Thankfully November is over!

 We came down with a really mean spirited upper respiratory infection in Arizona.
Perhaps picked up on the flights west, planes are full of germs!

 First me, and within a couple of days I had shared it with Bob.  We were sick

 and miserable. Sightseeing became a chore rather than enjoyment. 

 Falling into hotel beds at night was somewhat comfortable. . . . . however when

 one is sick it's much better when it's your very own bed in your home - you know

 what I mean.

 For eleven days I have sneezed, coughed, blown, wiped and ached into oblivion.

 For Bob it's been eight similar days and then yesterday, after sneezing and

 perhaps rubbing his eye, he suddenly looked strange with a dark blood filled eye

 socket caused by a hemorrhaged blood vessel!  No treatment, time will
 heal - meanwhile he does look odd, like a leftover from a Halloween party! 
Sorry Bob.

   It's not the 'flu, we had our shots in early October - unless of course it's a
 strain not covered by this year's vaccine. Who knows. . . . . . .

Mission San Xavier del Bac

'White Dove of the Desert'

Tucson, Arizona

A comforting spot in the southwest desert.

I have had a second unexpected sad November death in my UK family,

 along with news of serious health issues for other loved ones.

Today, the arrival of December is embraced and I hope things get better.

I've been away from here a week - unusual for me - but what with travel, death,

illness, family issues, and lack of computer access (we will have our new ones

next week), my blog has been pushed to one side for a while.

Giving thanks. . . . . . . . .at Thanksgiving

Today is beautiful outside.

What I would call a perfect Autumn day.

Here at the cottage we have noisy workmen repairing our deck and

 gazebo - wood rots after years of rain no matter how hard you try to preserve it.

We have been somewhat upset with the carpenter - he has not been here every

 day as promised, in fact disappeared leaving his tools behind, so the job is taking

 much longer than planned. Thankfully he is here today and has a helper so things

 are now moving along!

This morning I was totally stressed out and needed to get away from banging,

 drilling and sawing - so off to Eastgate Park just five minutes drive away.

Parked, walked through the woods, around the pond, sat and watched the

 Canada geese, sad that the ducks we loved now seem gone. I took in

 the Autumn colors now at their peak, the reflections in the water turning the 

landscape into amazing paintings only possible by Nature.

May your Thanksgiving be special tomorrow.