FINALLY...here's my blog...

Welcome
Thanks for checking out my blog. I hope you enjoy it and also find out what life is like for me/us here in Surprise, Arizona.

Map
For starters I thought I'd include a link to a map of the greater Phoenix area. For optimum viewing it helps to change the viewing size to 100%.

Once you find Phoenix then follow Hwy 60 to the northwest (runs diagonally) and you'll come to first Glendale, then Peoria, then Sun City, etc. and then Surprise. Looking at the major streets below the word "Surprise," locate the intersection of Litchfield Road (runs north & south) and Cactus (runs east and west). We are very close to that intersection.

What's in a name?
Phoenix gets its name from the bird in Greek mythology that died in a fire and then rose out of the ashes. It's associated with the sun (HOT sun) and rebirth. This area is sometimes referred to as the Valley of the Sun. There are mountains at different locations all around the city (the White Tanks west of us, the Estrellas (pronounced Es-trayas) to the south, and South Mountain Park to the south, and so on. Because it's a valley it has a smog problem at times. We are quite far out so hopefully we won't be bothered by it.
Note: Mountains down here are not green and forested like you may picture mountains. They are brown and rocky with some desert vegetation. They are most attractive when parts of them are in shadow when they look dark blue-purple. It's also nice to see their silhouettes again the sky at dusk. We can see them from our neighborhood even though they're several miles away, so they must be big.

So what causes that smog?
Traffic--lots of traffic! That's the thing I like least down here. And once the snowbirds come there will be even more traffic. Hopefully I will get more comfortable with it as I drive more. I think I have relaxed some so I'm hopeful.

Speaking of traffic, I've never seen so many red PT's like mine. It's very surprising. And there are LOTS of BIG pick-up trucks, and I mean BIG. Sometimes I think I'm in Texas (that was for you, Jennifer).

My Major Map Points Thus Far

• Mark's brother Rod, his wife Karen, and son Brandon live about 10 miles east of us in Peoria. (More about them on another day.)
  
• The Northwest Regional Library is on Bullard about three miles north of us.
• The churches we visited have been west of us a couple to four miles.
  
• And then SHOPPING. Grocery stores (Fryes and Safeway), McDonalds, the Sonic Drive-in, pizza shop, walk-in hair place, and other stores are at the intersection of Litchfield & Waddell. There's a Super WMT farther east on Waddell, my nail place is at Litchfield & Greenway, and so on. Then directly north of us on Bell Road (which turns into Sun Valley Parkway as it goes west) are major chains like Home Depot, Lowes, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Office Max, Target, Michael's, Kohl's and so on. However, to get to a JoAnn's I have to drive about 12 miles east on Bell! That's also where there's a mall, nice furniture stores, larger chain restaurants (there's a PF Chang's), etc. They are opening new stores west of us (a Kohl's just opened and a Wal-Mart) but I'm sure it will be a while before there's a real mall.

The City of Surprise

Here's the link for our city web site. It was founded in 1938 and was named after the founder's hometown in Nebraska. In 1960 it was incorporated and now has a population of approx. 90,000, with most of the growth occurring since 2000.

OUR HOUSE

Several of you have asked for pictures of our house. I haven't shared any because there isn't any room that's finished--no drapes, no pictures, in the family room no furniture, but here goes (I'm including some before/after pictures).

The 2009 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 4-12)

Mark and I drove to Albuquerque on Thursday, October 9, and met Tim and Kathi and Grace and Will who had flown down from Minneapolis. When we got there at 5 pm (it was an 8 hour trip we found out!) the rest were already at the Fiesta site. We tried to meet them there but the traffic was backed up just horribly. After a 45 min. wait at an exit and then being turned away and told to go to the next exit, we gave up and decided to skip that evening's activities.

The next morning we got up at 4:30 and left for the site at 5:00. We arrived in pre-dawn but there were already lots of people there. There were many tents/booths selling food and wares so it was a carnival atmosphere. If we go again we'll know to take lawn chairs. Luckily Kathi had though to stop at Target the day before and buy a quilt so we had something to sit on. We ate our breakfast while waiting for dawn when we could watch the Special Shape Rodeo. It was cold.

There were regular rounded balloons also, but the special shaped ones were fantastic. No need to say more--just look at the pictures below (except please notice the baskets--they seem very small compared to the balloons).



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TRIP REPORT
Finally, more than a month after we're made the trip, here are notes from my daily log.

DEPARTURE - Tuesday, Sept. 2
We left Racine at 9 am and arrived in Menno, SD, at Cecilia's (my mother-in-law) that evening. Over the next few days we had a nice visit with the moms and various friends and relatives.

MEDICAL ISSUE - Friday, Sept. 5
A group of us went to eat the noon meal at a local restaurant and my aunt got a piece of meat stuck in her throat. After taking her to the local P.A., he determined that she'd have to go to a hospital that had a probe to remove it, so I had an unexpected ride in an ambulance with her to the emergency room of the closest "comprehensive" hospital--about a 35-mile trip. She could speak and breathe throughout but just couldn't get the meat unstuck so couldn't swallow. (Some of you will appreciate the small town details: I knew both the driver of the ambulance and the EMT who looked after my aunt [both volunteer postions]. The EMT updated me on her kids while we drove.) Our family friend Morna followed in the car and we all returned home the same day--simple procedure--and all was well.

ANOTHER MEDICAL PROBLEM - Saturday, Sept. 6
The morning we were to leave Menno the nursing home called early and said Mom was running a fever and the nurse thought she had an eye infection--plus she was very tired. I'd taken her to an eye appointment earlier in the week and they thought perhaps she'd gotten some bacteria in it then. They called the optometrist and he prescribed some medication and we thought that would do it. Before we left I said to her, "Mom, I'm sorry I have to leave." She answered, "I can die without you." We all laughed and she said, "Well, that's coming too." How often I thought of those words in the next few days!
Note: Mom's comment did not signify that she was feeling that ill or was depressed or whatever. She's very matter-of-fact about dying--my sister and I have already written her obit at Mom's direction--she's ready whenever the Lord takes her.)



CRAZY HORSE - Saturday, Sept. 6
We left Menno and that evening attended a reception at Custer, SD, at the Crazy Horse Memorial. Ruth Ziolkowski, widow of the sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, was hosting the event in honor of Korczak's 100th birthday and also the 139th birthday of Crazy Horse. After hors d'ouerves there were some inspiring words and then a night blast. We spent the night in Custer.



The next morning we attended a breakfast with some other guests and then got a ride up the mountain to see the carving up close. Through his previous job Mark got to know some of the family and other people involved with the project. He was instrumental in getting CNH to donate some equipment to push the rock off the mountain (and later Matt donated his time to refurbish a used machine-there's a plaque up in the visitor center acknowledging the work by Matt's company--the first time I saw it). We have visited there often and always enjoy their gracious hospitality and are inspired by humbleness and dedication to their vision.

WYOMING - Sunday, Sept. 7
After breakfast we headed west into Wyoming and drove through Buffalo Gap National Grasslands, which is grazing land with tufts of sage- green vegetation (maybe sage brush?). There were warning signs to watch for pronghorn antelope and we saw several small herds right beside the road. Seventy-five percent of pronghorns live within a 150-mile radius of Casper, Wyoming, so we were bound to see some. We spent that night in Idaho Springs, CO.

COLORADO - Monday, Sept. 8
MOM UPDATE: I called the nursing home and spoke to the nurse. Mom is very tired/exhausted--needs help eating--she's confused, perhaps from the antibiotic? She's had reactions like that before to drugs so we're hopeful that's what's causing it. It's worrisome.

Today we drove in a beautiful part of the country on Interstate 70 (1530 miles from Racine!) alongside the beginning of the Colorado River. A plaque said, "...the most celebrated section of the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System." At times the lanes split; the two westbound lanes were up high--the eastbound lanes were quite a ways below and at times almost ran underneath the westbound lanes. We drove on a loooooong bridge and then through a tunnel--and then through another tunnel not too much farther on. We were at 9000 feet elevation. My little PT whirred part of the time as it downshifted to handle the mountains.

MOM UPDATE: I just talked with my sister Karen. The PA thinks he heard something in one of her lungs and wants her to go to the hospital. She asked if there wasn't something else that could be done so he's giving her high-powered antibiotics. Hopefully that will help.

There were spectacular high mountains and the winding Colorado (more like a creek at this point) and meadows and pines and rocks and canyons. We looked through the sunroof of the car to see the tops of the mountains. As far as scenery, this was my favorite day of the entire trip.



We stopped at Vail a bit. We were told it was a bit European looking and I guess it was. Some of the buildings were chalet-like, lots of flowers, winding streets, lots of high-end shops, beautiful scenery. The only thing we bought was an ice cream cone!


MOM REPORT: Mom is a bit better and has asked to eat in the dining room. Thank you, Lord!

We spent the night in Fruita, CO, just a bit west of Grand Junction.

UTAH - Tuesday, Sept. 9
The landscape turned into smaller, brown hills, mesas and small evergreen (pinon?) and sage-colored shrubs. Several small oil rigs. It became more desolate and at one point there was a sign: "No services ahead. End of state highway." I expressed some trepidation and Mark said, "If there's any danger to be found, I'm sure you'll find it!" We drove in a canyon that was like a mini-Grand Canyon; the Colorado River was at the bottom and red rock walls. At the bottom of this canyon we came across Sorrel River Ranch and Resort, a very lovely spot. We descended to Moab, UT, on a very hilly, winding road with no guard rails. (Danger! Danger!)

We visited Arches National Park, an area of spectacular arches and formations which have been created by erosion. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so here are some.
























MOM UPDATE: Not good news. I received a call from the nurse at the care center and they are sending Mom to a small hospital in a neighboring town--then later another message that they sent her on to Sioux Falls to a large hospital. I feel sooooo bad that Mom is alone. And then what a blessing, in a short while I got a call from my cousin Jennifer (who grew up in the same house I did) that she is already at the hospital waiting for the ambulance. My two cousins are the next best thing to my sister and me so I am very relieved and thankful. I cried.

ARIZONA - Thursday, Sept. 10
We left Moab, UT, (elevation 4000 feet) with an odometer reading of 1800 miles. Our goal for today is to travel south and reach Red Mesa, Arizona , where Mark has a brother. The scenery is mixed--some gently rolling hills, with mesas and mountains in the distance, then some irrigated crops, then rocky bluffs, and then large, deep canyons. Climbing to Monticello we are at 7000 ft.

We arrive at Red Mesa to visit Lynn and Martha live on the Navajo reservation where Lynn is a high school principal in the second largest district, geographically, in the U.S. The first bus leaves to pick up kids at 5:00 am. Martha is a nurse but isn't working right now. At the present time their son Nathan is with them too. The community of Red Mesa (mailing address Teec Nos Pas) is made up of the schools and housing for employees and a little ways away a hospital, all newer and modern. Housing out on the reservation can be more primitive; some houses have electricity--some not. There is no shopping to speak of other than a convenience store. It's a long trip to a regular grocery store, although people there are accustomed to driving long distances and it seems to me don't mind the driving.

















MOM UPDATE: Mom is still quite sick. She runs extremely high temps and then becomes delirious and extremely weak. She is not receiving any food--just nutrition through an IV. The doctors are running test after test to try to find the reason. My cousin Jennifer comes before work, during her lunch hour, and in the evening. We are so thankful to have her.

ARIZONA - Friday, Sept. 11
This morning we did some driving around and saw some of the local countryside and scenery and hiked halfway up a mesa. There's a big blue sky and white fluffy clouds. Perfect weather.

And now...our final day until we get to Surprise. We travel south through the Navajo reservation and on down, stopping at Flagstaff to buy a new battery for Mark's cell phone. 6900 feet elevation. We've traveled 2155 miles since we left Racine. The scenery between Flatstaff and Phoenix is very pretty: some of it is heavily wooded with meadows covered with yellow wildflowers--it reminded us a bit of Spearfish Canyon in the Black Hills.

MOM UPDATE: Still no change in Mom's health and no answers. Karen and her husband Bob are leaving early in the morning to drive to South Dakota (from the Chicago area). It's difficult for me to enjoy things along the way. At one point I wonder which airport I can get to in case things really go bad.

WE'RE IN THE WEST

Throughout the trip we've come across some interesting Western place names. Here are some I noted:

• Horse Thief Basin
• Badger Spring Rd
• Bumble Bee
• Black Canyon City
• Big Bug Creek
• Coldwater Rd
• Rock Springs
• Moores Gulch
• Bloody Basin Road
• Table Mesa Rd
• Cornfield
  

HOME AT LAST
Along the way we got a call from Rod, Mark's brother who lives in the Phoenix area, inviting us to dinner, and we accepted. After dinner we drove 10 miles west to Surprise to our new home. 2308 miles in my little red PT. We are glad our trip is over.

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P.S. re Mom--in case you're wondering
After a few more days in the hospital they started treating Mom with prednisone--they found out she had vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels). She began to improve and they released her to the nursing home. She was under a doctor's care for several days and now she's pretty much back to normal, although she still complains about being tired. We tell her that at 93 it's to be expected!