Fourths

Stop me if you've read this one before. It too sounds vaguely familiar. Sorry Jess, I know you read this one before and were deeply insulted. On the bright side, you proved to us that you were definately up to the challenge.

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France - posted May 25,2003

I was outside today pseudo-gardening. Just puttering around, pulling a weed here and there, watering this and that, moving, dividing. I say pseudo-gardening because I was really too distracted to stick with any one project long term. In addition to my A.D.D. I just kept thinking that there is nothing I can do, that two (or three) years of neglect aren’t going to undo anyway.

I set up the oscillating sprinkler over the main ‘mound’, as we refer to the big bed in the middle of the front yard, we’ve had plenty of rain but it was calm enough out that the water wouldn’t get blown all over so I thought I’d just take advantage and make sure everything is good and watered.

My giant hosta is three years old and its leaves are finally beginning to live up to expectations. The delphinium is gigantic too. The oriental poppies are in full bloom, the reds almost done, the pinks and whites just starting. Everything is doing gloriously this spring; the garden is having a rare year.

My A.D.D. was brought on by an on-line session today ‘googling’ France. I found an expatriate web site that had loads of information on moving to and living there. Unfortunately, the more I read the more stressed I became. So many things to do and remember so many things will be different. I have lists all over the house. “Furniture Measurements”, “Questions for Scott” (our attorney), “Questions for their attorney” (tax and immigration attorneys hired by the company), “Questions for the HR Orientation Person”, “What to take – air shipment”, “What to take – sea shipment”, “People to call”, “Services to Cancel”…Then on line looking for apartment/house rentals, although the company promises help with this, we only get one week (June 7 – 14) to look for houses. I want a head start, one week is not nearly enough time and we have to have a place set before the movers arrive so I know what we can take. All info says to be prepared for size shock; accommodations in France are smaller. Houses are not so small but, only in suburbs. Apartments in town are small and I would rather be suburban but there will be a car issue. I won’t have one, or at least not right away. The expat. page also has advice on shopping, services and language, all of it useful but so overwhelming.

Have begun packing and sorting things like photo albums I’ll take, Christmas ornaments (must remember to add Christmas tree stand to “Things to Take List” as expat. page says that although trees are easy to find, stands are not.)(??) Trying to find a converter/surge protector strip for computer peripherals, but Radio Shack says no such animal. Have to purchase individual converters for Printer, Scanner, etc. but how will I plug everything in that I need? Have to e-mail peripherals companies and question individually to see if any special things I should know…The more I think the longer the lists the more stressed I get. What kind of trouble am I going to have getting hooked to the internet? Am I going to have to go back to PHONE LINES? Do they have DSL or cable?

J will be staying here, but will visit often. She and our other 'adopted' daughters are already plotting the complete take-over and makeover of our house. J is looking forward to some independence and responsibility and some partying too no doubt (but we really don't want to know about that). She'll be starting her junior year of college in the fall. The neighbors have been alerted and she has a long list of emergency contact people for every conceivable eventuality and feels prepared to be an adult. Continuing my penchant for lists I've spent the last couple of months creating a "Who You Gonna Call" list, a list so detailed and extensive that it is quickly becoming a "Who You Gonna Call" notebook.

I have also spent the last few months telling Jess the truth about the dishwasher, grocery and toilet paper fairies. Two years ago when we finally broke the news to her about the 'new school clothes' fairy, she took it well and began an ambitious project to purchase her own new school clothes. I hope that the new revelations spark an equal response and I have great confidence in my beautiful daughter to overcome these blows and rise to the occasion. We've also begun responding to every request for assistance with "Mom and Dad live in France, they can't help you..." so far it's going well.

Haven’t really slept in days and the move is still at least seven weeks away (hoping for 9). Keep waking up at 3:00 a.m. (the witching hour) with stuff just racing through my head. I’d get up and write it all down but I’d be up all night making lists. So instead I just lay there awake, tossing and turning, at this rate…wait a minute, bright side looming... MAYBE I’LL LOSE WEIGHT!

Looking outside to see how the ‘mound’ watering is going and a wind seems to have come up. There is water all over the neighbors drive way. This doesn’t usually happen, this wind is blowing in from an unusual direction though; it seems to be coming from the east? Unusual. Hmm…must be the wind of change.