Boundless, unsuppressed joy!

Moments in time captured of Marina and Stella......

As children in the mountains:

Girls on the beach:

Working on their art projects at home:

An afternoon on their trampoline:

Teenagers on a stump at the lake:

We're in Colorado............sorta kinda

That's where we are in our virtual "race."  Interestingly, we have actually camped and hiked in this area that shows the "runner"--it was one of our more beautiful camping spots. 

It also appears as if we are "winning," but that's only because Shock and Awful only record their miles once a week.  This will be the last time we are ever leading.

We aren't trying to beat anyone.  It is important to us to keep exercising, and now it is even more important.  Our goal is to accomplish something rather challenging during a hard time in our lives. 

Cactus Blossom 1933

Every time I look at a beautiful, fragile cactus blossom I am reminded of this inscription we found on a small concrete slab almost seven years ago while we were hiking across a remote part of the desert in Joshua Tree National Park.

This slab of concrete and a small mine on the hill above it was the only evidence we could find that anyone else had walked or lived in this piece of the desert.  Dan and I just happened to stumble across it when we were searching for landmarks on our map that were once thriving mining camps.  If we had been hiking five feet on either side of this slab, we wouldn’t have even noticed it.  

When was the last time anyone had been here?  Maybe in 1933, eighty seven years ago....

We have seen inscriptions on concrete slabs similar to this in the desert at the entrance to deserted homesteads.  So we think that maybe a husband and wife and child (“M. & M.” & little “D.” written on the slab) tried to make a home at the base of that that secluded, harsh desert hillside.  And we believe that even though it was in the during the Great Depression, they were filled with hope and loved each other and this rugged home.  Why else would they name their home and mine something pretty like “Cactus Blossom?”

This little home was a moment in time.  Now all is blown away and covered in sand, except for their concrete slab with a date, initials, the Star of David, and the name “Cactus Blossom.”  

And this is why whenever I see a cactus flower I think of this desert home lost in time.  As beautiful as cactus flowers may be, they only blossom for a day or two.  And then they wither, fall to the ground, and are blown away.

This year the young cacti in our home garden put on their first show of flowers for us.  Each blossom nestled and protected in its bed of thorns and was spectacular!  

 

Next year our cacti will be more mature and beautiful.  I will be ready (with the fancy camera that Dan gave me as a gift) to catch the perfect moment of each cactus blossom before it is blown away and lost in time, like the Cactus Blossom homestead and mine.

Abundant Sunshine...we love it!

Today’s weather report describes the weather we have been having at our desert home this spring perfectly, “abundant sunshine:"

We’d say that is "abundant," wouldn't you?

a·bun·dant

/əˈbəndənt/

Learn to pronounce

adjective

1. existing or available in large quantities; plentiful.
   
   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

We are forcing the Turtle and the Quail to learn to live with each other

We have been keeping them apart.  The Turtle (the Lance Camper that travels on the "back" of our Ford Dually), and the Quail (the small Teardrop that follows along behind our Toyota 4Runner).

We felt like there was too much competition between them.  Who do we love the most?  Who will we use for our next camping/hiking trip?  The Turtle camper or the Quail camper?  It was getting ugly.  We just simply got tired of listening to their bickering.

Finally we decided that the best solution was just to throw them together and make them both suffer.  Give them a common enemy (i.s., us, making them swelter together in the 115 degree heat) and see if that would bring them together.

We hope it will work.  Today we moved the Quail to our spot in the RV lot where the Turtle was.

If this doesn't work we think we might need an RV mediator.  Anybody know of one?

Vicky turns 70!!!!

My Treasure turned 70.  We are in quarantine, and so couldn't have a party.

So I did the best I could.  As soon as she woke up I gave her this card:

The rest of her gifts,  plus more cards, from me.

 

She got really cute notes from Sebastian and Soren, and then they called.  Sebastian played Happy Birthday on the piano and Soren played it on the Trumpet. 

Bracelet from Sean and Emily.

 Her cake.  (Yes I know the 7 is backward---I'm so embarrassed)

 Jules, Ian and Adam called and sang Happy Birthday.

Alison called and had Aryana goo-goo (which we all interpreted as Happy Birthday!), and mailed us two packets of adorable pictures of Aryana during her first six months.  Candice, Owen, and Milla wished their mother a Happy Birthday with nice emails.  Rachelle called and sent a card to celebrate her mother’s birthday.

She got a great birthday serenade from Kathy and Bill.  And a sweet card.

It was a very special birthday!

We Race the USA

Our team is "Marina and Stella's Septuagenarian Grandparents."  Most teams have more than two members, although most teams are probably running not cycling.

HOOOWWWWEEEEEVVVVEEEERRRR.... We are the only two entrants in all categories over 70.  We're competing against a bunch of kids.   We thought about calling ourselves "Team Arthritis" or "Team Geritol," but we thought we'd have more fun if the girls were our team name. 

 After one day, we're ahead!   (of course, as mentioned, most teams are runners, not cyclists, but still......)

Team Marina and Stella's Grandparents: