Good Things

Dee's anticipted May trip to India for work has been cancelled (his Honeywell division has no travel budget). This is great news, and sad news.

The Glad:
I hate it when he is gone, and he would have had to be gone "three weeks on the ground" which adds four more days for traveling, making it gone almost four weeks. I surely would have perished! I am totally dependent on him, even after 29 years! I love his sweet kisses, his warm hugs, and his ever encouraging "I love you's".I love his snoring and muttering in his sleep, the sound of his singing, working in the yard with him, and sometimes I can stay awake to watch a movie...at least the beginning and the end! I love him for ALL he does here, too. That pool looks great all the time because he cares for it, and it seems to sense when he is gone, and so it goes cuckoo when he is away. He cares for our cars: changing oil, fixing various problems that 1990's cars get, and even cleans it out for me after weeks of driving the "pigs" to school! He makes everything nice and wonderful, and makes sure I am happy. No one does it like him!

No worries about what food he is in contact with. He can't eat onions, and that severely limits what Indian food he can eat. They try to help in their cooking but they don't understand. And then, he will get some fruit, etc. off the street, and I worry that the knife used to chop that coconut was used for something unsavory before that...or that maybe they haven't cleaned things so well. Sanitary conditions around the world are not the same as here...and sometimes things here are pretty bad!

The sad:
He was really looking forward to going to the Bangalore 2nd Branch of the Church. He just loved the people in India at church. They were kind and humble and positive and grateful for their blessings, even though it seems to us that they have little!

He really had made progress with the people he was working with in helping them get an engine for Honeywell into production. He is very patient (I hear the phone meetings at night.) He likes the people he works with. The only problem is that the room they use for the telephone meetings echoes badly...another sad...he wanted them to get a rug for the floor or wall...and now, no rug, but then, again, meetings are off as well.

He gets no excursions. He would use his Saturday for an adventure. He went to a maharajah's palace, and a zoo last trip. He also took many pics of the people and lifestyle. He loves to learn about new things, and this was a great opportunity.

No projects at home...for Suzzy. I had planned on FINALLY getting my room fixed up from the storm 12 years ago. My ceiling is in less than stellar condition, and we just ran out of money when we got to the master bedroom. I had planned to have him fix the ceiling before he left, and help me install/build the built in shelves I wanted, and then I was going to move the bed, and paint the walls my favorite Sage Green. (I had planned that we would save on gas, food, etc. with the money we wouldn't be spending for the 3 1/2 weeks he was gone, so I could by a sheet of drywall, some mud, a couple of sheets of plywood, and a can or two of paint.)

No spices. He found some Indian spices when he was there last time. I have a little saffron that he got for cheap! And he found the most wonderful cinnamon...it was in bark form. At first, we would just hand "sand" it off, but I got a spice grinder at a yard sale, so I was ready for new cinnamon.

No Christmas projects for Suzzy. I have to keep myself VERY busy when he is away. I hate tv, so my evenings get long. I am making my daughters in law and older daughter things for Christmas. I cannot say what, but I hope that, while my gifts will not officially cost a lot, they will become something they will treasure from me...something that will be in their homes long past me! I will still do them, just not get them done. I even thought to cut out my ornaments for next year and get them going. I need to do that anyway...maybe if I was busy in the evening, I would not hear the hershey kisses calling me!

Furlough worries. I was so sure that we would save so much money with me not cooking and him not driving to work for weeks that the first furlough week, which we were going to schedule for when he got back, would be no problem. I am just a worry wart. This month, I have cut back, and saved over $300 from the food budget, while still maintaining our 3 month supply and our year's supply. I have tried new things, made smaller portions, and had great meals! And I buy nothing else, so it is working, and maybe it won't be so bad, and it will be wonderful to have him home for an additional week!

I think the good far far outweighs the bad, but I am sad for him. He is concerned about work and this was something he felt very valued in. I am happy for me...sad for him!