2015 arrived and I am thankful for 2014, a year of travel, preparation and many many gifts from people along the way.  I am thankful for the trip to New Hampshire to visit my friend Heidi Watts, a friend I have known almost 60 years.  Through Heidi I met my first Peace Corps recruiter at a party in Vermont.  She told me there was no age limit in the Peace Corps. Everywhere else I applied for work had not been fruitful (they just weren't hiring 85 year olds in Boston!)  So I began the application process (the original long one)after meeting with Katrina Deutsch, the Boston Peace Corps recruiter, and many medical records later the Peace Corps nurse Karol, whose patience is amazing, cleared me for service.  Thank you, Karol!  And thank you, Katrina! The trip around the country to see my family before leaving was truly wonderful.  I was hosted and feasted by the following amazing people: in Washington David and Teri Griggs in Puyallup, Carolyn Simonson in Tacoma, Betty and Al Overland in Gig Harbor, nephew Nick Carter and  Felice Luftschein in Philomath, OR as well as their two boys Max and Henry who were later joined by my grandson Azrael Wilson who completed the Pacific Crest Trail, Maria Zaharof in San Anselmo, CA, son Peter, Victoria, Harry and Charlotte Wilson in Altadena, CA, friends Francie Levy and Vivian and Phil Deustch, son John, Liz, Hannah and Jacob Wilson in Mobile, beloved friend Martha Ann Overland, Nina and Aaron Sullivan in DC where I also met Steven Howard, Alexis and Toby Thom all headed for Morocco with me, Mackenzie Garfield in Brooklyn and Soho,  NY (my beautiful granddaughter) Rebecca, Branca, Simona and Arseny Matovic in Astoria, NY, Marwa El Shakri and Mark Mazower and their twins Selma and Jed, New York City.  It took three months.  Thank you all for your kindness and hospitality to me.

I returned to Roxbury, MA, to Grace Belmont and Galen Nelson, five great boys, Koyama, Yuta, Nathaniel, Theo and Cyrus and great grown lady Lynette. This is my default home setting and they have been great to me, And to my amazing granddaughter Sarah and her mother Jennifer Wilson, to my son Paul Wilson and ny grandson Daniel Wilson (the phenomenal manager of Insomnia Cookies in Harvard Square which delivers cookies milk and ice cream to Harvard students until 3 am.) To be home for all the feasts in my church Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral is a great blessing and I am thankful for the loving friendships there over the past 27 years.  If you check our website you can see who we are and what the feasts look like.

Upstairs on the 3rd floor my bags are more or less packed and I am more or less ready to go, excited, intimidated, happy and sad,  and above all grateful to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.