Sold

As the year draws to a close, so too does a phase of my life. Today the sale of Terrapin Station was finalized and there are new owners ready to take possession. The dreamed-of cash offer was accepted on November 25th, the day after Thanksgiving. Since then the buyers and the realtor have been going through all the steps and stages required by the people who care about the legalities. As with any business deal, I am glad the process is concluded. I feel extremely fortunate that, in a place the housing boom passed by, I was able to sell my place in just four short months. And for cash with no mortgage approval or irksome inspections. Retirees from California will be the next occupants. This should be good news.

But tonight there is sadness in my heart as I say good-bye to a place where I spent some very happy times. I remember arriving there so tired and weary after four days of cross-country driving with two cats and finding a box turtle on the doorstep. I remember the Christmas Eve I brought home a little tiny Black Lab puppy to ease my loneliness. I remember the spring surprise when the lilac bloomed and the redbud tree turned fuschia. I remember sitting in the dugout cellar while a thundering tornado passed overhead. I remember taking my feline friend Rocky on his last drive at age 20. I remember good friends who shared my joys and eased my worries and spent many hours drinking tea or chai in my little cottage. I remember the lazy rhythm of summer days and the chilly mornings of frosty winters, the wild colors of fall and the thousand greens of spring.

My memories are precious and some of them I recorded in Down Home Musings during my last summer in the Ozarks. I have photos and memorabilia to keep the memories alive. Now a new adventure beckons and I will make new memories here with my children in the Pacific Northwest. But there will always be a special spot in my heart for Terrapin Station.