Life's a Stitch

How can it be? Overloaded in the time of pandemic

While isolated, life continues busily around us. We didn't think it possible, but we managed to sell our beloved family vacation home of 29 years.

What a whirlwind. We received a solid offer subject to inspection. I think this was the first inspection of any of the seven units in the building, age 43, at least that I was aware of. I was afraid of what we might learn despite the fact that recently all the siding was torn off and replaced, sheathing and insulation replaced and all rot and damage repaired. You never know. Well I guess we did know that the attic insulation, built to the specifications of the time, was insufficient. I ask myself why we never fixed that. Who knows?

The prospective buyers indicated that they would secure estimates and renegotiate their offer. At the same time we received a backup offer for the same price! There's nothing like a second offer to get things going. The original party immediately removed their subjects, and as we say in Canada, Bob's your uncle. 

So there's this little detail between us and our place in Washington, called an international border. A border which is closed solid unless you are an essential worker. We thought we'd have a chance as real estate was deemed essential and we were part of a deal that would benefit an American as well as the American economy.

Our buyers, realizing we were in a pickle, offered to buy our furniture. Sold. However, they wanted the closets and kitchen cleared out. We gave it our best shot and arrived at the crossing armed with real estate papers and a long string of printed emails. Nope. Not a chance. They listed for us all the people to whom they had denied entry. It covered the lifespan from births to deathbed visits and of course real estate deals fall solidly between the two. We were informed by the border supervisor that "the reason it's closed is because you (Canada) wants it that way and we (America) want it open." Rather than get into a debate about public health, we left.

What to do, what to do. The buyers indicated they would close as soon as we could retrieve our belongings. Enter Chuck's niece, who despite the fact that she's working during these troubled times, will make room to help us out. Phew. I ordered packing supplies online for her to pick up, and begged neighbours to let us store our boxes until the border reopens. The anticipated date is June 21, but Canada has made it clear that the border won't open until the Covid numbers in the US improve. 

I am always on pins and needles in that time of real estate limbo, between acceptance of an offer and closing, where the buyer can pull out for any reason and only forfeit their deposit. I will be glad when it’s final and the money is in the bank. So, as we used to say in all-girls Catholic high school, "Keep your fingers crossed and say three Hail Mary's." We are hoping to close in the coming week. 

My long early morning walks give me balance and many flowers, fodder for future paintings.

Downstairs meets upstairs again - more Covid creativity

This is my favourite so far.  C emerged from his downstairs sawdusty lair with this - an accent river table for the living room made out of mahogany from built in shelves in our previous house and cherry wood from our place in Washington state.

 

I've been creating in the kitchen: chorizo and lentil soup, cornbread and Portuguese egg tarts, like creme brûlée in puff pastry.

The painting continues, this time a very thick haired kitty. Thick as in a lot of layers of paint. A lot. Stay tuned. 

Out in front of our house the last of the tulips were blooming. This one was poking through the maidenhair fern and will make a great painting, especially with that water droplet clinging to the right side. 

Covid Creativity

Two more dogs in the Pandemic pet portrait series, both 8x10 watercolours. That makes six: Lola, Fifi, Maddie, JJ, and now, Zeppie and Missy.

Zeppie

Missy

I’m not the only one being creative this pandemic. We are fortunate to be able to practice our passions on separate floors in the house. In other words we have two areas stuffed with task oriented clutter. Oops, make that three, my dining room table has been drafted into the mask making effort. I go upstairs and C goes down, as if we're both going off to work. But the downstairs product came upstairs. After two years in the new house, we have a fireplace mantle. It was like magic. We lived in the last house for 18 years and although discussed at length, a mantle never appeared. This was just what I was hoping for.

 

 

On PacMan Walking and Pandemic Painting

^{It's obvious by now, having completed nearly 1000 miles on the Camino de Santiago, I like to walk.}

^{The pandemic has added an adjustment to my walking habits. Remember PacMan? The little pac people would happily mozy along until a ghost appeared. Wacka wacka wacka wacka was playing in the background. The options were two: eat the ghost or retreat by turning the next corner. I walk in different neighbourhoods, all with wide streets offering plenty of room for physical distancing. With no set route in mind, when I see a walker coming toward me or hear a runner approaching from behind, I turn the next corner. I notice others using this method as well. A drone view would capture a human PacMan game in progress.}

^{My pandemic walking has taken on a Camino approach, but only carrying ID and a debit card, the physical load is lighter. Early mornings are my preference with bird song, few people and their well loved dogs. This morning there were magical pink flurries of cherry blossoms, which had accumulated on the sides of the streets, to be shuffled through like autumn leaves, silent instead of crunchy. The lilacs are starting to bloom, happy perfume from my childhood. One foot in front of the other, the rhythmic muffled thuds of the rubber tipped hiking poles, paying no attention to distance, time or route. It's heavenly. Meditation on two feet.}

^{I come home to my watercolour painting, commissions for pet paintings are popular right now. Mostly dogs and they bring me joy because I watch them come alive without having to walk or feed them or be responsible for their health care or grooming. I know the painting is done when I can imagine the feel of their fur. My recent dogs started with last month's schnoodles, Lola nd Fifi, followed by Maddie and JJ:}

I can legitimately say I'm working from home like lots of others these days and I like doing it.