A Keto Thanksgiving.....

Thanksgiving was lovely. It's so wonderful being with my beautiful daughter and her sweet family.  We spent lots of time just talking and enjoying hanging out with each other.  Their home backs to a reserve featuring expansive desert views lying just beyond the backyard wall. It is an expansive cactus and plant garden providing endless and unrestricted desert views. The diversity of plant life is fantastic.  Some display flowers welcoming the upcoming Christmas season. These primarily decorate the wide variety of cactus, including, of course, the magnificent Sonoran Desert's infamous saguaro.  As if the desert doesn't provide enough beauty, a parade featuring multicolored air balloons glide through the Phoenix sky, floating by in groups of three or four, and I imagine that those inside the basket wave at me as they pass just like my daughter describes. Their home is designed in the patio style and is a haven for wild birds, so we can bird watch from the patio furniture as the cavalcade of dessert species enter and exit at will, enjoying the seeds and nectar the family makes available. Quails, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and other species I cannot name, are all chattering and protecting their space in the backyard. Watching them is great fun.  But, just sitting and relaxing there is heavenly.  Phoenix is extraordinary at this time of year. The temperature consistently stays in the mid-'70s, and it is bright and sunny.  It is a remarkable about-face from the gloomy fall weather we're experiencing in Birch Bay.  It is hard to describe the peace and contentment of simply enjoying their beautiful space, soaking in the sun and fresh, desert air.  The back yard is an oasis, with a hot tub, pool, and lounging furniture, with several sets of pygmy date palms and other flowering trees and bushes.  The neighborhood is expansive and blends beautifully with the natural desert landscape.  Paved, concrete surface pathways surround the housing areas.  Walkers, joggers, and to a lesser degree, bikers frequent these paths.  Ponds and the same dessert plants natural to the Preserve frame these extensive neighborhood paths. Hiking through them is always a unique experience, with its everchanging flora and fauna. Sometimes donkeys show up at the ponds as coyotes howl in the distance, reminding us they are out there, hoping to find easy prey. Of course, the family is careful with their three little dogs because the coyotes might think that they'd be tasty. Though they've not seen one, they've witnessed large owls in the Saguaro behind their house, which is another reason to be careful with the dogs. However, these few concerns in no way diminish the Arizona lifestyle their warm home provides. We feel like we're in a five-star hotel when we visit, and they treat us like royalty! Along with snacks and treats, the meals are luscious.  Our daughter provided a feast for Thanksgiving. The dinner she served was traditional, meaning it was a duplicate of my mother's and her grandmother's usual Thanksgiving meal, centering around a fabulous turkey and a baked ham. The sides were sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and a seven-layer salad. Of course, there were dinner rolls and several different delicious pies for dessert.  Obviously, I did not partake in everything but managed quite well with the meats and salad.  Also, I brought my cinnamon bread and was completely satisfied with it as a dessert. I also brought along some new favorite things to satisfy that desire for crunchy sides and sweet snacks. We return to Washington today, and I shall miss my precious girl, my darling granddaughter and her very patient and accommodating husband very much! Same time next year, God willing, and we're hoping that they visit Birch Bay or Hawaii or both this year.  Our family is a beautiful gift from God.