Wednesday 26 September 2012


I am so looking forward to this weekend, because Lorenzo is staying home! YAY! Our twins' birthday is on Friday, so he can't go anywhere. Yesterday, it was his 42nd birthday and we had a dinner party...with balloons! I'd like to share what my oldest son wrote to his dad:

Things I love About You:

-you're funny
-you always seem to stay in a pleasant mood even if the day isn't going good
-you're supportive and kind
-warmhearted
-very, very generous when it counts, to us and everyone around you
-whenever we need anything you get it done, no matter what price...you do that for us
-you care about everyone and love us so much
-pretty easy to talk to
-you're the best father anyone could ever have, and I mean that.

Isn't that great? If your kids love you, you're a successful person. What good is anything else you've done, or how much you've acquired, if your kids are itching to stick you in a nursing home? And just the other night Lorenzo said, "I wonder if he even likes me lately." Go figure. Teenagers are hard to read sometimes.

I have nothing to say about the cottage, so I'll just blither on... thoughts on life and other useless ramblings...

Tonight I dropped my son off at his drum lesson around 7pm. I went grocery shopping. And as I was wandering through the produce section, wondering what to make for dinner this week, it occurred to me that I've never been happier than right now. I remember years ago, a famous actress said, "Life begins at forty." I remember thinking, "Is she nuts? Forty is old."
It seems unfair that we often fail to appreciate things until our lives are half over. There's a happy thought!

My twenties were a lot of fun - travelling, university - but I spent much of it thinking I was fat.
I was thirty pounds lighter than I am right now. Ironically, I feel better about myself than I did then. The adage that youth is wasted on the young is without a doubt the most true, and the most accurate quote, ever penned. I'm just glad to be alive - people die young everyday. You don't think about death in your twenties. You're too busy focusing on your thighs.

My thirties were spent in a nearly constant state of exhaustion - the relentless grind of raising three children born all at once, it seemed, was very hard. There I'd be at the park with two year-old twins and a three year-old; bleary-eyed and mentally impaired from fatigue (because I could never go to bed early) and I'd see these other moms.. looking as though they'd actually had a shower. Starbucks coffee in one hand, cell-phone in the other. Makeup on, hair all clean and fluffy. I'd feel like such a failure.





But then they'd breezily mention that their mom lives across the street, mother-in-law watches the kids all the time, grand-parents still alive, maybe even a live-in nanny eventhough they didn't have a job! Freezer stocked with pizza pops and cupboards full of cheese-string. (I made that part up to feel better about myself) And then I'd realize why I was so tired. No help! Except from Lorenzo. And we had no money - couldn't afford to buy my son a tiny milkshake at Dairy Queen. He asked me so sweetly, and I had to say no. It killed me.

So the early thirties were pretty hard, but my kids were adorable. Three little ones running around in their sleepers, three tots in the bubble-bath, mispelled letters to Santa Claus, missing teeth, days at the beach...best memories!
 


Pals for Life


And things start getting easier. Then one day, you're sleeping in!  Which is awesome if you're a chronic night-owl like me. You can actually read a bookBut best of all, your marriage can experience a second honeymoon - it's like you rediscover each other. 

I read a great book once on parenting and the author wrote, "If you want happy kids, put your marriage first. If you want confident, successful kids, put your marriage first..." everything ended with "put your marriage first." Not your kids, not your career, but your marriage. It took us awhile to realize this - and it's the best advice I ever read. You don't want to be one of those couples who are terrified of being alone together. You see them on the ferry - not a word spoken from Tsawwassen to Mayne Island. Bobbing along the ocean in miserable silence - frowny faces the whole trip.




Anyway, when I feel happy like this, and appreciative that things are going relatively well, the pessimist in me starts waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it will - it always does. That's life. Enjoy the good feelings while they last, because something will come along and crap all over it.

Have a nice day!




Twin Love



(one twin wants turkey dinner on her birthday; the other twin wants quesadillas. Neither twin is willing to budge.)


***

Sunday 23 September 2012

(**** updated with better quality photos... ***)

Lorenzo was supposed to return this evening but decided to stay until tomorrow morning. He was determined to get all the walls done, and he did. Here is the fridge wall - let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we? Here's the fridge nook when we bought the cottage...





almost there...





Ta-da! It's all done. It looks so cute...












The plan was to move the fridge to the left, and install a 15-inch wide Ikea pantry cupboard.
I need a place to put food, pet supplies, etc. There won't be much storage available in a kitchen this small. This is what I planned on...





Unfortunately, this retails for $557. If you opt for shelves instead of drawers, it is still expensive at $258. I think we'll just tuck a Hemnes bookcase into the space...




This one costs $150. I'll try to find something like it on Craigslist. Annoyingly, it costs $120. in the US even though our dollar has been at par, or close to it, for years now. Not fair...

The stove wall is also done - here is that part of the kitchen when we bought the cottage. The wall you see behind the stove was the original bathroom. Now, it's our dining room...







Wall is removed...





Plumbing & electrical gets done...






insulation and plywood installed...





and voila!






Here`s another picture that was taken with the camera, instead of the phone...




The north-east corner of the room is now finished as well...









 
 
Lorezno added an extra trim piece around the ceilings...









So there you go...it's done. We're ready for paint. After the paint comes the floor and then the windows will get trimmed out. Very exciting!

As I mentioned, I am going with a Benjamin Moore colour called "Man on the Moon"...


 




I've used it before, and I know it will look warm and happy, especially on a dreary rainy day in winter.  I think we should use a sprayer this time; it will be so much faster. We know someone who has offered to lend us his, but I've never used one before. I think we should just hire someone. Well...ciao for now!





Saturday 22 September 2012


Another weekend, and Lorenzo is at the cottage. He's like Bob the Builder. Here is a before and after pic...







Isn't this lovely? The doors in the picture are for the closet. The other "closet" is for the washer and dryer. The doors we ordered haven't arrived yet. He has finished both spaces very nicely. Note his tool bags lined-up in military neatness; ready for inspection...




I am going to buy the cheapest Kenmore washer & dryer that Sears offers. This set retails for $799.98 - it never goes on sale; it's one of their "priced right everyday" items. Good enough.
I could probably get something cheaper on Craigslist, but if something goes wrong, it's not like there's appliance repair-people on Mayne Island...

 


The cottage is really getting close to being done. Lorenzo will be coming home with his trailer, and on the next trip he'll bring over the hardwood flooring. And while it's acclimating, the painting will be done. And hopefully not by me. Very exciting...





Well, it's nearly one in the morning, so I guess I should sign off. My son has a soccer game tomorrow and I'm washing his uniform right now. Nothing like waiting for the last minute...
 
 

Sunday 16 September 2012


On Friday morning, despite much trepidation, I headed over to Mayne Island to surprise Lorenzo. I packed him a change of clothes, some fruit, apple bread, pasta, etc, along with two milk jugs filled with Vancouver water. Mayne Island water is fine to drink, and probably healthier than what we drink here as it's mineral-rich, but I can't get used to the taste. I also brought my mini-stereo and i-pod to listen to, a book to read, tea...it was ridiculous how much stuff I had.

So I pulled into the dirt driveway of our cottage just as he was coming out to cut a piece a wood. He was stunned - and over-the-moon happy to see me. He kept saying, "I can't believe you're really here!"  The poor man - seven days in the shack alone and he was in the final stages of full blown cabin fever. He thought I was an apparition. After twenty years together, it was nice to know that we can still be overjoyed to see each other. He had mentioned a few days previous that he a had a bottle of Proseco in the fridge but didn't have the heart to drink it by himself. Looking around the cabin at his makeshift living quarters filled me with sympathy; I could understand how sad it would be to drink sparkling wine all by yourself when you're surrounded by saw dust.

It was a glorious, sunny day and just a joy to be out of the city. I made tea and Lorenzo showed me everything he had done: the ceilings were all in and looked fantastic...




And he had just finished doing the walls in the eating area...they look great!




Here he is hard at work. I mostly stood around talking to him and handing him things...




While he was installing the wall panels, I headed over to my cousin's house and washed our bed sheets. Here is our makeshift "bathroom" where we brush our teeth and get washed up...





I figured Lorenzo would just leave his tools out as he planned to continue working the next day, but no...the compound miter saw, the chop saw, everything has to be dusted off, packed up, and meticulously put away. Every single tool has its designated place and if you put a tape measure in the wrong pocket of his tool bag, you'll hear about it. Then you have to vacuum. I have to say, it's probably the cleanest construction site you've ever seen.

Lorenzo had a shower and we sat on our deck and drank the entire bottle of Proseco while listening to Oscar Peterson and observing eagles soaring overhead. Bliss! When hunger kicked in, we staggered down to the Springwater Lodge for dinner. I cannot believe this weather...it was like an evening in July...





The owner of the Springwater came over to talk to us. Terry has been running the show for about thirty years. When asked about the haunted rooms upstairs and all the ghost-sightings over the years, we thought we were going to hear some juicy stories. But he just shrugged and said, "Well...who knows what people have been smoking around here." 
After dinner, we took a drive down to David Cove. The lack of rain has given the island a scorched appearance; if you didn't know better you'd think you were surrounded by wheat fields. The grass is bleached of all colour and signs are posted up reminding us of the extreme fire warning. We saw a lot of deer and I've always wondered where they find fresh water to drink.

After, we went back to the cottage; had a great sleep in our king-sized bed which was the best purchase we've ever made. The next morning, Lorenzo was up at the crack of dawn, hammering away. Here are some before and after pictures...








I like the door Lorenzo installed, but I still think a glass door would have been a better choice. Look at the sun light that would be coming in...




This is the third house that Lorenzo and I have taken down to the studs and renovated. Years ago, we would have argued over this; we have launched into intense, heated battles over a sixteenth of an inch - seriously - each of us digging in our heels until we were exhausted. Such perfectionism and passion for detail makes for a beautiful final product but the stress isn't worth it. Now, we come to agreements quickly - maybe we're just getting mellow in our old age. Or maybe it's finally accepting that life is too short to fight over things that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Throughout the day, we would call our kids to see what they were doing. Uncle Marcus showed up to check on them (twice!) and Auntie Carolyn arrived with donuts and ice cream. How lucky we are to have good friends... The kids assured us that all was fine and that we should stay another night. So we did!
After a long day of hard work, we headed back to the Springwater for dinner number two. Mayne Island does something to your appetite. You aren't just hungry, you're ravenous. You feel like your stomach has no bottom to it. Here is Lorenzo, ready to tuck into a plate of roast beef with Yorkshire pudding...





It was another glorious evening...the flower boxes at the restaurant are still in full bloom...





Cheers!











We overheard some young guys discussing how they were going to get to a party without a ride, so we offered them a lift. Three young men in their early 20's piled into our car with cases of beer - full of life and fun with their whole lives ahead of them. Lorenzo and I seemed positively geriatric in comparison. But the thing is, you don't feel any different just because you're in your forties. And Mayne Island really makes you feel young...like you want to do something crazy - drive with the headlights off, play hide-and-go-seek in the dark, get drunk and howl at the moon...

We went for another drive, and explored a different part of the island. Lorenzo decided that Bennett Bay is the best place to be which is where our cottage is, of course...
Back at home, we watched "Bull Durham" on our little tv which is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Called the kids, told them to lock the doors, feed the animals, stay inside, blah blah.
We stared at the walls and discussed the possibility of not painting them..just applying a clear coat...





We agreed that they should be painted, as pine yellows with age, and as the colour deepens your walls take on that 70s cottage look. Furthermore, our floors are going to look so fantastic and we don't want them to compete with the walls... 
I couldn't sleep on Saturday night - full blown insomnia. This morning, we caught the 8:40am ferry home. I hated to leave. When the boat pulled into Tsawwassen, I could smell the pollution. Then you're driving along in heavy traffic and your senses become dulled again by the city. Our dog went nuts when we pulled up - even Marcello the bunny ran over to us. The kids were...somewhat happy to see us, I guess. We were talking about how lucky we are that we still enjoy each other's company, because once your kids hit the teen years they don't want to be with you. So you better have something on the ball, or you're going to be pretty lonely. Or divorced.

So, that's the weekend it was, and it was fantastic! The kids survived, the animals survived, and now we can face the week ahead having recharged our batteries.
Ciao for now...





















Thursday 13 September 2012



Lorenzo called me yesterday and said, "Can you see if there's a chiropractor on Mayne Island?" I asked what happened. You're not going to believe this. He's outside chopping something on his saw and over to his right he sees a tree frog, sitting there staring at him. He moves it aside, and it hops back. He was worried the sawdust might get into its face, so he picked it up and walked out to the lawn. He bent down to place the frog on the ground and when he stood up, his back went out. Foiled by a tree frog!





Turns out, there are no chiropractors on Mayne Island. Last night he slept on the floor and today he felt much better. Poor guy!

And then he told me he wanted to go ahead and buy the new fireplace. I groaned. We hashed it out again and he came around. This morning he dismantled the entire structure, and he sent me a picture of all the screws he had to take out...





The wall is back to the way it was...




No more talking about the fireplace! The wood stove stays.

He has done the strapping on the ceiling above the eating area...




The ceiling will be finished today and then he's going to start on the walls.

I was planning to head over there tomorrow morning - just show up and surprise him - but my teenage kids are just nitwits. This morning, someone left the front door wide open. I was in the basement, came upstairs, and luckily the dog and the rabbit were too dazed out to notice their opportunity for escape. If I end up going, a friend of mine is going to pop over in the evening to make sure they're all home and not having a wild party. Maybe their Uncle Marcus or Auntie Liana could also swing by...unannounced, of course. (hint hint)

Ciao for now.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Well, here's the cottage scoop:  The fireplace saga continues. The model Lorenzo was interested in buying retails for $2100. Then you have to buy a liner for the chimney, a vent kit, etc. Add another $1500 at least. To have someone install it on the island, you're looking at around $1200, and that's a conservative estimate. Then you have to hire someone to do a "wet inspection" for the insurance company - they won't accept an inspection from the person who installed it: conflict of interest.
 
I sent Lorenzo all this information in an email and was very careful in my wording. Lorenzo hates being told that we can't afford something. He especially hates it when I tell people that I buy clothes in thrift shops. I think it's a carry-over from his poverty stricken ancestry or something. So I gently reminded him that we have a perfectly functioning wood stove, we're on a tight 20-grand budget, and that what we'd be spending on a new (and unnecessary) fireplace would end up costing three times the amount of our entire kitchen. Which we haven't purchased yet, as I'm waiting for the next Ikea Kitchen Event.  All this money just to have an elevated fire-watching experience. And we'd end up with a wood stove we're not using and a fireplace insert that we bought by mistake. And finally, although the one he wanted is very nice, it looks a bit too contemporary, in my opinion...
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                
A few hours later, after he'd had time to curse and rail at the universe, he called. He grimly agreed to tear out the fireplace he built. All his hard work will be dismantled. I feel for him, but I'm very relieved. I really don't like spending money foolishly. Thankfully, neither does my husband.

Today, he worked on the ceiling. You'll notice that he installed a band around the perimeter. He did this because the wainscoting comes in 8-foot wide sheets. He didn't want seams, so he decided to make a border going all around the ceiling...





Then he began installing the panel sheets. I believe this is Poplar...




He said the frustrating thing is that nothing is square in the cottage; every wall is slightly out. This means that every sheet had to be fiddled with in order to fit perfectly...




I can't tell you how exciting this is. It's only Tuesday and he's already done one half of the cottage...





He says his back is a bit a sore...I wish so much that I could be over there helping him, but my three teenagers are not to be trusted, I'm afraid. They would disagree. Maybe I'm being paranoid. In any case, I was thinking about showing up at the cottage on Friday...Lorenzo would be pretty happy. But can I leave my kids overnight? I'll have to think about this. I wish they had grandmothers. I just remembered that I can't go over on Friday. I think I have to sign the payroll cheques...

Tonight, I had to drive my son to his drum lesson. When I approached my car, I saw that someone had slipped a red rose, a sprig of fresh rosemary, and a bunch of basil underneath my window wiper. Who would do this? I was quite touched, actually. The rosemary smelled wonderful, and Marcello got to eat the basil. The rose is sitting in a glass of water on the kitchen counter - it's very pretty. I said, "Look kids! Look what someone left for me!" My son suggested that perhaps I'm being stalked.

So, that's the kind of day it was. Two of my kids seem under the weather, so I plied them with cayenne pepper, tea-tree oil, and made them hot lemon water with honey to take to bed. I am a big believer in essential oils, and I have to share my favourite place to get them. Did I already mention this? Oh well.  I buy my oils on-line from New Directions Aromatics. (newdirectionsaromatics.ca)

In the past, I have paid $15 for a tiny bottle of Indian Frankincense. Now, I'm paying $3.19 for a bottle that is twice the size. I cannot believe the prices and the quality of these oils - I've told everyone about it. Today, my order arrived. I bought black pepper, pink grapefruit, cedarwood, lavender, tea-tree, blood orange, and bergamot. I use my diffuser everyday, and I love the way my house smells. And if you have a headache, diffuse some lavender oil or rub some on your temples. If you have a burn, lavender oil takes the pain away. If you're stuffed up, add a few drops of eucalyptus. Cinnamon stimulates the immune system, and Clary Sage is wonderful for tension. But my favourite is Frankincense - it makes my home smell like a woodsy cottage.

There is an oil for everything. Why would anyone pollute their home (and their bodies) with Fabreeze, Lysol, or some other chemical concoction? I don't get it. All these commercials you see for Glade Plug-Ins and all kinds of synthetic garbage. It smells awful and much of it is carcinogenic. I have become intolerant to all smells that aren't natural. I hate perfume, cologne, body-spray, etc. When Lorenzo puts on his after-shave, I feel ill. Does he care? Not really. He breezes out of the house every morning on a dense cloud of artificial fumes...with his leaf-blower tucked under his arm...

*     *     *     *

In this month's issue of Cottage Magazine, I read an interesting article...





Peter Robinson, the CEO for the David Suzuki Foundation, has a cottage on Mayne Island. And it's waterfront. Lucky guy. He shares this incredible home with his wife and two daughters...




Their cottage features a rain-harvesting system, solar panels, solar hot-water, and was built using many local materials including cedar wood and stone...




Vacuum-tube solar panels collect radiant energy from the sun....These folks only need to use back-up power for three months out of the year. Amazing. I really admire people who are doing this...






This is the future. Bill Clinton always stressed that the Green Economy was a trillion-dollar untapped market. There will be a huge demand for services such as this - solar heating, solar water pumps, wind turbines, rain-collection systems, etc.

I think Lorenzo should figure this out. He'd be good at it...he's a very smart guy. Reading this article made me wish our cottage could be off-the-grid. The problem is retro-fitting an existing structure. It's much easier to start from scratch. Furthermore, Peter Robinson's cottage took about 10 years from beginning to end.
Maybe when the kids move on, we'll sell our home in the city, sell the cottage, and Lorenzo will build us an off-the-grid, totally green eco-friendly house. Somehow, I doubt he'll have the energy to entertain this idea.

Awhile back, I was having a huge dispute with BC Hydro. I was getting bills for $225 for a shack on Mayne Island that was empty most of the time, where you couldn't shower, do laundry, and that is heated by a wood stove. I kept telling them that something was wrong. I would get a form letter. Finally, after demanding to speak to a supervisor, they decided to investigate. My last bill was for $33. So I wrote another letter, asking what's going on. Do I get reimbursed? How does a bill go from $225 to $33 ?!  What's the explanation? Guess what - you don't get one! Hydro sends you another form letter, basically a carbon-copy of  the first one. In other words, Hydro can do whatever it wants. I'd love to tell them to kiss my  * * * and live entirely off the grid. It should be privatized - these crown corporations are accountable to no-one. We spent hundreds of dollars for power we never used and it's just so unfair.

*     *     *     *

I'm reading a book called "The Bookshop" by Penelope Fitzgerald.  It's an English novel, and it's very well-written. An older lady decides to open a bookshop in a small village that has never had one - it's a quiet story, and not a lot happens, but it's strangely compelling...






Well, this is evening number four without my husband. He sent me a very sad picture today...






There he is, all alone at the Springwater Lodge, drinking his lonely little beer...or maybe he wasn't lonely. Maybe some hot looking Mayne Island organic-farm-woman was sitting there...telling him all about the origami she makes out of recycled twist-ties.

I have to pack the lunches now. If I leave it to my kids, they'll throw an apple into a paper bag. I'm also packing an extra lunch for a boy at school who never has one. His parents divorced, his father lost his job, they're on welfare now, and things are pretty grim. I packed one for him today and he was thrilled. Ham & cheese with alfalfa sprouts on brown bread. My kids would have complained - way too much health.

Until tomorrow!