September 29, 2021

White Dog rested between Steve and I. She gently put her paw on my hand and looked up. "Momma, now that we are starting to close up the house and make plans for colder, shorter days, you need to accept that it is time."

"Time for what, Little White Dog of My Heeart?"

"Even before Roman in his wilder days made the situation really bad, your beloved wood blinds were showing their age. The mechanism was stuck and we could not lift the blind up. We know you have searched everywhere for replacements that were not outrageously costly. And we know you LOVED the tapes that held the slats with their embroidered tone-on-tone scrolls. That tape cannot be found any longer, momma; the blinds are over twenty years old."

Steve took over. "White Dog and Roman came to me to help them choose replacement blinds. We have ordered wide slats just as you like but with a couple of changes...these are environmentally sustainable and the slat tape is a single subtle color. We chose carefully with hearts full of love and we are prepared if you get angry...but it is done and they will arrive at the end of the month.:

"You were all brave to risk my ire, dearest ones, and you are right, it IS time. I read something the other day that said 'Autumn is the time trees show us how beautiful letting go can be.' If you allow me a weepy moment when we take the current ones down, I promise to let them go and embrace the new look. Thank you."