Sunday, November 1, 2015

Dancing in the Fall, 2015

     Once again, time has flown by.  We're came back to Casa Grande and our lot at RoVer's Roost on Oct. 14th.  The first 10 days were very warm with temps in the high 80's and 90's.  We've also had a few rainstorms.  The Fall storms make for good Spring wildflowers and already the projections are for a good wildflower season. 
     Gary's old pool league is no more, but friends of his formed a new league, playing in Maricopa.  Its a little further drive, but he's enjoying the people and competition, so it's worth it.  Other winter visitors are arriving every day, evening card and pool games are starting up.  Hopefully line dancing will start soon as well. 
     We had a great summer in Show Low.  Gary redid our steps to both doors for our park model.  They look great repainted and reinforced.  Our water heater went out and when we replaced it with the same make and model, it is now 2 inches wider.  Since it was in a cabinet under the kitchen sink with the cupboard doors facing the living room, the doors wouldn't close.  Gary extended the cabinet and was able to put the doors back on.  He did a great job with it. 
     We had an Escapee Happy Hour once a month at our place, for any SKP's in the area.  It was fun getting together and hearing what everyone else was doing.  While several were staying in our park, there were also SKPs from other parks in Show Low. 
     I took several quilt classes in free motion quilting, along with  color and design.  I got very involved sewing "Rows."  These are small panels (about 9in by 36in.), that various quilt shops designed and had available at their shop from the middle of June through the  beginning of September.   I was able to get Rows in Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, and even Maryland on our trip there.  A friend got me 3 rows from South Dakota and my cousin just mailed me one from St. Louis, MO.  There were 2500 quilt shops across the country participating.  I'll have about 14 in my quilt and have about half of them done.  They're fun because they're small and all different.
     My friend Kathy and I went to the Hummingbird Festival at SIPE Wildlife Area, in the end of July.  Its such fun watching them examine, weigh, and band the little jewels.  There were 4-6 of us that played Mah-Jongg once a week through most of the Summer.  Several of us gals got together for lunch out, a few times as well.  We also did some geocaching with Kathy, but the time just seemed to fly by and we didn't get as much done as we wanted.  We will remedy that next year and start earlier in the summer.
     I enjoyed the water aerobics and was in the pool most Mon-Fri from 7-9 in the morning.  I challenged myself to take the hardest class, (taught by GI Jan).  I made it through the whole summer!!!  I ordered my own flippers and enjoyed swimming with those.   We often swam lengths holding on to foam weights.  It was tough, but enjoyable too, and I was definitely stronger at the end of the summer.  I'll miss it this winter and am already looking forward to next year.  I even got Gary to meet me there after lessons a few times.  He enjoyed the pool and hot tub.
     I walked from 3-5 miles on the weekends and when I didn't swim.  Now that we're back at the Roost, I'm walking about 3-4 miles most days and I try to get in a 5-6 miler on the weekends.  I still miss the running, but am so grateful to be able to walk pain free, that its OK.
     We finished our Summer square dance lessons and graduated with our Mainstream Certificate the end of August.  We're looking forward to taking plus lessons next summer.  After we graduated, that did a little initiation where we had to dance a song with one leg in a paper bag, then we danced one song blindfolded, and finally they switched the gals and guys so one square was all guys and the other all gals.  It was hilarious watching each other trying to figure it out.  You can tell  it's a really fun group.  Its nice to walk into the country dances and see a lot of people we know from square dancing. 
     We went to two quilt shows outside of Show Low, a Navajo Taco lunch in Pinedale, and of course, we enjoyed the "Run to the Pines" car show the end of September.  Its a show with over 500 old cars and trucks.  They park them on the driving range of one of the Country Clubs in the pine trees, so its a gorgeous backdrop for the cars. 
     I'd been wanting a carved bear from the Burley Bear in Pinetop.  They chainsaw carve them from Aspen trees with some of the bark still on the lower part.  I finally got one during their end of summer sale.  On my way home, I stopped at another art show and watched a chainsaw demonstration.  They always pass out tickets to those watching and draw for the bear he's carved, at the end of the show.  Well that was my lucky day and I came home with two bears. 
     Friends of mine have been attending a Bible Study Fellowship in Chandler, AZ.  This is a group that has groups  meeting all over the world.  This year they're studying the book of Revelations.  It's very interesting and I'm enjoying it.
     Just before we left Show Low, I got a call from a gal in Weight Watchers that  I had talked to last Spring.  She wanted to know if I was still interested in being a group leader in Casa Grande. Two weeks later we set up an interview and I was offered a position.  So far, I've just gone to one orientation that was done online.  I should hear more this week on a training schedule.  I know I have an orientation day next week in Phoenix, but they have a bus coming up from Tucson and stopping in Casa Grande, that I can ride.  Next blog, I should have more information.  I'm really excited about this opportunity and look forward to the chance to pay it forward. Its such a great program and I know it really works.  I love it, because it's real food and nothing's off limits, if you watch your portion sizes.  The other reason I want to work with Weight Watchers, is to help  me keep my weight off.  Since I'm in both Casa Grande and Show Low during their busiest times, when the meetings are the biggest, I may even be able to work both places. 
     I led an abbreviated Laughter Yoga session last week for about 50 gals at a Breast Cancer Awareness luncheon. It was a chance to meet other survivors in this community.  I'm going to be leading monthly sessions at the Senior Center here again, starting in November. 
     Another significant happening this summer, was when we became official Arizona residents.  We gave up our South Dakota mail service and drivers' licenses and changed everything to Arizona.  Our official address is in Show Low, and we put a 6 month forward to Casa Grande for the winter.  Here are our two addresses:
Summer - Apr-Sep,  1051 N. Central Ave.  Space 272,  Show Low, AZ 85901
Winter  -  Oct-Mar,  3241 S. Montgomery Rd.,  Casa Grande, AZ 885193
While its not necessary to put a space number here in Casa Grande, the mail in Show Low will not be delivered without the space number.  Our phone numbers and email address remain the same. 
     I/m having some difficulty getting pictures into this blog, so will send it out without pictures this time.  I think you can tell it's going to be another fun, busy winter.  Before I know it, I'll be writing that we're heading back to  Show Low in April. 
     In the meantime, if any of you get down our way, please give a call and come visit, or we'll meet you somewhere half way. 

Dancing  through the Fall........

Love and hugs,   Katy, Gary, and Bandit