Keeping You Appraised

It's funny how subjective the value of a house is. The cartoon above shows some good examples and isn't too much of an exaggeration. Depending on which side you're on it can be pretty frustrating.

Having been through appraisals a few times (including one more today) I can completely relate to the image above. I don't know what it is but their valuations always seem to come in lower than what you know a buyer would pay if you were to sell. I don't know how they arrive at their valuations but I have the sneaking suspicion it involves out-of-date property tax assessments, consultations with real estate agents from other cities, and the casting of lots with dice and chicken bones. There's got to be a better way. One that's a bit less stressful for those of us being appraised would be nice too!

Home ownership: forcing people to jump through one hoop after another since at least 1945...

Gone Wild

One thing I love about Toronto is all the green. This is a city of trees, parks and gardens as much as of concrete and steel. No surprise that we have plenty of wildlife as well. I like to think I've made my yard welcoming to the critters and they seem to agree, making themselves at home year round. Every so often we have some particularly fun encounters. The other day we watched as a hawk (or maybe a falcon--I suck at IDing birds) swooped into the tree overlooking the yard. He surveyed the place for awhile (not long enough to grab the camera, I'm sorry to say) before leaving again. As soon as he left and we went outside, all the little birds that hang out in the yard took off and flew to the hedges. Poor things must have been terrified seeing that bird of prey. But it was pretty cool for us.

Yesterday I was surprised to open the door to check for mail and found our snow-covered newspaper adorned with a set of birdie footprints. You can see them leading up to the paper on our doorstep:

 

And then on the paper itself. Somebody hopped right on up to the door (I guess they took the welcome mat to heart)! This is why we're afraid every time the cats wander near an open door. Even perfectly content house kitties can't be expected to resist the thrill of chasing birds (and squirrels) this bold...


 

Last week I also discovered what seems to be a den in the far corner of our backyard. It might look like a mess but it's definitely not a random pile of branches (especially since these are the only fallen branches in the yard). The pile encompasses a hollow tree stump too--could be quite a cozy little bed for someone:



 

I wasn't sure what kind of animal might live in this sort of nest but after seeing footprints leading to and from it I'm guessing a small raccoon has made this home. What do you think?

UPDATE: I just found out that raccoons have five toes so now I'm completely at a loss as to what kind of wildlife this might be. It's too large to be a squirrel. Ideas anyone?


 

Photos by Whimsy Bower 

 

Stitches that Bind

In my trays post I mentioned that I also brought home two framed needlepoints that my mom had told me she wanted me to have. So I thought I'd share :) But before we get to those I have to show you my prized possession (above and below)...

This is an embroidered piece that my mom made when she was about 11 or 12. When she went back to her childhood home (for the first time after 30-ish years!) in the late 80s she found it again and brought it back and had it framed. I loved it from the beginning: the colours, the design, the workmanship. How thrilled was I when she gave it to me when I moved into my first house! If there's ever a fire I'd grab my cats, my computer, and this. If I had to I'd leave the computer behind.

Swallows are common in Greece (at least around Sparta) and they nest under any overhangs they can find. My great aunt has them on her porch under the grapevine arbour. My dad had them inside his childhood home in the rafters (times were rough back then)! Everyone seems to like them, though--I've never heard anyone complain (I think they're considered good luck). I'm a big fan myself so I'm extra glad that they're the subject of this work.

My mom had what are called "blessed hands." She could look at a picture of a dress and recreate it (when she was sewing professionally most of her customers would bring her a photo instead of a pattern). Or if she had a swatch of a crochet design she could figure it out and turn it into a finished piece. I know she didn't have any kind of pattern when she made this needlepoint--and look at how fine the stitches are. If I had a tenth of her skills and talents I would feel blessed myself.


Speaking of the trays post, I forgot to mention another tray I found that day. This one has an embroidered piece framed inside it. My mom did the embroidery but I don't know who framed it or chose to put it in a tray (great idea, though). I could use it for more practical purposes but the back is on the fragile side so I decided to hang it in my kitchen instead.

Again, I marvel at the workmanship...

This next piece is one that was always hanging in our house ever since I can remember. I always liked it and I'm so glad my mom gave it to me. It's weird to see it in my house now, though. Takes me right back to childhood...

The frame isn't my usual style but I hung it over the piano (in the dining room) and it actually looks perfect. The wood blends nicely with all the other wood in the room; the colours work well; and the theme is most suitable. I tried to get a photo including the piano but despite taking about a thousand pictures I only ended up with a couple that looked remotely decent. The photography gods were not with me that day...

I'm really sorry for the glare but I wanted to show the picture and the stitches a little closer. Non-reflective glass, my ass. Anyway this style of embroidery is (I believe) called half-stitch (in Greek, which is how I know it, it's called kedima). You work it on a pre-printed pattern. That sounds dull but it's very soothing work and allows for plenty of creativity with the colours. I was taught it when I was 4 or 5 but that's for another post...

This last piece wasn't made by my mom but it was given to her as a gift (I wish I could remember by whom but if I ever knew I forgot a long time ago). It used to hang in our living room (over this exact couch, actually, which I also inherited). I'm not sure yet where to put it. There's an ideal spot in the foyer but it's awkward to reach as it's over the stairs so hanging it may prove to be a problem (that's also why painting the foyer is an issue).

For some reason Greeks really seem to love stitching these "olde" English/French countryside/village-type scenes. I even made one for my mom but it's in Greece now so it'll be a while before I can photograph it!


It seems like ages since I've worked on a half-stitch project. I've been doing some cross-stitch lately, as well as working on other crafts. As soon as I'm finished my current cross-stitch piece I'm breaking out one of my waiting kedima patterns (yes, I have a minor stockpile). There's something really comfortable--and comforting--about carrying on traditions.

Note: I finally found out that this kind of needlepoint is called Tapestry Embroidery in English

Photos by Whimsy Bower

[Edited to update link and to add note. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com] 

How to Prevent the Zombie Plague

My head is pounding, my throat hurts, and I am super cranky. But let me go back a bit...

Yesterday was a busy day for me. I ran all over the city, walking, taking the subway, going to a hospital, a coffee shop, a restaurant, a couple of stores, and a mall. And everywhere I went everyone was coughing or sneezing. I was perfectly healthy yesterday. Now--see above.

I know people are busy and have important things that need to get done. Apparently taking a sick day would bring civilization to its knees or something. But before you decide to be "brave" and go into work or school or out to run errands even though you're sick think about some of the other people you're affecting:

• You could be coming into contact with people who have lowered or suppressed immunity. People with serious illnesses, the very young, or the elderly. What is an inconvenient cold to you could easily become pneumonia in them with consequences that are a little more than inconvenient.
• The person you give your cold to might be the caregiver for someone with suppressed immunity. Whether they accidentally pass on your germs to that person or end up having to avoid the person who relies on them until they're no longer contagious, their lives just got a whole lot more difficult.
• You might end up giving your cold to a pregnant woman. I don't know too much about this subject but I'm pretty sure cold medications aren't allowed during pregnancy. The woman who was already dealing with plenty now has to go through the misery of a cold with little to no relief.
• You might affect someone's health in a different way. For example, diabetics have a hard enough time keeping their blood sugars at a reasonable level in order to avoid the serious consequences that come with out-of-control sugars. There are a lot of things that can throw it out of whack, including stress and illness. You know what causes a diabetic stress? Getting sick and watching helplessly as their sugars go crazy. I know because I've been diabetic since I was eight years old.
• In Toronto we have a downtown hospital district. The place is rife with medical staff and students, as well as researchers. I know they take every precaution to keep healthy (except maybe for quitting smoking--what's up with that, guys?) but it doesn't take much to catch someone's cold. And they don't have the option to just go into work anyway. Take a second to think about how many people that ends up affecting.
  

Even if any of these people manage to avoid getting sick directly they might end up picking it up from a spouse, roommate, or child. We all know that this is the time of year for nasty bugs--why add to it by leaving the house and forcing others to come into contact with you? (I've lost track of the number of times I've gotten together with someone who didn't bother to warn me and I don't find out until it's too late that they're sick. I'm sure you've been in the same situation. Be honest--don't you want to wring their necks? Or at least put on a heavy duty surgical mask?)

These are just some of the examples of how a cold can be much more detrimental than you may have thought. So please, the next time you're sick and contagious--stay home. The world won't come to an end, your job won't suddenly disappear, those errands can wait. Honest. In the meantime rest, drink juice, eat soup, watch soaps and read trashy tabloids. Sleep works wonders. It also doesn't hurt to take extra garlic, vitamin C, zinc and echinacea. Get better and show some consideration for your fellow humans.

2023 Edit

As I write this, my SO and I are slowly recovering from one of the worst colds we've had. Last week, after three years of avoiding crowds, I took the subway. I wore a mask, despite the current lack of mandates, because the COVID 19 pandemic is still raging, even though the majority have decided to pretend it's not a thing. Because of rampant head-in-the-sand syndrome, hardly anyone else was wearing a mask, which is likely why I picked up this horrible bug and passed it on (I'm just grateful it's only a cold).

Everything I wrote in this post in 2012 goes triple now, thanks to the flu and especially COVID. Illness and germs don't care how healthy you think you are, what you want to believe, where you live, or what political party you vote for. An entire segment of society has launched itself over the cliff's edge of selfishness and wilful ignorance, choosing to believe any ridiculous conspiracy rather than trust science, with the result being the worldwide deaths of millions of people, not to mention the long-term debilitation of countless others. Sorry if you don't like what you're being told, but-- like illness and germs-- science doesn't care how you feel.

Too many people still need to learn to stay home when they're sick-- and employers need to get over themselves and support employees in order to preserve everyone's health and safety. Public health comes first: it's not up for debate. 

Besides staying home, everyone needs to do their part and:

• wear a mask in public
  
• avoid crowds as much as possible
• wash your hands frequently
  
• GET VACCINATED, including boosters

Nobody deserves to get sick or die because other people just can't be bothered. End of rant.

Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com

 

Photo by freeimages.co.uk

 

On a Silver Platter

 

I believe in an afterlife. I also believe my parents are there together and that they watch over me, including this past Christmas.

The SO and I were over at my sister's place on the 24th. It was a low-key day in light of losing our mom this past March, but we wanted to see each other for the holiday. She and I had been talking a couple of days beforehand about some of the boxes still sitting in her basement from our parents' move (in 1999 they sold their house and started splitting their time between my sister's place and Greece). My sister thought there were only bar glasses in the boxes and when I mentioned it to the SO he thought we could use them if my sister didn't want them (the fact that they're still in boxes after all this time is a pretty good sign that she doesn't). So while we were there on the 24th I decided I'd take home a couple of framed needlepoints my mom had told me she wanted me to have, as well as a box of the bar glasses.

My sister chose the particular box she did because my dad had written on it and she felt sentimental seeing his handwriting. When we checked to see what was inside we were completely surprised. Instead of barware the box was full of gorgeous trays and platters! Not having seen them in so long I'd assumed they were either in Greece or mixed in with my sister's stuff.

Since sis didn't need any more serving ware (there are benefits to getting married) she kindly let me have the entire box. Now, you have to understand how much I love this stuff. I inherited my mom's taste and over the years she's given me all kinds of household items (either new or her old pieces) and I cherish all of it (especially the old pieces). I thought I already had everything I'd be getting. So to find and receive all these lovely items out of nowhere... it definitely feels like my parents sent me a Christmas gift. I guess I'll have to entertain more often now so I can put everything to good use (or else just start making more things that can be served on platters)...

It was perfect timing to get the turkey platter, as the SO and I were making a turkey dinner on the 25th:


 

I've fallen in love with this piece--it's a silver Lazy Susan tray with a covered divided glass-and-silver dish that sits in the middle of it. I didn't have anything like this before and I can't wait to use it:

 

I also love this tray. I think it would be perfect for cupcakes!

 

From top left to right: silver footed tray; turkey platter; cut crystal platter; etched glass platter; silver and glass Lazy Susan; glass platter with beaded edging. There was also a smaller oval stoneware platter that had seen better days so I'm using that as the dish under one of my plants. The rope of beads is actually an oversized string of worry beads that my cousin picked up for me in Thessaloniki (I believe they're supposed to bring good fortune to the house). My mom also made the crushed velvet tablecloth for me after I saw a photo of a similar one in Betsey Johnson's house and thought it was the awesomest tablecloth ever (I'm still pretty damn fond of it). It's amazing how much of my mom is in this house, whether directly or otherwise. No matter what I know my parents will always be with me.

 

And a gratuitous shot of my Yule tree because I finally managed to get a nice photo of it :)

Photos by Whimsy Bower 

[Edited for formatting. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com]