The Beginning

So I suppose this is where the blog begins. Today is the official "Farewell" party being thrown for our dear friend (and fellow Clean Slate blogger) Ratna. Next week she is moving from sunny Texas to chilly Wisconsin. It would seem that this is where it ends, but truly it is the beginning. Maybe a little explanation is needed here....

I have been pondering this website for the last few months. I feel as if my life has entered the state of "Clean Slate." In my mid 30s, I left a life of security with a husband and large home and entered one with practically nothing. I called my apartment The Clean Slate. I did have some possessions....One white sofa and a chair. I began to build on this theme acquiring pieces that I loved and always searching for the perfect additions to my new home. My apartment became a cocoon of safety & security with soft bedding and lots of fluffy pillows.

Little did I know, more changes were coming. Ratna and I have known each other for 10 years. We are one-time coworkers and long time friends. We always just pick up where we left off. She invites me to lunch at a fabulous Italian hole-in-the-wall restaurant and tells me that she is moving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My sadness at losing my local friend soon turned to happiness, realizing that the job that moves her there, keeps her in the US. This is, of course, Ratna's story to tell. So as we spend the afternoon chatting about her new life chapter, we realized that we could build this blog together. As she moves from a vintage home to a new mod apartment, we have so much to discuss and share.

I will see my good friend tonight at her farewell party and I can't wait to give her a big hug. I'm so proud of you Ratna. You are a fighter and a survivor. You impact the lives of every person you meet. You are also so creative and a true artist. I can't wait to see what this next chapter holds for you.