It’s been 2 weeks since most of our belongings were moved over to the current location in Pickering Village. It is an interesting area which definitely stands out with old, attractive buildings. It has the flair of an historic village and there are numerous centuries-old trees. While the house we moved to features lovely living room which I am using for art purposes since it’s big, much bigger than my previous studio, it is a compact place. The woodwork has been preserved, and that gives extra character to staircase, doors and tiny-pane windows. What the place lacks in comfort, it has in abundance when it comes to uniqueness and character.
We have moved numerous times, too many to count actually. This by far was the absolutely worst and most difficult move. It stretched over 2 weeks or 6 days when the actual truck loading and unloading took place. Moving my belongings is a very complex matter. Hundreds of paintings need to be packed very safely and separately and so they must travel also. Paintings accounted for a full truckload. Moving to a smaller or noticeably smaller place is also an issue. All of a sudden, there is no place for anything. Add to that hired help who pack up all garbage and puts in one box socks and computer parts.
All room plants were responsible for one more truckload. There is absolutely no comfortable place for them at the moment, but I did my best. My hope is that over the spring and summer I can come up with solution. I just might. As it appears, thanks to my sewing skills, I have plenty of clothes – countless coats, sweaters, jackets, dresses and everything else. My husband also loves good quality outfits, so moving that all is always problematic. I have abnormally many books. While packing, I got so tired that I simply gave away about 120 of them, the ones which I don’t intend to read again. I have 3 monitors with 2 computers, husband has 3 monitors with his desktop. Imagine the piles of cords, connectors and wires? Although I had labeled everything so that I recognize it right away, no helpers did that. Somebody labeled frozen food box: pasta. It went bad.
It was about 16 truckloads of which almost one full load went back into garbage. That’s how great our help was.
But it’s over! The absolutely worst part when one has no clue where what is (thanks to guys throwing everything in a pile with no regard to where these things go) is a history. Kitchen is set up, our bedrooms are almost set up, music room needs organizing and art studio requires more work, too. However, I got my art supplies and I can start painting soon.
There is no garden to speak of, except it looks like a few flowers at the back door. The rest is like forest. I call it my private park because it’s huge. If I want to take a stroll outdoors, I just walk in my own park. I can see there a few huge, ancient oaks, a few tall maples, couple of firs, not sure what other trees are.
I was very sick during the moving adventures. I got sick 2 times actually, not with COVID, but I am sensitive to lots of things. I’m not sure yet if I can make here any garden, like I said, it’s mostly a forest-type of outdoors. There must be roots all over. The front part looks more promising, but it will require lots of extra soil. We moved out when there was snow on the ground and even snowstorm one day. I might get my rare plants from the previous place, and I might not. That I don’t know yet, even though the agreement says I can when the soil thaws. We will see when it is warmer. I have wildflowers here, and right now snowdrops have come up. White tiny snowdrops currently make up all my outdoor garden. It will take some time to get used living here. I cannot wait when the weather becomes warm. Until then, still lots to do. I have chronic exhaustion at the moment. Slowly, my energy will come back. The sunnier days, the better I will be.
I wasn’t having internet for about 2 weeks, no computer. TI never use phone for blogging, so that explains why I disappeared for a while. But you knew that, I’m sure you did that I won’t be blogging because of this move-of-the-century.
Have a great spring and thanks for reading!
Inese Poga Life School 
That space looks wonderful! And I also love the snowdrops, they don’t grow wild where I live 💜
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Thanks! It was very painful until we got this far and still is. It will be a nice place in summer, that’s for sure, except, no central air.
I was very sick for about 3 weeks in total, just trying to recover.
I love snowdrops, as well. However, this no way compares to the garden I just had created in previous place. Sorry, I’m here a bit upset, all kinds of issues.
Thanks for your kind comment!
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The new place does look like it has character and I am
Sure the comfort part will unfold as well!
Moving can be so hard and even harder when sick- and what timing !
Cheers to spring and the many good things to come
☀️😊🙏
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I need more space. Desperately. Maybe I can arrange something outdoors when the weather is better.
Well, there won’t be any air conditioning. That will need to be addressed really soon because normally our weather in July and August is hot, humid and hard to take.
So far, everything is just difficult, this has to change at some point. Today is not a good day, sort of lots of pain.
Life goes on. Adjustments are necessary.
Have a good weekend!
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Sending good vibes your way my friend🙏😊
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Thanks!
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I hope that you will have a good recovery of health and strength. Happy you are able to be able to paint, again, and have a good place to do so. The “park” sounds intriguing, offering much potential. Looking forward to more posts as you settle.
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Thanks Lizl!
Painting is still on the wishlist, but maybe I will have less pain over the weekend.
Park is the best feature here, that will definitely be a great place for outdoor painting and simply escape.
Indoors are simply complicated like in all very old houses. Currently no appliances are working properly. I am waiting until they are fixed. It is what you could expect from a completely neglected property.
You are right – it has a big potential.
It will be great outdoors here.
Have a good weekend!
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I hope you love it. It looks lovely.
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Thanks! It does look lovely at the first glance.
I hope over time we can resolve the numerous issues. It will be difficult without air conditioning, and currently, none of the appliances are really working. I still cannot do laundry which has piled up.
The previous people had left insane amounts of garbage. I cleaned somewhat the outdoors, the front part, but the huge park is full with debris, fallen branches and simply trash. I suppose nobody ever cared for the place, so it’s in a big disrepair.
Once I start feeling better, I will deal with all of that, except I cannot fix appliances and the owner corporation is extremely slow in addressing them.
Other than that – I love the huge park and the ancient trees. To make here some garden will be hell of work. I don’t think I can do garden this year, but we will see.
Have a good weekend!
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Congratulations! You made it! Your studio looks cozy, but I absolutely love your English style park!! I feel the atmosphere even before the trees get leaves. I would love to paint under trees in summer, they will support my inspiration for sure. I believe they will help you to recover from moving and the illness. Big hugs to you!!! Ivana
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We will paint outdoors in good weather, that’s for sure.
I think in that park or forest (it’s how you look at it) will be wild strawberries (small leaves are visible), maybe wild mushrooms, and definitely wildflowers which can be seen sprouting out of the soil.
It is tight, especially after the huge house we were in, downgrading from 12 rooms to hardly 5 is extremely complicated. We need to work still on finding space and place for everything. Lots of things are in boxes yet, I simply cannot place them anywhere. When plants go outdoors, some floor space will become free.
It’s ok, it could be worse.
The problem is that all appliances here are either broken down or not working. They fixed taps and washroom, but I don’t have dryer yet (after 45 days of paying for the place!!!), cannot do laundry, nowhere to dry clothes. Stove is not working properly, cannot fry even eggs, not enough heat, fridge is something tiny and caused circuit shortage on the first day. Many issues still remain, it will take time to get to normal living and address these numerous issues.
Have a good weekend!
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It sounds like quite an ordeal, I do hope you find things to love about your new space!
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There are things which are appealing, but during this adjustment and moving time, we experienced a lot of troubles. That especially refers to the old appliances – whatever I touched was either broken down or not working. Some things are quite essential, but the owners, the corporation is very slow. Within 6 weeks they haven’t replaced the dryer, so I cannot do laundry.
The big park is quite an attraction, and that will allow painting plein-air since I love the amazing shapes of old trees, and here are plenty.
The indoor space is tight, simply tight for everything I need to squeeze in. It takes much work and figuring out where what goes. We were aware that the place is simply old, but the previous tenants hadn’t cared much about keeping the place clean or in shape, therefore, I have to spend numerous hours on just cleaning and fixing. Probably need a truck to remove garbage from outdoors.
It’s a long-term project, trying to live here and I certainly cannot resolve all issues, but it will get better over time.
Have a good weekend!
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Oh dear Inese!
I just can well imagine the ordeal you faced in moving, having myself moved three times on the last six years!
Just to keep it brief, since I know you are busy with a ton of things to take care, I am sure, I am still looking for stuff lost, in a sea of boxes stacked on a room almost ceiling high, and I moved on early October last year.😞
They said it’s all for good, best wishes and blessings to you.❤️
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This was definitely the most difficult move out of all 35 or so I’ve done.
We moved in 2018, then we had to move in 2019 and now in 2022 again. This time, it was winter and that certainly added to problems. The hired help was pathetic, it was practically impossible to hire anybody since there’s a labor shortage in Ontario.
Being older doesn’t help. I don’t feel old usually, but I have now so many aches and pains and health issues due to this frequent moving that I really don’t know. I suppose in the fall I can have a surgery, just waiting for this 6th wave or whatever wave it already is to be over.
Well, back in Europe, I never had a large space, but then again, all furniture was well-adjusted to small spaces unlike here.
I’m so glad it’s getting warmer and real spring will start sometimes in May. That means, better days are ahead. Except, it will be trouble during the hot and humid months since this place doesn’t have AC. They never installed that.
You move frequently just like we do, so I know you understand all the horrors involved, including the huge impact on health.
All the best to you!
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Oh, Inese, this must be so hard for you!
I’m sorry you didn’t really get to enjoy Easter. The family hid eggs for the granddaughter, of course, they were out in the open where she could find them. She loved it. I couldn’t really follow because of my trouble with walking. She had lots of fun and found them all.
Once when my husband was in the Army, they paid for one of our moves. What a fiasco! They packed trash cans full of garbage. We needed them to clean up when we finished! Plus, when we finally got our stuff several months later–oh, the smell!! They mixed things from one room into a box labeled for another and lost some boxes. Plus, all the fragile things that I carefully packed in their original boxes and told them to take as they were, they took out, threw out the boxes and repacked. After telling us, “No problem, we can do that!”
Your studio is so pretty. I love the shelves. Sorry, you had to throw out so many books. I would have cried for sure.
I can imagine your personal forest will be beautiful once warmer weather gets here if the cute snowdrops are any indication.
Praying things will get easier soon and your surgery won’t be so far in the future.
Hugs, prayers and blessings~🤗🙏🎨
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The move was terrible, indeed. Even the best moving isn’t easy since you have to start over again.
These experiences scare people, and I’m no exception. We had to move in 2018, 2019 and now again. It’s because owners decide to sell while the market is hot.
Lots of people will tell they can do anything, and the result is disappointing.
About celebrations it is like this: when there’s family around or friends, it’s great to entertain. How much are you going to celebrate sitting alone? It’s no big deal, I don’t feel sorry for not celebrating something. I take it easy, maybe some other time. I don’t even celebrate any birthdays any longer. We do celebrate names day (mine) because husband doesn’t have one, nobody in Canada has. I love celebrating Latvian Midsummer, June 23, and Christmas as much as possible, but we do not stress out about gifts and similar things. The live tree is my gift.
Well, Robbie, I come from a life when many celebrations were not possible and Christmas and Midsummer were forbidden. We normally didn’t have any birthdays, too, because times were very tough, nothing in stores, only what one had grown in their garden. I suppose, that’s why I don’t worry much about skipping one or another special day.
I’m not workaholic by nature, but I am used to work a lot and practically always. I like working. When I first arrived to Canada, I couldn’t understand how can somebody sit around the dinner table for hours. I cannot do that, so I always left the table quite soon and did whatever. Well, that keeps me slim and fresh, just like a few decades ago. LOL. I had the first vacation ever when I arrived to Canada and I was already 46. Up to that point, I was always working, no days off whether summer, winter, spring or fall.
After I took photos, I have spent at least 2 more weeks sorting and placing art supplies, hanging art, trying to squeeze in whatever I can. It’s tight, but cozy. Still so much work. Also outdoors. The place was neglected, there’s debris everywhere, garbage at every step. That all needs cleaning, but the area is huge. It will take a few months I think.
I’m glad you saw your granddaughter and she enjoyed Easter egg hunt! Well, I hope somewhen to see my family, too, it’s been more than 3 years now since I met them.
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Inese, I’m sorry you haven’t seen your family in so long, I hope you can see them soon.
Your family sounds a lot like mine where celebrations are concerned. I don’t remember celebrating birthdays, etc.
We also moved a LOT. We moved 60 times before I was 16. Then, over 30 after getting married! It’s never easy, nor fun. (For a while, I got to where I could pack everything owned in the trunk of the car!)
I’m sorry things have been tough for you, but it sounds like you’re trying to keep an upbeat outlook.
Our granddaughter lives with us so we see her daily. She usually wears me out, LOL. She is so active, even in her sleep! And, she is very talkative, too!
Have a wonderful rest of the week.
Blessings~
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Thanks Robbie!
To be honest, I’m not sure when I will see my daughter, grandsons and sister’s family. This pandemic seems to be never ending.
My grandsons are adults, the oldest one is studying for Master’s degree right now, teaching at university and giving speeches at conferences in Europe. He is a true scientist, 23. The youngest is 19 this year and he went to study computer sciences and programming. He writes his own codes and creates some software.
Daughter is doing fine which is great.
I’m the one who is always in some kind of problems.
Moving is horrible. The easiest move for me was traveling across the ocean with 1 suitcase. That’s how I started out here. None of my art I could take with me, nor books or even clothes. When I got back to check out everything, all my belongings were gone.
I’ve moved about 35 times, back in Latvia including.
The older I get, the tougher it is to move and start all over. Who knows, maybe future has more stability and permanence?
So, yes, having a house is a big deal at older age. Well, I arrived here in Canada close to 50, so I will have tiny pension.
All the best to you! I hope your health is ok and doesn’t give you troubles.
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Thank you, too, Inese.
I’m so sorry for all you have been through, I do pray things get easier soon.
Your grandkids and daughter sound like they are doing great. I can guess you are very proud of them.
Covid does look like it’s here to stay. Our kids are scattered all over the US, and it’s hard to see them. too, so I can understand how you feel. I’s hard to not see them.
Blessings~
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It’s very hard to be far away. Time will come when everything gets better.
I am also waiting for warmer weather. April can be so nasty in Ontario.
I’m missing my garden which I made in the previous place. I mean, a lot. Too bad, we had to move out when it was still snow.
We have to take things simple as they come.
You are such a nice person, always so kind regardless of all troubles you’ve been through.
It’s time to publish something new on art blog. Nothing much happening right now.
Take care Robbie and be well!
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I can understand, Inese.
Thank you so much for your kind words!
I would imagine there are a lot of things that over the years you miss. This too, is hard. I know there are many things I miss about some homes I have lived in. A few moves have even brought many, many tears.
I seem to be chasing myself in circles most times and can barely keep up, LOL! Little bit is a true handful, but she is such a blessing!!
We have company coming from Canada soon. I’ve been watching the weather near where they live in the Ontario area and it’s been crazy lately!
We also have a few other visitors coming a little closer to summer.
You take care and be well, too, Inese!
Have a great weekend.
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It’s nice you get visitors.
I have a few students, that’s about it at the moment. I am working 18 hours a day, very little time for anything else.
The spring is unfolding in Ontario. The big blooming has started, and the sun shines. No time to sit down, though. I’m digging the soil, it’s a hard work, imagine digging up a forest with all old roots, etc., but I’d love at least a few beds.
Indoor chores and a few classes, oh, I don’t know where time disappears. It melts straight before my eyes.
Enjoy spring and company!
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Sounds like a monumental task!! I admire your perseverance!
Spring blooms were late here this year, but most are gone now. We’ll have a few more blooming times then they’ll all die off until next year.
We planted some tomato plants, need to plant more vegetable, though.
I know what you mean about time-it seems to be flying by faster every year!
Enjoy your spring! 🙂💖
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Sounds good. You’ve been busy.
I haven’t gotten to putting seeds in soil yet.
The latest I have started vegetables was July 1 in 2019. I still got a lot of them.
Just digging and trying to create some spots. Lots of roots and old grasses.
I will manage, I always do.
Everything is adorable right now, lovely weather, too.
You too, enjoy spring and breath it deeply in!
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Not really busy, just have a 2 year old that keeps saying “Can we plant now, pleeeeeeease?” She’s a great motivator!!
Wow, I’m impressed you got vegetables so late in the year. However, we have a second planting season here, so I can imagine that it works other places, too.
The weather here is so nice, too! Not outside as much as I should be, I have a hard time walking on the uneven lawn. We need to re-sod and just haven’t had the time or money.
Blessings~🙂
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Great age, 2 years. My grandchildren are adults.
I started tiny garden. It’s like digging the forest with all roots, etc. Tough. Something will come out of it.
I’ve been too busy and too tired, no time for updating even my art website, but that one is still the priority. This blog is just for sharing some of my life observations.
I hope you have a good weekend!
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Inese, sorry I took so long replying.
The little one got COVID, and the rest of us did, too!
She got over it fairly rapidly-the rest of us not so much. We’re still dealing with residual effects.
Blessings~🙂💖
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Not good. Feel better soon!
Updates coming soon, and the last month is here https://inesepogalifeschool.com/2022/05/31/blooms-of-life/
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Thank you, Inese. We’re still really fatigued but doing better!
Blessings~🙂
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Glad to hear that! Yes, it’s no joke to go through illness like that.
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I am just catching up, Inese. I am glad you have made it through the move. You will find a way to harmonize with your new place. It does look beautiful.
I had a heart attack in early June, but I am doing well now.
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Thanks! That feels like years ago now. It’s small, the new place, lots of stuff had to be thrown out, but the rest is somehow organized.
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