Monday, December 26, 2011

BLOGGING TAKES A BACK SEAT – YUMA, AZ

Odel, Jim and Diane on Christmas morningWe landed in Yuma, Arizona on Friday, settling in with our good friends Diane and Jim on their lot in the Foothills area east of town.  Scoopy dwarfs their cozy nest, an older singlewide mobile home that Diane and Jim have renovated into a bright, airy, welcoming winter home.  It is amazing how HUGE a singlewide mobile home feels when you are used to living in an RV – even more so when you travel for months each year in a truck camper, as Jim and Diane do. 

We immediately got down to the business of socializing and partying.  Ron and Carol, friends from Sacramento, have a place half a mile from here, and our friends Mary and Elaine are staying with them on their lot – do you begin to see a trend here?  We have MANY friends in the area, and have been making the most of it. 

Mary and Elaine invited us to Ron and Carol’s place for dinner on Christmas Eve.  The main course was THE clam chowder - you know, the one we are ALWAYS looking for, yet so rarely find?  Absolutely delicious and just the right texture.  That great meal was followed the next day by Christmas potluck over here at Jim and Diane’s, sitting outside in the sunshine on the patio.  All good cooks in the group, and our meal was perfectly delicious.

Christmas dinnerVisiting with friends has taken center stage.  Photos have gone unedited, emails unread and unanswered… and the week looks like more of the same.  AND, it is time for me to get serious about planning for my trip to Panama, leaving in a week! 

On Friday, we’re leaving Yuma, moving to the beautiful Escapees RV park, Jojoba Hills, east of Temecula in Aguanga, California, where we will ring in the new year with our many friends there.  Odel will stay at Jojoba Hills for a couple weeks while I explore Panama with two of my closest friends from my days in Sacramento.  Becky has been in Panama with the Peace Corps for the past 6 months; now that her commitment has ended, our mutual friend, Pat, and I are going down for a ten day visit.  I’m so behind on my preparations!

If I’m not blogging much (or at all!) for the next few weeks, picture us eating, drinking, socializing… trying to fit in exercise here and there… searching out my passport, making lists and checking them twice…

Best wishes, happy holidays, and good health to all our readers and followers.  May we all find peace, tolerance, and prosperity in the coming year.

17 comments:

  1. We think the foothills of Yuma is the best place to be when in Yuma! How nice to have wonderful next door neighbors.
    We wish you a safe and wonderful trip to Panama. We are sure Odel will be in good hands in California.
    Happy New Year to you both.

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  2. Partying with old friends and travel should definitely take precedence over the computer!! Have fun.

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  3. Just today move from Sidewinder Road to Mittry. Will be here till Jan. 3-4.

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  4. enjoy!!..eat drink and be merry..life can't get any better than that!!

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  5. Amen to the last sentence Laurie! And thank you so much for the kind comments about our life we detail in the blog--I sometimes feel people must get terribly bored with my life and comments such as yours are great to receive! Have a wonderful time in Panama!

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  6. Enjoy your trip to Panama with your friends. Happy Holiday to you both.

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  7. Wow- have fun in Panama! Happy New Year!
    hugs,
    donna

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  8. Sorry we will miss you in the Foothills. We get there Saturday :( But how exciting to be planning for your trip to Panama. Can't wait to hear all about it and see lots and lots of awesome pictures.

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  9. Just catching up on some of my favourite blogs, and bloggers of course, as the flu bug had us down for a few days.

    So, a belated Merry Christmas to both you and Odel and I trust you had a great Christmas.

    Also, good luck on your planning for the Panama trip and I look forward to reading your stories about it.

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  10. Happy New Year and enjoy your trip. Too bad we missed you in Yuma.

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  11. Sometimes it's a good thing for blogging to take a back seat...it has for me in the last couple of weeks. A belated Merry Christmas to you and Odel and hope you have a wonderful trip to Panama. Now that will require some serious photos!!

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  12. I'm so glad you got some great clam chowder for Christmas Eve! :)

    OMG, Panama! What an adventure!

    Poor Odel having to fend for himself in lovely Jojoba Hills!
    I'm sure the golfing is wonderful there!

    Safe travels!!

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  13. blogging and reading blogs should definitely come before all that fun your having folks...we will watch for your update when all is said and done...I'm sure it will be interesting and adventurous. All the very best to you both in 2012!!
    E

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  14. blogging and reading blogs should definitely come before all that fun your having folks...we will watch for your update when all is said and done...I'm sure it will be interesting and adventurous. All the very best to you both in 2012!!
    E

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  15. Have a wonderful trip to Panama. Hope you get to visit the San Blas Islands & see the beautiful molas created by the Kuna people...

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  16. We won't get to the San Blas Islands - our trip was Panama City (where we managed to fit in the partial transit tour of the canal) to Bocas del Toro to Boquete... then one more night in PC before flying home. However, we have seen Kuna in Casco Viejo (Panama City) selling their beautiful molas. Went on a tour of a cocoa plantation in Bocas (from planting to processing) and a coffee plantation here in Boquete. I always love the food/ag stuff! :)

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  17. What a wonderful travel blog. I found you when googling Yuma AZ for I have spent much of my childhood there on summer trips to see my grandparents. You have some really awesome photographs and experiences posted here. May your journey be safe.
    Anita White

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