What We Have Been Doing

In about 9 hours we head to the airport to catch the flight to Dubai.  We'll spend the night, then on to Zambia.  What a whirlwind these past 2 weeks have been.  I'm still pinching myself, hardly believing we are almost on our way to Africa.  I promise to upload photos of the adventure once we are oriented.  In the meantime here are some photos showing some of what we've been doing this past month.
Our brief "home away from home" in London.  Mary is relieved the packing and cleaning in the London house was over!

One of our many trips across the Blackfriar Bridge.  It is a historical iron bridge that has to be shut down and tested each spring.  The Thames River is low, low, low.  A testimony to how little rain this area has had, though our yard had just enough.  The rest are some of the vivid colors around London!

Tom's office in downtown London.  These other are views from his corner office.  Looking out toward Victoria Park is St. Peter's Cathedral.  The other church is St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral.  

Hmmm... so this is what the seat of power is like!

Tom, looking relaxed (and perhaps relieved) his 30 days notice was finally completed.

On the road in Canada:

Our view all the way to Indiana:

Getting closer to the border!  That is 7 kilometers, not miles, yippee!!

At the toll for the bridge:

Lake Huron, crossing the bridge:

Finally "home."  Too bad we had over 2000 more to go!

Stopped into Ohio to visit our friend Ron.  Completely forgot to pull the camera out.  We did have a grand time remembering our joint years in Tucson and San Manuel together.  

Here are Liz and John Paul, Mary and Tom.  We visited a cider press while in Bloomington, walked the apple orchard, bought some pumpkins and enjoyed hot cider.

John Paul captured one of the few picture of us:

Liz next to her "new to her" used Jetta.  

The journey continues:

Crossing the Wabash River.  Do you notice something missing on that there railroad bridge???

Sunset is close, still driving!

The Mississippi River, and the last of our sunlight.

Okay, we've been in Houston.  No pictures of unloading the van, cramming two households into one, all the trips to CAM for donations, people picking up "free cycle", the mountains of garbage picked up at the curb, laundry, laundry and more laundry, shopping, cooking, etc.  Tom's Dad visited, and we even failed to take a picture of that.  Honestly, I'll have to get better about keeping the camera out and ready.  Given how much movement was going on it was probably more prudent to keep it safe.  

The packers arrived on Wednesday to load the few household goods for airfreight to Zambia.  Oddly, we thought we were shipping a lot, but they managed to pack it away in a rather small container.  

Today is the final packing up, tearful goodbyes and the beginning of too many hours in the seat of an airplane seat!  More later.  Thank you for your prayers!

Heartsick

We have been busy packing, and one of the vases we bought back from Peru shattered in our hands as we were wrapping it.

sigh ...  We used it for wine corks.  Looks like we'll need to go back to Piura, Peru to get a new one.  Wish I had taken a picture of it prior to this disaster.

Our New Basement

This is how we spent a quick weekend.  The following Tuesday new carpet was laid.  Everything is fresh, white and new!  The spare room was pink, the bathroom was green, and the large room was just ugly.

Our New Deck

I'll let the photos speak for themselves ... from beginning to the end!    Here is a glimpse of the old deck.  Pretty bad!!!

 

And the final reveal ....

For those who commented, yes, it was water sealed, twice.  And the only ones building were myself, husband, son and youngest daughter.  The plan was our own, and it was a sad day when we sold the house.  Though, it was probably this that helped sell it in less than 4 days!

Great House .. Now It's For Sale

After a long summer of having to sit on my hands (when they weren't busy with stripping wallpaper, painting, nailing, scrubbing and digging dirt) we can announce our plans ..
Tuesday a start date was finalized, Friday the resignation submitted, Saturday papers signed with the realtor ... The news is that we are heading south, waaayyyy south, all the way to Zambia with a stop in Houston on the way.  We hope to have the house sold, us packed, moved to Houston, unpacked, then repacked and off to Zambia between now and the end of October.

As time allows, I'll put up pictures about all the work we've been doing on the house.  In the meantime, enjoy these of the exterior of the house, including our fabulous deck!

Life Without the Dogs

This is what happens when our version of "Hank the Cowboy" dogs are gone:

Jess is "Hank" and Basil is "Drover" ... and they are now living in Houston.  This black squirrel has reclaimed the yard, here he's sitting on the neighbor fence eating some treat.  A few days ago he was actually prancing around our back deck.  Yes, indeed, no dogs to bother him, and the cats could care less.

Irony

Living in Canada gives me moments to consider the path the United States is following.  Please read Michael Coren about loss of religious freedom.  BTW, did you realize that since President Obama has taken office he and his cohorts never refer to "religious" freedom, but only to freedom to worship?

Think for just a moment about the difference here.  Religious freedom is guaranteed under the Constitution.  Not freedom to worship, though that is included under religious freedom it is not the same thing.  I practice  my religious freedom in my entire being, while my freedom to worship can conceivably only involve attendance at a venue, like Mass.  My religion does inform my belief system.  It is molded by the guidance of centuries of the Catholic Church's experience.

Anyway, there are days it gets pretty depressing listening to, reading, and looking deeper into current issues.

Bill 13, anti-bullying, just passed.  EXCEPT, the way it is written it has nothing to do with real bullying.  Bullying, which the courts, special interest groups and the government can now use to make those who do not believe that homosexual license is real freedom.  The irony is sad.  Apparently, freedom of religion is lost on my Canadian friends.  It isn't good enough to want to just be left alone.  That attitude is what has pushed a minority agenda, to the detriment of their country.