Well folks....I have excuses, but not sure if they are really going to fly! That is excuses about not posting to my blog for over six months. SHAME ON ME!

My first excuse is that John retired from the military in July. He made the decision in March and the months between March and December were a complete roller coaster filled with job hunting, house hunting, trips back to Georgia, the retirement ceremony, the birth of our first grandchild Thomas, two moves in six weeks in Abu Dhabi, the retirement party, trying to furnish the new house, our
annual Thanksgiving Day blow out (which hosted over 50 people this year!), a vacation to Italy, hiring a new maid, a month back home in Georgia in December for the holidays, and adding two new Volpino puppies to our household, and much more in between.

These were just the highlights! To say it has been an eventful year is an understatement.


Everything I had going on was put aside during the last 9 months! I did no writing to speak of, very little reading (which is my FAVORITE pasttime), very little exercise at the gym, and I totally seemed to have lost my focus personally as I was focusing on housing and retirement.

My second excuse is just plain laziness....having so much going on around me and so many things to do, I put aside something that is really important to me.

We are finally back in Abu Dhabi, trying to get over jet lag and get into a routine again, and trying to get started on our New Year's Resolutions---get more healthy and back into the gym, lose some of the weight we gained over the holidays, get our new doggie additions to the UAE and settled into the house hold, get back to my writing, and MY BLOG!

Sooooo, my solemn promise (and one of my resolutions for the new year) from today is that I will begin posting again and sharing all the interesting things about this country. There is so much to see and do and so many nationalities to mingle with---it is truly a wonderful cultural experience to be here. I have my own transportation now and do not rely on a taxi as before so my daily experiences have changed somewhat. I mean every day in a taxi was a true adventure. You never knew just exactly what was going to happen each day or who you were going to meet. It was quite exhilarating and so much fun. Although I LOVE having my own car, I do miss the experiences of doing all my errands in a taxi each day. That is exactly what this blog is all about......THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE..... You'll see more of this country and my experiences here in the coming blogs!