May 21 - 31, 2024
Tombstone, Arizona
A decidedly more positive post for a change. Frustration and evil thoughts behind me now :-))))
 |
| Thanks Anna and Donnie :-)) |
At 68, I'm now officially elderly, a designation many never get to "enjoy" so I'm grateful to get here! For the next three months Bill's married to an older woman.
We don't celebrate/gift each other's birthdays, but family calls and friends' posts throughout the day mark the special day. Good friends Anna and Donnie take us to breakfast and spoil me with lovely posies and presents. It's a good day to mark another trip around the sun.
 |
| Knowing how happy it will make me, Jeff chooses my birthday weekend to seek out his cousin (my first cousin's son) at his gallery in Seattle. They had yet to meet, and I'm indeed delighted that now they have! |
Once calmed down (one can only say that about themselves and not others without risk of bodily harm), I'm relieved to have the stress of ever-changing summer plans over with. The rig will get fixed when it gets fixed. We'll figure out medical support when we figure it out. We will putter around the house. We will little-bitty travel.
Puttering is the official term for avoiding boredom. A necessity for me. Bill fixes the wheelbarrow and gets the small chain saw working so I can putter with purpose. With 2.5 acres of desert there's as little or as much as I want to tackle. The increasing heat is definitely an "influencer" this time of year, but there are times of day when being outside is quite nice.
 |
| Our House Finch are tenacious in their attempts to build nests in our porch rafters. The wind never lets them stay long, but this is the biggest one they've completed before being blown down. So much work :( |
 |
| Evidence of Oliver is a great addition to our back yard. |
 |
| Most years (we've had four here) the skinny Cholla just have bright yellow buds, but this Spring all of them have burst out with these gorgeous fuchia blooms. |
 |
| Lots of wild Desert Bird of Paradise give us pretty color in our front and side yards. |
 |
| The biggest surprise has been our Yucca sending up this tall stalk of fragrant blossoms. There're more every day. |
In SoCal, Ezra, at eight years-old, is attending his first school dance! I don't think I'm ready for him to be so grown up.
 |
| Dressed up with Daddy - both so handsome :-) |
 |
| Our beautiful oldest grand - I'm glad he's growing his hair out again. |
Bill continues to feel fine, and has figured out the routine he needs for in-home treatment. In hindsight I'm glad we're not traveling with iffy support while the medical team here continue to make modifications to dosage, etc.
The weather-guessers predict a weak monsoon this year (like the only other summer we spent here), but I'm hoping we get some rain soon - our desert is parched! I'm sure there will be just enough to grow all the weeds I'm working on knocking down now.
The motorhome is in the shop and we're once again hopeful all will get repaired. On the positive side they had very few units in the lot pending work, and there are now five techs instead of one - fingers crossed!
 |
| Weird to look out and not see the motorhome in it's spot! |
 |
| The Force is strong in Elliott :-) |
 |
| Our youngest, Cassidy, is on the move. |
 |
| M & M are enjoying their time in Scouts. |
 |
| Silly sisters Penelope and Reese clowning for Mom. |
 |
| An extra Elliott pic - because he's so proud of his Ninja Turtle balloon art :-)))) |
So glad that you didn't torch anything and you're again working on, working things out.
ReplyDeleteDoes Bill take advantage of the 'Old Lady' jokes? Fran's a few weeks older and I do let her know sometimes. A birthday card like 'You're 70 and I'm not' is ok, but I've dropped the Old Lady jokes, as she just may out live us all!
Ezra looking pretty dashing in the suit, bet he'll have no trouble finding dance partners.
Nice seeing all the grands gowing and having fun.
Oh yeah, "if I was as old as you......" is a favorite for three months :-) Ezra and the other grands keep us smiling all the time, even thought they're getting too big too fast (as all kiddos do).
DeleteI was the old lady for a month and a day. I loved hearing you mention it.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I never think of the desert as having such pretty flowers. Shows what I know or at least when I've visited. I have Yucca, Yucca and more Yucca at the farm. It takes over if you let it so I don't. I can only imagine how disappointed you are about abandoning carefully made plans but it sounds like it was for the best and you are rolling with the punches. You have such wonderful and so many grandchildren. I'm sorry for Ezra. 8 is far far too young for dances. Isn't that just the 3rd grade? IMO which no one asked for 12 is the youngest appropriate age for dances. What is up with that?
I wish we had more flowers in this area - so many more in other parts of the state. I am glad we get as much green as we do though! The most yuccas I've every seen in any place was in Kansas!! And I lived in Yucca Valley, CA for a few years. Ezra was over-the-moon excited about the end of school dance. It was a party for all the grades and the parents all came too. In their little town there aren't many opportunities to "dress up" so everybody loved it.
DeleteGlad you were able to come down off the "high" (no....I mean stress high, what else would I mean?) you've both been on for quite a while now. Things will work out and you'll be ready when they do. As usual, I love the grand's pictures, especially the handsome new man about town..... Dave and I don't really do gifts at birthdays anymore. (well, except for a special dinner or a surprise donut) We're supremely happy to have them each year but have stopped verbalizing the numbers....
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to be "leveled out" from all the mayhem of the last several months. Whatever comes, it just will come :-) Those numbers don't mean much these days, other than to be grateful for another one.
DeletePuttering in the yard with a chainsaw, hahaha!! It does give one a sense of purpose! (I love my little chainsaw.) So glad all is well. Happy belated birthday! I would like a word other than "elderly" for describing those of us 68 and beyond. Help me figure something out! :-)) Ezra is so handsome...and looks so grown-up!
ReplyDeleteThe terms that come up when looking for alternatives is pretty funny - "ancients" LOL! But elderly is apparently considered derogatory so we will be something different moving forward :-))) Perhaps "seasoned" is more accurate?
DeleteI too would like a word other than "elderly!" I kind of like "mature" and I'm almost a year older than you. We do celebrate birthdays--sometimes in very simple ways--but we do celebrate each and every one. Glad Bill is doing well with his in home treatments--much better than sitting at a dialysis unit for hours. I'm going to have to investigate "small" chain saws--the ones we have are too heavy for me.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't get another Ryobi power tool, ours are all pretty "weak" - but they are small enough for me to use comfortably (dang it!). While we've never done much celebrating, I do love to see the traditions that others share for their birthdays. I can't assume maturity for many people our age :-))), but better than elderly.
DeleteEzra looks so handsome and yes, all grown up! Where does the time go? Your blooms are so pretty…especially the cholla. They are at the top of my list for eye catching color every spring. I have you by 5 years and Joe will be 77 in November…life is good! Have a great week Jodee!
ReplyDeleteI think about how I pictured 68, 73, 77 when I was in my 30's. We are all much, much younger than those pictures!! Every year is a blessing. Seeing Ezra in his suit makes those years seem fleeting for sure.
DeleteOnce again your positive attitude will carry you through. Fingers crossed the MH returns home soon and is repaired properly. We've been here for six years and have yet to see a monsoon summer. We rarely get any rain in the summer. Glad you are finding things to keep you busy while you await your summer plans to begin. Love that photo of Ezra and dad:) Wonderful photos of the grands. Boy are they growing up fast!
ReplyDeleteWe still have so much to be grateful for, I just have to step back and let the pending stuff get figured out. I don't remember monsoons when we were growing up in the SoCal desert, but they were a part of Mom's Tucson summers when she retired. At least you've got "backyard water"! In case we don't already see time fly by, we sure see it with the grands!!
Delete