Hello 2018!

So I've had my New Year breakfast (egg, hash brown and bacon).

I made the traditional New Year lunch...Hoppin' John (black eyed peas and rice)...I know it is not a Quebec thing but I enjoy and endorse most traditions that involve prosperity and food....

Like eating pancakes on Friday the 13th which is suppose to ensure that you get enough money to pay your bills...Who doesn't like that? Really?

I was lying in bed and wondering what word would give my year direction. The last 2 years have been taking care of business (TCB).

This year my word is OWNERSHIP. Taking ownership of my house. Taking care of this great old lady, drafty old lady. I have already purchased new front doors and the difference is unbelievable!

And just in time before Winter too. So far winter is whooping our asses...It is unbelievably cold for December.....This night the mercury will dip to -15 F (-26C) brrrrrrr

The house had settled and the old doors did not fit quite right and putting draft stoppers would not cut it anymore.....

 The rain and the snow actually would go under this door.

 One of the new doors

 Some yahoo at the workshop cut to mail holes!

I am still waiting for after sales to bring me the new one!

this particular door was so crooked that you could see outside

and not from the windows.

Most of the things I plan to fix are more labour intensive than 

expensive.

repaint the kitchen, fix a couple of cracked window panes,

grind and repaint the iron staircase outside....

Fix some plaster.

In an ideal world where money grows on trees...

gutting the kitchen and redoing everything would've been my fantasy

but realisticly it is not worth it. I can't make it bigger and the cub bards

are mostly ok, so paint it will be

 I went to The Nutcracker with friends and I really enjoyed it.

It is always a strange feeling to see my Dad's work.

 Some Xmas peeps, you know I love my blow molds!

 The mantle all dressed up.

my tree a little lopsided....
I felt the same way.

I am right side up now.

and I will be extra careful with money.

no cray-cray spending!

Be well faithful readers!

Feels like the BEST DAY EVER!

Yes it did! but when you think about it I will surely have other best days ever.....

Monday, I went to the city permit office to get a permit to change the front doors....

Let's face it the house is old (125 years old), the doors are falling off (not original but ewww) and
in the last 2 winter we had snow and rain in our entry way.

My Dad had told me (repeatedly) that it was sheer HELL to get a permit from the neighborhood because the house was considered a historical property and blah, blah, blah.....

And last month, one of the companies I had asked for a submission went to the city and were turned down flat! No new door permit, only a permit to re-do the old doors.....

AAAARRRGGGHHHH!

So I decided go and get the permit myself...

 It took 2 hours.....

 But when the clerk told me he would give me a permit

I nearly cried!

I am so happy to get new doors that won't let

rain and snow in!

I am sure Dad would approve!

This is a miracle and I thank God for it!


Have a great night!