Ode to Sugar

Sugar passed away last Thursday, it's taken me this long to be able to talk about it. She was the sweetest dog we've ever had, and it was hard to let her go. She was 15 years old, and didn't get sick until 2 weeks ago, then she just dropped so quickly. David and I took her to Airpark Animal Hospital in Cottonwood, they were wonderful. She gently went to sleep, and then we brought her home to be buried. Those that know me know I don't get very mushy about animals, but Sugar was special, and we all miss her.

Questionare

Have you done any of these?... Just copy and paste this to your blog and highlight or Bold the ones that you HAVE done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train- rode one overnight, didn't sleep!
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitchhiked- once
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run- no, tried many times
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported by ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class- no, but a defense class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (bought plenty)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check- oops!
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades- one of my goals
75. Been fired from a job- for being pregnant! Go figure
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone- 3 or 4
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book- working on it
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Killed and prepared an animal for eating many times
87. Visited the White House.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someones life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous I used to work for Robert Redford
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake- been there, didn't swim
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Flown in a hot air balloon

Trail Rider

I got to go horseback riding last Saturday! It's been so long since I rode; at least 6 years ago. A friend has several horses, and was complaining she can't keep them all ridden. Well, I have just the cure for that.... so she, her boyfriend and I took 3 horses out trailriding. They live close to the Verde River, in Cottonwood, and we rode down along the river toward Dead Horse State Park. No, horses don't go there to die, so ours were fine. We wandered around the park, worked the horses in an open area on their leads and gaits, it was great! Her horses have all won in national horseshows, they are appaloosas, and ride nicely.

The weather was beautiful, around 65-70 degrees, the skies were Arizona blue, it couldn't be better. I can barely move right now, sore butt, knees, etc, but it was so worth it. We were out for a couple hours, enough to get broke in, not enough to kill me. She even invited me to come back. Hopefully in a couple weeks I can go with them again.

I'm preparing an invitation for the Haines reunion, I just need addresses to send them too. If there are any George Haines descendant's out there, please send me your address to elnabelms@hotmail.com. Thanks!

Wandering Arizona

I'm back from the wilds of Southeastern Arizona. I was born and raised in this state, but there are so many places I haven't been. Mom and I went to Sun Lakes to visit her cousin Dorris last Monday. We exchanged lots of family history information. Dorris is amazing, she's almost 90, lives alone and even drives the "old people" to doctor's visits, etc. She volunteers with a group that helps each other when ill, etc, by sitting with someone to give their family a break, or runs errands, it's great that she is so active. She has lived and traveled all over the world; her husband was in the air force. He survived WWII and Korea, only to be shot down over Vietnam after 24 years in the service. She's also a retired teacher, it was great to get to know her a little.

Tuesday we drove to Oracle to visit Dorris younger sister, Edna Mae. She has lived in Oracle for about 60 years, 50 in the house she and her husband Harry built. Another fascinating couple- married 62 years, she was a Justice of the Peace there for 16 years, and he was a superintendent at the mine. She had located lots of pictures and family records for me, and after I put everything in my computer, I printed both Dorris and Edna Mae copies of all the Family Group sheets and pedigree charts for their side of the family. I was so happy to get their family birth, death and marriage dates, I had very few on their part of the family.

I'd never been to Oracle before, it's northeast of Tucson, back off the beaten track. It's beautiful desert country- very lush, surprisingly. Their family had a goat farm near Hayden Junction, and remember hauling water in 2 gallon buckets from the creek to the house. The had no electricity, running water, nothing we take for granted. They also had to herd goats, tend them and shear them twice a year, as well as weed the vegetable garden. The nearest town was 10-15 miles away, and they were so excited when their Dad brought home a car, so they didn't have to ride in a wagon to town. We have no idea how hard life was in the 1920's and 30's, especially for those living in the country.

Lastly, we went to Globe. I know it's a tough little mining community, but I love that area. We spent the night in the local casino parking lot, and Mom got to indulge her pasttime- slot machines. She likes to play the nickel slots of poker, but this casino didn't have them. Nevertheless, she passed the time with what they had for a couple hours. I used that time to read and rest. Globe and Miami have been building a tourist trade over the past 10 years, but they are still mining towns at heart. It is the county seat and I spent several hours researching marriage records there. It was great to gather all the information, but it was sure nice to get home. I slept for 2 days when I got home!