Bueller? Bueller?

Hello!  Is there anyone still out there?  It’s been a while – over a year, in fact. And I either need to shut this thing down, or recommit to staying more current. Today, I choose the latter, so allow me to reintroduce myself, as a reminder for the return visitors, or as a catchup for any newbies. 

I grew up in the small farming community of Highgate in Southwestern Ontario, but I lived over half of my life in Toronto – moved for university, and stayed for 30 years.  I was happy there until late 2019 when I was downsized from my corporate job. And then COVID hit, and any chance of finding a replacement job went out the window as companies held their collective breath until we knew what was coming next. With the city shut down, I moved back to my childhood home in June 2020. My sister Ruth owned the farm by this point, and she graciously let me move back into my childhood bedroom. The transition was remarkably smooth. 

On the job front, I tried my hand at consulting for a start up pension recordkeeper. That went well for as long as it lasted. And I’m not the greatest at self-promotion, so I didn’t really think that was the path forward for me. Then I started a home baking business, which went quite well for about a year. Then in August of 2021, I started working for a small institutional dealer firm based in Toronto. Luckily though, I was 100% remote and only had to travel to the city once a year (primarily for the Christmas party!). I wrote several exams to get some Canadian credentials, and I got a new FINRA exam, too. Things were going great!  Then in January of this year, the firm decided to close up shop; with all the regulatory requirements surrounding winding down a firm, I was employed until April. And boy, does the job market suck. There has been a real backlash against remote work in the corporate world, so I’m still looking. 

The home situation over the years?  Well, does “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times” sound familiar?  In early 2021, my sister told her lazy, freeloading husband that the marriage was over and he needed to get out. He refused, and could not be forced out because it was the marital home. Never mind the fact that it was her (our) family home and had been in the family since 1912. He embarked on a reign of terror the likes of which you would not believe, if I cared to relive it to tell you about it. At the same time, he descended into addiction and ended up blowing all of his settlement money (which was ultimately negotiated and paid – in reality, it was akin to a ransom payment) at the casino and on drugs. He finally moved out March 2023. He’s apparently still floating around out there somewhere, but in another province, we believe. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.

So what happened after he left? A lot, in fact. I did some upgrades outside – I have a paved dining area, and a garden with raised beds. I’m really enjoying the garden, after all those years in Toronto with just little window boxes on my deck. And I finally have a proper library!  Custom built shelves, and a cozy reading chair. It makes me very happy!  I’m baking lots, but for myself now, not for customers. It’s a lot more fun when you don’t have to do it!  The local fruit is fantastic for all my creations. You know I love winter, but there’s nothing like a fresh apricot or peach in the middle of the summer!

You may be familiar with my fur babies Frankie and Lily. I added Callie to the family in late 2020. It was a nice, little, happy family. But Frankie was unsatisfied. He had been wanting a puppy for years, but now that we were on the farm, and the jackass ex was gone, Frankie really started nagging for a baby brother or sister. I’m all about keeping my babies happy, so I went on a waiting list for a Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy from a local breeder. A Corgi is what Frankie had his heart set on. I would have preferred to rescue a dog, but with all the cats in the house, I was nervous about adopting a dog whose history and temperament I didn’t know. Sorry, to all those rescuers out there!  After a year of waiting, our little Henry was born May 2024, and he moved in early July.  He was a handful at first (“hellion” is the word Ruth prefers to use), but he quickly won our hearts. He has the best personality – he’s definitely a Clark!  So the house is full of lots of love, and cat and dog hair. I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

I think that’s everyone caught up now. I have a few more stories in reserve for you, but we can save those for later. I’m going to do my best to be more consistent. Keep me accountable!

I’ll be in touch soon…

RC