flea

The Republicans will never let this go through.

Today in my Portuguese language class I learned that the direct translation of ”toe” is “finger of the foot.”

The sun came out this morning here in Braga. I haven’t seen the sun in so long that I was frightened and threw rocks at it.

The day after our permanent residency appointment and half the family got the stomach flu. Which was fine because the Catergory 1 storm that hit Portugal that night wiped out the country’s train infrastructure indefinitely, losing us our ability to travel home. Cross country in a rental car it is!

That would be so much fun! Let me know if you ever can make it happen, and we’ll plan something!

We were first in line this morning at the immigration office in Cascais. 2 hours and 700 euros in cash later, and we’re done. Residency cards, we were told, will be in our mailbox in 2-3 weeks. We made it!!

Yes! We immigrated to Portugal in December, right before Christmas.

…and they called us in to tell us they are not going to see us until tomorrow at 9. No appointment today after all.

…and our number is up! We made our appointment in time. Our lawyer just went into the AIMA office. Now we wait to get our biometrics done (fingerprints.) we have heard so many horror stories about cancelled/rescheduled appointments, it feels kind of like winning the lottery.

People waiting with their lawyers at the immigration office in Cascais, Portugal.

We made it from sitting outside of the AIMA office to sitting inside the AIMA office. There are 4 people in front of us and an hour and forty minutes before the office closes for the day. I feel a little bit of hope that we might make it.

AIMA office building in Cascais, Portugal.

Sitting outside the immigration office in Cascais, hoping they’ll see us for our permanent residency appointment. We’re an hour and a half past the time we’re supposed to meet. If we have to reschedule it’ll take months to get another appointment. Fingers crossed!

Darn right they do! My bona fides: a children’s librarian with a focus on serving preschoolers.

Hear me out - what if the portal to Hell opened when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016 and will close if the Bears win the Super Bowl in 2026?

I’m the only person on this bus in Braga, Portugal and my bus driver just stopped the bus to go out and smoke a cigarette and this is delightful. 10/10 would recommend.

3 weeks into my new life in Portugal and found what is probably a carcinoma on my left hand. Stopped by the medical center here, gave them my residency ID number and anyway they’re going to fix it for free.

So 2026 is going to be better, right? RIGHT?????

Goat.

My dog looking at goats.

Met these goats today.

Found a happy little mushroom today called a Chip Cherry.

I feel like future generations are going to have to claw their way back out of the Dark Ages.

Sleeping dog with his head on a soft fuzzy pillow.

I hope you are, too! Merry Christmas!

In George Takei’s “They Called Us Enemy,” his autobiographical graphic novel, he wrote that his family was kept together and they were given food, water, and community. What’s happening now is arguably worse. That was a shameful part of our collective history. What’s happening now is unspeakable.

Living in the Midwest for 30 years has taken its toll - I’m more intrigued than repulsed.

Black dog on a hiking trail facing away from the camera.

Adjusting nicely to Portuguese life but can’t understand what other dogs are saying to him when they bark in Portuguese.

I just watched the whole video on YouTube and cried all the way through. 🥲

Sleeping dog.

Feeling better after 2 plane rides, 3 Ubers, an Air BnB, and a cross country train ride.

Christmas market in Braga, Portugal.

Christmas market in Braga, Portugal.

Christmas market in Braga, Portugal.

Christmas tree in the city center in Braga, Portugal.

Christmas in Braga.

We love the idea of Germany but can’t afford it. We’re renting our house in the US and that pays for all our basic expenses here.

I would strongly recommend a Portuguese attorney to navigate the paperwork. Otherwise you’ll get jammed up with European bureaucracy, which we aren’t used to and can be frustrating.