First of all, let me say it was my pleasure to go visit my grandparents, Keith and Carm in Arizona. I only saw them for a day in July and it's been years since we got to spend much time together. It looks like we may miss each other in Iowa this spring, too. Anyway, I'm glad I got to go spend time with them.
Grandma (who prefers to give her visitors vacations so exhausting they need another vacation when they get home) kept apologizing for the lack of excitement, even though she and grandpa took me on a perfectly nice trip to Jerome and Sedona. You know how nice it was. You've seen the pictures.
As for me, I was happy just to spend time with them. Grandpa and I made nightlights, which he sells as an American Legion fundraiser. We explored the Internet together. I interviewed both of them about their grandparents, parents, childhoods, courtship and the early years of their marriage. I really enjoyed that. In the past when I tried, grandpa wasn't in the mood, and as he put it, "You about have to strap your grandmother down to get her to sit still long enough." But this time it went brilliantly. I may (with their permission) post some things from the interviews once I get them typed up, organized and nicely written.
On vacation, I was stuffed to the gills! During my stay, we ate Subway sandwiches, Dominos pizza and bread sticks, Wild Flower sandwiches, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream, IHoP Cinnastacks breakfast, hamburger soup, grilled cheese sandwhiches, a scrumptious carmel apple and a lemon meringue pie. All that in about four days! I think there was more restaurant food than usual because Grandma wanted to spend less time cooking and more time with me, which is sweet. It was delicious, but my tummy was left a bit dazed.
Friday my aunt Sandy was supposed to drive me to the airport, but could not due to illness, a flight delay and an offered bump. (She had coincidentally been visiting Iowa while I was visiting Arizona.) We all encouraged her to take the bump (plus vouchers to come visit me in NYC) and get a good night's sleep. The next morning, we were up by 4:15 to get me ready and at a grocery store parking lot in time to catch the 5:15 shuttle from Prescott (pronounced Preskitt) Valley, or "PV", to Phoenix. Just as we got to Sky Harbor airport, the sun was begining to rise behind the distant mountains and closer palm trees. Then I flew away home, thinking about Grandma's promises of all the things we'll do on my next visit.
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