So much love and so many hugs for you, HP! So inspirational!

I'm doing well so far, Hawkeye. I think you're right, it will take a while for things to sink in fully, especially b/c I have been working so many hours and am just so worn out that I really am not thinking/feeling in a normal way.

I have done my best to be patient, careful and thorough in all respects, and I'm glad about that. I think it will minimize any chance of regrets for things I could have/should have done, although regrets for what could have/should have been are bound to surface at some points. Technically, since we are separated and not divorced, there is a chance for reconciliation, but I know I can't base my future on that, nor do I plan to.

I am grateful to my A for not fighting me for the house--yes, I had it before we were married, and yes, it's been in our family for probably 75 years, but none of that matters legally. He surely could have demanded we sell and split the proceeds or that I buy him out, and a buyout would have been exceedingly difficult for me to swing.

I've got some new experiences lined up, some things I want to learn, and some visiting I want to do--also, this may seem silly, but I'm glad the separation happened in the spring. For me, it's so much easier to feel hope in the spring than if the days were growing shorter and the cold was coming.

It's been a long haul, with a lot of ups and downs. I'm glad so much of it is documented here--it helps to go back and look at things. And most of all, it helps to have folks who know where you're coming from (and where you hope to go)--that would be you guys and the Alanoners. I can't imagine how a person could hope to do this alone.