~: Document from My Writing Nook: Dec 27, 2010

Dec 27, 2010

Surely as the world turns, 2010 is grinding to a finish and 2011 looms in the seeable future and just around the proverbial corner. This has been some year for me. I cannot help but wonder what next year will bring, now with wife and family I view the future in different colored glasses and wonder what shall become of us?? when will we actually be in the good old U S of A??. The processing of the I-130 will be the big factor, I don't see any problem in Nora finishing out the DOT and clearing medical at St. Lukes clinic. Money is not the issue, rather the slow grind of beaurocratic wheels on both sides of the pond.

Sleep?? not much, as I alluded to yesterday. Nora woke at about 3:45 and discovered Jenny and a couple of Lalaines boys watching TV and also doing laundry with the only available water in Basud... thus depriving the family next door of water for the day. She, Nora, had told Jenny not to do laundry here, but that we would rather take it to a Uncles's house who lives by a river and do it there so as to preserve the meager supply of water that we have available here... and then it is only available for about 3 hours out of 24.

So ensued yet another confrontation between headstrong mother and stubborn daughter... seems to be the storied tale of their entire existance. Love?? yes of course, but tolerance is short and both being bull-headed makes for a testy situation... it is better, I believe in the long run that Jenny stays in the Philippines when the rest of us go to America... perhaps later she can join us. I only regret that Nora will be deprived of association with our Grandson... she does dote on him excessively... as do most all grandmothers.

Today, as I said, we will be going back to Daet to the mall and we will search for some Neosporin ointment and some spf 32 sun block that she wants. Purchases will need be held to a minimum though as funds are in short supply until we get home. Perhaps I will go to the internet cafe and do some research on the I-130 processing times... gosh, I hope it goes as smoothly as did the approval process for the K-1 visa package which is now invalid because of our recent marriage as it only applied to fiancés and not married couples. However, much of the information asked for in the I-130 is duplicate of what I provided in the K-1 package so who knows...

13 days and I notch another place in the staff of life... my advice to Myron might be well taken by myself and get out the tape measure.

I've lost some weight, I can tell by the way my clothes fit. My appetite is not as strong as it was but I still eat plenty it seems to me. I feel good and don't look anemic and my strength seems normal... but then I also realize that he who experiences often doesn't or is at least the last to realize changes.

I pray that God will have his hand on all the things that are yet to happen in this long term saga of my life and that of my new family, I hope that he guides us safely thru the perils that await us and destroys hurdles that would trip us up... He is always my God and I do trust him completely...

I hope you all are having a great time, that Christmas was everything you hoped it would be and that you and loved ones were able to share quality, loving time together.