Whistle Stop Tours - in WA and AZ

After a some grade-A Kerfluffle, I'm here in Phoenix Arizona for the weekend. Flew in last night, then thought I ought to call up my Uncle & Aunt; let them know their niece was in town (yes, I'm that bad about warning them). They were home - YAH! Matt fetched me home. It's great seeing them and my firecracker cousin Eddie - they're hale and hardy to the last. Loads to catch up on. Found out Matt is from a back operation some weeks ago. The only way you can tell anyone was cutting on him is a back brace and Arna gently reminding him the doctor said not to pick up more then 10 lbs; Matt, of course, smiles - and ignores the advice.

This morning I woke to astoundingly beautiful weather, sunny, & in the low 70s. Ah! Matt went to fly his remote control helicopter and Arna and I lazed around and watched the Obama/Bidden whistle stop tour on its historic route from Pennsylvania to Washington DC. I haven't seen Matt's Mom Hilda (unofficially my very own 'Nana'). So in the afternoon, we buzzed over to Hilda's house, in style, in Arna's convertible.

I was blown away by how great Hilda is doing. I haven't seen her since her 90th birthday party 5 years ago. She too moved here from California and now she has a cute little senior apartment with her own kitchen and a HUMONGOUS walk in closet (I want one!). I am annoyed I didn't take video instead of stills, because, so help me, you would ne-vah believe Hilda. I mean, they just don't normally make 95 year olds as sharp, spry, fun or cool as Hilda. While Arna and I watched and expressed our amazement over the day's historical events, Hilda made a banana cream pie for Eddie (my cousin) and fed us home made peanut butter cookies - yummm...


Arna and Hilda - my own role models, who make
 me think perhaps I'm not going to mind getting older at all
All in all it was a great day. The only bummer was it dawned on me that I didn't bring any of the genealogy stuff - such as the paperwork of my Grandmother's passage to the U.S. from Barbados in 1916. UGH! How did I forget that? I promised to mail all such papers to Arna - and the rest of the family.

Tonight Matt, Arna and I shared a nice port wine and ate Arna's good home cooking and took command of Uncle Matt's laptop - he will now have to wrestle me for it. And it will only get better - tomorrow my sister and niece fly in from Baltimore.