Family Comes to Visit

A week ago, our son Eric and his wife Liz and son John drove down from Littleton to visit for four days. Since they had driven a long way on Friday after school and Saturday from Albuquerque to here, we didn't do two much Saturday afternoon. We did go for a walk around the resort. Grandson John didn't walk, he rode his hoverboard.

Sunday, after attending Palm Sunday worship at Epiphany Episcopal Church, we stopped by the Mesa Swap Meet. Our visitors enjoyed see everything that was offered there, but very few purchases were made. In preparation for deals too good to pass up, we made a stop at the ATM for some cash.

Everybody else thought I looked good in this hat, but since I didn't agree, I didn't buy it.

Granddaughter Kylie didn't come with her parents. She was in Federal Way, Washington, swimming in the Speedo Sectional Swim Meet. She swam well, reaching the finals in all 6 individual events she participated in and recording 5 personal best times. Monday, she flew in to Phoenix to join the family. In two of the events, she was awarded medals--meaning she was one of the eight best swimmers out of 100+ entered in those events. Look how proud she is of those medals. We are proud, too!
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Kylie has asked to be able to have her nose pierced as her 16th birthday present. Her parents said yes in November when she turned 16. But she waited until her Spring vacation, when she has two weeks off from swim practice, to accomplish it. So Monday afternoon, the family visited a tattoo parlor (that is where piercing of the body--other than ears--is done. Her grandparents didn't come along, but it really doesn't look offensive, does it?  She looks kind of cute.

We weren't aware of all that goes along with being a competitive athlete. Colleges are very interested! The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has strict rules of allowable contact between colleges and high school athletes. Kylie is only a sophomore so she can ask to visit schools, they can not contact her or her family. Within the next year, first the schools can make contact with family, followed by contact with the athlete by letter or email. Not until the senior year can the college invite a student athlete to come to the school for an official visit. And the athlete can only accept five such invitations. Since neither John nor I, nor our sons, were outstanding in sports, we had never known about these rules. The next two plus years will be interesting.

Kylie and her family have a good friend who swam in college and knows about the swimming program at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He urged them to go there for a visit. They contacted the school and arranged to meet with the swim coach staff, observe the swim team practicing, and and tour the school on Tuesday. Kylie was very interested and bought this shirt from U of A. Bear Down is the motto of the school.

We all tried some bocce ball.

We went to Organ Stop Pizza for dinner and the concert. Everybody loved the evening! Look at these three good looking members of Eric's family.

We also had relaxing time, just sitting around and talking.

We had a great time with our family. It is good to spend our winters in a favorite Spring Vacation destination for younger families. What fun we had!

Organ Stop Pizza

For a fun night of entertainment, you can't beat Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa.  One evening, we went there with Cindy.  Their pizza is good and the music that come out of the organ is amazing.  The organ was originally built for the Denver Theater and installed in 1927.  By the late 1930s, it was rarely heard.  Now it can be enjoyed here in Arizona.

In the past we have been their with a group from our RV resort.  At that time, we learned more about the organ's history and the organist demonstrated its many different components.  We didn't hear that last week, but we did enjoy the program.

The organ and organist rise out of the basement on a rotating stage.

This view shows illuminated areas with various part of the organ, from bellows to pipes to an accordian.

We were seated just to the right of the stage.

At times, the organist turned to the audience to announce who was celebrating birthdays.

 I don't know how they do it, but at one point the music being produced by the keyboards also made these puppets dance.  How fun!

Who Needs a Synthesizer?

Wednesday we joined the annual resort visit to Organ Stop Pizza here in Mesa. They have a very nice Christmas tree.



Open for lunch only for groups of 50 or more, the menu is simple--salad and a pizza buffet. Beer, wine, soft drinks and ice cream are also available. The reason for going is the four manual Mighty Theater Wurlitzer Organ.



At one time, there were pizza and other restaurants all around the country with theater organs. And of course, before the advent of talking pictures, plays and movies were accompanied by theater organs. These organs not only can produce music, they produce all sorts of sound effects, from steam trains to galloping horses to gun shots. They can produce the sound of most orchestra instruments, as well as bells and sirens.

These cats even dance to the music. And they are controlled by the organist at the key board.



Our organist, Lew Williams, played an amazing program of Christmas music and old-time favorites. I used to play the piano so I can really appreciate his ability to play for about 90 minutes--with no music! He also spent time describing all the parts of the organ, with nearly 6000 pipes, and demonstrating many of its special sounds.