Housemate Wanted

I need two new housemates for July 1. The rent is $525 inclusive and I am seeking one of those housemates to help me out with childcare in exchange for rent. Please forward this to anyone who might be looking for a change in their living situation and would like to join our amazing home and family...

Seeking activist, artist, student, musician, or otherwise to join our household July 1. Rent $525 for one room, the other free in exchange for Childcare Mon. - Thurs. 7 am to noon. If you do the math this only works out to $5.25 per hour for childcare but it is tax-free, in your own home and very karma and joy inducing. You can go to the park, playgroup 2x per week (across the street - where the food is free and the company of the neighbourhood parents is amazing), shop the Drive, garden, sing, dance and do arts and crafts. Quinn is awesome company and very adaptable to any errand or chore you wish to involve her in.

Our house: Strathcona - the neighbourhood you will never want to leave, early 1900's, across from park, great neighbours, great landlord (cashes the cheques, fixes stuff and leaves us alone) high ceilings throughout, big rooms, awesome kitchen w/ gas stove. Front porch, back yard & flourishing garden. Basement w/ storage / beer making & laundry space plus enough room to spin around with your arms wide out. One bathroom. No Cable TV or landline telephone although I am willing to share getting a telephone. Utilities, wireless cable internet included.

Mandatory job share, cost share & open communication about house stuff. Would love to maintain organized cooperative meal planning & households basics (shopping / cooking / chores) to avoid separate food cupboards (three cupboards all containing dry kidney beans, brown rice and oatmeal?), overflowing fridge and multiple meals being prepared at the same time. I want everyone in the house to love, be proud of and feel a part of the home.

You: Creative, joyful, environmentally, socially, and politically aware and active. Experience with and love of children, responsible, financially honorable and mostly sane. No boozehounds or stoners although a little of either is fine. No time to watch more than the occasional TV show or movie (I have bunny ears, no cable), crafty (not in the sly way), handy - will fix something that is broken, clean something that is dirty & pick up something that is out of place. Absolutely NO CIGARETTE SMOKERS (not even the "just when I'm drinking" or "only outside" kind - Sorry).

*We: Single, 32, f/t mom to charming 18 month old, Rowan & Topaz the dogs and Oryx the cat (and her two kittens which will move out in the first couple of weeks you are here)

Me: Self employed with part time job (which is shere the need for childcare comes in), gardener (with desire to share the spoils and the work), notable cook (non-vegetarian, mostly organic whole foods) sewer, knitter, reader, community activist. LIsten to CBC (AM & FM) almost exclusively, read the Saturday Globe cover to cover but it takes me almost all week. Cyclist, hiker, epic dog-walker. Clean but frequently untidy depending on how crazy my life is that day. Will always do at least one major cleaning binge a week. 6 am to 10 pm schedule most days. Generally calm & even tempered - strong distate for arguments. Sagittarius.

Quinn: the love of my life. Year & a half old, just starting to run & talk (back). Likes to sing & paint & read & dig. Independent, funny, sleeps most nights 8:30 til 6 am. Has a good cry at any time of day or night once in a while but generally very good spirited. Scorpio.

Rowan & Topaz: blond dog hair shedding, escapee hounds. Spend better part of most days on the front porch keeping watch of the neighbourhood. Very gentle & love attention but won't demand or obsess over it. Virgos. (if you wear head to toe black polyester year round and are adverse to lint brushes this is not the place for you :)

Oryx: sister to Nagafuki, lovey, lovely kitty. Soon to be spade. (a little slutty)

Any questions, please contact me via email.

Thanks y'all...

Lana, Quinn, R & T and Oryx.


L. Fox [ellefox@shaw.ca]