Almost there

Two and a half days to departure, and yet we waste time. Mr. D*S and Panda are watching Hanna, and I am "tidying up" the remains of my office. The kitchen has yet to be packed, the house is distressingly dirty, and we're not sure everything will fit into the U-pods that sit in the driveway. But it's happening. Tomorrow we go to the lawyers to sign the papers, two days later U-Haul picks up the pods and we pick up the cheque. We'll spend that last night at my brother's and start our cross-country trek the next day, Friday. Mr. D*S will drive the VW van and I will drive the VW Golf. Panda and Moxie will take turns with each. Mox needs Gravol, so she'll be a quiet companion. Panda will keep me entertained, I'm sure.
You know how everyone asks "Are you excited?" Um, no. I feel numb actually. So much yet to do. Ask me again when we reach the Sault.

Piano, 2001 to 2012

The Yamaha U3 makes a big, serious sound that can be intimidating when you're six. Luckily, Leila had her purple kitty ears and tail to protect her.






Our dear piano, that gave us so much pleasure through the years, is now officially the property of a nice mom from Brantford. When we get settled in Vancouver, there will be another piano but it will be very hard not to cry when the movers come to take our Yamaha U3 away for good.

Bye-bye Little Big House

Doesn't look very big from the front:

But from the side, it's massive:

The backyard is small but quiet and private:

Living/Dining Room:

The deep charcoal grey on the bottom cabinets was an idea I'd been lobbying for for years, but just got done in March. I think it helps the dark grout on the tiling and floor make more sense:



Our first DIY project:
Panda lives here:

Mr. & Mrs. D*S dream of Gabriola Island here:

I'm still working on my favourite room:

Naturally, when we moved here four years ago, we had high hopes. Things didn't go as planned, but we hung in. The house gave us a lot of pleasure and I discovered that I loved decorating. However, if you can't make enough money to support those expensive decorating dream, it's time to face reality and get outa here.

We put the house on the market late last month, and it sold within a week. I thought I'd put up a few of the real estate photos for friends who haven't seen the Little Big House.

Closing is June 28th. We're shipping the furniture off in pods, and travelling/camping with both cars. Look for us between the 10th and the 15th of July.

Let's Promise

Art by Dear Panda!

A Surprise Visit and an Anime Trio

On her way to Anime North last May, the beautiful Miss Haruhi Suzimaya stopped in for a brief visit. She had arranged to meet friends from all over at the convention, so she didn't have time for more than a quick photo in the garden before her chauffeur whisked her off into the city.

You should check out her series, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzimaya, here:

but be warned that since this is technically Shounen, there is the occasional juvenile reference to breasts. Other than that, funny and totally fascinating.

For charm and innocence, I love Ikoku Meiro no Croisee. Absolutely beautiful and family friendly.

You can watch the series here. New episodes come out on Mondays.

Finally, we have Puella Magi Madoka Magica, an extremely dark Sailor Moon-type show. Nobody combines cute and dark quite like the Japanese.

The episodes are available here.

Have fun!

My Favourite Room

At first we didn't quite know what to do with the family room. Having more than one "sitting" room was completely new to both of us and we couldn't afford to fully furnish the living room, let alone another 260 square feet. So the family room housed a couple of old recliners handed down from my parents and mainly served as a pass-through on the way to the backyard.

Finally we got tired of trying to watch TV in the living room. Although it's a pleasant and bright room, the glare of the afternoon and evening sun from the picture window made it completely unsuitable for TV watching. But before we could move into the family room, we had to tackle was the ugly fireplace.

Don't get me wrong; I love exposed brick—if it's great brick. This wasn't. A small windfall from my Mom went toward the TV, Ikea couch and rug. The recliners sold on craigslist to a sweet woman who was making a man cave for her husband for Father's Day. They netted enough to buy 2 wicker chairs, again from Ikea. Then, out of the blue, my cousin Dennis called to ask if I would be interested in a dresser and rocking chair that belonged to our grandparents. I had such a fascination for that dresser when I was a little girl, so of course we drove right over to pick the pieces up. That spurred us on to pull some of our art out of storage in the basement and actually hang it on the walls.

Last, I was forced to finish up the curtains I had started last year. Luckily, they were stalled in the last stages and within a few days I had them finished and hung. Decorating a room is job that never ends, I suspect, but I love, love, love the results so far:

Mr. D*S insisted on that big-ass TV, nothing else would do. He got such an amazing deal on it. Since I had my way totally with everything else in this room, it was only fair that he chose the television. Since we have no cable, it's mostly used for watching DVDs.

I'm dreaming of pale gray canvas/linen slipcovers for the chaise and ottoman, as well as some colourful pillows for both the chaise and couch. That's my next sewing project. I wouldn't mind painting the bookcase a lighter colour as well. (And, hmmm, refinish the floors, do something with that light fixture... the list goes on and on.) In the meantime, I like to sit here with my coffee on the tray I picked up yesterday, knowing I've foiled the plans of the poodle who thinks she's a person.

Fearful Dreams

Man, this guy is great! Thanks to the wonderful Mental Multivitamin for posting this.