We are back online!

Saturday's moving day went fairly well. The movers were very BIG men - the owner of the company is a body builder. Needless to say they had the house packed up in only 2 1/2 hours! There are still some small items and boxes that we are slowly moving.

Our new home is seems so big compared to the last one. I think it feels that way because the entire living space is on one level - a true rancher. There is lots of organizing and unpacking to do, but I had to go to my office today and then come home and wait for the internet technician to come and figure out why we couldn't get online. He figured it out in about an hour, and we got a new wireless modem as a bonus. The rest of the day I've taken in fairly easy and did some neglected office work at home. I'm also really tired.

I have set up a recycling centre in the garage and am using foldable laundry hampers for cans/milk jugs, newspapers, other paper and bottles. I should be able to haul them fairly easily to the recycling depot once a week.

It's 9 o'clock and I'm going to have a relaxing glass of wine before going to bed.

Saturday's Green Tip

Reuse and keep things from going into landfills. Give and get items at www.freecycle.org.

The other night I caught a new show on the Food Network called The River Cottage Treatment. It's a british show hosted by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of A Cook on the Wild Side fame. I have to say I really enjoyed the show... he had 5 people (I think) at the cottage and showed them the benefits, taste, and recipes for organic chicken. After seeing how chicken in commercial poultry farms are treated my daughter has decided there is no way she can ever eat chicken again if it is not happily farm raised and organic. Husband said "That's why we plan on raising our own chicken once we get settled".



I am amazed at how many people are so disconnected from their food. Okay, I'm a city girl, but I know about gardening and where my meat comes from. One of the men on the show couldn't even eat a vegetable other than potatoes! The host, Hugh, finally had him try some parsley saying it was an herb and not really a vegetable - the man almost vomitted and couldn't swallow that bit of greens. I was truly disbelieving that a person couldn't possibly like vegetables - it is unthinkable!

I pulled out an organic chicken from the freezer tonight - I know what we will be having for dinner tomorrow.

The movers have been hired.... for next Saturday at 9:00am! OMG I have sooo much packing to do this week. I'm not planning on going to the office other than Tuesday afternoon (of if I need internet as ours will be cut off on Thursday along with the phone).

I'm pretty tired tonight as I have spent the last two days filling nail holes on the baseboard and trim. I'm not sure how I will get everything done this week, but I know we will manage. At least I can move out some things (movers are mostly moving the large furniture) slowly as our current house is not yet up for sale.

Today was bright and sunny just above freezing. It was colder than the past two days that were 5 to 7c.

Saturday's Green Tip

Using Energy Star appliances can greatly reduce your energy and water usuage and your greenhouse gas production.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It has warmed up over the past couple of days - yesterday up to 5c and today it is snowing very heavy wet stuff. I keeping looking at the seed catalogues and dreaming of spring. Realistically, I will not be able to plant a garden this year, but I think I may be able to start and grow some container cherry tomatoes and some perenniel flowers.

The plumbers and electricians are finished!!! The kids and I had to experiment with the dual flush toilets - they appear to work great. No wonder there are none in stock around BC - I guess I was lucky to find those last 3 in town!

I'm getting really anxious to move! We are hoping for next weekend, so there will be lots to do over the next few days. Mainly finishing the baseboards and casings, installing the tile backsplash in the kitchen, building the front and back decks, putting in the closet organizers, and cutting the vent holes for the rangehood fan and dryer vent.

I spent the morning looking for window coverings, arranging the alarm and sattelite installations, and buying groceries for tonight's Valentine meal. I also had to pop into my office to drop of a completed contract that I forgot to hand in yesterday.

This evening we will be going to Costco to purchase some furniture for the office, as our current home office has everything built in.

There is a small break from that snow that was hammering us earlier this morning.... 30cm is expected today, and an additional 30cm tonight! At least it has warmed up to about -4c. I have decided to work from home today, as I don't want to drive into town. Husband already came across a large accident on his way to work - he called to suggest I don't drive anywhere today if I can help it.

I was suppose to meet the glass people at the house today so they can measure the bathrooms for mirrors. They called at 8:30am to reschedule for tomorrow - 2 wheel drive in deep snow in the country don't mix well. We also called my father to ask him not to drive out - he was going to work on the casings and baseboard, but it can wait a day.

I do have to call the plumber and electrician to come finish up as we want to call for a final building inspection late this week or early next week. Hopefully we will get our occupancy permit very soon!

Friday afternoon at 4:30pm I had a crisis. The Toto Aquia dual flush toilets that we ordered in December and were suppose to be delivered end of January have now been back ordered until the end of March! Well, we can't exactly move in without toilets. I got on the phone and began desperately calling around town looking for this particular toilet (I am not going to settle for something else) and finally located three. We picked them up on Saturday even though we had to pay an additional $150 per toilet! Needless to say the price almost caused Husband to go into heart failure.

I didn't do too much at the house over the weekend. I did begin painting the interior doors with low voc paint. Daughter and I also cleaned the interior of the windows (boy did it need it!) with homemade window cleaner. Here is the recipe:

Homemade Window Cleaner

1 cup rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)
1 cup water
1 Tbs vinegar

Mix together in a spray bottle.
Spray on windows and use crumpled newspaper to rub clean

Our beautiful daughter wrote this:

Plastic is Harmful


I think plastic is not good for the environment. I will be
telling you 4 ways plastic is harmful to the eco-system .
Plastic bags are killing the marine life. For Example sea
turtles are mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish so when they
eat the plastic bags it may get caught in their throats or
intestines.

Oil is polluting the air. 14 plastic bags use [in the making]
enough oil to drive a car 1.6 kilometres. That’s from
Heather Park to the Hart mall. Not far but still if that much
oil only goes into 14 plastic bags it is bad for the air we are
breathing.

We should be able to recycle plastic bags for free not for
17 cents. We are the ones that should be getting paid for at
least we are trying to recycle.

Yes plastic bags are good for one to carry groceries home
from the store, but where do they end up after that. They
end up in the oceans, on the streets, in school yards, in the
forests, and many other places. There are more and more
plastic bags getting used and then just thrown away. Some
to the garbage and the others are just getting dumped
anywhere. Please help us save the environment and eco-
system by using fabric or reusable bags.

Thank you for taking your time to read/listen to my
article on how I think plastic bags are polluting the
environment.

Saturday's Green Tip

Bring along a metal or reusable plastic water bottle when you travel to cut down on bottled water purchases.

The house is coming along... I spent a lot of time on the weekend finishing up the paint on the casings and baseboard.
The plumbers are here finishing everything off, and the sound system is being installed.
We noticed a chip in the kitchen counter which needs to be repaired (with a warranty!) - they have sent the counter top back once already.

Look at all the snow! There seem to be massive amounts this year, and it just keeps coming down.

More seed catalogues have arrived, so at least I can dream about spring:

Dominion Seeds

William Dam Seeds

Cottage Gardener - the best by far, as it describes a lot of history about the heritage seeds they offer.

For Christmas our son received a bird feeder and bird house kit, a suet feeder and bird field guide. He quickly placed the suet feeder outside his bedroom window (we can all see the feeder from our windows) and there it hung.

Yesterday, the Red Breasted Nuthatches finally found it! I have always loved these birds, so I was really happy to see them.

Today, there were fresh tracks in the snow which travelled directly under the feeder. We think it may have been a fox.

Saturday's Green Tip

Install a programmable thermostat to turn down the heat by a few degrees at night. A simple way to reduce your heating bill, and you don't even have to remember to do it.