BEGINNINGS & ENDINGS

What’s better than knowing there’s a child on the way?  I can hardly wait to meet my granddaughter Hazel.  I hope she will call me Abuelacita (little grandmother).

Last week I journeyed up to Boone for a couple of days, visiting old haunts and old friends.  Attended the baby shower hosted for my son and daughter-in-law by her family in Valle Crucis.  We lived there when my son Japhy was born so being there always brings many memories.  Toni’s family-the Masts-were the original owners of the famous Mast Store and they are deeply tied to the Valle.  It was lovely to be with them at such a joyful event.  We’ll be back in February to meet Hazel Grace Ferguson.  Who already has an extensive library, I might add.  Including FRIDA COUNTS TO 10 in Spanish and English.  Start ’em out early I say.

The movers have come & gone.  They were fast, efficient and friendly.  It was amazing to see our household (for the next household) wrapped up and crated in 4 hours.  It was intense.  We stuck close trying to make sure nothing was missed or mistreated.  As it was a closet of clothes was missed and they graciously returned the next day to add it-and a few other items.  We’d ordered a 3rd crate but ultimately barely filled 2 thanks to Greg and Edgar’s packing skills. I’ll never forget the repetitive, rapid-fire sound of packing tape ripping.  And the sight of things disappearing into boxes.  There were words of encouragement from friends on this cool, sunny day as we interacted with exhaustion from a night up sick with worry.  Thank God for friends!  The truck will head to Laredo, TX soon to meet Strom White movers at the border.  They will carry the load through customs.  For that to happen copies of my Mexican visa (temporary) and passport had to be scanned to the Ajijic office, anything with a cord had to be listed with make, model and serial number, boxes had to be numbered and marked with category of contents and letters in Spanish verifying the intent to move household goods had to be signed and scanned.

We are now down to borrowed tables and dishes, folding chairs, our queen size mattress – I forgot to say that yesterday a local mover came and took a small van load, including our king-size mattress, to my son in Charlotte. A sling chair Ben used at shows, and our red leather couch can’t seem to find homes-anyone interested?  Great recliner on each end.  We sometimes open a drawer or cabinet and realize the item we’re looking for is already gone.  So we adjust and find another way to do things.  But we are somehow content with it.  And we are sleeping better.

The clearing of the house has equaled the clearing of my mind and the halting of the buy-maintain-get rid of cycle leaves time to rest or read or visit friends.  I still watch at least one episode of CALL THE MIDWIFE daily and let the tears roll.  So cathartic.  Initially nursing was a calling for me.  A gift of giving.  Eventually it became a job that paid the bills.  I became more reclusive after hours, more self-absorbed – I gave at the office.  It was survival.  Less stuff means fewer decisions to make and saves time to be more…I started to say “productive”.  But productivity carries a heavy weight in nursing.  When laptops and timed visits entered the Home Health world the attention to patients declined.  (I love that CALL THE MIDWIFE addresses this in Season 6 that takes place in the ’60’s.)  That was the beginning of the end of my career.  Now I am ready and able to give.  To be generous.  To be joyful.

The next two weeks will be filled with meals with friends, finishing up of logistics, final trips to OCIM thrift store and My Secret Closet consignment.  Ben’s sister Myra and her husband bought both our vehicles and will pick them up the Saturday before we leave.  At that point we’ll practice walking or using Uber if we must get somewhere, just as we’ll do in Ajijic for awhile.  Simple.  It’s all we need.

Finally, let me thank friends who’ve so generously offered to share whatever we might need, including food and fellowship.  And thanks to All American Relocation out of Raleigh and Alamance Moving Company out of Burlington for helping us through this stage of our adventure.  Muchas gracias mis amigos!

 

As a post note let me say that in just looking over my cache of posts I realize that I’ve repeated some things here.  But I will leave it.  And hope that you enjoy those things a second time.  I suppose it means you don’t have to read everything in sequence. Perhaps it is a reflection of my mind going over and over things.  Or just a confirmation of the joy of family and friends.