Category Archives: Thoughts on a ________

April 14, 2025 · 9:11 pm

“Seasons in Chiang Mai, Thailand

  • Hot Season (March-May): This is the warmest time of the year, with temperatures potentially reaching above 35°C (95°F). 
  • Rainy Season (June-October): This season brings heavy rainfall, especially in June to August, with July having the most rainfall. 
  • Cool Season (November-February): This is the most comfortable time to visit, with daytime highs around 30°C (85°F) and cooler evenings. 

Key points to consider:

  • Air Quality: During the late dry season (March-May), air quality can be affected by agricultural burning in the surrounding areas. 
  • Festivals: Chiang Mai has several festivals throughout the year, including Yee Peng and Loy Krathong in November, and the Chiang Mai Flower Festival in February. 
  • Songkran: The Thai New Year, Songkran, is celebrated in mid-April and involves water throwing. 

The image above is from Harvey’s and my creating of metal decorations to attach to our mailbox when we lived in Greenwood, Arkansas. This we called, “Hot Man,” and a lot of people related to him during the hottest part of the summer.

In our new home, there are three ‘seasons,’ but ALL of them are hot. Right now, the ‘hot season’ is also known as the ‘smoky season,’ because farmers are burning off the residue of harvesting crops for the season, to prepare for the next one. Air purifiers are really getting a work out now, and they do a great job. We have two of them in our air bnb. I don’t know how many we’ll need in the new condo when we move (around the end of April or beginning of May when all the paperwork is done, filed, etc.)

Our son describes the seasons as “smoky,” “rainy,” “hot,” and “hotter.” 😳

I AM starting to acclimate a bit. I used to shower in the morning and then it would take me half an hour or so – sitting in front of the fan over and over – to get dry enough to dress. This was with the a/c set at 19 or 20 degrees celcius (66.2 degrees F.) Now I have it set to 29 (84.2 degrees F). With the fan moving the air in the room, I’m comfortable. I’m taking a much cooler shower and blow drying my hair with the cool setting.

When we go to the hospital, they have the temperature set at 20 – making it feel like a meat locker. We have to put up with it in the ICU, but in the private room we found where we could turn it OFF! 👍🏻

My husband had his pacemaker installation yesterday and spent the night in ICU. Hoping he can move to his private room again today. We leave in a second.

Have a good day.

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April 13, 2025 · 6:44 pm

Harvey’s Private Room

This is part of the view from Harvey’s private room on the 11th floor of Bangkok Hospital. Last night we saw fireworks from the festival out one part of the window. They were wonderful, but I felt just looking at his view of the city was spectacular on its own.

Another part of his view out the same window.

This was the part where the fireworks display was to the left of the view.

This is nicer than some apartments I’ve lived in in the past. Some nurses came in yesterday to give him a bath, and there was a curtain they pulled between here and his bed to give him privacy from any other personnel entering the room, and another they pulled between where we were seated by the window and his bed.

TV with remote. Brian had to re-teach how to turn the TV on, plus change channels, but Harvey picked it up pretty quickly. The personnel put him through a whole lot today, so he quickly fell asleep while ‘watching’ something.

Added ‘bonus’ of this view of his bathroom is the image of the amateur photographer😂 trying to take the picture!

His shower. He’s having bed baths now, but hopefully, he’ll get to the point where he can enjoy a shower with help into the bathroom, sitting down while he showers, and help back to bed. Ahhhh!

This completes the tour of his private room. I can’t say enough about the good care he received yesterday. Not only competent and a good rotation of people in and out, but CARING. Patting his hand, painting his forehead and cheeks with a bit of water based ‘paint’ to bring him good luck in the coming year (via the Water Festival celebrations), squeezing his hand and talking to him when trying to calm him when needed, and encouraging him and cheering when he was able to sit, stand for a few seconds, and more.

We’re going to the hospital early today, hopefully arriving dry there on Day 2 of the festival, so we can hopefully talk with the night nurse we hired to stay with him before knowing how good the care would be.

We are hopeful to see more improvement, good results from the CT scan of the brain for signs of any bleeding, before MAYBE scheduling or actually doing the placement of the pacemaker. today. Please continue thinking good thoughts for us.

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April 13, 2025 · 10:07 am

Day 6 in the hospital

Today was Day 6 in the hospital. After a carotid artery ultrasound, he was moved from ICU to a private room. We are now on the 11th floor of the hospital. I think this is the top floor.

We were worried about this move because we thought he still needed the really close monitoring, and we didn’t know what to expect in a private room. We hired an extra nurse for tonight to make sure he got the care he needed.

After spending the day in his room, we are calm now that he is receiving excellent care. There are nurses, physical therapists, doctors, and all sorts of people coming in all the time to do some special thing.

He had a really good session of physical therapy today, with him sitting on the side of the bed by himself for a minute or two (bookended by the therapist and her strong male aid), standing twice and lasting for several seconds both times, getting arms and legs exercised, encouraging him to do the moves, but aiding him if he wasn’t able to fully yet, and more. He showed a lot of progress and really put honest effort into it.

He said several words today – one word answers to questions, but answers don’t have to be lengthy, do they? He tried to say other things but we couldn’t understand. He kept putting his hands up near his nose, concerning us, because he still has the nasal feeding tube in. We explained to him that he needed to leave it alone, but then watched him like a hawk because his hand would come up over and over. We explained what the tube was for, and that it would be removed once he showed he could swallow reliably. I also mentioned at one point that if he managed to get it out, they would have to put it back in. Hopefully, that and the extra nurse watching him tonight will do the trick.

The carotid artery ultrasound showed plaque in both arteries, but not enough to cause a stroke or need surgery. They think the stroke was caused by atrial fibrillation plus really slow heartbeats per minute to the point of stopping for some seconds (this sounds similar to MY problem in February! He is now scheduled for a brain CT tomorrow we think, to make sure there is no bleeding. Next they will install a pacemaker (the second in our family in two months!) They think that the pacemaker and a blood thinner that they will start soon will give him the best chance going forward.

We went to the hospital today with all electronics in plastic bags. Brian even got us fancy bags for our cellphones especially made for protection during the water festival. It hangs around your neck, completely sealed. We made it to the hospital without incident. It started raining while we were there, making it really difficult to navigate on the way home through the throng of party-goers undeterred by the rain, all heading to Maya for drenching, dancing, listening to music, drinking until all hours, etc. I have honestly never seen anything like this.

Three lanes of vehicles on either side of the big highway and several lanes of motorcycles and motor scooters, each holding from one to four people – and animals! all darting in and out of the lanes, between the cars, nose to tail all traveling at a high rate of speed. Truly amazing to watch. And then a gazillion people walking on both sides and filling up all available space. The rain was causing the streets to flood, and water was half way up my shoes when we got back to our condo. Thankfully, though the entrance to the condos was full of revelers, no one shot us.

This was Day One of the Songkran new year’s water festival. We have two days not only LIKE, but exceeding what I saw today. Hard to imagine. It’s a challenge to travel, and if we didn’t need to, we wouldn’t. We ordered a Mexican dinner to be delivered this evening, but were notified the order was cancelled due to the Grab motorcyle rider refusing to deliver in the pouring rain. I don’t blame him. Luckily, we had some chicken and some canteloupe left over from yesterday.

Here’s to Day Two of the Water Festival. I really hope we don’t get doused because Harvey’s room is like a meat locker.

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April 12, 2025 · 8:53 pm

A Small Thank You

While we were at the hospital, Brian ordered several things to be delivered to the condo receiving area, including some dinner for us.

He was primarily ordering things to give to the two men who work in the parking area of the building who he had to wake up for help the night my husband had his stroke and needed an ambulance. They called for one, got the people up to our place, helped get Harvey on a stretcher and into the ambulance. How do you ‘thank’ people for going above and beyond like that, in the middle of the night when they are not on duty?

We got home and hauled everything upstairs to his condo. We came down to our air bnb and ate dinner, then went back up to divide the gifts between two big bags. We got things like three kinds of fancy nuts, some soup, some tomato type drink in an 8 pack, fancy coffee, and a big heavy box Brian says is a food Thai people love, plus cans of tuna. We also got a music playing thing for both of them to share. I think that’s it.

We went down toward the parking area and found the first man doing duty in the office/control area for the building. We thanked him profusely, Brian speaking Thai, and me trying to pronounce ‘thank you’ in my awful, but sincere, Thai accent – “cawp coon, CA!” bowing and putting my hands together. The man seemed to be saying the equivalent of ‘I was just doing my job,’ or “it wasn’t much,” but we knew differently. We left him starting to open the big bag.

We found the 2nd man on duty at his post at the front and to the side of the parking area and repeated our actions.

We felt good to be able to personally thank the two men face to face so they knew how special we think they are. There is simply no way to thank someone when they help through a traumatic situation to get help for someone you love.

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April 11, 2025 · 8:43 pm

Food in Thailand

Brian ordered delivery of some chicken tenders recently to go with the fruit and salad we already had. It came in a box with this message on the lid. I’m not sure if he had ever ordered from this place before. They just take the information from the electronic order and make the experience personal and pleasant.😊

Food is literally everywhere in Thailand. There are small stalls up and down every street, shops everywhere, people cooking on the street, restaurants, etc. Brian is trying to help us get healthier by sticking to a simple low carb diet for us since we are wusses about hot or spicy food, and we’ve had such incredible health problems starting in February when we were still in the states.

We can order almost everything – a whole cut up roasted chicken, slices of pork, salads, eggs and bacon, chicken tenders, soup, and more. Brian orders and pays for it via his phone. A few minutes later, his order has been delivered to the lobby/office/mail area downstairs by Grab (their Uber) and he is notified. He goes down and retrieves it. And the prices are really amazing. My husband and I had chicken, pork, fruit and salad for a total of $6.00 – delivered, within 20 minutes. We created a chef salad recently for the three of us by ordering salad with hard boiled egg and all kinds of other things, plus some chicken strips separately. We cut up the chicken into the salad, divided shares, and dug in. All for a bit over $6 for the three of us.

We are weird here, not liking spicy/hot food, AND we are trying to get healthier, eat low carb, and I’m still trying to lose the lard. We are also walking most days until my husband had his stroke. Now my ‘exercise’ is walking in the hospital to ICU where Harvey is, out to the waiting area when they need us to leave, downstairs for a hot coffee to warm up, as we did for the first time yesterday, etc. We will try for more when life returns to normal.

Happily, just looking on his phone, Brian comes up with a lot of variety for us with different meat, eggs, fruits on the Keto approved list, and salads. We have been delighted with our meals since we came, thanks to him. When we move into our new condo around the end of the month, I will have an extremely small kitchen, augmented by equipment we can get, such as a crockpot, a vous vide (equipment that allows precise cooking on everything known to man, including meat, fish, veggies, etc. in a sealed pouch and water.) I had never heard of this and am eager to try it. We’ll get a hard boiled egg cooker, a hot water pot, and maybe an air fryer. We’ll look at things carefully.

Honestly, as cheap and delicious as whole cooked, cut up chickens, and sliced pork done to perfection are, it’s hard to fight simple continuing to order those. Most people here seem to have one main deep skillet they use to cook lots and lots of things. It’ll be fun.

Did I make you hungry yet? 😜

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April 10, 2025 · 6:49 pm

Songkran

Songkran

Festival

“Thai New Year or Songkran, also known as Songkran Festival, Songkran Splendours, is the Thai New Year’s national holiday. Songkran is on 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14 to 15 April.” – wikipedia

This is a city-wide celebration of the Thai new year. People celebrate by buying the biggest water guns they can find (sold everywhere right now) or standing on balconies and dumping buckets of water on the passersby below.

If you go on the street the 13th through the 15th you are giving your consent to be completely drowned by delighted participants. It doesn’t matter who you are, young or old, you will be hosed down or dumped on.

Our son, Brian, participated one year and that was enough for him. We plan to stay in, have food delivered, stock up on water so we don’t have to go out. I plan to watch from my bay window alcove in our air bnb when I can.

The only problem this year is that Brian and I will be traveling to the hospital and back each day during the festivities. I don’t know if we can call a Grab, wait on the street and get into the car without getting hosed. Hopefully, we can. Otherwise, it will be a long, cold day in wet clothes in the frigid hospital.

Maybe we should take backpacks wrapped in trash bags to have some dry clothes to change into…

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April 10, 2025 · 8:26 am

Update on Day 3 at Hospital

The good news is that my husband doing enough better that they removed his breathing tube. This is a huge positive step. He still has a tube for possible oxygen and a feeding tube.

I was hoping to hear him speak, but it wasn’t in the cards today. A therapist came in to see where he was in being able to speak and follow directions. She asked him to swallow, asked him to say “ooh” and “ahh”. We all encouraged him, but he just couldn’t. His lower lip is swollen from the breathing tube and he seemed to have trouble getting his tongue to do what he wanted. I was really disappointed, but tomorrow is another day.

I lost it when Brian sat at his side and held his hand. My husband immediately squeezed it, and Brian sat there for a long time, giving him comfort. It was a beautiful, though sad, sight. We traded places all during the day and evening. I think our efforts helped my husband today. This is the first time he was more than vaguely aware we were there.

Another bright spot was when Brian asked if he wanted to watch TV. Imagine finding a Steven Segal movie when everyone spoke Thai! We muted it, but my husband now had motivation to keep his eyes open. 😂

We left, exhausted, at 6:30. We ordered some food and combined it with what I had left in the fridge. We hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so food was welcome.

We will both hit the hay early tonight. It’s 8:19 pm on Thursday here. We’ll be back at the hospital by 9 or so in the morning, geared up to encourage my husband while bolstering each other. We are SO lucky to have our son.

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April 9, 2025 · 2:09 am

Kindness- Compassion

I have been here a little over one week and I am amazed at the kindness and compassion shown to our son and the complete strangers that we are.

One example was when I suddenly was overcome by the heat and “Tourista” and needed help getting back to our place. We weren’t far and our son ran to get a wheelchair from our building. He couldn’t find one and came back, calling a Grab. While we were waiting, two complete strangers came and offered help.

The man who works at the parking area in our building dropped everything and called an ambulance for us in the early morning when my husband had his emergency. We will try to thank him for that.

The man who runs the massage placed was really concerned when our son explained why we had to cancel our Friday massages.
The lady who works in the office in the building asked how Brian’s dad was.
Each of the doctors helping my husband searches us out and takes to a computer to show and explain the test results, what they think and will do next, plus answer questions. I have never had a doctor do this.

To say I am impressed just doesn’t tell you how I feel.

This is an amazing group of people like you won’t see anywhere else. We feel special and welcomed. Such a warm wonderful feeling in what is a very scary situation!

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April 6, 2025 · 11:16 pm

Monday 4-7-2025

I melted when Lisa sent me this photo of her husband (and our new friend, Tim) and our sweet dog, Amber. Tim and his family adopted Amber when we decided to move to Thailand. We met this wonderful family when we were starting to shed some of our stuff before an auction that will be held next month.

Tim, Lisa, and their daughter, Serena, each found things they would like – happily falling in love with Amber in the process and providing a loving home for her. Amber won the lottery, gaining a new family, complete with kids, dogs, and a cat. I think this is a classic photo of bliss. I’m so happy for all of us.

My husband and I got our first pedicures ever yesterday. (yes on Sunday!) To say we’re delighted and feel quite pampered is a vast understatement. My husband looked astounded at how good his poor, diabetic feet looked and felt.
That’s the most important thing here. He wouldn’t allow me to photograph his feet, so you’ll have to make do with mine. I feel very decadent, having such well scrubbed, lotioned feet with well cut toenails, including the ones that have been trying to become ingrown, and my mauve colored toenails. 😌 We will see how long their good work lasts, and then plan to return for another pedicure.

I wrote a good review on their website yesterday. Brian says that a lot of small shops like this one struggle to make a good living, and I was particularly impressed by the great job the lady did on my husband’s feet, since I have tried to cut his toenails and had a very hard time, both cutting the nails and not hurting him. I hope the review helps them because they really deserve it.

This is our condo building. It’s called “Hillside 2”, and has 10 floors. We are in an air bnb on the 4th floor while we wait for our condo on the 5th floor to be available for us to move in. Our friends are on the 8th floor, and our son is on the 9th floor. We are all in good communication. Our massage place is on the lobby level, and there are two halves of a 7-11 on either side of the lobby level. One has more pharmaceuticals and the other more general supplies. There is a also a place we can wait in comfort while our son calls for a Grab to take us someplace.

We stopped for a coffee this morning at the end of our walk, right next to our building, called, “Yesterday.” My husband likes the cappuccinos they make while I’m becoming addicted to iced coffee. While we were there, Brian’s friend, Effie, came over to our table visit with her seven month old daughter, who is cute as a button, in a stroller. The baby held Brian’s finger, and smiled when my husband played with her toes. She captivated everyone. Plus, we got an invitation for dinner Wednesday evening! 😊

I think I go see the ear doctor tomorrow. Hopefully, he can help me get my hearing back.

I hope that your days are joyful.

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April 5, 2025 · 10:24 pm

Sunday 4-6-2025

This is my new computer! It looks greeen in this photo, but it’s glorious purple. The screensaver I chose is of Dubai, not only because I like the photo, but also because ‘it’s purple.’ ☺️. I’m really having to work at using the keyboard because it’s little and cute and the keys are much closer together than I am used to. I’m trying to place my fingers on the home row and then plant my wrists on the counter so I don’t flail as much. I’ll get this. It’s going to be wonderful. Any problems are user errors🤪.

We just came in from a morning walk. We did a little better today. We said hi to the koi fish, rested a bit, walked on to our people-watching steps and rested some more, and then came home. There are LOTS of steps in our walk and the streets and sidewalks are very uneven – a challenge for old, weak folks. We have to really watch where we are going, when we’d rather be swiveling our heads trying to see everything. We are getting better at doing the walk, not falling on our heads, AND getting to fish and people watch.

We are going for our first ever pedicures today! My husband is a diabetic, though he’ll deny that, saying he has a sugar problem. He has trouble with his feet and we would like to provide something that eases that and brings him comfort. Hopefully, the pedicure will solve a couple of problems for him. I’m just along for the ride, soaking up the luxury of having one.

Not sure what else is in store for us today, but it’s all good. We are solving problems daily on endless details needed for us to be legal, up and functional, etc. We will solve all this eventually, and are learning new things every day.

I hope things are good for you today. It’s Sunday here, 10:21 am.

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April 5, 2025 · 12:24 am

Saturday in Thailand 4-5-2025

It’s almost noon here. If I’m calculating correctly, that means it’s midnight on the 4th for people in the United States. I hope that my publishing this doesn’t cause notifications that wake you up.

I took a picture of my brand new computer (!) with my phone but I can’t get it to show up here yet. It’s lovely. It’s lovely, purple, and the brains of the thing are in the monitor. Other than the slim monitor, there is what to ME is a teeny tiny keyboard on which I am bringing “fumble-fingered” to a new art form. Then there is the rectangular “mouse.”

All my computer habits are wrong now and I’m frantically practicing and taking notes on how to add websites I frequent to a special favorites folder, get ONTO the websites and do what I normally do, all the while typing the wrong keys… I will learn how to use this. It’s sleek, stylish and not at all like its owner – but that can be one of its character-building tasks. 🤪

I went to get an audiogram this morning regarding the sudden hearing loss I have since I left the hospital. We will now take the results back to the ear specialist I saw last evening. I really am amazed that people have evening hours and have appointments on the weekends here. I’m going to get used to this in a hurry. 😄

My husband and I have an appointment for pedicures tomorrow (Sunday!) This is especially wonderful since my husband has Type II Diabetes and needs to take care of his feet, which have numb spots. His toenails are especially hard to cut, so having a pedicure by someone who understands his situation will be wonderful. I’m going along for one, too, just to indulge myself. Neither of us has ever had one.

We are trying to do two walks a day now, continuing to try to build our strength. Yesterday we took one while the maids were here to clean the air bnb. It’s included in the price of this place. This is the first time I have ever had anyone clean a place I lived, and I really like it. Our son has a maid come either once a week or once every other week, I can’t remember. He says it costs next to nothing. Amazing.

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April 3, 2025 · 8:09 pm

A Day of Therapy

Another view from our future condo.

Each day here is filled with new things – new sights, sounds, ways of doing things, things to learn and enjoy.

Yesterday I had a massage. The place is right in the lobby of our building. I contacted Effie, a friend who lives in the building, asking for her recommendation. She gave me “Weaw” (pronounced “way-o”) saying she would give me a good gentle oil massage. I booked an appointment for 2pm.

I was really unsure because my therapist Lynn Moody, spoiled me forever for anyone else. (Lynn, if you are reading this, I love and miss you and wish I could hug your neck).

Weaw was little bitty and cute as a button. I was glad I specified gentle because she had super strong hands and fingers plus used her knees to do everything including folding me into a paper airplane and flying me out the window during my session .

I felt really good afterwards. The incredible thing was the cost – $10!

I have signed up now for a massage every Friday 😊. I even convinced Furface, my curmudgeon husband, to try one next Friday with her. I even got him to bow and smile as we left.

I also saw an ear specialist yesterday because my hearing is really bad since I left the hospital. He checked me over and is sending me for an audiogram, the results of which we will take back to him. Hopefully he will be able to restore my hearing.

I hope you are well. I learned – Kind of – to say thank to yesterday. I won’t try to spell it, but it sounds like,”Cawp coon Ca!”

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April 2, 2025 · 10:11 pm

Walks

This is my husband with the eyeshades our son Brian got for him. I laugh every time I look at him.

We have been trying to rebuild our strength after being sick for so long. We are essentially building up from nothing, so making it around the “block” this morning was really good for us.

We found a koi “run” on our walk this morning. It was long and narrow, with running water and nice shade, plus protection from things falling from the trees overhead. We rested and looked at the beautiful fish.

Most of them were about 16 inches long. There was a white one, several orange ones , and several combinations of colors. Lots of small ones, too.

We enjoyed them for quite a while. Such a treat!

Note- my son said I look funny typing on my phone with one finger, and that I should be using 2 thumbs. So this post has been typed with my 2 thumbs – still looking funny.😜

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April 1, 2025 · 8:42 pm

Water

You must use bottled water for drinking or cooking.

You must concentrate on staying hydrated. We drink water with every meal and then sip water constantly throughout the day.

There is only hot water in the bathroom shower. There is hot water heater hanging on the wall of the shower that you can dial to the desired temperature.

Tap water is used for all else, including washing dishes. I was kind of shocked, but our son Brian told us that is common here. He has been doing that for 9 years and is quite healthy.

Everyone washes dishes by hand. Much of what we are eating is ordered in, so very few dishes involved. Brian cooks for us and washes the dishes right away. This is to discourage any teeny tiny ants or other bugs. Brian said if he doesn’t wash and dry all surfaces quickly, he sees the tiny ants. I saw some on the counter around the sink in our air BnB, and quickly followed his lead. None since thanks for hanging in while I am laboriously using one finger on my phone to send you one post.

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March 25, 2025 · 8:46 am

Virtual Trip

Qatar Airlines Business Class

I’ll try to take you with us as we go to our new life in Thailand.

We leave tomorrow (Wednesday) from Ft. Smith, AR. We do the quick up and down flight to Dallas/Ft. Worth. We have a 3 hour layover at DFW.

We then board for our longest flight (14 hours) from DFW to Doha, Qatar. We will be in the lap of luxury on this flight, flying Business Class, for the first and last time in our lives. The seats are arranged kind of in 4 seat ‘cubes.’ Our son will be in one facing us and we’ll be side by side across from him. Can you believe that we can actually be comfortable sleeping? Our son is encouraging us to stay hydrated, plus get up at regular intervals to go to the bathroom and stretch our legs all during this time. He has requested diabetic food menus for us, but we’ll watch what my husband orders like hawks, too, just in case.

There is a layover when we arrive in Doha. Then we board a 6-hour flight to Bangkok, Thailand. This is also Business Class. Woo-HOO!

The change from Bangkok, where we go through customs again and the flight we catch to Chiang Mai, our destination, is a short time one. Our son found a service that will meet our flight, get us on an underground train, get us through customs, recheck our bags, and get us to the gate for the flight to Chiang Mai. That was a big concern, since we are old and slow and the window to the last flight was narrow.

We will arrive in Chiang Mai in the afternoon their time on Friday, March 28th. (They are 12 hours ahead of us in the U.S. )

Our son will make one more backup of our data on our computers here, probably tomorrow morning, so I will only do a short blog post then. At that point, I will only be able to post (I hope) from my phone until he gets my computer set up in the AirBnB we’ll stay in for about 3 weeks until paperwork is signed and we can move into our new home.

I will TRY to figure out a way to send pics. I will be taking pics via my phone, but may have to wait to share those with you on the new computer.

I wanted to give you at least a virtual ride-along, though, and will communicate as best I can in the interim.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

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March 25, 2025 · 7:03 am

Hard to Believe

Pam Grout

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow we’ll be on our way to a new life.

We are happy that Amber’s new parents, Tim and Lisa, will come this afternoon for a visit. I’m sad that they live down the road from here and we just met them. They are a wonderful family, surrounding Amber with attention, good care, and lots of love. It will be nice to relax and get to know them better this afternoon. We have promised each other to text and email each other so we can keep up the new friendship (and kind of extended family).

My husband has a last haircut this morning. Michael Remillard of Tangles has taken care of us for years. We may find someone else who will do a decent job on our hair, but we’ve shared a friendship with Michael, and that is not replaceable.

Lots of details left, but we’re closing in on being able to leave tomorrow.

My husband is doing really well with the strict low carb. (Though he had started to eat some pretzels yesterday when I saw him. I snatched the bag out of his hand, admonished him, and threw that and another bag that had been in the pantry a long time into the trash. We then made a low carb snack for him. (He realized that he had just ‘thought’ about eating something, wasn’t really hungry, and felt guilty.) We took a walk around the house and out to the shop. Later on, HE announced he was taking a walk. I ‘graciously’ accompanied him. :0) We went around the house again and out to the shop, and then a bit farther, out to the old garden area. We’ll try to do that again today.

We’re finishing last-minute details. The three of us will work together to get my husband packed, organized about what he’ll wear on the trip, and our backpacks carefully packed tomorrow.

Hope your day is a good one.

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March 24, 2025 · 6:14 am

A Beautiful Day

Travel Pulse

This photo looks much like us yesterday. It started about 9:30 yesterday morning and continued until dinner time last night.

A bit of buying, selling, and giving away, freezer diving, and then just relaxing and visiting with lots of friends. Tears, memories, sharing, hugs, laughter – we had it all with people who have meant the world to us.

The part I clung to was that we can still communicate with text and email, plus the blog when I can get it going full speed again.

I have now shut down my Etsy site. Some sad thoughts, but mainly memories of people I’ve met, the joy of a sale, spending time in my art room, head brimming with ideas I wanted to try, and doing the work to list something on the site.

I look forward to finding out what kind of art people are doing in Thailand. I hope to find a group creating things that will allow me to watch and learn. Hopefully, I will be accepted into a group and make some new friends while maybe starting a new creative outlet for myself.

After a trip to the bank this morning, I’ll go visit another long time friend. We may have some more sales today.

There was one part of our trip that was bothering our son – the change of planes in Bangkok, bound for Chiang Mai. The time is really short. Our son would have simply RUN from one gate to the other if he were by himself. He found a service that will meet our flight in Bangkok, help us through what we have to do there, and carry us to the next gate. We are all relieved.

Leaving Wednesday evening seems a little bit surreal, still, but plans are solidifying by the hour at this point. I will try to at least leave a blurb via my phone starting on Wednesday morning, so you can travel with us, and will get back to full mode as soon as soon as we can arrange it.

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March 23, 2025 · 8:02 am

Grand Central?

Dr. Amy Johnson

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point. There are so many details left to handle, plus I want to visit my friends, get packed, etc.

Today will be a bit like Grand Central Station – though in a good way –

Our friends who adopted Amber will be here to get the drafting table in the art room. Lisa wants to choose more art supplies, and they may decide to get the roll top desk. We’re not sure when they are coming. They’ll text us. My friend Carla, who is helping to rehome Jet, may or may not be with them.

Our long time friends Dave and Laufrain said they wanted to come over for a last visit. They will text when they are on their way.

The daughter of one of the Lunch Bunch originals, who is now a good friend, too, is coming to visit around 1:30.

Re the flights – we are leaving Wednesday evening. Our son has put together the most comfortable combination of flights for us. He spent a long time researching what was available. We only want to change planes in safe places. He is arranging that we are as comfortable as possible on each of the four flights. First flight is short – Ft. Smith to DFW. There we go through security and there is a 4 hour layover. The second flight is 14 hours, but we are going Business Class, which I have never even THOUGHT about using, where we can sleep (with a pillow and blanket and reclining seats or ones that may even lie flat.) Not to mention the food and the fact that you get earphones so you can watch a movie or listen to music (which I plan to do.) The third is Doha, Quatar to Bangkok, about 6 hours, also Business Class ( :0) ), and the 4th is Bangkok to Chiang Mai, another shorter flight. 32 hours in all, but arranged to be as comfortable as our son could arrange, with the shortest layover times. Also, we’ll be leaving in the evening from here, and arriving in the afternoon there, also very good.

When I was cleaning out the roll top desk, I FOUND the Medtronic Pacemaker ID Card I need for the flights. I didn’t remember seeing it before, but my brain hasn’t been working at its best lately. So now I don’t have to worry about the one I ordered online getting here soon enough. The medical alert bracelet is supposed to get here tomorrow. It’s not needed as badly, but I’ll be glad to have it.

So people may be coming at different times – or all at the same time in a pile. We’ll be glad to see each and every one of them, and will do the best we can to direct traffic, conduct needed business, and get and give hugs.

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March 22, 2025 · 4:30 pm

Playing “Find The…”

Vecteezy

Last night I cleaned out my roll top desk. I’ve had it for 1000 years more or less, and have used it for over 37 years here at this house. To say it was more than full of ‘stuff’ is the understatement of the century.

I sorted out the things that might sell in the auction, and got a big leaf bag. Then I got another one, and a third. I filled all three of them with a gazillion pens, markers, colored pencils, do-dads, papers, and more. I finally finished, after spending a couple of hours. Today I oiled the runners for the roll top, and cleaned everything, because the people coming today may decide they want it.

My biggest chore of the day was playing, “Find the…” a never-ending game around here. I told you recently that it seemed like everything was falling apart around here and we had no choice but to buy new. We ended up ordering a new bed and a new refrigerator. Then “I” fell apart, and we’ve hardly used either of our new things.

We would like to get what we paid for through the auction, if possible. I finally found the paperwork and sales receipt showing that the bed is less than a month old. We will leave that in the middle of the stripped bed when we leave. Even harder to find was the sales receipt for the fridge, but I finally came up with it. My husband had started a new refrigerator folder and then put the folder in the wrong place. I now have the sales receipt on the front of the fridge held on by magnets.

One of our neighbors is here now putting a huge CNC set up from the shop on a trailer. His daughter, who is very accomplished and just landed a cushy promotion, is into welding, art work and more, and so was interested in lots of stuff in the shop. We are waiting for them to take pics of some more stuff she would like so our son can try to find a reasonable price for them.

They will be back later this evening to look at more art stuff for Lisa, and pack up my drafting table. They also may be interested in the roll top desk…

To say things are busy is a vast understatement. They are ‘good busy,’ though, with satisfaction that our stuff is going to people who can really use and enjoy it.

It looks like our leaving is becoming imminent. More on that as I know the details.

Hope you’re having a wonderful Saturday.

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March 22, 2025 · 9:39 am

Countdown has Started

Blocks of Life

Our son is working on choosing the best route with the best flight times for our tickets now. We have our passports. It’s real. I’m not sure which is our flight day yet, but it’s imminent. I know we will be here through the 25th, but that’s as much as I know.

The shut-down date for my Etsy site is March 25th, next Tuesday. This is the last call if you would like to order anything before it’s gone.

We have people coming to get things they have bought today, also, in some cases, to choose more. It’s a joy to see people getting things they really like, though it’s pretty exhausting at the same time.

Our son studied my husband’s last blood work and determined the low carb diet we have been eating was good, but that my husband continued to sabotage his health by defiantly continuing to eat carbs in addition during the day. Since we both got the flu, it has sabotaged his efforts so much he has made himself ill and is having trouble gaining strength. Our son got him to promise to give a strict low carb diet, with NO cheating, a try until we leave so we can have some assurance we can make it through the flights without incident. It’s one thing to maybe require a wheelchair. It’s another if you’re throwing up and delirious. My husband made the promise. Yesterday he felt more alert and energetic than he has felt since he got the flu. We all talked about it and we are all encouraged.

Each day we’re tying up more loose ends. Soon we will be on our way to start a brand new life!

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March 21, 2025 · 12:42 pm

It’s Getting REAL

Conde’ Nast Traveler

WE GOT OUR PASSPORTS! This is all becoming very real now. Our new lives are about to start! :0)

Our son is figuring out logistics and order of last-minute stuff. I’m trying to stay out of his hair as much as possible to give him a chance to think as he works his way through it all.

We had bought some new jeans for my husband a week ago. Yesterday the suspender buttons he ordered arrived. We tackled putting the buttons on the jeans today. We got it done, but needed two kinds of pliers to handle the fact that one set of new suspenders had leather, extremely stiff ends and it was super hard to get the buttons to go through the holes. I’m sporting a band-aid where I stuck a screwdriver into one of my fingers, but we prevailed.

Our son and I will probably tackle his packing in a day or two. He is showing no particular interested in the process. He’s been having a few tough days recovery-wise, so I really can’t blame him, but it seems a bit weird to choose tees, what he’ll wear on the plane, what to put in his backpack, etc., for him. We’ll manage. If we forget something, our son says we can get it in Thailand.

Carla, Tim, and Lisa are coming at some point today to continue finding things they would like to buy. Its a joy working with them. I’m sorry we didn’t meet Tim and Lisa sooner. Carla said Jet is doing fine. She is keeping her and will rehome her when she finds a good home. Meanwhile, she has a cat and several dogs, so things might get interesting, particularly with the other cat. I hope they can agree in cat terms to give each other space, rather than duke it out.

I found some more photos in my art room, so I’ve removed them from the frames and am taking them with us.

I paid bills this morning and added what I could to my computer spreadsheets on tax deductions, keeping it all up to date. All will change after the move, so it’ll be interesting to change to paperless, long distance paying of bills, going through things that need to be canceled once we get there, and more.

I got socked with a pretty large bill from my medical ordeal today. The last time I was faced with something my insurance wouldn’t cover, I discovered that the nurses on the other end of our medical portal would have acted as advocates and might have been able to do some good. This time I wrote, telling them the charge, recapping what happened briefly, and asking for their help. Fingers crossed that they can at least bring the bill down some, since I didn’t plan for my heart to stop or need a pacemaker.

Have a wonderful day.

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March 21, 2025 · 8:16 am

Running Like a Nut

DM-Zimmermann Peggy-Pinterest

Yesterday was busy, exhausting, and very good. Amber’s adoptive parents were here, plus my good friend, Carla, buying more stuff. They came twice. They’ll be back again today. It really makes me happy that they are finding things they can use and take joy in.

Carla took Jet (aka Monster Cat) and all her stuff yesterday. That was the first time we had no pets in over 40 years. Even though it seemed really empty, I was so happy and relieved that the animals will be well cared for. This morning I ordered a women’s medical alert bracelet that says, “Pacemaker” that will be delivered on the 25th – HOPEFULLY in time for me to wear it on the trip.

Conde’ Nast Traveler

We are due to get our passports today! Then the real count down begins on getting ready for our trip. Our son will start work on routing our trip and getting tickets. Before, it was still abstract that we’ll be leaving, even though we’re giving away and selling lots of stuff and I’m preparing to shut down my Etsy site. Once the passports arrive and our son lets us know the date we’re leaving, it will all be REAL.

I found a phone app on speaking Thai. I really want to be able to be polite and respectful and try my best on pronunciation. I know our son will help us, but he picks up new languages pretty easily. (He speaks English, Mandarin and Thai). We will need lots of practice and guidance before the new words sink in.

pinkpolkadotcreations.com

HAPPY SPRING!!! I forgot it was the first day of Spring yesterday and so didn’t wish you a happy one. So sorry. Thailand essentially has several different summers each year – including wet summer, dry summer, smoky summer, and so it will be an adjustment to not celebrate spring and fall. I have to admit I won’t miss winter, but will take time to look at beautiful pictures of it each year. :0)

I have my blog on my phone now, though I’m still using my computer here. I found out I can write you a note, but I haven’t figured out how to add any images yet, so I may not be able to do that. I CAN read comments and reply, so I’ll try to send you messages on what is happening until our son has the time to get computers going for us. I hope you will bear with us.

We will have a super busy day today with our friends coming to buy more stuff, deliveries, etc. An amazing time for us, for sure.

I hope that your Friday is a wonderful one, with a great weekend to follow.

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March 20, 2025 · 7:50 am

Full, Busy Day

Sandy De Muro-Pinterest

Things are really coming together now.

We are supposed to get our passports tomorrow. Then our son will work on getting tickets for the best route he can find for getting us to our destination.

The oxygen company people are supposed to be here today to pick up their equipment.

We have the people who adopted Amber, plus our friend, Carla, who will take Jet, coming this afternoon to buy stuff.

We are trying to get my husband to stick to ONLY eating low carb today and walking with me around the house at least a couple of times, trying to build him up for the trip.

One of my friends brought up an issue I hadn’t thought about – flying with my pacemaker. I researched it, and – though there is no ‘airplane mode’ to switch to, as I do on my phone – I shouldn’t cause any problem for the plane. :0) There also shouldn’t be any problem for ME. I WILL need to alert the TSA that I have a pacemaker when I go through security as I will probably set off their detectors. I don’t have a ‘Pacemaker ID card.’ There was information on creating one online. We are working to request one.

I will probably close down my Etsy site mid next week. So please get whatever you would like very soon.

Have a wonderful day.

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March 19, 2025 · 7:14 am

A Stellar Day

Charry326 – Carol Saylor-Pinterest

Yesterday was emotional, exhausting, and wonderful.

First off, we found a home for Amber! The family is right down our road, a neighbor across the street from our good friend, Carla. Amber won the lottery on this, having a new family with kids who will shower her with love and attention, two ‘parents’ who are truly wonderful people, and even another dog to play with, a yard, etc. The dogs are already getting along! I cannot express how relieved and happy I am with this, even as I deal with pangs of ‘no-dog-staring-at-us-waiting-to-lick-our-plates’ and no dog to let out and feed this morning. This was a match sent from Heaven.

My friend Carla will take Jet (aka Monster Cat) to care for while she looks to rehome her for us. Carla is a true animal lover and will make sure Jet finds a really good family who will cherish her.

Having the pets cared for was my first concern when we decided to make the move. I was devastated when it turned out that my ‘agreement’ with our vet turned out to only be displaying their pics on their website. I wrote to him, asking him to reconsider, and still haven’t had a reply from him. This all turned out for the best yesterday.

After meeting Lisa, the woman who is part of Amber’s new family, she, Carla and I ended up in my art room. Lisa is an artist, and she showed a whole lot of interest in my supplies. She will text me when she is ready, letting me know the first of I hope will be several areas of interest and we will work something out on pricing. I’m delighted that many of the things I have gathered up there will go to someone who appreciates them and will use them happily.

Carla will also text me about things she would like from the art room and the shop. I was truly surprised when one of the things she wanted was the big slab of wood I have been using on my drafting table under my wood burning. She really likes my experiments and scratches! (This, of course, will be a ‘weird gift.’) :0)

Reminder that my Etsy site will be shut down very soon. Now is the time to order whatever you would like while we still have time to pack it and ship it to you. Depending on how things are moving here, I will shut it down at the end of next week for sure.

I got a notice that we might get my passport as early as this Friday! They will send supporting documents in another mailing. I’m assuming this time frame will be the same for my husband, since the applications went in together in the same envelope.

I’m trying to get my husband to walk around the outside of our house, hopefully building up to several times a day, so we’ll be strong enough to manage the airports on our trip. He says he will cooperate, and fingers are crossed that he keeps that promise.

I hope that you are doing well where you are, and enjoying pleasant, happy – if not ‘stellar’ days.

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March 18, 2025 · 7:56 am

Love Surrounds Us

Murray and John
My Harvey and Brian
Me hugging Murray

We had a wonderful lunch Sunday. There is never enough time with those you love, but we’re trying to see and hug as many as possible before we leave.

No news yet on rehoming our dog, Amber, and our cat, Jet (aka Monster Cat), but our son is talking to a lady who runs a grooming and boarding business in Greenwood who might be willing to work with us. A friend of mine has some neighbors who might be willing to give Jet a home. Fingers crossed.

The best news – this morning we found out we GOT the condo in Thailand in the same building as our son! Not sure of ANY of the details yet, but I’m having trouble trying to type this as I want to get up and dance. This will be perfect for us!!!!!

I’m headed to my primary doctor this morning for a last appointment after all my drama of the past month. I’m hoping she can look at my ears and figure out what to do about my continuing problem with hearing since all this started. I’ll also have to tell her we’re leaving the country, thanking her profusely for all the good care she has given my husband and me.

Things are definitely coming together now. I’m essentially packed now, just needing to throw a couple of things in my suitcase and backpack. I’ll start helping my husband with his stuff this afternoon, if he’s cooperative.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

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March 17, 2025 · 5:51 am

Monday 3-17-2025

123Greetings.com

My husband wasn’t feeling well yesterday, so we’re up early so we can get to our clinic when the doors first open so we can see someone even though we don’t have an appointment. I hope they can help him feel better.

Our visit with Murray and John yesterday couldn’t have gone better. We had lots of laughs, good conversation, good food, and lots of hugs. In the parking lot after, I gave them the gifts I brought, and they seemed to be pleased. We will still be able to communicate after the move, so that was comforting all of us.

Today I’ll call and arrange for the company to pick up the oxygen and supplies. I haven’t had to use it for over two weeks now, so feel confident I can put that need behind me.

I’m also hopeful I will hear from the vet today or tomorrow. I really hope that he reconsiders and can take our pets. We’re working on other things outside of that, too. I will be anxious until we figure out something for them.

Enjoy your celebration of St. Patrick’s Day today.

“For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way –
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.“
~Author Unknown

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March 16, 2025 · 7:50 am

Sunday 3-16-2025

My Happy Pets – You Tube

We are meeting people who mean the world to us for lunch today. Technically, I guess, Murray is our cousin-in-law, but she is a mentor, friend, and “treasured person,” and she is coming with her smart, talented, kind son John, who we have seen from time to time over the years.

To give you a small idea of why Murray is so special – she had cancer and had to spend time in the hospital receiving chemo as part of her treatment. She got up and rolled her ‘tree’ with her chemo bag down the area, decorating it to look like a Christmas tree, visiting with the others receiving treatment, cheering them up. I’ve never known a kinder, more giving person.

They used to live in Thibodaux, Louisiana, but now live in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They are driving down to Greenwood to meet us at our favorite restaurant this morning.

Murray pointed out that the last time she saw our son, he was eight. He is now 46. :0) I’m trying to remember to take some pics of the group today, so I can share them with my SIL, MaryLou, later today.

This will be – again – a bittersweet event. We have never been able to arrange all the meetings we would have loved to have had over the years. Life gets in the way. We’ve managed to keep our bond strong with letters, phone calls, and messages, and we can continue the emails and phone messages after the move. We just won’t be able to SEE each other and hug their necks after today.

I’m so grateful that they could make the time to drive down here today. We’ll make it a lunch to remember. I have some stuff to give them before they leave. I won’t list details here because Murray reads my blog. :0)

I hope that you make as much time as possible to see the people you love. People are what makes life so rich. The love fills you up and simply spills out. We are lucky to have wonderful relatives and friends.

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March 15, 2025 · 9:33 am

Saturday 3-15-2025

Karin de Haas via Tammy Baker-Pinterest

It’s been really busy around here. There are SO many details to handle. We are definitely making progress. A suitcase was delivered this morning. We’re going to basically pack my husband’s things in it today to see if the 2nd suitcase we’re ordering should be the same size or maybe a little bit larger. We have the backpacks our son ordered, so we can decide what needs to go in each, like a change of clothes, freshening up supplies, kleenex, tablets and charger cords, etc.

One really worrisome and upsetting thing happened yesterday. I called the vet to make sure all was good about our calling when we were ready to bring our animals and their supplies to the vet clinic, and be sure that people could help us get everything in from the truck. The rug was yanked out from under me.

The receptionist told me they weren’t set up to take our animals. They were happy to help us try to rehome them by putting their pics up on their website and would call us if there was interest, but that was it. I guess I don’t speak English anymore, because I was devastated.

We now have a post in the rehoming – Greenwood section of Facebook, but we haven’t gotten any responses. I’ve texted all of our friends to see if anyone knows anybody who wants a dog or cat and their supplies. We’ll keep adding other options as we think of them. This is a major concern for us. We haven’t told my husband, figuring he doesn’t need the stress, but we won’t be able to keep the secret for long.

Meanwhile, I’ll try to put this out of my mind as we work on getting my husband basically packed for the move.

I wish everyone a really nice Saturday.

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March 14, 2025 · 7:40 am

Friday 3-14-2025

Trijnie Huizenga-Pinterest

Our son and I will go to our local bank today to deposit funds and move them around. We have done reasonably well on selling things in the past few days. We will continue to do that as we can before we leave.

I did get confirmation that people in Philadelphia received our passport applications and payments, so things are in the works. Basically, we can pack and buy tickets when we get them, leaving all remaining here for the auctioneer.

Today I’m hoping to see two friends. One is Linda, my dear friend who now lives in a retirement place locally. I usually see her when I get my luscious monthly massages, but since I got sick, I’ve changed so much my visit to her got lost due to my inability to handle things, drive, etc. I hope to be able to see her today. I have a really snugly throw I want to give her and hug her neck.

I want to take some really good canned meats I found recently, plus a quilt to my friend Nora and visit with her, as well. She has been a friend for years and years, and I would like to spend some time with her today.

I’ll make another pass at deciding what will be packed. I still haven’t decided what I’ll wear for the trip. Our son said to be sure to wear layers, since some places we’ll have layovers may be cold. I’ll figure out what to wear, what to take for a change of clothes in my backback for sure today. Then I’ll start trying on clothes to make SURE all is good – and organized – so it’ll be easy for our son to see if I’m taking too much in one area, or forgetting something else…

As each day passes, it’s a combination of tears and joy. I hate saying goodbye to our life here, but we are simply not able to handle it all anymore. It feels so freeing to be able to walk away from it. I’m excited about ‘moving to another planet’ in effect, with different weather, completely different lifestyle, new people, sights, sounds. Things to learn, new foods to try, new ways to shop and more. I look forward to learning some basic polite Thai words. The list is endless.

One of the best things to look forward to is our son getting a computer up and running for me so that I can continue to write the blog. He has a backup of everything now on both of our computers. My husband may want to ‘build,’ one, so I’m hoping mine can be a laptop, or something relatively quick and simple to set up.

I wish you something that brings you joy wherever you are, that brings a huge smile to your face and fills you with happiness.

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March 13, 2025 · 7:44 pm

Thursday 3-13-2025

MyInfo-Pinterest

Sorry to be so late in writing today. We were out selling stuff, and then our son was making backups of the data on our computers today, so I didn’t have access until this evening.

We sold a bunch of stuff today, sad, yet freeing. The things we were selling weren’t appropriate to be sold at auction, so we gathered up stuff, this morning and then again this afternoon, to sell ourselves. We didn’t get home until almost dinner time.

I also had a good friend come and play, “Freezer Dive,” today. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that I can share some of what we have with people I care about. AND I got a couple of hugs.

Things are starting to come together now. I got a good start on figuring out what I’m going to take with me when we leave. The backpacks our son ordered for us arrived today. They are only really meant for the trip to Thailand. He says they sell really good ones that we’ll get when we get settled. We’ll wear these when we go on our walks, buying fresh food from the Farmer’s Market type stalls and things from the mall. They’re meant for us to use as carry-ons, with a change of clothes, overnight stuff, tablets, etc.

He also ordered one suitcase. We’re going to use it for my husband’s packing, and then figure out whether this is a good size or the 2nd one needs to be a bit larger.

Our big errand is to go to the bank tomorrow. Otherwise, I’m going to make decisions on tops – one to wear on the flights, another as a spare for the backpack, and the others to be my main clothes until further notice once we get there and settle.

I’m going to try everything on to be SURE all are good before they go in the ‘take’ group. Only summer stuff, except for the flight day. Our son says the airports, restaurants, waiting areas, and even the planes sometimes, are cold, though the airplanes may provide a blanket.

This is a big transition for me. I’m the one who buys two of everything – one to use and another as a backup so I don’t run out. This is a good exercise for me in learning to be more minimalist, and take only what I need. (I did admit, though, that I’m taking a small teddy bear to bring ‘home’ with me.) Our son smiled and said that was good. I also said my husband should take his little bitty pillow that he prefers, plus a couple of extra pillow cases, in his luggage, as that will help him sleep better and be a comfort to him.

Just a reminder – HandmadeHavenbyLinda, my Etsy site, will be shut down soon. If you would like anything, please make your decisions as soon as possible so we can be sure to get them mailed to you before we go.

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March 12, 2025 · 10:19 am

Wednesday 3-12-2025

omalij.bsky.social-@omalig.bsky.social

My heart just melted when I saw this cute little guy.

Things are moving right along here. My husband and son are handling some errands while I hold the fort here this morning. This afternoon a friend is picking me up so we can have coffee and visit. I’m really looking forward to that.

I’m starting to make decisions on what I’m going to take with me. Some of it is easy. No cool or cold weather clothes! No boots, coats, sweaters, etc. Only hot weather clothes, except for the actual flight. I’ll start putting things out later today, where I can see everything.

I’m probably going to wait to call for the oxygen guy to come get his supplies and equipment. I haven’t used it in a week, or at night, or even when we walked so far at the hospital yesterday, so I don’t think I need it anymore, but there is no reason to rush thing, either.

Lots and lots of details left to handle, but our son is handling things calmly and carefully, so we’re in excellent hands.

Are you doing anything fun/exciting/challenging? I would love to hear about it.

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