April 2021: Family Time

Arriving back in Mesa, we were shocked to see how much Grandmother had failed during our week in Texas. Our plan was to stay until the weekend before going north to Peoria to spend some time with Maren and family. Just a couple of days after arriving at the Youngs', Mark called to say that Grandmother had passed away. We did a partial pack and returned to Mesa to help with planning and details. We stayed at her home with Rod and Vic and had some nice family time in spite of circumstance. Meeting with the Bunkers, we planned a somewhat unusual funeral for the 5th of May. I was charged with the obituary and life sketch, and Kris was to be a speaker, so we were busy writing for a few days. We began to sort through everything and discovered some great photos.

PHX approach: ASU: Grady Gammage (center top)

Maren came with us to Emerald Groves to say goodbye

Mark's family visiting Grandmother

The Youngs' new outdoor lighting in Peoria

Gavin cookin' up some shawarma

Back to Mesa and Tacos Chiwa with Rod and Vic

Clearing out Grandmother's rooms at Emerald Groves

Food trucks with the Marlpit-Hill Boyntons

Cornish Pasty Co. with Rod and Vic

Banoffee pie and sticky toffee pudding

Back to Peoria to pick up Kris's funeral dress that was

delivered there

Huevos rancheros at Adrian's: drool!

With Matthew

Delicious Italian dinner with the Boynton siblings

Going through treasures; Rod treated us

to pain au chocolat from AJ's

Grandmother's grapefruit spoons

A photo of Granddad Boynton from Guadacanal

Carol Beck at BYU

Grandmother's funeral was on Cinco de Mayo, and that will be the next post.

OXO

D.

April 2021: Escape to Texas

We flew from Phoenix to Texas for a quick visit with Debby. The visit, as it alway is, was filled with lots of visiting, movies and TV, good food, and a trip to the country. There was much less shopping this time, and that has its own rewards.

Straight from the Airport to Hillstone for lunch

KBT and DSDG

Downtown Houston on a misty, drizzly day

Sunday dinner with Hilary et al. joined by Katherine Thom

Katherine's baby is due June 4th

DELICIOUS French toast at Snooz

Buc-ee's, Texas's best and biggest gas station convenience stores

Wild flowers at Chapel Hill

Blue bonnets in bloom

Iconic Texas

Not sure what these are, but they are nice

Indian paintbrush

DELICIOUS chicken-fried steak at The Republic Grille

Clever British sitcom in the movie room

Lunch at Jasper's in Market Street

Dinner with the Browns

Hilary's photo of Dickie and Krisy

View of Hobby Airport from 10,000 feet

After a pleasant week in Shenandoah, we took a Lyft to Hobby Airport and headed back to Arizona for a couple of busy weeks. More about that in the next post.

OXO

D.

Early April 2021: Easter and Mesa

Easter was a quiet affair this year. Because the pandemic was still a problem, we had easter dinner alone. HB and Kreg stopped in at the Taylor/Woodbury's for lunch and a visit. Anna, Rob, and Clara came to stay for an evaluation at Primary Children's for Clara. There was some good porch sitting, a mini reunion at P712, and, of course, take-away from Bombay House. Work on the water feature continued, and we headed to Arizona to be with Grandmother. She had really slipped, but was still communicative. 

Easter eggs courtesy of Katy's "girls"

Saturday night dinner with Opa and Annie

Easter Dinner: lamb and mint sauce, of course

And limoncello cake

The Calder boys

The porch sitting has begun

More of the same

Bombay take-away

P712

Madeline, Emily, Millie, and Anna

José and Arely Sotelo

It works!

Oleander in Mesa

Bonnie, Grandmother, and Kris Facetiming with Ray and Carol

Excellent Vietnamese dinner with the Marlpit-Hill Boyntons

Lunch at Jalapeño Buck's

Supper with the same folks at Tacos Chiwa in Mesa

Tres leches carrot cake and EXCELLENT flan

Chip drove us to PHX and Debby picked us up at Hobby in Houston for a few days in Texas. That will be the next post.

OXO

D.