With spring finally arriving, many of you will be out there tending to your gardens, landscaping your backyard or getting the pool ready for the season. Oh the joys of spring. Unfortunately, I am not doing any of these things as I am stuck in mid renovation on our house and may not be enjoying my backyard this year as I had hoped to do.

When this whole adventure began, I had lofty goals and aspirations. My husband, a contractor, with promises in abundance, started the huge project of turning an old house once inhabited by an aged Italian couple with an affinity for mismatched tiling, into a contemporary home for me and my family. Well, the nightmares began and with a moving date only 2 days away, the house is still not ready to live in. I am now dreading the thought of having no kitchen sink for the next couple of weeks but my cabinets look wonderful. We have one functioning bathroom and although small, it still is missing a mirror, light fixture and an electrical outlet. I can only imagine what mornings are going to be like getting myself and my daughters ready for school in the morning. One may assume that living with a contractor would mean that these kinds of things would be done quickly and efficiently and to perfection. I beg to differ. It is kind of like that old story about the shoemaker’s children. Also, after a weekend of painting the walls and thinking they look fabulous, my husband took a palette of plaster and proceeded to cover over any imperfections. I won’t bother telling my sisters’ in law who all took a day of their long weekend to come over and help. I was so pleased with the results that I just wallowed in the beauty of new paint only to have it “ruined” right before my eyes. I know in the end it will look better but come on!

The garden was once used by the previously mentioned Italian couple, to grow grapes and hence make their own wine. When we moved into the house, there were multiple wine barrels on the property. They were easy to get rid of as we took them to the curb and living in Little Italy, the little old Italian man down the street must have thought he hit the motherload and scooped them up as quickly as possible before one of his counterparts was able to do so. Needless to say, the garden, and I use that term loosely, is a disaster. I think a back hoe will be in short order.

On top of all of these wonderful renovation and moving adventures, Mistura just moved into new office space in the last few days. Working together is wonderful and more productive than all working remotely from home and with the rapid growth of the company, just the next phase. I must admit I am quickly running out of steam and look forward to getting settled in my new home and my new office.

Through all of this, the light at the end of the tunnel is a family vacation up in North Western Ontario in late June with all my siblings, significant others and nephews as well as aunts, uncles and of course parents. We look forward to all boarding my uncle’s sailboat, heading out on to Lake of the Woods with bottles of champagne to spread the ashes of my grandparents into the waters that they loved and lived on for many years. We will drink to their wonderful long lives and the family they have produced through their union.

Wishing you all a wonderful and warm spring season.