The Desert Southwest

 We are home after a short vacation to see our oldest daughter and her family. We spent one fun filled, lovely time with our grand children. I enjoyed every minute. Of course time goes by so quick and its time to come back home. The monsoon's seem to have followed us, and we got up this morning to cloudy skies and rain. Very rare for July. We rented this lovely house in the hills above Tucson. You had to drive down this rocky, washed out looking road, really more of a track than a road. The whole time we were there, we only saw people once. One morning there were five coyotes in front of the house. Three teenager coyotes fighting and wrestling and a big Mom and Dad. Lots of wildlife. A funny lizard who thought the house was his, who barked at Ron when he came up on the porch one day. 

 That was the house, and it was made out of adobe. It was wonderful and cool. I am so glad to get back to my windows and light. Of course, green. I never think its that green here but driving home yesterday, its really green here. Ron is down there watching me because I am up on the hill exploring. It was higher than it looked from sitting in the living room. We were only 10 minutes from town. 

I don't post pictures of my grands very much just because I don't like Google having pictures of them and using facial recognition software on them. I bought some sewing kits and the older girls loved them. This picture made me so happy to see them all on the couch sewing. I am in the background with the babies. I would sit with them every so often and sew a bit. It was lovely. 

So it was just the best kind of trip. We have seven grand children there five girls and two boys. I always loved this age in my life. There are teenagers to talk to and the middle ones to laugh at the funny things they say, and the babies to rock. I was thinking about my daughter and this time of life really is the best. Nothing better than sitting with them all and just talking while rocking a baby. 

 

 

This was my sewing and hooking partner. Before we left, I knew I had to put her to sleep. I knew she was getting worse, and I knew she was coming to an end. She had cancer and I knew she wasn't going to get better. I haven't been able to blog, because every time I sat down it was all I could think about. This was by far the hardest thing I have done in such a long time. I have cried just going down the dog food aisle. I dreaded coming home to a no dog house. Especially this dog. I have had so many dogs in my lifetime, but never one like this one. That was her chair and we sat together every afternoon like this. I don't think I will get another dog. But we will see. Never in my whole life have I been without a dog. One of my first memories was of my Mom's dog named Chick. She was like a Border Collie, and she guarded me when I was at my grandparents. So having a first memory of a dog, its hard to think of the rest of my life being without one. But, after having the best dog of my life, why mess up perfect. 

 

I didn't get much sewing or hooking done. I hooked 7 loops. That's it. I had so much more to do like going outside to see sun sets and sunrises. To see the monsoon start rolling in about 3:00 and watch the light shows from the porch and finally the rain. I loved watching the birds come on the porch with the lizards to get away from the heat and the lighting and thunder. 

I hope you have a lovely new week. Its so nice to be home. We still have Max and how thankful for that cat. I thought moving was hard, I thought giving up my chickens was hard. But saying goodbye to Sasha was by far the hardest thing ever. Its going to take me awhile I think. 

Bye for now,

Kim

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

---Robert Frost---