angela black

The two bunches of Japanese anemone that I planted in front last...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:53:35 -0400

The two bunches of Japanese anemone that I planted in front last year have returned. They really are a lovely flower so it makes me inordinately happy to see them again and doing so well.

It’s Victoria Day here in Canadaland so I sat in that very...

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:09:50 -0400

It’s Victoria Day here in Canadaland so I sat in that very chair for a while eating some rice and letting the blossom confetti rain down around me. The birds are chirping, the neighbours are chattering and it’s just about as pleasant as can be. I really wish it were easier to capture the whole tree at once. The blossoms are soft pink and the tree itself is absolutely massive. The blooms have meant a few new kinds of birds visiting and there are bumblebees dopily poking along.

Later tonight there will be fireworks down at Ashbridge’s Bay but I think I’ll keep reading my book and enjoy the boom boom booming from here. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book through and for someone who once read voraciously, I have missed it. Right now I long for a little adventure and Nicholas Christopher’s A Trip to the Stars is hitting the spot.

Today was a dumb day as the counter offer deadline came and went...

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:56:22 -0400

Today was a dumb day as the counter offer deadline came and went with nary a peep. It is just as well as the only thing the lowballers were doing was making me feel bad. Like I said, both sides should feel good entering into negotiations and I really did not. Anyway, the apple tree is in full bloom and smells terrific so I am just gonna chill out and prepare for a better day tomorrow. The end.

Both sides now

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:29:00 -0400

Almost as soon as I hit submit on my post earlier about no offers yet, my real estate agent called to say an offer came in for me to review. Proving once again that my problems tend to resolve themselves if I vocalize them in some out loud fashion. Usually it’s just me complaining to Dave that some technology is being a butt… but it seems to apply to other issues as well. That being said, the offer was $75k below asking which is a whole new low. And I got all flustered and mad and sulky about it for a bit… even moreso than the previous $30k below asking in the fall. It’s outrageous to me when I keep a very close eye on what comparable homes are selling for in my immediate neighbourhood. I am definitely willing to negotiate, but man.

The thing is… somewhere in another part of town, a dad of three is having this huge moment. He did a very big thing and put an offer in on a house. Having done that myself, I know it’s not usually something entered into lightly when you’re in first time homebuyer land. But still, when the shoe was on the other foot, I felt almost brave at offering a $1000 less than asking, overjoyed when it was accepted. It was a much more agressive seller’s market than the current one and I knew that if I waited another day, I’d be in competition and have to drop out. The asking price was at the very top end of what I could afford. So, either this dude can’t really afford it and is trying to see if perhaps I’m desperate (I am not) or the house isn’t really his first choice but could be for a bargain. Either way, all he managed to do was make me feel deflated and even more tired.

Of course, I get to manage what happens next and having an offer in is always a good thing, to my mind. But this house is really the only thing of financial worth that I have and it’s in a hood where the value escalates quickly. I know I will get an offer that makes both sides feel good if I just hang tight.

Yesterday there was a bungalow almost identical to mine here....

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:01:00 -0400

Yesterday there was a bungalow almost identical to mine here. It’s just around the corner from where I live. It sold for somewhere in the neighbourhood of what I’m asking for mine… and then it was bulldozed into smithereens. I know this happens and whomever buys a property is well within their right, but I got a little verklempt seeing it torn down anyway. That seems to be the trend of late as there are two homes on this street alone that have been torn down and then built up into two stories. One is quite lovely, the other is a strangely ornate monster home that doesn’t even remotely fit in with the neighbourhood.

Anyway, none of that changes the fact that I have some interest in my house, but no offers as yet. I know it’s a waiting game, but all tolled, I feel like I’ve been mentally on hold for so long now. I miss Josh. I miss being able to make plans. And I’m eager to do some of the things I have lined up in my brain ahead. If that weren’t enough, the number of dreams I have about the house falling apart around my head or being attacked by lizards and vermin or fire are increasing and I haven’t slept all that well in some time. Fun! Anyway, look at that blue sky. It sets off the yellow in that homesmasher machine quite nicely.

Not bad, sky.

Wed, 15 May 2013 21:05:55 -0400

Not bad, sky.

I’ve spent more than normal on fresh flowers of late, so...

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:15:00 -0400

I’ve spent more than normal on fresh flowers of late, so it’s kind of nice to change it up with blooms brought in FOR FREEEEEE from outside. It’s a few weeks behind but the apple tree is starting to blossom and it smells amazing. The birds are pretty happy about it too.

Being a homeowner is a strange business. Before this weekend, I...

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:40:00 -0400

Being a homeowner is a strange business. Before this weekend, I couldn’t have begun to tell you what these parts are and what they do exactly. But, it is a very bad thing when you are trying to sell your home and the odd drip in the tub faucet starts to become a steady pour. There’s no way it’ll go unnoticed and not register as a “problem” in the mind of a potential buyer. So, I was looking up plumbers but then decided to ask my Nova Scotian neighbour if he’d ever fixed a leaky faucet himself. He described what I needed and that it was fixable for under $40. So, I called the manufacturer, got the part numbers and the tools needed and found a very good Youtube tutorial. And both my neighbour and the man in the video were right, it was fixed like a dream in about 20 minutes and I felt like I held the whole power of the universe in the palm of my hands. I now know what cartridges and seats are and that mine were in not great shape. Now they are! I feel like a bee oh double ess. I like it.

Mother-daughter fro yo disasters!

Sun, 12 May 2013 20:12:29 -0400

Mother-daughter fro yo disasters!

Pom tree.

Thu, 09 May 2013 13:27:41 -0400

Pom tree.

I rode/walked my bike home through Glen Stewart Ravine on Sunday...

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:38:32 -0400

I rode/walked my bike home through Glen Stewart Ravine on Sunday and it was just glorious. They have all these naturalized tulips and daffodils in yellow, orange and white set into the hillside and it’s dang pretty. Thankfully the heaviness of my bike on hills and my fitness level required stopping frequently to take it all in.

The view from my livingroom window right now is not terrible.

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:45:20 -0400

The view from my livingroom window right now is not terrible.

A man and a boy and a girl and a dog and a canoe.

Sun, 05 May 2013 16:51:23 -0400

A man and a boy and a girl and a dog and a canoe.

Magnificent magnolias.

Sun, 05 May 2013 15:06:09 -0400

Magnificent magnolias.

The weather in Toronto is just absolute bliss this week in the...

Sun, 05 May 2013 09:55:13 -0400

The weather in Toronto is just absolute bliss this week in the low 20s and full sun. Meagan’s sofa is currently in the backroom so I have something to lie down on to watch the birds and squirls in the backyard. It is a moment of quiet coolness before having to leave shortly for showings and open houses. I think imma go ride my bike.

Have a lovely Sunday… today looks like a good one.

Not my art, not my cushions, not my candles and not my glowing...

Sat, 04 May 2013 13:21:52 -0400

Not my art, not my cushions, not my candles and not my glowing lamp. Living in a slightly staged home is a weird business but I hope it works.

I do love those votive holders though so I wonder what would happen if they accidentally go missing.

And this is the other way ‘round.

Fri, 03 May 2013 16:00:56 -0400

And this is the other way ‘round.

We’ve taken to hanging out on the sidestreets while people...

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:56:31 -0400

We’ve taken to hanging out on the sidestreets while people look through our house. This is what it looks like when you lie down on the sidewalk.

Slug life.

Wed, 01 May 2013 22:02:51 -0400

Slug life.

It wouldn’t be spring at Casa Black without a fresh buncha...

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:34:00 -0400

It wouldn’t be spring at Casa Black without a fresh buncha flowers and plants plonked into the shed’s windowbox. It really is one of my favourite things to do to pretty up the house. That said, I honestly hope it’s my last. My house is for sale as of Tuesday and photos are being done tomorrow. It’s a whole lotta deja vu after what turned out to be a practice run last fall and I am absolutely worked off of my feet once again. How can there still be so much to do? Even now at 6:30pm on Sunday, I can look around and see things I need to tick, tick, tick off my list and my feet are bark, bark, barkin that they need a rest. I’ve reached the drop off point where things are now either MUST STILL DO or WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE.

Anyway, it looks pretty. I’m exhausted. And I hope someone buys it so life can open to some new possibilities. Fingies crossed.