Merry Christmas!

Greetings all! I think this year, I'll actually try to send out Christmas cards. Pretty ambituous goal for me, but what the heck, I'll give it a whirl. I think I'll enclose a link to this blog so my numerous friends can keep up with my terribly exciting life!
We got the tree up with Viv doing the decorating. She did a great job and the tree looks very pretty. This is in addition to her normal household duties of (self appointed) Supervisor of Kitchen Affairs. She arranges the dishwashing schedule and keeps a grocery list going, so she's pretty handy to have around. Bless her heart, she arranges my dishwashing days around my work days. Pretty cool kid. We tried to "fire" her tonight over a tardy posting of dishwashing days, but she refused to be fired and the rest of us realized that no one wanted the job anyway.
A.J. is watching for a guitar to buy after Christmas. He's been saving up money and has gotten good shopping information from Sky and Sage, so he should be ready to make a purchase soon. He's taking guitar at school and has gotten quite good in a short amt of time.
Both are doing great at school. Both are on the honor roll and Viv got a monthly award for scholastic excellence after her Social Studies teacher nominated her. They have a circle of friends and their middle school experience seems much less traumatic than I recall experiencing at West Jr. High. Much to my relief!
Dave is still writing and has a new book available via lulu.com. The book is autobiographical and deals with his family's traumatic experience in Japan. The book is called Abduction at Roswell and you can order it directly from lulu.com. It is a facinating read, even if you don't believe in aliens and such. So, feel free to order it and enjoy! Ha! Snuck a little advertising in there, didn't I? He's been doing lots of radio interviews with groups that are interested in aliens/abductions/etc. so that has kept him busy.
I'm still working night shifts in the Special Care Nursery here in Flagstaff. I don't enjoy staying up all night 3 nights a week, but the people on nights are great and I am making good friends here. (shout out to Cori...I know she reads this blog!) It feels good to feel some roots to this community growing. Now, if it were just less expensive to live here! Flagstaff in some ways believes itself to be Vail or something, so the prices remain too high for what is basically a small town in the mountains.
We have been trying to get to Washington D.C. for the inauguration, but I don't think that will happen. Have been unable to find accomodations without paying over $500 a night with a 3-4 night minimum. It would be a quirk if we manage to snag tickets to the swearing in, but can't find a place to stay, etc! I did finally break down and email John McCain to request tickets. That seemed mean, so I had to write the email several times til I got it right. Also asked our new Rep and the other senator for tickets. If I end up with 12 tickets maybe I'll sell them on ebay and be able to buy a house in Flagstaff after all! Just kidding. I think its illegal to sell the tickets.
I guess that's the news. Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a happy and wonderful 2009.

Civics Lessons

Quick update....I took the kids to Albuquerque NM this past weekend for an Obama rally. Viv has done a bit of volunteering this year for Obama, and she's been looking at issues, etc. She can outline for you why she has made her decision this year, so that's good training for the future. Anyway, we got stuck in a terrible detour on the interstate, and that added 3 hours onto the trip. Put us into ABQ late, so we had no hope of actually seeing more than a fleeting glimpse of him via binoculars. There were 45,000 people there. But we did get to hear him and be part of the process. Both AJ and Viv gave it an overall thumbs up, even with the long detour and the poor view. I'm pleased that they have learned that politics CAN be personal, that being involved feels good, that researching a person is vital in deciding who to vote for, and that voting is important. Nuff said.

Quick trip to Phoenix

Just got back to Flagstaff after a 24 hour trip to Phoenix. My coworker Beth was a finalist in a Nurseweek regional competition for being an outstanding mentor. I had nominated her and she was one of my mentors when I started at Flagstaff Medical Center. This is Beth and her boyfriend Chris at the awards dinner.

Beth is an amazing nurse. She doesn't just mentor new nurses, she is also a relief charge nurse, does mission trips to Central America, and lectures internationally on Reactive Attactment Disorder. Think that's impressive? She's only 26 or so! To top it off, she has an amazing sense of humor and is a truly nice person. Anyway, I was honored to attend with her (even when other assumed that I was her mother!) and we had a great time. They picked someone else to win, but I made sure Beth understood that she more than held her own in a field where the other nominees had been nurses over 20 years.

We got to stay in a posh resort, had a wonderful meal, and had time for a quick stop at Trader Joe's for groceries you can't find in Flagstaff. Of course it was hotter than you know what in Phoenix. Can't understand how anyone gets used to that!

Back to School Blues

The kids started school last week, much to one young man's horror. However, things are going well. AJ is taking guitar class, Viv is taking Art, so they are both happy with their electives. Regular classes are ok too, with some teachers that actually seem to reach the kids. They have school uniforms this year, so that's been an adjustment. Both have a circle of friends that make school more interesting.

Work for me remains slow, with mandatory days off and paychecks that are not full. Bummer. Looking for ways to supplement the old income and will keep you posted on how that pans out.

Dave's latest book "Abduction at Roswell" is nearly ready for publication. Its on a print on demand system, so no upfront costs, no minimum orders, no agents to pay. I read the advance copy and its a facinating view of Dave's family and a lifetime of unusual experiences. Hopefully this will break open the years long lull in Dave being able to get his work out there. He has been faithfully writing, but most of it hasn't found a publisher, so this may be a way around that roadblock.

Aside from that, the biggest news here is the size of the beetles. These hummers are gigantic! Yuck. A lot of them are stink beetles that raise their butts when threatened. No manners, these Arizona bugs.

Enough for now.

"Best" Friends

I just got back to Flagstaff after a short visit to Rapid City. My high school friends Leslee (Wallis) and Barry Best were going through end of life decisions with their Dad Glenn. I was glad I could be there for support and assistance.

Their parents, Glenn and Besty, have always welcomed me into their home. Not just me, but many of Leslee and Barry's friends were given that same open door welcome. Les and I stayed friends over the years, so I was able to stay close to Glenn and Betsy too. We shared many of life's peak moments and a good share of valleys as well.

One of my most treasured Glenn moments was from 2001 when my Dad was dying. I needed a break and went out to Leslee's but she wasn't there. Her husband Steve Wallis and Glenn were there though, and both gave me the kind of bear hug the family is known for. When you are hugged by a Best (or a Wallis!) you are hugged to your soul; it is a most comforting place to be. The moments we shared gave me the strength to head back to Dad's bedside and let him go.

My relationship to Glenn, though incredibly special, was not unique. He and Betsy have a lifetime of others with stories similar to mine--how the Bests touched their lives, filled a special niche, and never asked for anything in return for their generosity.

So, back to the story. Leslee called and said Glenn was reaching the end of life, and I was able to work out the logistics, so I went to RC for a couple of days. During that time I also got to visit with other friends, went up to the folks' graves, met my newest grandniece Rachel, and celebrated sister Phyllis' birthday. Whew!

The main focus of the trip was to help my Best friends with whatever they needed. They were able to get Glenn into hospice and he was able to pass away at Leslee's home today. His bed was placed near a window, so he could see the beloved land on Nemo Road. I do so admire them for getting all that done for Glenn, and his passing was peaceful. What an act of love and devotion they showed, being able to meet his final needs.

I've posted a few pictures of Glenn and family, so you can see this wonderful bunch of folks. Keep them all in your prayers as they grieve the loss, but celebrate the birth of heaven's newest (and most feisty!) angel. Rest in peace, dear Glenn.

ahleesejo/13th b day - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

ahleesejo/13th b day - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

13th B Day!

We all had a great time celebrating the big 1-3 for AJ and Viv. On Sunday we went to the Lava River Cave and hiked down into the center of the earth, or at least a little ways toward the Center of Arizona.

Monday we went to the movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and we all enjoyed it. Then we went to Outback (yum!) and had a great dinner. The kids got ice cream and humiliation for dessert...everyone sang Happy Birthday to them and it was great fun.

They will (are supposed to, anyway) be sending emails to say thanks for the cards and gifts, but just in case that process breaks down....THANK YOU for the nice remembrances...they were truly appreciated.

If anyone makes it down this way (esp thinking of Joc, Nathan/Maria, Jeremy/Amber) we MUST take you to the Lava River Cave. You rock climbers would love it. I myself am giving thanks for Motrin, as the hike is quite a workout!

V Bar V

Petroglyphs at the V Bar V Heritage Site, near Sedona.

Today we went over to a great little State Park and toured the V Bar V Heritage Site. Its an entire rock wall of Petroglyphs and I was struck by how similar they are to some I saw in Hawaii when we lived there. I guess there are only so many ways to carve a sun or a person into rock. This site is unique in that there is a stone outcropping that casts shadows on certain figures at different times of the year, and today the shadows fell on corn planting; thus the theory is that the ancients would watch this "calendar" and when the shadows hit the planting symbols they would plant corn. I don't know what they did if it was cloudy on that day :-).

It was a nice little excursion, and reminded me of how things that seem like such immediate needs are rarely timeless. The corn planting probably got done by these folks in time for a good harvest, but the thing that was timeless was the rock art. The anniversary of Dad's death is upon us again, and I am reminded of the timeless lessons he taught me. There were mundane things (like hanging pictures straight and fixing a toilet handle) that are pretty important to everyday life, and then there are the timeless lessons...how to transition to the spirit life with joy and confidence, how to treat people on a day to day basis, and how to be a good parent.

On a lighter note, baseball is in full swing, so to speak, and AJ is on the Diamondbacks. He plays outfield, and is settling into a new team just fine. The coach is much better than the mutant that he had for a coach last year! There was a bit of parent drama at the last game, with some yelling being done when a player got hit by the pitcher, but that isn't the norm here, and most of the folks seem really nice. It gets cold here during the evening games (like nights at the Passion Play in Spearfish used to feel!) so we welcome earlier games.

Guess that's about it for now.

sky visit

What you do NOT see in the family picture is that a huge Condor was flying overhead while the guy was taking the picture. We were all watching the Condor and the guy was saying "Look over here! Look over here!" and we were saying "Look at the rare bird flying right over our heads!" It was pretty funny.

photo album; sky's visit

 
 
 
 

Sky's here!

We've had a busy few days with Sky here from NYC. He's enjoying the fresh air, we are enjoying seeing him. Its nice that Sage was here recently, and now Sky, so it helps Arizona feel more like home all the time. Photos to follow when I figure out how to make them appear.

One year later...

A year ago Mom died. It seems like it was much longer than that, most days. I told my friend Chris that I was surprised at how much it still hurts sometimes. She said that after her Mom and Dad's deaths she found that it still hurt just as bad but not as often for quite a while. That helped me to know I'm not just being a crybaby. Losing Dad was a bit different, Mom was still here, the house was still "ours", the loss didn't feel as complete. Anyway, I keep plugging along, and every once in a while have myself a good cry. Today feels like it might be one of those days. I remain very proud of all that my brother and sisters did to make Mom's final wishes happen. When I tell people about how we managed all that they are very touched and tell me I must have an amazing family. I agree. So Eunice, Corrine, Jer and Phyl--thanks. We did good.

Disneyfied

AJ, Viv and I took the train out to Anaheim for 2.5 days of endless laughing and walking. We had a great time! Dave stayed home to take care of pets, so the kids and I were on our own. We had great fun at Disneyland, esp since "its a small world" is closed for "remodeling". Word has it that it was deemed polictically incorrect and may be permanently closed. YIPEE! Man, I hate that song.

We spent a great afternoon in California Adventure, a new Disney venture right next to Disneyland. The coasters are awesome and we all agreed our faces literally hurt from laughing so much. The Best Spring Break Ever, as AJ says.

You call this a Caesar Salad?!?

I had some time off work, so we took a road trip to Prescott then on to Scottsdale/Phoenix. Prescott is a nice smaller town with a great art gallery. If you're ever in the area its called VanGogh's Ear.

We went to a ballgame in Scottsdale...the Giants vs Rockies. The Rockies won big time. It was Spring Training, so the stadium was small, the atmosphere fun, the weather perfect. The kids had fun getting autographs and Dave and I had fun just hanging out at the game.

We went to a GREAT Italian restraunt in Scottsdale, and there was an older couple behind us who were both busy being picky. Nothing was right, and they were quite vocal with the complaints. The man's napkin was too rough. Really. The lady wanted to eat, but wasn't "all that hungry", so she listed off a bunch of stuff she doesn't like and the waiter tried to meet that list of demands, while not exceeding the quantity of food she had in mind. Then the wine wasn't exactly right, and even though they had the bottle right on the table the guy kept yelling for the waiter to pour him more. The clincher was that the guy had ordered a chicken caesar salad, and they brought it to him without chicken. He complained loudly and they took it back and added the chicken. However, for the rest of the meal, we all heard "They just threw some chicken on the old salad, this isn't a new salad!" "They call this a Chicken Caesar Salad? They didn't even mix it in. This is just a salad with chicken on top!" Then he'd settle down for a minute, but just when we got lulled into thinking he was satisfied, he'd start up again...."YOU CALL THIS A CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD? ITS JUST A SALAD WITH CHICKEN ON THE TOP!" .... "They just threw some chicken on the old salad!" .... strong>"YOU CALL THIS A CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD?!?"<strong> By the time this had happened 3 or 4 times Viv and I started getting the giggles about it. AJ and Dave were not as close to the action, so they were missing some of it, but when we started laughing, they started listening. It kept on the whole time we were there. But the food was great and we had a good time. So that was Scottsdale. Now its back to work again tomorrow.

R.I.P. Connie Williams

Well, the day came when my friend Connie in Raton lost her battle against cancer. She was diagnosed 2 days before we left Raton, and it was truly hard to say goodbye to her. Other people, I knew I could probably see again, but I knew I was really saying Goodbye to Connie. She has 3 grown kids and several grandchildren, and I hope they can cope with the loss of her presence. They were all very tight-knit, so it will be hard for them.

Sometimes it feels like I've yet to make any real friends here, but I know that there are lots of people at work who care about me. They gave me hugs when I told them about Connie and that was very helpful. The thing about Flagstaff is...you know you're in Flag when someone offers to help you find something at Home Depot and they don't even work there...That's Flag. I stole that from an email circulating at work. Another good one...you spend an hour on the phone talking to someone and it was a wrong number to begin with. Its true. Its Flagstaff. Where else can you clothes for your doggie and de-icer for your bird bath at the local pet store? Yes, de-icer. Can't figure out what its got in it that would be safe for the birds AND keep ice at bay. And despite the mega-snow this winter, lots of people still ride their bikes to work. I mean bicycles, not motorcycles. How they manage it is beyond me.

What do you mean, its February already?

Ok, misplaced December and January. Probably too busy shoveling snow! The kids have not had school on a Monday since before Christmas. There has been a weekend storm every Sunday night! So, we have broken one shovel and seriously damaged another. Was going to get a new one, but we got about a foot of snow last night, so there went that plan!

We did get a new cat. Actually we got two. The first one was psycho. She was afraid of ceiling fans and hid behind the washer for 12 hours at a time. She got returned to the shelter. Poor thing. But the second time, we lucked out. We got a kitten and named her Meko. She is a ferocious, loving, playful thing who has won us all over. She can purr louder than any cat I've met. In fact, her nickname is the Purrinator. Hopefully a photo will attach, but you know how I am about that.

Other than cold and snowy, we are all fine here and enjoying our new hometown.