"The Canadian Dream"

July 2, 2015

It seems very timely that I have chosen to write this post on the day after Canada Day.  After all, Canada Day is the day that marks the day that Canada became an independent nation.

I have to wonder how the people of Canada felt on July 1, 1867.  Imagine having to be a part of a newly created nation.  Being among some of the very first Canadians to experience life in a new nation.  I can only imagine that while the people who lived in Canada at that time were incredibly nervous about what life was going to be like, I also believe that they were excited for the change.

Now, why I say that this post is timely for today?  Well, I have some news to tell all of you...and this news is something that is linked to the subject of independence.

You see, I've talked about my living arrangements before on this blog.  In great detail, might I add.  In my entire time on this earth, my living situations have never really been all that...stable.  Within the first five years of my life, I lived in four different houses.  It was really difficult to try and make a place feel like home when that home kept changing every year.  And even in the homes that I did live in longer than that, the homes were really not very domestic. 

I guess that's a nice way of saying that they were complete dumps.  I mean, yeah, we had a roof over our heads, but that roof was always leaking.  And the walls were always crumbling.  And the floor was always creaking.

I'm sure you get the idea.

But the common thread in every single place that I have lived in over the years was this.  It was only a shelter.  I could never call it a home.  Because my family always rented, we could never change the inside decor the way we wanted, we usually had to wait until the landlord was free before we could even make repairs, and in general, it was just a bad experience all around.  I grew up thinking that having a home of my very own was a dream that was only for the very rich, and that people like me would never get a taste of the "Canadian dream".

Until now.

I've been keeping a secret since the tenth of June.  And now I reveal that secret to all of you.

I just bought a house.  And I have to tell you, it feels absolutely amazing!

Granted, the house I bought is not a new house by any means.  It needs a lot of work, and I certainly have to do a bit of fix up work inside.  It's kind of like that song from "Frozen".

Yep.  That's the one.

Either way, I am so excited to finally have a home base that will actually feel like a home base!

Of course, the whole idea of packing up all my stuff and putting it in a new home is going to be tedious.  I don't think any of us really like moving at all.  But in this case, the move will be a happy one.  Never again will I ever be able to say that I have nowhere to call my own...because I now have that place. 

Well, it WILL be mine come July 15.  That's when I get the keys.

So, what does this mean for the blog?  Nothing...yet.  But when I do begin the moving process, I will be taking a hiatus that will last at least a couple of weeks...maybe longer.  In fact, I may hold off on the cartoon feature until after I get settled in the new place.  But I will keep you posted on everything.  In all likelihood, this hiatus will start sometime in late July, but I will write a little note here just to let you know when that will take place exactly.  I won't be gone long though.  Besides, after four straight years of blogging, I could use a vacation, right?

Who knows?  I may start a feature on home improvement by an amateur in this very space!