I’ve been
gone. Have you noticed? We shared Thanksgiving with my family in
Lincoln and extended the holiday by celebrating Dean’s mom’s 85th
birthday with his family before driving home, unpacking, packing again and
leaving two days later for Ecuador where we spent 12 days with Abby and
Jorge. I have lots of stories and lots
of photos. What I haven’t had is time. Time to share those stories and photos. Heck I haven’t had time to LOOK at any photos
we took. I haven’t had time to bake one Christmas
cookie or write a Christmas letter or even just sign my name to a Christmas
card, slap a stamp on it and throw it in the mailbox. (Don’t
worry Dean, I did find time to shop – a little.)
I have only
had time to unpack and make a list of things we need to bring to Leslie and
Ryan’s before we pack again to spend Christmas with them in Sheridan. We will be relaxing and napping in front of their fireplace, playing with kids
and pretty much just kicking back and being lazy. (There ARE advantages to reaching this
“golden age”!) Abby and Jorge will be spending their
Christmas with Jorge’s family at the beach dancing until dawn. I wish we could all be together again like
we were last year, but if Jorge’s Complicated/How Does Anybody Navigate This
Process?/Really? Immigration needs WHAT
piece of paper now?!/Visa Process goes well, Abby and Jorge will be living here
in the U.S. for next year’s holiday season (another story I haven’t had time to
tell). Cross your fingers!
When life
slows down and I have put our suitcases away for longer than seven days, I will
tell you stories about blue-footed boobies, pina coladas on the beach, a street
filled with luminarias, lying in bed listening to the beautiful early morning
singing flowing from the cathedral across the street from our hotel, walking on
the paramo at 13,000 feet in El Cajas National Park and listening to the deep sighs of my head-holding sick
husband as Jorge drove down winding mountain roads, brow wrinkled and tense
with worry about his father-in-law, on our last day in Ecuador.
In the
meantime, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and Joyous New Year. I hope you are all able to share it with
someone you love.
