Snow .....

Hellooooo.... I'm back. This winter has been crazy with the move, my job, the new house, several pinched nerves in my right arm affecting the use of my right hand and the general chores and fix-ups that come with having a new house.

Here are some pictures that I took last weekend. Toronto is close to having a winter snowfall record. This is what my yard and immediate neighbourhood looked like after our latest dump. Its hard to believe that I live in Canada's largest city. When I'm home, I feel like my house is situated in a small town.

Taking a Break

To Live is to be busy
To be busy is to Live

My life has been extra busy these days with work, curling (canada's favourite winter sport across all provinces), singing and my upcoming move (Jan 30th).

I haven't had any time to really spend on this and don't anticipate that I will for the next couple of weeks of so.

However, I wish all a Happy New Year and send my love

These are exciting and exhausting days for me right now and I hope to share them with you when I get back.

Bisous

Under the Stormy Skies

The weather outside is frightful, but it's warm and comfortable inside with the Christmas music streaming from the speakers.

The weather forecast is predicting up to 30 cms of snow and I just saw a few flashes of lightening followed by the rumbling of thunder. The wind is whipping up from the high winds and forming huge snowbanks outside this condo. I'm staying in all day as my curling game has been cancelled for this afternoon.

Inside, the moving boxes are starting to pile up high while the cupboards and closets get cleaned out. I think I've done as much packing as I can until the big day (in 45 days). I've now moved on to my Christmas holiday packing. For two weeks, I'll be in Mt. Tremblant with my extended family, including my brother and his family from Australia. His two children haven't ever seen snow, but they're expected to arrive today in Montreal (which is experiencing this same snow storm system!). Whether they can land or not is another question altogether.

I'm glad to have the Christmas break between now and the time I move as it'll help the time go by faster. Yesterday I went and visited my new house. On the way from here to there, I was thinking about how far it was from the centre of town.... Oh no.... I'm in the burbs! Some of my friends that I invited couldn't make it - but our own fabulous Anne-Marie did! Kinda neat that she and her bunch were the first ones to see my new home.

It's smaller than I remember and I've probably got to put about $25K of renovations into it - but it's mine! Oh, another clap of thunder outside.

Think I'll sign off and make myself a nice long mug of hot chocolate.

A bientot mes amis.

Eeeeeeeek!

I Got it !!!!

I've been away from here for almost a month because I've been so busy looking for a place in this crazy Toronto housing market.


I just finalized the sale transaction on this house today! It's small, but I love the trees in the front and back yard along with the quaint little neighbourhood. However, despite its size, I'm more than doubling my current space when I consider the basement.

It's very solid but needs renovations to the bathroom, kitchen and basement along with other technical things. However, none of that really needs to be done in the short order so I can take my time. Lucky Home Depot (our huge renovations store chain)!

I move in January 30th! .... oh and it's only a 15 minute drive to my workplace downtown.

Busy times ahead ....

I haven't been too active on here because I had a wonderful visit from my parents over the week-end and then on Monday was hit with bombshell news. The condo unit that I am renting is going on the market to be sold. I was given 60 days notice! Yikes ......

60 days is around Christmas ....

I've hurridly made arrangements in the last two days to get a pre-approved mortgage to buy my own place, made arrangements with the proprietors of my unit to let me stay until January 31st and hired and met with a Real Estate agent. We begin looking at houses tomorrow evening. Oh, and I've also started to pack my materials ... and pinched a nerve in my wrist upon lifting my first box!

I'd like to buy a cute little house (if I can afford it) about 30 minutes from the downtown core of Toronto. The bad news is that its a seller's market and so it might be a little bit out of my price range. However, if the market softens between now and Christmas it may be feasible. If not, I'll probably have to move closer to suburbia (yikes) or go into a Condo.... I think one is for sale in Anne Marie's building (lol).

I was hoping to purchase a home in six to nine months - so its being accelerated. It'll have to be a lean Christmas and a cheap homemade sandwich for lunch for the next while. I feel like I'm on a roller-coaster ride right now, but hopefully will find comfortable footing by the week-end!

Hope all had a Happy Halloween!

There's Ash in Dale's Backyard !

Dale's New Kitty

Ghostly Thoughts

How old do you think you'll be when you die?
88 – one year for each key on a piano

How will you die?
In my sleep

What will your last words be?
Thank you

What will your epitaph read?
Beneath this silent stone is laid,
A noisy, antiquated babe,
Who from her cradle, sang till death,
And ne'er before was out of breath.

Any parts of your body you wouldn't donate?
Yup, my vocal chords

What song will be played at your funeral?
In Paradisum and Sanctus, from Gabriel Fauré's requiem, preferably a recording done by me and the U of O choir

Cremated, buried or "other"?
Cremated and tossed into the country wind.

If you could take one thing with you to the "next life", what would it be?
Any wisdom I’ve learned here and … my vocal chords

If you could take one person with you, whether they like it or not, who would it be?
The love of my life who is up there and hopefully waiting for me

Supposing they existed, do you think you'd end up in heaven or hell?
My version of heaven. Not anyone else’s that may have been interpreted for me and for society in general.

If you could haunt any one place, where would it be?
Lake MacDonald, down the road from Lost River

If you could haunt any one person, who would it be?
Mick Jagger

What type of ghost would you be?
A ghost as friendly as Casper with lots of sweetness and light

You've been given the chance to send one message back to the land of the living. What does it say?
You're here for a good time
Not a long time
So have a good time
The sun can't shine everyday