Another rainy day, which does not mean much to me. Rain, sun, cold, hot – it is all the same, as I rarely venture out. I do try. Maybe going as far as the mailbox, or a walk around the back yard. Great! It is more than being in bed all day, but I still get tired.
I will not continue to complain or say that I am depressed, irritable, angry, and frustrated. You all know it (and I have said it). And I have not written much lately because I no longer know what to say, and I am not myself lately.
Rosana was here at the beginning of the month, and Valeria is here now. The more I see them the more I realize how much they help in every way, and the more I want to move to be with them in San Francisco.
Andrés has talked to Guido and is helping to make him amenable to the idea of moving. Guido claims it is too much work for us. But… we would not do it all ourselves, naturally! There are too many books, he says. But… do we need them all? The equipment in the “music room” is unique. But… it can be moved if well packed, or even replaced.
All these “buts” are merely excuses. Maybe Guido cannot face the idea of a move, as I think he told Andrés. But… I also think it is because if he ever gets well he can always go back to teach occasionally. They do want him back for a course now and then at the university of Maryland. But… there are schools of architecture in SF, and they may want someone like Guido.
The boat? We can sell it and buy another one there. There are lots of marinas in the SF area, and the bay there is much more picturesque than the Chesapeake. Besides, we have already gone around the Chesapeake for many, many years. But… Guido will not settle for anything other than a Grand Banks 32, very difficult to come by as they don’t build that one any longer…
Yes– many “buts” – some only excuses, but deep down is the fear of the unknown, I think. What is there to fear, I ask? Nothing, as far as I am concerned. And we’d love to be close to our daughters. I know. We miss them. I, for one, am quite ready to pack up and go West.
My last “but”… we are getting older, and soon we will really not be able to contemplate a move to San Francisco. So, let us do it now!
Martisima's Blog 
Yes Martha, I wholeheartedly encourage you to consider moving to be near us! We can be so much more helpful if you’re here physically. So please tell Guido it can work. It’s worth giving up a little to get a lot!
Please come West. We have excellent wine, good weather (generally), interesting scenery, good chocolate, and some things I am not permitted to tell you about until you come. 🙂
Rafael is right (what a nice son-in-law!.) The hassle of moving is short term, but the prospect of staying means your current state of mind (not good) will persist long term. Besides, we all should simplify our lives at this point, which means turning the page and getting rid of such encumbrances as hundreds (thousands?) of books we’ll never read again and boxes of photos that will never be displayed. The page WILL be turned with or without your decision to do so. Es mejor que lo hagas tú…
Hear, hear! Men fear change more than women, I think, whether that’s an heretically essentialist statement or not. My basic test when I think (or quail) about trying something new is to ask: what’s the worst that could happen? It’s usually not insuperable. And we know that change keeps us intellectually alive. So, go for it! We’ll want friends when we’re ready to move out there!
Thanks to all who have posted comments. I am encouraged by you, and only wish that Guido could see the light soon. As Valeria puts it — does he want to go to a nursing home or to San Francisco?
We’d love to have you here, of course!!
Just saw the other comments–Geraldine, it would be great to have you and Andres out here too!
Thanks for the encouragement! Let’s start a subtle campaign now, and convince Guido that moving to SF is the best thing we can do.