today was the day

Today we were supposed to be flying to Italy. I suppose God has chosen to teach us patience because our visas aren't in and we're sitting in a motel room waiting...waiting. We'll be there soon though; then you'll see great pictures. I didn't think you'd want pictures of the inside of our room here at the Ramada.

Thanks so much to Lydia and Jayme who gave me such a special gift of a get together with friends before I left. I will always remember.

God knew what He was doing...

when he put in my mind that I just had to see the Idols' concert. While I was gone Bob took care of all the travel to military bases and filling out more mounds of paperwork. Now that I'm back we had to go sign papers in Leavenworth and I couldn't even get through that. Bob says I teared up three times--just overwhelmed with too many things to do.

I'm going to feel like I'm on vacation when we finally get there. Just need to think about teaching and exploring Italy.

Almost there

Still in a whirl, we're now finalizing plans to get our things sent to Italy. Our furniture and other necessities will leave before us and get there (by slow boat) sometime in October or November. We're pretty much through with the sorting so the army transport people can store one part and ship the rest to us. My worry is that we will get the things we wanted stored and what we need will go into storage. What a sight that would be. "Well, do we sit on your mother's coffee table or the garden bucket?"

This week while I am basking on the beautiful beach in the Michigan sun and going to the American Idols concert (yes, really!--see cheesy picture above) Bob is working hard to get us on our way to Italy. Several trips to the St. Joseph airport (which by the way is nowhere near St. Joseph) for the Air National Guard to give him more paperwork and phone numbers. Calls to Delta and Air Italia to make sure our dog, Bizmark, doesn't get left in Rome or even sent to another country. (For my teacher-leader friends......doesn't Biz go with us everywhere?)

Tomorrow he (Bob, not Biz) goes to Leavenworth, Kansas, to meet with the transport people there and set up the day for our furniture to go. We have our plane tickets for August 31 and Biz is okayed to Catania. All we need now is our visas and, of course, that means another trip to Leavenworth on Friday when I get home from Michigan.

So.....it looks like we are just about out of here. I'm already starting to have withdrawal pangs. I will miss my St. Joseph colleagues. You've all been so helpful--right there to help when I needed you and overlooking some of the stupid things I say. I hope to be back working with you in a couple of years.

My friends outside of school will be hard to leave but since we're all so busy and keep in contact through emails more than visits, it may not be that unusual.

It's hard to leave my church. After years (and years and years) of "normal" churches I had finally found one where I felt I really belonged. Not perfect, of course, but then maybe that's why I fit in so well. The ladies in our Connections Groups--You're the greatest (no exaggeration) Lori, Lydia, Linda, Kathy------thanks, you've made me feel loved.

All my Reading Recovery compatriots---Wow!!! How hard it will be not to be with you....I've come to love and respect all the St. Joseph Reading Recovery professionals and will miss terribly my "sisters", the teacher leaders from Missouri and Arkansas.

Now---enough maudlin thoughts. I'm on my way to Italy. Yeah!!

moving soon

So...it's set. We've received our official orders. That means, dear friends, more paperwork, visits to government bases, more faxes (at $2.00 a page) and a visit to the Vice Consulate in Kansas City, Kansas.

I really don't know what a Vice Consulate does. Apparently they don't give out visas because the Vice Consulate has to send the paperwork to the Consulate in Chicago who will send it (hopefully approved) back to us.

It looks like our "stuff" will be moved somewhere around the 20th and we'll be out of here the end of the month.

Bob and I somewhat differ in our mind-pictures of what travel to Italy will be like.

He pictures an American Airlines flight with movies and lots of nice meals. Then after landing in Italy finding a place near many other Americans (because it's a big base and many live off base).

I, on the other hand, somehow see us traveling on a government transport plane that just happens to have cargo for Italy--sitting between boxes of chipped beef and jeep parts then finding that we're the only English speaking people in the neighborhood.

Well, it won't be long until we'll find out. Maybe the truth will be somewhere in between. We'll let you know.

a new adventure

It took awhile to realize that I had just been offered a job in Italy. Click on the map to enlarge it. We'll be in Catania on the eastern shore.

For about 20 years Bob and I have talked about going to Italy....for a visit. To live there?????

So many things to think about. Right now our house is in a mess. What to take?? What to send over?

What do we need that we don't have???!!! Italian language lessons.

Just how many programs can you buy that promise you will be speaking Italian fluently in "just a few short minutes." I really want to just put them under my pillow and let the Italian soak into my head while I sleep. I'd even forget the pillow and sleep on the disc if it would help.So far I know some simple phrases:

L'orso vuoto e' cavito. or The empty bear is bad.

Il topo tranquillo e' rapido. or The quiet rat is quick.

I really hope I don't have occasion to use either of those phrases but I know them.

I need more sleep.