Extreme Blast of Light -- and Heat!

Have you ever known that something is your Destiny and that you'd be miserable without it? A feeling like deja vu, only more compelling. I got that feeling the day I met my husband - on an airplane in Europe - and again in 1979 the night I stepped off a plane into the dry Phoenix air. To tell you the truth, I really am extremely happy to live here, in spite of the heat. Phoenix, Arizona, is where I've been gratefully planted since the late 1970s. We arrived here from Virginia the year President Carter had us all turn down our thermostats to around 60 degrees. Those of a Certain Age will relate. Coincidentally, it was the coldest winter in a 'long time' so it seems to have resulted in a tremendous influx of new residents here in Arizona. One of them, a fellow-teacher from Ohio, tells how she and her siblings used to sled from the roof of their home! In Virginia, other friends had icicles in their kitchen cabinets that winter. Cold. Very cold. I remember the first time we visited family here in Sun City. It was Christmas of that bitter cold winter. Two things stand out: first, the instant the dry air hit my skin [indoors, mind you], I felt low humidity for the first time in my life and had an epiphany: This is where I was always meant to be. I grew up in New Jersey, then moved to Virginia after marrying Dean (the one I met while sitting in the last available seat on the plane in Europe). Both New Jersey and Virginia are considered very muggy places because of their proximity to the Atlantic. Often, the towels never quite dried in the summer. That made the lightness of shockingly low humidity really appealing. The other standout memory is one of touring model homes.

The backyards were naturally beautifully landscaped with crystal blue pools and exotic desert plants. It was clear and sunny, sunny, sunny. I remember saying to our friend, 'How could anyone ever be depressed here?' Of course, even though they say sunshine counteracts the seasonal affective depression one can experience in a dark winter atmosphere, I don't mean to sound absurd. People can be sad anywhere. I'm just saying this is one of two memories that come to mind when I think of moving to Arizona in 1979. If we didn't have dark days, we'd never enjoy the sunny ones. I'm just grateful that the majority of days here on the desert have been sunny and full of beauty. It makes me so happy! Call it 'heart warming'! And the truth is, I ADORE the heat! It doesn't hurt that we have pools and 24 hour grocery stores, though! I'm having a BLAST! Marianne considers herself blessed not only to live in the Southwestern US, but also to be working from home these days. For information about the job she considers extremely rewarding, visit her webpage at http://extremeblastoflight.com where she'll tell you more. 'A ten-year-old could do this!' she claims.