January 22, 2018. In recent posts, I’ve hinted that 2017 was a tough year for us. Serious illnesses and life changes for our parents, the loss of my family farm, an almost unbearable workload, and an uncertain future as our conflict-ridden project in Norway comes to a close. All have chiseled away at our spirits. But the thing that has finally brought us to our knees is what many people might consider trivial by comparison — the death of our beloved cat Nicholas.