March 26 - Albuquerque to Tempe thru snow and…

Another crazy day of weather! Sunshine, rain, clouds, snow, fog, almost whiteout snowstorm (not quite as I’ve been in a real whiteout in Iowa years ago!). Numerous mountain passes, crossed the international divide, red dirt, pines, over the next mountain pass round a corner and there are cactus! And then there were the truck drivers! The ones that give truck drivers a bad name…4 lane roads today, 2 each way which normally have worked great. Today was a full moon for truck drivers! They would pull to the left passing lane as you were coming up to them and they didn’t have enough “guts/power” to make if for another 2 miles! It happened over and over again probably cuz there were so many mountain pass to go over! Most passes were about 6,000 feet! Came around the corner on one pass and all of a sudden there were cactus every where! Looked for the next place I could pull over which was several miles further down the road to take a picture!

Arrived at Hannah and Nick’s (John and Kristie Jacobs oldest daughter) midafternoon and got to meet 4 month old Addie, what a cutie! She and I had some special bonding time and did great! Caught up on Hannah’s work as an Occupational Therapist with young children and new mom. After supper got to hear about Nick’s patent and business venture with Vegas Nerve Stimulation, and he was so patient explaining it and then I got to try it! Fascinating! Opps! And yes, Grandma Kristie flew down on Sunday and will join me for the last 4 days of driving from Tempe to Seattle!

On my drive to Tempe, at Heber, Arizona.

Rio Verda, Arizona

Mommy Hannah could make Addie smile!

Trying Vegas Nerve Stimulation 

March 25 Crazy Weather Day!

Today was a long day of driving Frisco Texas to Albuquerque New Mexico as well as crazy weather but will touch on that a little later.

My plan was to leave Tammy’s between 8-9 this morning, I made it out the door by 8:55. Hard to say goodbyes to Tammy and Tooksey (never did learn how to spell her name!). We were using words up until departure time and I was spoiled with my yogurt and berries each morning, I either got homemade almond cake or raspberry Kringle!!! Today was no exception!

Hoping Tammy and I can connect again in the not too distant future, so the goodbye was really a see you soon!

Notes from today’s driving: lots of windmills, solar panels, red dirt, tractors out working in the fields and SNIW! My first time to New Mexico! Drove Highway 40 most of the day, a little bit Route 66, just to be able to say I drove it! Sure wish I could remember other observations I made while driving today…need a recorder to be able to remember what I saw!

The biggest surprise was driving through 4 hours of snow flurries this afternoon/evening. Saw brightness a couple of times but sometimes visibility was down to1/2 mile! Would drive through snow flurries for anywhere from 15-30 minutes, it would stop and 5 minutes later start up again. Sometimes it was the snow just blowing across the road, really couldn’t see snow flakes. Wasn’t sure if I should call it a shorter day of driving but really glad I didn’t cuz nothing stuck to the roads!

March 23-24 Palm Sunday with Chuck Swindoll

Saturday afternoon was so fun going to Tammy’s daughter Lisa and Tom Peterson’s for a tour around their neighborhood in their golf cart, walking the 3 dogs (sorry no picture!) and enjoying a great bbq and as always great fellowship and conversation. Almost forgot to mention the scrumptious toffee cake made with dates, topped with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce and dollop of whip cream! Youngest daughter Lydia and her friend Maggie were home from college so delightful to get to know them a wee bit! 

This morning joined Tammy, Lisa and Tom in worship and Sunday school at Stonebriar Community Church, with Pastor Chuck Swindoll preaching, still preaching most every Sunday at age 89. Definitely a growing and thriving church! Blessed by the music, the preaching and adult Sunday School class on 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12.

Quiet afternoon except for our continued conversation on the sermon and again no shortage of WORDS! 

Tonight  Tom and Lisa joined us for dinner, hopefully Lisa will finish making her Scrubbie (yes she did!), and much more great conversation! Wasn’t just good conversation but sweet fellowship! I so love getting to know each on a personal level!

Unfortunately tomorrow I’m back on the road (630 miles on Monday) for the final 6 days of travel home! What an incredible grand adventure this has been! But, it’s not over yet! Stay tuned!

Toffee cake made with dates, topped with warm caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream!

Tom and Lisa Peterson

March 22 - Dallas Arboretum

Daughter Lisa Peterson picked up Tammy and I at 10 and we headed to the Dallas Arboretum! Was an overcast day, perfect for walking and not quite as busy as when Lisa and a friend tried to go last week and couldn’t even get in to find a parking place! Most of the tulips got hit pretty good with rain but yesterday and overnight but everything else was beautiful and the constant conversation such a blessing! After a several hours of walking around the arboretum it was time to enjoy some lunch. Got a taste of Dallas traffic today! Oh my!

Plants ready to go in the ground!

A team “making it beautiful!”

A wall of azaleas behind us!

Might come back later and add a little about the arboretum!

March 21 - McPherson Kansas thru Oklahoma to Frisco, Texas

Left my hotel about 9:30 first enjoying 2 lane roads, then 4 lane roads thru Oklahoma and into Texas. A couple of lovely ladies at the Oklahoma rest stop when asked if I liked tacos (if you know me at all you know I LOVE tacos!) and recommended Torchy’s Tacos in Norman Oklahoma 90 minutes down the road! What a great recommendation! They were excellent!

Then back on the road to drive another 3 hours! So thankful for GPS as it brought me to the doorstep of dear longtime friend Tammy Daacke! Saw her looking out the front door as I drove up at 6:02pm! (Had told her I would try to arrive between 6-7pm! Nailed it!) After greetings and hugs I got my official and very warm welcome from Tooksie (see pics). Quickly unloaded the car and then it was time for us to share an evening of WORDS together! There was no shortage of words! Oh how wonderful to begin to catch up on one another’s lives!

Look at the lead article! 

You gotta love these small towns!

My new little buddy! Receiving some TLC!

March 20 Treynor to York to Lindsborg to McPherson

Said my goodbyes to Anna, Bennett and Dawson this morning. Missed goodbyes to Aaron as he was already long gone to work!

Left the farm outside of Treynor Iowa for a two hour drive due east to York Nebraska for a quick tasty chicken and rice and salad with Suzannah and Matthew Wattermann. You might remember I was able to attend their wedding August 2023, they then stayed in my house August to December as I was out driving the country! Never expected to get to stop by their place on this trip but so very glad it worked out! Sweet conversation catching up and very special to see some of the furniture from the beach house that Suzannah first had in her SeaTac apartment and then transported to York Nebraska.

Next stop Lindsborg Kansas with time at Hemslogd a shop with Swedish items that I learned about years ago and said if I’m ever in Kansas I just must stop! I am and I did! I of course saw many things I have, mom had or I’ve seen in Sweden on the many trips! It was just fun to look and not be in a hurry! I think I spent nearly an hour and a half! Then walking the streets of Lindsborg, stopping for an early supper at Crown and Rye, enjoying their Toast Skagren…shrimp salad with dill and rye toast! Really good! Then on to my hotel to do laundry and relax before a 7 plus hour day of driving Thursday.

March 19 - A Day on the Farm

Yes, I’m in my “happy place”! A day on the farm! And even better a day that makes it above 60 degrees bs. yesterday only 41, with wind chill even colder! After breakfast it was time for chores as Bennett and I went out to let the chickens out, collect fresh eggs, feed the pigs. Then a trip into Omaha to pick up 6 sacks of feed for Dorey and Pot Belly! While the boys slept great time for using a few WORDS!

For dinner the biggest T bone I’ve ever eaten. Should have taken a picture but I just enjoyed it! Yummy! Plus beans and sweet potatoes!

Then an evening sitting outside using more “words”, star gazing, watching for satellites, using the thermal spy glass to look for rabbits, coons, or any other critters wondering in the dark!

Here are a couple of follow up notes I got post visit re my buddy Bennett from his mom! “ Bennett said something this afternoon about Aunt Karol coming back home with a shake in his voice. I asked if he was sad and missing you. He said yes. I let him know I was missing you too.”  Another one this morning: “This morning Bennett was rambling to himself while painting about sitting outside with Aunt Karol and looking for animals. It was the cutest and brought the biggest smile to my face.“

What an unexpected blessing this two hour side trip was!

Bennett was my helper when I was working on scrubbies! I would tie strips together and he would pull till it was stretched out, then I would tie another, and another! It got pretty long! If you know me at all you know I can make a game out of anything!

 

Helping mom water the starter plants!

Extra loves for mom and Annie the chicken!

Above is picture from July 2023, below March 2024! Different seasons different colors!