Time Passes

Time sure does pass quickly. To think It's taken me this long to post another blog. Guess I'm not very dedicated.

It was a fun summer. Loved having the kids here. It gives them a chance to be together for a few days. Gives the parents a chance to get to know each other again. And gives me the gramma to know the kids better too. What fun we had!!

After a couple of weeks, we've rested up, slept till noon and made it down to the casino for the prime rib buffet and gamblin complements of the Tropicana Casino. Woo Hoo!!! Nah, didn't win any money. But didn't spend any either. We had comps for the food and free play money on our cards.
I'm spending the days inside the airconditioned house. Doing my embroidery projects and Larry is out on the porch shootin rabbins. Ho Hum. To each their own huh?

I did have to get up a little early this morning. A customer had a virus problem on her computer and I said I'ld be there by 10am. And so I was. Got most of it fixed up.

I'll try to be better so that I can get on with this Re Defining Retirement. Even in this economy.

Here is my part: Bought a whole chicken at Wallmart for $2.50 each. I separated the leg, thigh and wing for one dinner. Then I proceeded to boil the remaining chicken and deboned it for green enchilada dinner. And they say waste not want not, I made a chicken chowder with the water used for boiling. That was yesterday. Today we had left over enchiladas. Half the soup is in the frige AND tomorrow we have the remaining chicken parts fried with Rachel Rays recipe using yogurt.

Whew. That is totally enough for today. See ya all another day.

Can you believe how time has passed. Been so busy, it would take me days to tell you what I've been up to. Most of all................still enjoying Retired in Arizona. Since December I have been up to Utah and to California 3 times. My latest trip to California, Boni built me a new computer. I had a few things to resolve so I took it home with me. Here you can see the new generation checking out my new computer.










Getting ready for my next trip next week. Going to spend a week with mom and do some serious machine embroidery. She signed us up for two classes and I'm making a list of questions and things I want to learn while I'm there.

Computer classes at the College are going great!! We are talking about added a new class. The transition from XP to Vista. The college is still using XP and I let them know that the beta version for the new windows operating system just came out at the end of last year. I've come to like Vista. Hmmm.

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary. Whew what a day. We decided to do exactly whatever we wanted. Guess what that was?? We went to breakfast at the local cafe. Then into Kingman to my favorite thrift store where I found a few treasures. Then it was back home to the swap meet. Didn't find anything of value. Then..............we had two complimentary dinners at the Riverside Casino, so off we went. We had our token $20 dollars. That is $10 a piece and was about 7pm by that time. Well, it doesn't always happen. but we stayed till midnight and came home with $190 dollars in our pockets.

So today is a nothing day. A little sewing, pc work and movie watching. Some friends coming for a night of pool playing and good conversation.

The State of the Union has kept us in good conversation, Larry and I. We think that we have too much common sense sometimes. The stimulous package seems to be quite a bit of spending for the government when they are telling the public that we are spending beyond our means. Hmm. Guess they can spend beyond their means. I apologize to our grandkids if they have to take care of this mess. How many working adults do we have in this great nation? How much was the stimulous package? Almost a TRILLION? Hmmm. What's wrong with this picture. I better hush now. Been listening to talk radio "savage". ... later.............

Cabo and Traveling

It's been a while since I made notes. To tell the truth, it's because I lost my password. But here I am, ready to update you on all my travels. Most recently, we made our yearly Mexico Vacation trip in November with a destination in Cabo. Not sure if I look forward to the vacation itself, or hanging out with marvelous friends. It was important this year after losing my dear sister and having new friends in Arizona. I needed to be with friends I've known for years and years that have become more like family. Thank you Judy for those flowers upon our return. It reminded me of the flowers you sent when I was in the hospital with surgery. In my darkest lonely nite in pain, I could smell the flowers you sent and feel the love. Thanks.

We had a BLAST in Mexico. Boni and Christina went with Larry's son John and wife Kristie and did the ATV riding. Oh, Mike from Arizona joined them as well as two other couples. From the pics, it looks like they had a fun time. Then when we visited the marina, a group did the Parasailing. Larry and Boni rode together. They said it was awesome. I'll start planing for next year now.





The week before we did the Mexico trip, I took a few days to help Boni out with the twins. He got layed off a month or so ago, so he's home with the kids until the holidays are over. Doing a good job, but it's nice to had some addition hands. It was lots of hard work. I give you young people "kudos"! Had fun............but lots of work too. His sister Sarai is helping out too. She's really ambious. On her two days off from Kohls she picked up the twins and kept them over nite.

I started this blog thing to also let you know what retired life is all about. Well, I've decided that the word "retired" is just not working out. I've got to find another word that better depicts what this phase of life is all about. So here is an idea of what my week is like. AND don't forget the part that I LOVE IT.

• Saturday - We are actively and seriously playing pool. So we have our team members over on Saturday to practice playing pool till 2am and having fun.
• Sunday - I have to prepare myself for the Monday classes with handouts and planning what I'm teaching overall.
• Monday - Now I have to get up early to teach my first class at 10am. Ya know I'm not an "early bird", but I've never been late. If I have to make copies of the handouts, I need to arrive around 9:30 am to make the copies at the College. Then the second class is at 2pm and I'm done by 4pm.
• Tuesday - I might have a few alterations to finish and deliver. And time to get ready for the Tuesday nite league in Bullhead.
• Wednesday - Well I'm for sure not getting up early after playing pool. But again, I might have some alterations and maybe some updates on websites. Of late I have some private tutoring of a client in Bullhead that has become regular. Then Pool.
• Thursday - wow! I finally have a day that is free. Oh wait. Belay that idea. I have to go to Kingman to pickup my medication. Since we are goin in that direction, I drop off the powerpoint presentation at the cable company that the dry cleaners ordered from me. I might as well since she paid me already. Now Larry says while we are going to Kingman, we might as well go to the DMV to renew our car registration. Well. . . . . this part is amazing because we walk into the DMV building and there is not one person in line. They still give us the number thing, but we proceed directly to the window. What fun. Since we are in Kingman and going to Walmart for my prescription, we might as well get some groceries. AND now I'm hungry. You know I'm diabetic. So we go have some Chinese. Since we are in Kingman, we also visit Home Depot and why not hit the Billiard store too. Whew.............get home at 5:00 pm and we are so tired, we fall asleep and wake up at 7:30 pm. Just in time to eat again and watch some TV.
• I'm ready for Friday now and start the whole process again.

Wanna know what to do when you retired? Our Motto is - - - What Ever You Want.

And we sure are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grandkids Visit

Hello!! As I was looking over the photos of the weekend with the grandkids. One kept sticking out in my mind. I just couldn't resist showing you this one first. So here it is!!!

Another DOUBLE RINGER for gramma!!!

Okay. Here is the good parts of our visit. I was collecting toys for the little ones. And sure enough it paid off the first day. Look at AJ with all the Legos.

Look at this little kid. He sure does appreciate his gramma.

Since we had Cassandra and Katrina and Brookie, we decided to make the best of their visit. So we went to the nursery and got those trees I've been wanted to add to the yard for shade. Here are our little kids working hard.

Well, that is just a few of the photos. I'll post more later. As you can imagine, I'm tired. We planted those trees. Went to yard sales. Made cookies. AND played Monopoly till midnight. Whew!

Talk later................

Another Day - Another Dollar!

The weather is just marvelous. Days are warm and windy, I don't mind windy. The evenings are cool with at least a million stars in the sky. The moon last nite was less than half and so when we returned home last nite I could barely see the gate latch on the ground. We have a system, Larry and I. He drives and I open and close the gate. Sometimes when we've been gone all day, I open the gate and get the mail across the street. Ya know there are no street lights and a dirt road. I don't get scared. It's some kind of liberating feeling that I'm out in the dark with no one around, just a faint sound of dogs barking in the distance. I enjoy that time. Then I heard Larry boom "hey, are you okay?" Many times we just sit on the patio and look at the traffic coming down the hill from Bullhead to Kingman. Makes me feel like a gramma. Hey.................I am a gramma. AND Sarai is bringing me her four children for the weekend. I'm so excited!!! I've planned out what we are going to make for dinner. We are going out to gather rocks in the morning. Maybe the local swapmeet. And of course we always play monopoly and horseshoes. This is great weather for horseshoes. Last summer Cassandra was the first to have a double ringer. This summer I finally got mine.

Tuesday is my busy day. I teach at the college in Bullhead. Then dash over to Kingman for pool league. Last nite we had a pleasant surprise and Lori from California was in Laughlin so we traveled back over to hill to hang out with her and the family. It's great to see friends and catch up on the goings on.

Today, I finished up a project of hemmed outfit and picked up a few dollars. Got another call to hem drapes and I'm finishing it up tonite. So there's another couple of dollars. Mostly it's nice to meet people and having a projects makes me keep busy. Some days I could easily lay around all day in my jammas. Glad for small favors.

that's all for today guys. See ya later..................

Prop 8

Reckon I'm ready to give my opinion on prop 8. What a sensitive issue it has become. And remember, this is just my opinion. I thought that separation of state and church should be the first issue. The church will always reconize only a marriage between a woman and a man. But the state is a different entity and has already ruled that a couple can get married in a civil ceremony. Just let it be. It doesn't take anything away from the religious sect.

On the other hand. I think that our father in heaven is a loving father. He truly wants each and every one of us to be happy and fulfilled as a person. Sometimes that means having a partner. I don't think that our father in heaven meant for any of us to be alone. It is a natural course of life to have a partner.

If you put aside what anyone does in their bedrooms, it should be viewed as two persons who want to build a life together and care about eachother and solidify that union with a document in front of family and friends.

Personally, and I will probably have said too much now. I was in a 20 year marriage in the prime of my life and didn't have a very healthy relationship. Now I've found the love of my life, my soul mate, and menopause or old age has changed certain aspect of our lives. Yet we love and live and have a most wonderful relationship in peace and harmony. I would only wish such a relationship for any gay, lesbian or heterosextual persons. Companionship is really cool!
There. Let's get on with the election and be done with it too. I want to start thinking about Cabo #1, then Thanksgiving and Christmas and the New Year. Woo Hoo!!

Retired Life

Today is a free day. I can do anything I want. Especially since I've named my site "retired in arizona". So I suppose I should let you know what there is to do when you retire. Our motto is "We can DO anything we want". So here is a pic of what Larry decided to do on his free day.

Notice how carefully he placed the rocks in balance. Even the high winds cannot blow the rocks down. Then to finish the look, he added the iguana we brought back from Puerto Vallarta Mexico. I like it!!!

On my free day, I decided to move the computer room around. You know, move the desk on this wall now and move the furniture so i have a new look. Besides, it's time to take off the heavy drapes that protected the room from the heat, and replace them with something lighter that lets the sunshine come in. I do enlist the help of Larry for the actually moving of furniture cause ya know.....I'm just a girl. Going to sign off with a pic of our sunset last nite. ENJOY!!