Considering the Future

Yesterday's nostalgia was saying hello and goodbye to Jaq and Valerie, my dear friends smiling above who are leaving again next week to return to France where Jaq will lead four more travel trips in the next month, one in Belgium and three in Provence. Their return here will depend on Valerie's continuing successful recovery from ovarian cancer and her gradual return to work. The French government has allowed her the last year off from teaching. She is looking radiant and anxious to get home to her new regime of vegetarian eating, meditation, walking, and learning to play the sax. She will start back in October in a non stressful school position, adding an hour at a time as her health recovers. How sensible and caring the French are!

Jaq is beaming not only at Valerie but as she shows off her new bamboo floors. Aren't they stunning! I was so excited seeing them that I forgot to say I had made the decision on refinishing my old kitchen cabinets instead of refacing or replacing, a decision I've dawdled with for almost a year. With lucky timing I sold stock last week to pay for it, just in between the big yo yos in the market.

Speaking of the economy, I'm totally baffled. Some shopping centers around here are turning into rows of empty store fronts, others are booming. The value of houses in my community just went down another point (fourteen points in a year) and yet many restaurants seem to have long lines. Lee's former business, a commercial framing and laminating business was on wobbly legs two years ago and now its bustling. Unemployment keeps growing except in Texas, if you can believe that. How can anyone make long term decisions, or should we even try?

Two of my friends are having long delayed surgery next week, one for a knee replacement and one for a hip replacement. They've decided to trade their long term pain for brief insecurity and greater future gain, not an easy decision. I try to focus on what Mahatma Gandhi said: the future depends on what we do in the present.

None the less, I've been telling all my friends that when Perry is elected president I'm buying land in British Columbia and changing my zip code. I still remember the first verse of Oh, Canada, from my childhood. Anyone who knows how to milk one cow and feed two chickens can join me, for I haven't a clue how to do it.

So far I've had lots of volunteers, including the darling couple above.