London – Day Three – Part 2

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Mama Cormier

…..after Highgate Cemetery

Down the hill from Highgate Cemetery we were directed to look for a pub that came highly recommended. Unfortunately when we got there the pub was being completely renovated and wasn’t open for business. We didn’t have to walk far before we found another place with a lovely patio. It was a little chilly to be sitting outside so we opted to go inside The Vine. Only one other table was occupied but the bartender greeted us and directed us to a table for four and handed us menus.

Normally an empty pub doesn’t bode well for good service or food but in this case it was completely the opposite. Our waiter was delightful and the food was delicious.

After a pint of larger or cider and a few sharing plates we headed off towards Camden Market.

With hundreds of stalls selling clothing, crafts, and food, Camden Market is one of Europe’s largest markets. It is divided into different markets. We started in the Camden Lock Market which is on the street level and next to the locks. There were lots of food vendors here and a variety of stalls selling anything from books, music and flowers to vintage clothes.

At first glance I thought the market was actually quite small but then we walked through a hole in the brick wall and we experienced a whole new world. There are literally hundreds of vendors in the Stables Market.

The Stables Market is located in historic former stables and the Grade II horse hospital which served the horses pulling Pickford’s distribution vans and barges along the canal. Many of the stalls and shops are set in large arches in railway viaducts.

It is very easy to get lost in this place. If you like this kind of market give yourself a couple of hours to really see this place and check out all the vendors.

Silent Sunday – September 9, 2018

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Labour Day – The End of Summer?

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….I think not

For many Labour Day signals the end of summer; children return to school, cottages are frequented less often, new TV seasons begin, fall classes are opening up and the days are becoming shorter. The weather, however, is anything but fall like. In fact, we’ve been experiencing very hot and humid conditions. I feel sorry for the teachers and students who returned to school this week without the benefit of air conditioning (most schools here don’t have it).

Traditionally the Labour Day is the final day of the CNE and the last day of the Air Show. I attended the CNE on opening day and I watched the Air Show from the park at the end of my street, along with dozens of people from the community. It wasn’t the best day to watch it but I had been at the cottage for most of the 4 day show.

Here are some photos from the last official weekend of summer (maybe not official, summer doesn’t end till Sept 21) from the cottage and the Air Show.

Share Your World – August 27, 2018

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….this will be Cee’s last Share Your World challenge…..thanks for all the great questions you’ve given us over the years

Do you prefer eating foods with nuts or no nuts?

I love foods with nuts. If I’m not in a ‘peanut or nut free zone’ I always choose foods with nuts, such as hazelnut or almond dark chocolate, banana bread with walnuts, Thai food with peanuts, chunky peanut butter, and butter tarts with pecans. Yum!

Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

I usually sleep with the doors open. Not sure why.

Are you usually late, early, or right on time?

I try to be right on time but I’m frequently five to 10 minutes late for social events. I was rarely late when I was working and I was almost always on time for doctor’s and dentist appointments.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.

This week I celebrated my birthday with my family and I spent the weekend at the cottage with my daughter and granddaughter. I also got together with my retired teacher friends for lunch. All these things made me smile.

Doing the Tourist Thing – Part 2

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….after Greek Town

The second place that my sister, brother-in-law and I went to see was Harbour Front. As you can probably guess from the name it is on the waterfront, close to the centre of the city. This is where you catch the ferry to go to the Toronto Islands and Porter Airport (also accessible via a tunnel).

When you look north of the harbour all you can see are high rises. The dome where many of our sporting events take place is almost invisible because of the numerous condo towers that surround it. Between buildings you can still get a glimpse of the CN Tower which is no longer the tallest man-made structure in the world. It held the record for over three decades, from 1975 to 2007.

Share Your World – August 20, 2018

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….thanks Cee for this week’s questions for Share Your World

Which tastes better: black or green olives?

When I first ate olives they had to be the black ones but now I prefer the green ones. My new favourite way of eating them is warmed up in a pan of olive oil.

What’s your favorite room in your home?

My favourite room has to be my art studio/bedroom. Ideally it would be nice if they were two separate rooms but when we built our addition we opted for a large bedroom at the front of the house instead of two smaller ones. The south side of the room was never really utilized properly and became a place to drop things that didn’t have a place to go. Now all the clutter has been cleared and the place is decked out with a desk, an art table and a wall unit for my art supplies. I love it.

Since these photos were taken there’s a new lamp on the drawing table and the wall over my desk it covered with art work.

What fictional family would you be a member of?

The Swiss Family Robinson. As a child I loved that movie and wanted to be part of that adventure, especially living in a treehouse.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.

This past week has been very busy. Last Monday I hosted a BBQ to say farewell to my neighbour of 37 years. There were 12 of us and luckily the weather was perfect. I don’t know where everyone would have sat if we had to move inside.

On Tuesday my sister and brother-in-law from Calgary came to visit for five days. On Wednesday we drove to the Danforth for lunch and then to Harbour Front. That evening we had a lovely dinner at a local Italian restaurant and celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary a day early.

On Thursday we took my father to the casino. My birthday is in August so the casino sent me a coupon for $100. to play with at the slots. It’s fun to play with money that’s not your own and I’m happy to say that I ended up returning home with more money than I left with.

On Friday we went to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) where we ate Japanese Street Food, saw the dog show, the lantern show, the robotics show and walked through the midway where we played a few games of chance and came home with two small stuffed toys.

When we got home my sister and I did a little shopping and then picked up pizza for dinner. We had Dad come up and join us for dinner. Since it was our last evening together we stayed up late drinking wine and sharing stories.

On Saturday Cathy and Geoff left for the airport and I walked over to the lawn bowling club where I participated in a tournament and enjoyed a BBQ lunch. The only downside to the week was that it was very hot and we don’t have air conditioning. I’ve put a call into the cooling and heating company and they’re coming this week to give us an estimate on an air conditioning unit. I think it’s time to bite the bullet and just do it.

On Sunday it cooled off a lot and it was a day to relax and do very little. Frances wanted to go for a walk (very unusual these days) so we walked down to the park and around the block. What a busy week but I loved it.

Silent Sunday – August 5, 2018

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….happy long weekend

Share Your World – July 23, 2018

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Cee for hosting Share Your World

In regards to puzzle what’s your choice: jigsaw, crossword, word search, mazes, logic or numeric puzzles, something else, or nothing?

My favourite puzzle is Sudoku.

List at least five favorite treats and it doesn’t necessarily have to be food.

I like to treat myself to the following:

A premium ice-cream in a cup

A manicure and pedicure

A good movie

An evening out with friends

A nice glass of wine with my husband

A piece of torte with my father (he loves his cake)

A slice of freshly baked bread slathered with butter

What is your favorite type of dog? (can be anything from a specific breed, a stuffed animal or character in a movie)

My favourite dog is hands down a golden retriever. I’ve owned two in my lifetime. We now have a mutt who is definitely my husband’s dog. He’s always said that the goldens were my dogs and Frances is his. (Scully is 15 years old in this photo and Frances is going on 12)

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.

This was a very special week because my son was visiting from London, England. There was a lot of eating and drinking, touring museums and art galleries, visiting his sister in Hamilton and attending a rugby game.

At the AGO

At the ROM

Family

A Week of Food

At the Rugby Game

Final Stage for One Doodle

Posted on July 5, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….day 121 of 365 Days of Art

After the paint dried I started adding black and white detail with my black Micron pens and white Signo pen. This part is so therapeutic and I let my inner child come forward.

Francis Beaumont

Share Your World – July 2, 2018

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Cee for creating Share Your World

Tell us about your first bicycle or car?

I got my first bike when I was seven. I remember it well. It was second hand, black and designed for a woman and an adult woman at that. It was so big that I had to stand to ride it. I think it took a couple of years before I could sit on the seat. We lived in a new subdivision and there were no sidewalks. The roads were gravel and a few nasty falls resulted in some road rashes and scrapes that required digging out little bits of dirt and stones out of my knees. It didn’t keep me from riding while we lived in Oakville. When I turned 10 we moved back to Toronto and I don’t know what happened to that bike. If my mother had anything to do with it she probably threw it out.

What fictional world or place would you like to visit?

I can’t think of one fictional place I’d like to visit. There are too many non-fictional places that are on my to do list of places to see. For example, I’d like to go to the east coast of Canada, British Columbia, London, Scotland, and then return to some of the places I’ve already been to like Germany, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands.

If you could have someone follow you around all the time, like a personal assistant, what would you have them do?

I would like someone who is handy and likes to fix things and build new things.

What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.

This past week a number of things made me smile. First I met a friend from high school and we had lunch together downtown. We see each other at least two to three times a year. She’s still working but she’s getting her head around the notion of retiring in the next year.

On Tuesday and Wednesday I volunteer and bake bread at Montgomery’s Inn. On Thursday I drove to Hamilton and spent the afternoon with my granddaughter. We spent most of our time together at the Hamilton Toy Museum. I’ve mentioned it before but the first time I went there with Winnie the place was closed and we amused ourselves on the grounds.

This time the museum was opened and we took advantage of all they had to offer. The place is divided into theme rooms. The first was an old fashion kitchen with lots of authentic bits of equipment that young children can safely play with.

The next room is a harbour theme with fish and poles, a boat deck and costumes you can try on.

The third room is a garden with fabric plants you can pull to reveal carrots and beets and the fourth room is the activity room with arts and crafts and an aquarium with gold fish and turtles.

On Friday we had dinner at our neighbours house along with a few other neighbours. It was the first time in awhile that my husband actually felt well enough to join us. On Saturday I went to the Canada Day BBQ at the Lawn Bowling Club and on Sunday we drove to Hamilton again and had lunch with daughter #2, her husband and Winnie.

As you can see it was a very busy week with lots of smiles and things to be grateful for.