Living in our first house has taken more getting used to than I thought it would. In spite of our crazy budgeting and years of saving to make this move, it has been more expensive than we thought it would be. The weather in The Prairies has been unseasonably cold lately, making it -27° C (-17° F) without the wind chill and feeling like -46° C (-50° F) to your skin, and has made our heating bill jump through the roof – but there is nothing about living here when it’s like this that doesn’t make you feel heroic and thankful to be inside.

But in spite of the heating costs, the new house is really quite dreamy.

It’s full of nooks and crannies where the light seeps in…

And then there’s the antique clawfoot tub that has made every evening just a little more luxurious…

But what has struck me the most has been living in a neighbourhood. My apartments have always been well inside the city, but on major roads. There might be a grocery store or drug store 10 mins. away, but other than that I’ve been off the beaten path – and I didn’t realize how much of a difference a neighbourhood makes.

I can walk to get groceries, ice cream or flowers. There are local restaurants, a library and community centre, cafes, video rental stores, and schools. There are parks and river walks, and we’re right in the middle of the city. My hairstylist lives within walking distance to me, as is the neighbourhood thrift store. On the way home from my appointment I can buy a $2.00 lemon tart from our local bakery, or say hello to the kittens that the florist has taken in. And the people here know me already.

We’re on the edge of a very old established neighbourhood, on the block where the smaller homes begin and the lower income families live. We are known as “Ash & Mal’s owners”, and have befriended other families who are renovating their 100 year+ homes while the infill homes are built up down the block. On the next block over there is a huge foster home where two little Aboriginal girls have adopted me and the puppies, and we often end up walking to their school together at lunch time. There are families of too many nationalities to count who own businesses in the area, and when I mention my maiden name (HA! Remember when I was a maiden? Me neither.) many of the shop owners were taught high school by my grandfather.

The feeling of connection here is very present and very real. It does my heart good to finally have enough room for my friends to tuck in out of the cold and into our living room, or to spend the afternoon under blankets watching The Day The Earth Stood Still and other black and white sci-fi films with Mister. It does my heart good to know that we don’t have to leave. The move to my first house was my tenth time moving house in my little life – it does my heart good to know that for once, I can relax, and that we can stay.