Tucson Weather

I am so used to the great weather here in Southern Arizona that I don't think I will even move any place else. The other evening we sat out in our backyard and enjoyed the fantastic sunset which reflected on the lake. I have never seen sunset like this before. I also have not seen a double rainbow until I moved to Tucson. I consider myself lucky to live in such a beautiful area.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arizona

One advantage of living in a university town is that you can enroll in classes and continue to learn and follow your interests whether you are 20 or 80 years old. In the case of Tucson, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at The University of Arizona (www.olli.arizona.edu) gives you many opportunities to study and learn, as well as to teach and share your interests with others. For more information, call (520) 626-9039 or email ollimail@u.arizona.edu

St. Anthonys Monastery in Florence Arizona

A friend of ours told us about a monastery near Tucson. We went there a couple of weeks ago and the visit was very worthwhile. It is the St Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery, about 9 miles southeast of Florence, and just a little more than an hour from Tucson. Six Greek monks came to Arizona in 1995, what they've built there since then is very impressive. There are several small churches and chapels (some of which visitors are not allowed into), peaceful, flower-lined walkways with many fountains, and large plantings of olives and citrus on portions of the surrounding over 50 acres. The churches have beautiful intricate hand-carvings in wood (actually brought in from Greece), ornate tiling in colorful granites and marbles, and amazing icons lining many of the walls. There are approximately 40 monks currently there full time. They live a life of silence, study, contemplation, and performing life-chores such as cleaning, grounds maintenance, and gardening.

The very serious minded visitor can stay over and partake of the monastic life for a few days, a quiet life, no outside distractions, time for introspection, and simple healthy good food. This food is not offered to the day visitor; but there is a good Greek restaurant in Florence that we liked. We went to have lunch there after our visit to the monastery. Even in the brief time we were at the monastery, we felt the peace and calm of the surroundings. The place continues to develop; additional small churches and housing for guests are being built.

You can spend a good day there. Check out their website: www.stanthonysmonastery.org

Blues Festival at Reid Park

There is a Blues Festival at Reid Park today and it is FREE.
http://azblues.org/Festival.html

Mr. Boogie Woogie from The Netherlands is going to be there performing dueling pianos with Aurther Migliazza.
http://www.mrboogiewoogie.nl/

The weather is great. So bring your blanets and we'll see you there.

JAX KITCHEN

We went to Jaxkitchen for dinner last night and it was just as good as all the previous times that we were there. We highly recommend going there to try it out. It is a pretty small place so I recommend making a reservation. That is one good thing about Tucson. There are so many good restaurants that we can go to. What a Treat!!!

Tidbits on Life in Southern Arizona

We went to the traffic bridge on Campbell, just south of St. Philip's Plaza at dusk last week to watch the bats wake up and begin their nightly hunt for dinner. For some reason, hundreds of bats live under this bridge, even though it is located in a rather busy section of Tucson. If you go there at dusk, all these bats will be taking off in big clouds! There was also a pretty big crowd of people gathered to watch the activities, when we were there, even all the way down into the dry wash. This nightly event is pretty well-known to some but not all Tucsonans.

It really is a small world when one comes to think about it. Our son went to Copenhagen for his college junior year about a month ago now, and the first day at school, he bumped into his middle/high school classmate. This has now happened to both our kids during their time in Tucson. They met school mates from their elementary school on the East Coast here in Tucson, and again where they went to college, respectively, in California and Illinois. Last week, I bumped into my former teacher from a few years ago. I took classes from her in San Francisco to get my realtor's Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation. We went out to dinner together that evening and had a great time.

We were in Tubac for a few days this past weekend and enjoyed the peace and quiet in this small town in Southern Arizona. We had some good Mexican food at the redecorated Stables Restaurant at the Tubac Golf Resort. We also met some friends and had another good meal at Soto's Outpost in Nogales. That restaurant is located on the historic Pete Kitchen Ranch, which was established way back in 1854. By the way, Tubac has been written up as one of the coolest small towns in the US in this month's Budget Travel magazine. The article is worth checking out if you're interested in the small town lifestyle.

The weather is getting a little cooler now with the arrival of fall, and we're spending more time outside, for breakfast or dinner or a late afternoon cocktail. We really appreciate that Tucson is one of the sunniest cities in the United States. It helps keep us cheerful even though there are so many things in the world and life that are extremely stressful these days. A nice walk around the block in the early morning fresh air keeps things in a better perspective.

Summer is Over

Summer is practically over now. I am back to my normal schedule. This past summer was very busy and I have neglected my blog. The summer was spent in traveling, doing things with the family, and getting some of the medical issues of the family resolved.

My husband and I were in Las Vegas meeting up with his long-lost elementary school friend and the friend's family. That was a very good trip. It was great reminiscing old times and what they did as children and adolescents. A couple of weeks after that, our family was in Northern California near the Sierra Nevada Mountains, just north of Lake Tahoe. We had never been to that region before. It showed us how big and varied the State of California is. We all had a wonderful time.

My husband and I just got back from Denmark after helping our son settled in his Kollegium (dorm) in Copenhagen. He is going to spend his college junior year studying there. My husband had spent some time in Copenhagen after college, years ago. So there again we met up with some of his old friends, whom he has not seen in many many years. We had some very friendly, thoughtful, and joyous times together.

Now we are back in sunny Arizona. It was great to see old friends, whom you have not seen for many years, eat different foods, and experience a somewhat different culture, but it is also great to be home. Lots of things have happened in Southern Arizona over the summer. The most regrettable is that so many shops, grocery stores, and restaurants have closed because of the economy. In the area where we live, a solid middle and upper middle class neighborhood, there are many houses that are in short sale or foreclosure. One does not have to be an economist to see what ripple effects all these are having in the county, the state, and the country.

On a happier note, our daughter seems to have decided to return to the Tucson area to work after getting her Masters of Social Work degree next May. Our son is doing well in Copenhagen and is making new friends and learning many new things about Danish history and culture and European economics and literature. We are getting re-acquainted with our friends and neighbors. We started going back to our old haunts for example, Gee's Garden restaurant for dim sum on the weekend. We have also went to Dove Mountain Grill and Jax Kitchen for dinner. We enjoyed our dinners at both restaurants. Next week we are planning to take advantage of Tucson Restaurant Week and go to a few more area restaurants that have special package offers for that week. We are also getting ready to attend some of the events at the Tucson Culinary Festival running from Oct. 1 to Oct. 4. Stay tuned for the latest news and events!!!