Springboard

Loooooooooooong time, no post

2007-05-07T23:14:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted anything in ages and ages, and yet I keep getting people asking for me to post an update on the Farmhouse.
I promise, I will.
Uhm, soon.

Rest assured - it's looking fabulous!

Welcome Shanti!

2006-08-30T22:31:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking about getting a puppy for some time. I did my research, and I talked to friends, family, and various breeders, but I had come to the conclusion that it was the wrong time in my life for a commitment like a puppy.

So, naturally, I went out and got a puppy. On Friday, August 25, to be exact.

Her name is Prashanta, or Shanti for everyday, both names meaning "peace" in Sanskrit. It suits her. Even though she's only 3 1/2 months old, she's perfectly content to sit quietly in my lap for hours on end. She's a purebred Havanese, and she will only get to be about 7 lbs. as an adult. She is a genuine pocket puppy, and I will now have to forever silence my jokes about small dogs being more accurately classified as rodents...

I adore her.

And here are some photos of her first week with me, including her first bath...

The Continuing Evolution

2006-07-20T21:52:00.000-06:00

Here are some photos of how the inside of the Farmhouse is changing as time moves along. Just you wait and see - Someday I will even have doors on the bathrooms and an oven door that opens!

(The photos in the Preview are a laid out a little wonky, but you get the general idea.)

The Library/Dining Room/Sitting Area:

I should mention, most of the cleaning up in these rooms has been facilitated by my mother and Sue, who generously gave their time up to help me create some order and cleanliness...

The "Closet":

The Bedroom:

I will post some photos of other rooms in a while.

More Pix Coming Soon - I Hope!

2006-07-07T17:46:00.000-06:00

I have had a lot of people asking after new photos of the Farmhouse. Good news: I have some! Bad news: I seem to have lost my camera on moving day. I was taking pictures on moving day, but where the camera went to afterwards, I do not know...

When I find it, I will post the photos of move-in day, along with new photos of the house as it becomes (oh-so-painfully-slowly) liveable.

Sorry for the wait, all of you who have been asking!

Move-In Day!

2006-06-04T21:02:00.000-06:00

Drumroll... The long-anticipated day has arrived: I have finally moved into the Farmhouse! I booked the largest U-Haul available. Everyone except my always astute brother thought I could never fill this thing. Turns out, we still had to load some stuff into cars and half my belongings are still being stored at my mother's house until construction is complete at the Farmhouse and I have place to store everything in my new home...

The above photos are the last moments of the Great Mattress Hoist. While I was hunting through the shed in back with my neighbour Lisa for a second tall ladder, the rest of my volunteer moving crew decided to see if it would even be possible to lift the mattress and boxspring over the balcony. (The reason being, of course, that the queen size mattress set was too large to go up the 1930s stairwell...) For some reason, they made this attempt with the mattress instead of the much smaller and lighter boxspring. Halfway through the exercise, they figured - "Hey, we've come this far, we may as well keep on going!" I missed the entire event, but here's how it was related to me:

Mikie, Lisa (my brother's fiancee, not my neighbour), and Robin were on the ground, holding up the mattress and using the one ladder to raise it up. Reid was on the roof, with my mother hovering anxiously inside the upstairs verandah door. All of a sudden, Robin saw or sensed something everyone else missed, and he bolted inside, up the stairs, down the upstairs hallway, over the human-sized hole in the upper verandah, and onto the roof to help Reid hoist the mattress over the lip of the verandah. Meanwhile, the girls on the ground were left trying to keep the mattress up, and my mother was yelling at Reid and Robin to drop the damn mattress before they fell through the hole in the verandah and broke their necks. (Good thing they ignored her. Not only would my new mattress have gotten filthy, Mikie and Lisa would have been, uhm, flattened...)

At this point, Lisa-my-neighbour and I came around the corner with a second ladder. We put it to use hoisting the boxspring up. Uneventfully, I might add. See how relaxed people seem in the photos? Apparently, that was not how they looked just before I arrived on the scene...

So, my happy ending is that I now sleep on a princess-and-the-pea-sized bed, thanks entirely to the efforts of my family and friends. How fortunate am I? (I already know the answer to that question.)

Whoo Hoo! Class 3, Here I Come!

2006-05-30T00:21:00.000-06:00

During Pau's last week here in Alberta, we went camping in Jasper. We went whitewater rafting on the Athabasca River. It was so much fun! And now I'm ready for some Class 3 rapids.

Here are some pix of our trip. The others on our raft adventure are Bas, Marco, and Wout from the Netherlands, and our guide Mark.

To the left: Our tent (borrowed from my generous brother Reid and his lovely girlfriend Lisa, campers extraordinaire). It only took one false start before we successfully got it up and livable. In the middle: Pau, atop Whistler Mountain after we took the Jasper Tramway to the Upper Station. To the right: Pau and I with the Inukshuk we built at the "magic" Medicine Lake, which disappears every fall.

Pau, leaning on an interesting and twisty tree. And the two of us, on our hike of Maligne Canyon.

Been a while... Some new changes!

2006-05-29T22:40:00.000-06:00

Welladay, welladee... I have not posted for quite some time. Busy busy, I have been. :-)

Here are some pix of the Farmhouse I took a few weeks ago. I will soon post some new pictures. AND... I will also soon be moving in! Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinally!

The kitchen with the countertop installed. Purty purty.

And the shower, filled with garbage. But you can see the tile, which I love.

And the upstairs hallway, also filled with a lot of stuff. Including the bathtub. Isn't the yellow colour so cheerful? Jilly picked it for her room, and I liked it so much that I used it for the hallways, too.

More photos will be posted soon, I promise.

Kitchen Transformation!

2006-03-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

Things are moving along, moving along.
(And my sanity is kinda going along with them... But I'm sure I will be able to collect my scrambled wits once all these renovations are complete.)

Anyhow, now that the blogger site is working again, here are some photos of the amazing transformation of the kitchen!

The cabinets turned out exactly as I wanted. It is as though they poppped right out of my imagination and attached themselves to the walls.

The countertops are going to be goldish-amber granite, and the floors are brickish, rust, and amber porcelain tile.

I cannot wait to see the final results!

I am going to love cooking in this kitchen!

Money Issue Finally Resolved!

2006-03-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

Yay! Hurray! Huzzah! Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious! I finally have the money to complete the renovations and reinstate my overly generous mother's savings account. Picture me wiggling a dance of joy in my chair. *wiggle giggle scootchy tappity bop*

Oy vey, was this line of credit a pain in the ass to resolve. However, while there are a number of things the bank could have done better, I cannot lay the blame entirely on their shoulders. After all, they were not the ones who added one eensy-weensy line to the Power-of-Attorney document regarding witnesses, causing the Government of Canada and the legal system to rear back in panic and call a halt to our meagre financial transaction. Banks, account managers, lawyers, land titles, courts, judges, judicial rulings, and missing area codes are now a thing of the past. (Knock on wood.)

My next stress factor will involve the question mark surrounding my furniture and appliances - will they or will they not fit through the tiny doors of the Farmhouse? And if they will not, what solution is there? I'm not an Asian minimalist style kind of person, and most of the things I have already purchased or plan to purchase are, uhm, big.

Oh, well. As Scarlett said (paraphrased): I will worry about it tomorrow! Today, I am just going to bask in being happy happy happy!

Here's to the Crazy Ones

2006-02-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

This is a great ad from Apple's "Think Different" campaign.
Ad #1: http://www.uriahcarpenter.info/

You can also check out the "1984" ad. According to my marketing prof, this ad continues to be the worldwide #1 ad of all time.

Here’s to the crazy ones.

The misfits.
The rebels.
The trouble makers.
The round pegs in square holes.

The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them,disbeleive them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.

Because they change things.
They invent.
They imagine.
They heal.
They explore.
They create.
They inspire.
They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.
How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art?
Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written?
Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.
While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

2006-02-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

Take the Adventure,

Heed the call,

Now ere the irrevocable moment passes!

- Kenneth Grahame

And the destruction continues

2006-01-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

The biggest dumpster available - a 40 yard bin. It was full to the brim when it was picked up, and there is a ton more junk to be taken away a week and a half later...

Here are some more pictures of the take-down part of the renovations. These are from the basement:

See how there is only a dirt floor in the one section? This was formerly the potato bin room. My television will be taking over this space.

In the next photo, see how the walls are black? This was formerly the coal room, soon to be transformed into the laundry room.

Now, won't it be a difference when I start posting photos of these rooms with, uhm, walls and stuff!

Farewell 2005

2006-01-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Whew! Now that December is over, I hope I can get back in the swing of things. My mother staunchly maintains that December is a myth, and it does not really exist. I believe her.

Things are really picking up speed with the renovations. As you can see from theses photos of the kitchen, there's nothing much left except the bones right now.

I got an estimate for my dream kitchen yesterday. Ouch. I won't say any more than that, but imagine a long, from-the-gut moan. But I suspect that I am willing to pay for it anyhow, since as you are all undoubtedly aware, I am a creature who enjoys my comforts and gains a great deal of pleasure from beauty. And I plan to host many a party and get-together, so you'll enjoy my indulgences, too!

I wish you all a wonderful start to the New Year!

Stuff.

2005-12-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
- Douglas Adams

So much to do. Sooooooooo much to do. Work stuff, Christmas stuff, Farmhouse renos stuff, basic necessities of life stuff... Stuff stuff stuff.

And am I doing any of the stuff I should be doing?

Of course not. I'm jotting a note about my procrastination skills on my blog while deadlines approach with amazing speed.

Here they come!

One more sleep...

2005-12-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

... and then it's my birthday!!

So, some words of wisdom and humour to mark the occasion of living another year:

We turn not older with years but newer every day.

- Emily Dickinson

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

- George Bernard Shaw

With mirth and laughter, let old wrinkles come.

- William Shakespeare

A birthday is the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip!

- Unknown

Brunette!

2005-12-04T23:21:00.000-07:00

Faraway friends - it is true. I have indeed dyed my hair brown. I still have many blonde streaks, but am no longer a blonde, per se. (And I absolutely love it, by the way!)

Many thanks go to my colleague Tatjana, who recommended her stylist Andrea to me. Andrea totally got what I was looking for and created exactly the style and colour I wanted.

Here is a recent picture of my present-day hair.

Taking Shape...

2005-12-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

The bedroom arch is coming along. See the lovely exposed brick? Happy, happy me. :-)

And the guy who broke the windows has come forward and confessed that he kicked in the one window. As suspected, it was Ben, one of the former tenants. I have not yet spoken with my cousin Matt about what really happened and why, but I will keep you posted. At present, I have to admit, no reason that is in any way justifiable comes to mind...

My Advent Calendar

2005-12-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

I opened my Advent Calendar today. (And got to eat not one, but two, tiny, waxy, not-really-real-chocolate chocolates.)

I know that many people feel Christmas has turned into just one big commercial gimmick to part us from our hard-earned money. And, these people have a valid point. But the holidays are still a magical time to me.

I hear Christmas carols on the radio, and my heart smiles. I see bright strings of lights illuminating dark streets, and I no longer care that it is dark when I leave for work, and dark again before I head home. Christmas trees and decorations, holiday baking, spiced wine and steaming apple cider, family traditions, festive parties and get-togethers, the hopeful excitement sparkling in children's eyes, snow softly falling from dark skies, candles flickering on tables laden with food, the anticipation of days of leisure after the frenetic rush of the first weeks of the month are over, the generosity of the season, time spent with loved ones...

The holiday spirit infuses everything. Or maybe it just infuses me, and I feel it coming through everywhere I go...

Meg's Menagerie

2005-11-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here are my kitties...

Frangelica, referred to always as Gellie, is my oldest. Gellie was discovered in the middle of a cold autumn night by my Aunt Deb, who trooped outside in her boots and PJs to rescue a small abandoned mewling kitten, bless her. This little grey gargoyle was my birthday gift. While I have custody, Gellie's other mama is Paulina, my uni roommate, who still resides in Kingston and is finishing her MA. For a young cat (3 years), Gellie is extraordinarily well-travelled. Planes, trains, taxis, automobiles across Canada and back again - Gellie is a wonderfully calm travel companion. She just sleeps.

And below are my first-ever boys. (Unless any of my fish or newts were actually boys. I do not possess the biological expertise to determine...) On the left is Bobolink, or Blink, (or Stubs the Tailless Wonder according to Sue), and on the right is Periwinkle, or Wink. Yes, I know - the names are cutesey. But they somehow bring to mind animated woodland characters in a children's story for me. And yes, I know - the disconnect between imaginary realms and reality that is supposed to have occurred around age 8 or so never did quite happen with me... ;-)

Aren't they adorable? Though they keep me up all hours and make my already disastrously messy room even messier, I love them to bits.

Here they are just the other day, napping atop my mountain of homeless comforters, blankets, and area rugs. On the left is Wink, and on the right is Blink. You can also distinguish them by noting which one is the fattest. That would be Sir Bobolink, who somehow manages to eat more than his fair share, despite my meticulous monitoring of portion sizes, food dishes and eating times...

I'm going to have to buy him a kitty treadmill or something.

(Left = wink, Right = Blink, as above. I guess they each have a favourite 'photo pose' side...)

Made the Headline!

2005-11-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

I forgot one more thing...
The partier-vandals!

See the photos? That is the result of one of the former tenants (unconfirmed, as of yet) who came back to pick up the furniture stored in the garage, have a party in the house, break two windows upstairs (only one window had the glass shattered), leave beer bottles all over and cigarette butts in the garage, and then leave and carefully lock every door up from the outside - with a key...

The event made the headline of the crimes section in the Spruce Grove Examiner.

Grrrrr!

But I have a lot to be grateful for, in actual fact. Some dear friends of the family had their house broken into during the day last week. The burglars trashed everything, dumping out drawers and freezers and the fridge. Ultimately, they only took the few pieces of valuable jewelry that were in the house. But then, inexplicably, they went down into the basement and lit a fire. The fire department said that this is the second worst arson ever seen in Spruce Grove and had the potential to cause a great deal more damage than it did. Thankfully, a passing delivery person saw the smoke and called it in. It will still be 6 to 9 months before they can move back in, and most everything will need to be rebuilt and replaced due to smoke and water damage.

So, in addition to my installing a security system at the Farmhouse, my mother is now doing the same. Bonnie was jumping up over all the furniture near the windows at the rear of the house last week (made quite a mess, too), and it could quite possibly be because these same burglars were casing out the house. The RCMP said that they do their research, and watch the patterns of the home owners carefully. They have even built little shanties in the trees in the Participark trails, with cases of tools and whatnot stashed in them. *shiver*

Farmhouse - First Installment

2005-11-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

So, I promised some pictures of the Farmhouse as it is being renovated... Here they are!

The first pictures are of the house exterior from the front, one from last week, and another from last winter.

The next photos are of the renos in progress in what will be my bedroom.
First knockdown - see the brick from the chimney peeking through?

The middle photo is taken from what will be the sitting area of the bedroom.

And in the picture to the right, taken from the bed area of the bedroom, you can see where the arch will be going in: It will be about 5 feet, and will stretch from the column at the far left of the chimney until the second last exposed column. (If that makes any sense. :-)

The chimney will be exposed on three sides once the arch is finished.

Perspective

2005-11-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Yay - Exposed brick chimney a go!

I just got back from the Farmhouse, where the currently beloved Mike-the-furnace/chimney-dude took one look at the furnace and stated: "Sure, no problem. We'll just insert a liner into the chimney, and uhm, yeah. We can fix that all up and it will meet code." Then he proceeded to tell me that it would "only" be about $450 bucks for both materials and labour, and as part of that estimate, he will be fixing something that HAS to be done for my furnace to meet new inspection codes.

It all sounded great to me. As I drove away, it occurred to me that my perspective on what is expensive and cheap has altered quite a bit since undertaking this multi-thousand dollar project. If someone had told me that something would cost close to $500 a year ago, I would have thought that a big investment. Today, I beamed brightly at Mike and thought - wow, what a deal!

But the important point is: I can have exposed brick in my bedroom. Merveilleux!

Welcome!

2005-11-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello!

I am inspired by so many of my friends who are keeping blogs, and figure this is a good way to keep up my correspondence to my many distant friends. (I'm choosing to disregard Holly's not-so-fabulous experience, in favour of everyone else's good ones...)

If you check in every once in a while, I will have posts on what's happening in the life of Meghan. And I will have pictures, too. :-)

I'm sure the topic that will occupy my thoughts for the next few months will be the renovations to the Farmhouse. For all of you too distant to visit, I will post pix for you to watch the progression of the facelift. Right now, one wall is knocked down, and we're debating whether the exposed brick of the chimney is permitted to be left open or not. (Obviously, I would love to have some exposed brick in my bedroom!)

Anyhow, I will check back in when I have something of interest to write!

Cheers,
Megs xoxo