Friday, January 18

This is the group that went to Bob Yoder's in Mesa yesterday. I told you incorrectly yesterday, that we were going to Apache Junction to see him. This house is in Mesa and he wants to sell it for 7 M. and has another house in A. J. , that he will move to, when he gets this one sold. Bob made clam chowder and corn bread - Yum!

In the picture, from left to right we have: Bob & Cheryl Miller, Phil & Dorothy Marner, Lorena &
Chuck Swantz, Bob Yoder and yours truly, Wilbur took the picture.

Time, has a way of slipping right past us. We are doing errands and washing, etc today in preparation for leaving tomorrow for Quartzite.

We ate at El Paso's this noon, one of Kent and Theresa's favorites when they lived here. We now know why they loved it. It is a very good Bar-B-Que Restaurant . Lorena Swantz invited the gang of winter birds from Iowa for Pizza tonight.

Wilbur and I are both getting a lot of reading done this winter. I am reading The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks and he is reading a book on two women in Afghanistan. He read the Kite Runner and then we went to see that movie. It was very good and touching.

I cut out blocks for a quilt but I am going to wait until I get home to piece it. Going to Harbor Freight... store this morning was to Wilbur what going to a fabric store is or me - wonder and glory!!

Wednesday, the men went to the Camping store again and to Flying J - both places seem to be their favorites. While they were gone the ladies went to Walmart and had a pedicure. Then we met the guys for lunch at Kiss the Cook . The cook gave all the guys a kiss!!!!

Today the Iowa group is all going to Bob Yoder's in Apache Junction for lunch. Bob was a fellow school mate of mine, at Snake Hollow School . He used to in Bettendorf, Iowa, but he and his wife were building a house down here and his wife Jan died about 3 years ago, just when they had planned to move into their new house.

We will pray for Gretta, as she gets ready for the toncilectimy on Tuesday and try to keep calling her to encourage her.

We will be moving on to Quarzite on Saturday and it is unknown if we will have the internet there.

We think of all of you as we write. It has been quite cool in the morning - but its gets warm at noonday.

1954 Kaiser Convertible

Tuesday, Five of us men went to Barret Jackson Auto show and sale in Scottsdale. It is about 40 min. from where we are living. They are selling cars all week with the real expensive ones selling Saturday and Sunday. They stated the sale with a 1929 Mercedes-Benz Roadster Re-creation. It sold for only 7,500. Boy, did my mouth water. It costs $500 just to get a bidding number. They have all kinds of cars. If you watch Speed channel this week it is being broadcast live. Time is going very fast for us. We don’t do anything all day but we are very busy. The first and second pictures are the Dale Ernhart intimanator and the real Beverly Hills buggy.

1929 Mercedes-Benz Roadster.

Sunday Service

We went for a day long drive yesterday out to the east of Phoenix. We followed the Apache Trail, not a lot of miles but much scenery. Half the road was gravel/small pea sized, and the other have was hard top. The jeep was perfect and performed wonderful in all the ups and downs. We had a lot of one lane roads, the kind we love.We ate lunch at Tortilla flats, the little restaurant was papered in one dollar bills. We got back to the city at 6:30 last night.

We went to Chuck and Lorena Swartz' and Bob Miller had brought homemade ice cream. The ladies planned some food for the week at Quartzite, Arizona. We will have 6 motor homes at Quartzite Flee market and RV show for a week. We plan to circle around the motor homes as in olden days!!! Too much fun. This is one crazy group - I haven't laughed this much for a long time!!! We will be dry docking, that means that we make our own electricity, and they bring water to fill the tanks as needed. We leave for Quartzite on Saturday and we don't know what we will do for email out there.

Tonight we are taking Keith and Helen Erb out for dinner. Keith took Wilbur to and from the airport, last week when he flew out.

We will try to add some photos.

Note: to all who comment, we love your comments, thanks.

Phoenix

It has been cool in the morning and evening, here in Peoria, AZ. It gets nice and warm in the middle of the day. The furnace has been running in the morning. It seems all we do is eat out, nice for me, I don't have to cook. Its like my dad used to say about Sarasota: you could go to a different restaurant for every meal for a year and you still would have some that you did not go to.

Wilbur comes in tomorrow night at 9:20, Arizona time. We hope to do some sight seeing this weekend with our Jeep.

We will blog, when we can.

Write, when you can.

Silver Springs MD

I flew into BWI and arrived in Silver Springs MD last night but have no Idea where that is. I rode a shuttle to my hotel. The meetings are at the Adventist community services headquarters. This is the National VOAD Board meeting. I will be flying back to Phoenix Friday afternoon. I am tying to get a map to see just where I am.

Wilbur

We had rain this morning, which is unusual for Phoenix at this time of the year. We needed to wear sweatshirts today. We expect the sun the rest of the week.

Wilbur went to a camping store this morning and I got my plan established for the next few days. I found out that I need some things to sew the American Girl clothes that I plan to make for Grace's birthday, while I am down here. Grace and Jesse both have their birthdays while we are down here in Phoenix.

Wilbur is leaving for Washington DC tomorrow morning and he will be home on Friday night.
I will go out for coffee with the Iowans tomorrow morning. We are enjoying Phoenix and getting re-aquainted with former Iowans.

We have had a horrendous time getting on the internet. I will try to keep you updated, as we can.

Note: to you techies- we have not been able to put any pictures on the Blog. Any ideas?