Can you believe it's November already? Where has the time gone? Until last week's Black Cat Cookie blog, it had been 10 months since any news from sunny AZ. I'd like to post a quick catch-up of this year and then forge fearlessly ahead toward the new year. Anybody with me? Here goes -
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| Baby Adele, Grammy and the new curtains made by Grammy |
January - Mid-month we traveled to Illinois and Michigan for post-holiday visits with our daughter and son and their families. It was to be a whirlwind trip of one week with the special intention of meeting our newest grandchild and first granddaughter. Not feeling tip-top the day we were to fly home, I chose to stay on in Illinois with the little family there.
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| Perfect day for ice cream and a snowman |
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| Opening Day at Lombard DQ |
It was an unexpected opportunity for a longer visit and turned out to be fun for all of us. Em and I cooked and baked, did projects around their house and yard, enjoyed walks on the Prairie Path and I got to attend our grandson's preschool Valentine's Day Party. One special highlight was 2012 Opening Day at the Lombard Dairy Queen. Ice cream in the snow.....We know how to have fun!
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| Two cousins anticipating ice cream cake |
February - Tom returned mid-month for my birthday. We planned to travel to Arizona via the Amtrak Southwest Chief the next day. As we sat down to birthday dinner with two of our children and their families, we received distressing news about my mom's health. We put on happy faces and had our party for the sake of grandchildren who were so excited. Instead of traveling westward the next day, we awaited the arrival of our Vermont sister, then the three of us made the long drive to northern Michigan.
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Em's little car buried in snow
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March - We stayed a couple weeks at Mom's after she was home from the hospital. The day before we were to attempt (again) to return to Arizona there was a huge snowstorm. We'd lived in Michigan 56 years before going to Phoenix and a bit of winter shouldn't have made us flinch. But this was serious, wet, heavy snow! How were we supposed to get out of northern Michigan when we couldn't get out of Mom's neighborhood? We delayed going until afternoon the next day. By then roads were somewhat passable. It was slow, but Em's Ford Focus got us through.
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| Mom's road on the day after the storm |
Next post.....Our adventures on the Southwest Chief!
