So said wise guy Heraclitus and it really is true!

For me at this point, the only constants I feel I have in my life are the underwear site and Ryan! The other people and events are ephemeral, changing like the clouds over Discovery Bay, here one minute, gone and back again. Absolutely nothing feels permanent, or even a little solid.

With South Africa in such a state of disaster, although it apparently is making some progress back to normalcy, I can’t see it being in any way close to being back to what it was before the insurrection, or whatever anyone wants to call the rioting, looting and violence that rocked the country 2 weeks ago. (Very few people here in the States even heard of it!) And apparently the vaccination program is “back on track” so we can only hope.

But I don’t know if I can go back into that situation. As much as I love the country, living there now may just be too dangerous and uncertain. And it’s SUCH a long way from here. But if I don’t live there, where?

The cost of living here in the States is way beyond my means and there is little-to-no support for people like me with limited resources. So I must look for 1st) Somewhere affordable and 2nd) somewhere safe. And 3rd) somewhere much closer to the US.

Several years ago, before going back to South Africa, I looked seriously at Belize and Panama, still both options. But both places have become considerably more expensive. Now I’m looking at Colombia, just 6.5 hours from Los Angeles, with a cost of living very similar to South Africa and actually on the danger scale, surprisingly, far safer than South Africa. The big downside, with both Panama and Colombia, is language so in either country, I would have to do a Spanish immersion course. And all three options, I would be going in “cold” with no contacts.

I’ve decided to not make any major decisions for a couple of weeks. I have places to stay, my car and will be back down in Southern California mid-August. My trip to Montana is a no-go due to disgruntled family members. Don’t ask why because I don’t know. But it’s very sad and disheartening as it means I won’t see my beloved grandsons.

At the moment, I am ensconced in the downstairs unit at Jim and Mardelle in Port Townsend, for which I am very grateful. The weather here has been what I call “sucker weather,” beautifully sunny and clear, perfect for tourists. I’ve been able to spell Mardelle a bit so she can go out and Jim isn’t left alone after the stroke he had a couple of weeks ago. Jim is 87 and has always been very energetic and healthy, so this has been a huge blow but his son came out from back east for several days, which has given him a lot of pleasure.

Been out for drinks on the waterfront a couple of times and took a drive out to Sequim (Skwim) to see the lavender fields, a fun little side trip. But mostly staying close to home, cooking with Mardelle (a spectacular Pavlova the other day) and fretting over what to do with the rest of my life!