AZ Getaway - Day 4

Our morning began at a fun place called “Nana Dee’s Diner”, which was all decked out 50’s style with decor and music to bring you a step back in time.  Great food, and more special time with ones we love.

JoAnn had in mind a place she wanted us to visit, but said we should leave around 11, so there was time for a walk.  I ventured the opposite way on the golf course walking path just behind Wayne’s house, and enjoyed the sunshine and 70 degree weather.  The designers of Leisure World included lots of big, beautiful trees and ponds, for a tranquil setting.  I even spotted a little hummingbird busy having lunch from one of the unique plants of the area.

Returning to home base, I grabbed another lemon to add to my water for the day. . .so refreshing!  Then JoAnn, Bert & I hopped in Wayne’s car with “Goldfield” as our destination.  It is an area next to a once active gold mine, where a little ghost town has been built up.  Mine tours are available, as well as rides on a cute little train.  Little shops similar to those in Medora, ND tempted out pocketbooks, and we also enjoyed some prickly pear lemonade and a treat from the ice cream parlor.  It was a fun place to visit, with an awesome view of Superstition Mountain, where many go for hikes. We passed on that part of the adventure!

JoAnn was the navigator to get us to Goldfield and back, while I observed how different the landscape was from back home.  Both flat and stretching for miles, but very different vegetation.  We chuckled at Siri’s command to “stay in the middle five lanes” once we made it onto the freeway.  That certainly wouldn’t happen in North Dakota!

After returning to Wayne’s we found a surprise waiting.  He had been to a neighbor’s house and picked us some grapefruit to sample!  It was tempting to try, but will wait and have one for breakfast tomorrow.    

Kent was due to arrive shortly, so we could have an early supper before heading to the Mesa Arts Center for an evening at the Southwest Gospel Music Festival.  I’m finding the back deck is a great place to relax with a good book. . .on to book #2 of the trip.  Fun to watch the birds at the feeder, too!

We had planned to eat at a Chipotle restaurant, until Kent spotted Red Lobster and took a detour!  I found salmon on the menu, and Bert had a “sampling” of three kinds of shrimp, which ended up being a massive plateful!  Enough for him, and a to go box full to give Wayne a meal later.  No lobster eaters among us, but they were waiting in the entry to greet us!

It was an easy commute to the Mesa Art Center, with Kent as our driver in his rental pickup.  Found out it is a massive venue with very unique architecture.

What followed was four hours of southern gospel music in a beautiful concert hall.  Featured groups of the night were Legacy 5, Cana’s Voice, and Booth Brothers, plus a comedian, Tim Lovelace.  Powerful music, and also fun to have some “audience participation” singing, which was extra special sitting next to Kent, who likes to sing harmony like I do!

  

 

Back at Wayne’s, we finished off the Cheesecake Factory cheesecake before calling it a night!

AZ Getaway - Day 3

Keeping yesterday’s cheesecake in mind, our morning walk ended up 1,500 steps longer than yesterday.  We ventured to the recreation center, and found a couple of places we would enjoy if staying longer. . .a sewing/quilt room for me, and a wood shop for Bert.  Bert claimed they had better tools than he does at Bert’s Woodworks!

With Wayne off to a doctor appointment, the rest of the morning was spent leisurely on his deck.  With a book to read, water with lemon picked fresh from his tree, some snacks, and beautiful sunshine, it doesn’t get much better. . .especially when you’ve been experiencing sub-zero temperatures for the past couple of weeks back home in North Dakota.

Once Wayne returned, he told us to “take the car and go explore!”.  So we did, and ended up at a huge antique mall for a trip down memory lane, complete with the best music from the 60’s.  One lady caught me singing along, and was glad she wasn’t the only one!  My find was a unique bell with Joseph, Mary, & Baby Jesus on their flight to Egypt.  Also saw many items we have in our home, some of which we are still using. . .does that make us antiques??

At 4pm we joined Wayne for a visit at his cousin, Bonnie’s place at another retirement village not far away.  She and her husband, Garth, are from Iowa, but spend their winters in Arizona.  Bert’s brother, Kent, flew in from Dickinson, ND this afternoon and sister, JoAnn from St. Cloud, MN, so they joined us for a wonderful evening of good food and great fellowship.  Family is so special!  

With an evening of “sitting around visiting”, it took a lot of stepping in place to reach my 11,000 step goal for the day!  But make it, I did!!👣

AZ Getaway - Day 2

The start to my day differs from Bert’s.  He tends to rise earlier, and while on vacation enjoys finding a newspaper to read.  After our early rising yesterday, my body preferred sleeping a little later, and once I got moving, I found him deep in his thoughts out on Wayne’s patio, which overlooks the 7th hole of the golf course.  With Wayne at a dentist appointment, we decided to follow the walking path along the golf course to see what we could discover.

Just a few houses down was a friendly man, who greeted us, and then teased we needed to leave a dollar to pass.  Bert told him we’d catch him on the way back!  Many yards had fruit trees. . .oranges, lemons, grapefruits. . .and I couldn’t imagine living somewhere with fresh fruit so readily available.  Other yards had interesting cactus, and a variety of plants foreign to this North Dakota prairie girl. By the time we returned, we had put on over 2,000 steps together.

When Wayne returned home, he encouraged us to take his car and go exploring.  We found an oak furniture store with some good ideas for the office space yet to be finished back home.  

Feeling like a light lunch, Bert had me track down the nearest Chick-fil-a, which we located in a huge mall not far away.  

Wouldn’t you know, there was a Dairy Queen for dessert just across the food court!

It also featured a double decker carousel with very unique characters to sit on. My favorites were the deer and the eagle.  Could it be because those remind me of my dad and father-in-law?

Without much reason to shop, it was fun to just sit and “people watch” for a time.  Moving out into the sunshine made this even more enjoyable, as we found a spot near the tall Christmas tree still decorating the outdoor space.

 

We discovered a movie theatre, and found if we waited another half an hour, we could take in a movie we had wanted to see.  “American Underdog” is a movie documenting the story of NFL football quarterback, Kurt Warner.  Having already read the book written by he and his wife, “First Things First”, it was fun to see the story unfold on the big screen.  The movie didn’t disappoint!

Something to get used to here is the fact it gets dark by supper time.  We are so spoiled being on the western edge of daylight savings time, enjoying long evenings of daylight. . .especially during the summer months when daylight savings time stretches those hours even further.  As the sun went down, the question was asked, “Where should we eat supper?” It was decided none of us were very hungry, so a quick burger might be good.  We knew there was a “5 Guys & a Burger” fast food spot just up the road, but also checked out how far it was to “In & Out Burger”, our son’s favorite.  It was further away, so for tonight, “5 Guys” won out.  And a penny found on a chair was our reward!

The evening found the guys back in front of the TV, this time for basketball and some kind of detective show.  As for me, catching up on some reading and a few rounds of my word game kept me occupied.  Our dessert was something special we picked up after the movie. . .from the Cheesecake Factory!  It was lemon for Wayne and Banana Cream for Bert and I.  Might have to take a longer walk tomorrow!

AZ Getaway - Day 1

For a number of years, Bert’s brother, Kent, has been working towards having us join him in attending a National Gospel Quartet Convention.  Their dad was a huge fan of quartet music, and sang bass for many years with a local group, with their mom accompanying on the piano.  The locations have varied, and for just as many reasons it has not worked out. . .until this year.

With this year’s convention being held in Arizona, we would have the added bonus of visiting their Uncle Wayne, who has a beautiful home in a retirement community in Mesa, AZ.  Plans were finalized just before Christmas, and after several long weeks of North Dakota sub-zero winter weather, we are finally able to escape for a week away from the cold.  According to the forecast, we are supposed to enjoy temperatures in the 70’s all week.  

We were up and on the road to Minot before dawn, with our flight scheduled to leave at 11:20.  It is nice to have the option of a direct flight to Mesa from a number of North Dakota cities, and it was smooth sailing all the way.  The full flight told us we weren’t the only ones wanting to escape the cold!

While waiting for Uncle Wayne to arrive, I looked down to find a fun surprise on the pavement. . .a dime! It was even heads up, so I claimed it as my “Welcome to Arizona” treat.  

It’s always good to see Uncle Wayne, and the sunshine and warm temperatures were a welcome change from back home!

Fresh flowers and a lemon tree also welcomed us.  It is such a treat to be able to sit outside enjoying fresh air and sunshine in January!

Our afternoon took us to a nearby WalMart where we stocked up on groceries and snacks for the week.  We settled on Olive Garden for our evening meal, which was close by.  The evening for Bert and his uncle has been spent watching a National Championship College football game between Georgia and Alabama.  From what I’m hearing, the game has been an exciting one!

Meanwhile, you can find me in the bedroom playing cards with the grandkids!  I enjoy playing solitaire, and brought my new deck of cards, a gift from our daughter for Christmas!

Looking forward to see what tomorrow brings, and thanking God for allowing us safe travels!

Just How Great IS Our God??🤔

Tonight at Crosby Assembly of God we viewed this teaching by Louie Gigleo.  I had seen it before, but it blew my mind and touched my heart just as much the second time around.  I hope you will take the time to have a listen and get just a glimpse into how great our God really is, and how very minuscule we are in comparison. . .yet, He loves us so!🥰

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How Great is Our God / Louie Giglio

End of Year/New Year Thoughts

On Christmas Eve I put out two wreaths of bird seed in our backyard.  The pole usually holds bird feeders, but they had long since been emptied.  It was time to treat the birds, and I expected them to quickly dig in.  To my surprise, several days went by with no sign of any birds taking advantage of the free food.

On the third day, I spotted one little bird hopping around under the wreaths, trying to find traces of birdseed in the snow.  If I could speak the language of the birds, I would say, “Look up, little bird!  What you need has been provided. . .you just need to look up!”

Come to think of it, we are so much like our little feathered friend.  We are busy, trying to find our own way, all the while ignoring our Heavenly Father’s voice telling us, “Look up, My child!  What you are searching for is right here in my perfect plan for your life.  You simply need to stop trying to figure things out on your own, and look up.  Seek My face, and My guidance in your life, and soon you will find an abundance of blessings right there waiting to be enjoyed!”

As I watch the birds out my kitchen window, they are good reminders I have a choice in life.  I can look up and keep my eyes on Jesus, or I can try do things in my own strength.  As we close out 2021 and turn the page to 2022, it is my desire to keep looking up!  How about you??