Things We're Thankful for

We had a peaceful Thanksgiving, a delicious dinner with about 70 of our friends, at a Marriott hotel!

That Thursday was a regular workday here, but Waldo took a personal day because he's been travelling so much--so we got to spend the entire day together!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCHATZIE AND HEIDI!!!

Here they are, Schatzie in the foreground snoozing, and Heidi on duty! As usual when Waldo's not there, she sits in his chair. They were 6 years old on Dec. 1.

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Dec. 2 was the UAE's 37th birthday!

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There were parades and other activities, but we didn't know about them, so we went driving around, which was nice because there was no traffic! We went to Hatta, by the Omani border, and visited a heritage village there. It was interesting to see the construction of the houses, and realize just how important the cultivation of dates is to the survival of the culture. the date palm could be compared to the buffalo in the native American cultures. Every part was used, for clothing, construction, and food.

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I thought the construction was very interesting....they didn't usually have to worry about rain, so if things weren't waterproof, no problem! (Although this week we've had a lot of rain--its very refreshing!)

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The UAE is to be commended for the vision the seven rulers of the emirates had when they agreed to unite for the betterment of the region, and give up their tribal heritage. It opened the door for the progress they are now enjoying. Granted, not every emirate is as advanced as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, but they are making progress. We are both so grateful to be here at this time. We are very aware of how lucky we are.

So now we're back at work, and getting ready for Christmas!