The great outdoors: Chez moi

I know I said I wasn't working on my house anymore, but then my mom and dad came over to help finish up a few things. Oddly, it didn't seem like work. Of course, that's probably because they did most of the work while I rode around in their car and did errands like:

• Brought back empties
• Ordered foam for my window seat (which is much more expensive than I thought)
• Got propane for my BBQ
• Picked up colour swatches for the paint for my kitchen (from Ecopaints)
• Groceries
• Picked up my new dining chairs from G.U.F.F
• Bought pots for plants and the start of a blind idea at IKEA
• Bought patio stones and a laundry line from Home Depot (see below)
• Oh, and some weeding and pruning/tying up my roses

All this while my mom did touch-up painting in my back room and my dad finished grading the soil in the backyard and then leveled and placed the patio stones.

And they look awesome! Well, you can compare and contrast the above picture with the "before" shot here. Even though I still haven't cleaned up everything or gotten my garden really together, it's still looking better. It used to be quite unusable. Unsightly. My mom and dad have really helped whip it into shape!

So last night, Gordon and I decided to take advantage of the new al fresco situation. With my patio set on the stones and a nice mosquito-killing lantern, we fired up my BBQ and threw on the most amazing steak. We made some delectable veggies and potatoes with cheese from the Leslieville Cheese Market. (A favourite of Gordon's. If I like sweet things, he LIIIKES cheese.)

And we had a lovely dinner outside. I tossed around some ideas for the rest of my backyard. While Gordon convinced me NOT to replace my stairs but instead to refinish them. And it didn't even make me feel overwhelmed.

I had a moment out there in the stillness when I pictured Gordon living here. I notice that he is becoming more engaged in the house and it makes me happy. Makes me feel like a partnership. Like I won't be living in this place by myself forever.

When he took the dishes inside. When he made suggestions on what to eat. When he helped cook. When he had opinions and ideas and paid attention. It gave me a warm, excited feeling in my stomach.

And I started to feel really good about this house. There is a lot of love here. Thanks for all the love that everyone has put into it. Thank you.