YOU CAN RELIVE FIRST-TIME THRILLS AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT!

New Year snow in Phoenix

Lady Byrd Johnson once said: “When I no longer thrill to the first snow of the season, then I’ll know I am growing old.” That will never happen because I refuse to grow old and it doesn’t snow in Phoenix. But at a New Year’s Eve Party somewhere north of Phoenix, my husband and I experienced the impossible. Snow fell! That was a decade ago and it hasn’t happened again, but I remember the thrill we both felt.

I love first-time thrills like that and always look for more because age does not matter. Just be open to experiencing the rare, the unexpected, and even the scary. Somebody said, “If it excites and scares you at the same time, then it probably means you should do it.” It will give you a first-time thrill.

Exciting and Scary

At Yukon’s Dawson City, I had waited all night for the Northern Lights to appear only to be disappointed. My doting husband knew he had to find a way to perk me up. He decided to drive to the Arctic Circle on the Dempster Highway. We had passed up the opportunity to do it from Fairbanks, Alaska on the shorter and better Dalton Highway. He was afraid our old Class C motorhome might not make the remote dirt gravel road because there was only one stop on the way that could help just in case.  

Soon, the unique fall spectacle unfolded before our very eyes. The trees and shrubs grew shorter; it turned into a brighter red, orange, and gold alpine tundra. The landscape became an autumnal carpet of lichens and fungi that hugged the Tombstone Territorial Park. We were shivering in that quiet cold windy spot, but it was well worth the drive! I may stil not have seen the Northern Lights (saw them later on another trip to Anchorage) but I got an even better thrill!

Difficult and Untried

Just two months later I did one thing I had never been able to do throughout my childhood. The Philippines would have been a great place to do it but I thought it was difficult for a wimp like me. We had traveled to visit my sister in Falls Church, Virginia. At nearby and windy Virginia Beach, my husband succeeded in guiding me to fly my first-ever kite. It was so thrilling that we forgot to take a photo.

A few months later we had to return to the West Coast. My new kite-flying prowess allowed me to enjoy two towns more than I could ever have done. I loved the World Kite Museum and Hall of Fame in Long Beach, Washington. In Seaside, Oregon, we chanced upon the World Kite Festival and were privileged to see outdoor and indoor competitions.  

I still must learn to ride a bike, however. And I don’t mean the one at the gym.

Fun but Risky

A year later, I experienced that first-time thrill again at the World Waterpark inside the fourth-largest shopping center, the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Corkscrew was its intermediate water slide with two enclosed pipes that twist, turn, and drop into a wide splash pool. I have never learned to swim and water deeper than three feet scares me.

But my husband promised he’d be there waiting for me at the end. That was all I needed. As I cascaded down, I was deathly afraid, especially when it got dark. I felt so alone and thought I would drown in the pool when I came out. But, when I did, there was my husband! He cuddled me in his arms, saying: “See how easy and fun it is?” Yes, he gave me another trophy in life.

There have been many other firsts, and I hope there will be more, even as I get older. One key is to have a cheerleader by your side.  That was my husband.   However, a certain Steven White once said: “If at first, you don’t succeed, then skydiving definitely isn’t for you.” I will, therefore, exclude skydiving from my pursuit of first-time thrills!

Anticipating the Best after Quite an Unusual Year

Photo Credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/jNs

Welcoming the New Year in the Philippines was always accompanied by such a level of fireworks display that particles, toxins, chemicals, and smoke linger in the air and litter the streets for hours and days afterward. But this year will probably not be the same. It is not an ordinary passing of the old and welcoming of the new.

First of all, 2020 was so unusual. It featured both a once-a-lifetime pandemic and the most consequential and most controversial US election in history. But there are also great reasons to celebrate, albeit with less noise and debris. There is a realization that we have all been touched by something larger than ourselves. And the new normal consists of being more aware of the ABCs of life, the authentic, the basic, and the core. 

Health and Medicine

We were supposed to be on a plane for our annual all-inclusive vacation at a Mexican resort. When we booked this, we were not being reckless. At 76 and 72, we just realized that we had so little time left. But we just found out that we have been prioritized in the Covid-19 vaccine distribution plan, after the frontline healthcare workers and those in long-term care facilities in Phase 1a. Bill is included in Phase 1b, 75 year-olds and frontline essential workers, and I am in Phase 1c, 64-75 year-olds and those with high-risk health conditions. Both should be completed in the first quarter of the new year. This, together with the advances in therapeutics that were also achieved in 2020, should be great reasons to celebrate.

my favorite mask from UPAAA

 We want to receive the vaccines at the earliest available time. So we canceled our Mexican vacation and moved the trip to November-December 2021, dovetailing with our 2022 winter break, finally giving Bill his dream of staying there longer!

We are also celebrating the awesome fact that we made it to this point. We have remained Covid-free and our immune systems have stayed okay. We exercise daily, and the food we eat has always been carefully chosen. We have even added zinc, extra vitamin C, and increased fluid intake to our daily regimen. And we have  faithfully followed the science (please see Today's New Normal for Continuing to Travel Safely) to decrease the probability of an infection.

Being with Family and Friends

I also celebrate having in my safe bubble my husband of twelve and a half years. We are great partners in domestic chores and other tasks. Zoom has been our platform of choice for being with others in our circle of family and friends. As a matter of fact, we upgraded to Zoom Pro and expect it still to be handy in 2021. That is because it will take some time before society will get to herd immunity (some say when 85% have been vaccinated) so we will continue following the science through most of the new year. 

We  celebrate the fact that, beginning September or October, we may be able to resume being with family and friends we were not able to see this year. Hopefully, the US/Canada border will reopen so I can see my daughter and her family in Calgary. We also pray that flights and airports will become safer so we can visit Bill’s daughter in Anchorage. We have scheduled our going to my daughter in Melbourne to 2022. The April wedding of my first Apo in Los Angeles has been moved to October 2021. And, later that month, we hope to be in Las Vegas for the biennial Grand Reunion and Convention of the UP Alumni Association in America.

My Induction at the 2019 Grand Reunion and Convention 2019

Economy

The elections were quite traumatic for the majority of Americans. And, by the looks of it, healing will not come any time soon. My best hopes are that the economy recovers more consistently, that most everybody will regain the jobs they lost and revive their businesses that were temporarily disrupted, and that we will soon see the last of the stimulus checks.

I also pray that the Republicans will win the two Senate seats in the Georgia run-off elections so that the system of checks and balances will remain securely in place. This will ensure that we do not have drastic policy changes while we are still under the delicate processes of economic recovery from the pandemic.

signing the books for a shipment to Manila

In other words, I welcome the new year with wide-open arms, embracing the new awareness of our health, impending reunions with loved ones, and the resurgence of our economy. I also selectively turn my back on the year just passed. After all, it was the year I was given the time to write and publish my second travel book, Cruising Past Seventy, when medicine advanced, and when most everyone came to realize what is truly most important in one's life.  

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The Season’s Best in the New Phoenix Desert

We were snowbirds in the Phoenix area for three years before we bought a home base at the Viewpoint Golf Resort two years ago. In all that time, we had confined ourselves to festivities at the Resort during this Merry Season—the Christmas Décor competition, the Christmas Train and Golf Cart Parade, the Christmas Bazaar, the Hillbilly Christmas Party, and the New Year’s Eve Glamor Ball. This year, besides these activities plus the usual neighborhood and friend’s private parties, we ventured out to the Phoenix area and found three events of distinction that make the Phoenix desert a special place for the season.

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

the Frog Dome by night

Every second Tuesday of the month is Community Day at the Garden. That is when the general admission fee of $34.95 is lifted. So, on Dec. 10, we put on our walking shoes and spent six hours on my first visit to the famous Garden that showcases the beautifully unique plants of the hot and dry deserts of the world. There are several trails: the Sonoran Desert, Center for Desert Living, Desert Discovery, Desert Wildflower, and the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert. There is also a Garden Shop, a Patio Café, and Gertrudes, the Garden Restaurant where we had an early dinner to wait for the sun to set.

the Frog Dome by day

I was thrilled that, when we went, the Wildlife Rising by Cracking Art straight from Milan, Italy was being exhibited. 1,000 animal sculptures made of recyclable plastic—frogs, fish, birds, pandas, rabbits, foxes, and alligators—were on full display. It gave a wonderful burst of colors to the plants in winter. When dusk fell, the annual Las Noches de las Luminarias, the southwest region’s holiday tradition, was also on. The 140-acre garden was lit with 8,000 luminarias that are hand-lit. It was a day I will never forget. And we vowed to go back on one of the Community Days in spring to discover more.

the Tumbleweed Tree

Tumbleweed Tree in Chandler

The Christmas tree has been a hallmark of any holiday celebration. But at Chandler, Arizona, one of the cities around the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, it is uniquely special. Standing over 50 feet tall, the Tumbleweed Tree has been a Chandler tradition since 1957. This ‘holiday tree' begins with 2,000 tumbleweeds assembled into a 35-foot tall wire framed Christmas tree, painted with 25 gallons of paint dusted with 65 pounds of glitter and adorned with thousands of holiday lights that give it a spectacular look, day or night.

We made it a point to see this tree personally and took pictures from all imaginable angles. But we were not able to go to the Tumbleweed Tree Lighting Ceremony. Accompanied by a charming lights parade, it is held on the first Saturday in December to usher in the entire holiday mood. It’s too bad we missed it because of a special event we had to attend. Already a  unique southwestern tradition, the ceremony also features many lively entertainment sideshows and a diverse array of specialty food vendors.

Lights of the World in Phoenix

map of the Lights of the World Spectacle

Would you believe the largest holiday lights show in North America is in Phoenix? It is located in the huge Arizona State Fairgrounds. Over ten million lights and lanterns are put on 65 dazzling displays in several exciting themes—Trek Across Europe, Isles of Oceania, Dinotopia, Christmas Dream, Animal Kingdom, America America, Golden Castle, and Oriental Aromatic. It opens at sundown and we were able to spend all of the four and a half hours until it closed at 10 pm. There were so many photo-ops and food options that kept us busy all night...all for the discounted $14.99 for seniors.

the entrance to the rides

But it is more of a kids’ haven because there are plenty of rides at the Children’s Playground and the full-fledged Carnival. On special nights, there are even Shows like the magician Marrl Lemm’s Show, “The Man Behind The Curtain,” the Puppetone Rockers' Show, or the Acrobatic and Sea Lion.  

Holiday Balloon Glow

There are more such events. We did not have the time to see the Holiday Balloon Glow where more than ten huge hot air balloons are flown over a shopping village complemented by 80 vendors and food trucks. The Phoenix Zoo, on the other hand, sponsors Zoolights with millions of lights in 700 dazzling displays, music and light shows synchronized with 15,000 lights, and wildlife that glow. We have them lined up for next year plus the Tumbleweed Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Phoenix Zoolights

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Wonderings on Wanderings: The Time Has Come for A Pause

The time has come when I finally stop whatever it is I am doing and simply be. At the end of each year, around Christmas time, I reflect on the year just passed. 2015 has been a landmark year for me, and many new lessons have been learned. It is also the time when I begin to see the unfolding of the New Year. Already I know that 2016 will be more laid back, and I have to plan for the big change.

The Year that Was

Imagine this. In 2015, my sixth and seventh grandkids were born in May and September. My Claudine in Calgary gave birth in May to 8-pound Jax, her third. Kyrie was even bigger at 8.4 pounds, born to April in September by C-section in London, her first. My first book, Carolina: Criusing to an American Dream was made available by iUniverse to Amazon and Barnes and Noble online at the same time Jax was born! Successful Seattle and Manila launches were both held in June.

Map of Countries Visited

Imagine this, too. In 2015 I took a trip to sixteen countries and eight states and provinces in all of 20 weeks. This increases to 46 the total number of countries I have visited and to 74 the total states, provinces, and territories in the US, Canada, Mexico, UK and Australia. Five of the countries were without Bill, making it our longest separation from each other to date.  I was out of our home for nearly half of the year! I am just glad Bill did not get mad and, as usual, supported what I wanted to do.  Who knows, he may have enjoyed the vacation from me and my cooking!

In April and May, Bill and I toured Italy with his daughter Suzanne and her family and Spain with my granddaughters Krishna dn Daniela. In France we had our nth honeymoon! The Book Launches were followed by a road trip through Washington and British Columbia, visiting friends. Then there was a family reunion in Calgary after which we resumed our road trip back to Phoenix through Montana, Idaho, and Nevada, visiting family and friends. In September, Bill and I took a romantic getaway to Kauai, Maui and Oahu in Hawaii, visiting Bill's eldest grandson. Then I zoomed to London to help April with Kyrie. After that, Jingjing and I blitzed through 9 countries in Europe. As if that was not enough, Bill and I vacationed in Mexico for two and a half weeks!

The Year that Will Be 

Whew! I do need to take a breather!  2015 was admittedly a lapse into my old driven self. Hives, GERD, and other issues naturally, inevitably, and sporadically came back. At 67, it is really not realistic for me to think I can still do as much as my mind wants me to do! Some things are better left imagined, undone, and only dreamed about. After all, accomplishing tasks are not as important as loving the people around you, family and friends alike!

The Reason!

So, 2016 will be more laid back. Starting March 2016, I will be a nanny in Calgary for five months, taking care of Jax. In 2017 it will be Kyrie’s turn in Melbourne. When I took care of Enzo in 2006 and Kenjie in 2007 and 2008, I took a vacay from my friend Stress. There is something about babies that comfort me (I hope I also give them comfort). Combine that with cooking and I am in heaven!

There will still be travels with Bill. In 2016, we will have a family reunion in Victoria, British Columbia.  Before that, we will visit Bill's youngest daughter Cristine and my sister Cherry in Anchorage, Alaska. After the reunion, we will go on a road trip down the US west coast and spend a week in Newport, Oregon, a week in Lake Tahoe, a few days ini Capistrano Beach, and then back to the Mexico we love for a week in Cabo San Lucas. Then we go back to Viewpoint in November.

Mexico, here we come again!

In 2017, I hope to be in Melbourne as nanny to Kyrie and cook for April and Clint. That year, hopefully, Bill and I can make trips to New Zealand, Tasmania, New Guinea and Fiji on weekends and long holidays! For two years, I will rediscover heaven through my APOstolate. Perhaps, a second book can also magically come out of cribs and whipped up in casseroles. Then Bill can pardon me for another mad travel year in 2018!

Our Lifestyle Adventures: Getting Snow in the Desert, a Rare Experience!

a belated Wacky New Year to one and all!

snow falling on the desert floor

A cold front had come upon the Phoenix metropolitan area on Dec. 31. There was a freeze warning from 11 pm Dec. 31 to 6 am Jan. 1, the very hours we were out for our New Year's Eve party. Bill went deep into our closet to take out our trench coats! Yes sir! The cold has descended unto the desert valley that was supposed to be a winter haven!  

 

Cave Creek is an hour away from Viewpoint, to the north of Phoenix and Scottsdale, where Harold's Corral was located. Bill and I had fun at the wacky phone booth with our hats and other paraphernalia. My prime rib au jus was excellent. Bill’s New York strip was ok. The spinach and artichoke dip with flatbread for appetizers was awesome. The green beans, baked potatoes, and salad were good. 

wacky at the photo booth

still quiet at dinner

The Mogollon Band played great country music but it was way too loud for our old ears. We danced a lot of two-step, rock n roll, and even polka! Our New Year’s Eve Party was in style, Western! For Christmas Eve we went to Fairmont Princess Hotel, quite a spendy place so we looked for a more reasonable alternative for New Year's Eve. Harold’s Corral offered a steak dinner, dancing with a live band, party favors, a midnight buffet and a champagne toast to welcome the New Year for only $60 per person. Great value!

I so loved my hat!

the champagne toast

The band led the countdown to the traditional grand entrance of a New Year. At the stroke of twelve everything from the drums, all the noisemakers, and the people in the restaurant created increasingly high decibels. Then Bill and I hurried to the midnight buffet so we could go, home being an hour away. From a door that was opened near the buffet table, we got a glimpse of the snow that was falling outside! It was crazy!!! 2015 came with snow, an amazingly rare experience in the desert!

We got home at 2 am and woke up late on the first day of 2015! Bill had a mixed doubles tennis tournament match at 2:30 pm. While he was there, I got busy preparing for the New Year’s Day Dinner Party we were hosting at our RV. We had invited three other couples from Viewpoint who have become close friends. There could have been others but our “home” could only comfortably seat 8 for dinner.

our little home seats 8!

Party favors from Harold’s made our setting more festive. We had mini-cheese logs and special crackers for appetizers. There was holiday ham glazed with pineapple and cherries cooked slowly at Mel and Carolyn’s smoker. They also brought green beans casserole, a request of Bill. Bud and Bonnie made scalloped potatoes, another Bill favorite and Cam and Clinky brought a great big strawberry cheesecake! It was another fine way to greet 2015. The number 1 bowl on college football bowl was also on TV, the Rose Bowl! 

how I looked to my grandkids on Hangouts

Then I had the added bonus of being able to greet my children and grandchildren in style on Hangouts, an app where you can video conference for free! April and Clint from Newcastle in the UK, Trisha and Deejay and their kids from Seattle, Washington, and Claudine and Arnold and their kids from Calgary, Alberta, Canada all laughed at my impromptu and comical performance with party favors and noisemakers! New Year does not only make snow fall on desert floors, it also can make certain people crazy!