June 2, 2017. Harper, Texas. Our Homes.

Today we listed our ranch for sale.  I was reminded of our first home in Toronto in 1958, which we rented for $70. a month.  We rented from Bernie and Kitty Grey, who owned the Hardware store,  directly below us.  They attended the East Toronto Salvation Army Corps and they rented to us at a discount, just because they were nice.   The original plan was for me to help in the store for two hours a day, but I was teaching and was unable to comply but they did not change our rent.  In fact they never raised the rent for the 5 years we lived there.  Kitty and I exchange e mails regularly and we are still good friends.

Ken and I enjoyed living in that apartment.  The ceilings were high and the windows were huge.  My Aunt Margaret gave us old heavy long drapes which worked perfectly.  Years later when returning to Toronto we drove past our old apartment on Bleeeker Street and found the same drapes on the window but with new tenants.  People living in our neighborhood were students, prostitutes and bums.  But it was safe.  Anytime we had anything to discard was merely left outside the door on the sidewalk.  It was gone by morning.    That apartment was convenient and affordable but it was a far cry from living in our Top House in Texas at the ranch.  But it got us started and was our home number one.  We lived there through difficult times but our five years there became the foundation of love and hard work that has served us well.   Now hats of to Bernie and Kitty.