Can't keep up!

July 5/11.

Another wild & wacky day as we "countdown to closing" on Thursday.

Ready to take off to meet Carrie and the movers at Mum's. (BREATHE!!) - Miraculously, ALMOST done.
Needed to make two trips to Mum's place, back and forth to hook up with the piano movers and shelf unit movers, and pack up with Carrie in between. It was actually kind of fun and made us both feel things were getting done, crossed off the list, accomplished and ready for the final day. Sigh.

Flashback to 3 in the morning (while still emptying the old shelves), - Kate and her boyfriend Damian hang out smack dab in the middle of the mess. (Kids after my own heart, as they seem right at home in a fiasco....hmmmm, what does that say about my housekeeping?) Oh come ONNNNNNNNNNNNN! - It's not ALWAYS like this!!!!!!!! You'll see!

Saying goodbye to the old (now empty) shelving units! (did you know that flash photography shows off the dust! - well, that's my excuse anyway).

Bamboo shelves on the way out of Mum's place....

...and, (as Jim Richards of NEWSTALK 1010 would say), "The final TA-DA!" - HELLO to the NEW units here! - (which Mum loved). When Auntie Ray saw them at her final farewell to Mum's house on Sunday, she advised me, "As your decorator, I can tell you, THESE shelves are MUCH better than your old ones and you should arrange to take these!" (we hadn't even THOUGHT of this, but Auntie Ray is ALWAYS right. - So we did)! Thanks Auntie Ray! (who bought them for Mum in the first place!)
What a shock when I arrived at Mum's! Almost all the furniture gone. Can't take it.

Piano still there! (but not for long!)

Jason & Paul, superheroes of C.W. Piano Movers are on the job, removing the piano for delivery to my place - (for Kate, who officially inherits it from her Gramma)

We presented them quite a challenge. Stairs at pick-up...

A long walkway...

Cameras clicking away from both sides...

Roads to cross at delivery!

A narrow garden entrance to squeeze through...

Insane metal stairs to the back deck...

More steps into the basement...

And finally - success!! (Paul was SOOOOOO happy!) - Wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen it! Gave Jason and Paul a couple of cold Diet Gingerales and a cheque for $395! Worth every penny guys! Will recommend you to our friends! (in fact, the guys got THREE requests from passersby throughout this route, asking for business cards!) - They were on their way to another piano move in Peterborough after this one. VERY busy moving men!

And so, Mum's piano is now in her grandchildren's drum/music room to be enjoyed for years to come! Kate played me some tunes in the basement and I'm anticipating fantastic jamming in the near future.



In the meantime, check THIS out! While I was working at 3 in the morning, my kids surprised/entertained me by recording this version of the Jason Mraz song, "Lucky" - (you know, the song I can't get enough of lately!) They are so fantastic! - We just bought Max this fabulous new guitar at Steve's Music Store and he loves it!

Today in the hidey hole, we are running out of toys and props, but still a few left.

These are the old blocks we played with as kids. Once more with feeling, - let's build something, before donating them to Goodwill! (I still see five-year-olds in this pic) - BONK!!

Later, while sorting through the last of Mum's things, we dressed up. I'm wearing "The Anthony Coat" - given to me by a boyfriend (how did you know his name was Anthony??), when I was 16. He worked at Malabar - the costume shop, handed us this amazing Shakespearean style coat, and we've kept it ever since. SOOOOOO many people have borrowed it over the years to dress up as everything from Romeo to a pirate! Just couldn't part with it. Too much history. Carrie is wearing a shawl, (or is it a throw?), not sure.

Last but not least, we brought up the many works of art from the basement, painted by our Gramma (Mabel Burridge). She began painting as a young teen and never stopped. What a fabulous artist. The orange flowers on the left, were painted by Uncle Ev, but all the rest, by Gram.

As for how we will divide these up? Not sure!

I sure have had a talented family all these years. Unbelievable.

We'll be back in the hidey hole on Wednesday for more work and to meet with the lawyer for final paperwork. (is this really happening?)