Big Announcement and Big Change

[Karen]

I Wanted to let you all in on a new chapter in my life.

As you all know, three years ago, I, and we - all of Pet talk and the whole family of websites lost Paul - my husband, the co-founder of the websites, the lead programmer, kindest, smartest, most compassionate and brilliantly intelligent love of my life. I was devastated, but kept plugging along, and you all put up with my mistakes and efforts to keep thing going since then.

Not long after Paul's death, one of his uncles died, and then his youngest uncle died unexpectedly about six months later. Then last year, two days before her own birthday and three days before mine, I lost his mom - she had been scheduled for lung cancer surgery at the time of his death, and by the time of her death, it had spread and was in her bones. It was an awful time, and a painful death. This spring we sold her house, the house in which Paul and his siblings grew up. It has been a time of loss after loss, death after death (I also lost two former bosses in this period.)

I am now beginning life over anew, moving away from this area where every time I turn a corner, I may run into something that makes me sad. Grief has been a roller coaster, anyone who tells you it is an ordered set of predictable steps is delusional.

I have bought a small farm with an old farmhouse in southern Vermont. I closed on the property last Friday, and tomorrow I meet with a contractor who will be paid to help me make it a beautiful place, full of life and joy - and animals. A client who has become a dear friend and collaborating partner will be moving his animals there - including Sweet Pea, a duck who adores me, his mate, their children, Rapanui chickens, geese, and other species of birds. The bunny at the chimney place I worked at for Paul's cousin, Lemon, will also be coming to live with me, and other animals as we get housing and fencing to keep them safe from the many predators. It is a 2.66 acre property, with two ponds and a stream between and through them, groves of trees, and a beautiful setting.

For the first time in my life I will no longer be a Massachusetts resident. And have even dyed half my hair blue to celebrate the new beginning. But of course the websites will keep on going, so please tell everyone you know about them, and nominate your pets f they have never been featured yet.

Once I have moved, I will work on getting the archives fixed, etc.

Wanted you all to know.

[Queen of Poop]

Karen, I wish you all the happiness in the world, after so much loss, you sure deserve it. Having all those animal friends about will surely make it joyful.

[phesina]

Bless you, Karen. What wonderful news!

We are wishing you and all your furry and feathered friends the greatest happiness with your new venture!!!

{{{{{HUGS}}}}} and ~~~~PURRRS~~~~ and :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: from Pat and Sparkler

[tatsxxx11]

OMG!!!:eek: How wonderful, Karen!!! Wow, a farm, full of animals!:D You certainly have suffered MORE than your fair share of sadness and suffering, unspeakable loss over the past few years. Now it's your time, time to turn the page and begin a whole new chapter in your life! I'm so happy for you!!! And I can relate to your comment re: for the first time longer a MA resident! It took me years, after moving to the Cape, to accept the fact that I was no longer a Jersey girl; put off getting a MA driver's license for 3 years, not to mention those insufferable, Yankees hating Red Sox fans, lol

Well, home is where the heart is, so no matter your mailing address, where you lay your head, you'll always be a MA girl! Do you know people in Vermont? Where in Southern Vermont, if you don't mind me asking. We often visit the Bennington, Manchester area. Such great history, shops, book stores, college towns. Well, I wish you all the best! SO exciting! And we REALLY need a pic of you with your 1/2 blue head! hehe
XO

[ChrisH]

Oh, Karen, a new home, and a new life, how wonderfully exciting. Wishing you all the happiness in the world. :love:

[cassiesmom]

Wow, Karen, congratulations! That all sounds wonderful! :D

[mbsmum]

Best of luck and much happiness in the new life dear Karen. We would like to see you with half blue head (photo please):)

[DonnaDWM]

So happy for you. Living on a farm must be like living in heaven. Congratulations.

[Vette]

Oh my goodness how exciting! im so happy for you! please post tons of pictures when you get things more setup/a chance to :love:

[fritz03]

Happy to hear this news,hope all goes well at your new place and will enjoy it very much.

[cats4ever]

I am so happy and excited for you! A farm sounds wonderful. I've never been to Vermont, but from everything I've seen and heard about it, it is an exceptionally beautiful place.
Wishing you all the best, you deserve it!:love:
I can't wait for you to start sharing pictures.

[Bengalz]

Congratulations to you Karen :love: Such a well deserved move! I wish you health and happiness always :love:

[Karen]

Thanks everyone! And yes, will try to get a picture that shows off my hair!

[mon]

Wishing you well in this new beginning. I am so glad you will have help getting settled in and I am sure that the animals will bring you joy and a lot of work😁! It will be a big change but I know you are up for it, onward you go Karen!! We all want you to have peace and a joyful life, you deserve all the very best life has to offer. I'm very excited and happy for you! Thanks for letting us know, I was concerned knowing all you've been through in these short few years. I am certain you will be blessed because your Karma is excellent and what goes around....all the best Karen, love ya!

[Catty1]

Karen this is just wonderful. I am so happy for you. And a bunny wabbit, yet!:D

I wish you years and years of joy and happiness with your friend and all the critters. You so deserve all this!:love::love::love:

[Freckles]

Just saw this. My very best wishes for happiness in your new life on a Vermont farm.

[Freedom]

Karen, what an amazing step in life for you! My goodness, a Vermont FARM! Wonders never cease!

Wishing you all the best in this new adventure.

I did have to laugh at "will work on fixing the archives after the move." Ha! You will be much too busy w/ the new place for some time! And THAT is as it should be.

Best Wishes!!!

[Karen]

Thanks everyone! There will be more pictures, but here's one of the view, and of the now ripening blueberries!

[phesina]

Lovely, Karen! Thanks for the photos.

What a change from suburban Boston! ;)

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[tatsxxx11]

Thanks everyone! There will be more pictures, but here's one of the view, and of the now ripening blueberries!


What a gorgeous view!!! And what fun you'll have watching the wildlife, the birds1

[cats4ever]

What a beautiful place! Enjoy those blueberries.

[mon]

Beautiful, I know you will be very happy there! The possibilities are endless, I would love to see the house??? 😁 Maybe you could get a pig or a goat too!

[Felicia's Mom]

Wishing you much happiness in your new life!:love::love::love:

[Vette]

Very pretty! youre even closer to the mountain side than we are :D

[cassiesmom]

This is beautiful! I imagine it will also be beautiful in the fall, when the leaves change color.

http://petoftheday.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=60962&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1535048317

[Karen]

Yes, people flock to Vermont to do "leaf peeping" - even other New Englanders who somehow don;t notice the changing leaves in their own cities and towns!!

[Scooter's Mom]

Karen, congratulations on your little farm! This is exciting, and I am so pleased for you!

[cassiesmom]

Hello, Karen ... How is the farm? Are you getting settled there? I hope everything is going well :D

Thinking of you,
Elyse

[ramanth]

I second Elyse's latest post. I hope Vermont is treating you well! How is the farm? :D

[Freedom]

How are the snows treating you?!

[Karen]

Thank you - it's beautiful, but my tire need replacing, so my car is at the bottom of Windham Hill, and I am near the top. It stayed the night in a parking lot there, I need to buy snow tires, what I am currently on are very worn summer tires, and Stellwagen (my car) got partway up the hill and said, "Nope!"

[ramanth]

Haha! I've been there. Snow tires are such a blessing. :D

[Karen]

Yes - then a snowstorm - heavy wet snow, 14 inches when they predicted 4-8, and two more days of snow hit, and we lost power. It has been out since Monday night, and is still out - I am temporarily in Nashua New Hampshire to update the sites and stay warm. I will post storm pictures, but we are not even scheduled to get power until late Saturday night! So that's why the sites didn't change - I could not do it without power, and did not dare drive anywhere until I was sure roads were clear!

[Alysser]

Karen,

Just read through this whole thread, I'm sorry for the losses you've experienced over the years. I am not familiar with that part of Vermont but I've driven through it for sure and it's just a beautiful state. I think it will be a wonderful place to heal and renew, once you get past the snow and power outages :D Can't wait to see more pictures.


I lived in the Adirondacks for 4 years and loved it but I must say I do not miss the snow!

[Karen]

This is one picture from the storm - that is a very heavy tree, resting on the power lines just down the street from my house.

And thank you, Alysser, still no power at the house, but the animals are all fine!

[cassiesmom]

Yikes! I see the tree on the power line! Karen, I'm glad you are safe and warm! (((HUGS)))

[phesina]

YOWEE! So glad, Karen, you are safe and warm and the critters are all doing well! Thank you for getting the sites going again.

Take care now..

{{{{{HUGS}}}}} and ~~~~PURRRS~~~~ and :love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love: from Pat and Sparkler

[Karen]

You're welcome! And thank you all!

[Karen]

There is now, as of last evening, electricity at the house, and the server migration is done - just a few more glitches to figure out, then I will be heading back. Though I have only been living there for just over three months, it is already Home in a way no place has been since Paul's death, and I miss it. And the animals of course!

[Vette]

Yikes!
glad to hear everyones okay an that the power is back on.

one year we went a week without power an had to cook Thanksgiving dinner over the top of the wood stove. that was... a different kind of experience LOL

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Ooooo I found this topic only 5 minutes ago....!
You went through so much sorrow & grief, OMG is in fact more than what a person can tak:eek:e.
But you did it! :love: Karen, and I am so happy to hear that you found a nice and beautiful place to build up the next period in your life :love:
That place sounds like heaven to me!! I've always loved snow,; the lack of much snow here, makes me a bit jalous for all that snow you are getting there...!
I absolutely love that picture where a tree is hitting the power line....

This is a rather weird question, but it shows how much I adore snow.... : Have you made a snotman/snowmen?
In my childhood I always made a (or several!) snowman in our garden! But the amount of snow we get here has been diminishing so much since then...! Our snow (IF we get some) melts as soon as it hits the bottom, or is already gone the next morning....

I'm wishing you you all the best :love::love:!

[Karen]

This is a rather weird question, but it shows how much I adore snow.... : Have you made a snowman/snowmen?
In my childhood I always made a (or several!) snowman in our garden! But the amount of snow we get here has been diminishing so much since then...! Our snow (IF we get some) melts as soon as it hits the bottom, or is already gone the next morning....

I'm wishing you you all the best :love::love:!

Have not yet made a snowman, just busy shoveling and making snowbanks, but I will, just for you, next storm we have! I have more snowy pictures, I can post them later if you'd like!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Have not yet made a snowman, just busy shoveling and making snowbanks, but I will, just for you, next storm we have! I have more snowy pictures, I can post them later if you'd like!

Oh yes please!! It will bring back sweet kid's memories to me!!