Tuscon, Arizona

The New Year week has been the most difficult time of grief for me over the last six years. The month of December is tough, then Christmas is tougher, and the New Year the worst.

In the past for some strange reason I would think, "it won't happen this year." Wrong haha. Then it would hit me likc a Mack truck.

This year we planned for the toughness in advance. Mitzi and I are getting better at this.

The planning involved being in Arizona during December near Taylor/Baylie/Emily where we could have some family interaction and also quiet down-time when I didn't feel well. The month in Surprize Arizona was wonderful and totally fulfilled our hopes.

The week of the New Year we stayed in a little glass house in the middle of the desert out near Tuscon Arizona. We weren't sure if this would be a good idea, living in a glass house in the desert.

Turned out to be an excellent choice!

The structure is so unique and compelling. I deeply enjoyed finding different ways to photograph it and the surrounding property.

It's peaceful and quiet here. We see no one. We hear no on.

One day we ventured out to the Sahuaro National Park. Just inside the boundaries we pulled out the Hasselblad and had some photo fun.

Several times during our stay I went had fun taking pictures with the Hasselblad. I love this camera. The sharpness, clarity, color depth, and beautiful design make it a joy to use. And the photos are amazing and I have so much fun editing them.

I'm still new to this and over-do it sometimes.

The main thing is that it's brought a ton on joy into my life. It's healing and peaceful and a wonderful creative outlet. It's a fun activity Mitzi and I share in much of the time.

And it provides great content to record the good in our lives on this blog.

Here are more pictures of our little glass house.

The shower is in that window with the metal screen around it. I loved taking showers in the mid-afternoon when the sun is shining down strong. Getting lots of vitamin D and feeling the warmth of the sun while I showered was amazing. I felt like I was out in nature.

The plants here are clearly desert plants. Beautiful in their own way. And Mitzi makes everything brighter and lovelier.

So much fun being creative with the Hasselblad!

I made sourdough bread. Mitzi enjoyed her Chocolate Toasties. She also made us her famous Pastrami sandwiches. So so good, I don't have words to convey how amazing it is.

Actually I might. My Grandpa Sid who owned a Jewish Deli in LA during the 40's and 50's and then a strip club in the 60's in Fresno told me once, "If I could put sex in a sandwich I would be rich!"

Well grandpa, I think Mitzi has accomplished it!

One evening I got the idea to take pictures of the sunset from the top of the car. So up I climbed.

Mitzi saw me and gasped. She snapped this photo and sent it to her girls.

When the girls were younger they would ask their dad if they could climb on the car when they were washing it. He was emphatic that NO they could NOT. So it runs deep in their veins that climbing on top of a car is just not done.

They all got a big kick out of seeing me doing this!

What are the holes in the ground? The answer you get depends on who you ask. Mitzi says they are snake holes. Damon says they are nature's way of draining water.

Mitzi is very afraid of snakes. So we have this ongoing joke. I say snakes don't exist out here, Mitzi says they do.

We enjoyed taking several walks along the dirt road that leads to the glass house. It felt good to get out and move. Even in the middle of winter it's very hot and dry so we made sure to bring some water even though it was a short walk.

Mitzi doted on me and pampered me the entire time we were here. She helped make this the best New Year I've had in the last 6 years. She made me breakfast in bed every day. She gave me several facials, pedicures, and massages. She made all the food, cleaned up everything, did the laundry several times.

My only job was to relax and enjoy life :) She made this week amazing. Here is the view I had one morning while eating the yummy breakfast she made me.

The pictures from the top of the car turned out amazing. A beautiful sunset...

... and Mitzi and I arm wrestling at dusk. What a great picture!

One morning as I woke up to the sunrise this is what it looks like from the bed...

Emily came to visit us. We went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. It was a "let's try new things" night. We enjoyed Samosa's, Mango Lassi, Lamb Kabob – well Emily and I did, Mitzi doesn't touch lamb :) We had a super fun evening!

I'll conclude this post with how it starts. The amazing picture of the glass house at sunset. It represents several things. A beautiful time of pampering and healing. A setting of our life in St. George and transition to our new life in Florida. The goodness of loving and being loved in life – the greatest gift.