Update on moving to Cuenca, Ecuador

We were supposed to be in Houston at our daughter's this week.  But, we have experienced a snafu on the visa front, so we have stayed home to chase doctors, lawyers and Indian Chiefs.  Actually Bill came down with the cold that I had last week and we felt it was better not to spread the germs over three states. So we are taking advantage of this time to continue packing and getting the visa applications out the door.

We have secured a furnished rental apartment in Cuenca, as of Sunday, December 27.  Here is the link to it:
http://www.cuencarealestate.com/Rent/124

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   We will be in this unit until we find a long term rental that is unfurnished.  Then we will have the household goods shipped from San Diego/Long Beach.

We are very excited, a lot like children waiting for SANTA!  All for now,  Dean and Bill

The Countdown HAS BEGUN!!!!

We are packing, going to Houston the day after Christmas to see our oldest daughter and her family before we fly to South America on January 27, with the two cats.  We are breaking up the trip and doing it over three days in hopes that the cats will survive without too much stress.  We are both so excited we can hardly believe it is happening.  I retired, officially, December 18, then promptly got a terrible cold, but I figured it was probably the last of the AVHS germs trying to reach out and slap me for leaving them.  Today; Christmas Eve day is when the children of Cuenca dress like angels and parade.  I am sorry to be missing it.  But, I will be ready next year and will look forward to it all year long.  Besides I will bet that someone will post photos of the whole extravaganza. We are working,via internet, with Chela at Cuenca Real Estate, to find a suitable place to live for 90 days until we can get our residents visas and have our household goods shipped from the states. Blessings to you all for the New Year.  Dean Keyes

Contemplating Our BIg Advesture

I am Dean Keyes, who is Bill's wife, of a long time.  We are in the midst of planning, getting physicals, preparing Visa applications, connecting with an attorney in Cuenca, Ecuador as well as selling lots of household goods and "junque".  We both love an adventure.  This can be traced through our married life.  In 1970 we bought an 1893 Victorian Romanesque Revival townhouse in Lafayette Square,  St. Louis, Missouri.  This is the last Victorian walking neighborhood in America.  We paid $8,000 for the house so you can imagine the ADVENTURE.  We moved on 23 years later after having enjoyed the experience and having adopted two daughter at ages 4 and 6 in 1983, another life adventure.  They are birth sisters of each other.  So now we are about to retire.  But, in the process of preparing we moved from St. Louis to Tucson, AZ.  This was 10 years ago.  Bill has loved Tucson.  Me not so much.  Although I have had very interesting jobs here. Now we are preparing to travel to Cuenca, Ecuador to live permanently in late January, 2010.  We will take with us two 7 year old male cats, who we are trying to prepare for the adventure.  We will plan to return to the U. S.  a couple of times a year for visits with two daughters and their husbands, a total of 6 grandchildren and my Mother "Big Min"  short for Minnie who will be 90 years young in April.  She is in better shape than most 65 year olds.  Also on the list to visit will be my younger sister Stephanie, who I still take lessons in "fun" from.  I am the oldest, she is the youngest of four of us.  So I needed to be taught to have fun.  However, I have mastered it and plan to practice it everyday for the remainder of my life, I am catching up with lost time in the first half of my life.  So get on board for the ride and we will share the ups and downs with you. 

Dean Keyes, wife of Bill