Sister Spirit

Adios, Typepad and blog

Surprised to see a post here?  Can't blame you for being surprised.  Here's the deal:  we're happy, we're busy, did I mention we are happy, we are together in Sisters loving life, all is good.... we post to Facebook fairly regularly and those short posts work for us.  And we get to follow many of you there, too.

Thanks to you few devoted followers we have had over the few years Sister Spirit thrived. (Ok, maybe it never really thrived.)  It served a purpose, and now, well ... it just seems like work to keep it up.  By all means, if you'd like to continue following us, join Facebook, find us there, and we'll surely "friend" you!  But this will probably be our last post to Sister Spirit, unless the best Spirit Sister of all, Karen, decides she's got one more post in her.

Con mucho amor, Chris

RIP, Beatrice Arthur

Stage and television actress, Bea Arthur, died today at the age of 86.  She died at home with her family, succumbing to cancer.

TV viewers will remember her as the feisty and outspoken Maude (first introduced on All in the Family and then starring in her own show) as well as the equally outspoken Dorothy Zbornak from the groundbreaking comedy, Golden Girls.  Never afraid to present sensitive and even controversial topics in both of those shows, Arthur and her characters were role models to many.  Here is a clip from one of my all time favorite episodes of Maude:

Blogging dry spell ends with this short video

Spring has arrived

Spring has arrived here in Sisters, and it was certainly a long time coming.  Just a couple of days ago, Karen's first daffodils finally poked through after weeks of freezing temps and plenty of snow.  As you can tell from the photo, the ground is still protected by a thick layer of pine needles, but I imagine Karen will remove that this upcoming weekend.

More signs of spring?  The evening grosbeaks returned yesterday, and I had to refill one of our bird feeders a mere 24 hours after I had just filled it!  We've also seen our first robins this week, our first bluebird, our first butterflies, and even heard the first croaking of frogs!  We are still visited daily by crossbills, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, juncos, flickers, and finches, too, and I guess this weekend we'll put out the hummingbird feeders, as it's about time for them to return, too. 

The other sign of spring?  Real baseball games have finally begun!  The Giants won their home opener yesterday, and the A's won their first game of the season yesterday, too, after losing their opening game of the season.

Baseball, sunshine, and the return of springtime creatures.... finally, winter appears to be over! ~Chris

In honor of Iowa Supreme Court's decision



Happy birthday, sweetheart!

Happy birthday to my life partner, the woman I was so blessed to have married this past summer.  Recently, I received the above photo of you seeing me moments before we both stepped out into the loving energy of our family and friends on our wedding day.  It was the most magical of many, many extraordinary days we have shared together over the years, and today, your birthday, will be yet another one.  I hope little delightful surprises greet you all day, and I hope this year presents you with many opportunities to explore your very creative energies.  I am so proud of you and truly honored to share your birthday and all days with you. ~Chris

More baseball and hiking

Yesterday, Karen and I took Sally to the A's - Diamondback game, which the A's won handily by the score of 11-3.  It was 83 degrees at game time-- perfect baseball weather... heck, perfect weather for anything.  We have been blessed with warm temps but not too warm.  The day before, we had a relaxing day but did take a brief hike to Pinnacle Peak Park, where we saw the largest lizards we have ever seen (and learned they are called chuckwallas).  This photo album, which we continue to add to, shows some photos both from the games and from our hikes.  Karen is spending this morning with her mom running a few errands while I get caught up on school work.  We begin our trek back tomorrow. ~Chris

Today, a nature day

Today, Karen and I took her mom and an old family friend to Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Botanical Garden.  We got there in time for the Wildflower walk and talk, and since Arizona has had more rain than some years, much was in bloom.  You can check out several photos at this album, but one of my favorite shots had little to do with the cactus or blooming flowers but instead features a hummingbird sitting in its nest.  If you click on the photo to the right, you'll see how spectacular it was to see a hummingbird up close seemingly unbothered by those of us taking its picture.  It was also another fabulous day weather wise, with highs in the upper 70s and a slight breeze.  So far it has been a wonderful few days in the warmth of Arizona. ~Chris

Heaven, by way of Phoenix, AZ

Today was about as perfect a day as there could be.  Around 11:30 a.m., Karen dropped me off at Phoenix Municipal Stadium so that I could try to find scalpers to sell us some tickets for the nearly sold out A's - Giants game.  (She was heading for a pre-game hike in Papago Park, knowing I would be pre-occupied seeking out autographs before the game.)  Soon after she dropped me off, I started looking for guys I thought might be selling tickets.  Immediately I found a man with two extra tickets behind home plate (his friends couldn't make it to the game), and he was hoping just to get face value for them.  I was happy to buy them, and we enjoyed his and his fiance's company very much.  He lived for 20 years in the Bay Area working for Apple, and he retired a few years back in Scottsdale. 

Anyway, I went inside and got a few autographs (Daric Barton, Jerome Williams, and a couple of non-roster rookies), Rickey Henderson was there and threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and it was a glorious day that topped out at 78 degrees.  And the A's won, with Jason Giambi hitting his first homerun of the spring (I got a picture of him right after he hit the ball out).  Like I said, it was a heavenly day. ~Chris

In Arizona temps, it's margarita time