Apricity West 5

September 30, 2024 - Monday

After getting our winter home set up, we, of course, wanted to have lunch at the Elks. What a surprise to find that our favorite bartender was no longer there. I thought Rich was going to cry, “This changes everything!"

 

True confessions - I joined online Weight Watchers today. Been there before, but want to get healthier (and lighter) now. I enjoy tracking food; it is a distraction from eating it. I plan the meals and track the points in the app accordingly. Looking for good results.

 

Later, Dee stopped in for a cocktail and got us all caught up on North Ranch happenings through the summer months. 

 

October 1, 2024 - Tuesday

Denny and Joanne got here from Michigan a day before we did. I went into the Wickenburg Senior Center with them to play ukulele with a couple of the HUG (Hassayampa Ukulele Group). Then listened to Denny play his dobro with the Wise Owl Band, followed by a delicious salad for lunch. 

 

It is over 100 degrees during the day, so I find myself walking at 6am just as the sun is rising and temperatures are high 70’s. My sleep pattern has changed with the loss of 3 hours due to Time Zones. These are record breaking temperatures - it has never been this hot while we were here. 

October 2, 2024 - Wednesday

First day of line dancing since January and it came back to me - YAY! Good old muscle memory. There is a swamp cooler and 4 box fans keeping the dance room very cool. My knees are a little bit swollen afterwards, but the hips work great!

October 3, 2024 - Thursday 

Went to chair yoga after my walk and it really feels good to stretch! Today was the first jam of the season and it was a blast! Several folks have new instruments, and Julie’s husband came adding a new sound and rhythm with his new guitar. Joanne has a new baritone ukulele and she joined in. A guitar player from Yarnell saw our bulletin board advertising the jam and showed up. He plays rock music professionally and had never jammed before. He didn’t know any of our music, but followed the chords he could see the other guitar players playing. 

 

October 4, 2024 - Friday

Put laundry in the clubhouse washer at 6am and returned from my walk in time to move it to the dryer. We can sit outside until about 9am, then retreat into the A/C. There is a LOT of activity between 6 and 9 - walkers, bikers, pickle ballers, golf cart-ers, etc.

 

Cowgirl Dee came by for a visit before going out dancing.

October 5, 2024 - Saturday 

A looooooong, hot, boring day - no activities on my calendar for Saturdays except walking and that is at the crack of dawn. This is what fall in the desert looks like...

October 6, 2024 - Sunday

Weighed in today for the first time and it was a very good week! - motivating me to keep on going on. Went to church online after my walk. It has been 7 days since I joined WW, so we went to Nichols for dinner. I know that sounds counter intuitive, but I had wine, smoked salmon, shrimp on a skewer with grilled veggies and a baked potato while staying within my points allowed. I hadn’t used any of my weekly points yet. It was a lot and we both took home half of the meal for dinner tomorrow night. 

Had a great FaceTime call with granddaughters, Leanna and Lily ❤️❤️. Couple of cuties…

October 7, 2024 - Monday

Walk at 6, line dance at 9, and off to the brand new DG Market right here in Congress, a Dollar General with fresh produce and some meats. 

 

October 8, 2024 - Tuesday 

Today I felt a little lighter on my feet with more wind in my lungs, so I went a LITTLE BIT further on my walk. The air was a crisp 74 degrees at 6am with a breeze blowing through my hair which led me to Saguaro Park...

Nola, 94-year-old caretaker, was going about her business - watering, raking, etc. at 6:30am. She would like more help with this task. Hmmmm. 

Went to the Senior Center again for ukulele group and then on to the Elks. The new turkey wrap is delicious - dry with no sauce. And it’s low points. 

 

October 9, 2024 - Wednesday

Went another LITTLE BIT further on my walk today. I am in training for when Lu arrives so I can talk and walk. New scenery to look at and end up walking through the park. Some of the lots’ decorations:

Line danced in the morning and Nancy, friend from Wickenberg Ranch, was there. She looks great and came over for a visit afterward to catch up on things and to see Rich. 

Book club Zoom meeting in the afternoon - The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan. Sure am learning a lot. 

 

October 10, 2024 - Thursday

It was a rough night for me! I have a condo and a lot of friends in Florida, so you can imagine the distress over Milton, the hurricane of the century. I was checking the news every 1/2 hour to stay informed. Thankfully, I heard from my neighbor this morning that all is OK with the building, but no power and fallen trees everywhere. It was a terrifying storm - I am blessed to come out of it unscathed. Others I have heard from were very lucky as well. 

 

Much to my surprise, I walked the longest distance I have done so far without trouble. I chose not to go to chair yoga and took a rest instead. 

 

Afternoon jam was awesome. 

Until next time… tata💕

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apricity West 5

September 21, 2024 - Saturday

It was great having quality time while walking and talking with Sharon today. Our grandsons are good friends - their moms are besties and travel buddies. 

 

September 22, 2024 - Sunday

Today we drove to NY to say goodbye to Rich’s sister, Eileen, and Steve in Queensbury. Then on to Perry’s in S. Glens Falls for a fun visit and goodbyes.

Bald pythons - very pretty…

Bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and basil from their garden…

Father and son… 
 

We were back in Lee for an early dinner with my family at the Morgan House. Nora’s schedule allowed her to come join us. It was a wonderful day - the only two who couldn’t be with us were young Nora (away at college) and Lily (not feeling well, and later tested positive with Covid). 

Me and mine…

September 23, 2024 - Monday

Today was the final day to load the motorhome and clean the house. Neighbor, Eileen, delivered a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies; dear friend, Dee, stopped in to say goodbye; Mom stopped down to deliver mail. We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family in our lives!

 

September 24, 20424 - Tuesday

On the road at 6:45am destined for Erie, PA. The day is crisp and clear; the leaves are starting to don their brightly colored Fall attire. Rich drove the first shift without incident. When I got behind the wheel, the 18 wheelers were in abundance. At one point I was surrounded - front, back and flanks. Then we witnessed the aftermath of a semi-truck head on collision with a guard rail on the other side of the road. Traffic was backed up for miles until the DOT detoured all vehicles off of Interstate 90. It was a little windy, but not hard to hang on to the road. Rich always brings us in to the campground, so he takes the last shift. It started raining slightly, but wasn’t horrible - just a nuisance. Diesel gas - $4.29/gallon. 

 

Hard to believe this is our 5th trip out to AZ!

 

September 25, 2024 - Wednesday

Had a restful, rainy night and hit the road at 7am with good weather conditions. The truck traffic is nothing compared to yesterday. Diesel gas - $3.11/gallon.

Ohio - truck recap tires and deer carcasses along the road. 

Indiana - horrible roads.  

Indianapolis 

September 26, 2024 - Thursday

The magical hour seems to be 7am for getting on the road. We have been averaging 5.5 driving hours a day. Rich did a double shift this morning, allowing me to take pictures of  (and not to drive through) St. Louis. Third shift was calm, quiet and uneventful. Rain during the night again, but a bright  clear day the whole way. Diesel gas - $3.59/gallon. Crossed into Central Time Zone - we are now 1 hour behind those back home. 

Illinois - better roads, lots of corn fields

Missouri -  Chesters Chicken, great roads, many limestone caves to explore, big repetitive billboards 

St. Louis, MO

A motorcycle passed us going 70 mph with a bright neon yellow cover on his back. It turned out to be a dog strapped on to the seat behind him with a colorful coat on. No helmet or goggles, though.

 

September 27, 2024 - Friday 

Left at 6:30am today - Diesel was $3.19 today. Speed limit 80mph.

Oklahoma - construction on I-44 expanding from 4 lanes to 6 lanes between Tulsa and OKC. This is my birth state, but we moved East when I was 18 months old. When I came back to visit my grandparents, I was amazed to see  red soil - so much that I brought a jar back home with me. Seeing a lot of it now. Windmills too.

 

September 28, 2024 - Saturday

Got on Interstate 40 at 6:45am with 450 miles to Albuqurque, NM. I drove first shift today - Saturday means less traffic and no construction workers. I like it like that.

 

Texas - As we went through eastern Texas, the sites were amazing. I will try to paint a picture with words as a photograph can’t capture all that I saw. The span of the horizon is peppered with black cattle, salted with white windmills, on a salad of dark green cotton plants, and a side of amber waves of grain (in this case corn) and sorghum (feed for cattle). The cattle are herded to the feed lot to be fattened up for slaughter!

 

Saw a fleet of power trucks heading East, no doubt to help with the damage done by Hurricane Helene!

 

On a completely different note: 

As a tribute to America's best automobile, a collective of artists called Ant Farm decided to place 10 Cadillacs, ranging from a 1949 Club Coupe to a 1963 Sedan, in a wheat field located west of Amarillo, Texas.

Diesel $2.85/gallon

 

New Mexico - Wild West desert, sage brush, small dingy settlements, sink holes which fill with water to create lakes joined by underground rivers. Now in Mountain time zone - 2 hours behind EST. 

 

September 29, 2024 - Sunday

Leaving Albuquerque at 6am while still dark, the terrain changed dramatically as the sun rose. Plateaus, buttes and mesas of reddish rock and soil chisel a stunning outline ahead. They swell in size as we approach. 

Along the roadside, the solid black lava which was bubbling up eons ago, appears like mounds of rough black rock with tufts of green finding life within it. 

Continental Divide - a boundary that divides the continent's river systems. 

Arizona - Climbing to Flagstaff at 7000 ft. brings an entirely different landscape of Ponderosa Pines;  the wind came up for the first time on this journey; cactus, Pacific Time Zone - (3 hours difference with folks back home).

Petrified Forest National Park, 50,000 acres of protected land, is the only one that intersects with Rt. 66. You can see some samples along the side of the road. If the sun was shining, I am told they would have looked like glitter as they are covered in quartz. 

I really enjoyed Interstate 40 (Historic Rt. 66) - it is mostly a straight shot and the roads were good. Then at Flagstaff, AZ, things change - narrow curvy roads, Sunday traffic very heavy with cold-air-seekers returning to the lower elevations.   

 

We drove through 11 states amounting to 2,618 miles in 6 days… Cocktail time!

 

 

 

 

 

New England 5

August 26, 2024 - Monday

First day of school here in Lee, MA. 

On this first day of his sophomore year, grandson Jacob got a buckle fracture in his right wrist during football practice. The cast will stay on for 4 weeks while healing. He is still attending practices for running and fitness. School colors are orange and black so I asked why he didn’t get orange for the team. He said, “I usually get black casts.” He has broken his left wrist a couple of times in the past. 

Zachary and neighbor, Jimmy, were the last ones in the pool. Jimmy learned how to swim this year. 

I finished knitting the cowl neck wrap I made to use up left over yarn. 

And a lapghan that I started years ago. 

September 3, 2024  - Tuesday

Mom and I took a ride to Westfield to see sister, Cindy and hubby, Jimmy. She served up a delicious chicken salad with all kinds of goodies in it. Mom brought Blueberry Boy Bait Cake, a recipe Cindy got from the nun’s at the convent where she worked. It has become a family favorite!

 

September 4, 2024 - Wednesday

So we are getting down to the wire for leaving here and I am working hard (and enjoying every minute) of meeting up with friends to say Happy Winter.  

Liz and I met up at the Starving Artist - it's amazing how much there is to talk about!

September 5, 2024 - Thursday

Today 4 of my high school classmates, Paula, Nancy, Debbie and Terry, got together at the Starving Artist (again) and caught up with each other’s news. 

 

September 6, 2024 - Friday 

Met up with Amy at Let’s Do Lunch for lunch and conversation. Amy trained me for my admin job at Lenox Church on the Hill in 2018 and we still stay in touch. 

 

So with all of these meals, I am very grateful that I am able and willing to walk downstreet - about 1/2 mile each way. Not much, but it helps. 

 

September 7, 2024 - Saturday 

Art in the Park was the big event today. Rich and I were able to be in our usual Farmers Market site as his work is art. There were about 30 artists set up for the weekend. This is a tour of the various types of talent that participated:

Bearded Dragon pet on display 

Richy, hot dog vendor, has been our site neighbor all summer long at Lee Farmers Market, which is a blessing and a curse! The morning starts with donuts which he brings and distributes to all that want them (of course, we do). His sidekick, Ralph, stops at Dunkin’ Donuts on his way in to pick up coffees for us (of course, we are grateful recipients). Then we order cheeseburgers or the latest discovery being his kielbasa for lunch (of course, we accept his generous discount). Later in the day, he passes Rich a “gatorade” in a black cold cup (of course, he enjoys it). As we break down our sites, he always has leftovers to share with us to take home (of course, we can’t say no). Those are the blessings. The curse is the extra inches and pounds that have somehow stuck to us. We will miss the last couple of weeks of the market and the other vendors - especially Richy!

…and Mary! She is Rich’s age and has been a local baker for as long as I can remember. She and her husband moved to Lee in 1969 and had 6 children. Mary has a commercial kitchen in her home and bakes during the week preparing for Farmers Market on Saturdays. Her grandsons set up her tent the night before and take it down afterwards. When she drives up, we rush over to help her carry in all of the goodies. She has cakes that stand a foot high and sells them a slice at a time. Shoppers flock to her site as soon as it opens for delicious delights. In the end, she also has a heart of gold and sends over cookies, baklava, cakes or breads at the end of the day. 

Nora brought Kieran over for the weekend in the NuCamp tiny trailer. She loves this event and found really cool earrings and clothing to purchase.

After a nice lamb chop lunch and hugs, they hit the road on a glorious autumn day. 

My niece, Sarah, and a colleague who works with Himalayan salt, are opening a new spa in Newport, RI. She went to Costa Rica for extensive healing massage training.

She wants to have some unique incidentals at the check out - crochet, journals, earrings, postcards, etc. She and Rich struck a deal on the postcards and he created a sign which includes their shop - SALT Boutique Spa.

Speaking of art - this picture was done by 15-year-old granddaughter, Leanna…

September 10, 2024 - Tuesday

I am trying to walk daily and along the way I pass the lush pear trees at St. Mary’s Rectory. 

As well as, Pollinator Gardens along the street which provide “food, nesting, resting for pollinators."

Today I had my debut solo gig playing ukulele and singing at the local nursing home. It wasn’t perfect, but I think they enjoyed it. Some were singing along.

September 12, 2024 - Thursday

I am very sad to finish the book I was listening to:

I love the way Cheryl Strayed writes, and more over, the courage it took for her to do what she did - hike the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) 1,100 miles alone! She has such a unique way of expressing herself, sprinkled with a little humor, and painting a picture of her journey for all to “see.” I was so taken by the book that I rented the movie starring Reese Witherspoon. I was happy to see the actual landscapes in the movie, but I wasn’t drawn into it like I was the book. I give a lot of credit to the audiobook reader/performer, Bernadette Dunn. I always listen to a sample of audio books before deciding to get them. A lot of my decision is based on how the reader connects with me. Anyway - highly recommend this book, but the people I told about it had already read and loved it. 

 

Our longtime neighbor, Eileen, has lived here for over 60 years and has been dubbed as our neighborhood watch. She loves to bake chocolate chip cookies so we are often surprised with a special delivery. Yummy - another excuse for our weight situation.

September 14, 2024 - Saturday

Our last Farmers Market this year and we had a good day. The best part was a picture of Senator Paul Markey holding Rich’s elephant picture which was purchased for him by the woman holding a dog. 

September 15, 2024 - Sunday

Drove over to Rich’s son, Perry’s, for a home made Asian dinner - lumpia, shumai, green beans/tofu stir fry, and rice. Delicious!😋 

September 18, 2024 - Wednesday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHANNON❤️

My first born celebrates her birthday today…

Spending the week preparing and packing for our cross country trip - new departure date is 9/24. The weather here is stupendous!