It's Been a Long Time

      I spent the fall and winter in Mesa, AZ  at my favorite RV resort.  In December I spent a week in Globe, AZ helping with ''stocking week" at Arizona Reservation Ministries.  I was able to help sort items, fill some of their huge stockings, sort blankets, load the van with boxes of stockings each day, and be a part of the controlled chaos that happens at distribution.  I also went to the assisted living home on the rez while ARM conducted Bible study.  I was surprised to find that one of the residents is deaf.  When she found out that I understood sign language, she just began telling me her life story.  She was so glad to have someone to talk to.  I decided, then, to go once a month to visit her and try to interpret Bible study.  So for a couple days during the next three months, I would go to ARM and be a part of their daily children's ministry one day, spend the night, and go to the assisted living home Bible study the next day.  I look forward to doing that again if the resident is still there.

     Christmas week, my daughter and I spent sightseeing different places in southern CA, Utah, and northern AZ.  The highlight was Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ.  Amazingly beautiful.  

     In February, I was able to tour parts of southern AZ with friends.  Quartzite is an annual destination, Organ Pipe Cactus National Park, Tucson, Bisbee, Douglas, and a couple border towns in Mexico.  Highlights from that trip were San Xavier Mission Church in Tucson, copper mine tour in Bisbee, and historic hotel in Douglas.  

    Another trip in the spring was to Canyon de Chelly, Petrified Forest, and Chiricahua National Monument.
      It's been awesome to be able to enjoy so many of the National parks and historic places.

      I left AZ the end of April.   There was a stop at Mojave National Monument and Sequoia National Forest before getting to Gleanings for the Hungry.  This was my third time to Gleanings.  I spent two weeks there doing the different aspects of making the dry soup mixes that gets sent to the hungry around the world.  Millions of servings are made each week by all the different volunteers there.  It's a great place to volunteer.  Nice housing, great RV sites, and three wonderful meals/day.

     Then there was a disappointing trip to Yosemite.  It was so busy, roads under construction, traffic, and no parking that we unable to park and get out to see anything.  

     Sequoia National Park was better.  Calvaras Big Trees County Park was awesome.  The giant sequoias in all the parks are impressive.  Two days at Calvaras County Fair was so much fun. The famed frog jumping contest was just crazy. (Mark Twain made it famous).  The rodeo was one of the best. 

    After spending time with my sisters, I headed up the coast of CA and OR to do a NOMADS volunteer mission project at a UMC church camp in WA.  The weather was not the best, but the work was good.  I spent a few days with a tank on my back spraying invasive nasty weeds, helped split and stack firewood, and painting.

   Tripping  to Mt Rainier and Seattle was how I spent my birthday.  

   After the work at camp, I began my trip east by following the Oregon Trail-backwards.  It was a wonderful two weeks of stopping at historic sites, landmarks, wagon ruts, museums, and parks.  I thoroughly enjoyed being submerged into that part of our country's history.

     It's now time to visit with family and attend our family reunion in KY.