By Beauty Damned

Glowing

Robert and I returned from Phoenix on Friday night. Saturday morning we got up and drove down to Pennsylvania and worked all day in the Nordstrom at King of Prussia. We returned late last night and I spent all day today trying to resituate myself; unpacking my bags, getting organized. Still absorbing my last moments of freedom while still officially on vacation and musing about the past week.

Robert and I flew into Phoenix last Sunday in the late afternoon and my dad arrived from Medford just about an hour later. We met him there at the airport and went to pick up a rental car before heading over to my dad's Aunt P's house. When we pulled up to her familiar home and stepped out of the car we smelled steaks cooking. My dad and I rubbed our bellies with hunger, not knowing where the smell was coming from. But we found out soon enough, as the door was opened by my Aunt G and she invited us in. Aunt P was on the phone and we didn't disturb her too much as Aunt G led us into the kitchen where we were greeted by her husband, my Uncle A (my dad's big brother). Uncle A was clad in an apron and holding onto a spatula. We all gave hugs and kisses and then came Aunt P and we got more hugs and kisses. It felt great to be with them. The only things missing were my mother, brother, sister and Uncle A and Aunt G's daughter, Aub. My mother and brother stayed at our family's home in Oregon due to my brother's precarious health, and my sister wasn't in to coming along for the trip. Aub was set to arrive on Tuesday. The absences of my remaining immediate family members was a bit of a sad note for me, but despite that we had such a wonderful time. Our relatives had made us this beautiful meal of steaks and rice and beans and a green salad with dill and fresh tomatoes and avocado. I was in heaven sitting there looking around at Robert and my family and absorbing the warm feeling of being surrounded by loved ones who I see so rarely.

After our meal, my dad, Robert and I drove out to a resort in Carefree, Arizona. It was a beautiful location. My dad made a point of getting us a place where we would have the opportunity to really enjoy the desert. He succeeded to that end. It was a sprawling property with a gorgeous pool and a patio that looked out at the huge sajuaros and palm trees all around. The weather was spectacular and we tried to get as much time by the pool as possible, knowing all too well that when we returned to New York we would be greeted by a long, cold winter. It was quite the luxurious little vacation, and I feel like we made the most of it and enjoyed every minute.

We relaxed, went swimming, drank lots, went out to eat at a great Ethiopian restaurant, stopped at the co-op in Tempe and bought sandwich and bagel fixin's for our hotel room, shopped at the Buffalo Exchange and came home with lots of good stuff, ate at a bad Mexican restaurant, ate at a great Mexican restaurant, drove by some of my dad's old haunts and his parents' old house, visited an awesome Mexican grocery store and bought the kind of Chorizo that I can't seem to find anywhere in New York and toted it through several states packed in ice to finally get it home and safe in my fridge, made some pretty awesome brussel sprouts for Thanksgiving dinner, visited relatives who I've never met on my dad's side of the family, had an amazing Thanksgiving dinner with them, sat around a bonfire under the star-filled Arizona sky, laughed myself to sleep, listened to my grandmother's sister (Aunt P) tell all kinds of good stories that made me feel so grateful to have her there to tell them, spent time with aunts and uncles and cousins, shared lots of laughs.

This Thanksgiving I was thankful for the time I spent with such wonderful people and to know that they are a part of my family and my heritage, for all the wonderful conversations and moments I was able to share with my father, for the joy of introducing Robert to Aunt P and seeing how much she adored him, for being blessed, for everything. It was a really special time and I owe it to my dad for making it happen.

So, Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all my friends who read this. I hope yours was as peaceful as mine.