The long goodbye

We have have had the longest goodbye. It started in January when we made the decision to move. After Bill's surgery in late January and our return here in late February, we've been saying goodbye over and over.

And it recalls the phrase: "How can we miss you if you won't go away?" and we laugh. 

But now we're down to the last few weeks. Just two and a half weeks, to be exact, sixteen days. Last weekend we were invited to a small farewell dinner. This weekend we will have a going away party (oh Thank You for not trying to make it a surprise party!). Then Santizos come for a few days - then we wrap up packing and leave on June 8, fly out on June 9. 

But we've been spending that time well! We've been selling the major things, and giving away smaller things that we aren't using. The things we are using, we have tagged for people who have expressed interest. So all over our house, we have tags like this:

And, we've dedicated some shelves for give-aways. As we go through our things, we just drop them off on the shelves. Each time someone comes over, like for the two meetings for service each week, they 'shop' at our free 'paca' (stores down here that sell used or surplus goods from the US, cheap).

And of course... packing. Julene Eisenhauer and her mother flew up to the states and kindly brought up three suitcases already. And we are flying first class, since that way, we can bring three free suitcases of 70# each, instead of one free suitcase at 50# each. So, it pays off! We already have most of them packed. Mostly what we are packing are things we are attached to - something someone (like Ron Tellessen) made us, things we bought on travels, things from my mother, my sister, and so on. And lots of Guatemalan crafts. We just are leaving a few items yet to pack in the last few days - mostly just some kitchen things and clothes. Then ... whoosh ... we're gone ... and we'll wonder where the time went!

Now it feels real.