everyone's kindness and wisdom is truly helpful; thank you so much.

Morticia, you are being very generous. It has honestly been a dream of mine to spend a year there to do this, and I met some folks last June who only live in their home half the week and they also offered me a space for as long as I needed it...

It is certainly tempting to take that 3 or 4 thousand dollars I will plunk down for first, last and security and just hop across the pond and enroll in a school to get my certificate. But what would I do with my kitties? Besides I am committed to teach in June, and then fall semester.

Dharmabum; yeah, I lost a place before this one after living there for five years; the owner wanted to renovate and finaly charge "what he could get" for the place...I shall be in Elmira; whether I can make it to the little festival at Susan's I am not sure. It is such a brief visit, but I will look into it.

Liz: since I am a "tenant at will" (month to month lease) I legally only have 30 days to get out once I am notified by the landlord. But with the situation what it is in Boston (zero vacancy rate and ridiculous rents) I may have some recourse. The new owner did agree to be somewhat flexible if I do not have something by June 1.

I go to look at two places this morning: a 2 BR ($1500, almost twice what I pay now) in nice old house, and a room in a house (rented ironically by an Englishman named John Rogers).

I'll keep you posted. Thnak you again, all of you.