Progress

We are making some, progress that is. But move-in day is coming up faster than we are moving. It seemed like the whole famdamily was on site today painting and thank goodness Mark connected us with Bob the painter a couple of weeks ago who blasted through a bunch of space in no time. All we have to do, (I don't mean all as in not much, rather as in what's left) is to paint all the areas that were moved/changed/patched. And the trim! The baseboards all got taken off to change the floors; painting trim isn't urgent and it is tedious so it ends to get shuffled off for way too long. Barb to the rescue again.

Jamie and Betsy painting. Talking?

Barb & Jim working on trim

It's the summer long weekend, BC Day here, but our faithful Don showed up yesterday and today to repair and sand drywall so we have something to paint. The utility room is a priority because the washer/dryer is being delivered on Tuesday and the office is up the list because the computers are already set up and need to be dust free-ish. And so it goes.

the new garden, 100th the size of the old...

love the way the fireplace is coming together

The kitchen and our bathroom will end up last and it doesn't matter because we have a suite downstairs with a small kitchen if we decide to move in and in the meantime we are comfy at Barb's and she is still tolerating us pretty well.
In honour of BC Day we had a picnic supper tonight and it was perfect.

It was a good day!

No regrets

We've successfully moved out of the 3400sf house and huge garden, both of which we enjoyed very much for almost 10 years. So much so that everyone who was in the pool on when we would next move lost their chance at a big money win (50 cents?). We used to move every 5 or 6 years but we did love this house so we stayed and stayed: this was our longest sojourn by far.
But that's over and we are feeling good about it.

the packers arrived two days before we moved

and the piles got bigger

clean as a whistle

this house is 85 feet long!

A couple of observations:

• Don't wait too long to downsize 'cuz it's hard work.
• Don't be too attached to your possessions because they won't mean anything to anyone else (we knew this).
• Don't ever expect to get any money for things that are supposed to be valuable - they aren't (we knew this too).
• You can get rid of almost anything on your local version of Used Victoria or Craigslist and if it's free people will fight over your junk.
• Hire people to do your packing
• Hire people to do your your cleaning and your final gardening. Apparently, here at least, it isn't that common anymore for houses to be left clean. Ugh. Our buyers gave us a good chunk of change for our house so why wouldn't we present it to them clean? Sure, it cost almost $800 to get the work done but it should be just one of the costs of moving and it meant I was free to get on with all the other minutiae. Note to gardeners: I paid $400 for 3 days of weeding and trimming and it was money very well spent. Apparently our buyers arrived to take possession, with their cleaning supplies, expecting to have to go to work. They were "blown away" by the condition of the house and that is as it should be in my world.
• Don't get stuck thinking that your house and possessions define who you are or hold your memories. You are going to die anyway and your kids/heirs will thank you for getting rid of your 'stuff'. They are too busy living their own lives to clean up after yours.

Now we are staying with my cousin Barbara whilst busying ourselves getting the townhouse ready. The days are long and physical but we are getting there. Our furniture and boxes are in storage until Wednesday by which time we hope to have settled the dust enough to get things into the right rooms. No, we won't be sleeping there on Wednesday night!

Barbara passed on a delightful quote from Joan Collins: "I never miss anything that doesn't miss me back". 

walking off into the sunset

Backing Up a Bit

It's been a zoo around here but right now I have a minute to think backward to the end of June. Yes, I should be doing something more productive than writing but I've temporarily run out of steam for organizing and fretting about moving. The packers have been here this afternoon and  we are already way over the estimated number of boxes; par for the course.
So back in June we spent almost 3 weeks in the Maritimes playing tour guide with Sally and Alan. And it was cold and wet, blah, blah, blah. The last couple of days in Halifax Jim and I picked up the girls from school and the weather co-operated quite well. First stop after school is for food, of course, ice cream or a do-nut, then we went to Peggy's Cove one afternoon and the beach the next.
The girls have both been practicing cart wheels and hand stands, non stop, Rachel because she was in a dance recital and Jillian just because. They were both doing perfect cart wheels by the time we left, no matter if on the rocks at PC, the beach, or in the living room. Imagine having that much energy!
Peggy's Cove was magnificent with big rolling surf. Jim and the girls clambered over every rock in the place and then sat for a while, just taking it all in: followed by a life-sustaining ice cream.

Next day at the beach just down the road it was warm enough that the girls went in the water and then happily got Jim soaked too.
I stayed well up the beach knowing full well how cold the North Atlantic is. Once the 3 were worn out with waves and gymnastics we got into sand castles and the competition was fierce.

We decided one should NEVER go to the beach without a bucket and shovel although we made do with some driftwood sticks and our hands.
Eight and a half and almost seven are nice ages; they've barely begun to roll their eyes at us.

We got home June 29 and Jim thought, really, we should have one last Canada Day event in the house. So we threw that together quickly and found a few people who didn't have plans and were willing to indulge us.

a sea of red

proud brasilieros

me & she

Day 3

Day 3 was pretty long in our reno world. I organized what seemed like a million people to provide services or products or to take away treasures from the demolition. I felt like a big fat spider in the centre of my computer and cell phone web, snaring anyone who came within range. Derek and Jim continued the demolition of anything that came within their range and have done about 2 weeks work in 3 days (with BIG help on Monday).

livingroom on the right and family room/kitchen on left

My bathroom layout plan stuck on the wall so NO ONE can forget!

Derek in front of one of the few remaining walls.

An artist friend came by at 6:30 and managed to put my 7 foot studio easel into her tiny KIA Rio car which was impressive, and then Jim & I picked up the Tweedie truck and made a Home Depot run for 2x4s and the like. 9:15 found us with our feet up.

For funny, it would be hard to beat the half hour it took for Jim & Derek to tie down a toilet in the back of a pickup. Anna arrived, thankfully, just as J&D were leaving otherwise it would have been me dealing with the toilet and that would not have been funny at all. The guys tried leave it standing so the bolts wouldn't get broken, which evoked the image of driving down the highway with someone sitting on the toilet...! I don't know how many university degrees there were standing around that truck but omg it was a funny experience, worthy of YouTube had I had my wits about me. Having assured us she would be careful Anna tore out of the complex like a bat out of hell, still laughing.

they finally laid it down

Yikes

Day one of the reno and you can't believe how much work got done. We've (they, because I didn't actually DO anything except supervise.) taken a perfectly functional space and turned it into chaos. We are on a very short time line and my job is to grease the wheels behind the scenes (feed the troops), make sure materials get ordered and delivered, and get us moved out of here. It seems like way too much to accomplish but eventually we will get there.
Yeoman's duty performed by Derek, Mark, Melynda, Don, and Jim. A million, trillion thank yous.
And we need Alan!

what used to be the kitchen and laundry

same only different perspective, looking toward the dining room

tired and bemused