Our sale and move

The sale of 33 Rosemount and our move was a saga, a tale of heroes and villains, but the former loom large over the latter and warrant recognition along with our heartfelt thanks.  We learned, and happily acknowledge, that there are incredibly good, professional, individuals on whom one can count. We are so very grateful to each and every one of you.

The cast includes:
The Professionals
Edythe Berman, Marie-Yvonne Paint and Johanne Drapeau – fantastic, professional and supportive real estate agents. In moments of crisis, Edie also walked the dogs.
Brian Mitchell – lawyer, adviser and true friend, who will always remind you of the realities of the fact pattern. Make sure that he is in your corner!
Ted Wright of the Westmount Legal Clinic – a tireless mediator under impossible circumstances
Maisonneuve Renovations – Jonathan Jonas and Andrew Flood – and their excellent crew – are an emergency response team that can be counted on under any and all circumstances to do a highly professional job with total consideration for their clients – we wish they were not too busy to build their website, because they have a great story to tell and we would like to help them to do so.
The ever-tactful Nerelle Cooper of Trésors cachés and her team of experts who can unearth treasures you didn’t know you had, make everything look appealing, price fairly and to sell, conduct a completely professional moving or estate sale with no muss, no fuss for the owner, and dispose of what’s left over to charity. Everyone should have a Nerelle in their lives!
Stephen Kinsman, who fought our battles valiantly (although not always successfully) against the predatory practices of the insurance world.
Michael of Atlas Upholstery who delivered our furniture beautifully restored and reupholstered, to the apartment on time. A real artist and very pleasant to work with.
Our wonderful neighbor of many years, Bernie Leebosh, who viewed the findings of illegal views and territorial encroachments with quizzical amusement and worked with us and Notary Gravel to find just and amicable solutions.
Notary  Jean G. Gravel – a man of unfailing courtesy, never too busy to try to find a solution.
Josée Saint-Pierre, Manager of the Greene Avenue branch of Scotia Bank – charming and ever-helpful (not words we often apply to bankers!)
Many of  you met and worked together through our project and it is our hope that you may continue to collaborate, as you constitute a formidable team.
Finally, the friendly, helpful and efficient management of Haddon Hall  answered numerous questions, supplied floor plans, actually helped us to take measurements, cheerfully expedited the changes we requested, and generally made us feel most welcome.
You are all fantastic and have become good friends to us.

The Non-professionals

As soon as we had decided on our new home, the angst-ridden triage began. We had the advantage of a ‘soft move’ – starting on October 1st, so were able to pack and transport smaller items, china, glass and paintings and store them at the apartment.

That’s where the friends came in.

Some, constrained by distance, health and professional commitments, offered constant encouragement, advice and support (even when we didn’t take their advice). You know who you are and there are many of you.

Among those who were physically present despite many obligations in their own personal and professional lives:

Sam and Astri … the van for the trip to IKEA, measurements, ideas, meticulous moving of art work and Diana’s computer system, riding herd on David …  placing/hanging of art work, and so much more!
Sabra – the miracle packer who could conduct expert-level classes; who knew?
Catherine G and Katherine W,  Claudia   … packers and movers extraordinaire … and Gerald, who, in addition to moving and masterfully storing delicate glassware,  offered critical path planing and also suggested (and helped move) donations to the McGill Book Fair
Judith … experienced mover who has the appropriate packing materials to prove it …  she packed, she stored, she schlepped in her Volvo that has the capacity of a cargo 747, and thoughtfully invited us to  dinner at her home – an oasis of calm – at the end of Moving Day
Wanda with her ability to pitch in as needed, especially with the last-minute sorting of clothes, linens and forgotten items, and provided indispensable dog-sitting service on the day of the move
Misha … lending strong arms and back to assembling the wardrobe from IKEA
Brian Morel … a multitude of tasks from assembling the wardrobe, to installing hooks, aiding and abetting electronics  installation and much more
Louise … whose gifts of wonderful, nourishing food in the early days post-move were life-savers
Roslyn and Réal …  for crisis intervention (you know) -, invaluable on-going advice and support for David

Last, but decidedly not least –
Brian Mitchell … deserves dual mention for his encouraging, thoughtful calls and messages, drop-in visits and generally behaving as a stand-in for our absent children. He was – and is – a very good lawyer and even better friend.