A Visit with Nick's daughter Stephanie! ......and......an Update on the Diemel's!

A family picture: Dad, Shannon & Nicky, Stephanie, Nicholaas & Jasmine!

 Nick's oldest daughter who is a professor in Physics flew to this area of Phoenix, for a meeting at the Arizona State University!

So upon  here arrival this evening, we had a chance to spend it  together!  We all sat down to a wonderful dinner that Nicky & Shannon had prepared. 



It was fun to be together again - since we last saw Stephanie, Chad and Lina in Seattle just before our departure to Asia to say our "good-byes!"

 The salmon which Nicky cooked on the BBQ was superb!  He makes it on a cedar-plank of wood - and it is so juicy and moist!  Wow!

It truly is the best way to prepare it!  

Delicious!

 Shannon had set the table so pretty and with fresh flowers - so' inviting! 


                   Good job Shannon!

 We had a special time with the family around the table - chit-chatting about this and that! 

It was great to be together again - nothing like good family time!

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"An Update on Us"

So here we are already over a month ~ enjoying a new season in our life!  Different - yes - staying "put" in one place for a while!  Yes that is a change huh?

We are getting more and more relaxed - seems we are needing some extra rest of sort.  Maybe just from the whole adventure the past year and a half, and now settling down for a while for a few months!

It is good for us both!  We are experiencing Winter in a different place, way down here in Arizona!

Last winter we were in the "tropics" of course and before that, in Oregon during the snowy season - November to April - for 12 years.  We enjoyed the beauty and outdoor sports too all those years - don't get me wrong: snow skiing, snow-shoeing, cross country skiing,  a little snowmobiling too...all lots of fun during the winter season!  

But being a "snowbird" for a season is nice too!  We are enjoying the mild weather here 

(between the 60-70's) and that is quite comfortable.  Because of the elevation here at 2017 feet - it does get cooler at night still.  But no complaints at all!  Come dinner time we are usually tucked into our cozy motor home "the Whale" anyway!  

I am adjusting to my "smaller" kitchen area and have it arranged in such a way to prepare for our meals!  My Nick - handy man that he is - has put shelves in the "coat closet" to make it now my pantry closet - Nice!  So I have an overview and can stack some essentials in there!  I am actually surprised how well it works in my little kitchen area!  It works fine for just the two of us!  The refrigerator is very much the size I had in Indonesia - so I am already use to the smaller size - I shop  just for the needed items and smaller portions (that is, smaller quantity of vegetables!)

We also replaced the 15 yr old TV with a newer flat screen!  What I like a lot is that Nick has put an 

extension on it so that the TV can be brought down to eye level now.  We were getting a cramped neck from looking up to the TV from our couch position!  So my Nick has done a special job there - two drawer sliders attached to a plank of wood - which now slides the TV down when we watch TV...pretty neat!  Oh to have a handy man in the house!  I sit and watch him at times and  I can see that mind thinking 'how to put this together' and so cute the way he thinks and thinks and finally figures it out!  A FLASH -' yes he's got it!'

"Go Nick!"

We have visited a few churches but have now settled at East Valley Church of the Nazarene and like it very much!  Pastor Scott Thornton is a good preacher and the worship team is a blessing too!  Lots of friendly people that have made us ever so welcome!  We joined the Sunday school class - and Chuck Robinson would be pleased to know we are enjoying the very same "Adult Bible Study Book" which we also studied out of, back in Bend Oregon!  We miss you & the gang, Chuck, but know we will be back! 

 

Nick made this "RV life" more official - yes the Pink Flamingo's are now out front on our little plot!  Can you believe it - pink flamingo's??? 

 That is so' American huh? 

It seems when Nick was traveling in his own camper before we married - he too had some flamingo's out front...it was the going thing to do!  

Well OK Nick - if we have to - go for it!  

Now Nick is a "happy-camper" as the saying goes...ha!

 

As you can read, all is coming together for us!  Which is a good assured feeling!  I am learning to relax and enjoy this time in my life.  I was saying to my sister, that actually, since quitting my real estate career in May 2013, I have been going ever since!  Now we are "staying put" in a place and I am now forced to focus on "the here and now" which is really good...but a mental & physical and especially spiritual adjustment for me, personally! Rest and enjoy!  I am trying to walk daily again for an hour....drinking lots of water again...and just making a conscious effort to be healthy, resting and enjoying our time together here and now!

Nick is ever so comfortable where ever he is - he adapts!  He is now taking up painting again! And just finished a mountain scene that we have here called the Superstition Mountains - it is a good job! See - with the light coming down on the scene!  Beautiful clouds...he is so detailed in his work!

 

I too am doing a little painting now...but just got started - so I have a ways to go...but this is just the background...for now!  But little by little I will start to add the colors and detail to it - have a long way to go...but it is a beginning...right?

We plan to stay here till end of March maybe even April.  I am doing a little bit of writing which I have wanted to do for a while.  We will see how that goes!

Last Sunday we met a couple at church and she invited me to come and share our Asia Trip at the Ladies Group in March - oh how exciting...I would love to!  So now we are working on a Power Point presentation!  Nick & I went to a class that was offered at the local Library here and it helped us so much to set up and prepare now for a presentation!  Yes we have so much to share with the wonderful trip God has taken us on in southern Asia and Europe too!  Our hearts are full of it!  So we will see where this goes to!

Well that might be it for now!  We hope to take a 3 hour drive to Sedona soon...with the car only and stay a few nights there!  Sedona and Jerome are nice places to see - they say!  Sedona is in a higher elevation around 5200 feet and quite a draw for people because of the beautiful scenery there!  Jerome, we hear, is a cute "artsy" town that draws many artists and creative people!  Sounds fun huh?

Cheers!

We'll keep you posted on the blog when we head that direction!

Phoenix Car Swap Meet

Nick wanted to go to the Phoenix Fairgrounds today to check out the car swap meet there.  It is "the place" to come to for anyone who is looking for a special car part for their classic cars!  It seems to be a tradition that been around for  long time!  What was cute was that people would pull a red wagon along and that is how they were find their parts and carry them!  We walked in and out of the isles and enjoyed looking at some of the old model cars! 

Phoenix Car Swap Meet

 This was one of the first cars Nick had here in the US when he was 16!

How funny the red wagen with a set on it!

Nick said he can take this one? 

 Nick said he had one of these years ago and sold it for $500,- ...it's worth a little bit more now Nick!

School Bus for sale? Maralin?

The swap opened at 7 am....and the Parking Lot was full- it was a good turn out today.  Of course they played the old 50' & 60' songs too on the loudspeakers! 

A Drive to Canyon Lake and a Mining Town

It's been almost 3 weeks now here in Arizona!  We have been comfortable in our mobilhome park!  The weather is warming up after this cold front we had.  But yesterday and today has been lovely so Nick rolled out the awning for the first time -  Nick is doing a little maintenance outside and that too is nice..it makes it so pleasant to be out now!  We are even shedding the jackets!

Today was exceptional...75...nice!  So we took a drive into the countryside. This time we went further then the Lost Dutchman State campground we had stayed at when we first arrived in town!
We would head up to Canyon Lake...about 15 miles further.  It was a nice ride and we enjoyed seeing the ruggedness of the surroundings!

   Canyon Lake

 A one-lane bridge.

 We were surprised how many boats were docked.

Someone had told us that just past the lake was  nice place to stop and have a bite to eat...."Tortilla Flats"  a Trading Post on the Apache Trail...so we did and there were many others too that were enjoying the afternoon with a ride!

There was just a few old buildings consisting of a store, a museum and a grill.  A "Live" country band playing and they were good!  A nice surprise on this Wednesday afternoon...way out here in the desert!

Tortilla Flat

Meet my Indian friend!

This is the skeleton of a Saguaro Cactus.

Everyone was enjoying the music & lunch!

Oh my!  Look up there!

We admired the motor bikes parked!

3 - Wheelers and Harley Davidson's!

 Check out these motor bikes...aren't they fun looking?  Sure would be a treat to ride on one!!!

3 Wheeler Motorcycle

 A lot of the bikers were enjoying a ride on this beautiful day!

Can you believe this is January???

  On the way back to town we stopped at the Mining Town.  It was cute with some older buildings.

Goldfield Ghost Town 






People could take a tour of an old mine for a fee,
but Nick & I just strolled around enjoying the old equipment used in those days!A tough life out here - especially in mid summer when the weather goes up to around 110F - HOT!

 This is a called a "crusher"

On the building of this shop was this old trap... with a red button on it and it said
"for lower prices push this button".

.......well DON'T push the red button....ouch!

There was a old church building that is still being used on Sunday's!

 Church service at 11:00 am....we'll  certainly come back and visit this church!

There's the Superstition Mountains in the background- nice!

 Nick noticed this was NOT an old water / windmill but a cell tower! ha!  Good camouflage!

A fun day discovering the area!