Our 30th Wedding Aniversary Trip

 The children spent the night over at the homes of friends so we woke loaded and drove. Stopping for breakfast at Jomba Juice for a healthy start. We arrived at the Verde River Valley Railroad Depot just in time to sign in and get refreshed before boarding.

 We waited in the warm sun with many others. This trip we splurged for 1st class seats. This included our lunch and water. Our tab was covered in part as a gift from our steward. She wished us happy Anniversary.

 It was a wonderful day for the trip. Warm and pleasant. IT was just so nice to be on our own a while.

 After the two hour ride into the canyon lands we are taken back via the engine shifting track and then going to the end of the line of cars to pull us back.

 We saw one bald eagle in flight and a few blue herons. VERY little wild life.

 We enjoyed the tunnel as do most folks. We traveled back to the depot and then drove on into Sedona proper an hour away. We got our hotel room up on the plateau where the airport is. The next morning early am we were picked up at the hotel by the pilot and off we went to get the other passengers. The tall woman in pale pink was a wonderful gal named Mae. She taught special needs adults, and the pilot ad adopted so to speak a 50 year old relative after her caregiver died. Our kind of folks.
We all pitched in and even though our group was delayed by the little family we were first up.

 We held up the fabric as the air filled it. Then the air was heated.

 IT was so exciting and wonderful the share this time together. The roar of the fire was load.

 We had a Champagne toast with OJ, bear claw pastry and strawberries with cream. Fun to watch these rough men serve.

 After a nice nap and breakfast at the airport we were set for a nice mile hike into the West fork of the canyon. I did great! My new knee served me well. It finally gave a gripe after several times across the creek. We stopped at that point and turned around but I did it!

 This bridge was built a few years back. They put in a parking lot and charge ya now. Years back it was so much sweeter to find wilderness on our own terms.

 This is part of the old estate that was there in the 1920's. There is an old apple orchard and several out buildings.

 This cave we think was for food storage. Used to be local folks came here and hung out . Mostly kids.

Well there was still a little snow deep into the canyon. The end of the trip was Saturday we had a wonderful supper of Chinese Egg Fu Yong. We were delighted to find quality supper. My kids are just finishing school at the moment.

It was so wonderful to have a rest together. Time to take each other in arm and just stop for two days all the stress and high pressure. It was so good for us.

We sold the camper and purchased a Saturn for good gas millage. We have our truck up for sale right now with two coming tonight to see it. We hope it sells. With the 1996 Saturn having only 50,000 original miles on it we feel so happy. IT looks like a 2006 in condition it was garaged. We awoke at 4a.m to drive a 100 mile round trip to Sun City West ( a retirement community). We drove off with it at 6 am for $3600.! It will only cost 35. to register for two years and the insurance on it is exceedingly low. IT is said to get 30-40mpg. Our living cost will continue to be influenced. That is our goal to live as inexpensively as possible. We have been really accomplishing a lot with a sound budget.

Thus we were able to have enough saved for our wonderful trip together. Memories and adventure.

The good news of the day is NO surgery on my right shoulder. A partial rotater cuff tear that will get managed with exerciser and shots every three months. No news yet on my wrist. The MRI on it is tomorrow. IT showed a need for fusion of a bone in my hand and the soft tissue will show up on the MRI.

Morning home schooling

We have a routine. Finally it begins to press out. Lots of wrinkles with computer issues and book errors. Today is a new day. The first where it is more like it will be each day. Kids up at 8-8:30 dishwasher emptied, chickens fed, dog fed and computers on warming before 9 a.m. Kids fed as in actually making it with me getting the ingredients out for themselves. All is well this morning and no fuss.
This is a process and it is now becoming smooth.
Dove is doing great as is Dash. The last semester ended with Dash on honor roll. Dove has tested out at an 11th grade reading level. With the higher levels of seventh grade algebra being a math of reading; she will show good improvement now we trust.

As a bouncing ball I am at a beck and call to each child. Dove in in the office so walking has increased substantially for me. It is a good thing for my knee is needing the activity, however it gets to be a long afternoon and a tired evening hour. Like a young woman it is a labor of love, it may perhaps even keep me young longer.
Many changes have been made to accommodate the lifestyle. This lifestyle however has also made many wonderful opportunities. The children and I were able to take Monday off to attend a K12 sledding event in the high country.  After a long four hour drive we arrived in Pinetop, AZ.

We stopped here to put on a layer of clothing of socks for the temp had come down below 30*

 I was very hesitant to drive up the cinder pit road so I walked it with cane in hand first. Dash was poorly behaved and took off up the road without us. After walking up to the cinder pit I was given a lift back to the truck. The snow was almost to the axle, powder snow. There were only three vehicles up there and one back at the road a real low turn out of folks. Only one other family from the valley. Not too surprising given the economy and fuel costs. I had saved up in the budget to give the kids a chance to see the snow. It was a real disappointment for within 45 minutes we had to be packed back up to leave. The event ended at 3p.m., but this was not told to me. All I knew was it started at 1p.m.. Due to a bad turn that left me backing up 1/4 of mile on a snow packed tree lined path we arrived at 2:10p.m.. Being alone without a cell phone staying was not an option. I offered up some hot cocoa to the folks for the camp stove came along with us. So the other family stayed until the hot coco was heated on my tail gait. My kids each had only four runs down the hill. They were covered in powder snow, fresh fallen just the day before. Then they waited while the kids got back into our truck. We all pulled out at 3:33p.m.. The sun set was due at 5:30, in the high country it chills fast. When we left it had dropped to 17*in a hurry.

My two kids saw this courageous woman drive 4-5 hours one way up into the Northern mountains of Arizona almost to New Mexico. It was fun to spend long hours with the children sharing knowledge. I had been reading about Native American Wisdom. This I spoke of for hours with them.Then a 5 hour drive home.

 As you can see the snow was pristine.

 The truck is parked down on the road here the drive into the cinder pit is to the right behind the yellow sign. Snow had fallen the day before. 18 inches of powder that I had no intention of being on alone.

On the way down we saw a sunset on the Moggioon Rim. White snow with black shadowed trees against a vivid rose/orange sky. IT was so beautiful. We stopped in Overgaurd for a restroom break and down the mountains platou we drove. At one point two cars were stopped on the road ahead of us. Two elk were just off the side of the road, as we slowed to a standstill the other cars were driving off. We saw the elk with the full fur on the neck. They were so beautiful. Of course it was all eyes to the sides of the road all the way through that section. Sunset is the crossing time for elk.

Now today we work and tomorrow we work on school, tasks and such.

It is a wonderful life.

Primary Immune Foundation Conference

there was an fund raiser this was my offering a real lesson in diligence.

It was strung but I had to do the findings tearfully one handed in pain.

it sold

it was $20 a night for valet so I parked down in a lot after dropping off my bag at the door. A very kind young man came for me in an electric cart and took me to the lobby. when i got there it was a bit early to get the room
the clerk however seeing me cane with knee and wrist brace took mercy
he set me up into a different room checking in several hours early
see the number three, God and I have this little game we have played for ever His presence is reminded me in the three. over over and over this way for many a year

this was the type of conference rooms

no longer 49 i went over to the 50's and up very strange thin the first time your reminded of it

the first evening was a huge event

this was the 30 th year anniversary of the PIF. A foundation that began in someones kitchen. a dear woman who lost a child due to primary immune dif. she wanted to have a foundation where those of us with the rare disorder could affiliate and disseminate information to one day perhaps cure this thing

click to enlarge this is the information on the basic
my adaptive immune issue is mainly the B-cell issue with secondary low IgA issue

i met a wonderful woman who helped me get my heart back. she and I sat for a long visit in the lobby after we had met up down below at the conference.
I was walking (hobbling ) to the escalator and she came up and asked if I would mind if she walked with me. So funny she reached into her bag and whipped out a collapsible folding cane. We were so kindred a spirit. She too a seer really helped me get past the anger. Home again into my heart.

Suppose that why you see me here again.


this was the only money I spent a very expensive $30! breakfast to the room the morning of the infusion at the hotel. I did not need to use up any of the energy i had. the conference was almost two walking blocks from my room.

That was the most amazing bread!

click on image

that's the in room safe

pay per use refer and bar under it

NEVER touched it! $$$$$$$$$$

at the conference there was all the free drinks of my choice. soda water, juice any thing. even at night an open bar. Strange though to think of immune folks drinking. everything that would be found in my room pay per was at the conference for FREE!

 I have used the techniques that were on the bed to make mine now. The top sheet is under the pillows, blanket folded down at the pillows edge. Head pillow folded in. Throw at the foot. It is fun to get to see how the Ritz does it.

what a palace! the way the pillows were folded in made for a beautiful bed

It was a wonderful rest.
the last day with infusion and the nurse with me all morning i used a wheel chair to transport from room to conference floor. On that day a very sweet fellow gave me favor. He called and got me a LATE check out Sunday so I could sleep through the morning. I had until 1P.M. !

SATURDAY night the kids and Steve joined me at the gala event. It was so wonderful. This place NEVER left me hungry. EVERYTHING was included in my scholarship. The kids swam in two of the pools until they closed. They went on home that night as did I the next day late into the mid day.
Refreshed. The trip was so helpful in healing the anger left by the many years of misdiagnosis, torments and indignities. Most of us had experienced them who had late diagnosis.