On your marks, get set, go!...Art, Progress, Community and People Places and Things!

April showers bring May flowers, so they say.  Here's to hoping showers are done and things will bloom and blossom on this Project at a steady eddy pace.  This week should be interesting with  the timelapse camera set up and ready to shoot the Progress!  

Thinking about the next year as I'm told we'll be lucky if things are finished in a year -- believe it or not this is "normal".  As we roll out the building, transformation and breathing love into an existing structure and structures to come it's time to give thought as to how sharing the process will unfold.  

FOUR HEADINGS  have come to mind as a focus of the weekly posts and last week when I looked at the beautiful abstactions the Big House had created over the years ART came to mind.  Of course the changes that will take place brought PROGRESS to the space.  COMMUNITY is an ever present heading whenever I think of Strathcona; the heart of the Project. The final heading is closely related to community as PEOPLE, PLACES, and THINGS are where so many riches come into play.

Progress and a hole is what is being posted this week.  Here are 5 photos that focus on holes that are part of the Big House -- one is still closed and the others have been opened.  Looking at these images, seeing where the holes are now makes one wonder what were they a part of? what was the functional purpose of placing this hole in the wall?  what was it's significance and when was it no longer required, and why?  

Five holes (4 above and 1 below) are all connected to a chimney that has not been functioning for years.  Change in the name of progress caused them to get sealed up behind plaster walls and layers of paint.  Preparing for more change they have become exposed again and brought to light to be captured in a moment to view and ponder.

We all know progress is about moving forward : the process of improving or developing something over a period of time.  It's heartwarming to take that moment to look closely at how that has taken place in this specific space and think about the holes to come.

Regaining steam!

Things are starting to role out at the BIG HOUSE!  Yeah and jumping for joy, mind you I'm not getting too far off the ground in my jump (smile).  I imagine my jumping elevation will grow with time and the further we get into the Project.

The abatement process has started, which means the ending, reduction or lessening of something.  In real terms it's the lightening of the building by taking out everything dirty.  It also means it costs a lot of money to clean up the mess of those before us and the bad things that were approved but no longer are deemed good.  Kind of makes you think what does that mean about what we're deeming good now that won't be seen as good down the road, right?  

Regardless, the men working in the house now are lovely and I'm happy to get to know Danny and his team of clean men!  I'm thankful for their services and lightening up this old house.  

As I enter the Big House, how can I miss the amazing front deck, when I look down at my shoes it's only to notice the great things that come with decay and many many many... years of wear and tear.  Looking into the front door, now with the great detailed rosette corners and mouldings gone, it draws my eye to the room beyond and the floor stripped of it's wild colored lino flooring.  The close up of the kitchen stripped of attachments reveals a work of art created by the place -- look at those layers and shades with exquisite texture and detail of lives that have breathed in a space.  When the ceiling fell down I was astonished at how beautiful the abstraction.

What is garbage to someone finds a place in another's eye and heart.

Pooped by the process...

This week has been kind of bitter sweet.. feeling odd like I should be super excited but am just getting through the days.  I imagine some good rest will help get me geared up for all the adventure.  

The time lapse serves as a meditation -- sun set to sun rise...  Perhaps that will be the ticket!!

I've also taken some photos of the beginning of the end.  Project 851 is at present in a place of focusing on those gems we've talked about and saving what  is reasonable: railings, door frames, knobs, hooks, doors...  Looking at things from a different perspective and away we go. 

Leaving the doors open and looking to the light and fresh air letting it roll on through!

Very Soon!!!

So should I go back and edit all the Blogs so it sounds like everything is easy, smooth and happy happy days?  Hell no!   However, it is time to report that the we have a Building Permit!!  Oh yaaaaa, partaaaay this weekend was a celebration of kinda not believing it!  Life gives us what it gives us so best we take stock of the good moments.   Friday was one of those good moments.

Fortuitously, before I got the news, that is exactly what I did, take stock of the moment.  After meeting Marianne, Harley and Reece on site to go over what we should keep for the project I spent the better part of the day with the Camillia shrub and the Big House.  

Moving from room to room I sucked in the moment.  Observing the quirky composition of finishes, small nightmares (but according to reports maybe not so small), gems that we can't use like doorknobs; did you know doorknobs aren't allowed any more? -- ya, I was surprised about that silly "new" rule...  I continued for some time and took a ton of cuttings with the hope they will  explode roots and carry on.  All the time I had a song going through my head and here it is...

It's a song I actually know the words to so, only natural for me to become a humming, singin' machine as I wandered about.  I usually charge extra for that but was feeling generous that day.

Gardening is such a relaxing pleasant activity, and since there wasn't anyone there to help me with it I'll bring it to you via photos.  Well there was a lovely young man who came by on his bike that stopped to enjoy the blooming Camillia so we chatted.  He told me all about the Polaroid company and I shared the flowers with him.  

It was a good day.  It was later that day Marianne called saying "Building Permit" is a go!! -- salvage here we come.  Yes, it was a good day.