We’ve been in the new house for five weeks now, and it’s already hard to remember the loft. Space. Floors. Walls. We can have non-disruptive work meetings and/or private conversations now. It’s really quite a luxury.

There are neat little design features left behind by the previous owners (one of whom was an industrial designer, so…that tracks) like a solar-powered skylight shade.

Kramer has taken to sitting in the windows and watching the squirrels and birds, occasionally even greeting me as I walk up to the front steps. He’s claimed the guest room as his own, more or less, as well as the little nook under the stairs up to the 3rd floor.

Our neighbours are nice too. Last Monday we joined a few of them in the back laneway for some drinks on a nice snowy evening. There are some whisky and wine fans in the neighbourhood, so we’ll get along just fine.

I’ve also been really enjoying the more proximate merchants, even if it’s in a very altered way during the lockdown. Mercury has become my go-to shop for proper coffee. We finally tried Avling a while ago, and were very impressed with their beers — their food options look solid too. We’re close enough to Ascari now that they, along with Chez Nous, will likely become our go-to wine pickup spots. Being this close to Ed’s and the Leslieville Cheese Market and Leslieville Pumps is both wonderful and problematic. Nutbar has been a fun new find. Apparently a Freshii and an A&W are meant to be built around the corner. And some day we’ll be able to visit all the merchants like Queen Books again.

We’re still missing a lot of furniture, and there’s still plenty to do — I’m getting the feeling that will always be the case — but it very much feels like home already.