The Bower Blog

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

I am fortunate enough to have met 4 great grandparents.  My baba and deeda fled the Ukraine/Austria when they were in their early teens and settled in Swift Current, Saskatchewan.  My great-grandmother tended a one acre garden up until the time she was 90.  Good stock, those Eastern Europeans!  My great-grandmother on my dad's side, lived in a teeny little town outside of Shelburne called Hornings Mills.  Blink and you may miss it.  She had a grand old Victorian with a huge meadow in the backyard.  The home was heated by a wood stove and we would have hot stones placed at the bottom of the bed to keep us warm in the winter.  Quilts were made by hand from old suits or thread-bare pyjamas and blankets.  I still have two of them.  I remember when I was about four, standing in the backyard of my granny's home and saying "one day, I'm going to have a place like this".  I loved everything about the home-the folk art, the antiques and the ambience.

Fast forward to today....so I'm a real estate agent with a love of homes, particularly older ones.  I have a deep appreciation of art and singing-all these gifts I received from great-grandparents, grandparents and my parents. I studied clothing design when I was in my early 20's.  In my teens, I did some back up singing with bands (sorry dad, yes I did go to bars when I was 17-may you rest in peace!) While I was studying, I got part time work at a real estate office where I met my son's dad. We established a flourishing real estate business and still do some work together to this day. 

My point in all of this is, when we are young it is usually hard to determine which direction we may go.  My thinking is always follow your passion.  A number of years ago there was an article in one of the newspapers suggesting that whatever part of the newspaper you grabbed first, was where your passion lies.  I've always grabbed Arts and Entertainment, Travel, Life Section.  And yes, they are what makes this heart sing!

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

WHY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS SO IMPORTANT

In our world of social media, (Blackberrys, I-Phones, Tweets, Facebook to name a few) we loose something very precious; our "human" face to face interaction with friends and family.  It brought me great sadness to realize that I have not seen one of my sisters in over 6 months and some very dear, close friends in about a year.  Granted, our lives are extremely busy however we have lost that feeling of community by substituting interactions with people via networks.  Even the telephone, in my estimation, is not a good replacement for face time over a coffee or a glass of wine. 

This past year has brought me back to my creative roots; mosaic artwork and music.  We had our Rock and Roll choir (www.Newchoir.ca) concert this past Saturday.  Even though it is only my second season, I have seen past productions done by Newchoir and in my estimation, it was the best ever. I had two parts last season and consequently had 40 family/friend members in the audience rooting for me.  It was magical.  Not the same this year as I wasn't front and centre, but the production was awesome regardless. Kudos for the tireless efforts of the choir board of directors, music directors and the production team.  When you join an organization like a choir, it becomes a microcosm of a larger society.  There are politics, nepotism, petty grievances, disappointments and wild joy but by joining in, a community is created.  I still don't feel totally included, but by getting more involved year by year, that will come.

Speaking of community involvement, for the past 30 years, my son's public school (William Burgess Public School) has hosted a Spring Carnival, supporting educational activities that enrich the students' learning experience.  In our world of cut-backs, schools often experience ciriculum changes whereby some things just can't be done.  Strong parent council involvement helps the kids enjoy things they might not be able to because of funding.  When my son was little, we went to apple orchards, The Royal Ontario Museum, etc. all on Spring Carnival proceeds. 

William Burgess' SPRING CARNIVAL is being held on May 26, 2012 (100 Torrens Avenue, East York).  I am sponsoring the TEACHER SMASH and GONE FISHING.  I can only surmise what Teacher Smash means but I thought it sounded fun.  This little Carnival is a lot of fun plus if I recall correctly, there are great baked goods.  Join in the festivities!

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

Happy New Year and all that stuff!

Why does a date signify change?  Not sure, but every year, people make resolutions whether they be weight, drinking, schooling, housing....you name it and it is likely our economy will benefit from it in January!

My sister Michele laughs at me every year because for 28 years, she has heard..."will I ever sell another home?"  I literally go through this and start planning in December how I can continue my job. Realtors have to constantly re-invent themselves, sometimes a couple times of year.  Our society, and in particular, technology, moves so quickly that we have to keep on top of things.  As realtors, we are madated to renew our licensing every two years by credit courses.  I used to be so on top of this but as I got busier with my job and with outside interests, I have often left these courses to the last minute.  Consequently, the next month has me taking numerous credit courses.  Actually, for the most part, the courses are really informative and interesting...not sure why I procrastinate, but so be it.

The other thing that I do is have a yearly "discussion" with various essential (in my world) services.  By essential I mean cell phones and internet providers.  The discussion is about....money and why they cannot sharpen their pencil when it comes to my billing.  I was up for contract renewal with both FIDO and Rogers in December.  When I got home from family holidays, I had animated discussions with both providers about my billing.  These companies will refer you to something called "retention".  In other words, if they perceive you are going to Bell or Wind (Bell is their big nemesis) they will pull out all the stops to retain you.  My FIDO bill is now 40$ less per month than last year and Rogers is about the same as well.  Why they can't do this for long term customers in the first place is beyond me, but it gives me something to whine about in December. 

Anyway, I hope your New Year brings you much health, prosperity and joy.  Keep on truckin'.

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

Walking in Someone Else's Shoes

I am ashamed to admit that the last few years, I have become an impatient person.  I had my eyes opened yesterday and can say that this impatience will hopefully disipate because of what happened.  Let me explain.

I was in my vehicle trying to make a left hand turn into the Sunnybrook Plaza at Bayview and Eglinton.  If you know this plaza, you will know that it is extremely busy and you play chicken with your life as you turn into it.  Cars really zip westbound along Eglinton.  Consequently, it is often a long wait to turn in. 

I have had some distressing troubles the past few weeks so while waiting for westbound cars to clear,  I missed a 20 second opportunity to turn into the plaza, with a few waiting cars behind me.  A fellow in a pick up truck started beeping and screaming at me from outside his window-it's quite obvious he wasn't having a great day and neither was I.  I had lost my wallet in the same plaza and was going to look for it (good luck!)  Anyway, I didn't say anything, turned into the parking lot and parked.  This guy zipped up beside me as I was exiting my car and started screaming.  It was my final breaking point....okay, so I started crying.  He was so alarmed by this behaviour that he got out of his vehicle (not yet parked) and apologized. 

I guess I'm telling you this story because I think of how often I have sighed behind someone in a line up at a grocery store as they were fumbling for change, or I've been mad about a car that misses a turn and I'm stuck in an intersection dodging vehicles or just in the rush of life, I've snapped at someone that perhaps was having their own bad day. 

Until we walk in someone else's shoes, we don't know what is going on in their life that may make them a little more distracted than usual.  I hope this incident makes me a little more tolerant, a little more patient and just a little kinder.....

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

Our Country, Our Province

I am compelled to write this, simply because we are fresh off a provincial election and my thoughts are stimulated as a result.  I have mentioned here on numerous occasions that I am not a political animal; far from it, don't necessarily understand any of it-but here's the thing.  Despite global unrest, politically, economically and socially, our system here in Ontario and Canada appears to work. 

Toward the end of our provincial election, I started to see ads whereby Mr. McGinty, our provincial leader (honestly, don't know what party it is) was saying things like (paraphrasing): "I am not the most popular guy around because of some hard choices we as Ontarians had to make, but...."  He then went on to describe, with supporting documentation in the right corner of the screen, the state of our hospitals (18 new openings, more nurses, less wait times), the state of our education (all day kindergarten) and our job situation (more in Ontario than all of the U.S. in June 2011). 

I bring this up because in the last year I have been privy to our health system on more occasions than I care to remember. I am in my 50s so an aging parent is part of that mix. The hard working doctors and nurses in our hospitals are really beyond belief in their capabilities, compassion and efficiency.  My gratitude to them cannot be measured.  Period.  As one nurse recently said to me, I get paid very well for what I do, but I deserve it.  She is on 12 hour shifts and the lifting alone is back breaking.  She writes charts and cracks jokes (not necessarily at the same time!) just to keep some levity to a sometime, grave situation.  She claims that the public personna of nurses/doctors is that they see so much tragedy, they are immune and numb to their patients.  I have never seen this to be true. 

The more I travel and see the rest of the world, the more I love and admire my country, my province and my city.  It's not perfect, but we're doing a heck of a lot better than everyone else.

Thank you, my country.

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

A Family Lived Here....

Welcome to 23 Grafton Avenue!  In the heart of the Queen/Roncesvalles Village, this beautifully restored home has been in the family for many years.  Rich hardwood, multiple sunrooms and decks, 3 baths, and parking with garage.  The third floor retreat has a wonderful Lake Ontario view!

Minutes to downtown, Roncey Village, lake, trails and transit, this home has it all!

Priced at $599,000.00

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

This, That and The Other......

Just a few notes about Real Estate, Community, etc.

Well, our Fall Market has taken wings...certain areas are on fire, in some instances receiving offers for beyond belief prices (Example: a 3 bedroom semi-detached home in my area, Bayview/Eglinton, not too fancy, but tidy, listed at 699K, sold for a whopping $820K) Makes one think, what is going on?  Well, it appears to still be the classic case of supply and demand.  There have been shockingly few properties on the market.  Currently I am looking for a 2 bedroom, centrally located condo for around the 350K mark-a year ago, this was do-able, right now, it seems the pricing has escalated to around 370-380K.  On another note, looking for a decent semi-detached or detached, not unlike my own home, for around 750K.  Even if the properties are listed for 599-650K, they appear to escalate even beyond the 750K mark!  Frustrating for me and my buyers.

On another note, we are facing another (SIGH) election.  I am not a political gal, so please Facebook friends, do not write me and convert me, or state your case or even discuss politics with me.  My truth is as follows: I mostly do not understand the issues, the reterick appears to be the same old, same old and franky, I am bored.  My thinking is: stop wasting money on these elections, whether they be Federal, Municipal or Provincial and just go to work.  There is a lot of talk, but honestly, and again, in my opinion, no one ever seems to do anything differently than the last guy.  MOVE ON.

On a "happy hobby" note, my first choir practice with www.Newchoir.ca was held on September 6; I'm loving it.  This season, we are doing Newchoir goes to the Movies....great tunes from Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Once, Shrek...the list goes on.  The last few weeks were try-outs for solos.  I am honoured to have been chosen to sing "Son of a Preacher Man" and be part of an ensemble to sing "Stuck in the Middle With You".  It will be a blast!  Tickets will be on sale soon; they are $20.00 and the show is on December 10, 2011 at the Ryerson Theatre.  Tickets sell out quickly so if you'd like to go, let me know......

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

Home is Where the Heart is

We arrived home from Europe very late on Saturday; I am still reeling from being in a different time zone.  As of this writing, it feels like 1:00 in the morning and it is only 7 p.m.

We had a good time, 5 countries, 10 ports that the ship docked in.  It was the experience of a lifetime for my mom....essentially I was along for the ride and to organize!  I have a deep love affair with Italy having been there for both my 50th birthday in 2007 and with my son in 2009.  This time we felt rushed going from Florence, to Rome, to Messina (Sicily) and then finally docking in Venice.  I fell in love with the Greek Islands, Corfu, Olympia and the other one (my favourite actually) that I still can't pronounce! I also just adored Dubrovnik, Croatia.  Twenty years ago, this beautiful country was at war; there are still remnants of it with graffiti and holes in tiled roofs, however it is the most beautiful setting I have ever experienced.  On water, grand hills and excellent sea food.  We took a cable car to the top of a mountain and the vistas were breathtaking.

At the end, we had 2 1/2 days in Venice; I fell in love with Venice but my mom didn't.  She found there to be too much walking and if it was necessary to take a water bus, the crowds were overwhelming.  We decided that if we ever did this again, it wouldn't be in August.  I tend to book that time of year because it is guaranteed good (albeit hot) weather and my business is usually a bit slower than the spring and fall.  Next time, I would park somewhere for a week at a cooler time of year.

Coming home though, there is nothing like your own bed plus we are entering my favourite time of year Fall, with the changing colours, the Fall fairs and art shows and busy fall market conditions.

Love to travel, but glad to be home where my heart strings are.  Missed my son and my dog.

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

Europe Bound

My mom turned 77 this year.  She's a spry one, however one of her dreams was to see Europe, as she says "before she dies".  So, that's what we're doing.  We are booked on a flight to Barcelona, Spain tomorrow evening around 10:30, arriving in Europe around 12:30 p.m.  Then, we are embarking on a 2 week cruise to various ports of which I will describe. 

I must say that since I am a mosaic artist and belong to oodles of organizations pertaining to this art, Barcelona will certainly sing to me.  There is Parc Guell and Sagrada Famillia, both works of art by Antonio Gaudi.  Parc Guell is full of mosaic lizards and seats that are classic Gaudi.  The cathedral is spectacular.  Then there is the food!  Ahhh, tapas, seafood, great wine and the road called Ramblas, a colourful pedestrian thoroughfare which sells everything from fruit and vegetables to parrots and fish.  We are there 3 days before our ship leaves.

Next, we are off to Monte Carlo.  We arrive in the afternoon; I'm sure this is to facilitate those people that love to gamble.  Apparently the Casinos are magnificent!

The following day we arrive in Livorno; this is a port town and we take buses either to Pisa/Lucca or my favourite, Florence.  Since I have been to Florence numerous times, I know my way around a bit.  The best thing you can do when there and Rome, our next stop, is to get tickets to the hop on, hop off buses.  These bring you to all the major sites and you can stay as long as you wish at certain places.

Rome follows and then off to the Straits of Messina.  This is a port in Sicily; apparently the town nearby is fantastic and I look forward to that too.

We are at sea the 5th day, then arrive and port hop to 3 different Greek Islands, Corfu being the last one.  One of my clients gave me a primer to all the Greek Islands.  She suggested grabbing a cab and having the cabbie tour you around the places.  The economy is Greece is quite poor and they are grateful for the business.  We have enjoyed this way of exploration before and hope to do it often. 

Off to Croatia on the 9th day; apparently this is stunning and the "thing" to do is hop on a cab to the cable cars.  They take you up the mountain with the most amazing views. 

Finally, we arrive in Venice.  I have been (briefly) to Venice before, but we are able to luxuriate in 3 fulls days here before we come home.  I have booked tours of glass factories, mosaic factories and we intend to go to Murano as well.  I love the idea of hopping on water taxis to get everywhere.

Anyway, will write about this upon my return.  Arrivederci!  Au Revoir! Ciao!  See ya!

Cheryl Bower

www.CherylBower.com

 

We Are All Connected (Part 2)

I like to watch Inside The Actor' Studio every Sunday. They have started a new season and yesterday Betty White was on. She's filled with light and her thought on negativity resonated with me. I have, on occassion, been accused of being a Pollyanna. Pollyanna is a tale about a girl who could only see the bright side of things. Betty White prefers that way of living, as do I. Toward the end of the show, the facilitator asked her what her favourite word is. She responded, "kindness". I have to say, that is my favourite word also. When I was newly separated from my son's dad in the early 90's, the kindness of friends and colleagues overwhelmed me. My income that year was horrible; one gal brought over bags of groceries one day. At Christmas that year, she gave me two tickets to a Leaf game so that I could take my son. A fellow who I did not know well in my office, gave me a pile of IKEA furniture so we had places to sit. My dad gave me, well, money. I see people in my neighbourhood providing spontaneous kindness. Help with the seniors mowing lawns or shovelling snow; chats over the fence about life and gardens; help with an animal or babysitting a child. These are all wonderful things and really do not have anything to do with money-just time, patience and kindness. Oh, if we could all be as powerful as Pollyanna with her upbeat attitude and brightness! The world would be a kinder place. Cheryl Bower www.CherylBower.com