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.

*     *     *     *

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?

*     *     *     *

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....

My cottage-weary husband returned home on Thursday morning and went straight to his work to do up the payroll. Around 3pm he came through the door. I had a little surprise for him. We'd been talking about getting a small bistro table for our sundeck. For years we had admired cast-iron pedestal bases that we'd occasionally see in cafes but never in retail shops. I was scouring Craigslist on Tuesday night and saw exactly what I'd been looking for...

The guy was moving to San Francisco and was asking $120. I wasn't interested in the table top or the chairs - just the pedestal base. On-line, I have seen these sell for about $300. (US funds) not including shipping, handling, etc. I called him right away and the next afternoon I drove down to East Vancouver and we managed to squeeze it into my car. The table weighed a ton. Brought it home, lugged it onto the deck, and cleaned it thoroughly with dish soap and baking soda...

A few days prior, while waiting for my son to have his drum lesson, I walked into Micheal's Craft Store. They had these cool seeded glass candle holders. They were 40% off and ended up being $10. each...

When Lorenzo came home, I served us chilled white wine on our new little patio table...

He was so pleased - he calls it our "cafe." Every now and then he'll say, "Coming out to the cafe?" There's something about sitting at a small table with someone that is very inducive to conversation. Anyway, we sat in the beautiful sunshine and he expressed his profound relief that the cottage is done. Done!!!  He wore an expression of disbelief and his eyes filled with tears - we were almost in a state of shock. So we toasted our fun-filled future on Mayne Island, drank wine and talked about renting a truck, getting our furniture over, and all the other tiny details left to do. Then the kids came home who were very happy to see their Dad...

*     *     *

Vancouver is a crazy place. A week ago, it snowed. I was going outside in a heavy coat and boots. Now, it's warm and spring is in the air; trees are in bloom, the birds are singing and people are mowing their lawns. On Thursday night Lorenzo and I were feeling very "springy" and decided to walk down to our favourite restaurant, La Villetta.  It sits on the corner of Hastings and Ingleton and it's been in our neighbourhood for decades...

Lorenzo is Italian and I'm half Italian, which makes us extremely picky about Italian food. People will rave about some restaurant that we think is terrible. We are constantly biting our tongues because we don't want to appear as food snobs. For this reason, we eat Italian at home. La Villetta, however,  is an exception - their veal parmigiana is the best I've ever eaten outside of Italy. So that is what I had, with a  lovely green salad with the most delicious vinaigrette ever.  Usually when we go there Lorenzo has Osso Bucco - he is convinced no one does it as well. The owner bakes his own bread too, and it's just to die for. I'm eating low-carb these days, but I still had to stick my face into the basket. There is no smell as heavenly as fresh baked bread. 
La Villetta is a small friendly place and has become our home-away-from home. And it's only a block away! What a nice evening.... 

The next day the kids all took off with their friends. Since it was such a nice sunny day, we headed into Gastown which is one of my favourite places in the city and only about a 15 minute drive from our house. It was established in the mid-1800's and was the first downtown core of Vancouver...

When I was a little kid, one of my uncles owned The Blarney Stone pub as well as the Spinning Wheel Pub. My other uncle owned The Savoy jazz club. So I grew up kind of thinking that my family owned Gastown. Anyway, we strolled around and in celebration of finishing the cottage, we headed into Fluevog Shoes...

John Fluevog is a Vancouver original and his footwear was put on the international map by Madonna who began wearing his funky books in the 1980's....

His Gastown shop is amazing - he took over what was once an alley in-between two buildings and somehow fashioned a retail space using steel girders and glass. It's a remarkable feat of design and engineering; Lorenzo and I found ourselves staring upward while we were there.  

I don't know how I could have lived in Vancouver my whole life and never venture into Fluevog. The shoes are absolutely delightful and they're sturdily made with chunky heels and heavy rubber soles - even the dressy pumps look like you could chase a cab in them if you had to. The reason we went there, was because we ducked in on St. Patrick's Day on our way to the Irish Heather Pub. I spied a pair of black shoes that reminded me of my old Irish dancing hard-shoes...

They're called "Hopefuls."  I tried a pair on and did a happy dance and bought them on the spot. A few days later I realized they were too small, so yesterday I exchanged them for a size up. I can't believe how comfortable they are. I've always been cheap when it comes to clothing myself, but I've decided never to wear crappy uncomfortable shoes again. I just love these...

I made Lorenzo get a pair too, so he bought these...

They're called "Michael" and they look so cool on him....

After weeks and months of relentless rain and gray depressing weather, it was as if the city had been reborn. I've seen many parts of the world and I can honestly say that few places are as beautiful as Vancouver on a sunny day....a sunny day, mind you. On a rainy day, you just want to stick your head in the oven. 

This is the "Big Ben" steam clock...

We walked all over Gastown and ventured into an Aboriginal art gallery. We saw this little print by Sue Coleman. It's called, "Night Owl." It's just a 9 x 12 art card and was only $14.  I think it will look cute in the hallway at the cottage...

I love her paintings. Here are a few samples of hers that I cannot afford:

                                           "Blue Heron"

                                       "Killer Whales"

                                                "Wolf"




All of this traipsing around Gastown made us hungry so we popped into "Brioche. " I had forgotten how wonderful the food is...

Located at 401 West Cordova, it's one of those tiny little places that you often forget exist. Lorenzo and I hadn't been there for at least a year and a half...

We know the owner, Eduardo, who hails from Sicily. He was excited to see us as he'd been wanting to contact Lorenzo about casters he needs in his kitchen. Anyway, I told him that I'm off carbs, so he brought me a salad that was amazing. He makes his own mayonnaise, uses the finest bacon I've ever tasted, tosses in a few prawns and grilled tomatoes...this is the perfect meal for me. It was hard not eating the giant chunk of crispy bread that came with it...

Lorenzo asked Eduardo to bring him anything. Out came a plate of spaghetti with a rack of lamb...

I tasted the sauce and nearly passed out. Indescribably good - hints of anise and cinnamon; a fragrant rich concoction that I could have eaten by the bowlful. What a delightful little restaurant. If you're in Vancouver and you get hungry, please go to Brioche. You will not be sorry! He told us to come back and try his Cioppino and his baked eggplant.

Eduardo refused to let us pay the bill which made us feel terrible - he did this the last time we were there. Lorenzo says he's going to set him up with the best stainless steel casters for his equipment. Free of charge, of course. Brioche used to be a lunch-only establishment, but now he's open for dinner. I can't imagine a nicer evening;  Gastown is magical in the dark...

After our lunch, happy and stuffed, we decided to head home. We passed a shop I've always meant to go into called "Iron Accents" on West 2nd. So we popped in.

We got chatting to the owner - Murray - and get this: he got married on Mayne Island many years ago. Usually people ask, "Where's Mayne Island?" So that was kind of fun. His store is filled with iron baker's racks, planters, trellises, wall decor - you name it. I spied a very cute side table. I loved the black/brown patina and the way it was held together with these collapsible supports. It holds a removable metal tray on top which was an added interest. It was only $60. So we bought it....

I've been pricing iron hooks for the cottage and they're usually around $10-$12 each. Murray had these huge, heavy iron hooks for $4. So I bought six of them for the bathroom...

A while back, I was thinking of getting a vintage tin sign to hang on the space above the stove at the cottage. We don't have a back-splash so I wanted to put something there. I saw one on-line that I really liked but it costs $35. (US) not including shipping, etc.

I thought this was so whimsical - and I liked the shape of the eggs because they reminded me of the giant knobs I'll be installing onto the cupboards  But $35. was just too much to pay in my opinion. Murray had three tin sings in his store and I bought one for $12. I think it will look very homey...

Today Lorenzo cleaned all the gutters, I worked around the house and made dinner, the kids took off again with their friends. We went for a long walk with the dog and, of course, we talked about houses. We'll stop in front of a house and Lorenzo will say, "How the hell did that pass code? The upper deck is completely crooked."  We admire the older homes, the ones with leaded windows and wood mullions. Old homes just seem to blend into the surroundings better than new homes - there's something humble about them. Sadly, on our walks we always stumble upon what is referred to as a "Vancouver Special." When we were growing up, they were called "Italian Specials" by sneering non-Italians. I suppose political correctness influenced a name-change. Despite being well constructed, they are boxy and boring and a blight on the urban landscape. Not Italy's finest hour, surely...

What saddens me is what got torn down to build one of these horrible looking things. How many gorgeous old homes were razed to make room for something so unappealing and so lacking in charm, warmth, and character? It should not have been allowed. And because they're so bloody sturdy and well-made, they'll probably be a permanent fixture in our city for the next hundred years.

A few years ago, our neighbours three doors down sold their beautiful character home. In my opinion, it was one of the loveliest houses in the area. Every time I walked my dog, I smiled. I felt truly grateful to be sharing my street with something so delightful...

The buyers tore it down and built a massive monster home. It is a looming dark structure that lacks a single redeeming feature. And it has enough outdoor accent lighting to illuminate a sports arena. You walk past at night and you're blinded. Clearly, they've never heard of global warming. I've never spoken to them - I'm still too upset about the house they tore down. Once these older homes are gone, they're gone forever. And even when new homes attempt a "character" type of design, you can always tell they're new. That was a really sad day for me - I wish I had snapped up all their garden plants, at least...

Well, tomorrow is Easter. Happy long weekend everyone. Ciao for now!

Lorenzo is returning home tomorrow morning - he's been gone since Saturday night. It seemed that every time he phoned me, there was another glitch...  The Ikea instructions for the Domsjo sink tells you to router out the counter to enable the sink to sit properly. Lorenzo didn't like the way it looked and was annoyed - so he decided he'd have to fix it. Then he called to ask me if I'd remembered to pack the drain for the sink. I hadn't. Then he called to say that we were four cabinet hinges short. Last night, I was feeding the kids and one of their friends, gearing up to take my younger son to his drum lesson in North Vancouver, and suddenly I just didn't think I could take one more call from the cottage. So I unplugged the phone.

I called him from the parking lot and we chatted - he sounded so very tired. And I felt weary - a sense of this cottage never being done started to take over. There is always some stupid piddly little detail that manages to derail everything. I will never ever renovate another house. I would have to win the lottery first - and hire a team to do everything and call me when it's done.

Here is what Lorenzo did on this trip:

Because the walls in the cottage are crooked, there were gaps here and there along the floor. So Lorenzo went around and installed moulding. A lot of people wouldn't mind the gaps, I suppose, but we're not like most people. We're insane.

Notice the lovely 45-degree cut... Normally I believe floor moulding should be painted the same colour as the door and window trim. However, in this instance it will be painted the same colour as the walls. The reason is because it is so narrow; painting it white would only draw attention to its insignificance.

When Lorenzo sent me these pictures, I felt a wave of gloom sweep over me. All I could think of was how on earth to paint this moulding without touching the new floors. 

The panelling around the cabinets looks fantastic. Because these baseboards are a good height, they will be painted Cloud White like all the other trim on the main floor. The panelling will be painted the same as the walls - Man On The Moon. I considered introducing an accent colour - such as a watery gray or some other beachy hue - but I think it would be wrong and only cause an already small area to appear narrower.

I ordered the stove fan from the Sears catalogue so long ago that I forgot what it looked like. It's cute - I like the curved front. Lorenzo said the install was very time-consuming; he'd never installed a hood fan before...

The gable adjacent the dishwasher was shortened to address the crookedness of the floor. It still appears skewed to me but Lorenzo assures me it isn't. Lee the Plumber arrived and hooked up the sink and dishwasher. And by some miracle, he happened to have a brand new Ikea drain sitting in his workshop! How great is that?

Here are the 15-inch drawers....

Lorenzo managed to figure out the drawer assembly that nearly gave me a nervous breakdown....

Tight squeeze, but he got it in. The top of the pantry cabinet has a small door - which he couldn't install because we didn't get enough hinges...

Lorenzo decided to finish off the cabinets with end pieces, which is a nice idea, but I'm bothered by this picture. The fan cabinets should have been installed slightly lower - you can see where the top finishing piece suddenly ends because there wasn't enough room. This really bothers me...my eye is going fix itself on that black space every time I look in that direction. We'll have to figure something out...


So here is what is left to do:  
1) Paint mouldings
2) Paint panelling around base cabinets
3) Install lights
4) Buy some window coverings
5) Bring over washer & dryer...
6) Attach cupboard knobs
7) Install flange around wood stove pipe
8) Get chimney swept
9) Install kitchen shelves

ETC. ETC.

The list goes on and on ad nauseum. Lorenzo said we could plan on moving our stuff over but we can't. I want to wash all the hardwood floors because they are dirty but I'm not going to do that before the painting is completely finished. It should be the last thing I do before I bring in any furniture.

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Every week or so, I make a trip to the library and try to find things for my kids to read - a healthy blend of fiction and non-fiction. My daughter is really into wolves right now - so I found her a book called "Wolf Totem" by Jiang Rong. The story takes place during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and weaves the demise of the Mongolian culture with the extinction of the Mongolian wolf - which they believed to be sacred. It has sold millions of copies and won numerous awards; I'm not sure how much my daughter is enjoying it. We'll see...

 My older son loves reading magazines, such as Rolling Stone, Macleans, The Atlantic Monthly, and Popular Mechanics. He's not really into novels anymore. But my younger son is reading a book that I could not put down a few years ago. When his brother read it last year he could hardly get out of bed in the morning from reading until the wee hours. If you haven't read this, and you like true stories of incredible human survival, give it a try. But be prepared to be up really late...
If I've already mentioned this, my apologies.

My son is currently on chapter 8 and we had a nice chat about it. He asked me what "Achtung Juden" meant and what a Bombardier is. Anything my kids know about World War ll is what I've taught them. They have never, ever, covered the subject - not even the Holocaust - in school. Typically, students have to wait until grade 11 or 12 and by then it's largely optional. It's appalling. 

Ciao for now!