…..it’s my daughter’s 39th birthday today and I remember as I was leaving to go to the hospital to bring her into this world there was one lone rose left on my rosebush
The name of this rose is ‘Blessing’. How appropriate.
….thanks to Nancy Merrill for hosting the Photo a Week Challenge
The first set of photos were taken through a window of a double decker bus and from the second story of our apartment in London.
The windows on the bus and from the apartment were not particularly clean so I was quite surprised that they turned out as well as they did.
….Day 2 was jam packed with activity
We ended our site seeing day at Liberty London where we admired the beautiful fabrics that Liberty is so famous for and went upstairs to the Christmas Department. Yes, Christmas. October is the beginning of the Christmas season in England. I couldn’t help myself but I had to purchase a little Christmas gnome for our granddaughter’s Christmas tree. I wish I had taken a photo. Sorry about that.
One of my daughter-in-law’s must do items for this trip was to experience a Sunday roast. Our son booked a table at the pub where he and his wife celebrated their marriage after the civil ceremony over two years ago. Since none of us were at their party (we celebrated with a Persian wedding a month later with all the families in Italy) Brendan really wanted us to see the place and he pre-ordered a traditional Sunday roast for six.
……settling in
We arrived at Heathrow one hour earlier than expected. I actually managed to get some sleep on the plane so I wasn’t a complete zombie when our son picked us up. We had a quick coffee and then took an Uber drive to our accommodations. It took about an hour to get there but it was a wonderful introduction to the enormity of London.
After unpacking we walked to the corner convenience store and bought a few things to make a light lunch. Josie kindly made us eggs and toast. I had a quick power nap when I finished eating.
Our son, Brendan, came by later in the afternoon to walk us over to his flat so we we would know how to get to his place in the next few days. Both Azadeh and Brendan made us a wonderful meal to celebrate our arrival in London. A great way to start our vacation.
….thanks to Jolene for hosting Thursday Doors this week
After dropping my father off at Union Station this morning I went outside the train station to snap a few shots. The doors are from Union Station and the Royal York Hotel which is right across the street (first place where my Dad took a job when he first arrived in Canada in 1954).
My dad loves to tell the story of how he got off the train at Union Station and asked someone where he could get a job as a waiter. It was his first day in Canada. They pointed across the street and told him that the Royal York Hotel was the largest hotel in Toronto. He walked over, introduced himself and they hired him on the spot.
….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.
….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.
….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.
This past week my sister from Calgary and her husband spent five days with us. We had a wonderful time exploring different parts of the city and enjoying the food and drink that Toronto has to offer.
One of the places that my brother-in-law always wants to see is the Danforth, also known as Greek Town. Back in July this popular strip was rocked to it’s core with a mass shooting that injured 13 and killed two young girls. For days people walked around in disbelief with yellow police tape marking the three block area where the shooter took aim at innocent people enjoying a beautiful summer evening. Store windows were boarded up and make shift memorials quickly grew in front of the cafe where the girls were killed.
On Wednesday when we were there the only evidence that a tragedy had taken place was the banner ‘Danforth Strong’ that was erected in the park close to where the shootings started. All the yellow police tape had been removed, the boarded up windows were repaired and businesses and restaurants were once again busy.
Next: Harbour Front
Mama Cormier 