I don’t know how to write about the last six weeks in Arizona with my family and not sound so sugar-sweet that half of you want to puke. Since I can’t make it painless, I’ll try to make it quick.
Driveway at dusk!
I am so thankful for my lifestyle that has allowed me to spend so much time getting to know my parents’ real, day-to-day lives. They moved to Tucson seven years ago after more than 20 years in the house where I grew up. During my first visit to their new home, seeing the same furniture and decor on foreign walls was just as bizarre as the unfamiliar desert landscape surrounding the house. My parents sort of went from being a part of a structure and a place that comprised “my roots” to a middle-aged couple that I’ve known for my whole life who were off on some new life adventure that had little to do with me.
Ice-breaker hike – 7 miles on Loma Alta
After six weeks of grocery store trips, visiting their favorite restaurants, exploring the local food options, constant advice from my dad about which roads or routes to take across the city to meet up with new friends, countless loads of laundry and dishes, excursions with my mom’s charity group, attempting to whip them into shape with daily workouts, stunning desert sunsets and sunrises, laughing at my mom’s obsession with knowing the temperature on any day warmer than 70 degrees, and plenty of outdoor & Harley adventures, I feel like I have roots with them again!
(Since it’s my favorite subject, let the record reflect hiking adventures on Starr Pass, Loma Alta Rincon Peak, Romero Pools, Aravaipa, and Superstition Mountains. I also got to explore the Finger Rock Trail, Gates Pass, and climb at Prison Camp. Sadly got snowed out of a final pre-Christmas Mt. Lemmon hike — not bad for Dec. 14Th! Especially considering the hours of backyard bikini time that the warm November temps allowed.)
Gramps’ last night on the patio. He was cold, so we hooked him up with all kinds of warm stuff.
More thankfulness: getting to spend time with my three grandmas and two grandfathers who all live within a few minutes to a few hours of my parents’ home. My uncle and his son made it out for Thanksgiving, two grandmas have birthdays to celebrate in December, and I even got an in-person trip report from my grandparents’ trip to Israel. Of course there were multiple card playing sessions, and will be many to come over the Christmas days of togetherness. I wish I didn’t have to share that we lost my gramps a week after Thanksgiving. He’s had health struggles for years, hates interventions, and ended up with two intense super-bacterial infections. The silver linings, however, are many: life without intervention is definitely what he wanted; he was in lots of pain; the odds for the quality of life he wanted were low; and I got to spend some of his last days with him. My favorite last memory is the once-persnickety-old-crank returning my blown kiss as we left his house one evening, along with lots of little shared winks and smirks. Miss you, Gramps.
Aravaipa strolling – a rare out-of-river moment 🙂
After missing two years in a row of both small and big moments — both with my late grandfather and all my other family members – and knowing there are so many moments I will miss in the future, I really treasure the ones I do get. Bring on the Christmas Crew! ♣
Saguaro skeletons, redneck wine keeper, badass cacti, other-worldly canyons… you’ll feel like Nat. Geo. when you flip through both this and this facebook album.
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