 days of activity and just ready to chill.

We did meet up with Allan and Sharon for lunch today at a nice deli that we found in downtown Mesa. The panini sandwiches were yummy. We sat outdoors and enjoyed a rather cool day, about 70 degrees. After that, we went through an antique mall, getting lots of reminders of the past and the stuff that we collected through the years. I'm glad we don't have it all yet, but kept only the really special items.

Sunday, April 4. Monica and I went to some garage sales and did some shopping on Saturday morning, also stopped for a sandwich before heading home. It was nice to spend time with her. The weather has been gorgeous, sunny, near 80 degrees with just enough of a breeze to keep you comfortable.

I gave the Jeep a good vacuuming to try to remove the buildup of Frisco hair that just seems to cling to every surface. What a job! After that, we gave it a good scrubbing to get the desert dust and bugs off. Our community has 2 carports for washing vehicles that is complete with hose and brush - a nice touch.

Easter Sunday at Nan and Dale's was quite nice. They recently bought a pig so we had a fresh ham that was delicious. The ham was complemented with a potato casserole, artichokes, green beans with bacon & mushrooms, and a yummy cheesecake topped with fresh fruit. It was a nice, relaxing afternoon just hanging out in their back yard by the pool. Frisco had a great time chasing the geckos.

Created on 04/02/2010 10:41 AM by bridge
Updated on 07/27/2010 04:30 PM by bridge
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