Trip to Mesa AZ March 10 to 17

Last Christmas, Patty Powell called and said I should go down to Mesa, AZ to visit. They have a house there where they go every winter. So - I decided to just do it. I surprised everyone, including myself. Wendy helped me by getting the best tickets on line. It was $249 for round trip. I left SLC on March 10 and returned March 17. Wendy took me to Orem. Richard took me to the airport Wednesday morning. I flew to Las Angeles then to the Phonix airport where Patty and Walter picked me up. Wendy got me a new cell phone so I was able to call Patty when I got there and it worked out fine. I waited mayby 5 minutes. Thier neighbor, Jim, drove thier car.

It was beautiful weather and they treated me so special. I was given a beautiful room with a bathroom attatched. Thier house is really nice and comfortable with a fenced back yard. There is a swing on the patio that I enjoyed every morning. They said I took naps, but I said I was just resting my eyes from the bright sunshine. They have two orange trees, a lemon and grapefruit trees back there too. The Oranges were gone, but the Lemon tree had fruit as big as the grapefruits. Unbelievable! It was a really relaxed easy time. They just visit and whatever one wants to do. It was really different to be around people who are not involved in church stuff -- meetings etc. like we are. It was pretty nice. We went to the Farmers Market, Grocery store, Antique store.... Grace Hayes lives there in an assisted living place that we visited. She was so happy to see me. She used to paint in my class in Rangely. It was a really beautiful place to live. Costs $1500 a month!! Saturday morning we went to an Art Show and that was fun. We especially liked it because none of the work was better than ours. (except on portrait of a little child. It was so precious)

I called Dillon and Valerie and he came and got me Saturday with Sydney and London. I stayed the night and went to church with them. Sydney kept me going. She is a bundle of energy. They took me to a Ghost Town where we watched a hanging and a shootout on the street. It is really an interesting place. The desert is beautiful. There are so many kinds of Cacti and everything is green this time of year. It was so good to be in thier home. They are a great little family. They took me back to Powell's Sunday afternoon and came to the patio where everyone was. Pam, Patty's daughter and her daughter Corey and two kids came the day after I got there and so they had a full house. I still got to keep the bedroom I felt kindof guilty, but Patty said I got there first.

Patty and Pam took me to the airport about 5am and left me to my own vices. I made it through okay. It went through Denver this time. Gay met me in the Salt Lake airport. We went to their hotel for a little rest. She met Duane coming from Maryland that night. Then we had lunch at the Joseph Smith Building and then to the Family History Building where Gay found a little information she needed. We then went to Jonathon's and met Wendy. He and Meghan have a nice appartment with Matt. We ate at Panda Express,(I think) and then I and Wendy left for home. Got home about midnight. I was really tired. It was a good trip. I am so glad I went.