Things to Think About

It's funny, but it seems like every winter, we all say to one another, "it's seems like it has been a really cold and snowy winter".  We (in Kentucky), along with most of the country, got hit with this last band of bad weather.  We have 3-5 inches of snow sitting on the ground and the thermometer is sitting at 8 degrees.  Brrrrr!!!  We received out last gas and electric bill and it was well over $330. and we always sit around with sweatshirts and blankets on.  So, I really won't miss the cold weather. 

The only good thing about the bad weather is that it has given me time to go through boxes, closets and drawers to figure out what to do with everything.  We moved to our current house only 3 1/2 years ago after being in our other house for 18 years, so we had gotten rid of quite a bit then.  I did find a box of books that we packed from our bookshelves in our other house and never unpacked.  So those books will either be sold or given away.

We have an appointment with Gabriela Espinosa in Quito the Tuesday after we arrive in Ecuador.  We are trying to pull together the paperwork that everyone says we will need to attain permanent status.  We are hoping to bring a couple of extra suitcases that Mick and Kathy have agreed to hold for us until we return in a few months.  I am starting to feel just a little bit edgy just thinking about everything that we have to do.

We have decided not to sell our house at this time.  We are going to try to rent it out.  Hopefully we will get the perfect family to take care of it.  My oldest daughter, Elizabeth, has said that we can keep some of our things in her basement (only the things that I hate to let go of).  She would probably end up with most of those things if something ever happened to me and Pat.  Caitlin will probably get some of our furniture when she moves into her own place.  I think that we have decided not to ship our "stuff" to us.  We are just not that attached to it.  I think after you have had to go through 40 years of your parents' "stuff", you realize that there is very little that you just can't live without.

Pat and I have really been having fun learning Spanish.  Although I'm not sure if anyone will know what we are saying.  Let's hope everyone will  "hablar mas lento".  I'm sure the grammar is not correct--especially the verb tense.  Just the words--subjunctive tense--sounds scary, even in English.  Well, enough rambling on.  Gotta go!!  Hasta luego!!  Sue