Jeannie Kamins, Realtor

The Harmon | Sill residence and Studios (MLS Listing: V746957 - http://www.caroleharmon.ca/sale/index.html ) was designed by architect David Murray from Edmonton Alberta, and was completed in fall 2006. This property consists of a home and two separate studios. One for Gary Sill is a composer, pianist, and music producer, the second is for Carole Harmon - a photographer. His studio is located on the main floor of the main house and includes a sound studio and performance space,  Carole Harmon’s studio is located in a separate workshop building at the rear of the property. She also operates Harmon Gallery in Banff, Alberta.

For more pictures and the blue prints of the Green Tea House go to:

http://www.caroleharmon.ca/sale/index.html

Design Concept

This property is located between Main and Fraser Streets at the head of Brewery Creek. The site was chosen for it’s central location and proximity to the vibrant Main Street corridor which is one of Eastside Vancouver’s most popular neighbourhoods with new shops and services opening almost weekly.

The house and photography studio are built on floating concrete slabs supported by deep drilled helical steel piles. The metaphor of a land-locked houseboat was used as the inspiration for the design. Both buildings are entered over raised cedar bridges which float above the landscaping. A rectangular concrete pond fronts the photography studio building.

The lot contains the last remaining mature trees in the neighbourhood including a Deodar cedar, Douglas fir, and red leaf hazelnut in the front yard and a hawthorn, tamarack and ancient apple tree in the back yard. The yard is being developed with native plants and ground cover. The roofs of the photography studio and the entrance over the main front door have been structurally prepared for green roof plantings which have not yet been actualized. The building concept and execution included, whenever practically possible, environmental considerations and the finishes and materials used were chosen to enhance the original design concept.

The Music Studio

The audio Studio is located in the main house adjacent to the living room. It has a 10′ ceiling and is a 24′ X 15′ room built within a 26′ X 17′ shell with the floor resting on rubber de-couplers. The 14″ space under the floor is heavily insulated as are the walls and ceiling. A 5″ open space separates the insulated structure from the exterior envelope. A 7′ opening accommodates two custom built metal and glass doors which open wide enough to allow the grand piano to roll in from the adjoining live room when absolute quiet is needed. The studio has it’s own electrical which is separated from the rest of the building and an air exchange unit that silently brings in fresh air.

The live room is 25′ X 16′ with 12′ ceiling and opens on one side into the rest of the building. A lighting rail circles the ceiling with various heads and floods that are useful for home concerts. Both studio and living room are floored with recycled pine and heating is in-floor radiant. The studio is connected to the living room by double acoustic steel doors which allow the grand piano to be in either the studio or living room.  The details and a slide show of Gary Sill’s studio can be seen on his website: Gary Sill Music | Creative Music Performance, Composition and Recording Services

This is a light filled space with enough ‘liveliness’ to make it easy and inviting to play in.

The Photography Studio

Carole Harmon’s photography studio is a 616 sq, ft., one story, free standing building located on the north side of the property. The building design is the same as the main house, with large windows overlooking a rectangular concrete pond which is structurally cantilevered to the building. Both are constructed on a floating concrete slab supported by deep drilled steel piles as is the main building. The building is presently configured with a large open studio on the east side of the building and a two piece bathroom and darkroom on the west side. The bathroom has been plumbed and prepared for a future shower. Three skylights have been framed into the ceiling of the main studio space. The studio roof has been built to accommodate a future green roof. It was intended that the shower, skylights and green roof would be completed together after the main construction as a Phase 2 project. To view the work produced in this studio please visit Carole’s personal website: Carole Harmon | Photographic Artist | Canadian Fine Art Photography and Harmon Gallery website: Harmon Photography - Fine Art Nature Photography in our Banff Gallery

Description of house

The main house is two story with a cedar deck and hot tub on the second floor in the SW corner accessed from the family room. The open concept plan uses changing levels to define areas.

The living room and music studio are sunken one step from the entrance hallway and have reclaimed fir floors. Reclaimed fir is also used in the exposed fir ceilings of the entrance way and dining room. Fir was chosen as it is an indigenous wood and the actual flooring was reclaimed from a military gymnasium in Nanaimo.

The kitchen, mechanical room and powder room are raised and float above the entrance way by 2 steps. Beneath the raised kitchen is a large storage space.

The dining room is dropped by three steps. Aesthetically this provides separation for the practical areas of the main floor while still keeping the kitchen as the heart of the home. A panorama of windows overlook the rear yard from the kitchen and dining room. In a practical sense this design allows for the services under the kitchen floor as well as some low crawl space storage.

The stairway to the second floor is located centrally and is one of the architectural features of this home. The stairs themselves are of the same fir as the living room, studio and second story floors with open mesh powder-coated aluminum along the north side which is open to the kitchen. An enormous skylight over the stairwell floods the stairwell and interior of the house with light brightening the kitchen below and family room, master bedroom, and master bath on the second floor.

Link here for more pictures and the blue prints of the Green Tea House.

Click to download PDF flyers

As I sat on the porch with my 95 year old mother, watching the Christmas star plummet to earth, she suddenly said, “I have waited 75 years for the fall of Capitalism”. Of course my Commie friends are not as complacent as they watch their nest eggs get scrambled. I am just glad I can always fall back on my ART.

And then I think of the black knight on the white house horse who has finally brought us hope. And that old depression ditty spins round and round my brain. “Oh they preach Socialism, but they practice Fascism; just to preserve Capitalism for the bosses.”

Wishing you Peace on Earth and a better world tomorrow.

Jeannie

and from my sweetie, Henri too, all the best in the new year.

I was married in 1962, and when I married I thought it was forever. I was pre-the baby boomers. I believed it was ok to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen… well, not exactly. But I did believe that I would marry a man who would take care of me and bring in a good income. I would stay home with the babies and cook and clean my house.

We lasted 10 years, had 2 children and then we went our separate ways. About a year later I found Henri and we started to cohabit - but I was ruined for marriage. I didn’t believe anymore. I no longer believed in “forever and ever”.

Henri and I lived together for 17 years before we “tied the knot”. And that was only because we were living in Quebec and they would have taken our inheritance away as we had to prove that we were “as-good-ahs” married. Actually Frank, my son proposed, but that is another story.

The point of this ramble is that I went to a same-sex wedding and I had an epiphany. Marriage is relatively unimportant to me. “Been there, done that”.

But that was not true for Sam and Alijandro.

They were ecstatic. Their joy was contagious. Alejandros mother and brother flew up from Southern Mexico for the wedding and it was a dream come true. They could stand in the church. That edifice of sanctification of our mores and prove to the world that they were more than “as-good-ahs”. It also was a way to protect themselves from the vagaries of the state.

Here are a few photos.

They say their vows

Hitched

The family

The Happy Couple

SOLD

 Jim is an artist and his home is amazing. Check out these pictures!

The home is called the Ellis Residence and is now on the Market. It was designed by Bob Lewis in the late 1950’s. This Meticulously maintained home showcases west coast living at its best.

The Bright open plan with windows to the south allows spacious views of the entire harbour and the Vancouver inlet.

The home has three bedrooms and two fireplaces.

Master bedroom. Note the closets hidden in the walls.  The two other bedrooms follow, one is used as an office.

There are five skylights and cedar paneling throughout.

The family room is yet another office.

Approach up the Country cobblestone drive to the house nestled among gardens and cedars.

Spend your summers bar-b-queing on your two patios.

The Patio seen from two angles.

Jim has a great studio over the two car garage.

First open house June 8th from 2-4 PM. Check out more details on the internet www.realtylink.org. The MLS number is V738356

Every year we are called upon to do our taxes. And every year we are doing them at the last minute. This year was no exception. But there is a ritual that we join with others of our ilk. Those who also only get them done by the skin of our teeth.

Here we are joining the parade of last minute entrants between 11 and 11:59 pm turning in our tax forms. We got to the site at about 11:15 so we had time to meet the Posties outside the post office. Every year these same people stand with a truck ready to take only tax forms down to Surrey for processing.

Here I am with Postie Friendly turning in my tax form while Postie Pete stamps the date on my envelope so I don’t get a penalty.

The time I met Groucho I was at the Beverly Hills Hotel with my mother who was there for an AGM of the League of Women Voters. I sat through the meeting as one woman after another got up and described the good work they were doing. Political actions all over the world - helping orphans, resisting racism, job programs, homes for battered women, blankets for the homeless, Korean war orphans, etc. My mother was a homebody and not the kind of person who was an organizer or usually went to this kind of event. I was mesmerized. I wanted to be just like them.

Then the meeting was over and we poured from the room. It was crowded in the hall as we exited. I looked up and there he was! I was about 13 and had always loved Groucho. As he walked by us he put his hands in his armpits and flapped his arms like a chicken saying cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck… I was outraged. Here was this asshole ridiculing our good work because we were women. As if women did nothing but stand around and gossip.

This became one of the significant moments in my life (before I came out as a women’s libber) when I became aware of male chauvinism. I have never felt the same about Groucho and have never enjoyed his cruel sense of humour since.

“I don’t care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members.”

My life has been transformed. I have been reading about plant protein verses animal protein. The book is called The China Study by Colin Campbell. I wont go into the details, but he says that by eating a whole food, plant protein diet most of the diseases of affluence can be avoided and/or cured. This includes heart disease, cancer, diabetes etc. Over the past few weeks I have gotten my blood suger to be normal and have reduced my medications. Give me a call if you are interested in the details. I have become a Vegan.

Here are a couple of recipe for Indian food without milk or meat.

Aloo Gobi (potato’s and cauliflower)

Cauliflower
Potatoes
Onion
Ginger, Garlic
Turmeric 1/2 Tsp.
Cumin Powder 2 Tsp.
Coriander Powder 2 Tsp.
Red Chili Powder 2 tsp.
Garam Masala 1 Tsp.
Cilantro Few sprigs for Garnishing.
Oil 1 Tbsp.

Wash & drain cauliflower florets. Dice potatoes.Heat Oil,
add Onions & fry till translucent. Add ginger, garlic, stir,
Mix in Potatoes , cover to cook.When the Potatoes are half
done , add the florets, turmeric. Cover to Cook. Open
after a few minutes, add all the dry powders & mix.
Garnish with Cilantro leaves and salt to taste.

Sag Paneer

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
pinch of cumin seed
2 cardamom seeds
1 stick of cinnamon
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon each fresh ginger and garlic
1 small fresh tomato, sliced
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound fresh spinach, chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
fresh cilantro leaves
Diced firm tofu.

Heat oil in saucepan and saute chopped onion until light
brown. Add cumin seed, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay
leaves, cloves, ginger, garlic, sliced tomato and black
pepper and saute about 30 seconds. Add chopped spinach
stirring until it begins to change color. When it goes dark
green add salt, cumin, turmeric, coriander powder and
garam masala. Mix well with spinach. cilantro and tofu
cubes. Cook it well, stirring so it doesn’t scorch.

Serve above with rice mixed with peas.

Ah, the Christmas season - too much to eat and too many presents to give to people who don’t want anything. The eating I have under control now that I am a vegan. It isn’t a big deal, but if you don’t eat deserts or candy and stick to vegetables you are bound to keep your weight down.

The presents are another story. Everyone expects a present but nobody in our society of affluence needs anything – so everyone wants money. To avoid the crassness of cash, the push is to give gift cards.

I was thinking it was a good idea until I heard this review on the CBC. The person there talked about the billions of dollars tied up in gift cards and how people could loose the cards, needed to get them verified, etc. The National Retail Federation estimates that gift card sales this year will be nearly $80 billion. About 10 percent of that amount — $8 billion — will stay right in retailers’ pockets, thanks to fees, loopholes and consumer forgetfulness. The man on the CBC suggested we go back to the Government of Canada Gift Card… MONEY. It made sense to me so my family was delighted with their presents.

But now I am trying to figure out a way to eliminate personalized gifts all together (except for the kids of course).

My great grandson says “say cheese, truck.”

I think if we need nothing we should get nothing – after all, I have been spending weeks trying to cut down on my stuff.

Some people should use a shovel to clear out their stuff

We could give to those who do need it. I have my charities as I assume you do too, so let us consider these. Or if you know someone or some third world organization or one of the many organizations that are having trouble due to government cut backs, consider giving to them in your overweight, over stuffed family members name. I know they want the bucks, but it is time for us to cut through the consumer madness created by the ad men in our throw away society.

Henri and I gave each other just what we wanted. We wanted nothing so we got nothing. (We did have a romantic afternoon when the family went to the movies though!)