We received the visas, and bought the tickets today! The modern world is continually amazing! We bought online using that magic piece of plastic. Next use the computer, to “go” to the bank, and pay the bill. Amazing. So, we leave home on the 28 for our next wonderful adventure. Check in again to see where we are.
Today I’m feeling the press of time for all that remains to be done. I checked the airlines again, and there aren’t many seats left on the flight I want, but still, we don’t have those visas yet. Hoping for tomorrow. Starting to pack, what to take for the year? I have a history of taking too much one trip, and not quite enough the next one. I thought about mailing some stuff ahead, but the post office lady said that the box I chose was too big, and not to worry about it. So, onward.
The new panel curtains look great in the front room. Although the new furniture will not arrive until after we
leave, the front room looks a lot better than it did just a few days ago. Our daughter commented, “It seems strange that you’re getting this all ready to leave it.” I replied, “I’m getting it ready to come home to it.”
We’ve had a delay in the visa process. Weeks ago we asked if we needed a certain form, because our reading of the consulate site indicated that we did. The visa service however said that teachers don’t need that form. But on Thursday, we learned that we do indeed need that form. So, we had to hurry to fax that form to the service in time for them to take all the forms to the consulate. We now look for the visas by end of next week, but it’s getting late to buy tickets. Still I feel strongly that I need the visas, before we buy the tickets.
I’m sitting outside. It’s cool enough in the shade, the locusts are buzzing, the cosmos is blooming, and tomatoes are ripening. Today we ate a tomato that weighed 1 1/2 pounds. It’s a “beefsteak” variety, big and round.
A few days ago I “harvested” my compost which I started in January. I was shocked that it had finished so quickly. We have some friends visiting from far away, so we had a gathering for about 30 people. It was a potluck supper including a meat and bean dish, stir fry beef with celery, onions and mushrooms, rice, fried chicken, deviled eggs, hamburger, green salad, tomato/mozarella/black olive salad, cabbage salad, crackers & cheese & ham, cantaloupe, strawberries,watermelon, carrots, red peppers, cookies, banana cake, and chocolate torte with raspberries. About 10 children ran around, played games, and enjoyed life. My youngest grandchild asked, “Grandma Julia, is this a PARTY?”
Today we had our dance lesson, last one for now. We expect to live a long time, and we need something to do together as we age. We’re learning the waltz, the foxtrot, and the Lindy Swing—just the basics, but we’re getting smoother.
We’re making progress in the front room, hung the curtain rod, got the new baseboard made, and ordered the matching stain for it. Walked together through the furniture store and looked at colors, shapes and sizes.
Good thing we went swimming first, so we felt good all day. It is still hot here, we’re grateful for air conditioning.
Got word that the visa service received our documents–found out when school starts and ends. Next step tickets.
August 1
I have the whole glorious month of August to live “at home” before we leave for another country. We are getting ready, but we are also busy in doing house projects. In our old house, a large bookcase/media center had been built into the end wall of the front room, perhaps sometime in the late 1960’s or mid ’70s. To my eyes, it did not fit in the room as we want it to be. We had it taken out, and the wall restored, and the whole room painted. My favorite color for a room is a light peachy color. What’s yours?
That’s the color I chose, after flirting a short moment with purple. The dining room is deep red. I like dramatic color.
So, now everything is in the middle of the room, until the paint is cured enough to put things back, until we get new things, until we know where to put things, until we have the new baseboard done, until we clean, until we have a letup in the daily schedule.
Meanwhile, the days are still long, hot, but a bit cooler in the evening, the insect chorus is delightful, and the garden overflows its bounds. We’ve already eaten some roma tomatoes, cucumbers, and lots of snow peas. Life is good here and now.