For those of you who read why I am doing this, a lot of it is about planning for a surprise visit to my sister in New Zealand. It began just over a week ago. I was bowled over by an email from my niece who lives in Tauranga, New Zealand where my sister and her husband have retired. We are from South Africa but I live in the United States and I haven't seen my sister for several years. She turns 70 this year (I can't believe I have a sister that old!) and so Jenni wants to surprise her at Christmas.

Of course I am going - the ticket is already booked for November 15, but I will go to Southern California a couple of weeks earlier to celebrate an early Christmas with my sons, their partners and my two adorable grandsons.

But because I live in a cold climate, I need to address the issue of summer clothes! So I am going to break out my old skills and start sewing! Yes, I still have my old Bernina sewing machine that is still going strong. And I discovered that I can download patterns from the pattern companies! No paging through the big old pattern books, just scroll through the designs online. Very cool! And I have dug out fabric that has been stored for years and will make skirts and tops that I would never have the chance to wear hear in the Pacific Northwest.

Perhaps my biggest hurdle to cross being away for 4-6 months is - what to do with the kitties? And the house? So I have already put out the word for a caretaker and will probably take out an ad on caretaker gazette. I need someone to take care of my two "boys" who are my daily companions.