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I just got back from Toronto where I attended my first Canadian ReDesigner’s Conference. It was the 6^th Annual for it and the first not held in British Columbia. It was well attended from all over Canada except that I was the only one from the Maritimes there. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel at Pearson Airport and were treated royally.

We spent the weekend learning from each other and listening to presenters from paint companies, web site designers, companies that deal only with real estate and building, storage management companies and professional trades’ people of all types. One could not help but learn and gain knowledge from this vast array of people.

Ask me if I would go again; in a heartbeat. I am excited to show what I have learned and know you will see it in my before and after pictures in the future.

I would hope that everyone gets a chance to sharpen their tools of the trade like I did. It was a pleasure to be with so many energetic, intelligent women. Most of them have their own business that they have built up from the very beginning themselves. Some have partners; some have husbands they work with making the best of both worlds.

I was amazed at the work being accomplished from ReDesigners all over the country. The most exciting partnership we have is with OCC or Ovarian Cancer Canada. We got to see Havens for Healing done by a couple of our group for a lady going through the healing part of having Ovarian Cancer. What we as ReDesigners do in partnership with OCC is offer to redesign a room in the patient’s home for her so she has a place or quiet and comfort to rest and be able to heal ; somewhere to call her very own. This is done with no charge to the patient or her family. This type of cancer is very sneaky and often is well rooted before the person knows about it. Ovarian cancer is often referred to as the disease that whispers because its signs are subtle. There is no screening test for early detection, so women and health professionals have to rely on awareness of symptoms to bring the disease to their attention.

Our Association is spreading the word among women to be tested and be sure you are seen by your doctor. You can find the signs of this disease on the following web site and I encourage you to take time to look it up and read it over.

http://www.ovariancanada.org/

Let me tell you a bit about one Haven for Healing. I am going to use the information posted in our Association’s Forum.

Nadine Matejuk, of Enhance It Interiors and Rose D'Ardis, of Home Comforts Interior have created more than just a haven for healing. They have created an emotional connection that has changed one woman's life forever. The memory will last a life time for her and her family.

The Ovarian Cancer Society contacted the patient and her family to say she had been selected to receive a redesign of their living space. The intention of course so she would have a comfortable warm space in which to heal and share time with her family. They were skeptical at first with the offer as they had not heard of such a thing being done, let alone for no cost at all. The two redesigners came first to see the home and develop their unique ideas for the living space. A few days later the family left the home to the redesigners and after three hours, they returned. The family was led in with eyes shut and very mixed emotions over what they might find. Much to their amazement they room was totally different than what they left and the interpretation of the redesigners was so much more suited to the family’s needs and that of the patient. Their living room had been resurrected. It was now inspiring and restful yet respectful of their personalities and interests. It was spacious and inviting; a breath of fresh air for the family.

The family has written a thank you to the Ovarian Cancer Society and to the two ReDesigners expressing how much this gift has meant to them and how they feel sharing that space with family and friends. Stories like this are happening to other Ovarian Cancer patients and can happen to anyone you know and love. Let’s share this story with others and let the word spread about this gift of love.

Truly I feel like summer just began and I am not ready for fall in any way. I am going to have to move to a climate where summer lasts a few more months. Except I love fall and all it brings and I still get excited over the first snowfall in winter. I give up I just love all the seasons.

As we think about fall and getting our homes prepared, I have some helpful tips to read over.

It is time to trim your trees and hedges back before the winter can break them with the load of snow. It is a great time to do this, no flies and cooler temperatures make is easier.

Mow your lawn one last time and clear away any debris left on the lawn. Now is the time to research out the proper fertilizer for our climate and you type of lawn. Begin by checking with Darren Marshall and Krista McAllister or any of their competent staff at Mayfield Greenhouse here in St. Stephen and asking for their help in choosing the right product, (www.mayfieldgardens.ca). Any landscape business should have someone with the correct information for you. Ask lots of questions, it’s your lawn and I know how hard it is to keep it looking good.

It’s now time to store your lawn equipment away properly. Remove all the gas or add a conditioner for cold weather. Take out the sparkplugs and then wipe the machine down. Make sure it is dry and clean before you finish. It may seem like a lot of extra right now but when spring arrives you will appreciate it starting on the first try. These few steps will extend the life of your mower too.

I read an article about filling in all the little openings around your house before cold weather. Apparently if you measure and add up all these little places you may have an opening as large as a hole three feet square. Can you imagine how much cold air can come in through that space and how much hard earned cash can fly out that opening? I guess we better pay more attention to the little details with the price of heat this year. My grandfather always said it was as important to look after the pennies as it was the dollars. So let’s go buy the correct caulking and weather stripping and begin inspecting your home. Places to begin are around windows and doors, dryer vents, anywhere there has been an opening made in your home.

Let’s take time to inspect our roof. You may even want a professional to look it over as well. Check for loose shingles, the flashing around the chimney, then see if there are any cracks in the valleys and if needed get the correct roofing cement for the repairs. Don’t be on a ladder unless you are able to climb and never attempt any of this alone. The buddy system works very nicely.

Last but not least. Make sure your gutters and clean ad water can flow well away from your home. This one small detail can bring a huge amount of problems if not cared for properly. You can expect flooded basements and foundation breakdown as well as damaged landscaping, all of these costly to repair. Clean the gutters of all debris and use your hose to flush water though to check if it flows well. If you have trees around your home, you may find gutter guards helpful to keep the leaves from filling the gutter.

These few suggestions may make your life easier and even save you money in the long run.