January 10, 2018

Heading to Phoenix for Ray Northern’s Memorial.  Ray is the husband of Neva’s younger sister, Sherry (Nada Cheryl Northern).  I booked a room in Littletown and Julie told me not to stay there (it was 2**’s) … Yikes!   Then I booked a room in Peoria (3 1/2 stars, I think)… but twice the money.   Then Burla called and told me I could stay with her!   Thank you, Lord.

I’m waiting for an oil change at BrakeMasters… I’m at El Potosino eating chips and cheese and guacamole.   Very heavy clouds all day… They are expecting lots of rain… I’m not!   I’m praying for a safe trip to Phoenix.  This is the first I’ve taken my Kia on a road trip (I think).   Left Tucson about 5:15pm.

Heavy clouds and warnings all the way to Phoenix, but not ONE DROP of RAIN and no wet roads!  Praise God.

Arrived at Manuel’s to meet Tim and Jessica, but they had already eaten.  I wasn’t hungry, but just wanted to see them before going to Burla’s for the night.

I slept at Bob & Burla’s, in Bobby’s room.  Great bed!   The next day she drove to the memorial, but we had been sent the wrong address, my phone was dead so I couldn’t GPS it, and I’m not good on her GPS (iPhone).  So, we were 45 minutes late for the memorial.  (Maybe bad information is the reason Livengood’s are always late.  I’m just saying…)

We did, however, make it in time to eat and visit with Sherry, Neva, Roxanne, Diana, Gudrun & Tim and Bill Cohea, David and Shelley, and meet Sonny, Sherry’s son and family.

I stayed three nights!  The only time Aimee could see me was on Friday morning.  And I just hated to leave and go home, when I finally had some time with Burla.   She is soooo sweet, like my Mom was, but maybe even more sincere.  Just precious.

Good visit with Burla, Bob, Bobby and Elexa/Lexie/Elsa/Joy… still in name transition.  She seems so much calmer (medication) and more kind, not so demanding or babyish as I remember from before.  Very sweet.   She taught me to play the train game with Dominos, and a cute buggy Jenga game.

Got up early to meet Aimee at IHOP on 44th St. before she went to work.  She is a sweetheart.  She is dating someone from her church.  I went back to Burla’s after breakfast and crawled in bed and slept until noon!

Burla took me to the cemetery on Friday with a lot of flowers she had already bought and we put them on Aunt Mae and Uncle Billy’s grave, Michelle’s, and my Mom & Dad’s.   Beautiful clear day for this.  My Mother’s birthday is next week and Aunt Mae’s too.

Came home Saturday morning, took an hour nap and then went to work feeling like I had been on vacation, very refreshed!