Adventure 955: Penultimate Tale of the Table/68

We leave for home one week from tomorrow, so we've been busy packing in as much "Tucson" as we can. We had lunch after church with Kel and Karen who are headed back to Ohio as we speak. We shared happy hour with my cousin, Joan, who is on her way back to Boston via Palm Springs. We walked in the desert for two and a half hours yesterday at Sweetwater. We hiked in Sabino Canyon a couple of days ago. We enjoyed a nice dinner with Jordan (Tai Chi Sifu) and his wife Chris last Saturday. We've made reservations at our favorite fine dining establishment (Tito and Pep's) for tomorrow night. We drove intentionally to South Tucson for our favorite burrito (Tania 33). And we've tucked all the good memories of our kids and relatives visiting this year. It's been a good season. We're squeezing it like fresh juice, and we feel grateful that life is good, especially today.

I'll leave a little bit of heart here this year.

I may have to use this view from the back yard  as my screen saver.

We got to see real life saguaro blooms on our last hike in Sabino Canyon.

Selfie of the day: "Sure, I'd like to stay in Tucson a little longer. What do you think, Bunny?"

Sifu Misner, showing us how well his new puppy (Daisy) can behave.

The view from Sifu's back deck.

Kel Babe and Miss Karen just before they left.

The Ocotillo blooms are in full swing.

One of the saguaros saying Hi.

Cousin Joan.

And another saguaro waving good bye.

None too soon we'll be heading into the sunset.

Poem of the day.

HOLES

God Most High

Please fill the holes…

in my knowledge,

in my understanding

in my emotion,

in my judgment.

God Most High

Please fill the holes…

in my feeling,

in my compassion,

in my acceptance.

God Most High

Please fill the holes…

in my spirit,

in my presence.

God Most High

Please fill the holes…

in my heart,

So that I may be a vessel 

that pours only your 

Most High Love.

Adventure 954: Libby's Vacation Layover/67

Despite the less than ideal weather, Libby's time in Tucson was fun for us, and semi-relaxing for her. She would have enjoyed a little more "lizard time" in the sun, but we filled our time with food outings, a couple of city driving tours, and a visit to the Pima Air Museum. The air museum is massive. Hundreds of planes are parked inside large hangers and on the outside of what must be fifty acres of land. Planes from the early flight of the Wright Brothers onward document the history of flight. Of course many of the planes are military, but several are experimental versions and there is a large group of government VIP planes including one that President Eisenhower flew around in. There are also several commercial planes as well as a few private aircraft. It was very interesting, especially so if you happened to be a military veteran who actually flew the planes. For example, there were some very dignified elderly gentlemen hosting visitors in the hanger that held a B-17 bomber, which was one of the workhorse planes during WWII. Their pride of service was obvious and nice to see. In all, we enjoyed our time. On another outing, we met once again with my cousin, Joan, for happy hour at Postina's. Joan had given Libby some tips on her trip to Europe last year, so they swapped stories. Basically, we enjoyed time, wine, food, and family so life is good, especially today.

The silver plane to the left was used by General Dwight D. Eisenhower during WWII. The other planes carried various VIPS at various times.

This funny looking "Guppy" is one of the largest cargo carrying planes ever to be in service. Notice how small Libby looks in proportion.

I was taken aback by just how massive the planes are.

There was no informational plaque around this one, but they put the props on backwards.

Captain Libby ready for take off. One of the most interesting exhibits highlighted the many women who made names for themselves as aviators, both in wartime and in civilian life.

Libby and Mimi toasting the warm sun at happy hour.

Cousin Joan and Libby swapping stories.

Besides nice wine, we enjoyed this bruschetta spread. Obviously, life is good.

Adventure 953: Tom's Away-Boopie Bops In/66

Brother Tom skeedadled back to the Pacific Northwest after three and a half pleasant days of adventuring, eating, and reminiscing.  As a bonus he got to spend some time with our cousin, Joan, and a little bit of time with our daughter Libby. One day, Joan, Tom, and I took in happy hour at the Sky Bar on 4th where we talked over memories from our time living together as teens. It's amazing how very different our experiences were even though we lived through the same time.  Libby arrived Tuesday night and will be here for a week. She's our last guest this year, and since the weather has chosen to be frigid, today we ventured out the the San Xavier Mission where we enjoyed a nice tour, some hot cinnamon fry bread, a trip to the Target store, and a slow non freeway trip back home. It's always fun to see some parts of the city I've not seen, but after three winters here I'm fairly confident in my directions. Last night, the wind blew up to forty MPH and the rain measured a little over a quarter inch. The desert is grateful, and when we hike next week, we'll witness the newly plump bellies of the saguaros. For them and us, life is good, especially today.

A Seattle city gal, Libby took some time to enjoy a little warm, Tucson sun.

She also suggested we try Boca, a very nice high end taco shop in old town where we had a pitcher of margaritas, a flight of chips, and a spread of artisan tacos. Very yummy.

Of course, the next day we had lunch at one of our favorite haunts, Buendias, where Judy and I shared this Ranchero Omelet. 

Libby had the Huevos Divorciados: tongue in cheek I guess because of the differences between the red and green sauces. Libby reported that it was delicious.

This rainbow appeared last night before the big wind blew and the hard rain fell.

The mission art and sculpture most often refer witnesses to the heavens. 

Madonna enjoys special reverence in heaven as Mother of our Lord.

Various priests are venerated as well.

Selfie of the day: Mission in the background, a pure white expression of God's love.

Local Pima Indians were selling fresh fry bread. Special note: The oil in the cast iron pot was heated over a mesquite wood fire.

We chose the sweet cinnamon popover, but many options were available, including some savory such as tacos, beans, cactus. It's amazing to think it's the same process as this culture has prepared for thousands of years. 

 

Adventure 952: Full Throttle/65

Airport trips, cookouts, walk a-bouts, card games, puzzles, dinners, and the rest of our normal living kept us busy last week. Daughter Angela had a two trip airport run after a first flight was delayed due to mechanical trouble. She ended up leaving at dawn thirty the next morning. Judy's sister, Karen, left on time  later that day after a week of rest and relaxation. My brother, Tom, flew into Phoenix and drove to town last Sunday. Since his arrival we've squeezed in a few adventures. Along the way, we enjoyed an after church cook out hosted by brother and sister-in-law Kel and Karen Friesen, and one night we made our go to fajita, rice, beans, and roasted pineapple dinner for my cousin Joan, Tom, Karen, and two long time friends of Joan-Pat and Lori Connelly. Right now we're waiting until eleven thirty for another airport run to pick up daughter Elizabeth for her stay in the sun. Whew! The fun never stops. In the midst of it all, we still managed to do our volunteering at Cross Street (Karen joined us), go to our work outs and lesson, attend church, take a view desert hikes, and hit as many restaurants as we could squeeze in. Needless to say, our life is good, especially these days.

Karen and Judy working on the salad at Cross Street.

Me and Joan checking out the trail by Signal Hill in the Saguaro National Forest.

The street outside Kel and Karen's RV spot at Rincon West.

Kel Babe whipping up the Sliders.

Due to the addition of the feeing station, we're enjoying a plethora of colorful humming birds on the back deck.

Me and Tom walking the trails at Sweetwater Preserve.

Our friend, Pat Connelly, listening to my brother, Tom, wax eloquently about some subject or another.

Joan and Lori sipping their before dinner margaritas.

A nice warm evening. The Tucson mountains in the distance.

We took the whole crew out to the San Xavier mission. The newly renovated sanctuary is more spectacular than ever.

The center piece of the fajita dinner: marinated skirt steak with sautéed peppers and onions.

Miss Karen contemplating her strategy for the next Hollywood Gin game (We played even games in seven days).

A view of the saguaros from Signal Hill.

We also managed to get the whole crew to our favorite spot, The Little One, for a scrumptious breakfast. In this case, a sweet corn tamale smothered in both red and green sauce under two over easy eggs beside beans and rice. To die for actually. Come see for yourself.

Adventure 951: Repeat Favorites/64

From our very first trip to Tucson, we've enjoyed breakfast at The Little One, a cosy and quite eclectic cafe downtown. It's our favorite. This morning we introduced my cousin Joan to the place. Of course, Karen ( a return customer) joined us as did our daughter, Angela. The owner, Marcella, took our order and shared a bit of her family history with us. The basic message: we loved to cook and eat. Her father's family came from Sonora, Mexico and she's a mixture of basic European on her mother's side. The menu at the cafe reflects every part of her heritage, and her food never disappoints. It's a place, as we say, that makes life good, especially today.

A sweet corn tamale topped with two over easy eggs smothered with green and red sauce. Beans and rice on the side.

Joan, grinning in anticipation.

Judy and Karen shared the "Surprise Breakfast", which consists of whatever the cooks have chosen to feature for the day.

Marcella, sat with us to take our order. Usually customers order at the counter. She's always made us feel special.

Special Edition: Poem of the Day

PROMISES, PROMISES

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” 

At the border in Nogales, 

Heather’s young daughter

took her eyes

off the brutally sharp

concertina wire 

coiling itself

like a living threat

atop the bars of steel

separating them from Mexico.

“I’m scared, Mommy”,

the girl whimpered as she nuzzled

into her mother’s protective arms.

“Don’t worry, Honey.

No one will harm us here.”

But to herself,

eyes watering because of the dust 

stirred up by the passing patrol vehicles, 

Heather thought:

“Mother’s on the other side 

cannot offer such assurance.

And it saddens me to see my country

render these other mothers unworthy.

And it shames me to see my country

deny these other mothers the very freedoms

we ourselves hold self-evident.

And it saddens me to see my country so

glaringly forsake its promise.

And it shames me to see my country build

walls instead of bridges to other mother’s dreams.”

 

When her tears dried, Heather looked beyond the bars of steel

and prayed that someday other mothers 

would live…

in a place beyond shame,

in a place beyond sadness,

in a place of justice for all.