Wednesday - November 13

We are home!    After 2 weeks of 70's and sunshine, it was 18 in Chicago this morning and a dusting of snow on the roof tops and ground!    But 66 degrees coming Sunday!

 

Paul, Kathy, Mark and I spent last night in the windy city as it would've been around 4 AM (on Portugal time) till we got home and at this point, we were ready for bed!  And look who we had breakfast with this morning?

 

Michael was in Chicago on business and we met at the Hilton (O'Hare)!  

 What a special treat to end our travels. 

     We really enjoyed our Windstar cruise on the Wind Spirit - 8 wonderful days on the Mediterranean sailing from Barcelona to Lisbon with stops in the ports of Soller, Valencia, Cartagena, Almeria, Malaga and Cadiz.  Spain is so clean, language was not an issue and soaked up lots of history, culture and architecture visiting museums, palaces, castles and cathedrals/basilicas/churches.   We motor sailed a total of 1500 miles.   Average speed was 10 MPH and sails were up 60% of the time.    Food was very good and  Mark celebrated his birthday on the 7th with a bit of fanfare and cake from the crew after a full day in Malaga (one of our favorites).

 

So back to reality and my head is a'spinnin' with the thought of Thanksgiving just 2 weeks  away.     We have a jillion leaves to rake (not till the snow is gone and it warms up), laundry to do, shopping, wrapping and pack up Miss Daisy before we leave for NC the 26th and then onto FL and leave Daisy in storage till we return for Christmas with Philip, Annette and Luke. 

 

Hope all is well with you?   Good to be back on the blog but promise I won't share the 2,500+ pictures Paul and Mark took!   Now won't that be fun sorting thru?    HA!

  

Celebrating Grandpa's birthday tonight at Steak 'n Shake with

Anne, Patrick, Liam and Connor