Younger Every Day

Friday, March 13, 2020

March days....

Company is always a good thing....especially when it's family. Jan and Paul at the Hassayampa Preserve..... somehow I missed capturing Curt as he listened and searched for birds. The Preserve was very quiet and we saw almost nothing but it was a good day for wandering.

Otherwise, we continue to enjoy the desert and all that it offers. This is actually a sunrise !

Views on my morning walks.....

The desert bloom is beginning....

And then we drove home..... we are back to see our Dr who is leaving the practice. We will get referrals and thank him for being so nice, even tho we only saw him once a year. We brought our golf clubs and it is nice enough to play if I wear fleece. We'll head back in a few days. But it's good to be back in my favorite place.

And, if all of our children are 50 and over, what does that make us?

Happy Happy Birthday Jon !

Saturday, February 22, 2020

And a fun time was had by all......

First sign of spring....at least at Trader Joe's.

And then our favorite teenagers showed up. As it happened, it was the 72nd celebration of Gold Rush Days. We cheered on the horses and bands and horses and more horses in the large parade. We wandered over to the street fair with its wide array of artists and food and crafts and lots of people.

Mason and I learned the fine art of gold panning. It was tedious at best..... Chuck was a constant source of advice and hands on help. I did have a speck of gold in my pan but Mason, who was much more diligent than I, didn't find much. The gravely dirt came from the Hassayampa Wash, right across the street. Henry Wickenburg claimed a very rich gold strike in the mid 1860's but as is often the case, he died penniless.

The rodeo was another highlight. We went on Sunday which was Senior Day. All the participants were over 40....and many were significantly older. Mason felt that it was cruel to the animals. I think these horses and bulls and calves do this day after day and are pretty used to it all. But still, a strap around ones parts can't feel very good. I was impressed at how the riders and horses were in perfect sync. The above is the bronco riding. The horses were more aggressive than this picture shows. The roping competition featured several guys well over 70. One gentleman was 78 and he smoothly roped the calf, slid off the horse and wrangled the calf to the ground and tied its legs. I suspect he's been doing it since he was 6 , but still...

We played golf and pickle ball as well. They are very good at PB and can leap and jump and run after that ball. Golf is a bit more frustrating for them. Andy has his unique style but had some great shots.....and he kept most of his drives on the dry parts of the course. The rest of us, not so much. I finally limited them to one ball per hole on the water holes.

Mason has a lot of potential but he frustrates easily. And they both found the Par 3 to be limiting as they love to hit it a mile. Their dad showed up for a day. Luckily, weather was about perfect.

And yes, there is a hammock on the course....and a 2 person swing ... and orange lounge chairs and on the upper level, there is more comfy seating overlooking everything with distant views.

We live near an outer field of Luke Air Force Base. Most days there is the rumble of jets and now and then, sonic booms. Some are just startling but lately, they have been impressive. They really rattle the house and windows. One guy showed a pic of bricks that fell off his newly built home. I don't mind them but then, I don't own a house. At Ladies golf on Thursday, we had one. One of the golfers said she was going to call Luke and complain. Today she posted her call and the response on Next-door neighbor. Luke said they would log her complaint....nothing more. The response from the neighbors here was quick and to the point....... "We are proud of those who protect our country, ".... "They are keeping us safe"....".you should have done more due diligence before buying"........So no support for her, plus she is Canadian ! I suspect she won't bring it up again.

Monday, February 10, 2020

Life in the slow lane.....

As far as blog-worthy happenings, they are few and far between. But a couple were worth remembering....after all, this blog is mostly to help keep track of the what, where and who in our lives.

We celebrated Alex's birthday. He's just the nicest person and always has been. Kind, considerate and a lover of animals and golf. Jeff and Jen adopted a 1 1/2 yr old Shiba Inu who is shy. He seems to prefer men and especially Jeff. When we met him, I had to bribe him with cheese to come near. Paul was able to scratch his head, but Alex became his best friend.

Weather is still chilly altho a few times, we reach 70 and bask in the sun. We've been taking advantage of the warmer late afternoons and drive the golf cart to the nearby 'Lil Wick' golf course (Par 3) to have a glass of wine surrounded by the water and the hills. And we have a good view of the frustrated golfers hitting balls into the lakes. Some never give up and hit 3+ balls, hoping that the next drive will be successful....at $3 apiece, it adds up.

I got to know the Mayo Clinic system up close and personal last month. Long story, very shortened, involved having a nickle-sized cancer removed from my thigh. As it turned out, it is a very rare form of sarcoma, only identified in the last couple of years. (and usually occurs in children). As a nurse, my eyes and ears were always listening and watching and I was impressed. I never waited at the appointments. Everyone was so smart, helpful and informative. The day of surgery was delayed by a couple hours as my surgeon was tied up in an emergency. So her partner came over from the office so I wouldn't have to wait or have it cancelled. There are 24 OR rooms but while I waited, it was never noisy or busy sounding and my nurse stayed close at all times. I had it done under mild sedation and a local per my request. It is a large incision and I am still on restricted activity (no biking, no golf and no lengthy walks.). With the lesion removed, I am 'cured' and there is no follow up needed. I am thankful.

Altho we live in the middle of the desert, there are places of respite. The Hassayampa Preserve is near and is a tranquil oasis to listen to the birds. We saw a few but I am not smart enough to identify them by sight or their calls. This is a big birding area and I would benefit from learning.

I am slowly absorbing a couple of books of essays by Terry Tempest Williams. In 'Erosion' I expect to be awakened and disheartened.

PS. I share these words with you.....

Rev › Blog › Transcripts › Speech Transcripts › Joaquin Phoenix Oscar Acceptance Speech Transcript: Phoenix Wins for Joker

Joaquin Phoenix won best Actor at the Academy Awards on Sunday for his role in Joker. Read his full acceptance speech right here on Rev.com.

Joaquin Phoenix: (00:16)
Hi. ‘Sup? Hi. God, I’m full of so much gratitude right now. I do not feel elevated above any of my fellow nominees or anyone in this room, because we share the same love, the love of film. This form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life. I don’t know what I’d be without it. But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me and many of us in this room is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless.

Joaquin Phoenix: (01:04)
I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the distressing issues that we are facing collectively, and I think at times we feel or we’re made to feel that we champion different causes. But for me, I see commonality. I think whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice. We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control, and use and exploit another with impunity.

Joaquin Phoenix: (02:00)
I think that we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world and many of us what we’re guilty of is an egocentric worldview, the belief that we’re the center of the universe. We go into the natural world, and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth, we steal her baby even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf, and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.

Joaquin Phoenix: (02:35)
I think we fear the idea of personal change, because we think that we have to sacrifice something, to give something up. But human beings at our best are so inventive and creative and ingenious, and I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop, and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment.

Joaquin Phoenix: (03:09)
I’ve been a scoundrel in my life. I have been selfish, I’ve been cruel at times, hard to work with, and I’m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance. I think that’s when we’re at our best, when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow, when we educate each other, when we guide each other towards redemption. That is the best of humanity.

Joaquin Phoenix: (03:37)
When he was 17, my brother wrote this lyric. He said, “Run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.” Thank you.

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