42 years ago

42 years ago I was ready...more than ready.  At 3.43 a.m. my baby girl was born.  Jennifer Joy.  She came  to join my older baby girl Melanie.  I, all of a sudden, (okay, 9 months of sudden) was the mother of two beautiful girls.  How lucky can one person be?

Jennifer, Melanie and I have been through a lot these 42 years.  But this is about Jennifer.  In February will be Melanie's turn down memory lane. 

Jennifer was a puny little thing.  She never wanted to sleep at night, making for some l-o-n-g, sleepless nights for me.  When she was just 5 months old she got very sick with a virus and spent a week in the hospital...with me right beside her the entire time.  We finally discovered she had an allergy to milk...all kinds.  Oh I hate the soy milk formula we had to feed her, but she flourished.  As a toddler she was into everything....loved to see how much mischief she could get into.  At the same time she was an even tempered, happy-go-lucky baby.

Jennifer, 2 years old

 5th Birthday, Minot AFB, ND

Lancaster CA10th Birthday

 Fast forward to teen age years. She really never did rebel like most teenagers...and if she did, she didn't do it very well. She was so busy with church and school activities while we were in Lancaster she really didn't get into much trouble. And if she did get into trouble you can bet that Billie, Christy, Tammy, Vickie, Laura or another of her good friends would be right there beside her. However, Jenn (as she is now called) always has had a huge circle of friends. Jenn was Rifle Captain inQuartz Hill High School Marching Band. I can still see and hear her practing, and her pain when she missed. She loved to twirl that Rifle and was very good at it. And her first car....a 1974 Ford Station Wagon...huge monster. A friend of ours told her Dad if he could get it started Jennifer could HAVE it. What a beast! Her first love came at about the same time; as did the first broken heart. I think I cried as much as she did!

17th birthday, Stoneridge, WA

    

 Rifle Captain, Quartz Hill HS, Lancaster CA

Dancing with Dad, 1985, Lancaster CA

19th Birthday, Irby WA

Then life threw us a curve and Jennifer wound up in a boarding school in Switzerland while here Dad and I were in Saudi Arabia.  It just about broke my heart to let her go at age 17 to a boarding school and oh, how I missed her.  She spent school breaks with us in Saudi or what ever country we were visiting.  However, boarding school gave her a great advantage I think in life...she learned to be independent, make her own choices and pay the consequences for the bad choices and reap the benefits of the good choices.  And gave her a great head start on college years.  She was so much more mature than most college freshmen, and yes, she probably taught them a few tricks from boarding school days.  She definitely was no saint!!!  :-)

New Ski gear, getting ready to leave for Boarding School, The American School in Switzerland, (TASIS) Dec, 1985

TASIS, we surprised Jenn at her graduation by bringing her cousins Sherrie and Denise along with us.  Check out the hair!!!

Over the years our relationship has grown from mother and daughter into mother, daughter and best friends.  She has turned out to be a wonderful person, caring, giving, loving and her circle of friends knows no boundaries.  She is still friends with kids from her grade school days!! 

As a daughter, Jenn has always been thoughtful...well most of the time.  There were times...but we won't go into that.  I am very fortunate to have her in my life, and so, here is to you Jennifer Joy....Happy 42nd Birthday.  Love you my baby girl.

Chowchilla, California

Chowchilla....someone mentioned this little town last night  and it got me to thinking.  This town is never far from my thoughts.  No, I am not from Chowchilla, (Azusa will always have that spot in my heart) nor have I ever really lived there, but I did spend a lot of time there.  However, it is a big part of my life and my girls lives as well.

Chowchilla is a small, sleepy town (or at least it was) in Central California.  I had never heard of it until the mid 70's when my sister and her husband moved there from Oregon.  I had to get the map out to see where it was!  There wasn't a lot there when she moved there...surrounded mostly by agriculture and right on Highway 99.  Back then the only reason you would have heard about this town was the Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping in 1976.  There was no prison in this town then, which has boosted the size and economy of this town tremendously.  It was, a sleepy, little town.  One I loved.  After my sister moved there my aunt and uncle also moved to Chowchilla...this town was really starting to become a part of my life. 

Then in 1980 my parents moved there...a perfect place to retire.  So, this small town became an intrigal part of my life as well.  All things centered on this town.  Al, Jenn and I would leave Lancaster, CA (where we were currently living) on a Friday after work to make the 250 mile trek to Chowchilla for the weekend with my parents and my family.  Melanie would migrate there from where ever she was living to see Grandma and Grandpa.  It had a hold on all of us! 

In 1984 my Dad died and was buried in Chowchilla.  I knew right then this town would always be in my thoughts and heart and that it would always be a big part of me. Mom lived there for a few years after Dad died, then she moved to Alta Loma, CA in January of 1988 and died in April of that year.  And yes, she went right back to Chowchilla to be buried next to my dad.  So, as you can see, Chowchilla has become a very big part of my life.  I will always be drawn to this not-so sleepy anymore little town.  It is part of the fabric of my life. 

Melanie lived there for a while as well and met and married her husband in Merced, which is 15 miles north of Chowchilla.  And two of my grandchildren were born in Merced, so I made a lot of trips to see them as well.  Unfortunately, this was after my parents died, but again, it was almost like I HAD to be a part of this town.

My niece still lives in Chowchilla, and we make a big effort to go through Chowchilla on our travels, even it it does take us a little longer to get where we are going.  I have so many fond memories of this town and what it represents to me.  The little white house on 13th street that mom and dad lived in; the little grocery store on the corner; the little bakery on main street; the little taco stand, etc.  So many memories........

The town has grown so much from what it was in the 80's.  There is a huge Women's Prison there now, which bought in more people and boosted the town's economy.  It has a lot of fast food places now, where there were NONE when my parents lived there...it even has a Starbucks now!!!  And it has one thing still near and dear to my heart...my parents.

So here is to you Chowchilla....a great little town with a big string attached to my heart.

Update on Al and other stuff

Well, here it is 18 days after "the fall" and Al is still in rehab.  Instead of going to a Skilled Nursing Facility as originally planned, it was decided that he could handle going straight to a rehab facility.  I was doubtful at first, and when he originally arrived at rehab I think they were doubtful as well.  He HAS to do at least 3 hours of rehab a day for Medicare to pay for it and to remain in rehab.  That is why we were doubtful.  He was very weak and not very cooperative.  Here we are almost 2 weeks later and he is doing wonderful in rehab.  It took him about a week to get with the program, but he was weak and tired from the surgery and he doesn't bounce back quickly.  Yesterday when I went in to see him he was sitting in his wheel chair (the only chair tall enough for him to get out of) and was in good spirits.  He can walk to the bathroom and back and can get in and out of bed and chair by himself.  He has also lost some weight, which is good.  His blood sugar and blood pressure is running right where it should be as well.  And his color is good; there for a while he looked pretty "gray" or "yellow".   His projected discharge date is Dec. 24, which I am so thankful for. 

In other news, well, there isn't any!  My life has pretty much revolved around going to the rehab facility or coming home from.  I can take the dogs into rehab and they love to go and the people there love to see them.  I have signed the dogs and I up for Therapy Dog classes and we start next month.  I think they will do very well.  Me?  Well I hope I can keep up with them!!!

Al's shoulder

On Dec. 1 Al fell and broke his left humerus at the shoulder.  He was walking down the handicap ramp we had built and his walker got away from him and down he went.  He had surgery on it on Dec. 4, they put in a plate, rod and pin. He really smashed it.  He is being discharged from the hospital today and will be moved to a Skilled Nursing Facility.  I have no idea how long he will be there, it could be up to 3 months, but I am hoping is will be shorter.  I hate to see all of this happening to him.  I try to take care of him, I really do, but I am learning there are just some things I can not prevent. 

I am trying to take care of myself.  Everyone tells me to "Take care of you" but I really don't know what that is or how to do it some days.  I have a friend whose husband recently went through a long illness and died and she said she really didn't know how to "take care of you" either.  What does that look like?  My daily life is wrapped up around Al and his needs.  Right now that is why I am here.  That is my main job.  I try to do things for myself as time permits, but sometimes it just isn't possible.  However, after saying that, I literally collapsed yesterday.  I took the poodles in for grooming yesterday morning; then went to the hospital.  I was at the hospital about 2 hours and then I started shaking, I was so cold, and weak.  I came home and was running a 101 temp and was cold, but hot.  I took a nap, knowing I would have to go pick up the dogs later in the day.  I finally realized that I was going no where, I was afraid to drive I was so weak and shaky.  Bruce and Holly to the rescue.  I called them and they went and picked up the very handsome, groomed, cleaned, fluffy poodles.  Whew!  And all I wanted to eat was Chicken Noodle soup and hot tea.  My sick food.  I didn't have any soup tho.  Denise to the rescue this time.  I am so very thankful for all the good friends we have around us.  Saturday while Al was in surgery Jude and Holly sat with me in a freezing, cold  waiting room. Apparently on Saturday they don't turn on the heat in the surgery waiting room because there is usually no one there!  Well, Jude found the thermostat...just as we were getting warm the doc came out and said surgery went fine.  Other friends, Jack and Sue have driven from Rio Rico, 80 miles south, to come see Al.  Gordon goes to see him every day, some times twice a day.  Gary and Jeannette have been so supportive to me, even tho Gary won't hang my outdoor Christmas lights!!!  Of course, he won't hang his own either!!!  :-)  Barb, our neighbor has been wonderful as well.  She is a hospice nurse, and she really helped when he fell.  And I can't forget to thank the Golder Ranch Fire Dept.  They sent 9 big, burly, fit, firemen up here to help get Al up when he fell.  I seem to be calling them way to often...but at least I get my firemen fix that way instead of stalking them in the grocery store!!!

So I am off to the hospital now.  Al will be moved right after lunch today.  But first, before the hospital, I am going to the chirocracker to get my back worked on.  YEA!!! 

Until the next up date, I hope all of you have a safe and wonderful day.

Groan...I am still full!

I am still stuffed from Thanksgiving!  And we are still eating leftovers...the best part of Thanksgiving dinner!!!  Hope you are yours had a wonderful turkey day.

Now it is time to start thinking about Christmas.  Oh, it's not like I don't think about it ALL YEAR, but now I have to DO something about it.  I have a few choices:  A) ignore it and go directly to January    B) Start shopping   C)  See A.  Personally, this year I favor A.  Of course, I can't do that, but from where I am sitting right now, that looks like the best option.  Then, I have to question why I don't enjoy the Holiday's like I used to?  That brings up a whole new scenario.  I think that for me, growing older and not having any of the kids around us dulls the holidays a whole lot.  AND, we have no babies near us either.  My mom used to say Christmas was for kids, and boy, the older I get more she was right, darn it all.

 Another reason is that you start seeing ads for Christmas around Halloween time and by the time December rolls around I am already tired of it all.  The commercialism of Christmas reallys gets to me.  I wonder if I just didn't buy any gifts this year for any one if any one would notice?  I just may try that and see what happens?  OH, I know no one would probably have the guts to say to me "HEY, where is my gift?"; well, maybe a few would, but for the most part, probably no one would notice.  I might just try that!  Sounds better to me all of the time.  Instead of buying gifts for everyone I would just donate the money to a charity.  Beginning to sound better and better to me.  None of our children really need/want anything that I can afford; and for the most part, our grandchildren are grown and none of them need/want anything that I can afford; our great grandchildren get so much from so many people, it almost seems foolish to try and buy them something they don't have, because as far as I can see they have everything they need/want.  See A above.

AND I don't want to decorate either.  Just see no point in pulling out all of those boxes, put up the tree, then in late December (like the 26th) take it all down and haul it back to the shed for 11 months and 2 weeks of storage.  Makes no sense to me. 

I want to go back to the real reason for the season...the birth of Jesus.  FORGET the hussle and bussle of trying to buy the perfect gift for everyone.  If it truly is the season of giving, then lets give to the poor, unfortunate people that NEED it; I think this year I am going to do just that.  Donate to the less fortunate through our church.  DONE DEAL. 

This rant was brought to you by the Christmas Scrooge.

It's almost over

It's almost over...all the election campaign ads.  I AM SICK OF ALL OF THEM!  Why can't someone run for office and not sling mud at his/her opponent?  Why can't they tell us what they would do if elected instead of telling us what their opponents have done/will do?  Why can't there be a law that they can only run campaign ads for 30 days before election?  Nuff said. My mute button on the TV remote is about dead.

I had the opportunity to get away for a long weekend a couple of weeks ago...rest I did not get, but fun I had.  I flew to Seattle, daughter-in-law Janet picked me up and took me to Jenn's house.  The next day, Friday, Janet, Jenn and good friend Kathy and I took the train (Amtrak) to Leavenworth for a couple of days.  Leavenworth is a little Bavarian town in the mountains.  In the 70's the logging industry was drying up in this town and the townspeople were trying to keep their little town alive.  Someone thought of doing the town over into a Bavarian town ... kind of like if we build it they will come; and come they have!  Lots of little shops to browse; great German food. I had schnitzel and spaetzle for lunch and it was wonderful.  The weather forecast wasn't too great, however, we started off Saturday morning with bright sunny skies. Around noon it started to get cloudy and by mid-afternoon the sun had disappeared and it was starting to get down right cool (well, cool for me).  All four of us walked, walked and walked on Saturday and surprisingly  by back held up fairly well.  Usually after a couple of hours on my feet like that my back will put me out for the day.

We were up early the next morning, had to catch the train back to Seattle at 6:00 a.m., which meant the shuttle was picking us up at 5:00 am...  It was pouring down rain and of course the train was late, but only by 30 minutes.  There were about 30 people waiting for the train and we all managed to squeeze into two small shelters.   Back to Jenn's, we were home by 9:00 a.m.  Both Jenn and I were exhausted!  I managed a nap that afternoon!  Sherrie (niece) came over to Jenn's that evening and had a good visit.  Monday morning I was back on the airplane on my way home.  Thanks to Gordon and Denise for staying with Al while I was gone getting some "rest".

Things have been fairly normal here.  Al is doing about the same; however, he has developed a new problem in the last few days, he is having a hard time breathing.  Doc said for him to get up out of the chair and walk more so his lungs will be able to clear.  That hasn't happened and no matter how much I ask him (read: nag) he refuses to do it.  He says it hurts to walk, and it probably does, but if he would at least start walking just 50 feet a day he could build up to a good distance, but he refuses.  Stubborn bohunk! 

I have started my own walking routine.  Every other day the dogs and I drive over to the new mall and walk the nice walking trail there.  This trail runs for miles and miles and today we walked over 2 1/2 miles.  Taking both dogs present a challenge and today I decided I would only take one dog at a time from now on.  While walking today they saw a coyote and both wanted to go after it and it was all I could do to hold them back.  On the days I don't do the trail I am doing our private road, which, if you have ever been here, you know is a good work out.  It is .4 miles down to the road and .4 miles (feels like 40 miles) back UP the road...including the fairly steep hill.  It is a good workout!

The weather has been absolutely wonderful.  Cool nights, warm days, and some hot days thrown in just to remind us where we are.  Friday we broke all kinds of records, it was 94 here. 

I got to visit the oscopy brothers last Thursday, you know, colon and endoscopy.  I don't mind the actual procedure, heck I am asleep and it is some of the best sleep I get anymore.  BUT I HATE THE PREP DAYS!  However, that is over for another few years...haven't gotten the results back, but the doc said it looked okay and even gave me the pictures he took.  Something for my scrapbook?

Well, here it is November already.  I have no idea where this year went.  Christmas ads are already on TV and stores are already decorated....kinda' takes the fun out of the holidays for me!

Until next time..........

Where has the time gone?

Really?  It's been how long since I posted a blog?  5 weeks!  Let's see...what has happened in the past 5 weeks?  Apparently not much. 

It is still warm in the old pueblo; however, it isn't scorching hot!  We have actually had the windows and doors open for a while.  It is so nice to get some fresh air into the house!

Al has been doing fairly well.  He still has so many issues it is hard to keep up with them.  Between the diabetes, kidneys failing, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, congestive heart failure, etc......  Every week there is at least 1 if not more doctor appointments and at least 2 physical therapy appointments, so needless to say, it keeps me busy.

We had planned a trip to Missouri to see grand and great grand kids, however two days before we were to leave, Al got sick and we had to postpone.  I was amazed how accommodating SW airlines was!  We are hoping to go next month.

I will be taking a weekend off this coming weekend.for my rest weekend.  I am going to Seattle for the weekend.  A very needed break.

Well, since nothing much is happening around here, I will post this blog and hope that the coming weeks will be as uneventful as the past have been.

What is this? Do I feel Fall in the air?

Tucson
Ahhhh, it feels a bit like Fall around here!  Finally!!!  Yes, Fall is in the air, albeit, it is still in the 90's during the day; it is cooling down into the 60's at night.  AHHHH.  Cool nights are returning.  The air feels "crisp" in the morning and evening.  The sun's position in the sky is different, casting different shadows on our mountains in the evening.  The air just feels different, it just feels better.  Gone is the humidity of the monsoons and the strange bugs that comes with the monsoons.  Don't get me wrong, I prefer heat over cold, but I wasn't bargaining for the HOTTEST summer on record!!!!  But we have survived it....and  even enjoyed parts of it.  The storms were amazing.  Even the heat was bearable; until the humidity set in.   Now, we can sit out on our deck in the morning and evening and enjoy our mountains.  Yes, summer is over, no more triple digit temperature days...I hope.

The Santa  Catalina Mountains

Al is doing much better.  At least for now.  He will see the Nephrologist next Tuesday and we will see where we go from there.  Sure hope it isn't to dialysis; but if it is, we will deal with it.

We celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary this week.  We both agreed it didn't seem like 29 years...each year has brought us the ups and downs that a marriage brings; but for the most part they have been good years.  Looking at 30 next year. 

Now that the heat has cooled off, I am starting my walking plan back up.  It was just to darn hot to walk in the heat and unless I wanted to get up at 4:00 a.m. (NOT) to walk, I wasn't walking.  Denise and I are going to try and walk at least 3 times a week at the school track.  Since she is recovering from hip replacement surgery and I am just, plain, out of shape, we will take it slow and build up our stamina (I am not sure that word is in my vocabulary!)  

So until next time.....we are getting comfortable in Tucson again.

A month later

Well, here it is a month after my last post.  I can't seem to keep caught up these days, with anything!

After I returned home from LA Al wasn't feeling well so into the doctor we go.  While in the doctor's office Al took a turn for the worse and the EMT's were called and carted him off to the ER (next door to the doc's office.)  After a LONG time in ER, Al was admitted for observation.  He did have a minor stroke while in the doctors office.  However, the neurologist that saw him in the hospital discovered that he also had Parkinson's disease!  That's a new medical problem to add to the rest of his problems.  However, it is being controlled by yet another pill (he only takes 28 pills a day!)  After a few days in the hospital the doc's let him come home. 

We had a peaceful, albeit, hot couple of weeks at home.  Had some good monsoon storms to keep us occupied. 

On Aug. 23 Al had a doctor appointment for his regular follow up.  The doc ran some routine blood tests while we were there.  That evening the doc called me and told me to take AL back to the hospital, that he was in kidney failure.  His kidneys were basically shutting down!  So back to the ER we went for admission back into the hospital.  The Nephrologist on call just happened to be the one we see, so we felt fortunate we didn't have to see another new doctor.  He felt that Al was dehydrated...I was amazed.  Al drinks tons of water a day; however, he is also on a pill for water retention and it was working overtime and dehydrated him.  So for 3 days he was in the hospital with and IV drip to hydrate him.  Kidneys finally kicked back in to 20%, which for Al is normal.  We still arent' sure if he will have to go on dialysis yet, but at least he didn't have to have emergency dialysis.  What a fun month this has been!  I DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE LIKE THIS!   Al is home and feeling pretty good now, but I am watching him like a hawk, of course, sometimes that doesn't do any good either.  :-)

In other news, ummm,  life is pretty quiet here.  The weather is beginning to cool off to the low 90's and it isn't so darn humid.  We are still suppose to get a couple more monsoon rains, which are very welcoming.  The desert is a beautiful green right now...so pretty to see.  Of course, with the heat we have it won't take it long to turn back to brown.  We even have some cactus in bloom right now; pretty orange blooms on some of the barrel cactus. 

I am deep into my genealogy research again.  It is something I can do from home and I really enjoy it.  Of course at times I get so confused I don't know who I am!  As Jennifer says, we don't have a family tree, it's more like a hedge!  So true.

Until next time.......hope everyone is happy and healthy.  Live each day like it is your last!

You can't go Home again!

It's been a while since I posted a blog.  I know I have been busy, but didn't realize that I hadn't blogged in over a month!!!!

Let's see....where did July go?  The first part of July, good friend Denise had hip replacement surgery.  Let me tell you, NOTHING slows this woman down.  I called her super woman!  She was walking the halls in the hospital the day of surgery and was walking up our road (nice, BIG hill) a week after surgery!  And I am so proud of her.  After smoking for most of her life, she quit 3 months ago.  YEAH...another convert!

Melanie came down from Portland for a two week visit.  We managed to cover a lot of ground while she was here, including Sedona, Grand Canyon and most of Tucson.  We really had a good visit and hated to see her go back home.  It's been way too long since I have had my oldest daughter here and especially for a long time.  It was good for both of us. 

I took her to the Phoenix airport on July 29 for her flight to Portland and I hopped a flight to Southern California.  Not by choice, mind you.  One of my cousins who has so bravely been fighting breast cancer for 8 years lost her fight on July 23.  Her funeral was July 31 and I decided I should go.  I haven't been "home" for a long time to see all the Emery cousins and I did want to pay my respects to Nancy.  So I flew into Burbank, Dan picked me up and took me up to their house in Acton.  Big fire going on in Palmdale; but then it seems like there is always a fire somewhere in So. Cal. this time of year.   I borrowed his car and drove to my brother John's house in Glendora on Saturday....on the freeway, just before I got off to go to his house, a huge puff of smoke in the mountains above his house.  Fire in Glendora Canyon!   UGH!  The LA County Fire Dept got that one out ASAP!  Good thing as everything is tinder dry. 

Emery Cousins: Patty, John, JoEllen, Linda, Cindy, Bob, Beverly

The Emery cousin reunion was after the funeral, held at  Pat and Jack's in Alta Loma.  Perfect weather that day and we were all there minus two.  That is pretty good for us; however, most of the cousins still live in the So. Cal area.  Then there are the rebels like myself who want no part of that area. 

As I said in the title, you can't go home again. I have been back to Azusa/Glendora many times since I left years ago and I can't imagine myself living there again.  A lot has changed ( who built houses way up in San Gabriel Canyon???  Don't they know it WILL burn?) and a lot hasn't.  After leaving my brothers on Sunday afternoon I decided to just drive around and look .. something I haven't been able to do by myself in years.  I know it bores Al to death when I do this, so this was my chance.  Glendora has really remained a lot the same.  Oh, different shops in what is now called the "Village" of Glendora (we always called it downtown!!) but basically the same.  Azusa has changed  a lot.  Downtown (I think it is still downtown and not "Village"...) has been updated, which it really needed.  My favorite restaurant, El Patio, which was the best Mexican restaurant ever, is gone.  It is now a BBQ place!! Oh Mary, where are you???  You made the best enchiladas in the world.  BUT, my second favorite, La Tolteca is still there, different location, but still the same.  And they still make the BEST taquito's in the world.  I stopped and bought a dozen and took them back to Billie and Dan's, however, only 10 made them back.  I drove up San Gabriel Canyon to Morris Dam...and with the exception of the houses previously mentioned, that is pretty much the same.  Of course, I drove by all the houses I lived in while growing up...and they all pretty much look the same, smaller than I remember, but the same. 

 I enjoyed  my day of "going home", but for me home is where Al is and that is Tucson.  I got home yesterday and glad to be home.  It is still hot, but that is fine with me.

Seattle back to Tucson

Tucson, AZ  currently 102 degrees

Yep, it's warm in the old pueblo.  Summer has definitely set in.  However, the heat doesn't seem to bother us, we are enjoying our air conditioner.  Usually in the early evening, after 5:00 p.m. we go out on the deck where it is shade by that time and sit out and watch the sunset and enjoy the wonderful evening.  After all, we have lived in Lancaster, CA and Saudi Arabia, so heat shouldn't be a problem for us.

My last blog left us in Seattle, so I will continue from there.  We spent Memorial Day in Odessa.  Al's family always has a reunion over memorial day and there were 109 relatives that attended this one.  We had a good visit, but Al was worn out after it was over.  The services at the cemetery were wonderful as well...however, the weather was threatening rain the entire time, it held off until the next day.  One thing that did happen that amazed me was while we were at the cemetery during the services we were all singing "Amazing Grace" and the sun peeked through the heavy black clouds and sent rays on the cemetery.  Kinda' spooky.

Our granddaughter Cammie spent the weekend with us as well.  Sure enjoyed seeing her.  She is going to school in Moses Lake, in the nursing program.  She will make an excellent nurse.

Wednesday we headed to Portland to visit daughter Melanie and family.  The weather continued to be ugly, but we enjoyed our visit with Melanie.  Her dog, Guy, is more ball crazy than Beau....I didn't think it was possible!

After Portland we headed south to Central Point to visit with my sister Jean and family.  We got to see my nieces Sue, Pam and Kay and Kay's family while we were there.  FUN.  On our way to POrtland we stopped in Salem and had lunch with old friends Arley and Betty...tried to get caught up in two hours...impossible!

Finally on the 16th we decided it was time to head towards Tucson.  We left Central Point and headed towards Klamath Falls and Lakeview...it has been over 50 years since I was in that area.  Enjoyed the drive, but my friend the wind was back.  Matter of fact, I fought wind the entire trip back to Tucson.  We spent the first night in Reno; didn't even drop a nickle in a slot machine!!!  From Reno our next stop was Las Vegas and by the time we got there we were to tired to do any gambling!  The next day we drove over Hoover Dam, probably for the last time as the new bridge will open in the future and the dam will be closed off for cars.

 From there, I decided our next stop would be home.  I was like an old horse going to the barn.....I wanted to be home.  We arrived home around 6:30 pm and I can't tell you how good it was to be home.  Dogs, cats and friends were sure all a welcomed sight!

This past week has been spent catching up on laundry, mail, etc.  Next week will start the doctor routines again.  Al did fairly well on this trip, however, his legs and ankles were pretty swollen by the time we got home.  I put compression hose on him ( it took both of us to stuff his legs into them!) and the swelling has gone down. 

One sad note, Marilyn (Al's ex-wife) husband died while we were gone. He was 93 years old and in pretty good health, but got a nasty infection and just couldn't beat it. He was a nice man and we enjoyed knowing him.

It is getting a little on the warm side here as I said before, but hopefully the monsoons will start soon and cool us off, or just make it humid, who knows!

 
On another note, I just love the Saguaro Cactus - here is a picture of one after bloom with crown of thorns.

Until next time, we are unWroamin' again.

BRRR--Seattle

Greetings from the cold, wet Pacific Northwest! 

I am such a dork!  I KNOW better, but somehow when I am packing for a trip to anywhere, I pack clothes for where I am instead of where I am going!  My mind will NOT let me realize that it may be cold where I am going...such as in Seattle!  Needless to say, I am cold.  Oh well, I pay for my stupidity.

We have had a busy month, full of company in Tucson.  Mike and Bev were the first to arrive and Bev stayed an extra week so we could play and play we did.  I had a great time with her there.  Then Jerry arrived to pick up our truck and 5th wheel trailer.  He took it back to Odessa and he will be using it for a while.  While he was still in Tucson Ric and Janet arrived.  It was so much fun having them there together.  Jerry and Ric worked in the yard, or should I just say the outside, trimming trees and disposing of pack rat nests around the house.  The little critters are becoming a real pest.  Janet was sure a big help around the house as well...she seemed to be busy all of the time!

Jerry left with the truck and trailer on May 16; heading towards Odessa.  We dropped Ric and Janet off at the Phoenix airport on the 18th and we kept going north.  Made it to Kanab, Utah the first night.  I was so tired by the time we got there I couldn't have driven another mile.  But, surprise to us, most of the hotel/motels were full!  Apparently Tuesday is the day that all the tourist buses arrive!  We finally found a room in an older, but very clean motel.  Had a wonderful dinner of Navajo Taco's that night.  YUM

Next morning up early and off again.  We stopped in Mt. Carmel Jct. for breakfast and ordered the senior breakfast.  Holy smokes...if that was the size of the senior meal I am glad we didn't order the regular meal..it was huge!  After trying to plow our way through it, we decided to take Hwy 9 through Zion national park.  We have driven this route once before in the pickup, but decided we would be able to enjoy it much more in the van.  It was a great drive, beautiful scenery and we both enjoyed it.  We hit I-15 and I was in a driving mood, so we drove to Twin Falls, ID that night.  I was tired by the time we arrived, had to fight a cross wind all day.

Up early on Thursday and off again...by this time I am settling in to the "driving" mode.  Still fighting wind, but now rain has been added to the mix.  We stopped in Baker City, Oregon (pretty little city) for lunch then headed up Blue Mtn pass.  It was raining pretty hard and then that turned to SNOW at the top of the pass.  Fortunately it wasn't sticking to the road, but it was snow!  In MAY!  Late MAY!  Come on, give me a break.  Finally ran out of the snow on the Pendleton side of the pass.  And for the first time I didn't dread going down the Pendleton hill...no trailer behind me pushing me!!

We stayed in Yakima on Thursday night...wind still blowing hard.  Yakima is in the middle of the Washington wine area and I was wishing we had more time to stop at a few of the vineyards.  After a good nights rest we drove on into Jennifer's in the Seattle area on Friday, arriving about noon.  Glad the drive was over, but I did enjoy it and so did Al.

Saturday was the reason we were here...the wedding of Jesse Brasch to Jessica Bos.  Jesse is the son of good friends Rowland and Kathy and we were determined not to miss this wedding.  The wedding was perfect as far as I was concerned.  Very short ceremony and a long reception!  We enjoyed seeing friends and family. 

Yesterday  we had Gary, Jeannette, Kali, Scott and little Josh over for lunch.  Josh is 2 1/2 years old and we haven't seen him in over a year!  Boy has he grown.  Sure a cute little guy!  Last night Sherrie and Margo were here for dinner...so we are getting some family and friend time in.  Tonight and tomorrow we will see friends for dinner as well...always a busy, fun time while in Seattle.

We left the dogs and cats in the capable care of Gordon and Denise...but we sure do miss them.  Very odd not to have them with us. 

We are off to Odessa on Saturday for Memorial Day family reunion.  Then on the 1st we will head to Portland to see Melanie and family, then on to Medford area to visit with my sister before we head down the California coast. 

More later as we wroam!

Snake Training -- recheck

Tucson

First and foremost, we are proud to announce the arrival of great granddaughter #5---Molly Faye on April 21, weighting in at 7 lbs 14 oz (just the same as her grandmother weighted).  Proud parents are David and Tiffany. 

Tiffany with Sophie Denise (2), Ada JoEllen (1) and Molly Faye (new)

Okay, so exactly one year from the day I initially took the dogs to snake avoidance training (still boggles my mind that I really did this to begin with) I took them back for their yearly re=check.  Yup, the snakes are still "leashed" and alive and rattling like crazy.  Up first was Schuster, who bounded out of the car to go play with the other dogs, took about 3 steps, stopped and sniffed, and RACED back to the car...hell no, I won't go!!!  GOOD BOY!  Then I leash Beau and he takes off for the other dogs and thinking there might be a ball around, all of a sudden he stops, sniffs and runs back (dragging me behind him ) to the car.  Yes, both of the dogs are still afraid of snakes....YES!  My Mom and I did a good job!  :-)  For those of you who don't remember, my mom made my little brother and I so afraid of snakes when we were kids in Oregon and we still carry that fear!

This creepy snake showed up at our house earlier this month.  The Fire department came and captured it so they could release it in the "wild".  I found out the  "wild" was right across the street in the wash!  Next snake we find won't be so lucky!!!

In other un-news; we are still playing "how many doctor appointments can we squeeze into one week?"  The answer is more than I care to think about.  And we added a new doctor to our list, and not an "olgist" this time but and orthopedist!  Al's shoulder is giving him a hard time so we went to see what that was all about.  Worn rotator cuff is the culprit; doc gave him a shot in the shoulder (I didn't watch) and then sent him off to see a physical therapist.  That starts next week...in the midst of all this I am still going to hand therapy.  I don't know if there will be enough hours in the day to fit in all of this "therapy" AND doctor appointments.  AND we are both sneezing ---  hmmm, it's spring and the dreaded mesquite trees are in full bloom and so are our sinuses.  ACHOOOO

Billie and Dan were here for a very short visit earlier this month.  They brought all 4 of our grand dogs with them...Kiki, yellow lab, very old; Cleo, heinz 47 mix; Mocha, poodle mix and young and the newest, Bailey, poodle mix as well.  Our dogs were very happy to see them...they all played.  The cats on the other hand weren't so very happy!

Mike and Bev arrived next, and Mike spent last Wed to Sun here, then he had to go back to work (work???) in St. Louis.  Bev is staying for an additional week and I tell you Tucson will never be the same.  We have shopped and hit every quilt shop in town...I may be able to start quilting again soon.  We had Al's birthday party here last Friday night and had a house full.  I had planned to have it out on the deck, however, weather didn't cooperate and we wound up in the house.  Speaking of weather, last week we had some very cold, January type days...then over the weekend it warmed up and today it was 94.  Tomorrow (weekend coming) it is suppose to cool down and be cold again!!!!  Not normal for Tucson for this time of the year.

Well, that's about all the news from this end for now. I will post a new blog when we finish the doctor rounds next week so I can tell you about what the plan is for dialysis for Al.  I am sure none of this is going to be fun!

Really? A Month???

Tucson
Has it really been a month since I posted a blog?  What's wrong with me?  Where have I been? 

The what's wrong with me answer is "Too much on my plate and not enough time!"  The Where have I been answer would be, doctors office. physical therapy, doctors office, physical therapy, repeat over and over.  It seems as if I haven't had a doctors appointment, Al has; and I have been spending time at the physical therapist office trying to get my right hand to work again!

Progress has been slow with my hand it seems, or, knowing me, I am just impatient!  I want my hand to work NOW!!  I do have most of the use back most of the time, however, having said that I am still typing with only one finger on the right hand most of the time -- sure has slowed my typing speed WAY down.  My thumb and pinky have most of the feeling back, the other three fingers are still numb most of the time, but I am working hard on getting the feeling back in them.  I get so frustrated with the lack of strength in my hand and that doesn't help my disposition any either!

The news on Al isn't the best.  He has seen so many doctors in the last month I have lost count, and can only say I am so glad I have a calendar that I  keep up to date or we would be lost!  His kidney function is way down, we are talking only 20% function.  So now we are probably looking at dialysis, or so the Nephrologist says.  A couple more tests are in the works for Al before we start the dialysis; and I can only say this won't be fun at all.  Al isn't eating very much (which isn't AL) and really doesn't have the energy to do anything.  Between the kidneys, diabetes and alzheimers, life just isn't fun for him.  Plus I watch him like a hawk; sometimes too much, but I am scared not to.  Plus he has  trouble walking; so I am always aware of where he is, sure don't want him to fall.

A bright spot in our life is that we have had company; good friends Kathy and Rowland Brasch were here for a week.  We really enjoyed them; even got out to go to Tombstone and Bisbee one day and Al enjoyed the ride.  He couldn't walk very far; but enjoyed being out. 

Now we are waiting for daughter Bille and son in law Dan to arrive on Monday for a short visit; then later this month son Mike and wife Bev will be here -- can't wait!  Next month son Ric and wife Janet will be here, which we are looking forward to as well.

Weather here has been fairly good, had some cold, cloudy days, but I think those are over for a long while as we are now starting to heat up for the summer months.  Speaking of which, we won't be going north this summer unless Al improves dramatically.  So we will spend our very first FULL summer here in Tucson -- which I don't mind in the least.  I keep telling myself it can't be as hot as it was when we were in Riyadh! 

Friends Denise and Gordon are still here as well; and I can't say how glad we are that they are here.  They are living in their 5th wheel and it is parked on our lower lot, which we had an RV pad built last year.  They are really a huge help for us and do a lot to help my well being.  What great friends they are!

Until next time, we hope all is well with all of you!

Visits from our Australian Cousins

Tucson    
Last weekend we have the pleasure of being visited by Al's cousin Christine and her husband Denys from Australia.  They are such a fun couple and we were sorry they could only stay for two days, but we were happy to be included on their visit to the U.S.  Christine is originally from Quincy, WA; but has been in Australia since she married Denys some 38 years ago.  We had agreat visit; loved hearing about their family and friends.

On Saturday we drove them around Tucson; stopping to treat them to a Sonoran Hotdog; driving up to "A" mountain where they climbed up to the top of the "A"'; took them to San Xavier Mission and then out to dinner for Mexican food.

Sunday was ugly -- it rained and blew all day.  We stayed home so they could get their internal clocks reset.  Sunday afternoon we had Gary, Jeannette, Bruce, Holly, Gordon, Denise and Bob grabow over for dinner and to visit with the Aussies.  Gary is Christines cousin and Holly is her 2nd cousin.  We all enjoyed the day.

Monday bright and early (3:00a.m.) we took them to the airport where they were headed for Kansas City to visit her aunt and then on to Seattle.  They have a busy 3 weeks ahead of them.

My hand is doing better -- I am doing physical therapy twice a week now.  It is stilla bit numb and typing with it is hard as 3 of my 4 fingers are still numb, basically only my thumb and pinkie are of any use.  PT is suppose to help this.

Weather has been beautiful the rest of this week.  However, it is suppose to rain again this weekend -- we sure have had a wet winter this year, but the desert is sure green and pretty!

Our great granddaughter Natasha will have her last round of radiation tomorrow.  Then she will wait a month and then go back in for more tests.  She sure is a trooper -- and so is her mom and grandparents.  Bev has been taking her for most of her treatments so Sarah can continue to work,  Natasha goes in early and is at school only a few minutes late each day.  She has gone to school throughout all of this -- amazing 10 year old.

Sonoran Hot Dog -- YUM

Tucson
First of all, I went to the hand doctor yesterday and he took out the remaining stitch and "freed" me!  I can resume normal use of the hand, as tolerated!  But, I do have to go to physical theraphy for the hand, which I will start tomorrow.  The hand feels really good and is healed, so perhaps I am on the way to getting my life back!!!

Today our friends from Montana, Gordon and Denise and Al and I took off on a quest to find a Sonoran Hot Dog.  What is a Sonoran Hot Dog you ask?  The Sonoran hot dog may take the phrase "with everything" to new heights. It starts with a hot dog wrapped in bacon. Then you begin piling on the beans, grilled onions, fresh onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, cream sauce, mustard and jalapeno salsa. Add radishes, cucumbers, whole chilies and even mushrooms, if you want.  We went to the best place in town, El Guero Canelo down in South Tucson for this delectably delicious treat.  We were first amazed to find it very crowded; but more amazed by the price!  $2.50 gets you a Sonoran Hot Dog with all the trimmings and a bottle of Coke--a real glass bottle too!  El Guero Canelo has been dishing up dogs since 1993 and we think it is well worth the drive.  However, we did discover they do have a dog stand a bit closer to us so next time we will try it. 

Sonoran Hot Dog, and yes, there really is a hot dog in there!

TheWeather has been better here the last few days after having rain for a few days; but rain is predicted for the weekend again and we are having company for the weekend.  Al's cousin Christine and her husband Denys from Australia will be here.  We were hoping to do something fun like go to Tubac or someplace like that, but if the weather is rainy that will be a no go!  Oh, I know, we will take them for a Sonoran Hot Dog!!!!

Bye bye Picc line

Tucson
Bye bye PICC line!  YES!!! I saw the infection Doc yesterday and the recent blood test showed I was greatly improved so he pulled the PICC line.  I asked him if it was gonna' hurt when he pulled it (yes, I am a wimp) and he laughed and said "I already have pulled it!"  Yup---there it was in his hand!!  WHOOHOO!  I feel 100% better already!

Holly went with me to the doctor, so afterwards we went out to lunch.  We found a great Deli, "Shlomo's & Vito's" NY style deli --  yum!!  Gotta take Al to this place!  It's part Jewish style deli and Italian style deli and ALL GOOD. 

Rain in the old pueblo today, which we need.  However the PGA Accenture Match Play is going on not far from us, so I am sure they aren't enjoying the rain.

More later --  I need to let my hand rest!

ICK! ICK! ICK! WHAT A MESS!

Tuesday feb 16
Tucson
Another short blog. WHAT A MESS I AM IN!!!   My hand was healing fine -- I was beginning to feel human again and WHAM--i got hit with a massive infection in my hand.  Superbowl Sunday after watching the Saints win, my hand started to swell up---I thought it was gonna' pop!!!  ANd it really started to hurt.  I took two painkillers and went to bed---and even the painkillers didn't touch the pain.  Monday found me in the hand doc's office begging for relief.  Yup---got an infection---sent me home with antibiotics and wrapped my hand and told me to keep it above my heart at all times (take two asprin and call me in the morning routine?) Back to see him Wednesday, I am no better.  He lances the incision and takes out the stitches OUCH --  ever had 4 shots in the palm of your hand that was very sore to begin with?  OH MY GOSH -- I thought I was going to faint!  And by this time I am the queen of pain pills - taking two every four hours, and still no relief.  Anyway, to make a long story longer, he drains the incision, and has me come back early on Thursday - to which I was still no better.  So,,off to the infection doc I go -- same one Al had last year and that I really liked.  His words were "ICK" nasty infection.  And we still don't know what type of infection it is, but staph is suspected.  He decides to put me on IV antibiotics, massive doses.  So last Friday I had a picc line installed ( I asked if they could put a USB port in as well, but guess technology isn't that far along) and started on massive doses of antibiotics -- home healthcare nurse trained our friend Denise how to administer the IV, twice daily.

Speaking of Denise -- her and her hubby Gordon are very good friends from Montana who are thawing out here and spending the winter parked in our RV pad we had built.  WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEM HERE -- AND WE THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR SENDING THEM HERE.  I truly don't know how we would had managed without them.  She not only does my meds, but she has basically had to be cheif cook as as well.

Back to the hand -- it is much better now.  Saw the infection doc yeaterday and he said if I keep doing well I can get rid of the picc line possibly by Friday, which I would be very happy to do.

Thursday
The infection is Staph -- great!!  However I am doing much better and hope to get rid of the $%^&*# picc line tomorrow!!

Ow, Ow, Ow

Tucson
After arriving home last Saturday, things have been a bit of a blur!

First of all, I am typing this with just my left hand.  I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand last Tuesday,  All in all it is healing nicely.  I removed the big bandaid on Friday and I do have a little feeling coming back into my fingers.  I have discovered there are quite a few things I can do with only one hand & the left one at that!  Then there are just things that absolutely cannotbe done -- don't ask.


More when I can type.

More of New Orleans

Jan 19, Tuesday, New Orleans


The condo we are staying in was built in 1842….and yes, it has been modernized over the years, however, the exterior looks like 1842. We are right in the middle of the French Quarter as well. In the French Quarter you can modernize the inside of a house/townhouse/building, but you can not change the exterior. You have to maintain the old French Quarter appearance. I find it very charming.



Ron and Melanie left today, heading back to Portland. Little by little our group is dwindling down. We have two more full days in New Orleans after today. Time flies when you are having fun. We reallly enjoyed having all of our kids with us on this trip.



Ric, Janet, Jenn and Jerry are off to explore the cemetaries today. I was going to go with them, but decided to take a break today. We had lunch at Clover’s Café…a true 1950’s diner on Bourbon St. and St.Louis St. in the heart of the French Quarter. The hamburgers are cooked on a grill and covered with an old hubcap!!! Very good and worth the walk. Right now Jack and Suzi are off on a walk and Al is resting. He seems to be doing a lot of that lately.

Tonight we had dinner at the Crazy Lobster, which is at the end of the River Walk. Jerry had the “Seafood Bucket” which is what they are famous for. It contained a full lobster, shrimp, crab, mussels, corn, potatoes and was huge. He managed to eat most of it with a little help from his dad! Janet and I had red beans and rice; Jenn had jambalaya…all was very good. So I have tasted this trip beignets, hurricane, pralines, jambalaya, po boy sandwich, etouffee, gumbo, red beans and rice, and only have a muffelatta left to try. UGH…I am full!



Jan. 20, HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY GARY

Up late this morning, guess I was tired! Woke up to rain and mist and fog…eerie!



Jack, Suzi, Jenn and I took off walking this morning to Café DuMonde for yet another round of coffe au late and beignets. Then it was shopping time…through the French Market and the shops that surround them. The French Market is comparable to Pike Place Market in Seattle…a little smaller, but not all of the vendors were out today. Loved walking around in the fog and mist however. The sun came out later this afternoon. I think I will take a walk around the French Quarter this afternoon….just can’t get enough! For someone who didn’t expect to like New Orleans, I am really liking it.

After a lunch of a quarter muffalatta sandwich, which was exceptionally good and they are huge; Jenn and Suzi conned me into taking a walk with them. What they forgot to tell me is that I was going to be walking all over the French Quarter. Actually, it was fun, but I had to give them grief about it. They were doing a walking tour from a book Suzi bought today. There was really a structured tour in the book, but we didn’t discover that until the VERY END of the walk!!! We kinda’ zig-zagged all over the French Quarter. At one point we had just visited the cathedral and were standing on the corner trying to decide which place to go next and the heavens let loose and it poured. Of course, we had left our umbrella’s and poncho’s at the condo….so we found a store selling ponchos, put them on and it stopped raining!!! It figures! We didn’t let a little rain stop us….we continued our walking tour. We stopped for a cup of coffee and to let our feet rest for a while, and then we were off again. Finally, just as it was getting dark we returned to the condo. Tonight for dinner we went to Mona Lisa’s restaurant, right around the corner…excellent Italian food. Fun day….



Jan 21, THURSDAY

Our group here is dwindling rapidly here….Jenn, Janet and Ric left today…what was 12 is now down to 5!

After Jack took them to the airport, he picked us up and we went to the WWII Museum….all I can say is WOW. That was a great museum. I learned more there than I learned from the school books about WWII!

After that we set out to find a Sam’s Club (since there is no Costco anywhere around!!) for a broasted chicken. Well, it wasn’t exactly as easy as we thought! Lucy, my GPS, wouldn’t, couldn’t find a Sam’s club here …. The gps on Jacks phone said one place and the gps on my phone said another….after many wrong turns we finally found it. When we got in, they were out of broasted chickens and we had to wait 20 minutes for one…..we could have stayed lost for a bit longer I guess.

Tomorrow we are headed home…well back to Phoenix. We will stay overnight in Phoenix since I don’t like driving in the dark and especially through the desert. I talked to Denise at home and we are really having the wind and rain….winds up to 30 mph and 50-60 mph gusts…ugh.

Back to New Orleans

Jan 17, Sunday New Orleans

We arrived back in New Orleans early this morning and by 10:00 a.m. we were off the ship and on our way to our condo for the week. After checking in and discovering our condo was on the second floor (I had requested a handicapped, first floor unit) it was a question as to if Al was going to be able to handle the stairs; however, he did fine. We dumped our luggage and went in search of lunch and a WalMart for supplies for the week. We will probably eat breakfast in the condo and lunch and dinner out. Way too many good restaurants in this town and way too little time!!!

After finding Walmart we decided to eat first so went back to the VooDoo BBQ for lunch. All I can say it this place is advertised as the best bbq in New Orleans and we agree.

This afternoon Jack, Suzi, Ron, Mel, Jenn all took a long walk. Al and I just rested and I got caught up with emails. For dinner all of us went to Landry’s Seafood. It was good, however, the dirty rice was way too spicy for this wimp! Sadly after dinner we said goodbye to Mike and Bev as they fly home tomorrow morning. Ric, Janet and Jerry took off to their condo; the rest of us back to ours. Nite all!

Jan 18, Monday, Happy Birthday Shirley; New Orleans

Up this morning to a beautiful day! After breakfast all of us but Al, who didn’t feel like tackling the stairs this morning, took off walking to Jackson Square to jump on a carriage ride around the French Quarter. I was really amazed about some of the facts we learned about New Orleans. Katrina did some damage to the French Quarter, but didn’t do the damage that it did other places.

Wraspirs and Waddicks on the Carriage Ride

After the carriage ride it was to Café DuMonde for beignets and café au late for a snack. Then we all scattered again. Jerry took off to just look around, Ric, Janet and Jenn walking through the French Market; Mel and Ron back to the French Quarter; Jack, Suzi and I back to the condo.

After lunch at the condo we took a private van tour of the city, Katrina devastation. I had no idea of the true devastation that Katrina did. The media didn’t exactly cover it properly or report it properly in my mind. They only covered the big items, leaving out valuable information. Did you realize that some area’s were under 15 feet or more of water? Or did you know that New Orleans has about half of the population that they did before the storm? Some of the people just walked away from their houses, never to return. New Orleans is suffering from a lack of workers, especially entry level workers. Families moved and have never came back, thus the lack of workers is really slowing down the recovery efforts. I was totallly amazed at the amount of devastation; still very obvious in places. Our tour driver lost his house, but fortunately he had flood insurance and was able to rebuild. He lived in the upper 9th ward. We toured not only that area, but the lower 9th ward as well and saw the work that Brad Pitt is spearheading in that area. We saw where the levee’s broke and the canals that carried the water into the city; where they have rebuilt the levee’s which have not been tested as of yet. Just totally amazing to me. How much or little we actually know about the damage of Katrina. What didn’t get damaged by water got damaged from the wind or fire. I have a new appreciation of the rebuilding that is going on.

Just steps left after Katrina got done

Houses that Harry Connick Jr is building

We also toured the Garden District, which pretty much escaped major damage, however, a lot of the wealthy area’s were also heavily damaged, not just the poor area’s. We toured the cemetarys as well and we plan on going back to them tomorrow. They are so interesting since most of them are above ground crypts.

Dinner tonight was at Irene’s Italian Restaurant, only 2 blocks from the condo. Al decided he could walk the two blocks, however, the blocks were very long and he was in pain by the time he got to the restaurant; after dinner Jack went and got the car to bring Al back to the condo.

Tomorrow is another day of exploring….can’t wait. I am really loving New Orleans….who knew I would?

Ron And Melanie, aboard NCL Spirit

Belize, Cozumel, Tropical storm Wraspir!

Jan 14, Thursday Belize


While the kids scattered to do various shore excursions, Al and I stayed on board the ship. Ron and Melanie did Al-Tun Ha ruins and Belize River tour; Jenn, Janet and Bev did Al-Tun Ha Ruins and Belize City Tour; Mike, Jerry, Ric did Jungle Trek and cave tubing; Jack and Suzi did Jungle Trek, Cave tubing and Zip Line. I did walk into the Ships’ Tourist Trap at the end of the pier, however, it was too crowded for me.

Tonight we all scattered for dinner as well. Some went to the dining room, some to the buffet, and some to the hamburger place. Fairly quiet day for me.

Jan. 15, Friday, Cozumel

All of the kids went to Tulum today, since they have never been there. Jack, Suzi, Al and I have been there, done that and decided we didn’t need to do it again. Jack went to the gym, Al stayed on the deck and read; Suzi and I walked to the Ship’s tourist trap at the end of the pier and boosted the local economy a little bit. Reminded us of being in Mexico, oh, wait, we are in Mexico…hey lady, buy from me! “Almost free”…ha!
This afternoon Suzi and I pampered ourselves with a massage and facial….ah…..much better.

We all had dinner tonight in the Shogun Asian Fusion restaurant on board. Somehow, it wasn’t as good as when we had dinner at the same place on the NCL Pearl on our Panama Canal cruise. After dinner, we all scattered again…some to the show, some to the casino, some to their rooms.
Jan. 16, Saturday, At Sea

BOOM! WHAT???? BOOM!!! We were awoke to a great tropical storm. The ship was a rockin’ pretty good last night, but this morning around 7:00 a.m. we were treated to a real storm. Thunder, lightning, wind, rain and high swells. WOO HOO! I love a good storm at sea. Jenn and I sat on the bed with the door open and watched it….rain coming down in sheets….big flashes of lightning and loud claps of thunder; high waves and lots of wind. LOVED IT! The ship was literally crawling through this storm….and was sounding the fog horn every two minutes as visibility was nil. We did pass another ship in the distance during the storm…we could barely see it. The storm lasted a good hour or more and this ship is still doing a bit of rocking now.

After breakfast we had our family pictures taken .. Jack being the photographer for us. The rest of the day is free to do “what ever” And I think I will do just that…read and what ever!

Guatamala

Jan 13, Wednesday, Santo de Tomas, Guatamala


Still cloudy and a bit cool today as we arrive in Guatamala. Since Al has such a difficult time walking we did a town trolley tour today. Ron and Melanie went with us. The rest of the gang scattered; some doing the old fort tour; some doing the town and beach tour and yet others doing a river trip.

Our tour through the town made us glad of where we live and what we have. The average wage here is $250 month and gas is $5 plus a gallon…you do the math! No large super markets here either, you mostly do your shopping daily at the local outdoor market. We saw a lot of fresh produce that looked really good, however, our tour guide said most of the good produce is exported to WALMART! Their main export in Guatamala is sugar cane and most of it goes directly to Coca Cola; the second export is coffee and the third is banana’s, which once again goes mainly to Walmart. The other major industry here is tourisim. And yes, they LOVE the cruise ships. Poor is the only word I can use to describe what I saw today. However, the port seems to be very busy, lots of activity all day. And I had to laugh at our tour guide, Jorge, he was freezing today! He said it is the coldest it has been here in over 40 years -- it is about 65 degrees. The normal temperature for this time of year is 85+, so yes, the locals are cold.

I did contribute a few dollars to the local economy however. Right outside the cruise ship is a small shopping area….one more touristo trap! I bought a few trinkets to take home and some beautiful place mats…I love the vibrant colors.

Tonight after dinner we all scattered in different directions….some to the comedy show, some to bed, some to the casino; Suzi and I did some minor shopping on board and looked at the pictures the ship photographers take at every opportunity! I don’t know who that woman is with Al all of the time…she sure looks old!!!  Tomorrow is Belize.

Cruisin' we are...

Jan 8, 2010 Friday


Left Phoenix at 1:00 p.m. direct flight to a very cold, New Orleans. Or as they say it N’awlins. Picked up our rental car and after a few wrong turns, (GPS not familiar with this part of the world obviously!) we found our hotel. We are staying 2 nights before the cruise at the Hilton Gardens, Convention Center. Out our window we can see the cruise port and currently Carnival is in port.

Mike and Bev arrived earlier today; so after we dumped our luggage we promptly went in search of somewhere to eat. We found “Mothers”, best ham in N’awlins. Mike had the ham, Al and I had fried oysters and they were excellent….some of the best we have ever had. We drove through the French Quarter for a bit trying to get our bearings. After that we headed to the airport to pick up Jerry. Half of us are now here…the rest arrive tomorrow.

Jan 9 Nawlins Saturday

MY, IT IS COLD HERE! 23 degree’s this morning. Very unusual for New Orleans. The locals are just about frozen stiff!!!

After breakfast at the hotel we hopped in the car and drove around the French Quarter again and the French Market area. We stopped at Café DuMonde for bengiets and café au late….YUM. Bengiets are nothing more than fried sweet dough with lots of powdered sugar….but oh so good. We wandered around for a bit, then jumped back into the car to the garden district. The houses are amazing! We stopped at VooDoo BBQ for lunch and it was amazing. Want to go back there again.

Later today we started picking up the rest of the family/friends from the airport. Ric, Janet and Jennifer came in first; got them back to the hotel in time to turn around and go back and pick up Jack and Suzi. I promptly got lost coming back from the airport, so Jack and Suzi got an improtu tour!!! Then it was off to Mulata’s for dinner. Interesting place, very loud and all cajun food. I had the stuffed shrimp, which I didn’t really care for. The fried alligator appetizer was pretty good tho. After dinner Jenn and I took off for the airport to pick up Ron and Melanie. And, I made the same wrong turn coming back to the hotel again; but at least I could find my way back to the hotel in one shot this time. Now, all our kids are here; we are ready to cruise!

Jan 10, Sunday aboard NCL Spirit

Did I mention how cold it is here? The artic air has hit places where it isn’t suppose to be!!!
I started shuttling everyone to the ship around noon today – then Melanie and I took the rental car back to the airport and hopped a taxi back to the ship. After eveyone is on board, we all met up for lunch. Our group is 12, so getting tables together we thought was going to be hard, but so far we have managed just fine.

The weather is still cold, but sunny. We will travel down the Mississippi River for 100+ miles before getting into the Carribbean. As I said, it is cold, probably the coldest cruise we have ever been on so far, but the promise of warm weather awaits. All of us but Al went up on deck to the “Bon Voyage” party…sailing, sailing, down the muddy river!!! Dinner was in the dining room tonight, as usual very good, however, I am already tired of the food! For whatever reason, usually after a few days of a cruise I get tired of the food; but this trip I started out tired of it! Don’t ask! But I am not complaining, just stating a fact.

Jan 11, Monday, somewhere in the Carribbean
It is still a bit cool….especially when you get in the wind, but I do see a few sun breaks between the clouds this morning. The sea is calm and very relaxing, rocked me to sleep last night.

I should mention here that Jenn is sharing our room on this cruise. The room is very small, so last night it was very interesting sleeping. I don’t know if any of us got a lot of sleep!!! We all had breakfast together this morning and now everyone is off doing their thing. Al is resting, and I am about to go for a walk.

Later in the day…..I have done a lot of walking around the ship….this is one of the smaller ships in the Norwegian fleet at 882feet long and holds 2878 people, passengers and crew. It has recently been refurbished, however, it entered service in 2000.

This afternoon Al and Jerry went to the martini tasting; the rest of us gathered in the lobby and just visited. Some went to play shuffleboard, to the casino, the gym and various other activities on board today. We all met up for dinner tonight….this family is crazy when we all get together…lots of laughs.

The weather is turning a bit warmer tonight, however, the sea’s are a little rough today. I don’t mind it at all. It does make walking a bit of a challenge however and especially with Al and his cane. It takes at least two of us to help him walk when the ship is like this.

Jan 12, Tuesday, Costa Mayo Mexico
The ship arrived at 10:00 a.m. and pulled in next to the Royal Carribbean Liberty of the Sea’s….quite a bit larger ship than ours!

Al decided he didn’t think he could do the tour here, so Melanie went with me instead. Jack, Suzi, Ric, Janet, Jenn, Melanie and I did the Chocchoben Mayan tour. Good thing Al didn’t do it…lots of walking over rough ground. When I booked this tour it was described as an “easy” tour…not! Lot’s of Mayan ruins and good history. We also got to see a couple of howler monkey’s in the trees.

Costa Mayo was completely devestated by hurrican Dean in 2007 and we could see evidence of it still. The tour dock and pier have been completely rebuilt and the little “tourist trap” at the end of the pier is brand new.

Dinner tonight for some of us was in Cagney’s Steak house…good, but no one can beat a steak cooked at home!!! Al returned to the room after dinner and I went with Jack, Suzi, Mike, Ric, Janet to the show….a rock and roll revue…which was very good and very high energy.  Nite all...more tomorrow.