…after weeks of dreary grey skies and drizzly weather, a trip to the Centennial Park Conservatory brightened my day
On New Years Eve I decided to check out the Christmas display at the conservatory before it was replaced with the next theme in the New Year. It was probably the busiest I’ve ever seen it. The feature display was filled with poinsettia of all different colours, sizes and shapes. Here are a few photos to wet your appetite.
…the most beautiful packaging I have ever received through the mail
There is a watercolour company here in Toronto called Genzäh Handmade Watercolours. Since discovering this company about 6 months ago I have wanted to try their product. I went online last week and looked at the selection of colours. I was considering asking for some of these paints for Christmas but since I had no experience with this product I decided to buy a variety of sample sizes before committing to the half or full pan sizes.
These paints are made with the highest quality dried pigments and simple ingredients like clove oil and locally sourced wildflower honey—no fillers, brighteners, extenders, or chemical preservatives; just pure colour. Since they are made in small batches and made by hand they are a bit pricy so I wanted to try them out before asking family and friends to consider them as a gift.
A few days after ordering them I received the most beautiful mailer in my mailbox. I have never before received an envelope made with gold foil. When I opened the the package there were more surprises inside. All the samples were individually mounted on beautifully painted small cards with the names of the paints hand scribed below the sample. A handwritten letter was also included with my initials on the envelope and sealed with a wax seal. So much detail to attention….amazing!
I probably won’t get to trying these out till after Christmas. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even had time to attend to my blog (as you have probably noticed) let alone my art table. If you want to check out this company their website is:
genzah.com
….in a downtown Toronto park
Last week I attended a luncheon for the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto at a popular restaurant close to Union Station. I took the Go Train ( a short trip from the station close to my house) and I walked to the restaurant which was only a couple of blocks away. As I approached the Flatiron Building I noticed that the park behind it has been decorated for Christmas. Berczy Park was redesigned by Claude Cormier ( no relation) in 2015 and features a fountain with 27 dogs looking up to the top where a bone is perched. There is also one cat facing north looking at a couple of birds. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berczy_Park
…yesterday at Montgomery’s Inn I picked up a few fun items for gifts and for myself
The first two photos are trios of my paper trees and the rest are things I bought throughout the day.
…a very busy week
Today. Kevin and I are participating in a Holiday Gift Fair at Montgomery’s Inn. Originally I was only going to display our photo and art cards and a few small paintings but I decided to fill in the display with some Christmas items that I whipped up in the last few days. Here is a sample of what’s going on our table.
On Friday I’m going to Women’s Art, downtown to help set up the next show called Small Gems. It’s our annual fundraiser where all the art is small and costs no more than $400.00 but averages at about $120.00. I’m submitting three pieces from my last show so all the hard work is done. Saturday is the official opening reception which I will also be attending.
…the RBG is located in Hamilton and Burlington
Last Friday I met my sister in Hamilton. Her husband was attending a conference so they decided to make it a weekend and arranged for friends and family to look after the farm in the Chatham area. I picked her up from the hotel and we drove into downtown Hamilton, parked the car and walked to the Burnt Tongue for lunch. The restaurant specializes in homemade soup and the menu changes daily. After enjoying a bowl of soup and half a sandwich we made plans to go to the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Luckily the gardens is only a 10 minute drive and very easy to find. The rock garden is located in Hamilton so we stopped there first. We weren’t sure if there would be a lot to see and it is all outdoors. It found the walk along the paths brisk but pleasant and the views were wonderful.
Down the road, in Burlington is the main building. We had heard that their Christmas display was open to the public and in the evening there was a special light display. Chris and her daughter had already made plans to go Saturday evening to take in the outdoor lights but she was happy to check out the indoor displays with me. We weren’t disappointed.
One of the attractions was a beautiful train track, all built out of wood with trains running throughout. It had a very Canadian theme featuring the Parliament building in Ottawa, the grain silos from the prairies and the CN tower in Toronto. The kids loved it because the trains were characters from the Thomas and Friends series.
We also went through the Mediterranean greenhouse, checked out the gift shop and then headed outside where there were numerous Christmas displays.
As the sun started to go down I took Chris back to the hotel and we said our farewells. All in all it was a lovely day and I am looking forward to seeing her again in a few weeks when she comes to Toronto to visit her kids.
…on time this week and early
On Monday, this week I went to the One of a Kind Show here in Toronto. There was so much to see and so many interesting people to talk with that we barely saw half the show. I may have to go back.
I love gnomes…garden gnomes, toy gnomes, Christmas gnomes, etc.. I recently purchased a knitting pattern for a gnome. If I ever get around to making one, I’ll post it here.
If you have any trios to share, I’d love to see them. Just copy my link and paste it into your post. This way I’ll get a pingback so I can find your post. Have fun!
…one of the reasons why I find it so hard to lose weight
As many of you know I volunteer at one of the historical museums in Toronto and bake bread which is then sold at the Farmers’ Market. All the proceeds go to the Inn to support their programming.
Every Tuesday I make the 15 minute drive to Montgomery’s Inn, where I prepare the dough for four to six different varieties of bread. I also feed the sour dough starter for the bread that we make the next day and the following week. The dough is stored overnight in the refrigerator. There are usually 2 or 3 of us that do the initial prep work.
The next day on Wednesday there are anywhere from four to six of us that prepare the sour dough bread, get the fire in the oven ready and shape the breads that we made the day before and that morning. We’re also in charge of clean-up and Jim is particularly good at it and likes doing it.
When the first loaves are in the oven we sit down as a group and have a lunch that is prepared by our lead baker and I’ve become the salad maker. Every week the meals seem to get more elaborate and in the past three weeks, Dale, has also added desserts which he usually prepares at home. Dessert is served after the second batch of bread is in the oven and we sit down and enjoy Dale’s sweet delights with a cup of tea.
All in all we have a great time together and look forward every week to meeting up again.
…November 11th was always a difficult time for my Dad
I found that as Dad got older he became more sentimental. As the years passed he found Remembrance Day especially difficult as he remembered his friends and comrades who died in World War II. He always felt that he couldn’t mourn publicly because he served on the wrong side and this often led to periods of depression come November. For a man who was usually so chipper and positive this was difficult to watch. Dad passed away three years ago. Today I honour his memory and all the young men and women who have died in war, regardless of what side they served on. I know that this may not be a popular stance to take in light of the current upheaval in Ukraine and Gaza but I ask that you respect my choice to remember in my own way.
Mama Cormier 