Phoenix Suns vs. Toronto Rapters

One of the highlights of our winter in Arizona has been the NBA basketball game that we attended last week. Our resort had a special deal for tickets and we paid $45 for $130 tickets. We took the Metro light rail to the US Airways Center. Our tickets also included early admittance to watch the pre-game warm-up.



One of the courtside celebrities was Martin Kaymer, the #1 ranked golfer on the PGA tour.



The Rapters led most of the game but it was the amazing play of Steve Nash that led the Suns to a win.



Besides an entertaining basketball game, the cheerleaders, the mascot, the giveaways and the fans made for an exciting evening.

More Music with Plan B

Plan B played in the courtyard for the last time this season on Friday. Everyone was there to sing a long, dance and have a good time.



Friends from Eatonia and Regina joined us for the afternoon.



Senor Ping got the crowd rocking!!



We did the Locomotion!!



And after the last song, a group of us moved over to the BBQ Patio for a Potluck supper. There was tons of food, many laughs, good company and lots of farewells as some of the group are packed and ready to leave within the next few days.

Krazy Daze Parade

The RV park held a parade last week to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and the arrival of spring. There were decorated golf carts, line dancers, tennis players, horses (real and cardboard) and lots of people having a good time.






A huge favorite was the Lawnchair Brigade. These gentlemen are also members of the Val Vista Synchronized Swim Team.





Following the parade we enjoyed burgers, green beer and more music!!!

Gold Canyon-Sidewinder Course

This week Senor Ping and I played in a golf tournament at the Gold Canyon Golf Course. Half of the golfers played the Dinosaur Mountain Golf Course and the rest of the golfers play the Sidewinder Course. This year it was our turn on the Sidewinder. The day started out windy and cool, not the best weather for golf. Fortunately the wind died down a bit in the afternoon. It was a fantastic golfing experience in the shadows of the Superstition Mountains.

Quilt Show

Last November I decided I wanted to learn to quilt. Loreen was an excellent teacher and showed me the ins and outs of cutting and sewing the strips of fabric and building the blocks for my first quilt. I finished sewing the blocks and was able to lay them out before heading home at the end of the month. While home, I sewed the blocks together and picked out the border fabric. When I arrived back at Val Vista, I got the border cut and sewed on and the binding ready, but I was sure I wouldn't have time to get it finished before the Quilt Show. Well, with lots of help and a few strings being pulled, a miracle happened and four days before the show I dropped off the quilt to have it machine quilted. Loreen came to my rescue again and showed me how to prepare the binding and then sew the binding onto the quilt. Before and after the Canada Days' celebration I hand sewed the binding. This is the finished product!!



On March 2 Val Vista hosted their first Quilt Show, with 129 entries, plus 37 challenge fabric entries.



This quilt is called "Quick Trip Around the World" in black and white fabric. it is one of my favorite at the quilt show.



The challenge fabric brought out the creative side in all the quilters. These flowers were cut from the challenge fabric and attached to a painting. Just beautiful!!!



More challenge fabric!!



This is the "Best of the Show "quilt. The photo does not show the beautiful embroidery or the detail. Lil did a fabulous job!!

Dancing Queen

When Plan B played at the neighboring park Ellen and I went along to listen. When the music started, a not quite so young gentleman came over and asked Ellen to dance.



He sat with us for a few minutes and told us he goes to all the dances and has been coming to Mesa from his home state of Missouri for 26 years. He danced every dance and Ellen had a second round on the dance floor. He left before I had my turn....maybe next year!!!!

Are We Having A Good Time?

Senor Ping and I have been back in Mesa for a month and I've only posted once on my blog. That's not because we lead a boring life, never do anything and consequently have nothing to blog about. It's the exact opposite! We are so busy, I hardly have time to do laundry and the usual cleaning around the 5th wheel, let alone keep updating my blog. Shortly after we arrived, I went to "Menopause: the Musical" with a group of gals from the park. We had so many laughs!! Gavin and Loreen and Doug and I also went to "Spamalot" a few days later. We are so fortunate to have access to performances like these, without driving two and half hours like we would at home. The park has a concert series and we went to see Esteban (a classical guitarist). There is music in the courtyard at least twice a week, there are lots of talented musicians here in the park, as well as other musicians that are hired to perform. A pitcher of beer sells for $5 so with free entertainment and cheap beer how can you not have a good time!!

I usually take my camera and have photos to add to my posts, but there were a few events that I have forgotten my camera, or it was too dark to take good photos. Besides the usual Music in The Courtyard and Saturday night dances, we were fortunate to get tickets for the Canada Days celebration. Each year residents from a specific province host a dinner and dance. This year it was scheduled for February 4 and Saskatchewan was hosting the event. Unfortunately there was a power outage in the park and the host committee decided to postpone the celebration. Fortunate for us, tickets came available and we were able to get some. No surprise to us, the Saskatchewan committee put on a fabulous evening. They wore their "Rider Pride" shirts and were easy to identify in the sea of red and white. The provincial flags were on display and Ellen was an honorary "Newfie" for the evening!!

On March 7 and 8 the park held their annual Variety Night. This year the show was the best ever. The theme was "On The Road Again" and the show included music and dance from across the U.S. and Canada. Doug accompanied the line dancers with "I'm Going to Kansas City" and I was part of the Mardi Gras paraders. The highlight was the Synchronized Swim Team!! I just wish I had taken my camera!

I am going to try to get a few more posts done today. I have quilt show, golf tournament, happy hour photos and pictures of the St. Pat's parade to sort and organize and then get posted.....but first it's time to hit the pool!!