Ack!! What day is it and where am I????

I know I said I would try to blog more regularly. The trip to Canada was hectic. We went non-stop for 4 days, driving around either looking at houses or touring areas to help us decide where we would like to live. We saw bankers and insurance brokers, drank lots of Tim Horton's coffee or tea, and looked over house listings at night in our hotel room. 5 days seemed more like 3 weeks, but we accomplished a lot. At least now we know where we would probably like to live.

Here we are on Sunday after touring and house shopping. I look happy despite the day old clothes and no makeup. By the way, my luggage did not arrive until around 12 pm that day. They said the weather was too bad to drive out to Waterloo. How in the world did we, as major rookies, manage to do so???



And a little hotel room weirdness. This is the most shallow tub in the world.



Just kidding. It is still very weird though don't you think? You still have to pull up the tab to make the shower head work.



As I look through all the pictures that we took (mostly James) it is really hard to tell which house was which or where. We saw so many that looked similar, it is hard to remember which inside goes with what outside. There are a few that stood out though, like a beautiful kitchen or a lovely back yard. Unfortunately when the pictures transferred to the computer from the camera they did not go into original order, so that is the problem.

We came across Agnes street at some point, and also Lourdes street, but did not get a picture of it. For those who don't know, those are both our Mom's names.



In the first house we visited we came across furniture that matches some of the furniture that we have. It could be a sign! Alas, it ended up not being a neighborhood we would choose to live in. There was also an attractive back yard in another home in the same area, and you can get an idea of the snow we were experiencing.



This is what anyone would like to see out their back door.....



This is NOT!



I really don't want to see into my neighbor's family room every time I look out my window. It seems that this is pretty standard though, and due to government restrictions on further "urban sprawl" lots are small and homes that back onto "green space" are at a premium. More money means bigger lots with more choice of green space. I will miss my beautiful home here. The neighborhoods do not even compare!

I guess you are inside more than you are outside in Canada, so the inside is probably more important.... so here are some highlight of the insides... No particular order, just some beautiful rooms that stuck in our minds.









And then there was this house. Great view standing on the front stoop.



Weirdness within.

This is the foyer. Yes, that is faux wood grain made with paint. You will notice it throughout the pictures. It looks swirly in some, but it is not your monitor, it's the walls!



This is also the foyer. Looking forward into the kitchen. On the right of this picture, sticking out of the wall is a stone hand. Yes, A HAND. I am not sure what it is for. Perhaps to hold your keys. Perhaps to help you balance as you take off your snow covered boots when you come in. I don't know. James thought it was cool. I just thought it was WEIRD. On the kitchen wall, near the ceiling, in the center of the picture you will see this white cluster of objects in the corner where the cabinets meet the wall. These are ceramic roses. 3D CERAMIC ROSES. Need I say more?



The kitchen. Swirly-ness is faux finish. Ceramic scrolly thingies in the window. Way to ruin what could have been a nice kitchen.



Then there is the dead animal at the foot of the bed. Road kill accessories do not appeal to me!
The furniture is somewhat appealing, and reminds me of Texas, but that is about the only thing that is redeeming. Funny, I knew EXACTLY what house this was when I saw the pictures, and EXACTLY what pictures were included in the group. Memorable, yes. Sellable, no. Well, maybe sellable to someone. Just not me. I wonder how long this gem will be on the market?



The faux paint extended to the outside of the house, including the garage door which was made to look like wood, with more swirly-ness in the trim around the door. Can you tell what I think of that by the look on my face? That is Deborah our Realtor. I didn't tell her she would be in my blog, but I hope she won't mind.



I will close with some pretty snowy pictures. Interestingly enough, we were never really cold while we were there....