It also means that I have let many things slip - blogging, responding to e-mails and even leaving comments on friends blogs. With the former I am not at a loss, god knows, for subjects just for the time and inspiration. For the e-mails I am ashamed and have a few people that will be receiving e-mails that will begin with heart felt apologies for ignoring the senders. For the later I want to assure all my friends - David, Debra, Jacque-Sue, Yvette et al - that I do read your blogs faithfully just that often the only thing I can think to say in the way of a comment is "thank you for posting" - hardly the wittiest or most intelligent response to the hard work that goes into writing a posting.
The move involves compiling a complete inventory of everything that will be shipped back to Canada, finding a house to live in, arranging travel for the Hounds from Hell in the summer months when many airlines won't transport animals and a checklist of things that fills three pages of single spaced items. Fortunately I have Laurent to keep me on track when I threaten to go off the rails about things and he in turn has me for those moments when hyperventilation sets in.
And to be honest at this point the news that we would be returning to Ottawa, though not unexpected, has led to a minor period of depression. Life here has been incredible, and frankly charmed, on so many levels and though I knew it would eventually come to an end I tend to put that sort of thing out of my mind until I run smack into it. As things slowed down a bit at the start of this week I was having time to think. But before I got myself into too deep a funk I received an e-mail from a friend who in two sentences gave me some perspective on it. Dayle and I met through tragic circumstances which I will not rehearse at this time but out of that tragedy came a friendship - though we have only met face to face once I think our notes back and forth in the past four years allow me to call it that. I'm not sure how she sensed how I was feeling this week but sense it she did and wrote:
You guys have had a great 4 yrs chocked full of good times and wonderful memories. Remember to think of what you have had - not what you are losing.Cara Dayle many thanks for that reminder - it was needed and timely.
Now to sit down and work on: the inventory, a few postings and those e-mails.
31 marzo - Sant'Amos
