Good Morning, America, How Are You

The shipper guy came with his tractor and hooked up the 40' container at noon today. He told Bob that he would take it to the train yard out in south Nashville where it would be loaded on a freight train and head south. We are guessing New Orleans will be the port it'll ship out of, based on our (admittedly limited) knowledge of train service.

We broke into a rather awful rendition of Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans" in recognition of that guess.

We've already discovered 4 of Bob's paintings - and the vacuum cleaner! - in the "Left Behind" pile. Oh, well.I promised myself no regrets. So no regrets.

The house echoes now. And I am horrified at the dust bunnies, some of which could endanger small children and most pets. I just don't move recliner-sofas or refrigerators or large heavy dressers all that often when I'm cleaning. (Exhausted as I was Thursday evening after all the angst involved in getting our stuff into the shipping container, I got on my hands and knees and cleaned the kitchen floor where the refrigerator had been standing. I don't think I could have slept for fear that the dust-monsters would come and git me in my sleep!)

People are being wonderful, though. I stopped off at the nursing home where I worked and asked the head of housekeeping if I could borrow a broom and dustpan. While she was getting them out of the laundry, I joked that I am tempted to smuggle a load or two of laundry in after midnight one night and use the washers there. Her response "I don't think anyone would mind if you did." And the evening shift nurses told me tonight that they want Bob and me to come over in a couple of weeks (the Friday evening before we leave on Wednesday) for a potluck farewell dinner. I am truly touched.

We will be camping out in our house in Boquete between the time we get there and our things get there. Camping out means just that. No bed, no refrigerator. I have packed one of our checked bags with air mattresses and sleeping bags (and towels - showers would be nice, right?) and things like that. It is zipped up, weighed ("Congratulations, Mrs. G., you have a healthy 42-pound suitcase!"), and sitting in the hallway.

The house still has a boatload of junk to sort through: papers that need shredding, odd socks and other stuff that needs military burial in the trash can, and such like. And then there are the dust bunnies! I thank God on a couple of counts about the vacuum: 1) I have it to deal with them, and 2) it is a bagless. Because otherwise I'd go broke, I'm afraid, buying vacuum cleaner bags!

I got to knit a bit tonight. Our church student ministry is having its annual back-to-school in-town retreat, and I got to sit in "my" corner and knit. What a blessing! I've missed knitting. I've missed just relaxing and enjoying the company of my beloved students. I cannot think about how much I am going to miss them.

No regrets. Look ahead.

Bob just came home with ice cream. Ice cream trumps blogging, sorting and even giant dust bunnies!