***   The Mayne Island Cottage Reveal   ***


Lorenzo, our daughter and I headed over to the island on Thursday night, leaving two teenage boys to fend for themselves. I was touched by how enthusiastic they were to help us load up the truck; such helpful lads. And the way they sprinted into the house as we pulled away? Eager to start in on their chores, I suspect.

The weather was great, and this marked the first time we truly had (almost) nothing to do. I had taken a slew of pictures on our last trip over, but I used the wrong aperture on the camera and the results were disappointing. Anyway, here is the cottage! It's done! YAY!!!

The Cottage Reveal:

Bathroom:

As mentioned previously, the bathroom was on the main floor and it occupied the south-east corner of the cottage which meant we had very little light coming in. This picture was taken the day we decided to make an offer; it was all we could afford and we could see the potential. Behind the hideous cedar-paneled wall was the bathroom. Talk about lack of privacy...

The old bathroom did not have a tub and it was pretty ugly...

Construction began which meant re-locating all the plumbing to the second floor, reinforcing the floor to accommodate the tub etc. This was a big job which presented a truckload of headaches...

We borrowed the closet from the boy's room and about two-thirds of the space from our daughter's room...

The goal was to make a decent-sized family bathroom....with a tub!

Lorenzo in the tub

We chose pebble-tile for the bath enclosure because it looks beachy and it hides the fact that many of the walls are not perfectly straight...

I couldn't be more pleased with our bathroom....

The console was an excellent find and I especially appreciate the storage in the basket drawers at the bottom. I use this for the blow dryer, flat iron, and other hair accessories....


The back wall before....

and after...

Due to the narrowness and overall small size of this space, we opted for built-in storage that is no deeper than the studs...

We have a medicine cabinet above the sink and another cabinet above the toilet...

I have learned over the years that deep storage is not only unnecessary for the vast majority of items, but also a recipe for clutter and not being able to access the things you need. This bathroom is a pleasure to use and better outfitted than my bathrooms at home...

No cottage is complete without a whimsical drawing from one of the kids. My daughter drew this in the third grade...

Eh voila!

All in all, the bathroom is a very lovely space and I feel happy when I walk into it. The gray-green colour feels very clean and fresh and all the elements came together the way I envisioned it. There's a place for everything. Lorenzo wants to put in a sky-light as he's convinced that we're going to have moisture issues, but I don't think we will. The fan is extremely powerful. Having said that, some natural light would be nice. We'll see....


House Tour Part Two - The Landing:


The stairwell heading up to the second floor was dark and spooky. And the "stained glass" light fixture was pretty ugly...

New flooring, a lick of paint, and what a transformation.

I saw a wire-cage pendant light on the Home Depot website for $49....

Lorenzo liked it, so we bought it. It is perfect for the space....

The old railings were removed....

And Lorenzo installed railings from Home Depot....

Dark pine paneling be gone!

Light, bright and airy....

This outdoor barn lamp looks right in this spot....

Lorenzo installed new pine walls that matched the original paneling elsewhere on the landing...

New doors and trim and the whole landing looks bigger, brighter, and much more welcoming...

Daughter's Room: This room became a bedroom and bathroom, neither of which are particularly large but the bedroom is impossibly small....

The result was a tiny space....

But it has a certain charm....

And is just big enough for a set of bunks....

And a cabinet in the corner... I had left over knobs from the kitchen so I switched out the old ones which were small and boring. It looks much better now. The wall lights are from Ikea and they're fantastic. What a great idea if you don't have room for lamps and night stands....

Moving along. The Boy's Room:

Our sons' original room was just gorgeous and we thought about leaving it the way it was. Something about those 70's paneled walls and the thick shaggy rose-coloured carpet almost brought a tear to our eye...not to mention the oversized aluminum window. So retro!

Everything was stripped away, new window installed, new walls and ceiling and floor...

It's amazing how much bigger this room looks - I swear, it looks as though we added on to it. Two double beds from the Salvation Army, an old dresser, some lighting and hooks, and bob's-your-uncle. Our window screens hadn't arrived when we were there so I just threw up some old sheers to keep the skeeters out...

As I said, we had to take their closet for the bathroom....

It wasn't a very useful closet anyway...

It's now a very nice room for two loving brothers to share...

The Master Retreat:

Actually, our bedroom shares the exact dimensions of the boys' room which is about 10-feet wide by 15-feet long. Another room lost in the worst decade for style....and check out the bright blue plastic coat hanger on the wall. Such a thoughtful touch....

Demolition, work, sweat....I think a dead bird or something fell on Lorenzo's head when he gutted this room. South wall before....

and after....

I hung a favourite print by Kiff Holland on the wall opposite the bed so we'd have something nice to look at when we wake up in the morning....

North side of the room before....

and after.... This room feels so big and airy even though we opted for a king-sized bed. I love my cottage bedroom - at night the creamy-coloured walls glow when the lamps are on and the high gloss paint on the wainscoted ceiling also bounces light around. In a long narrow room with only one window, you have to keep things light and reflective. 

Let's head down the stairs to the main floor...and what a yucky staircase it was.

Not anymore!

What used to be the ugliest part of the cottage is now bright and pleasant...

After the bathroom was removed from the main floor, we added windows where previously there were none. New plumbing, electrical, insulation, walls, ceiling, flooring... Gutted to the studs.

Two years later, dozens of weekends of back-breaking work for Lorenzo, and here it is. We couldn't be more happy with the results...

West wall before....

New windows, new front door....

And here it is. I still think we should have put in a glass front door but Lorenzo disagrees. I installed a mirror on the south wall to reflect the windows and it really made a difference....

The original kitchen....

Out with the old....

In with the new....

View of the original kitchen before the bathroom was removed....

Demolition, new windows....

A very cute cottage kitchen!

Before....

During....

After!

South-east corner where the original bathroom used to be. Yanked it out, put in windows to bring in the glorious southern exposure. 

Nice and sunny in the morning....

Guess what appeared in my kitchen window last Friday?

A young buck!

Moving along...original cottage; east view....

Strange "den" area knocked out to reveal that king-beam had been cut and left unsupported. That was fun....

Now it's one big open plan....

We never could figure out why this "room" was walled in. It was dark and miserable....

Here we go again, adding windows where there should have been windows in the first place. I don't know how the previous owners coped in such a dark house...

It's not dark anymore....

The stackable washer & dryer that were left for us were in good shape but they were too small for a family of five. 

We gave them to our friend's mother and knocked out the whole laundry area to accommodate full-size units as well as a closet....

I chose flat-panel doors for the washer & dryer closet because I knew I wanted to put mirrors on them....

Hands-down, one of the best ideas I came up with. Nothing transforms a space more than colour and light, and mirrors give you light. They are magical. This corner of the cottage is twice as bright as it was; this is the north-end and it tended to be a bit gloomy. 

Behind the mirored doors is my laundry "room"....

South side of the cottage...

I found this pine cabinet on Craigslist. It fit in this spot perfectly. This is a handy little thing - it's where I keep tea candles, cell phones, loose change, board games, etc. 

This is the west wall which gave us more headaches than anything we did...poor Lorenzo. Builds a fantastic fireplace only to knock it all down....

I wish now that we had added more windows. Hind sight....

After it was all done, this wall just looked wrong...had to break the news to Guido that we needed to renovate the renovation....

Once we pebble-tiled the wall and installed some shelves, we had a real focal point instead of a huge blank stretch of dullness....I love this wall now. I chose different pebble tile for the wall than what we'd used on the hearth. I just liked the gray better than the multi-coloured. I think it looks fine...

My cousin and his wife had some left-over Ikea countertop that we used for the shelves. It's oak, just like our kitchen counters, so it blends in nicely. I bought the brackets at Home Depot. I have decided not to clutter up these shelves with bits & bobs. I want to keep the cottage feeling as clutter-free as possible. The print is "Haida Totems" by Emily Carr. I brought it from home because it seemed to suit Mayne Island more than Burnaby...

On the other side of the wood stove I hung a big clock that I bought at Bowerings. It was on sale for $29. The metal trees I purchased at the Envisions Gallery on Mayne Island. They're really cool....

If someone had told me that our renovations would take two years, I wouldn't have bought this cottage. Just looking at these old pictures reminds me of how discouraged and exhausted we were. Here is the south-east corner before...

after...

before...

after....

I bought this sofa table on Craislist, painted it, and put on a new knob. The exposed back of a sofa
is never a pleasant view. This looks much better and gives me a place to put the mail, ferry schedules, etc.....

North side before...

and after...

Coat hooks and shoe rack from Ikea....

The reading corner....

Fish from the Envisions gallery on Mayne Island...

Well, that's all for now. Here are some other pictures:

Marcello chilling at the cottage...

Morning sunlight through the trees...

Dad and Ducky at the Springwater....

big smooch....

A horseman passes by the cottage....

Our girl with Sachiko on the grass...

Our daughter refuses to look into the camera....

Guido lounges on the front porch....

Having my tea...

the church fair on Saturday...

a glass of wine at the Springwater...

the boys on their electric scooters....

candles and firelight in the evening....

Sachie on the lawn...

Boys in the kitchen....

Village Bay...


*     *     *     *

We're done. 

I dedicate this blog to my husband, Lorenzo. When we met, he didn't even know where Mayne Island was. Eighteen years later, he takes on the biggest challenge of our lives. Because he knew this is where I call home. Thank god he grew to love the place as much as I. 

This is our Mayne Island cottage. Built by an Italian stallion!

Ciao for now. Stay tuned for the exterior renovation coming your way this fall....

So we decided to renovate the cottage. Here's what happened: When we gutted the space and started figuring out where windows would go, we kind of screwed up. We ended up with a ridiculously long wall where the wood stove is. I found myself staring at it and shaking my head. We should have installed more windows. And when I hung a picture and a clock  they both appeared lost; floating in space as it were....

I imagined a mantle or shelf travelling the length of the wall to add some interest but even that wouldn't solve the problem. So I told Lorenzo that we should pebble-tile the wall behind the wood stove. We had already pebble-tiled the hearth which is four feet wide. I knew that if we did a feature wall the same width and brought it up to the ceiling, it would break up the space and improve the overall appearance. So we called our trusty tile guy, Tony Dominelli who lives on Bowen Island, and he agreed to meet Lorenzo at the cottage.  This was the last weekend in May. And so the work began....

While this was going on, Lorenzo began installing the central vacuum system. The outlet upstairs had to be boxed-in, unfortunately, but it looks alright. Once it's painted the same colour as the wall it won't look too bad. Maybe a very small child could sit there and read a book or something....

And then Lorenzo installed in the stair rails....

He bought the components at Home Depot....

We thought about painting out the wood but have since decided to leave it as is; I'll apply some mineral oil. I'm really happy with the way it turned out - it's a narrow stairwell with not a great deal of light coming in. Using metal balusters was a good choice; they take up a minimal amount of visual space, they're zero maintenance, and the proportions are correct....

After the pebble-tile was up, Lorenzo framed it with some vertical moulding and grouted it all. The grout colour is too dark in my opinion so I'm going to lighten it the next time I go over....

All in all, I'm very glad we did this. The wall looks so much better now....

On the next trip, I'll paint the moulding the same colour as the wall, and then we're going to install shelves on either side supported by brackets. This will anchor the picture and clock and provide a place to put some candles or books. And then we'll be done! I mean it this time. Except for the exterior, of course.



*     *     *     *

A Day in the Life of Marcello the Bunny:

hanging out in the wildflower garden, nibbling on tasty leaves....

taking a break under the trailer....

sitting in the jasmine pot, taking a look around....

posing for his close-up....

hey! Dad's having ice cream!

they know I prefer spumoni, but this will do....


*     *     *     *

We're planning to head to the cottage for the Canada Day long weekend. I guess I should book our ferry. Ciao for now!

Another rainy gray day on the south coast.... Marcello the Bunny did something so funny last night. I opened the dishwasher and he hopped on. Maybe he thought he was going for a ride somewhere. He is so hilarious!

Marcello is a very chill rabbit - I can vacuum right up to him and he doesn't move. But the other day (while he was lounging on the back deck) Lorenzo whistled for the boys to come home. Marcello completely lost it - he tore into the kitchen at breakneck speed, spinning and skidding on the hardwood floor, ran into the living room, stamped his feet, ran around the couch and stamped his feet, and this went on for about two minutes. He was so angry! I guess the human whistle pushed him over the edge.

Therefore, when he chose the dishwasher door as his new perch, how could I say no? 
Look at that face! 

It's been a long time since I last wrote. I'll have to re-cap two separate trips to the cottage. 

On April 26th, Lorenzo & I took the U-Haul over, loaded up with all our cottage furnishings - beds, mattresses, night stands, lamps, appliances, pictures, mirrors, dishes, etc. 

The place was rather a mess...

All I remember of that trip was working non-stop until about 11pm for two nights. We didn't watch a movie, or play Scrabble, or do anything enjoyable. It was just work - assembling beds, hauling in the mattresses, cleaning, etc. I washed the hardwood floors, put clean linens on the beds, washed windows, etc. 

Lorenzo put the big happy knobs on the cabinets...

..and they look really nice....

He installed the dining room light...

and installed the kitchen shelves...

I'm not exactly pleased with the shelves. The bottom shelf should always be parallel to the bottom of any adjacent cabinet. It has to be balanced. In this kitchen, they had to be placed too high on the wall for my liking due to an electrical outlet. Oh well...

We carried in the washer and dryer but Lorenzo couldn't install the washer because one of the connecting hoses had a slight leak. So many jobs went this way - what should have been straight-forward would turn into a huge fiasco. And we forgot to bring the rails for the top bunk, so that didn't get done either.

On the second (last) day, we loaded up the truck with all the tools we no longer need...

Lots of sorting through boxes of wires, gadgets, and miscellaneous crap...

I covered up the ugly leather couches with fleece blankets and pillows from Ikea. They don't look half bad now...

And then we staggered home. We showed up around noon and everyone was sleeping. Our three kids were not exactly perfect angels while we were gone - even though we had a family member stay here. We were not impressed at all. My house needed vacuuming. The bunny-box hadn't been emptied. The stove was sticky. Loads of laundry were piled up in the basement waiting for my attention. I was just drained - and very ticked off. When I was their age, my parents would have returned to a house that gleamed. Why is this? Better trained? Or was it fear? In any case, we decided that they'd have to come with us on the next trip.

This occurred on Friday. We pulled the kids out of school, packed up the dog, the rabbit, bags of food, and a bunch of other stuff, and took the 10am ferry. When we arrived, it began to pour rain. The kids unloaded the truck at breakneck speed and once it was all in the cottage, I made a pot of coffee and brought out the scones we'd picked up at the bakery....Our first family meal in the renovated cottage. My daughter hadn't seen anything since we'd purchased it two years ago and she just ran around exclaiming - she was just thrilled with everything.

The next few days were spent assembling the top-bunk of the bunkbed which entailed three trips to the hardware store, installing the kitchen lights, mowing the lawn, putting up hooks, etc. Lorenzo is still recovering from hernia surgery and wasn't supposed to be doing any heavy lifting, so I had to haul his heavy tool bag around. I'd say, "Step aside, weak man!" I installed the mirrors for the closet doors by myself and it was kind of nice not being interfered with. He was impressed, which made me feel useful.

My cousin and his wife were there also, and one day he scooped up the boys and took them crabbing on his boat. We also had a lovely dinner at their house on Saturday night - roast beef, prawns, corn on the cob, baked potatoes...what a feast. Afterward, we sat around the fire playing guitars and chatting. What else...? The kids walked down the road to my aunt & uncle's who said the kids were welcome to use their pool table which turned out to be a god-send. I guess our cottage is boring. No pool table, no ocean view, just two parents who never stop working, it seems. It was nice to make a big bacon & egg breakfast in my kitchen, though. 

The weather wasn't very good - drizzly rain with periodic sunny patches - but it was still nice to be there. I can't get over the bird-song. I'd just sit on the porch and listen....

We got the boys to haul the old stinky couch off the porch and throw it into the pile of stuff to be carted away...My younger son didn't want his picture taken. Oh well!

Keep going, boys...

My daughter brought her guitar case (see above) but forgot to add her guitar. I swear, I have to think of everything. The sun came out just in time for a nice dinner at the Springwater....this is my younger son. He ate two entire entrees....

Here's my weak husband - the one who made me do all the heavy lifting...

On the last day, my cousin's wife and I went to the Fernhill Centre which has two very nice stores. There used to be a great little restaurant called the Wild Fennel but it closed down last year, unfortunately. They made the best peanut-butter pie you've ever tasted. And buffalo burgers! We were really sad when they closed the doors...

The Tree Frog is a clothing store which sells beautiful things made from organic cotton and bamboo. Sweaters, tops, dresses, leggings; apparel for both men and women. Organic soaps and homemade candles, interesting jewelry and scarves, carved wood boxes, etc. Everything is gorgeous, but we didn't buy anything. This store smells so good - of lavender and cedarwood and other lovely things. You walk in and you just feel happy.

Next store to this is the Envisions Gallery which sells locally made pottery, crafts, glass-works, etc. Beautiful things - I bought a fish to hang on the wall. This is probably my favourite gallery - it is even more impressive than galleries on the mainland...

Then all of us met up for lunch. That was the only leisure on the entire trip!


I took a few pictures but I don't want to post them yet. It was hard to set up good shots with four people around, the dog, the rabbit, and hoodies and shoes lying all over the place. We've worked so hard for two years and I want the final pictures to do it justice. And there's a few more little things that need to get done.

The plan was to stay on Mayne Island until Monday evening, but our three annoying teenagers acted as though they were being condemned to a sensory-deprivation chamber. It was really, really, annoying. So we changed our ferry reservation and returned on Sunday night instead. Lorenzo and I were right choked about it, but there is no joy in dragging three complaining kids around. On the whole, they were good - I can't complain, really. They just wanted to be with their friends doing the things that teenagers do. It's a tough age....for us.

On Monday, which was Victoria Day, I did a ton of laundry, washed the hardwood floors, cleaned and cleaned....I was so tired I felt like I was going to crack into a million pieces. Right now, I am under the weather. Sore throat, aching bones. My left wrist, which was just starting to heal, is in pain again. I'd like to sleep for three days straight. I have never been a morning person, but on Mayne Island I wake up practically at the crack of dawn, wide awake. It's pretty incredible for someone like me. But as soon as I'm back in the city, I never feel truly rested. I slept really well at the cottage - no bad dreams - just a deep, restful sleep every night. I can't wait to go back, just for that reason alone.

So, that's it. This weekend, Lorenzo and I have a long list of things to do around here. I might get started on some painting and I have an antique sewing machine I've been meaning to refinish. It never ends...  Owning two homes is a lot of work; I don't think I really imagined how tiring this would be. At least we've crossed the finish line - it feels good.

Ciao for now.

The U-Haul truck has been loaded and so has our truck - we're taking two vehicles to Mayne Island.  If we run out of time and everything isn't done, I'll stay on by myself.
I spent the day wrapping up some art work to bring over, cleaning the basement (which is empty, practically) and packing up last minute stuff. It's hard to believe that we're actually moving into our cottage....

The night after my last entry, our younger son woke us up in the middle of the night. It has been so long since any of our kids have woken us up that I was totally confused for a moment. He said he was in pain - he was holding his ear and he started pacing the living room. Luckily, I still had some pain-killers from when I had my dental surgery. I gave him one, filled his ear with olive oil again, and he passed out. I told him I'd be taking him to the clinic when it opens at 8-am. I couldn't get back to sleep after that; I was almost waiting for his ear to burst which happened when he was about 8 years old. The next day I had a headache so severe I could hardly function - I think everyone is under the weather right now.

The next day my son insisted on going to school. I was really ticked off about this. He came home looking awful so I took him in and the doctor said he has a bad ear infection. All this week he's had soccer tryouts and refused to miss any of them; he's a trooper. My daughter isn't well either - coughing, sore throat, runny nose.  But she goes to school regardless. My oldest son, however, is fit as a fiddle. Glowing with health. But somehow he couldn't manage to get out of bed this morning; at 10-am he sauntered into the kitchen and gave me a heart attack. I'm losing patience with this boy. The other night he was still up at 1:30 in the morning, sitting on the basement couch listening to music. Living with three teenagers is really trying....I am worried about leaving them when they aren't well. I think Lorenzo will come home as soon as the heavy lifting is done and the lights are installed. I can do the rest on my own. 

Someone once said that having children means that your heart exists on the outside of your body. It is so true. They are always, always in your thoughts - you're never truly free of it and I don't think it matters how old they are. If Lorenzo is here, I feel fine about leaving - but when it's both of us leaving, I have real anxiety. Mayne Island is a long way away - an ocean separates us which is kind of disturbing.

Anyway, my older son is deeply offended that his cousin is coming to stay while we're gone. He thinks he's a model of exemplary behaviour. Reliable and trustworthy. I'll believe that when he gets himself to school on time....


Well, that's it for now. 

        Boys washing the dishes. Mayne Island - 2009

Last Thursday, I packed my things to head to the cottage. The plan was to leave Friday morning and spend the weekend scouring the floors & windows and getting everything sparkly clean. In my basket I had the requisite three jugs of Vancouver water, tea, old rags, and my favourite cleaning potion...

I love this stuff - I use it on hardwood floors, painted wood, leather, etc. It's lovely smelling too - and environmentally friendly, apparently.

Anyway, Friday morning came and went and somehow I was still here. Postponed my departure for the evening but when the rains came pounding down I didn't want to leave the cozy sanctuary of my home. Set my alarm for Saturday morning. Slept in and talked myself into having a headache. More rain and wind - stood looking out the window and everything outside looked gray and bleak. Put the kettle on and considered my options. Wrist still felt a bit sore, maybe I should wait. Sunday became the new goal: I resolved to take the 11am ferry and get to work! Then Lorenzo casually mentioned that if I waited until Monday, the ferry costs would be much cheaper. Sounded good to me - poured another cup of tea and curled up with my book. By Sunday night it just seemed like a really dumb idea all around.

So we decided to bail on the whole thing, rent a trailer, and head over the following Friday. I'd spend this week getting things packed up and preparing the house for our absence. For some reason, I just couldn't face being there alone. And it didn't help that Lorenzo was talking about wolf spiders hiding in the wood stack outside....ready to pounce!

Yesterday I began making phone calls but unfortunately there were no trailers to be found. Not one. I guess it's end-of-the-month moving time for everyone. So we rented a truck, and we're picking it up tomorrow...

On Sunday, my daughter and I went to Sears and ordered a double mattress and two twin mattresses. And I discovered that Sears can ship to Mayne Island - the Home Hardware is an official Sears distribution centre. And then I saw these great couches on sale....

It has been about fourteen years since Lorenzo and I bought any new living-room furniture, so I felt entitled I guess. He liked them, so I put them on the charge card and arranged to have them shipped over with the mattresses...

They are soft, supple Natuzzi leather and on sale for 50% off until the end of June. I could just imagine how spectacular they'd look against the hardwood floors. A whole vision appeared before me: There we are - jazz music tinkling in the background, a glass of red wine, fire crackling in the stove, candles flickering on the mantle, and there - in the centre of it all - these gorgeous Natuzzi leather couches! A little dash of Italian design on Mayne Island! I enter the scene, wearing something silky and sophisticated - Lorenzo is composing something on the piano....

Woke up this morning and realized I'd been imagining someone else's life.

Who the hell puts white leather couches in a cottage? Suddenly I had visions of chasing my kids away from them, worrying about wood-smoke and finger prints; fretting over every tiny stain and wrinkle. Dog scratches and bunny fluff. Everyone is miserable and scared to sit down.

Gloom descended on my sparkling fantasy. Reality is, I have three kids and two pets and everything in my life is sticky.

With a sad heart, I called Sears and cancelled them. The cottage gets the hideous brown boat from the basement...it's wrinkly and lumpy....I hate it. It's like a big brown ghastly barge and there's rips and tears from when Sachie was a pup. I'll have to get very creative with this one...

Then I pondered over the fact that the mattresses I purchased wouldn't be arriving on Mayne until early June. I decided that I wanted the cottage to be set up by the time we leave on Sunday. Every bed made, every last little thing put in its place. The thought of leaving with yet more work to do in the future made me antsy. So I called Sears and cancelled the mattresses because I needed mattresses right now. When I get a bee in my bonnet, look out. But where to find mattresses at a moment's notice?

I remembered that the Salvation Army sells new mattresses. I called around, and the New Westminster location had what I needed. My son was horrified. He figured they'd be used....you know, bed-bug infested mattresses that someone dragged out of an East End crack house...

I explained to him that it's illegal for any company to sell used mattresses under the Health Canada Act. I called Lorenzo about my plan and he yelled, "I'm not buying used mattresses!" Veins bursting in his head.

Anyway, after he came home from work we hitched his little trailer onto the truck, headed into New West and bought three perfectly acceptable, brand new, pillow-top mattresses for a few hundred bucks. This is a very impressive thrift store - I saw all kinds of interesting things but we had to pick our son up from soccer...

I have to mention this: years ago, when Lorenzo first went into business for himself, he had to go to Edmonton. It was winter-time and the temperature there was minus-30. He didn't have a winter coat and we couldn't afford to buy one. So I went to the Salvation Army. I found a beautiful, Humphrey Bogart-type men's dress coat. Merino wool and cashmere, silk lining, triple-stitched pockets. Made in Italy. Price? $28.

My father trained to be a tailor in Italy. He examined the coat and said, "This would cost about two thousand dollars to have made right now." Lorenzo wasn't keen on wearing a used coat (because he's a snob) but it fit him beautifully - he looked so handsome in it, and he said he was warm as toast on his trip. Thrift stores are amazing - you never know what you'll find.

Today I sorted out linens, pillows, duvets and duvet covers, mattress protectors, etc. and put everything into labelled garbage bags.

So, tomorrow the truck will be here, and we'll be finally loading up a year's worth of clutter and Craigslist finds. Our basement is going to be empty! Yay! I've arranged for my niece to stay and police the teens while we're gone, everything is going to get done, and I'm really, really excited about this.

Around 10pm, my daughter mentioned that she isn't feeling well - her throat is sore. My younger son informed me that he can't hear out of his right ear. We already had this checked out a few weeks ago and the stupid doctor gave him nasal spray. Anyway, I filled his ear with warm olive oil and tomorrow I'm taking him up to the clinic. I can see it now: The trip to Mayne Island gets thwarted again.....

I'm reading such a riveting book right now...

I'm halfway through, and right now Ernest Shackleton's crew has been stranded in the antarctic for two years. Two years living on penguins and seal blubber, battling frost-bite and despair. I cannot fathom how anyone could ever sign up for something like this...it is mind-boggling to me. But what a great read this is. I'm an arm-chair adventurist.

I think this is the longest I've gone without a post. The reason is, there is no cottage news to deliver. It seems that all of the urgency has completely dissipated - it's pretty much done, so we've been enjoying a much-needed respite. Having Lorenzo home for the past several weekends has been so nice - and almost strange; I've been so used to him being gone that it seemed like we were on holidays. We could actually make plans and do things together. We've had friends over for dinner, gone grocery shopping together, watched tv, etc. in other words, all the things that normal people do.

And then our oldest son turned 16 two days ago, so there were preparations involved for that. It is really odd looking at this tall boy and having to accept the fact that he's only two years from legal adulthood. I cannot wrap my mind around it. Last week, he challenged me to a left-handed arm wrestle. (I'm left-handed, he is not). About six months ago, I flattened him with my left arm. In just six short months, he has grown about seven inches and gained super-human strength. Before I even had a chance to engage my arm, we heard a loud "crunch" - like someone crushing a small handful of potato chips. That was my left wrist. The days of frolicking with my boys are over - I always get hurt. I iced my wrist on and off in the days following but it is still not healed. My son felt terrible. So, it's official: I'm weaker and shorter than these two punks. Strange.... But now I never hesitate to get them to do stuff for me, so that's kind of nice. I'll just pretend that I'm too feeble to manage....sit on the couch eating bon-bons, cradling my injured wrist for the next ten years.

On Monday morning, Lorenzo left for the interior to visit all the customers he's been neglecting since the cottage reno began. I was worried that he'd encounter a blizzard somewhere, but so far the clear weather has held out. I had a lot of apprehension before he left. He was waking up at 4:30am so I left him a note, urging him to take the truck just in case. Instead, he took his hybrid and did not seem concerned. He'll be home on Thursday. 

The nice thing about him being gone is the ease with which dinner is approached. Yesterday, he missed glorious "Pancake Tuesday," which I know he doesn't mind as he's too Italian to understand the joys of eating breakfast for dinner. 

When we were first married he was actually appalled by the idea of bacon & eggs past 9-am. I remember accusing Lorenzo of being snob - and reminding him that if his ancestors had been on the Titanic, they'd have been in steerage. He fired back, "Oh, and your family were aristocrats!" I've never forgotten that - I laughed so hard. In any case, the kids love Pancake Tuesday as do their friends. Sometimes I've had to double the recipe - and I always use buttermilk which makes such a difference. The thing is, it is very tiring coming up with a new meal every single day. Pancake Tuesday is like my little vacation - one bowl, one pan, throw some fruit on the table and you're done...

What else....I am itching to get over to Mayne Island and might leave later in the week, I'm not sure. With my wrist being sore, I don't have the same strength. And I'd want to start bringing some smaller furniture over and all the boxes with odds & ends, etc. Also, the floors and windows need to be thoroughly cleaned. Didn't realize how much an injured wrist can slow you down. Maybe I should have it looked at....my hand is a bit numb and tingly which probably isn't a good thing.

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I've been meaning to get a "No Soliciting" sign for my front door. Yesterday, the door-bell rang - dog went bonkers. It was two young men representing "Weed Man" offering to sign me up for a free consultation. They wanted my phone number. I told them that I'm not interested and then one of them said,"If they call, you don't have to sign up for anything but we'll still get our five-dollar commission. Can you help us out?" So I gave them my phone number. I have compassion for young people just trying to make a living but I don't support lawn pesticides.

An hour later, it was the Girl Guides selling cookies. There's nothing worse than being confronted with a cute tot on the porch with their hopeful parent standing in the background. I never have cash on me, so had to decline. But even if I did, I might have said no, because they contain palm oil. Palm oil is the cheapest oil on the planet and it's saturated. But worse, is that rain forests - which contain the planet's most bio-diverse ecosystems - are being mowed down to allow space for palm plantations. Palm oil is found in everything from soap to granola bars and it's bad - for us and for the planet. Therefore, I don't support Girl Guide cookies.

A few hours later, another knock on the door. By this time, I was getting ticked off. A woman holding a clip-board identified herself as a canvasser for the Canadian Cancer Society. I told her that I do not support the Canadian Cancer Society. She blinked a few times and said, "May is cancer awareness month."  Think about this for a minute: can you think of a single person you know who hasn't had some experience with the disease? It's practically an epidemic.  It's like having "Rain Awareness Month" for Vancouverites. Imagine someone canvassing for "Cancer Oblivion Awareness." To raise awareness for people who are oblivious to cancer. 

In any case, this woman was not interested in knowing my reasons for declining support which was a relief, actually - discussing big pharma and the multi-billion dollar cancer machine with someone working for the agency is akin to discussing the possible non-existence of god with a Jehovah's Witness. Also, I'm tired of this "raising awareness" all the time. I am fully aware of cancer: it took my mum, several aunts and uncles, my husband's mum, my neighbour's son, and my best friend in grade four, just to name a few. I'm aware of cancer. 

Last month, two fellows from Iran were canvassing for the Red Cross. I told them I don't support the Red Cross. Man, I sound like such a cranky old bag. I support nothing! Bugger off! Anyway, the Red Cross has been under fire for financial mismanagement for years now. They received two billion dollars for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Where did it all go? People are still living in shacks with no running water. I just think it's always a bad thing when non-profits become bloated international bureaucracies; I'd rather donate to community food banks or local environmental groups. And I have to mention that it bothered me greatly when the Red Cross refused a one million dollar donation from the Dixie Chicks because they voiced their disapproval of the war in Iraq. 

So, I need a sign....

But I don't like the thought of sticking something this unattractive on my nice front door. This one is perfect: Who's going to doubt it?

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BC is gearing up for another election and by all accounts, the Liberals are out and the NDP is in. I chose not to run in this election and my neighbourhood is being represented by a friend of mine in the Green Party. I wish her all the best. I've got to dig up my Green Party signs and get them to her asap. My main reason for not running this time is because Lorenzo is having hernia surgery on May 8th, and he'll need my support. He's not supposed to do any lifting or engage in anything strenuous for about six weeks; if I were gone all the time I know he'd end up injuring himself. I'd find him climbing a ladder or scurrying around with the leaf blower....chasing that one lone pine needle down the sidewalk...

Well, that's my boring blog for today!

Cranky Lady signs off....