April 22, 2024Monday, April 22, 2024

Just a thought… Your life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change. [Jim Rohn]

Wow! Who knew at this age I could find a NEW addiction? Turns out it’s selling on FaceBook Marketplace. Now, I have my challenges: for one thing, I have several FB accounts (public, family only, the old one that anchors them all – don’t ask) so I have trouble getting in and out of the selling spot, but I have mostly figured it out and it’s working! We’ve been selling pieces of furniture of all sizes, most of which we moved from Ontario and have rarely used as they lived in the basement.

You know, stuff like that. And then there was this glistening antique table with flaps that fold down to make it super narrow; the perfect piece of furniture in a not-overly-roomy house years ago. It, too, sat unused downstairs here in BC and then made its way into the apartment down there as a desk. It sold too (a real bargain at $200).

But here’s the “eek” story we were told when we bought this from an antique dealer on Bayview or Mount Pleasant in Toronto: in its previous life, it was a coroner’s table. Thus the flaps that dropped at the sides. So I told the lady who bought it, “If you cook as badly as I do, it won’t be the worst thing that table has seen!” She laughed…and believe me, I sussed her out before telling her that story. Didn’t want to sink the sale!

Speaking of sunken sales, after a really good yard sale day on Saturday (the neighbourhood is allowed one per year) I had a really bad experience with a Facebook Marketplace customer. I’ll fill you in on Thursday’s Episode 70 of Gracefully & Frankly. I have to get to another topic here now.

All of this sales talk is to tell you that we are leaving this glorious quiet neighbourhood with its views of mountains, oceans, deer, flowering trees and, yes, Victoria International airport’s comings and goings for a place with ocean and a marina and restaurants out our windows.

As we did when we left Ontario in 2016, we weren’t just going to let unfortunate life changes come without taking control and writing a new chapter. So Rob and I have purchased a condo overlooking the ocean in nearby idyllic Sidney-by-the-Sea. It’s walkable, so much more cycle-able than up here on the mountain, and closer to our friends, now that family is moving away.

Did we consider moving to Ontario? That would seem a no-brainer, but not even for a moment. We both want to live out our days in British Columbia, surrounded by natural beauty (and yes, we know our home province has plenty of that, too) and serenity. What we couldn’t do is stay in a home where three bedrooms had been designated for children to sleep and play in; the sadness of our situation was not going to singe us, so we moved through the flames and found a new place to grow old(er). Top floor, great views, next door neighbours we already know (!) and just a super friendly, liveable location. Although, I will have to stop walking the dogs in the dark in my pyjamas, lest people recognize me for the crazy lady I actually am.

We take possession in a month and haven’t even listed our house yet. I don’t know how we’re going to get through the next month-and-a-half, but when we left Toronto, we had two places to sort, clear out and move (condo and cottage) so we’ve done this before. We have a storage unit and stuff is going in there before the house pictures are taken. I’d like to say it’s our last move, but we said that about the house we so love that we’re in right now. So we’ll see.

Yes, we’re busy. Thankfully, for what we don’t sell or choose to donate, DeclutterforDiabetes.ca is starting regular weekend drop-offs as of May 4. I’ll tell you more about that soon – and again, wish us luck!