Romps and other adventures... PART 2

So I’m not sure what’s in the air lately, but a bunch of my friends and I, without consulting with one another, all seem to have started making bucket lists.  Maybe it is the dirty thirties that have done it, or maybe it’s the realization that we are past the point of making the goal “Become a teen model” a reality, but here we seem to have found ourselves.

I have given the struggle with my age a bit of thought.  Could it be that we live in a society where immaturity is glorified and hence I fight the inevitable? Or maybe I feel as though my mortality is moderately more concerning?  Whatever the reason, though I did embrace turning 30, the last three years following have hit me hard; this last birthday being no exception.  What the hell have I been doing with myself?  Sure, sure, I have three university degrees and a good job. But is this all that life is about? What happened to my goals of traveling? Have I fought the “Man” for so long that I really have become a cog in the machine of mediocrity? Well, before I fall too deeply down the rabbit hole that is my existential personality, I felt that I needed to craft that Bucket List, and that is exactly what I have started to do.  And when better to start crossing this stuff off but as soon as it is written down, right?  I mean, you never know what's lurking around the next corner...

So as it happens, close to the top of my list was to go dog sledding. As a result, this March Break I planned for Dave and I to go to Haliburton and do it and thus we took a little long weekend retreat and made it a reality. We stayed at Sir Sam’s Inn and Water Spa on Eagle Lake and went sledding with a company called Winterdance.

Now to the eye candy.....

Super awesome woodburning fireplace in our room that almost smoked us out the first night.

The water spa area was salt water with 8 different water jet configurations that massaged you.  Before arriving Dave said it was not his idea of excitement.  Needless to say, once we arrived Dave ended up spending a lengthy amount of time in the pool. The beer didn't hurt.

This could be the most cliche photo ever, but the reality is that these adorable and smelly little dogs really do travel in their own doggie condo.  

When we woke up it was only 2 or 3 degrees out, but as the day passed the temperature started to warm up dramatically.  We ended up being the last tour to go out for the season as it reached a high of 15 that same day and it was far too hot for our four legged friends to work!

Dave and I both had a chance to drive the pack.  They are hard working little animals and it really was one of the most awesome experiences I have had in years. 

 



The area was absolutely unreal and this sunset pretty much says it all.  All in all, I think I will go back year after year.  So I guess the only question that remains is, how young did it make me feel??



Who Lives Here? Martha Stewart?

So you can take the family out of the floral business, but...

This Thanksgiving we finally had a chance to gather together and have an unrushed family day.  Sure it was particularly special because we were not tied down to the shop, however the best part was that for the first time Dave and I could finally host our first holiday. Sure our dining room is in need of a few things, but I pulled out my best Martha Stewart and this is the result....

I also managed to whip up an awesome pecan pumpkin cake complete with fondant leaves and acorns. Damn, those acorns were more difficult to make than I first suspected.

And, of course, you cannot forget about the finer details of the flatware...

Then weeks later we were thrust into my favorite day of the year...

Halloween!!!

I think we are hated by the other people on the street, 'cause we are a little too focused on decorating for this particular day. 

I know this because one woman who came to the door with her brood of Trick or Treaters asked in a venomous tone, " is this where Martha Stewart Lives?"

Ok, sure the owl pumpkin was carved from an idea from Martha's web site. But why do people need to be so nasty on the best day of the year? Sure we have real fire and the pizzazz of pumpkins that are fancy, but we don't have a full grave year on the lawn...yet.

And besides, I never forget to pay an homage to my favorite classic childhood moment: The 'free hand carve'

To be completely honest... it is always the moment that gives me the most joy.

Happy New Year!! Where Did 2010 Go?

Dave and I were recently discussing the paradox of how slowly and how quickly 2010 came and went.  Of course, it was a year of many changes; most notably we were married and we moved. Upon reflection, those around us had pretty intense years as well.  Some of our friends and family marked joyful milestones, while others were faced with life challenges. Regardless, we have all found ourselves right where we belong. 

ON MOVING...

Seriously? Did we really do it? After all the kind teasing and taunts by our friends and family, the property search that took almost three years finally resulted in our new home. It may not be perfect, but it’s perfect for now.  The months of August and September seemed to take forever to pass! October 1st was that illusive date that really seemed surreal. Once we changed the locks and made the place ours, we still had a hard time adjusting. Rather, we still HAVE a hard time adjusting.  Though we were lucky enough to manage purchasing our new home without selling the house in Waterloo, we still feel as though we are starting from square one.  I feel terribly for each of the people we encounter that needs to wait patently while we retrieve our postal code every single time we are asked for it. We are also having to adjust to the silence of a street where, for the most part, the residents begin to settle for the night at 6:00 pm. Don't get me wrong, I do not miss being awakened in the middle of the night by drunk 20-something males relieving themselves in the front yard after a night at the bar, but really the silence might be just as disturbing! How the hell did we end up in suburbia?

ON NEIGBOURS...

Both Dave and I have had our fair share of interesting neighbours. Shall we reflect? There was our beloved Ralph who took plants from the cemetery to build his garden collection. There were the drug-dealing Ginos who took to family brawls in the street. There was 'Timmy's Family' who was agoraphobic and did family property maintenance as a flash mob. There are the expletive screaming Neapolitans with their beloved ever-barking dog Louis; and who could forget Deb. Yes, Deb took on the entire city of Waterloo as the face of the Northdale Area Residents Coalition. That's right, NARC!!!! So aptly titled by acronym, since I am sure that Deb still knows what we are up to even though we live in a new town. Yes, we have had our fair share of interesting individuals as neighbours.

Now that we have moved, we are gearing up for a new set of fascinating individuals. We were 'lucky' enough to meet many of them when they just happened to end up at our front door all together on Halloween Night. Being hip to that jive I had prepared our house accordingly.  We were all decked out and ready to make our debut. Everyone seemed pleasant as they attempted a craned look at the interior of our house. We exchanged pleasantries as we felt the evaluative glances measure us up. We discovered that our closest neighbours Karri and Ryan have two small daughters, one of whom was dressed in the most fabulous Mr. Muggs outfit! Who couldn’t like people who dress their kids as retro literary characters?

For the most part, everyone we have met has been really friendly, and now that we have moved into winter and neighbourly exchanges have slowed down, we look forward to meeting more people in the spring.  As an aside, we have had to make major adjustments with regard to the weather. In fact, we now do believe that we have moved to the ninth circle of hell, as the wind never stops blowing, the snow never stops falling, and it’s cold as, well…hell. Our neighbour Ryan was kind enough to snow blow the end of our driveway after the first big storm brought us two million feet of snow.  He joked with Dave that when he moved to town he didn’t think he would need a snow blower either.  Something tells me we might just have to look into the possibility of something more brawny than our shovels.

ON HOME IMPROVEMENT…

Our new dining room table. Still no chairs though!

After we lovingly renovated much of the house in Waterloo, I really thought I had had my fill of home improvements for the new house. Alas, just as I cannot resist a good home magazine, I cannot resist repainting. Now luckily, the new house needs no major work accept finishing the basement (a walk in the park as far as we are concerned), but there is always cleaning and personalizing to do. First on the list was the dining room.  The former owners were using this space as a main floor home office complete with their children’s growth chart drawn directly on the wall with permanent marker. In short, this room with its white walls sucked.  It was, therefore, the first to be dealt with.

         First I picked two possible paint colours from my Benjamin Moore Designer Paint Chip Collection; a gift I am sure Dave has regretted buying me for the past five years ago. We tried the colours out and they were both vetoed. Then my sister, Max, who happens to be my hero in the design world, helped us out.  The verdict? Herbes de Provence; that’s fancy talk for green.  Dave went to work and painted the room for us.  In two days we had a real dining room, albeit with no furniture, but hey, baby steps right? My only complaint, because of course I do need one, the colour looks exactly like the foyer colour! They are not the same colour by any means of the imagination. However, because the colour of our foyer changes depending on where you are in the house, if you stand between the two rooms they look remarkably similar. Is it possible we went from being home colour trendsetters to neutral nobodies? I might be doomed to a monochromatic life if I am not careful!

BEFORE: Unlawful wall assault 

AFTER: Hello there handsome

       Then there was the powder room on the main floor.  The proud former homeowner informed me that she had once been an interior designer. Lord help us all if this is what passes for interior decorating in Dufferin County! She had textured all the walls and ceiling surfaces by adding drywall compound to the walls and scraping it in different directions. Then to enhance this ‘cutting edge’ technique, she painted over it to form a bond much like that of Kryptonite! I spent four days sanding the walls down and preparing them for the 21^st century.  This resulted in a house that was frosted in drywall dust and walls as smooth as butter. For the time being, I am too frugal to get a new countertop, so I went with a paint colour (Stardust)  that would take the focus away from it.  

A new non Greco-Roman-throwback light fixture, and voila! I think I am beginning to realize that our house is determining its own style, one that is new for both of us. We’ll see how that goes.  Next stop, the study.

ON CHRISTMAS…

This foyer could be in a magazine!

I have really never been one for Christmas.  I am not a killjoy by any means, I have just never really been utterly intoxicated by the mirth that some people get so caught up in at holiday time.  Dave has been after me for years to be more spirited at Christmas and I have tried. Really, I have tried.  However, I just couldn’t do it.  This year I tried to change.  I decked out our house with as many decorations as I could find and unpack.  I decorated the banister and the tree, and I dolled up the exterior of the house with 110 feet of beautiful B.C. Cedar garland and killer urns.  Yes, people, this year I tried.  The result?  I got the flu for Christmas. Oh, yah, the stomach flu.  We postponed all Christmas festivities, and filled the rest of our time off together making up for missed family events by traveling Southern Ontario.  

Sexy Tree

Dave took off the two weeks I had off, and thank goodness for that, or else we would have been traveling every weekend until Easter to make up for all those folks we missed. Joyeux Noel, I don’t think so.

ON BABIES…

         Slow down your reading folks.  There is no bun in the oven here at the Olden’s. Humphery likes being a spoiled only child! However, there was very much a need for an honourable mention that goes out to Dave’s cousin Jen and her husband Jason.  They were blessed with baby Lucas this fall and the family couldn’t be more happy for them.  Jen and Jason had been looking forward to building their family and met with a few bumps on the way to the birth of Lucas.  The wait was well worth it as everyone is happy, healthy and doing well. 

This a very serious only child

         One of my closest friends in the whole wide world is also expecting her third baby and I am so super excited! Mel is on bed rest, which is a fate worse than childbirth for my girl on the go. Her husband Tony and her sons are having to care for her and I think it will be well worth it. The reason being, I think that this is just the start of years worth of grief that a new baby girl would bring!  Here’s to hoping for a new sister for Atlin and Eli!

         Finally, my friend Graciamaria is expecting in February.  She is my favourite baby mama lately because she is the most hilariously bitter. She and her husband John are having another baby girl and if the birth of Daniella is any indicator, Gracia is in for yet another gorgeous baby.

ON THE NEW YEAR…

         As far as New Year resolutions go, I am going to attempt to start P90X again.  Let’s see if I can’t get to at least day 10 shall we?  But seriously, I think we have both decided that after an intensely hurried last year, we are going to attempt to take time to smell the roses this year.  As my father in law says, “It’s not living if you are just planning for the next thing to happen”. So we are going to make a concerted effort to really be present in our life together.  Sure, I am going to be as busy as usual. In fact, I enrolled in another Dance additional qualification course that starts in eleven days, but I really do want to start enjoying life rather than simply trying to get through the day. I have been lucky enough to reconnect with some amazing friends that I have not seen in years, and as adults we have been able to come to our friendships freely and without the pressures and drama that once clouded our judgment with the issues of youth.  Dave and I are so incredibly blessed, and we thank God everyday that we live the life we do.  We have tremendous family and friends and we want to share more of our life with them. Let 2011 be the year of re-birth, joy and happiness. Life’s too short to put it off any longer. We start to live with joyful abandon today…