Who Knew

Who knew that we'd buy a townhouse in Tucson in February, 2010? We just went to visit our son, Daniel, before I rode for a week with PAC Tour in south east Arizona to escape the interminable winter in Chicago.

But buy a townhouse we did and the decision-making process took about 10 minutes. The place was still under construction so we could joyfully have input into the floor plan layout, flooring, colors, and more.

Daniel could expect to see us in the summer of 2012 after Kirk's retirement from 40 years of ministry with the United Methodist Church in northern Illinois.

Who knew that in October 2010 Kirk would decide 39 years of ministry was quite sufficient? We would plan to move to Tucson in the summer of 2011 instead.

Who knew that if we had waited to buy a townhouse AFTER Kirk retired, no bank would finance our purchase since we would not have guaranteed income and no equity since we'd lived in parsonages for 39 years?

Who knew that we would be successful in renting our townhouse and that our tenant's lease would extend through September 30, 2011?

In the United Methodist Church "change over", i.e. musical pulpit exchanges happen the first of July each year. Any comings and goings, including retirement occur on that date. And since in the United Methodist Church parsonages are part of the package those going must be out of the parsonage so that those coming have a place to come to.

Who knew that the above "who knews" would mean we would be homeless from June 25th to October 1, 2011.

No worries, we would just car trip with my bike in back of the mini-van and visit all the people and places that have given meaning to our first 42 years of marriage as well as state-side people and places yet to be known and visited.

And so began the planning for our Trek To Tucson.