Our “We Believe Statements” imagined as a song.
Verse 1: We're in the business of good sleep It's what we do and it's what we keep Believe in beds you can touch and feel That's why we have a showroom, it's for real Chorus: ...
Read Full Post »Number two son just headed off to greener pastures
Ouryoungest walked out through the front door for the last time on Friday. He's worked here two days a week during school semesters and fivedays a week in the summer. We surely couldn't have survi...
Read Full Post »I just want to thank all our old customers who have come back and bought from us again:)
It means the world to me andmy family that you cared enough to continue to patronize Nine Clouds Beds.In the earlyweeks ofthe COVID-19 disruption there weremany days when the phone didn't ring and many many more...
Read Full Post »I’ve now been here in our darkened store 53 straight days.
When you've been doing this as long as I have (27 years) you know how you want to go out.Having to close down for good because of Covid 19 is not the way. I've been here by myself for 52 straight days unt...
Read Full Post »Not every day can be busy here but they can all have meaning.
We didn’t see many customers yesterday. I came in early on Sunday like I often do to catch up on paperwork and answered a phone call from an excited potential customer who spotted a great deal on a ...
Read Full Post »One of the lifetime side benefits of trying your hand at selling beds at Nine Clouds
Our youngest is now most of the way through his first term in computer science at Sheridan in Oakville so he is working at the store just on weekends. Even before he started on the sales floor his confidence had ...
Read Full Post »"I just had to tell you" Exquisite Sleep Episode 21
A customer on their way out the door after buying a mattress had to talk to me on their way out the door They'd spent about an hour with our youngest son narrowing down a new queen size mattress purchase. I h...
Read Full Post »How retailing has changed in the 26 years I have been at the Northeast corner of Glen Erin and Dundas in Mississauga
When I first turned on an open sign in 1993 our plaza was 50% vacant. The economy was struggling to make a comeback, there were just open fields between Winston Churchill Blvd and the lone building to the west (Aike...
Read Full Post »It’s been years since our complete family has been together on one of our Birthdays
Maybe for the last time only four of the five us (along with significant others) just celebrated Judy’s birthday with a great meal at Ombretta in downtown Port Credit. With the kids one by one heading off to U...
Read Full Post »Hey that man has my ballon!
A young ladycame in with hermom to look for a new twin mattress and our youngest son Connor held on to aballoon she brought with her into the store while they took a quick trip to the facilities. “Hey t...
Read Full Post »Startled in the middle of the night
I’ve written before about how I’ve not slept through the night the same since the birth of our first child almost thirty years ago. I am sure this is normal because as parents we always keep one eye open...
Read Full Post »Number one son is ticking off all the boxes. Exquisite Sleep Episode 20
When I think back to what I had accomplished by my 30th birthday (he’ll reach that milestone in November) it pales in comparison. Has a Masters degree. (I lasted one term) Has a good paying job (related ...
Read Full Post »Charles Juravinski just made a spectacular donation to health care in the Hamilton Ontario area. I am not surprised.
I first met Charlie in the early 80’s although there is no way he will remember his ever present hospitality will never be forgotten by me. Maybe a half dozen times a year a small group of us would drive f...
Read Full Post »Are you part of the family that owns Nine Clouds Beds?
An appreciative customer asked me that question in the showroom this morning. She’d purchased a queen size adjustable bed from us a week ago. I answered with a smile “yes I am the patriarch” (gosh ...
Read Full Post »Guess-the-animal. Exquisite sleep episode 18
When we moved to Mississauga in the late 90’s I often made the short drive to drop our daughter off at Apple Tree Daycare. We usually left early so we could play a few extra rounds of the family favourite game...
Read Full Post »Reelin' in the Years (The two Dans)
One of my best friends in the Montreal neighbourhood where I lived for much of the 70's was named Daniel. We both had reached sixteen when he introduced me to the band Steely Dan in 1972. On a Saturday we wer...
Read Full Post »Where did the name Nine Clouds come from?
More than a decade ago our oldest son and I went to a three day business course at a marketing school in Austin Texas. After covering the planned material the last few hours were opened up for participants who h...
Read Full Post »Summer role models and heroes
I learned to play golf on a little nine-holer just a row of cottages off of Lake Simcoe in the late 60's and early70's. The Hunter brothers (Geoff & Bryce) were easily the best players at our club and...
Read Full Post »Their last first day of school together. Exquisite Sleep episode 17
Con & Cait are now in grade ten and twelve so they didn't have to go in to school until 11 a.m. on last Tuesday's first day of school. I made sure to come home from the store before they left and had...
Read Full Post »Number One Son is Gone, Bigger Fish To Fry: Exquisite Sleep Episode 16
Over the last few years our oldest son Cameron has worked a pretty regular shift hereat Nine Cloudswhile commuting back and forth to Guelph University. Until today. One last push down on that "Open" sign s...
Read Full Post »There has been an incident in the school playground. Exquisite Sleep 15
Every parent dreads that phone call. Your phone lights up,it'syour child'sschool and that's never good. Good morning "It's MrX calling" (not even one of his teachers, oh boy!) there's b...
Read Full Post »Vivid Memories of Yesterday- Exquisite Sleep Episode 14
I remember vividly that day I first learned to ride a bike, in a central Toronto park on the rubbled asphalt crestof a favoured toboggan run. It was the early 60's, hardly yesterday. I recall instantly t...
Read Full Post »Learning to Fly: Exquisite Sleep Episode 13
I could not possibly give you return directions to this park butI do recallwhat took place. A young Connor, often wary, always sensible, suddenly out of character? He askedto takethis leap of faith. And smiled f...
Read Full Post »Our Son's New Job: Exquisite Sleep Episode 12
Our 21 year old sonjust startedhis first real job outside of working here at Nine Clouds. It's a great gig, very relevant to his current University studies. Upon arrival the first day he and the nine other ...
Read Full Post »Defriended by my 12 yr old son: Exquisite Sleep Episode 11
He Facebook friended me last year out of sweetinnocence I guess and much to the shock of his older siblings.He never considered what his contemporaries would think ofa parentlooking over their shoulders. Growing up ...
Read Full Post »Nostalgia For The Light: Exquisite Sleep Episode 10
Ourtwelve year old son had the day off from school yesterday. Idecided(I purchased the tickets without asking him) he should join us at the movies. I am always on the lookout for well reviewed feature films, a searc...
Read Full Post »21st Birthday Craft, Brother to Brother- Exquisite Sleep Episode 9
It was our oldest son's twenty first birthday last Wednesday. Our youngestset his mind to decorating the house beforehis brothergot home from work. Below I will feebly attemptto crawl inside his headand und...
Read Full Post »The excitement never stops at Nine Clouds Beds!
A repeat customer was going to visit the storeto look for a new king size mattress set today. Before they were even parked they lost control of their car and crashed through our front window. Luckily no one was hurt...
Read Full Post »Determination! Exquisite Sleep Episode 8
Early enoughone summer's morning to still have her pjs on. Mom,importantly confirmedto be far from sight. Lucky girl to beborn with this kind of determination, not all of us are. As we getolderour good (more det...
Read Full Post »Sugar Plum Fairies of Light: Exquisite Sleep Episode 7
Aschildren didn't we all scanour brains for ways to bridge quickly theNight Before Christmas gap. December 24th, late afternoon sky now nearly empty of light. As if wecould place stars sky. Peaceful sleep final...
Read Full Post »Frosty and Son: Exquisite Sleep Episode 6
Ibarely noticed thesnowmanmotif on my desk last night when I got home from the store. I pushed it aside, to leave more room formy keyboard. The decorating has picked up speed in our home over the last few days. The ...
Read Full Post »Mattress & Bed Blog: Exquisite Sleep Episode 5
Pretty cool getting to toss a graduation cap skyward as ten years old. After so many years it's off to middle school for our youngest son. These kids sure seemed more ready than we were. There are a numb...
Read Full Post »Mattress & Bed Blog: Exquisite Sleep - Episode 4 - The Safety Mouse
Ever vigilant Mom. Standing watch over our two youngest at ship's edge, Life's edge. Subject of our teasing. Reacted to on occasion with averted rolling eyes. A good mattress leads to ...
Read Full Post »The babies are gone. Mattress & Bed Blog: Exquisite Sleep - Episode 3
Large gap between kids for us....seven years.Thentwo intwo years. What was in that water in Oakville anyway? A decade later we now live in Mississauga but I still call the two youngest "the babies" ...
Read Full Post »Before babies. Exquisite Sleep - Episode 2
Before babieswe could sleep on anything, never waking in the middle of the night. November 17th.1989 our world and our sleep habits changed. In that first year I could lay Camerondown on my belly, his tiny head rest...
Read Full Post »Mattress & Bed Blog: Exquisite Sleep - Episode 1
She Scored!" We haven't heard it yet butwe know we will. Likelyafter a particularly good night's sleep. She plays rep-soccer, mostly defense but occasionally mid field, closer to that elusive scoring...
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