Happy Holidays!

Once again the past year has sped by. I sometimes think that the saying “time flys even when you’re not having fun” is more applicable than ever. The year, for those of us in Tucson, started off with NOT a lot of fun when our Congress-woman, Gabrielle Giffords, was the target of an assassination attempt by a mentally disturbed young man. She was severely wounded in the head, six others killed and several severely wounded while attending one of her Congress on the Corner Events. “Gabby,” as she is affectionately known, was recently featured on ABC News’ 20/20 with Diane Sawyer. She has made good progress on her path to recovery but as she said in the interview wants to get “better.”

Margaret’s Milestone Birthday & New Car
This year Margaret marked a “milestone” birthday. Okay, let’s be frank. She hit the big 5-0 on June 7th! I planned a surprise party for her on Sunday, June 5th. The big surprise was her sister Carol who came from Syracuse, NY. Carol and I collaborated from the get go on the menu, guest list, decorations, etc. I arranged for friends to cater the party and bake the cake. We had 40+ people in our back yard that afternoon for the party. An added surprise guest was Margaret and Carol’s brother Leonard who was in AZ on business and delayed his return trip to San Diego by a day. Carol even produced a picture collage of the party which can be seen at http://www.screencast.com/t/JdZnWAYSIPa.

Each month during this “milestone year” we have done something to “mark” the occasion. Well during August that event was the unexpected purchase of a new vehicle. Margaret’s 1996 Honda Accord with at least 160K miles blew a head gasket. That problem along with a few others prompted us to bite the bullet and trade it in for a 2011 Honda CR-V. So far we are enjoying this crossover SUV which not only brought us into the 21st Century but jumped one decade of vehicle design.

Travel
Margaret split her vacation times this year between May and September. In May we spent a week in Carlsbad north of San Diego. Where we stayed was located next to renicula flower fields. Among the things that we visited was the SD Zoo Safari Park where we went on their African Safari to see the giraffes and hippos up close and personal. We also went to the Leo Carrillo Ranch. Leo Carrillo was “Pancho” or the sidekick to the Cisco Kid in that early TV western. He had a large working ranch in that area where he entertained many Hollywood pals. Over the years most of the ranch has been sold off for development but about 70 acres remains as a city park. We also were able to visit Margaret’s brother, Len.

In September we journeyed to the east coast. First of all I attended the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps in Washington DC from the 21st to the 25th. The 22nd was Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. We divided into state delegations and visited congressional offices. Friday the 23rd was a rainy day so we did some sight seeing visiting the WWII Memorial and the new MLK Memorial. We also went to the Museum of American History at the Smithsonian where among other things we saw Julia Child’s kitchen on display. That evening we attended a baseball game at Washington Nationals Park where the pre-game show honored the efforts of the Peace Corps. Margaret had signed me up to carry one of the 139 country flags where Peace Corps has served on to the field before the game. I was assigned the flag of Guyana, the former British colony on the coast of northern South America. On Saturday the 24th I attended a panel discussion at the National Theater on the Future of the Peace Corps moderated by Bill Moyers. On the panel were various country leaders who have been involved with the Peace Corps. For me the most impressive was former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo who lived in the barrios of Lima and became a good friend with PC workers who now live in AZ. They later sponsored him to study here in the USA where he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees. While I was otherwise occupied Margaret made contact with a friend of hers, Melissa Senner, who now resides in Delaware. She met Melissa and her daughters at the National Zoo and then visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception which is the largest Roman Catholic Church in North America, and is one of the ten largest churches in the world.

On Sunday the 25th the reunion wrapped up with a memorial service at Arlington Cemetery which honored the memory of the 280 volunteers who have lost their lives while in service to their country over the last 50 years. While we were in DC we stayed with my friend Jerry Hagstrom who is from ND. On Saturday night we took him out to dinner and he showed us a neighborhood of Washington which is not frequented by the average tourist.

On Sunday my friend Ken Carpenter from Virginia picked us up at Jerry’s house. (Ken went to Russia with me in ’93 and I toured him around ND last summer.) We then drove to his wife Liz’s home west of Richmond on the James River where we spent the last week of September. She has an antebellum home on eight acres in a bucolic area. The house if for sale! Check out the MLS listing 1112562. As hectic as the days in DC had been so the week in the woods of rural Virginia was relaxing! The focus of our week was to visit Civil War sites and Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s estate. That was a most impressive place! After taking the tour of the house we took the slave tour in which the guide told us about the people who actually made Monticello run.

Three days of that week we visited Civil War sites since 2011 is the sesquicentennial of the beginning of that sordid event in our country’s history. Among the sites that we visited were: the Tredagar Iron Works in Richmond; battle sites around Petersburg and Appomattox Court House where Lee surrendered to Grant. The surrender actually took place in the McLean house located at Appomattox Court House which is actually the location in VA.

North Dakota Visit
In July I traveled to North Dakota and stayed for five weeks. This year I flew to Bismarck and my cousin Eldo let me use one of his cars. I had never seen so much water in the Bismarck-Mandan area in July do to winter snow melt in the Rockies and above average precipitation. While there I did a lot of visiting and took two side trips. First, I went with my friends Walter and Sarah Wolf from Center to see their vacation home in Red Lodge, MT. While there we drove the Bear Tooth Highway to Cooke City which takes you on a very scenic drive into Wyoming and back into Montana. Beartooth Pass is at 10,947’ but at one point we stopped so that we could walk Walt’s GPS device up the mountain where it registered 11,002’ above sea level. My second side trip was to Dorset, MN, to visit Margaret’s mother Betty and Uncle Mike. One of the reasons that I went to Dorset when I did was to take in the Taste of Dorset which is held the first Sunday of August each year. You have to experience it to believe it! All of the restaurants in that small town set up food booths outside their establishments on the state highway which serves as the main street. They draw a tremendous crowd.

Visitors
During the year we had a few visitors who stopped by. At the end of February my cousin Gary and Kathy Speten from ND stopped for a short visit and an early dinner on their way to Las Vegas. At the end of March one of my former Peace Corps trainers Nelson Jacobs and his wife Gerlane who live in Joao Pessoa, Brazil spent a couple of nights with us. In early October Margaret’s mother and Uncle Mike who were on their way from MN to FL, along with her brother Leonard and his friend Pamela came for a weekend visit.

Work Situations
Margaret continues to work for ATI or Assessment Technology Inc. She continues to travel around the US and AZ doing training for teachers. This year she was on the road for 100 days and traveled close to 32,200 miles!

After nine years working for H&R Block at Sears I have decided to change jobs and try something new. I will still be doing tax work but was invited to take a position with 1st Choice Tax Services Inc. There was no one reason that prompted my move but the new situation provides me with a private office which I have decorated to my liking and more flexible hours among other amenities.

Parting Thoughts
As this is being written we are spending the Thanksgiving week in Sedona. We are reflecting on the year and counting our blessings. At this time we are in the throes of another Presidential election which is amplifying the polarization of politics that divides us as a nation. However my readings this year of the Civil War convince me that our problems now are miniscule compared to what confronted the nation at that time. At least let’s hope so!

So as we enter the Advent Season and anticipate the arrival of the Prince of Peace let’s ponder the “Reason for the Season” and reflect on those things that truly bring meaning to our lives; family and friends and sharing remembrances of “fun” times spent with them. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

September

We had just over an inch of rain last night...good rain...the type of rain that comes over a 3+ hour period of time. It is again beginning to get overcast so perhaps the last "hurrah" of the monsoon season is upon us.
Today we went and saw "Buck" a fantastic movie, or I should say documentary, about Buck Brannaman, a horse whisperer. You might remember the 1998 Robert Redford movie, The Horse Whisperer? We saw it in the "cheap theatre" as it is no longer available in the larger theatres ... at least not here in Tucson.

New Edition

After 16 years, we had to part ways....that is the Honda Accord. My car decided to break down and it wasn't worth the investment in getting it fixed. So now I'm a proud owner of a Honda CR-V, Tango Red Pearl (okay it's red). We were just going to get a used car, but the better deal was new. So far I'm the only driver; Tim has enjoyed being the passenger.

Last week I was able to visit with Carol and Frank; we met up in western Massachusetts. I went off to do my work stuff while they visited with cousins and toured the old neighborhood. I was able to see cousin Paul and have lunch with him and very quickly see his son, Nick. No, I didn't feel the earthquake. I was so looking forward to having a cousin reunion on Saturday and catching up with brother John and Lela. On the drive down from the north shore to cousin Catherine's home, I got a call from American Airlines that they had cancelled my Sunday afternoon flight due to Hurricane Irene and that I was rebooked for Monday. When I got to Catherine's home, I was able to talk with the airlines and I got a flight out on Friday night. So I did get to visit with Catherine on my ride to the airport (thanks for the ride and short visit!). Carol and Frank ended up cutting their vacation short also and drove back a day early. But at least they had a great get together on Friday night (at least that is what I'm told).

As you may know Tim threw me a surprise B-day party back in June. Carol put together a video montage. I put it on the web so that everyone can enjoy it. You can find it at http://www.screencast.com/t/JdZnWAYSIPa.

Photos

Here are some pictures Tim took of Mom and Uncle Mike. The last picture is Tim at Bear Tooth Pass (WY/MT).

Summer is almost over!

Hard to believe it....summer only has a month left! Where did the time go? Tim came back yesterday from his 5 weeks in North Dakota, just in time for me to head to New England. I'm fortunate in that I have to work during the week but I'm able to visit with my sister, brother, nephew, and cousins :) Lots of things planned in between the work week.

I've been going to physical therapy to help with my tendonsis. Been doing my exercises; today the therapist put tape all around my ankle and up my left leg. This is suppose to help with the swelling. I also had the Graston Technique done; it's a type of soft tissue massage. Have over a month left of therapy and then we'll see where I stand.

Independence Day Weekend

We hope that everyone takes a few minutes out of their weekend and remember the reason for the Independence Day holiday.
Well, my birthday has ended with a surprise. Yes, another one, but not what one wants for a surprise. Tim developed a case of shingles. It developed on his scalp and the left side of his face/neck area. I think we were lucky in that he was able to visit a doctor and get some medication within three days of not feeling well. He had planned on taking me to the Sizzling Summer performance by the Invisible Theatre Company. Performing was Christine Vivona along with her husband Robb Boone and singer Julie Anne. Christine played the harp for our wedding 20 years ago! So I ended taking a friend with me and we really enjoyed the concert. Candi had never heard jazz played on a harp before. As a result of Tim's illness, his trip to ND has been postponed (he was suppose to leave on Wednesday).
Well, we hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe 4th. Here in Arizona many of the firework performance have been cancelled, which is fine with me. Arizona is in such a drought (I'm sure you've seen on the news about the numerous wildfires we had so far this year). At least our monsoon perhaps has arrived. Earlier this week we finally got rain after over 80+ days of no rain; granted it wasn't very much rain, but at least it was something. Oh, should I mention that at 9:30 this morning it was already 103 degrees at our home.

Birthday Month Coming to an End

You know how people get one day for a birthday. Well, that's not the case in our house. Margaret gets the entire month to celebrate. And, what a celebration she had!!! I started the month out with a casual dinner with our friends, the Burhans. Andri's birthday is about the same time as mine, so we usually celebrate it together. I'm sitting in the restaurant and all of sudden in comes a woman who looks like my sister. But I think, no that's cannot be as she lives in New York state. But, wait, that is my sister! Tim had arranged for her to fly here to help kick off my birthday celebration! Was I surprised!

On Saturday we had a "girl day" and went for a mani-pedi and shopping. That evening we went to the AZ Sonoran Desert Museum. Each Saturday evening during the summer they are open late and we were able to take advantage of the cool evening and enjoy the night creatures. And, I discovered that Carol doesn't like spiders. Who knew?

On Sunday I was informed that I had to be away from the house for several hours while Carol and Tim prepared for a party. Needless to say, I was totally shocked to see so many of my friends come and help me celebrate my birthday. Brother Len from San Diego even came over. Tim and Carol did an OUTSTANDING job. Kudos to them. I can never say that Tim doesn't give me flowers. The house was full of red and yellow roses (64 from him and flowers from friends) and Carol bought me several flowering plants for our yard. Yes, it is a birthday celebration I'll remember forever.

Unfortunately, Carol had to head back on Monday. But still a few days is better than none. On June 9-12 Tim and I head to Prescott. He had an Enrolled Agent conference and I decided to tag along. It was nice to just relax. The rest of June we did some work around the home. Tim decided to start refinishing the doors (8 in all) and so he had to strip and sand them. Of course, we needed the right tool so we ended up buying a Dremel sander -- nice little tool. I would do the inside finishing of the door and varnish (pecan color if you were wondering). It has been so hot here (in the 110s) that we had to work early in the morning or late in the evening. But it got done and the doors look gorgeous.

Last night we decided to cap off the month long celebration by attending the Zizzling Summer Sounds concert series presented by the Invisible Theatre company at the historic AZ Inn. (It was a first time experience for both of us.) The featured artist was New York cabaret singer Ann Hampton Callaway. What a singer! (You might know her as she wrote the theme song for the TV show, The Nanny. She has also collaborated with Barbra Streisand.)

Our Tucson summer is just beginning and I have to say it has been a memorable one so far. We have gone over 75 days without any measurable rain and we have been with over 100 degree days since the end of May. I'm sure you have seen/heard the news about the number of wildfires we have going on in the Southwest. Our rain isn't suppose to arrive for another couple of weeks. Yet, in the Midwest they cannot get rid of the water fast enough. Our thoughts and prayers are with our friends and family who are in ND and dealing with the floods.

It's Official -- 100 degrees!

Today, Friday, 5/27/11, Tucson hit its first 100 degree day at 3:23 pm. So I guess it is now the summer time in the Old Pueblo. We have to adjust our lifestyle and do things really early in the morning and late in the day. Never go outside in the middle of the day!

Vacation

We truly enjoyed our vacation in Southern California the second week of May. It was a celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary (Wow!), end of the tax season, and, Tim says it also is my birthday celebration. But I say it doesn't count since my birthday is in June.

We were able to visit Tim's cousin Dan and Verna in Escondido; have lunch with a fellow Peace Corp worker Shirley and her husband Dave; and met up with brother Len and his girlfriend Pamela and son Richard. While in Escondido we visited the Nike de Saint Phalle's Queen Califia's Magical Circle sculpture. It is a little gem in Escondido. We stayed in Carlsbad right next to the Flower Fields. We were fortunate that the season was extended by a week due to the late spring. We visited the Leo Carrillo Ranch. He was an actor (Pancho from Cisco Kid TV show). Beautiful city park! We drove up to Oceanside and saw the largest mission in CA, San Luis Rey. I wouldn't mind going back there for a retreat.

Our biggest splurge was at the San Diego Wildlife Safari Park. We decided to go on the Caravan Safari adventure, where a group of 12 people were in a truck and got to go out into the African and Asian exhibit for about 2.5 hours. There is a zoologist along and was able to tell us in much detail about the animals and answer all our questions. There we were able to hand feed the giraffes and the rhinos. The 30 minute tram ride that all visitors get to go on was somewhat of a let down after our caravan ride.

Tucson Happening

We want to thank all our friends and family who have contacted us about the January 8th Tragedy in Tucson. Our city will rebound and our Congresswoman Giffords is on the road to recovery as well.

We have had a pretty good winter so far. Then, like the rest of the nation, got hit with the Artic air. This morning Tucson hit 18 degrees, breaking the previous record of 21 degrees set in 1910 -- 100 years ago!! Tonight we are expecting 15 degrees! Wait...am I in ND or AZ?? The good news is that Friday afternoon we'll be heading to the mid 50s, and 60s return for the weekend. Okay, so we are complaining about teen degrees. I know friends and family are dealing with subzero winds, lots of snow, and freezing ice. Just remember, Spring is suppose to come early this year!