From Grits to Chopsticks

Since the Christmas break is now over, we’re jumping into the challenge of trying to get ready to leave Georgia behind. Every time we’ve moved over the past years, we’ve tried to purge unneeded stuff and simplify.  But when you are moving to Asia, you’re faced with an entirely new level of sorting through everything you’ve accumulated while watching three kids progress from infants to adults.

Tim and I have been working with marginal success to sell some stuff on CraigsList here in the Atlanta area.  Included in the mix of items was the Jon Boat which we bought 10 years ago in Texas.  We’ve had some good memories in a few states with that boat, so it was hard to see the new owner hitch it up and drive away.  It reminds me of what Corrie Ten Boom said decades ago – it’s important that we hold all earthly things loosely so that it doesn’t hurt too much when they are removed from our hand.

We are also now looking for a new way to deal with our house.  While we originally had hoped for some friends to be able to rent it, they have now decided that they will be unable to do so.  Keep us in mind as we try to figure out if it is better to rent or sell, and as we look for the right resident.

We’ve also been getting ready to deal with some of the unfamiliar microbes in our new city, feeling somewhat like a pin cushion at times.  In order to get a break from the pricking (and take advantage of the longer immunity), we chose to take the Typhoid vaccine orally.  But in order to do so, you must trade one quick shot for four doses that must be taken on a careful schedule, with water, on an empty stomach.  I never realized how often I like to eat – perhaps this has been a useful exercise in self-control.