Oh Foul Nasty Weed!

How I hate you!

Don`t you know I`m selling my house and you`re ruining my lawn

Don`t smile at me with those twinkling yellow petals! You are not a FLOWER my friend- you are a fiendish weed sent from the depths below, and in the pudgy hands of babes to wreak havoc in my life.

I`m not allowed to poison you here where I live, and so I`ve resorted to turning my lovely green

landscape into a blighted dirt puddled wasteland. What to do- What to do...

I swat the hand of husband away from the TV converter during NHL Playoffs so that I can watch transfixed the Commercials flogging Weed Fork Contraptions and Fertilizers to get rid of you. Do I dare- Will they work

Rotten DANDELION! Dandy-lyin -dang-it dyin-Yellow Bellied grass filler-HOW I HATE YOU!

Go Away and Take your furry friends with you!

Or Else!

There are a few hidden gems in Durham Region and Heber Downs Conservation Area is one of them. While our house was for sale, I had to find someplace to take the dog and the kids to entertain them for a few hours.  We occasionally go to Heber Downs during the Summer so this was a great place to go  to waste some time.  Heber Downs is located in North Whitby off of Country Lane Road which is just off Taunton , west of Brock Street.

Before we went we stopped off at Dollarama and picked up a couple of nets and a small plastic fish tank. The dog had his head out the window drooling the whole way there-My car SO needs a Detail now- Yuck!

So we arrived at Heber Downs and everyone ran off in all directions. I managed to herd everyone back up and we started off with a long hike along the trails. There is a nice meandering side walk that curves along beside the creek. On the other side are green  grassy clearings and wooded areas for picnicking  and fun activities. The park allows for groups to picnic for the day with a special permit. Last summer when we came for the day we brought a picnic lunch and played soccer. The only problem was that there were tons of tiny frogs hopping around in the area we chose. So of course the kids ran around like chickens trying to catch the jumping frogs.

As you cross over the first wooden bridge over the creek ,the sidewalk turns into more of a dirt path through the forest. It's cooler here in the woods combined with the earthy peat smell that only comes from a walk amongst the tall trees. Beautiful lush green ferns sway gently in the breeze. The sound of the bubbling creek on the other side is music to the ears. It's so relaxing to get away from TV's, MP3's and video games and just listen to the sounds of nature and silence.

Surprisingly enough there were quite  a few other families there with the same idea. Some were strolling with babies, some walking dogs, others just leisurely strolling with the odd walking stick. Some people had cameras-like me, snapping the occasional picture. There are two sets of wooden staircases that take you up to the higher elevations- One lookout point is called "Devil's Den" and you can peer out over the woods from above after you have climbed a CN Tower's worth of steep stairs. If you follow the path you will eventually see another brown wooden sign that points you back to nature trail. Here again you will travel down some stairs, boardwalks and peat paths. The creek meanders along beside you on the right.

There is another wooden bridge over the creek that leads you to a small lake. This area was once the Iroquois Lake Glacier.  Heading back the way we came we go back to the other side of the parking lot where the creek is with a great area for kids to try and catch fish and frogs. There are also cray fish in there too. The kids spend the time wading through the water or collecting fossilized rocks in the beach area. The fish and frogs are returned to their habitat before we leave- in good health.

I bring a fold up chair , a book, my camera and some water.  And it costs about $2 for parking. Can't Beat That!

I'm doing something that makes a Real Estate Agent drool, and I am absolutely miserable! We're getting ready to sell our house, and right now we are in the hellish stage of cosmetic renovations. Oh the horrors!

Today I was huddled over baseboards like a troll, painstakingly stroking back and forth with that little white paint brush. Paint On, Paint Off- Stephanieson-Paint On,Paint Off!  Karate kid aside- that's exactly what happened- I put paint on and then the next stroke it all came back off again in a streaky smear- okay wait until first coat dries first. Before I even started painting, we(meaning me) had to tape every square inch above and below all the baseboards and trim because although I am the fastest painter on the face of the earth,  I am also the Sloppiest. I despise the details of painting. I am an "artiste" and we artistes do not widdle around with the little things- we see the finished product in our minds eye and rush to put it to paper- or  wall in my case.

So there I am with green sticky tape riding up and down my walls and door frames, on my shoe and in my hair.  I nearly cut my toe off with an exacto pen- knife when I accidentally dropped the blasted thing. It landed sticking straight up in front of my toe with a "poing" Lucky me, that's the toe I  test out on furniture corners.So I'm crawling around on all fours on the floor in amongst the dog fur-tumbleweeds blowing down the hall( When will this dog stop shedding?)  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to stretch that tape out past arms length, have it stick down on dog hair and then manage to slice off the edges without ripping the whole thing back off the wall and floor? To top it off- The knife is dull and instead  of slicing clean through the tape it instead wrinkles it all up and twists the tape into a big mangled mess. They need to invent a painters tape "Tape Gun" like they have for Packing Tape.

So I finally got the house taped. Great! On to the Painting. They have a great new invention in the paint department at the Whitby Home Depot. It's the little red paint bucket with the handle and inserts. It's kind of like a measuring cup. That was great just carrying that around and using the small brush.  I did run into a few problems though. I did use my mini paint trough which I carry around and hold in my hand as I roll on paint. Word of advice- Don't do this because as you hold that tray in your left hand and reach over your head to paint above you- the tray is tipping and you are pouring paint all over your hardwood floor-CRAP!

Okay so after I scrubbed paint off the floor, and walls and dog... I painted and painted and painted. In Between painting I would stop to help the hubby in his attempt to slice off a limb with the circular saw. He decided it would save time if he cut the new doors in our living room rather than go out to the garage, so I had the job of balancing the wobbling door on the coffee table and wing chair as he sliced off the side of the door. Okay no limbs were lost-Yet!  He managed to get the bathroom door re-hung before he quit for the Hockey Game on T.V. The Leafs are playing against Atlanta tonight -GO LEAFS GO!

Well if he quit for the night- I'm done too. If only I could straighten my back out now- The pain is unbearable. Tomorrow I have to sit in a Sales Trailer and sell new Condos. I'm thinking Traction might be a better option.

Signing off for tonight.

Hi my name is Stephanie and I am addicted to Towels. Yup that's right- Towels. We're talking everything from fingertip towels to the big as a bed Bath Sheets.
You see it all started about 17 years ago when my future (now ex) sister-in-law received towels for her wedding shower. They were a trendy shade of peach and sage green and she displayed them so creatively by rolling them up like logs and stacking them on her bathroom shelf in the shape of a pyramid. Every time I visited I marvelled at the clever display of towels in amongst the candles, little collectible bears and pot-pourri dishes she had. I was envious of those towels! I wanted a collection of my own, and yet I knew that I would have to have something different from her, otherwise I would look like I was copying her. Well my opportunity came-a-knocking on a trip to Florida. I discovered the "FLEA MARKET"! I bought about 16 towels ranging in colours from the highly coveted peach and sage to navy blue, periwinkle and cream. In fact I also had to buy another suitcase at the flea market to smuggle my new towel collection back over the Canadian border. Thank Goodness they didn't look inside- how on earth would  I explain the need for so many darn towels.

Over the years my collection, and addiction, has only grown. I feel that I must secretly buy and smuggle into the house my ill-gotten cotton and velour goods past that of my hawk-eyed husband. I think he can smell when I've spent money on a frivolous item and this fear causes me to break out in a nervous sweat. Husbands aren't too keen on towel collections I've learned. Right now there is a Home Sense bag sitting hidden under my kitchen table waiting for me to get a break in my husband's vigil near the T.V so I can grab that bag with those plush, soft, White Egyptian Cotton towels with the gold bamboo embroidery and sneak past him and get those towels into the linen closet where they will eventually come into circulation. The secret is to hide the new towels amongst the "older" new towels so that the husband sees the towels and gets used to them, so that when they are hung lovingly from their display bars in the bathroom ,and he bellows out:" Are these MORE new Towels????!" I can innocently reply "No- they've been on the shelf for ages- don't you remember them?" which does cause him to question himself and his memory. Pheww! The secret is not to associate the Towels with the Shopping Bag they came in- or the Receipt for that matter. Definitely not the receipt- or the VISA bill!

And after all that sneaking around and stress and anxiety, I still have to scream at everybody to keep their dirty paws off my clean white towels" Don't You Know They're Just For SHOW?"

 Arrrgggghhh! Will they never learn?

Well since I'm partial to my home-town of Whitby, it's with bias that I tell you about the greatness that is Oshawa. Oshawa is like the big sister to Whitby. Whitby was the original seat of the County but with the start of the Oshawa Carriage Works, which would later become "General Motors", Whitby languished behind the more commercial and industrious Oshawa.

Oshawa's greatest claim to fame is of course R.S. McLaughlin- the founder of General Motors. It is in Oshawa that he built his home "Parkwood Estates" a beautiful mansion located on 12 acres of lush prime real estate on the corner of Adelaide and Simcoe Streets. Behind the estate is a Private Golf Club and to the north of the estate is the Lakeridge General Hospital with its new Cancer Centre.

I had my wedding photos taken on the estates,some 16 years ago, like many of us who live in Durham Region. The gorgeous gardens are meticulously maintained and many events are hosted on the properties- including weddings. I think these estates rival that of Casa Loma in Toronto and Edwards Gardens. A number of movies have used the estate for filming- all of which I can't remember right now... it'll come to me.

The gardens with their sparkling blue grecian waters and fountains and classic statuary highlight just how magnificent the architecture and design were that went into the creation of Parkwood Estates. They also have guided tours of the inside of the estate- I believe it was fully furnished in the style of the period. Sam McLaughlin also had another formidable house built for his daughter..."Adelaide House" which also boasts lovely mouldings, trim and fireplaces of a romantic era long past. Parkwood Estate is obscurred by the wrought iron fence and hedging that surrounds the property. Through the Iron gates is the sweeping circular drive that leads you up to the formal entrance of the mansion. The leaded glass and mullioned windows with their arched frames all emphasize the beauty in structure as do the stone balustrades and balcony patio with its abundance of aromatic flowering blooms.

It's easy to imagine the formal garden parties that must have been hosted and the dignitaries that were probably present. The property is fit for Royalty and indeed, R.S. McLaughlin is Durham Royalty for sure.

Oshawa's Parkwood Estate probably helps keep Oshawa on the quest to have the most beautiful gardens in the area.  Oshawa has won the International Communities in Bloom Contest for  having a community with an abundance of lovely gardens both public and private. Driving around Oshawa you will see the small white signs dotting the lawns and gardens of all manner of homes indicating their status as nominees for the Communities in Bloom Contest.  And Believe me- this is serious business for these amateur gardeners.

Parkwood Estates is a MUST SEE for anyone travelling through the area. In fact more of the residents should also experience the beauty that is right here like a shining gem amongst us. Aren't we always travelling far and wide to experience the culture that belongs to someone else and yet we fail to experience that which belongs to us. Ontario and Canada in general are perfect examples.

Ontario has some of the most awe inspiring , heart clenching scenery that I have witnessed. From the first sprout of Spring's happy blooms, to Summer's hot hazy cottage days by the lake, to the riotous firey red, golds and orange of falling leaves in Autumn and finally the heaps of white fat fluffy snowflake falling in wet clumps onto your nose in winter. How beautiful it truly is.

So I told you awhile back I would tell you the story about the Whitby Centennial Building or to be more exact - the ghost of the Centennial Building.

  The Centennial Building was once the Courthouse for the County and trials were held there .  The story goes that there was gentleman named "Jack" nervously awaiting the outcome on his nephew's rape trial in the spectator galley in the balcony area. Just as the verdict was to be announced , Jack hurried to the edge of the balcony and accidentally fell over to his death as they read the guilty verdict. It is reported that people believe they see the ghost of the well dressed man haunting the former courthouse area which is currently the Whitby Theatre Group.  Well, I personally was haunted  during my visits to the Theatre.

My mother Carole was a member of the Theatre Group for many years and often would bring my sister and I to watch rehearsals and the plays. As young kids would do, we wandered off exploring the mysterious rooms of the building. The scariest room of them all was what I knew to be the balcony where the spotlights etc were hanging. There were a number of times that the hairs stood on end while sitting there watching the performers below. My mother also said she had an unexplained occurrence while she was performing in front of an audience.  She said that she wasn't feeling well during the performance and when she waited off stage for her next scene and older gentleman dressed in a suit, tophat and cane put his hand on her shoulder and smiled an encouragement.  When she looked back at him again he had disappeared into thin air.  It wasn't until after the play that she realized there were no actors in such a costume and what she had seen had been an apparition.

Another Whitby building also purported to be haunted is the home of Sherriff Nelson Reynolds located on Byron and Dunlop streets. The house was built in 1874 as a miniature of Trafalgar Castle. Apparently the ghost of distiller Harry Hatch haunts its walls from the days of prohibition .Al Capone was even rumoured to buy his bootleg liquour from Harry back in the day.

Now the Trafalgar Castle is a private school for girls and the Old Hatch House is now a Montessori school. I'm not sure if they still have ghost sightings but you can read about the sitings in ghost story books and on the net.

One other well reported ghost spot is the Old Whitby Psychiatric Hospital and Outbuildings. There were a number of creepy disturbances out there from clanging noises to ghosts wandering the halls etc. I can well imagine this would be a good "haunt" as the buildings down there were stark and ominous.

There are lots of other great ghost stories from neighbouring towns such as the Old Scugog Road Motorcycle Ghost-but I'll leave that for another teller. Try googling up some of these sites and see the paranormal studies that have been done.

So next time you're in Whitby, drive by the Centennial Building on Centre Street  and give "Jack" a friendly wave and then turn down Dunlop to Byron Street and wave to "Harry", some our friendly ghosties. And since you're here, look at some of the other lovely homes in the area- historical or not, and maybe you'll also find a little piece of Whitby to Love Too!

I love Books.  I love to read great books, and then hopefully see them made into great movies. I remember how great I thought the new book store concept such as "Chapters" was when they first opened up a location in our Oshawa Centre Shopping Mall. Before Chapters there were a couple of independent bookstores like "Coles" and  "W.H. Smith" that I think I certainly helped stay in business. I remember "Coles" was located in this narrow corner store where you would have to flatten yourself against the bookshelf to let some other book shopper press pass you. A far cry from the warehouse like Chapters with its soaring loft ceiling and expansive maze of book shelves and chairs creatively spread out in a segmented organization of knowledge.  I love to bring my kids to Chapters so they too can experience my love of books and develop one of their own. They still have a far road to travel to get there.

When I was little my mother used to take me to the Whitby  Public Library which happened to be located in a small red brick building on the corner of Dundas Street and Byron Street.

   I remember they had "library ladies" who had reading circles and the kids sat on a pillow and listened raptly to some great story about a duck losing something . The Old Library building has been converted over to law offices, but, whenever I pass it, I still have that warm fuzzy feeling I got when I visited that library.

Today we have a GORGEOUS Whitby Public Library that was built a few years back that is truly beautiful inside and out.

With its floor to ceiling glass wall front , grand staircase, cafe and water fountain- the library really is a  modern site to be proud of.  My children love going to the library- they usually head for the bank of computers and then just when I am ready to go they dash around on a mad hunt to find a stack of books to check out. Mean while, I head off for the twirling paperback racks and then off to the archived Hard-Cover section for the hard to find originals. If I am really eager for a Hot New Best-Seller, I will check out the "Fast Read"s. I usually dread taking those out because they come with a pretty hefty penalty attached if you don't return them in the allotted 3 days. I think the fine is $1 per day- and I have a fear that compound interest is attached and if
I accidentally forget to bring it back I'll have to mortgage my house to pay off the debt- I know -ridiculous but I was brought up in a strict Catholic household and unless you've experienced the GUILT of FUTURE GUILT we have nothing to discuss. So in the end we usually leave the library with stacks of books that cascade into a must read pile when we get home. My husband thinks I'm nuts because of the number of books I bring home- but I do read them -except for the odd stinker that sneaks through.

Across from the library are a some of the loveliest houses in Whitby. There is the lovely red brick with the beautiful urns on either side of the door that brims with arrangements all season round. Beside that there are two other corner houses in the Victorian Style that are colourful and charming and maintained in the spirit and charm that Whitby exudes in waves. I used to like how one house built a bench around the trunk of a tree in the yard and as the trunk expanded the bench did  too.

Take a drive and visit our library, a bookstore or just drive down our old streets and look at our beautiful homes and landmarks.

I Love Whitby.

Today was a freezing cold day- the kind that steals the breath from your lungs. It was -25 degrees with the wind-chill and people were smart huddled up beside warm cozy fireplaces- Except Me. I opted to take my camera and go for a drive through my lovely (not so little) Town of Whitby with my handy dandy camera and take some winter pictures.

Whitby is located about 30 km east of Toronto and lies on the north shores of Lake Ontario. Today I drove down the the Lake to see what was happening on a frigid winter day in February. As I crossed over a little bridge I noticed hundreds of ducks and geese all huddled up on the ice with their beaks tucked snugly in their back feathers. The odd one was flying around honking- probably about how darned cold it was outside... At the time I stopped on the side of the road to witness these birds I was alone, but as I took my snaps, about three other cars pulled in behind me, I guess to see what caught my interest- so I left. Well it was really because the tears from the cold were freezing on my face, but whose cutting hairs?

So on I drove down to the harbour, and what a site it was. The sky was dark and cloudy, but the sun's rays were beaming down from the heavens onto the glistening turbulent waters below. It was so unbelievably awesome. Of course I took a picture- but it doesn't do it justice.

There's something very peaceful about the waters- where-ever they may be. Except of course that my life was forever altered the minute I read that shark attack scene in JAWS. That ruined swimming for everyone in the world I suspect. I used to love swimming in the lakes around here and at the cottage in Napanee- that is until that book ruined everything. Just when I thought I had recovered enough courage to attempt the swim again, some guy got eaten by a Muskie or Muskellunge or whatever they call those huge dinosaur fish up North. Where was I again? Oh yeah- my trip to the lake. I was actually surprised when I went to the harbour and pulled into the parking lot there near the water and noticed that there were about 7 other cars parked there. Nobody was walking around mind you, they were just sitting there drinking their Tim Horton's coffees and watching the waves hit the rocks. Of course I was the only idiot lumbering around outside through the snow drifts, freezing my face off, trying to photograph the postcard from the heavens.

And so here I share my little piece of Whitby heaven with you. 

I was born and raised here in Whitby, so it has a special place in my heart.

Where is Whitby you ask? Well, it's a small busy Town located about 30km east of Toronto on Lake Ontario. Another 3 hours east and you'll reach Kingston and 4 hours northeast to Ottawa. Anyways, Whitby was THE port town a hundred or so years ago. Even today you can tell by the elegant Victorian homes where the settlers lived back then. A few of our Heritage Homes have been moved for safe keeping while the community continues its urban sprawl.

Here's one of my favourites old homes- I actually have quite a few! This home happens to be located on the street I grew up on. It was one of the original Streets in the Town and the Whitby Centennial Building(Old Courthouse) is also located on this street. What I loved most about Centre Street was how the old trees formed a huge canopy over the road and there was nothing better than riding my bike down the middle of that road looking up into those leafy branches as I zoomed down the hill. I love that street!

I'll tell you the story of the Whitby Centennial building ghost another time.

Today I took my camera and went for a drive through my lovely (not so little) Town in this frigid cold Winter. The wind was howling and news reports claimed it was -25 with the wind-chill factor. It was so cold I opted to take pictures from my car window- Not something I suggest if you want any quality whatsoever- But IT WAS SO COLD!!!!

Well, I got sentimental and drove down the street my best friend grew up on. She lived in the North part of town, on Clear Springs Road where some prominent doctors and such lived in big mansions- well they seemed like mansions at the time anyway. Today they didn't look quite as imposing as they did to me as an 11 year old. One of my favourite memories at her house was the frozen pond that was located in the middle of the neighbourhood street. It was one of those mysterious little ponds that was surrounded by large petrified trees and stumps ,and in the summer it was a horrible mosquito infested bog that smelled horrible.

All the kids on the street would gather around for the big Hockey Game on the pond. We'd all be there, bundled up with 3 pairs of socks, sitting on stumps lacing up our skates and screaming out whose team we wanted to be on. Of course it was chaos and fights usually broke out even before a game could begin. Well, because I didn't own a hockey stick, I'd break off a branch from one of the petrified trees. It would be about 10 ft long with deadly branches itching to rip out some poor kids eye. After a few sweeps around the pond with my death stick, some kid would eventually run home and find me a spare hockey stick to play with. What great fun we had- we'd spend hours out there! The worst part of course was taking the skates off those frozen icicle feet and walking home with two concrete block clumping feet like Frankenstein. Then the pins and needles set in-Yeeeouccchhhh!

Today when I drove down the street, I was shocked to see that the pond was gone! Erased, just like that. In it's place stood a cleared lot with little flags on it ready for the builders. I was so sad. Whitby has grown so much, so fast that sometimes it's unbelievable! One day you drive and you're surrounded by farm fields and woods and then maybe 6 months later it's all gone and there's a subdivision and plaza in it's place. The small sleepy little Town has grown up into a busy little Metropolis.

Despite all its growing pains, Whitby still retains that Olde Fashioned feeling that brings a warm cozy feeling to my heart.

I Love my Whitby!

 

Disclose or not to Disclose?

That is the Question. When is a line crossed and how do you know when you've crossed it? I know that Disclosure pertains to "Material facts" that would affect the sale of a property including latent defects, but what about those "unknown" or "unsure" situations or STIGMAS that may come back to haunt you- Literally!

So we've segued into HAUNTING. We are of an understanding that if a home was the scene of a homicide or tragic death such as suicide- Disclose! But what about the little old lady or little or man who just died naturally in his sleep? Nowadays, there are a number of terminal  patients who are choosing to spend their final days in their home surrounded by loved ones...What about those house s? And how long is it stigmatized.  I've read that a tragedy stigma usually lasts about 2 years but can linger a further 5 to 7 years. There was a case in New York where a gentleman found out that the house he was purchasing was haunted, and he found out because the previous owner had published articles in Readers Digest detailing it. The buyer sued and got the contract rescinded and his deposit back in full. Otherwise it might be difficult to prove. What would you do as the Sales Rep? Would you use your handy dandy Ghost Busting Tools to check such as your thermal reader, electro-magnetic fields checker and your Ouija Board?

 In some instances of Disclosure (i.e. Grow Houses) I understand that the Disclosure must follow through on all subsequent listings forever after(Ontario/Canada). Am I wrong? That's a lifelong blemish. How good a deal is it then? That puts quite an onus on Sales Reps because not all stigmas are disclosed and what may not have been a problem in the past may be a problem now.

In some cultures, there are huge repercussions to what they believe is important to be disclosed. As we discussed earlier, some Asian cultures and Native American cultures etc. consider the house that someone has died in to be "taboo".

What happens if 3 doors down from the house the owner committed suicide? Or the neighbours house burned down and someone died, or someone died after being hit by a car at the intersection or whatever...The possible list is endless and how do we govern ourselves and ask the right questions.

Feng Shui experts might throw another whole ball of yarn at problematic areas of a home such as location, direction, door direction, poison arrows, and past bad energies lingering such as divorce or broken partnerships. Have you ever seen a home or business that no matter how great it looks; it turns over often with a bad repeating pattern?

Although SPIS's are there for reference, what's not on the long list may come up later. How do we represent the owners who want to be given a fair chance to sell their home for market value rather than take a discount sale over a longer sale time because a possible stigma is disclosed? Should it be disclosed only on a need to know if they ask basis?

Should we build in conditions that the Buyer is responsible at their own expense to have the home inspected by a professional Stigma Inspector? Or do we wait until the ball drops and the deal doesn't close and someone gets sued?

What do you think?