Phoenix Grand Canyon

Its 7AM, 21 degrees, according to my iPhone, and I am blogging on the rim of the Grand Canyon.  Wow.  Deena and John are sleeping, but I couldn’t resist getting up early to catch the dawn making its was across the canyon.

We saw the sunset last night.  Our drive was a frantic “beat the clock” to get here in time.  We lamented every tour bus, every horse trailer, every oversized Cadillac that got in our way.  Deena, at my urging, even bravely passed a bus on a two lane road.  We could see for a good half mile the clear road ahead, but its still always something of a rush.

It didn’t seem like it was going to be so much of a hurry when we got up in the morning.  The Crescent City Sheraton boldly proclaimed to us its many amenities the night before.   (After all, we were staying in a “Club Level “ room.) Free WiFI!  Continental Breakfast!  Three Story Water Slide!  USA Today Delivered to Your Door!  But after we had eaten, and discovered that the water slide was both “too scary” (John) and “not open” (Sheraton) we had a quick hot tub before packing up to go.

We would have been on our way sooner, except the fire alarm went off.  Unfortunately this is John’s second experience with alarms this trip.  While everything else was lovely at Palm Springs, someone had neglected to disarm the burglar alarm.  “Mama, lets get out!  The police will come!  You will go to jail!” (Fortunately, the company that manages the condos was able to help us over the phone).  SO when the alarm went off at the Sheraton and we were all in our bathing suits John was terrified.  “WE have to go.  The police will come.  We will all go to jail.”

By the time we had exited the building through the back stairwell in our towels and circled around the front, we realized we were the only ones standing outside.  In fact, it looked like most people had never left at all.  As we made our way back to our room, we watched as a man carried a smoking toaster from the continental breakfast room.  We concluded it had been a toast fire, a concept that John found hilarious.  Deena says that this is the price you pay for staying at the Club Level.

But on we go!  Our first stop was our first National Monument – Montezuma’s Castle. Montezuma’s Castle actually has nothing to do with Aztecs, despite early archaeologist claims.  Built between 1125 and 1300 it is a cliff dwelling home for a family of an unknown tribe of Native Americans.  The park ranger told us that all cliff dwellings are built facing east.  The low-lying winter sun warms the dwellings to 20 degrees above the temperature of the valley below.  In the summer, the high sun hits the cliff tops that shade the dwellings making them 20 degrees cooler than the rest of the valley.  Amazing!

John did the junior ranger project identifying plants, animals, and birds.  We looked at the diorama depicting life in the cliff dwelling and speculating as to why the people left around 1400.  Was it because of disease?  Enemy invasion?  Loss of farmland and game?

Deena wonders what answer best explains why the Hines-Shahs migrated.  Loss of game? 

Off we go!

We stop in  Sedona for lunch.  We are amazed by the red rocks and the many, many, tourists. 

More driving.  Then a quick stop in Flagstaff for supplies.  Deena would have us eat nothing but cheesy crackers and vegetables, but Katie insists on fruit and ginger ale to accompany our cold pizza for dinner.

We get to the Grand Canyon just in time to see the sun set with a large group of Japanese tourists.  John is suitably impressed.  Deena took our picture glowing in the light of the evening.  We checked into our hotel by 6:30 (night!) and watched the stars (and the deer) come out. 

We were not able to get a room at the El Tovar lodge or the Bright Angel historic building, but instead are at the Kuchina next door to the main lodge.  Our hotel room is something of a glorified dorm room complete with cinder block walls and institutional carpet.  After dropping our things off, we returned to the lodge for its ambiance (and fireplace).  John looked at maps, Deena and I wished we had brought Scrabble.  We also noted the lodge has internet.

John and I settled into our hotel room for Harry Potter and pretend basketball.  Deena headed back to the lodge for internet, but almost immediately came back to get us.  “There’s an elk right outside our room!”

Sure enough, there it was, a giant elk buck, hundreds of pounds, and a rack of horns four feet high.  I have to admit to being a little scared.  We kept out of his way and watched him graze.  Almost as entertaining was watching other visitors come around the path and spot him for the first time. 

Today we will hike in the Canyon and head through the Petrified Forrest to Gallup, NM and our friends Kris and Sanjay.

80 Miles Per Hour

After our late night into Palm Springs we took a leisurely morning to do laundry, eat brunch, and make room in the trunk for Deena.  No, we will not be putting Deena in the trunk, but we did want room for her clothing and other necessities.  Deena is my friend from college and is a food writer in Portland, a very excellent cook, and a great Priceline Hotel picker (based on our "Club Level" Sheraton room here in Phoenix with internet and breakfast for $109).  But I am getting ahead of myself.

John, Aggi, and I had a great breakfast at Cheeky's in Palm Springs: seasonal vegetable hash for me, pancakes and blueberries for John, huevos rancheros for Aggi - click here for Deena's blog on alternative huevos rancheros recipes: Mostly Foodstuffs

We then headed off to the Zoo of the Living Desert in Palm Desert.  The Zoo of the Living Desert has found its niche catering to not just the young but the elderly as well.  Trams circle the park, adult strollers are available, and displays have larger words and more complex ideas than those at child-centric zoos.  Its a good idea for a place with streets named Gerald Ford and Frank Sinatra.

While many of the visitors to the zoo were taking their time on this Veteran's Day Holiday, we were rushing through, eager to get in all the sites before hitting the road again.

We said goodbye to Aggi, made a quick stop at Best Buy (I have a battery charger for my camera!), and were on our way to Phoenix.

I thought that Phoenix was abut 4 hours from Palm Springs, but it turns out its only 3 because everyone drives 80 miles per hour (or faster) on Interstate 10.  This prove to be a happy mistake, because I also didn't realize that Arizona is an hour ahead of California.  That pesky Daylight Savings Time is foiled here.  Deena flew in from Portland today and headed straight for the  famed Pizza Bianca to insure us a table.  John and I arrived at 7:30, we were just in time for pizza and antipasti.  While the pizza was delicious, John rated it below the Cheeseboard - pizza snob that he is.

Our fabulous hotel in Phoenix apparently has a three story waterfall within it.  This we have to check out.  

But now to bed.  Going 80 miles per hour for the last couple of months is wearing me out.  I'm glad to get a little shuteye a little early tonight.

Some Pictures

Now that I have a charger for my camera again (just in time for the Grand Canyon) here are some pictures!

Reach out and touch someone

The story goes that when Jesus rose from the dead all the disciples but Thomas got to see him in person.  When the disciples told Thomas that Jesus had returned he refused to take their word for it.  He wanted to see Jesus for himself, and more than that, he wanted to touch him too.

There is something to that need for tangibility.  For John, today’s Disneyland visit was all about seeing and touching Disneyland.  John’s priority was meeting as many Disneyland figures as possible and getting their autograph.

For those of you who have not been to Disneyland with a small child recently, autograph books are the new trend.  Small children tote around blank books which are signed by figures in costume.  What’s oddest about the exchange is that most of the characters don’t talk, so the whole process is a weird pantomime punctuated by photographs.  At least someone in a Donald Duck head never blinks…

But, of course, Donald Duck is one character that, for whatever reason, one never sees.  John has collected Goofy, Pluto, Chip, and Dale’s signatures on multiple occasions.  Stranger less well-known figures also patrol the parks (Turk? Rafiki?) as do a whole host of princesses.  I have to admit, I myself get a little star struck whenever I see Princess Aurora (I think Sleeping Beauty was re-issued when I was 7).  John could care less about princesses in general, but meeting one in person is another story…

So we opened our day in Goofy’s kitchen breakfasting with all kinds of Disney folk and ended at Mickey’s house for one last autograph and photo-op.  John was so tired when we loaded up the car at 5 that he slept through the traffic getting out of LA (one whole hour of going no more that 5 miles per hour).

We end up in Palm Springs, delightful because we are staying at the Holland’s lovely house.  I feel warmed and welcomed not just by the fireplace and spa, but by the fact that my computer automatically logs into the internet here.  Surrounded by the familiar artwork of the Holland’s feels like something I can touch. 

In Palm Springs we have met up with Aggi, my best friend Christi’s mom.  Due to events beyond our control (pregnancy and child birth on Christi’s part, Jay’s job loss and moving on mine) Christi and I have not seen each other in over a year.  I think that’s the longest we have gone since we first met at 15.  So spending time with Aggi is about the next best thing.  She shows me pictures of Christi’s new son Sam and we debate about whether he looks like his mother, meanwhile all I can think is how much Aggi looks like Christi.  I recall, Chicago is much closer to Brooklyn than Berkeley.

Tomorrow John and I will travel to Phoenix to meet up with my friend Deena.

Pinnacle of Creation

In the first creation story of Genesis creation becomes increasingly complex and perfect as the days progress: light and dark become land and water become plants and animals until at the end of the days humankind is created.  A feminist Midrash takes this philosophy and applies it to the second creation story.  Since Eve was created after Adam, then she is the pinnacle of all God’s works.

I won’t comment on where I stand on that one, but this story came to mind as John and I drove through the central coast today.  I’m pretty sure that when God was creating the world God finished up with California.  And the pinnacle of all the mighty acts of God was to create the Santa Barbara Coast.  Goodness it’s lovely.

I called Jay and suggested we buy a second house there.  He’s sure I’m the first person to have this idea, so prices ought to be fairly reasonable.

But I digress.  Back to the travel log.

John and I woke up early and headed into Solvang for a proper Danish breakfast at one of the many Danish themed establishments in town.  Or, at least I had the requisite Danish pancakes.  John chose essentially the Atkins’s breakfast: one egg, FOUR sausages, and a slice of orange.  So he won’t get scurvy, I presume.

Then we were off.

And here’s the business tip of the day.

Before getting to Anaheim we did have one major errand to do.  In all the hustle of leaving, I had realized that my bathing suit was in bad shape but hadn’t had time to replace it.  Upon reaching Solvang and the hot tub of our hotel I realized that my suit had suffered an almost Bell’s palsy, one side was still taut while the other drooped unattractively.  A new suit had to be acquired – and fast.

So we started looking.  First John and I stopped at the outlets.  Nike store, Pacific Sun? No.  Then we found an REI.  No.  We tried Target and found a wide array of snow pants but no suits.  Macy’s had a sign for Suits and Coats so I was hopeful.  Then I realized they didn’t mean SWIMsuits.  Nope.  Finally Nordstrom’s came through.  Nordstrom’s, clearly, is the pinnacle of God’s department store creation.

So the business tip: Southern California seems to me a sunny place full of beaches where no one sells swimming suits after August.  There’s a fortune to be made here, folks!

John and I reached Anaheim by 1PM and drove boldly into the Disneyland Hotel parking lot.  Now I booked the Disneyland Hotel more or less on faith.  The Hines-Shah’s have made a roughly yearly practice of going to Disneyland, but we have never stayed at a Disneyland hotel.  We’ve refrained from learning the seasonal rotations of the rides, or downloaded a Disneyland app for our iPhones, or learned Disneyland lingo (did you know that all their employees are called “cast members”?)  But plunking down the kind of money it takes to stay at the Disneyland Hotel almost obligated me to do some research.  And so I read a little more than I should have at Disneyland message boards.

I learned that the Disneyland Hotel is undergoing major rehab and that the old rooms are entirely awful while the new rooms are magical but there’s no real way of guaranteeing you get one over the other, although everyone has their theories.  Quote the message boards, “I always show my collection of pins so they know how devoted I am.”  “I get there by 9AM to try to get them to set aside something early.” “I usually lie and tell them it’s my anniversary.” Etc.

Reading all this made me decide two paradoxical things.  First I knew that I wanted a new room (magic headboards! New linens!  Mickey’s hands holding up light fixtures!) But second I knew – I did not want to become a crazy Disney person.  So I had to trust in fate.

And voila!  Upon arrival at 1PM the very nice woman at registration upgraded us to a new room on the 8^th floor with all the amenities.  (The last Disneyland hotel God created was the Dreams tower.)  John keeps telling people about the view of the parks.  It is very nice.  (Although I’m pretty sure we would have enjoyed the “wretched” old room too.)

While I’d like to believe we got our nice room because we’re such lovely people it seems likely to me that the real reason is that there’s no one here on a Tuesday in November.  The parks are pretty empty which has pros and cons  Pros – no waiting in line.  Cons – the part opens late and closes early and there are no fireworks.    The no lines thing is a pretty big deal, so were happy with being here now.

After a full afternoon at the park, a swim in my new suit, and dinner (four cheese pizza and clams and mussels in tomato sauce – John’s choice) watching the light show at Disney’s California Adventure from our room we’re off to bed.  We have scheduled a day at Disney tomorrow followed by Palm Springs.  

Palm Trees, Peppers, Pigs, and Pea Soup!

After a good breakfast and hugs and farewells, John and I hit the road for Solvang. 

I am pleased to report that thus far John has proved a very amiable traveling companion.  John keeps me abreast of county changes “San Benito! San Lois Obisbo!  Monterey! Santa Clara!” and offers up mysterious non-sequitors at random intervals. 

Mama, cowboys are always saying yippee aye yeah when they ride their cows

- John, don’t they ride horses? 

Oh yeah

Mama, there is another small airport.  It must be for physicists.

Mama, if there was a volcano, the best thing to do would be to run.

And on it goes.

And we drove and drove  We saw palm trees.  

Mama, in Chicago do the palm trees go inside for the winter?

We passed a truck I thought was full of tomatoes. 

Mama they are toMAHtoes.

Then we saw a truck hauling two pigs.

Mama, where do pigs like to live?  That’s the real question. They must be taking those pigs from a farm to the zoo.

(I didn’t find it necessary to correct him.)

We stopped in Pismo Beach for a quick run around at low tide. (Somehow I don’t think Lake Michigan’s beach is quite as nice this time of year.)  I thought it might be fun to write something in the sand about Berkeley or Chicago. 

Mama, how do you spell Detroit Pistons?

Once were back on the road the same truck of toMAHtoes, but it turned out to be peppers on closer inspection. 

And just as we were getting hungry, we spotted Andersen’s Pea Soup Restaurant.  Having often been to pea soup in Santa Nella, we had to try it off the 101.  It was delicious.  John had two bowls.

Mama, is pea soup really made from peas?

Settled in Solvang, we tried out the hot tub and after a shower found John Monday Night Football.  (I won’t even bother to quote here.  Suffice it to say there was a brief interlude of kid football facilitated by John’s Halloween Colt’s helmet.)

Today we head for Disneyland and more adventures!

Alleluia

"Mama, what's your favorite "I" word?"

This is an example of how my Monday mornings begin when my five year old at some pre-dawn hour leaps into my bed.  John's school celebrates a "Letter of the Week" and he can't wait to be prepared.

Igloo?  India?  Icky?  So many choices - do I have to take just one?

So you can imagine how difficult it was when my husband called up last week and asked for one word to sum up my ministry at Shepherd of the Hills.  What to pick?

Grace, resurrection, hope, forgiveness, mercy, faith, wisdom, courage, justice, redemption, community, these all are true descriptions of my time at Shepherd of the Hills.  But one word stood out above all others:

Alleluia

Alleluia means - Praise God!  Its an exuberant word of gratitude for all that God has already done,  joy in the present, and hope in a future held in God's hands.  Alleluia speaks to the fullness of my 6 years at Shepherd of the Hills - all the new ministries, all the worship, all the witness, all the funerals, the confirmations, the weddings, the new members, and all the baptisms durning my tenure.  

It was an Alleluia day this Sunday - the day of All Saints.  The church was filled to capacity.  My Music Director and his choir pulled out all the stops.  I baptized cousins to bring my total Shepherd of the Hills baptism count to the Biblical number of completion - 40.  We lit candles for the dead.  I served communion in my best heels to 140 people.  We sang all my family's favorite hymns "Earth and All Stars, Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness, and Blessed are They."

Well, we sang almost all my family's favorite hymns.  John was in tears at the beginning of the service. Perusing the bulletin John found me anxiously, "Mama, they forgot my choice."

John had asked me months before if we could sing hymn number 892 sometime in worship.  Figuring that this is one of the rare privileges of a pastor's kid I told him, "Sure. Any time. You name the day."  And then I wondered "What is hymn number 892?"  It turns out, its near the end of the Lutheran hymnal in the National Hymns and Songs section.  892 is "O Canada."

Now I couldn't quite bring myself to include "O Canada" in our Sunday worship, but John was not forgotten.  At the potluck following worship the entire congregation serenaded my beeming boy with his favorite anthem.

Of course there were many other blessings.  Our semi-professional church baker made outstanding cakes (I nabbed a large piece of chocolate early on), the newest newlyweds in the church expertly manned and womaned (manned and wifed?) the grill, everyone brought their best to share (I noted several jello salads - a gentle way of reminding me that I go to the midwest?)

And then came the speeches and the presents.  The planning committee really outdid themselves.  They presented me not only with cash enough to fund the trip (and all of our memberships to the great museums of Chicago) but other things as well.  A stained glass window of the church.  A beautiful necklace of the church logo and my Alleluia (so that's what Jay was referring to!)  Coordinating hats and scarves for the whole family (John on opening his scarf took one look and said, "What's this?" - Oh honey, you will soon know!)  And best of all, intricate handmade scrapbooks with pages from nearly all the members of the congregation.  I couldn't have imagined so great a send-off - Alleluia indeed.

As of this morning the car is almost fully packed, the plans are laid.  John and I will leave sometime after rush hour and hope to reach Solvang by early evening.  This weekend has been sad, but full of Alleluia. We take of leave of Berkeley filled with thanksgiving for the past, joy in our present, and hope for the future.