It's 7:30am, the sun is up, I have a fresh pot of perked coffee, and Kitty is still down. She had a rough day yesterday. It's time to take a few minutes, jot down a few thoughts, and give you an update on the doll house we started during winter.

Fire season is just about here for me. I leave for Galena in two days. I am thankful for the work, but it is hard to leave Kitty once again. For the second summer, I will be stationed at an Alaska Fire Service aviation base. It is a 90 day contract with an extension option at the end. 

I worked my tail off this winter, getting my helicopter back in shape. The engine was repaired, the swashplate rebuilt, and inspection after inspection was completed. I believe it is safe to say I know this particular helicopter inside and out. That's a good thing. This was a job I was proud of.

I've spent my recent time at home packing, organizing, and running to the dump. Kitty and I are going for the move to Wasilla. She has made friends there and has the very real possibility of her store idea and dream taking off. I also have a better chance of finding work during winter. Fairbanks is used up. We see no future here but very good possibilities down the road. With that being said, I want to be ready to back up a U-Haul truck, load all in one shot, and head on down the road...no looking back. We're doing this!

For those of you still with me I promised an update on the doll house I started on early this winter. This is a Greenleaf doll house called the Glencroft. The box is dated 1983. This is a very large and intricate wooden house kit that was popular in an earlier time. Somebody bought it, opened it up, looked at all the parts, tried to read the instructions, and promptly closed the lid. This box has been traveling from owner to owner, recreating this scenario over and over for 25+ years. We bought it from the back of a pick up truck in a gas station parking lot for 20 bucks. Thank you Craigslist.

I was intimidated as well. I looked at all the wood, looked at the pages of instructions, and promptly closed the box. Kitty persisted. Just when I thought we had forgotten it, she would remind me of the doll house. This went on for about one year. Finally, I set up a table, stared at the instructions, and popped out a piece of wood. After I worked through the initial confusion this was a fun project. It was challenging. 

I'm fitting the windows for the final product now. Kitty and I will paint and decorate inside and out. This piece, along with the custom display table I am making are going to be the Christmas focal point for Wytchwood Herbal Shoppe. We are even considering turning this one of a kind Vintage but Brand New heirloom doll house into a Christmas auction with a portion of the proceeds going to a selected charity. 

The shock of losing everything due to the Affordable Care Act and my blunders is now over. We made it through a rough patch that most would crumble under. I've learned more about life in the last three years that in any of my other 50 something years. We no longer are going to merely survive. It is now time for Kitty and I to fly!

 

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When I look over Alaska I see endless possibilities