Taking a little time to enjoy life and others

Just got back from a trip to Tucson. It was kind of a 36 year wedding anniversary trip, since I was so busy on Jan 6th that we hardly saw one another. If I had done the math before we told my aunt that we were coming to Tucson for a visit, we probably wouldn't have gone so far for such a short time, but I am so glad we went. On the way to Tucson, we stopped in Truth or Consequences to enjoy a night at an Inn with some hot mineral springs that ran right into a bathtub in our room. Enjoyed a light Italian meal the night before, and a light breakfast at a nearby cafe before getting back on the road again for Tucson.

My aunt is quite a good hostess. It was great to stay a couple of days with her, and she is a great cook. She is 88 years young and seems to be doing great. We even watched the Superbowl together. She has a nice orange tree in her back yard that was loaded with oranges, so we got to take a bunch back home. They are so good! She also had a live Christmas tree that she had hoped her son would take. It ended up staying in her back yard. It now is growing through the patio roof and is quite large. We had a good chuckle together on that story.

On our return, we decided that the Wise Men "returned a different way," so we thought that was a good idea, too. We planned to go back through El Paso, but a very last minute change in plans took us through the White Sands Dessert (Missile Range), rocky mountains, a mountain forest with snow, a desert-like area, and oil fields, all in one afternoon! We targeted Lubbock for the night, but didn't quite make it, and spent the night in a small town south of Lubbock.

The next day, we got up in search of a rehab center/nursing home where a former church member was staying. We surprised her when we came by to see her. She had such a positive attitude while we were there. It was good to see her.

Back on the trail home, we went through old territory we used to travel frequently when one of our daughters went to Hardin Simmons in Abilene. That was deja vu. Back in Lawton, we picked up our puppy who was very happy to see us. His kennel charge for six days was less than we paid for a motel room the night before. It is always good to go, but it is always good to get back home again!