2025 Begins

 January 1 - 15, 2025

Tombstone, Arizona

While they are relatively close to the devastation, our family remains safe from the Los Angeles fires, and so far out of the path of the current winds. They remain vigilant. 

January 1, any year.

A number on a calendar with such weighty expectations. 

We actually wait for the number to arrive to begin lofty changes in our lives, create health goals, adjust attitudes, commit to more, less, bigger, smaller, always better versions of ourselves. Often the planning to do so lasts longer than the application of said changes.

The ideal us.

It seems the older we get, the less we set ourselves up to fail at these well-intentioned ideals. Whether experience or apathy, the changing of the year doesn't seem to have the same power it once did. 

The real us.

Living in the Now. Being grateful. Recognizing joy. Throwing pixie dust. These are more likely to be on our "lists" this year. 

Cheers for success with all of them for all of us!

January is usually our coldest month with signs of Spring often showing up sometime in February. This year started out looking like we'd just skip Winter. Enough of us whined about it that Mother Nature eventually granted our wishes and brought the freezing temps and strong winds and even some snow. I, for one, appreciate her efforts and am hopeful there's more of the same to come. The 2025 Farmers' Almanac says we're supposed to have a wet winter-season. So far Mother and Farmer are not communicating as we are dry, dry, dry here. We're only two weeks in so there's time for predictions to become reality. Fingers crossed!

24 hours later the white fluff still finds some white stuff to explore.

Rebecca's home includes a short ski run early in the day. When I drop her off a few hours later it's all gone.

Speckled Italian Cypress against slate skies.

It doesn't take much to change the feel of our arid desert, short-lived as it is.

Only five years-old, our couch needs replacing. Need might be a stretch, but I need a change in seating options for our living room. And weirdly, I love shopping for furniture! A trip to Tucson finds me what I'm looking for only to find out after the great hunt that they no longer deliver to Tombstone :-(( 

Grilled lobster and asparagus salad at Wildflower helps this seem less of a wasted trip!

I'm surprised to find Ashley's also has a location in Green Valley. A small town between Tucson and Tubac, I've never been and had incorrectly assumed it was a small community with little commercial options. A phone call confirms they will deliver to Tombstone so a few days later Rebecca joins me for more fun shopping.

Even better, they have the same pieces I wanted at their other store (not always the case) so it's a quick stop to give them my money. Less than two weeks to deliver - yay!

With no great eateries in our "town" of Sierra Vista, it's a treat to find a delicious Mediterranean option in Green Valley. We enjoy excellent food and service at Brindis Bistro's tiny indoor space, attached to a large (but too cold this day) dining patio. 

On the rare occasions I see the sun rise, they are never this amazing!! What an awesome way to start the day.

The skies put on a show in every direction.

After this auspicious beginning, the day is surprisingly "regular".

Several years of owning and living in an RV, we're familiar with how everything works. Changing RVs means we're no longer familiar with how everything works! I have a short list of items that aren't working, or just as likely that I don't know how to work, so I'm off to Camping World in Tucson with a morning appointment.

For years I bragged about the service at the Tucson Camping World, but post-COVID that service declined significantly. As a result we took the coach to a local shop with mostly good experience.

Since we bought PJ at said CW, I make the service appointment there with fingers crossed. I'm happy to say they've restore my positive opinion!

Tim fixes two of the items in the parking lot before doing a work order (and before an invoice is created). Then when the technician is delayed on another job he fixes the step that won't stay out when the switch is on. Turns out it's a fuse for the switch located in an obsure (of course) place that he quickly replaces. No charge, have a nice day, let me know if you need anything.......lovely!

While waiting I also get an estimate for installing the levelers I want, as well as one for replacing the dinnette with recliners. Khalil is also amazing, making several phone calls to find what we need (levelers), as well as pointing out where I could save some money on the parts. Lovely again!!

In addition to the good service experience, taking PJ into town, and making stops for fuel and baked treats, on my own is easy and pleasant. I continue to be very happy we did the down-size. 

PJ in her new home base. Like in our driveway, I'm able to get her completely level. We'll still add the levelers for other locations, but for now it's another positive :-))

Elliott ready for the Target catalog.

Big-girl Reese shows off her adorable freckles.

Sweet Ezra cuddles with Frog the cat.

Lucky M & M visit the Rose Parade floats with Mom and Dad (the photographer).