Good intentions...but life just got in the way...

Just when I was making a stab at the "to-do list" at home the cottage beckoned to be opened. However, before we could even do that, I was commandeered to build a shelving unit at my son and daughter-in-law's home. So my wife and I -and my son- built this eight foot high, five foot wide unit to house twelve baskets to hide -oops, store - whatever. Adjustable shelves finished it off. My son wanted time to determine trim and colour, so as of this moment the unit is unfinished.

After opening the cottage (and there were a few days spent cleaning, starting up the water, blah, blah, blah) my wife and I returned home to assist my son in rebuilding his daughter's outdoor play set that had blown down in the high winds that frequent this area.


Yet, somehow, through it all my wife was able to complete her punch needle scarab with a circle made of nacre attached. Me I can barely drag myself to a sofa to lie down.


So, as much as I have tried to blog life just got in the way.

We're Back!!

Well, 5 weeks of packing and two twenty-six foot trucks (which became 3 trucks) later we moved into our new abode.

Time was then spent unpacking and even buying more furniture. And unpacking and unpacking and unpacking!!

Snow gave way to spring rains and breezes. Now Mannie and I had to deal with the outside which had not been tended to for 3 years and had lain waiting under white blankets.

The driveway and front yard needed work. (click on the images to enlarge)
Two cupolas were erected on the back deck and I put together a vegetable/wild flower garden.

Two ponds emerged from the ice and snow and the large one was huge! Koi of 20 inches had survived and they flowed through the schools of goldfish. I had to buy and install new pumps and deal with the water that had been dormant over the long winter.

Each day I have something new to deal with at the house -my list is beyond 76 items to do at this time.

And so, no art work for me, although Mannie goes into the studio each day and works at something for our kids or for our new home.

We are enjoying our new life in this small hamlet, and the ideas for art pieces are popping up all around us.

And on and on... the packing never stops

Actually the end is near -of packing I mean. Fourteen days to go before the movers come. Our home looks like a warehouse and has been is a state of disarray for six weeks now.

Manuela's work area.
Our beloved dining room
Our living room -once a place of quiet dignity.
And my studio -once.....
The chaos of moving has been a tad tiring, irritating, and ............. I can see why it stacks up as one of the most stressful events in life. I don't know how those people who move around a lot do it.

But, there is a light at the end of this tunnel and we are looking forward to the new place and studio. So see you there when we get settled in.

A New Studio

We had been in a dilemma having sold our house with no where to live. However, by New Year's eve, we had put in an offer on a home and by the new year had gained a new home and a STUDIO!!!

A studio with its own separate facilities, fireplace and deck from its sliding glass doors.
This home is closer to our cottage and 200 kms from our present home so the move is substantive.

The interesting part is that as we had been out looking for a home in the area 3 years ago. My wife had seen this home for sale but at the time we were in no position to purchase it. The one home of all the ones we had seen in our 3 year search in the area that she actually liked. This home must have waited for us.

And so, back to the packing as we must be gone by February 27.

And the Packing Just Goes On and On and On...

Now that we have sold the old homestead, we must pack -despite no house to go to.
And packing is what we are doing. Each room in the house is a disaster.

My studio is piled high with boxes -even the books are now packed.

The hallways are lined with empty boxes awaiting filling.
Even the kitchen table can no longer be seen amidst the debris.

The dining room, although appearing rather neat, is strewn with tissue paper and the walls are lined with filled boxes of china and crystal.
Even the living room has not escaped the willful hand of the "packer."

Packing now consumes our time -or getting boxes to fill. To date I have obtained in excess of 200 boxes. Most are filled with the 1000 + books, and collectibles and china and crystal, and... There seems to be no end in sight.

And we haven't even started to pack Mannie's embroidery materials and fabrics!!!!

So, no time for art or crafts or a life; we're packing, packing, packing.

Happy New year to you and your family.

We are on the Move

Good grief!! We've sold our home of 30 plus years!!

December 12 we received an offer, although we had not even put it on the market, and by December 18 we were done!! And, with no house bought to move into.

Needless to say, with 45 days set to pack and get ready to move and find a home to move into, we might not be posting many of our art works on this site.

Today, while others went about scooping up bargains at the stores, Manuela and I packed and went and got more boxes and packing paper, and packed and picked up some groceries and packed.

I started in my studio, which appeared quite small, but the number of packed boxes just seemed to grow and grow. I did not even get to supplies on my desks nor to the books.

These boxes are stacked in front of my two stacked credenzas. Note the books.



The closet of art supplies was cleared out. Note the books.


Despite my efforts the art supplies not boxed spilled over the desks and onto the floor. Note the bird who keeps cooing as she does not know what is going on. I should coo, too.


And the spillage just took over all the working surfaces of my(?) studio. Note the books.


Even the linen closet in the hallway was commandeered for storage.



Our year, 2008, has ended on a different note, more so than Manuela and I had intended. The New Year should thus be rather exciting as indeed we start a New Chapter in our lives. We are on the lookout for studio space for the two of us in our new, not-yet-found home. Once established we will be back at work with renewed vigour and we will return to blogging when we have more to share.

Manuela and I wish everyone a new and exciting 2009.