I am a big fan of Stuart Mclean and The Vinyl Cafe. I love Stuart’s gift for storytelling, the way he uses his natural folksiness and love of the small moment to tell a story that we feel we have already lived ourselves. His appreciation of Canada, of small towns, and most importantly humour. In some of my blogs you can hear my tone mimic his – but Stuart’s voice is uniquely his own.
Tag: home
The Daily EO: January 6th, 2013
We opened boxes today that I packed in Midland, Ontario in August 2011. Things that were wrapped up with the expectation of being enjoyed again in a couple of months (or weeks?). Instead, they spent time in a storage warehouse in Gravenhurst, then into first floor of our rental house in Huntsville, then into a storage locker in Huntsville, then across the country to Vancouver where they have sat until we could find time and place for them.
I’ve moved many times, and one thing I’ve learned is leave the pictures on the wall as long as possible. Take the pictures down when you need to feel a sense of accomplishment on how much you have packed. White walls with nail holes tell you the end is near – it’s soon time to go.
We’ve still got much in our storage locker to go through, but Sunday we opened the pictures. Because you can’t have blank white walls and be able to call it home.
Back in 2004, we moved to Huntsville – and moved into our first home together. It was the first home I had ever owned and the first house my husband (then boyfriend) had even owned. It was perfect for us then. We had moved from Toronto and separate apartment living to our own house with many blank walls and empty rooms to fill.
It was while embracing our new home town that we attended our first Huntsville Fall Fair. The fall fair is what you’d expect from a small rural town. There is a carnival, local entertainment, farm animals and many ribbons in several categories to compete for.
I was utterly charmed by the fair and by my new town. When I viewed my husband’s pictures (taken on his then brand new Nikon D70), I enchanted to find what remains to this day one of my all-time favorites images. We took two from that day (and another one of stacked Ranier cherries at Granville Island) to create a series of 3 perfect large prints for our kitchen.
They were our first pictures together in our first home. And we hung them again in our Midland home.
January 6th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Today they were hung in our Vancouver home. I’m glad to see them again.
The Daily EO: June 22nd, 2012
I’ve been fortunate normally in my roommates that I have lived with. There is only a 4 month spurt with a crazy woman named Rosemary that was really pretty difficult. The people I’ve lived with have at least been tolerable and at best become exceeding excellent friends (or a husband). I’ve also lived in some pretty nice places – several even during university that had a dishwasher (and waste disposer).
Dishwashers – are they not the most fabulous inventions? You can stow dirty dishes quickly, you can leave the clean ones in there and just grab things from it as you need, you can run it as much as you want. They take a chore that requires scrubbing, rubbing, getting dirty, drying and worst above all the gathering of the sink gunk at the end of the job. Granted, I normally hand wash my good dishes and silverware (despite NOT learning from example from my mother).
Beyond the major things – like thief, boyfriends moving in, destruction, etc – I can live with some annoying habits of roommates (as long as I have my bedroom to disappear into). But here it is. Here are the two related things that takes me from calm to NASA hot in 3 seconds: Dirty dishes in the sink and dirty dishes sitting above the dishwasher. (exceptions only if you are a guest and the dishwasher needs to be unloaded)
Honestly, if you have made it far enough to the kitchen to bring your dirty dishes – take that extra 2 seconds and put them in bloody dishwasher. Do NOT pile them in the sink where they get all sticky and wet. Do NOT pile them on top of the dishwasher where they just get in the way. FINISH the JOB! Is there a teleporter going to move the dishes for you? Do you think we should attract mice/ants/stray dogs with rotting food? Should my food preparation areas be contaminated and cluttered with your dishes? Are we unionized here – it is contractually my responsibility to put the dishes in the dishwasher? And don’t tell me “you were getting to it when you finished X”! Do it when you finish eating!
See? Just writing about it gets me worked up.
June 22nd, 2012 Extra-Ordinary: Fondly remembering university thanks to my husband. It’s good thing I have other desirable qualities, otherwise he might take the cat and head for the hills.
Hmmm…. as I was adding tags, I found that I already mentioned this. So, you can see that I am at least consistent.
The Daily EO 