Bits and Pieces

We are a busy people – Americans (we know our culture!), Europeans, South Americans, Africans, Canadians – the entire global community. We are living lives filled with details and happenings. We are all making history one way or another.

Russia may – or may not – be in the process of invading a neighboring country, one which had been a former Soviet Bloc partner. The Olympics are over but the excitement remains – shadowed by Putin’s political manipulations in Sochi. Summer Olympic games are due in 2016 in Rio di Janeiro and they may not be ready in time. The Oscars were announced last night and for a few moments that seems the most important thing in the world (not!).

And then there are personal happenings that take our center stage. For one, we finally found a new home!  It is an apartment close to where we currently reside. This home is a 4-storey modern apartment building made of concrete and brick. The apartment has two bedrooms and two full baths. It has an in-unit laundry, huge skylight in the kitchen, has ample living room and dining room. The building is served by a spacious elevator and we all park in assigned spaces in the heated garage on the ground floor. We are very excited.

Excited because our saga has been in play now for several years as the house went through foreclosure, we went through bankruptcy – reluctantly and for technical reasons – and with the resultant bad credit we had a terrible time finding someone willing to give us a chance and offer a lease.  We managed to find someone willing to sign a 3-year lease so we have stability going forward. 

We are greatly relieved. We have been able to sleep soundly for the first time in two years or so.

Grandson Jax is growing quickly. More than a pound of new weight in the first two weeks; two full inches of length in two weeks as well. His 4-week photos make him look ready to sit up and take classes, but then that’s a proud grandpa speaking!  He’s a looker and his progress will be fun to watch over the years.

Winter is abating, then furiously storming anew. Winter of 2013/14 will be long remembered as a challenge. For older folks, however, it is quite reminiscent of past winters that had a norm of ferocity, snow pack, high winds and low wind chills. Truthfully the past 20 years or more have been abnormally mild. It was appreciated and welcomed, but younger people came to see the weather pattern as the new normal. No; the true normal is much nastier, they just aren't experienced with it!

As we prepare for the move we will be tossing out more things we no longer need or don’t have space for! The simplification of our lives is welcome. Too much stuff weighs heavy on the human spirit. We know that first hand. You do too if you let yourself think on it.

With a move to a new residence, neighborhood, community, old alliances inevitably enter a stage of refocus. Some will not make the cut. Others will remain with more certainty and purpose. Church will remain solidly in our lives. AA will as well. So too the newspaper and community interests. Out of district with the new address I’ll have to resign from the Park Board of Commissioners. That will be a sad duty.

New home, new focus, simplification. We will fill our time with new writing, new reading, new friends and neighbors. But much remains the same. Nearby communities, family and friends.

So we are good for now. More on our journey as we handle the many phases of relocation. The process helps build perspective of life and the world. Putin. Karzai. The Dalai Lama! Our own President and congress (ugh!).

Yes. Life goes on. New life. New people. New places. Old and new juxtaposed constantly until we don’t know which is which. But good. All good. And we are at peace for a time.

March 3, 2014