Thumbelina

The past few months have been revelatory in many ways. First, I did not realize nor expect to be buckled to my knees by the death of our sweet, little puppy Chloe. Chlobel had lived with us 12 & 1/2 years. She was five weeks old when I slipped her in my sweatshirt pocket. She traveled across the US with WFS and me. I will miss her the rest of my life.
When my mother died in January, I held onto her unflinching fortitude. Her entire life journey was one of survival and resolve. I felt, in many ways, her legacy to me was to buck up. Look the devil in the eye and never blink. Weather the storm, stay the course. I honored her in death. I kept a brave countenance. I followed her roadmap. Dignity and poise. Holding my shoulders straight while walking with a book on my head. She was and still is my foundation of steel.
I reckoned all of her lessons. I did not cry at her funeral. I tried to be brave. I finally realized, my mom never taught me not to feel .. My mother told me not to cry. I honored my mother's wishes. I think my mother guided me to wail for Chloe. That is how I have reckoned my year of great loss.
Secondly, after many years of collecting a world of crap and some divinely inspired stuff, WFS and I have decided to chuck it all( or more accurately, a major portion) and live out our dream of traveling. We intend to drift about until we see all we want to see. We have purchased a lop-sided 1870's Station Master's house, moved in the 30's from the rail station on Frankfort Avenue to a knoll in Reservoir Park. Thumbelina is a "shot-gun" house measuring a compact 1125 square feet. She is completely charming and once I figure out how to resolve a two inch drop in the middle of the house, the fun of making her come to life will begin in earnest.
I have vowed to blog our adventures. I might spare you the three day marathon English Ivy removal. Except to say, it is a nasty, invasive, noxious weed and is currently clogging some nearby landfill. Horrors. As my wise son said, English Ivy is only good for an ant highway. The kid is right.