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!!