What a NOB!!

Thanks for all the sympathy emails over the whole oil tank debacle. Turns out, to make a long story short, we don't even have an oil tank! I always assumed that we had one and that we had it filled and drained, but three different oil men have found no traces of a tank. I'm not sure what we paid someone 5 years ago to drain and fill, but it certainly wasn't a tank. We are too relieved now to feel upset over what happened 5 years ago. Phew! Now I just can't believe I'm moving in a week, I'm actually getting excited now.

I'm sending off 2 dolls today to Robert for his website, a cute little Asian baby and a blonde one. I'll take a picture before I send them off and post them up. I'm trying to get a little work done, but things are so hectic around here right now I'm having a hard time. I'm getting a large order in of 'hair' in the next few weeks and have just commisioned someone to spin me some merino in some beautiful hair shades. I'm able to get so many variations for blondes, but not so many for my other hair colours - mainly browns. We'll see how it all turns out.

What a wonderful day I had yesterday. I attended the first ever Vancouver Birth Fest. This space had local midwives, doulas, sling makers, mama businesses..all things wonderful, natural and empowering about birth. I felt like I knew almost all the mama's there either attending or 'working. I feel so sad that I won't have this wonderful support network around me when I am going to have my baby, but I'm sure that the Cowichan Midwives and birth support people are fantastic too. I had so many of my customers from the markets and fairs over the summer and winter come back and tell me how much their little one's love their dolls. What an enormous difference this was to another commercialized baby fair I attended before I had Benji. Formula samples, disposable diapers and educational videos was all that I really remember from that. The women in Vancouver are so fortunate to have such a strong voice for alternative childbearing and child rearing behind them.

So, I move in 10 days. We have had a major setback with the house (Van house) though. To make a long story short, even though we had our oil tank drained and filled 5 years ago, had environmental testing which came back clean, and was just about to get what is called an abandonment certificate we have to get our tank removed. I have never felt so much stress in my life over anything before. Endless phonecalls from realtors, oil men, visits from the city, environmental protection. All this while being pregnant, which is kinda like being awake and having your mind spinning at 4am - all the time! I had about 4 days of intense panic that the seller would pull out, we would be stuck with two houses, we'd get sued, etc. Jeez, and we thought we were doing the right thing by having it dealt with all those years ago. The oil tank people have to rip off our frount steps, shore up our porch and possible remove half of it, take out about 20 feet of our paving stones and dig the sucker out. If they have to bring in an excavator then we have to take down our fence (this fence , my picket fence, had hours of thought put into it...lol, oh how luxurious is life before children!) Anyways, it has to be done - there is nothing we can do about it, it's just a pity that the new owner is going to lose so much garden.

Enough about that, I'm getting a tummy ache thinking about it. I'm thinking I'll have about 2 dolls posted by the end of the week a mid size bamboletta and perhaps another baby. I am finishing up an order for Mahar which I am trying to get sent out before I leave. I am looking forward to settling down over there and getting into some serious doll making, I'm really wanting to make up some mermaids, I haven't made those up in a while.

Well, John and I are off to have some breakfast at White Spot. Benji is a Grandmas so we have a few hours to ourselves.