...for awhile anyway. My time in Portugal had run it's course. When we started out, it was 6 months to a year. I did 9 months. Since Wendi will be leaving @ the end of July to have baby #4, on 9/5, in South Florida, and my Portuguese visa expired on June 17th - we agreed that rather than spend the time and money for another 3 month visa extension (to leave in a month), we'd call it good.
I said goodbye to the Kitsteiner family on the morning of June 10th and was having Japanese dinner in Boston, MA by 6p. I awoke in the USA on my 50th Birthday! Such a gift, I didn't care if not one person remembered it was my birthday! I arrived to my home in Petoskey (his dad moved in w/his girlfriend for a few weeks to give me time to get my ducks in a row) on June 11th @ 11:55pm. Bleu was so confused by the 4 strangers standing in the driveway, I didn't get the doggie cartwheels I'd hoped for, but we have reconnected since then.
I had a few days to unpack my clothing, shoes, toiletries and jewelry I'd shipped ahead of me. I sifted through some storage boxes to find my REAL blue jeans - aaaah, Levi Strauss - and repacked the shipped boxes, leaving room for more.
The boys' dad hadn't fully moved into the house, so I fought through jet lag by packing away my dishes, pots & pans and towels and unpacking his and putting them in place.
By Monday, I started back @ the Petoskey News Review to help them out (30 hours a week), until I move to NW Indiana by end of July. I have been home for exactly 2 weeks. I found a little '98 Honda Civic for $800 (needs 2 new tires, a tune-up, wheel bearings, coolant flush and some transmission fluid); had catch up visits w/4 friends; catch up phone calls with many more; calls about Organizing jobs, the move to Indiana and looking for a place to rent. I'm putting it mildly when I say that I've barely had a moment to myself since my return.
I did a 5 hour Organizing job yesterday and booked another for next Friday and am planning a trip down to Indiana for a long weekend mid-July. I need to do an Organizing Assessment for a big job mid-August, make appointments to look @ rentals and will be doing a large 2 day Organizing job that weekend.
Little moments surprise me: Leaving the grocery store and suddenly thinking, "ooooh, it's so NICE to just run to the grocery store when I want and buy what I want!"; every night when I go to bed, it feels so good to be in my room, in my bed. In the mornings I can go downstairs in my pj's; use the shower on the same floor as my bedroom; having my own bathroom w/just my stuff in it; taking my dog for a walk or a ride in the car; using the full capacity of my brain again and the biggest two? 1) Using my cell phone! - anytime I want; and 2) Conversing w/people over the age of 45! No disrespect to the Lajes friends, but one cannot understand what it is like to be 49-50 years old, spending 9 months of one's life not having a real conversation with ANY.ONE over the age of 37...until they're 50. Anyway, the theme, I think is that while I loved my time in Portugal, I really missed my independence - such that I didn't fully realize until I returned. Once I found a car, I felt the missing 1/4 of independence connect up with the rest.
And then tonight, I came home from the newspaper, feeling a little frazzled from the loose ends of not having enough time to do everything I need to do. I browsed through my Facebook and teared up a little when I saw this photo:
and this photo:
and this one:
and so I stopped looking :)! I miss them. These 3 especially were my "places" (safe place, laughter place, social fun place, mutual conversation place, physical affection place) and so, so special to me.
Word from the Kitsteiner compound is that the week after I left, Wendi's 24 hour morning sickness finally dissipated. Poor thing was sick in one form or another (from mild to severe) from my arrival in September, 2012 through June 16, 2013. None of us knew that would transpire, but God did and I was there for such a time as 7 days shy of exactly that. When Wendi and the 4 kids return to Portugal in October 2013, John's parents will be with them for the duration of John's military assignment there and beyond. They'll need someone more helpful with the 4 little ones (ages 5, 4, 2 and 0) and God knew that too! Who better than Gramma and Grandpa K?
My next adventure looms close and I am balancing the joy it is to be back in beautiful Petoskey, MI w/the anxiousness for the new adventure to start. I will be working w/a 12 year established & successful decorative paint business: Coats of Many Colors. She will be working with me, I with her, teaching each other our trades to broaden our own business' and enhance each others.
...by August 1st. There's the move, unpacking and making my new place my home, setting up new bank accounts, registering my business there, finding an Accountant and a Lawyer, etc. and diving into working every day, starting my first week there. Though it was great to see my parents for a light dinner in GR, prior to the 3 hour drive to Petoskey, I told them that I most likely wouldn't see their new digs (Retirement Home in Holland, MI) until Fall, 2013. I need time to get settled and I realized, it will be the first time I've ever lived entirely on my own!
My closest friends live down there as does family. I imagine that I will be pulled toward get-together's but those may have to suffice w/enlisting their help to unpack me and set up house. Mix in some wine and good music - better than any restaurant right?
Bleu will not be joining me in Indiana, as he has become Colin's dog. Since I will be working so much, it wouldn't be fair to put an 8 yr. old country raised dog, into a small apartment, just so that I feel better when I get home.
I am humbled by the many offers from dear friends that have a room for me, to give me time to find a place, but my goal is to move once and have my own place. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds. I'm trusting God in the details.
For now, I keep an on-going list of calls to make, things to take care of and I'm taking it one day @ a time. Yesterday, I Organized for and with one of my very favorite clients, that I work w/annually, and Colin got his Drivers License. Today I worked @ the newspaper from 8:30a-5:15p, made a Consignment drop off appointment, called a Realtor in Indiana, sorted through 6 bags of books to drop off to Charity and had grilled chicken and green beans dinner made by and with Colin. Tomorrow I take Colin to work by 6:45A, drop off my Honda to the mechanic by 7:30A, work @ the newspaper all day and pick Colin up from work by 4P. Friday will be 1/2 day @ the newspaper and getting Colin to & from his 1-4P class @ work and meet another friend for Happy Hour @ The Knot in Bay Harbor.
There, I'll have about 2.5 hours Friday and the weekend for more packing, getting some phone calls made and catch up on a lot of computer work. I'm determined to walk Bleu @ the beach, along the Bay and hike through Bear River somewhere in there as well.
I said goodbye to the Kitsteiner family on the morning of June 10th and was having Japanese dinner in Boston, MA by 6p. I awoke in the USA on my 50th Birthday! Such a gift, I didn't care if not one person remembered it was my birthday! I arrived to my home in Petoskey (his dad moved in w/his girlfriend for a few weeks to give me time to get my ducks in a row) on June 11th @ 11:55pm. Bleu was so confused by the 4 strangers standing in the driveway, I didn't get the doggie cartwheels I'd hoped for, but we have reconnected since then.
I had a few days to unpack my clothing, shoes, toiletries and jewelry I'd shipped ahead of me. I sifted through some storage boxes to find my REAL blue jeans - aaaah, Levi Strauss - and repacked the shipped boxes, leaving room for more.
The boys' dad hadn't fully moved into the house, so I fought through jet lag by packing away my dishes, pots & pans and towels and unpacking his and putting them in place.
By Monday, I started back @ the Petoskey News Review to help them out (30 hours a week), until I move to NW Indiana by end of July. I have been home for exactly 2 weeks. I found a little '98 Honda Civic for $800 (needs 2 new tires, a tune-up, wheel bearings, coolant flush and some transmission fluid); had catch up visits w/4 friends; catch up phone calls with many more; calls about Organizing jobs, the move to Indiana and looking for a place to rent. I'm putting it mildly when I say that I've barely had a moment to myself since my return.
I did a 5 hour Organizing job yesterday and booked another for next Friday and am planning a trip down to Indiana for a long weekend mid-July. I need to do an Organizing Assessment for a big job mid-August, make appointments to look @ rentals and will be doing a large 2 day Organizing job that weekend.
Little moments surprise me: Leaving the grocery store and suddenly thinking, "ooooh, it's so NICE to just run to the grocery store when I want and buy what I want!"; every night when I go to bed, it feels so good to be in my room, in my bed. In the mornings I can go downstairs in my pj's; use the shower on the same floor as my bedroom; having my own bathroom w/just my stuff in it; taking my dog for a walk or a ride in the car; using the full capacity of my brain again and the biggest two? 1) Using my cell phone! - anytime I want; and 2) Conversing w/people over the age of 45! No disrespect to the Lajes friends, but one cannot understand what it is like to be 49-50 years old, spending 9 months of one's life not having a real conversation with ANY.ONE over the age of 37...until they're 50. Anyway, the theme, I think is that while I loved my time in Portugal, I really missed my independence - such that I didn't fully realize until I returned. Once I found a car, I felt the missing 1/4 of independence connect up with the rest.
And then tonight, I came home from the newspaper, feeling a little frazzled from the loose ends of not having enough time to do everything I need to do. I browsed through my Facebook and teared up a little when I saw this photo:
 |
| Lindsey & Sam Helfrich |
 |
| Mianna Arrington |
 |
| Scrubby |
Word from the Kitsteiner compound is that the week after I left, Wendi's 24 hour morning sickness finally dissipated. Poor thing was sick in one form or another (from mild to severe) from my arrival in September, 2012 through June 16, 2013. None of us knew that would transpire, but God did and I was there for such a time as 7 days shy of exactly that. When Wendi and the 4 kids return to Portugal in October 2013, John's parents will be with them for the duration of John's military assignment there and beyond. They'll need someone more helpful with the 4 little ones (ages 5, 4, 2 and 0) and God knew that too! Who better than Gramma and Grandpa K?
My next adventure looms close and I am balancing the joy it is to be back in beautiful Petoskey, MI w/the anxiousness for the new adventure to start. I will be working w/a 12 year established & successful decorative paint business: Coats of Many Colors. She will be working with me, I with her, teaching each other our trades to broaden our own business' and enhance each others.
...by August 1st. There's the move, unpacking and making my new place my home, setting up new bank accounts, registering my business there, finding an Accountant and a Lawyer, etc. and diving into working every day, starting my first week there. Though it was great to see my parents for a light dinner in GR, prior to the 3 hour drive to Petoskey, I told them that I most likely wouldn't see their new digs (Retirement Home in Holland, MI) until Fall, 2013. I need time to get settled and I realized, it will be the first time I've ever lived entirely on my own!
My closest friends live down there as does family. I imagine that I will be pulled toward get-together's but those may have to suffice w/enlisting their help to unpack me and set up house. Mix in some wine and good music - better than any restaurant right?
Bleu will not be joining me in Indiana, as he has become Colin's dog. Since I will be working so much, it wouldn't be fair to put an 8 yr. old country raised dog, into a small apartment, just so that I feel better when I get home.
I am humbled by the many offers from dear friends that have a room for me, to give me time to find a place, but my goal is to move once and have my own place. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds. I'm trusting God in the details.
For now, I keep an on-going list of calls to make, things to take care of and I'm taking it one day @ a time. Yesterday, I Organized for and with one of my very favorite clients, that I work w/annually, and Colin got his Drivers License. Today I worked @ the newspaper from 8:30a-5:15p, made a Consignment drop off appointment, called a Realtor in Indiana, sorted through 6 bags of books to drop off to Charity and had grilled chicken and green beans dinner made by and with Colin. Tomorrow I take Colin to work by 6:45A, drop off my Honda to the mechanic by 7:30A, work @ the newspaper all day and pick Colin up from work by 4P. Friday will be 1/2 day @ the newspaper and getting Colin to & from his 1-4P class @ work and meet another friend for Happy Hour @ The Knot in Bay Harbor.
There, I'll have about 2.5 hours Friday and the weekend for more packing, getting some phone calls made and catch up on a lot of computer work. I'm determined to walk Bleu @ the beach, along the Bay and hike through Bear River somewhere in there as well.
Love reading your stories! So excited to see you, love you up and help you get settled!
ReplyDeleteI love you, I miss you - I LOVE your hair!! ;-D xoxo
ReplyDelete