Homeless [temporarily] and Looking Forward

As of noon today, we are homeless. Kinda STRESSFUL. However, our outlook is shifting towards ‘what’s next’ instead of ‘what’s in front of our face.’ A welcome change, I might add, from the angst of moving out of our family’s home! [“Those are MY flowers in that yard! That’s OUR kitchen. That was ROBERT’S place to sit…Those were BRENDAN’S stairs to hop down…”] I didn’t expect such strong emotions for all of this. It’s making my face break out!

‘Stuff’ is fleeting. Hear me. Just sticks and stones. It’s wonderful, and we’re thankful and grateful for the things we have….but at the end of the day, really, it’s still just STUFF. It can’t go with you when it’s time for the big farewell in the sky. The memories and the love, however, come along with us for the ride!

Next stop, finding an apartment in Clermont-Ferrand. We’ve been sending emails at 3.00 am, literally, so that the person in France will receive it the first thing in their business day! Typical crisis du jour things. We may even end up renting an apartment sight unseen (!!!), due to the possibility of a sweet opportunity that seems to have fallen in our lap through another Michelin ex-pat family.

Tanner had an oral & written exam via Skype with a professeur from the Université Clermont Auvergne. I guarantee that mon mari is not the first American to say bonjour with a slightly Southernized accent. 🙂 I usually don’t believe in giving “A’s for Effort,” but considering the difficulty in learning and pronouncing Le Français, I’d award him a trophy! (Most Improved, perhaps. 🙂 )

The Université has 37,000 students. Think University of Georgia! An entire city unto itself. We’ll be taking French lessons there twice a week once settled, and I think it will be very fun to be in class on campus.

—I just this hour found out that our lifetime family friend, Johnnie Frese, just passed away. She and her husband hosted our wedding reception 34 years ago in their beautiful, fairy-tale backyard garden. A fun, witty, smart professional woman who loved my mom and Dad and her two miniature horses, Gypsie and Molly. God bless you, Johnnie, and your husband, Erwin “Red” Frese.

Heading to Tulsa tomorrow with Tanner (yippee!), courtesy of Brendan and Delta stand-by perks….thank you, thank you, thank you! Can’t wait to see Mom, Larry, Myrna, Cheryl, family and friends.

Happy birthday to our beautiful daughter (IL), Leslie!!!! Wishing you bouquets of happiness every day of the year! Je t’aime!One more thing – shoutout to Soraya, Brendan’s love, who slammed down a nursing school exam recently…..AWESOME JOB, GIRL!