thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday; given my reckless past, an overwhelming sense of gratitude that i'm alive and surrounded by wonderful loving family, is the most profound thing i can celebrate, and certainly the most enduring theme of this blog. my oldest daughter returned from seattle, with her husband, though only for a few days, and i was grateful that they hadn't changed much except cities, climates, jobs, etc. A son returned from kansas, confused about a major, and all i can say is that this is gut-wrenching and difficult, and there's no easy way; it's made worse maybe, by the fact that a good scholarship will run out if one takes six years as i did, to straighten it out and get some kind of workable solution....

fortunately, the weather here has been stunning, and we have been hitting the green earth trails with our aging dogs and taking it all in. fresh air is a pretty good substitute for the swimming and riding that i'm missing, and i'm also trying to get a little sleep. a lot of things may go by the wayside, but hopefully family and sanity won't...a happy holidays to all, and i send wishes that a clear focus will prevail, even among the lights that are springing up on all corners, even as i write, and making reflections in car windows, taking over whole corners, blinding drivers to the lost deer, jumping around, trying not to get their hooves caught in the cords.