When Robb was about a year and a half, we bought an old schoolhouse in Ontario that was our weekend home away from home. It was basically just one large room with a tiny bath and kitchen area in the old cloakroom, that still had the hooks on the wall.
The most memorable time spent there was when I was eight months pregnant with Gwen and we went for the July long weekend. I went into labour after lugging wheelbarrow loads of tall grass we'd cut, had to pack up quickly and make the over two-hour journey back to Toronto, arriving home after midnight. Gwen was born a few hours later on July 1st. My doctor had told me to stay in the city, so I never did tell him that we'd gone away for the weekend. I'm glad Gwen stayed put until we got home!
Imagine my delight seeing our schoolhouse in the October issue of Canadian House and Home magazine...transformed into a home. The woman who owns it has left it as one large space, with a walled bedroom area and the kitchen still in the old cloakroom!
The most memorable time spent there was when I was eight months pregnant with Gwen and we went for the July long weekend. I went into labour after lugging wheelbarrow loads of tall grass we'd cut, had to pack up quickly and make the over two-hour journey back to Toronto, arriving home after midnight. Gwen was born a few hours later on July 1st. My doctor had told me to stay in the city, so I never did tell him that we'd gone away for the weekend. I'm glad Gwen stayed put until we got home!
Imagine my delight seeing our schoolhouse in the October issue of Canadian House and Home magazine...transformed into a home. The woman who owns it has left it as one large space, with a walled bedroom area and the kitchen still in the old cloakroom!
I think that it is a great investment, in 10 years you could sell it for a double price easily, or Robb can use it as a garage.
Posted by: Nina | August 03, 2011 at 05:34 AM
Nina, we sold it years ago and apparently, it was left to fall into disrepair, until the present owner bought it and renovated it as her home. I do wish we still had it, but most of the family now lives on the west coast, including me, so it would be a bit of a trek to even use it as a weekend getaway again!
Posted by: Barb | August 03, 2011 at 08:00 AM
hi barb,i linked to you from gwen's barnraising site and how oddly serendipitous life is...! i have enjoyed a few shared comments back and forth with gwen. we also shared our love of the ontario countryside (especially to the east of toronto!)and now, i come upon this post from you! as a teacher and lover of art, craft, heritage and antiquity it is one of my heart's fondest secret wishes to own an original ontario schoolhouse. how lucky you were to have owned such a place, even for a short while and even in a less than remodeled state! are you able to share the exact location of it? i believe it may be near me and i would love to take a drive by one day...
Posted by: christine m. east of toronto | December 22, 2011 at 04:50 PM