Adelaide to Boston - A new home port

 

On the A side … in Adelaide, South Australia

Work continues slowly, but surely on the refrigeration upgrade and new counter tops for Nine of Cups. David is evaluating the timetable for the work left to be done, so we can start looking at airline tickets for him to join me in Boston. This has been a long separation for us and we look forward to a long awaited reunion. Look for another Blue View on his progress soon.

On the B side … in Boston, USA

There's always some excitement and anticipation when we arrive at a new port and I guess this is no different. My mom came home a couple of days ago and I moved in with her. I'm actually living on land … in an apartment … with my Mom … and I've unpacked my suitcase. Wow!

Records are being broken here for snowfall and accumulation. So glad it was reserved for my time here. I love the freezing cold, treacherous, slippery sidewalks and gloomy skies.

Both Mom and I have had to make some adjustments. She's used to living alone with Jelly and not relying on anyone for personal help. For the past five years, Lin has done her laundry and her grocery shopping and provided a cribbage partner, but Mom has maintained her independence quite well. I, on the other hand, am not used to living on land and definitely not used to living without David. We're doing well enough though and I'm proud to say, we're acclimating to the changes quite nicely. No mother-daughter spats although it's only been a few days!

For the near term anyway, Massachusetts will be our new home port … sans Nine of Cups.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Shoelace Day

Did you ever wonder who invented shoelaces and why? It was NOT Harvey Kennedy! Or maybe you wondered what those little plastic things on the ends of a shoelace are called? Dr. Shoelace aka Ian Fieggen has all the answers. Tie your shoes before you trip.

Full Moon

Howl at the Moon party sounds about right! Make sure your shoelaces are tied!

A to B - Continental Drift

Things are moving slowly … on both continents. It's kind of like continental drift.  

Down under in Adelaide, if you've been keeping up with David's Blue Views, he has been sweating bullets and working at removing the old refrigeration system and insulation and beginning to replace and then re-install it (and brewing beer in his spare time). It's a very big project, but with me out of the way, I think it moves faster since there's no one there to distract the captain nor whine about the mess. He's having his challenges, but he seems to be making progress forward … always a good sign. Expect a Blue View blog update soon.

On the North American continent here in Boston, things have been moving at a snail's pace. For the first couple of weeks, I spent a few hours each day with my mom visiting, chatting, encouraging. In Rehab, she was frustrated with trying to re-learn simple things like standing up, dressing and walking … things that she's been doing for over 8-1/2 decades. She's always been independent and her patience level with having to work at these basic tasks and wait for assistance is still minimal. Now I know where my impatience gene came from!

We have decided that bringing her home to her apartment is the best option for her. Jelly and I will move in with her and eventually David will join us. My sister, Lin, and her family live close and between all of us, we think we can give her the care she needs.

It's the first day of Spring here in the northern hemisphere. A time of rebirth and renewal. I refer to this as “vita rumpo” ... life interrupted … a little side trip when life interrupts what you're doing.

Days and Ways to Celebrate

A daily list of mostly obscure holidays and fun ways to celebrate them.

Snowman Burning Day

It's time to burn the snowman effigy. It's the vernal equinox in the north...Spring's here. Autumnal equinox for you downunders.

Festival of Extraterrestrial Abductions Day

You missed the International UFO Congress unfortunately. It was earlier in February this year, but it's not too early to plan for next year OR you could subscribe to their Open Minds magazine OR watch a good alien flick at home. I'd go for the flick myself.

A to B - Adelaide to Boston...what's going on?

 

Since David is in Adelaide and I'm on the other side of the world in Boston presently, it's been a challenge keeping in sync. The 15-1/2 hour time difference definitely poses some problems. We talk to each other twice a day via Skype. His morning is my afternoon; my morning is his evening. It's crazy, but somehow, with concerted effort, it's working.

Internet, especially Skype, has made long range communication pretty easy. David is currently working on replacing countertops in the galley and updating our refrigeration. Something he's wanted to do for ages. He wanted my input on the countertop selection (wise man, huh?). I went to Home Depot here in Massachusetts and found Formica and Wilsonart samples I liked. I gave David the names of what I liked and he, in turn, went to the local Bunnings in Adelaide and was able to order the chosen material. How easy was that?

While David is doing boat projects, I'm spending lots of time with my Mom and sister. My Mom is still very weak, but is hanging in. She's in a Rehab facility trying hard to regain her strength and mobility, but it's a tough uphill battle. She tires easily and is frustrated and impatient with her slow progress. I find myself on the other side of the coin now encouraging her. It seems like yesterday when I was frustrated learning to tie my shoes and she encouraged me to keep at it and I'd eventually succeed. (I think I was around 24 when I finally got it right.)

It's cold here in Massachusetts. Days are short and gray. While David is sweating in the late Adelaide summer, I'm freezing my buns off at the tail end of a New England winter. There's still plenty of snow on the ground and it doesn't seem to be melting. I've borrowed t-necks and heavy sweaters and parkas from Lin. I'm wearing flannel Pjs, socks and an undershirt to bed under a mountain of quilts and blankets while David has the fan going and throws off the sheet during the night to keep cool.

Being 24x7 together for most of the past 13 years, it's been a hard adjustment being apart. It'll make the reunion in a another few weeks all the sweeter.