Opening the Cottage and a Side Trip to Marks Point Park

Posted on June 1, 2026 by Mama Cormier

…May 31, 2026

Last week, our daughter, Andrea offered to drive with me to the cottage to open it up for the season. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

We left Sunday morning and arrived at the ferry dock about an hour early. It was a beautiful day. The new ferry wasn’t up and running yet but it was the last day for the Sandy Graham. Starting today a barge is taking its place until the new boat passes inspection.

When we arrived at the cottage we went to see our neighbours and shared some tea before the work began. We heard stories about how bad the mouse infestation was for some of our other neighbours. Fingers crossed, we opened the cottage to find only one dead mouse and minimal evidence that mice had even been there. We wiped down all the counters, swept the floors, put the deck furniture back outside, unpacked all the cushions, set up the BBQ and racked the leaves off the pathways and the deck.

Not wanting to return on the barge the next day we decided to take the old ferry back to the mainland that evening and have dinner at Andrea’s cottage which was only 10 minutes away. Seeing we weren’t rushed for time we decided to explore a road that we don’t normally take. We took it as far as it went and ended up at a very small park called Marks Point. We parked the car and walked towards the water.

There wasn’t much to see so after 10 minutes we got back into the car and drove to Andrea’s cottage. The lot next to her place had recently sold and the new owners had cleared out quite a few trees. Hopefully that is all that they’re planning to take out. It certainly changes Andrea’s and Josie’s view but there is more sun on their deck.

Thursday Doors From Stoke Newington

Posted on May 29, 2026 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Dan Antion for hosting Thursday Doors https://nofacilities.com/2026/05/28/iowa-doors-and-stories/

When in London recently we stayed in Stoke Newington in the north part of the city.

Thursday Trios From the Print Show and Doors Open

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Mama Cormier

…at Sommerset and WAAC in Toronto

Two different venues….one in London and one in Toronto.

The Original Print Show

The Contact Show at WAAC during Doors Open

If you have any trios to share just copy my link and paste it into your post. When I get the ping back I’ll be sure to check it out. Have fun!

Eating Out in London

Posted on May 24, 2026 by Mama Cormier

…in cafés, pubs and restaurants

The beauty of staying in a flat is that you have more options when it comes to meals. Most if not all our breakfasts were prepared in the flat and two of our dinners were takeout meals.

Most of our dinners were prepared by our son. We would purchase some of the ingredients and I would make the occasional salad.

For lunches Kevin and I went to a variety of places. The V&A East and the Barbican had nice cafeterias. Close to the V&A East was a busy Brew Pub located on the Lee River, that made great pizzas.

When we went shopping along Upper Street we stopped at the Terra Rosss for a lovely Italian meal. I was having some issues with my jaw for a few days so I was looking for soup or soft food. The waiter recommended a sumptuous ravioli with a soft cheese filling. It was perfect. A few days later we went to another Italian restaurant where I ordered a delicious pea and mint soup….the Urban Cafe and Bistro,

At the Hand and Flower Pub, Kevin had the cauliflower bhaji burger and I had the Greek mezzo plate. We shared the Eton Mess dessert, a first for both of us.

In Richmond we had lunch in the Princes Head, where many scenes from Ted Lasso were filmed. Kevin had the fish and chips (a great choice) and I had the chicken pie (not a good choice).

Our son really enjoys Asian food. One day we went to a sample sale and after a successful hour of purchasing some bargains we headed over to a Korean restaurant and ordered a platter with a variety of Korean delicacies .

Two weeks later we were in Chinatown and had lunch at a Noodles and Dumplings restaurant.

Two days before we left we took Brendan to a restaurant in his neighbourhood to treat him to a special dinner. Lupa is a neighbourhood restaurant dedicated to Roman comfort food from Highbury locals Ed Templeton and Theo James. Brought to life by head chef Naz Hassan, the menu features crowd-pleasing, ingredients-led regional favourites made for sharing.

Silent Sunday – May 24, 2026

Posted on May 24, 2026 by Mama Cormier

Thursday Trios – Trying to Catch Up

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Mama Cormier

…since returning from London

I usually don’t find jet lag to be a problem when coming back from London but my energy levels are down after returning from this trip. I’ve gone from waking an average of 12 000 steps to less than 7 000 since being home.

Today I realized that I missed Thursday Trios. In fact I haven’t posted anything since last Tuesday.

On this trip we wanted to see the new V&A East. Our son is the chief curator of this magnificent museum. On our second visit I found a couple of trios to share with you.

As you can see you don’t have to post your trios on Thursday. If you have any trios to share I’d love to see them. Just copy my link and paste it into your post.

Macro Monday From my London Kitchen

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Mama Cormier

…May 18, 2026

One of Kevin’s Favourite Cars

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Mama Cormier

…the Austin Mini

Instead of monsters, frogs and Wacky birds Kevin has turned his attention to classic cars. Today I’m going to share his sketch of an Austin Mini that he saw on the street in the neighbourhood where we are staying.

New Flower (May 10, 2026) – Yellow Rose

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Mama Cormier

A Day Filled with Art

Posted on May 5, 2026 by Mama Cormier

…May 5, 2026

Today Kevin and I decided to revisit an art gallery not to far from our flat, The Estorick Collection. Kevin went on line and checked the hours. We walked to the bus stop to catch bus 73. We got off at Essex Station and after a short walk we arrived at the gallery.

When we got to the gates a very official and beautifully dressed woman informed us the that the gallery was closed to the public because it was hosting a private function. We were very disappointed and I informed her that we had come a long way to see the Alessandro Mendini exhibition. When she asked us where we had come from I promptly told her “Canada”. She asked us a few more questions about where in Canada and we told her that we live in Toronto. Turns out that she’s been there and so had her sons.

I guess she took pity on us and she invited us to join the crowd and help ourselves to food and drink so we looked like we belonged there. It turned out that she was the organizer of the event. For the next 15 minutes we kept hearing her mention the couple from Canada and she even brought over her sons to introduce us to them.

We joined a group for a tour of the gallery. We learned about the history of the place and how the original owners were looking for Italian art from the early 20th century in the futuristic genre.

After this part of the tour, Kevin and I made our way to the Alessandro Mendini exhibition. He is one of Kevin’s favourite designers from Italy. It is a very playful and colourful exhibit. He is very well known for this chair.