Wednesday, December 20 through Tuesday, January 2: Palm Desert, Christmas, and a New Year

I walked and fed the dogs, we readied the travel trailer, and we hooked-up the truck. All by 8:00 a.m. We only had a 145 mile day to reach our next destination. And, we gain an hour in California. My friend, Linda Brockie, is a ranger at the Thousand Trails. She sent me several text messages about various sites that were open at the park. We arrived by 10:00 a.m. I generally like sites that are at the west end of the park --- adjacent to the large desert. Lucky Site #13 was available. I stayed in that site last season too.

That afternoon, on a walk with the dogs around the circumference of the park, I stopped by to see good friends, Linda and Rick Brockie. They lost their 5th Wheel to a fire in September. But, they have a new travel trailer and are very happy with it! Linda mentioned that another friend, Larry Parks, was going to teach his brother-in-law how to play pickleball. Perfect timing! Larry worked with Tom on pickleball techniques. Larry is way more qualified than me to teach the sport!

One of my favorite sushi places is Sam's Sushi in La Quinta. They have a delectable lobster roll. Last year, being on my own, I would order it for a "to go." But, Tom and I had a nice dinner at the sushi counter.

It was nice being back at the Palm Springs Thousand Trails. It is like being home. There are so many friends and fun pickleball. Tom and I hit the pickleball courts two days in a row.

By the third day, Tom was a little sore from the pickleball activities. So, we took a break and went to a local theater to see the new film Darkest Hour. It stars Gary Oldman and has good reviews. I liked it!

Before the show, we also visited a store that had been recommended to Tom by a friend. It was called Good Feet. They sell shoe supports for people with foot pain or balance issues.

I reached out to Pat and Bill Wheeler. While we are in the desert, it made sense to make a day trip to the Jojoba Hills RV Park in Aguanda. It is an hour and twenty minute drive over the Palms to Pines Highway 74. We decided to make the trip on Friday, December 29.

Christmas, once again, is at the Kuwata home in Pasadena. My sister Wendy and her husband Kai took over the holiday after Richard and I left Los Angeles almost fifteen (!) years ago. So, the plan plays out --- drop the dogs off at The Grand Paw Resort by noon on Christmas Eve.

Drive the 125 miles to the Jonathan Club in downtown Los Angeles and check into the hotel for a two-night stay.

The Jonathan Club concierge made Christmas Eve dinner reservations at Cafe Pinot --- a short walk from the club. Prior to our dinner, we visited the Tap Room on the 2nd floor of the club. The bar tender took a very nice photo! Tom and I were in festive burgundy.

As usual, the dinner at Cafe Pinot was very good. Downtown Los Angeles was lite up for the holidays.

The next morning, we had a buffet breakfast in the Tap Room and leisurely strolled down Figueroa to LA Live! and the Staples Arena. I told Tom it was a four or five block walk. Well, maybe more! One highlight was the recently opened Wilshire Grand Center. We took the elevator to the Intercontinental hotel lobby on the 70th floor. The views were not as spectacular as they could be --- hazy skies. This building is now the highest building west of Chicago.

The Wilshire Grand Center took over this tallest building prestige from the Library Tower built in 1989.

We arrived a few minutes early to the Kuwata home. We were asked to come at 2:00 pm. We brought wine and a pecan pie from Trader Joe's. All the Sheltons began to trickle in. It was going to be a smaller group for Christmas --- only 15 of us. We took the family photos at about 3:45 pm. There is the one of the six Shelton siblings.

And there is the photo of the family. Thank you, Tom, for being the photographer!

The routine for the day after Christmas --- check out of the Jonathan Club and pick up the dogs by noon.

It was an easy commute to the desert. We stopped at the Thousand Trails RV Resort and dropped off our suitcases and clothes before picking up the gang. The Grand Paw Resort is not inexpensive, but they do a great job caring for Ramsey, Kelsey, and Libby.

Tom and I have been having fun playing the game of Rummikub. I have met my match. Tom wins more than I do, but it is a great game of strategy, tiles, and luck.

I got a text from my friend Sara. Her Mom, Jeane Edwards died on December 26 at age 92. She had been in the hospital for three weeks with lung issues and it did not look good. Mrs. Edwards was an incredible lady and will be missed!

On Thursday, I played some pickleball in the morning. Tom sat this one out. The courts had been really busy the other day. In the afternoon, we drove over to Palm Springs and had adult beverages and appetizers with long-time friend Alan Buckelew, his daughter Erin, and his son-in-law, John. Alan and I both lost our spouses in 2016. Christine Buckelew died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack in February. Alan is the COO of Carnival Cruises, the parent company of Princess, Cunard, Holland America, etc. Since the death of Chris, his position has slowly evolved into more of a consultant. He plans to retire next November --- just before his 70th birthday.

Alan, Erin, and John rented a home in Palm Springs for Christmas. They were heading back to West Los Angeles the next day.

Friday, December 29, arrived. Tom and I loaded the dogs into the truck and we headed over to Aguanga, California. There, we visited long-time RV friends at the Jojoba Hills SKP RV Resort. Bill and Pat Wheeler and Walt and Pam MacQueston live there. Other friends, Claudette and Larry Van Dusen, dropped over for lunch from Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails in Menifee. It was a fun three-hour visit.

The temperature at the park reached the low 80's. Rather than boil the dogs in the truck, I set-up a "pad" for them to lounge on for the hours we were there. It seemed to work.

That afternoon, we stopped at the local Stater Brothers Market to pick up groceries for the next few days. This market was started as a butcher shop and it has retained quality meat for all these years.

The next morning, while walking the dogs, I happened upon a beautiful sunrise. With this park and the palm trees, it can be captivating.

Saturday, December 30, I thought it best to introduce Tom to the beautiful La Quinta Resort. It is beautifully decorated for the holidays, sits in the majesty of the Santa Rosa Mountains, and was built in the 1920s. Many Hollywood celebrities and wealthy families have spent time here. It is currently operated by the Waldorf Astoria.

The main dining room bar was not yet open, so we had Cadillac Margaritas, guacamole, and chips on the picturesque open deck.

Oh, what do the simple folk do! After our drinks, we drove several miles to Fisherman's Market and Grill for a lovely dinner. For dinner, I had Cajun lobster tacos and Tom had fried clams.

The next day was New Year's Eve. Tom and I decided to play things low key. We did some laundry in the afternoon and had steak, baked potato, and sauteed brussel sprouts, and a nice Malbec for dinner. We celebrated the New Year "a la" New York City time with Prosecco Italian Sparkling wine.

Happy New Year! Happy 2018. What a difference a year makes. Life is good at our RV site, Lucky #13.

For the new year, I played several hours of pickleball. Tom came out for some games too.

The rest of the day was very low key. I must have contracted some 12-hour bug. I slept most of the day and night --- except to participate in some "doggy" duties. Tom was helpful with some "doggy" duties as well. The plan was to have crock-pot pork, cabbage, and squash for dinner on New Year's Day. That dinner was postponed a day.

Tuesday, November 28 through Tuesday, December 19: Getting Ready for Christmas and a Trip to Palm Desert

It is time to get ready for the holidays. In past years, I have prepared photo Christmas/Holiday cards. I decided this year, to send regular cards to friends and family that I don't keep contact with through electronic forums like this blog, Facebook, or Instagram. I have a card list of around 550 people, but I decided that 120 or so met this criteria. So, I immediately ordered cards from Amazon. They arrived promptly. I love Amazon Prime!

Another project I took on was a photo book of my London and Transatlantic trip with Barbara. I knew that it would be a great memory book and an excellent gift for Barbara. I completed the book through Shutterfly in two days. The book was delivered several days later. Voila!

Shutterfly makes it so easy to create photo books. This one had 28 pages of fun pictures and memories.

On Saturday, we met Stephanie and Joe Hap for lunch. Joe just completed his eleventh follow-up cancer treatment in Flagstaff. His lymphoma is under control. Wonderful!!! We had lunch at El Corral Restaurant in Williams. I think the local favorite restaurant for Stephanie and Joe is still Rod's Steakhouse. I neglected to take a photo, so I grabbed this one from July.

On Sunday, after attending church, Tom and I drove to Flagstaff to visit a Fine Crafts Sale at the Coconino Center for the Arts. My friend, Patrice Giordano, is a member of the Fine Arts Council. It was nice to see all of the jewelry and functional art booths, but no purchases were made.

Monday was time to get the house in a more festive holiday mood. Tom and I adjusted a few lights on the tree in front. The lights have been on the tree for two years!

I also brought out three colorful cattail lighting sets that were place around three other trees.

Tuesday, I met nine of the Highland Meadows ladies for breakfast at a newer restaurant, Rodeo. The location used to be Doc Hollidays, also attached to the Ramada Inn. In this breakfast meeting, we decided to go to the El Tovar at the Grand Canyon next Tuesday for lunch and a walk along the canyon rim.

The weather has cooled down, but still no snow. Cataract Lake is still a fun place to take the dogs for a walk. And, it is less than a ten minute walk from the house!

The final super moon of the year was on display. I tried to take a photo between the trees.

Kelsey, Ramsey, and Libby were on display that very night as well. Aren't they adorable! Ho, ho, ho!

On Tuesday, December 5, the Highland Meadows ladies and some of their significant others met at Jan Chumley's home to organize a drive to the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon. Upon arriving at the dining room, two tables for breakfast were set up for all 17 of us.

It was a lovely meal. Eight of us then walked from the El Tovar Hotel to the Mather Point Visitor Center. It was a 2.6 miles along the canyon's rim trail. At the Visitor Center, we watched a 22 minute movie about the Grand Canyon. It was then time to jump on a Blue Shuttle bus and return back to the village. Tom and I got back home around 3:30p.m. Dogs were happy to see us. What a fun time we had!!!

On Wednesday, the dogs were loaded into my truck and we drove to Watson Lake in Prescott. I arranged a week ago to meet Grace Kirkland and her two dogs. The last time I saw Grace was four years ago. She has a eleven year old Dalmatian named Simon and a little black dog named Y-Lee. Grace lives in Camp Verde. Watson Lake was selected as a rendezvous point for our doggy play date --- as it is a one hour drive for me and for Grace.

It was a nice reunion to see Grace and Simon again. This is was the first time meeting Y-Lee.

After our reunion, I went to nearby Trader Joe's and Costco. It was a very productive day!

Since some of the dogs enjoy laying on our king bed during the day, I put the pillows in the walk-in closet. Often, I thought that it would be nice to have a hope chest at the foot of our bed to store the pillows. So, I recently found a hope chest on eBay --- well priced and new. It arrived by FedEx and the only stipulation was that it had to be assembled. So, while I was in Prescott, Tom assembled the chest.

The pillows love their new home! Good job, Thomas Keith O'Dell!

On Thursday, Tom had an appointment with a Flagstaff podiatrist. I referred him to Dr. Rosales --- whom I used earlier in the year. For a long time, Tom has had some pain issues with his left foot. Dr. Rosales evaluated the matter and gave Tom a shot of cortisone.

After a follow-up visit in two weeks, Dr. Rosales would outline a possible treatment plan.

Our friend Mark Burson and his three Australian Shepherds were making the driving trek from Oxford, Mississippi, to Malibu, California. It is always fun to have them visit for an overnight in Williams. Mark arrived at about 11:30am. The timing was earlier than expected, so we decided to introduce my three dogs to his three dogs. One-by-one, I added my Dalmatians to his group in the backyard. And voila! It worked. There was a new pack of SIX dogs.

Boy, it sure made their visit a lot easier. Mark was introduced to our high speed internet. It is a new addition to our home since he and Ellen were last here.  Mark enjoyed being outdoors with his computer, his coffee, and the dogs. Nothing like a good cigar to finish it all off. Life is good!

That night, we had dinner at the Grand Canyon Brewery. Mark and the dogs were going to get an early start Saturday morning --- leaving around 3:00a.m. Mark likes to get through the boring part of the trip --- Kingman to Barstow --- in the dark. He'll spend three weeks in Malibu for the holidays with his wife, Ellen, and their grown children. We'll miss him on his drive back to Oxford, as we will still be in Palm Desert through New Year's Day.

Our little town of Williams is a fun tourist spot. Historic Route 66 runs through the town and hundreds and thousands of visitors to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon stay in town, as it is the gateway to the Grand Canyon. It also has nice displays during the holidays.

On Sunday, I joined three of my "breakfast club" friends to attend a Flagstaff musical event, "Christmas in the Mountains." Neighbor, Shaula Watson, is a member of the Flagstaff Master Chorale. They are part of the program. Before the 3:00 pm event, the four of us had brunch at Josephine's, a nice upscale Flagstaff restaurant.

The concert was very nice. It was held on the Northern Arizona University campus. After the concert, we took advantage of some Flagstaff shopping and we did not get home until after 7:00pm. The dogs were not too happy. Tom hasn't been trained in how to feed them 😀.

My truck has over 318,000 miles. So, I try to get regular oil changes. Jiffy Lube was the beneficiary of a visit on Tuesday. The manager, Wesley, seems to be a legitimate service person. As a single woman, it is always challenging when I need automotive service.

One afternoon, Libby, a 52 pounder, thought she was an appropriate "lap dog." So, she jumped on Tom's lap. She did not last very long, but it was cute.

My truck is going to be taking us --- and towing the trailer --- to Palm Desert in a few days. So, Tom and I washed it. Well, I started the chore and Tom finished it. Instead, I mopped the Italian marble floors throughout most of the house!

Barbara Coad and I signed up for another cruise while we were still on the Celebrity Eclipse. Bucketlist Australia was the lucky one. Richard and I spent a day in Sydney in 2003, but I wanted more. This 12 day cruise includes the Great Barrier Reef and the west coast of Australia. It is not until October, 2019.

Barbara has a USC friend who is a long-time travel agent. We switched the booking to her travel agent. I conferred with Tom about going to Australia.  If he is inclined, we will have him join us for the pre-trip time in Sydney and other sights.

Friday, June 15, marks the 6 month anniversary of Tom and I being together as a couple. Midday, I drove to Flagstaff for a hair appointment with Shawna.

Reservations were made at the Red Raven Restaurant for dinner. Red Raven is the "best" fine dining restaurant in Williams. But, dress code is always relaxed.

It was a Cosmopolitan for me and a perfect Manhattan for Tom! I had a filet mignon steak and Tom had a seafood pasta with mussels and clams. All was delicious!

On Saturday, we pulled out the trailer and moved clothes and food items --- leaving for Emerald Cove RV Resort on Sunday. Emerald Cove is on the Colorado River near Parker, Arizona.

Still no snow this winter. So, Tom helped me water some of the smaller trees and plants. I had turned off the drip system over a month ago!

It was a 255 mile drive from Williams to Emerald Cove. It is an easy drive, with a gas stop in Lake Havasu City.

Friends, Robi and Jerry Sypkens, are members of the entity that owns and runs Emerald Cove RV Resort. I knew that they were in the area. Robi had a minor stroke in Indio, California. Fortunately, she recovered quickly. So, after arriving in the park, I walked the dogs to say my first "hi!" What a cute couple they are!

Tom and I joined the Sypkens and their full-time RV friends for cocktails at 4:00 p.m. each of the next two evenings. So nice!

The weather was perfect for hanging out and walking the dogs.

One of the dog parks at the resort is a fenced area on the river itself. The dogs enjoy all the smells. Libby didn't get the memo that Dalmatians are not water dogs!

Ramsey and Kelsey wanted nothing to do with the water.

We were assigned to site #59. It is just a row off the river. I think I have been assigned that location once before.

Being the Christmas season, many of the motorhomes, 5th wheels, and travel trailers were draped in Christmas decorations. Burros, or donkeys, live wild in the area and often visit the park.

The afternoon of our last day at Emerald Cove, I took Tom out on the pickleball court to bat a few balls. Jerry came out too. We just practiced hitting the pickleball with the paddles. Tom has played tennis and ping pong. So, it will not take him long to catch on to the game.

Our next stop, Palm Springs Thousand Trails, is a big pickleball venue!