TattleTalesFromABroad: Raising Hel(ene!) at Hacienda del Sol

We celebrated all day at Kartchner Caverns avec un pique-nique and now it was time to eat again:

Dinner at Hacienda del Sol!

Hacienda del Sol ~ Tucson, Arizona

Hacienda del Sol is a stunning resort with dining room views to die-for. And for foodies with discriminating taste, the cuisine at their Four Diamond restaurant is first-rate and a perfect setting to celebrate Mom, Our Jewel of the Desert.

When we arrived, Jay walked us to our table saying, “Wow! You have the best waiter here at Hacienda!” and then he winked at me.

I usually get the newly trained waiter who lacks experience and charm, but on Mom’s special evening, we’ve got the best! How cool is that?

We followed him and followed him and followed him some more until we were seated in the back dining room, the best room in the house.

It’s one thing to eat dinner. It’s another thing to dine. Dining in Hacienda del Sol is a special experience, but to have the perfect table, with perfect views and a perfect evening with family is just so…Perfect!

As it turned out, the best waiter was none other than Jay himself. We got lucky! A waiter with great personality, sense of humor and dimples. Life doesn’t get better!

Once he brought the drinks, the clowning around the table began as though Bobby (Noogieman, Barbie Decapitator and CEO of Troublemaker International), Rich (former Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes) and I (Tattle Tale Informant) suddenly became five, eleven and fifteen years old. The magic of Hacienda del Sol transformed three adults into the Three Stooges.

The Family Behaving for a moment! Erika, Heidi Goldman, Mom, Rich and Bobby

This was the first time that my niece, Erika, saw what her dad and aunt and uncle must have been like so many years ago during our childhood. The closeness and playfulness of my family was so evident that Jay said he couldn’t wait for us to return. He never had so much fun. And neither did we.

We immortalized the moment in time with photographs. I’m sorry to tell you that some things are personal and can’t be shared on the internet, but I will tell you that I was spared some Noogies. But Poor Bobby! Richie (I promised I wouldn’t tell the specifics) Got Him Good! And I had hours of fun and laughter with my big brothers and watched my mother’s smiling face. She hadn’t enjoyed herself this much in a long time.

Although some family members were sorely missing, being with the immediate family and one special redheaded niece ~all who traveled a long way to celebrate my mother’s 90^th is something I will always remember and cherish in my heart. Seeing my mother's face, aglow, is gift that will keep on giving.

Rich, Bob, Erika, and I took turns toasting my mother who by the end of all the speeches should have been charred brown from the roasting of our lengthy accolades.