Thursday, September 30, 2010

Street Art














There's something refreshing about finding art where you least expect it!



















Whether on a parking meter that says "I love you" ("Je t'aime.")


















Or..Thank you ("Merci").














Perhaps some cute drawings on a bakery bag... (Like this one that held Terry's breakfast croissant.)














Or this graffiti art decorating a burned out building on St. Laurent Boulevard in Montreal!














I'm not usually a fan of graffiti... But on musty deserted buildings that need to be torn down - I welcome it!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Montreal Memories

Terry and I occasionally spend a few days in Montreal, the city where we met and lived during our first year of marriage.














There is always an element of nostalgia in our visits! We lived right downtown, so even now, when we visit, we pass places that conjure up memories... like my first studio apartment above a shoe store on busy St. Catherine Street.


















There's the building! I even shared a bathroom with two others... I couldn't imagine that now... but at the time it wasn't a problem!














(Which window was mine? ... I can't remember. I think I was on the top floor... It has been a while!)














A few blocks down the street we pass the Forum, where the Montreal Canadiens used to play hockey... though I only attended two games the years I was living there.














I often shopped at the Alexis Nihon Plaza (now called "Place Alexis Nihon") just opposite the forum.














This park is situated on the opposite corner. The Montreal Children's Hospital can be seen through the trees. I've never been inside, but friend of ours works there...














Here's our street! My second apartment was here on St. Mathieu Street, also in the heart of downtown.


















The doors have been changed and they're now painted brown. I lived on the top floor in a small bachelor apartment when I was single... Then moved into a one-bedroom on the middle floor when we got married.














My window always faced this former convent, across the street. This Grey Nuns' building later became a women's shelter. I heard it is now a university residence for Concordia University.














Later we wander past the church where we met and were married, ... then turn into this quiet side street next to it...














I always loved this little circle with its quaint older homes!














As we wander around, we do notice some changes, like these bike paths (on Maisonneuve Street) - built between the sidewalk and the road. A great idea!

Walking down St. Catherine Street, my memory is again jogged as we pass a Molson delivery truck.














Terry's grandfather, Donald Hutchins was, for many years, the chauffeur of Mrs.Molson, matriarch of this brewing family. Donald Hutchins died before I met Terry, but his wife, Ruth Hutchins (Terry's grandmother), often talked about the Molson years. She would reminisce about their summers at the Molson summer home in Quebec's Gaspe area, where they went every summer. The chauffeur even had his own little cottage there, and Terry's parents often came to visit for a few days, bringing the grandchildren.

Montreal visits are trips down Memory Lane!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Summer Memories of... FOOD!














I'm downloading summer 2010 pictures from my camera (amazed that my 8 gigabyte memory card can fill up so quickly!) ... And I notice so many pictures of FOOD! AMAZING UNFORGETTABLE food!

Like Mo's Bacon (Chocolate) Bar we bought in New York City in April.














(Yup, bits of crunchy, salty bacon inside the chocolate!)














The delicious strawberries we devoured daily in June...














The tasty hamburger platter I ate at the Works at a July birthday celebration... sweet potato fries and a hamburger topped with eggplant, avocado, salsa and feta cheese... Here is their menu... It's called Avril's Avocado Avalanche on a whole wheat bun!

The owner of this local chain of very successful hamburger restaurants recently sold his business to a company that plans to expand throughout Canada. (Not sure about the USA...) They are known for their unusual hamburger toppings... peanut butter, pears, salsa, avocado...AND MORE!! So watch for them!














Here are some peaches I fried in an experiment at making peach omlette... I should have made an omlette first, then tossed sliced peaches on top, as one would with cheese. But instead I poured whipped egg batter over these peaches... My idea didn't really work - the peaches were too runny, so the omlette fell apart! (But - sprinkled lightly with sugar - the concoction still tasted great!)














Then there was the hot dog Terry enjoyed in Toronto's St. Lawrence Market...














I can't remember what I ate... !














Here also is some chocolate I photographed - but didn't buy - in Toronto's Distillery District in August.

(By then I realized that I actually can - and do - gain weight in summer, in spite of increased walking outdoors...)

In September, I've been trying to be more cautionary - using the volumetrics food principles of adding low calorie fruit and veggies to potentially high caloric meals. (The idea is that we tend to "need" a certain weight or volume of food in order to feel full - and if we eat more low calorie food, we will automatically want to eat less of the high calorie items, as we will no longer feel hungry...)














So I dolloped half a cup of plain low-fat yogurt over a smallish piece of chocolate cake...














... then I added a mound of sliced strawberries!














And it tasted AMAZING!














In theory, this smaller serving of cake was supposed to fill me up... But I must confess, I ATE seconds!

Monday, September 27, 2010

I'm ready for next Wednesday!

I have decided to embrace the challenge of the mystery afghan project I mentioned on Saturday. I haven't crocheted in a while, and it sounds like fun.














Besides, I have a lot of leftover yarn that I'd like to use up. The colors remind me of the colors of my autumn flower bed...














When I followed the instructions (clue 1!) for the first square, my square turned out to be 6 inches (15.4 centimeters) rather than 8 (or 20.3 centimeters). My yarn must be thinner than that in the pattern. (But I don't want to buy any new yarn, unless I run out...)














I solved the problem by cutting out an 8 inch (20.3 cm) paper square for a template, and then crocheting around my squares (in single crochet) until each was the size of the template.














Now that my first 2 squares are done, I'm anxiously awaiting the second clue (for the next 2 squares) to be revealed - in Wednesday's e-newsletter!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

More Changes, Outdoors...

One small corner of our yard borders on a long-term care hospital. The hospital is a quiet neighbor... We rarely think about them....

One notable exception occurred a number of years ago when we were in Edmonton on vacation... Watching the news we were surprised to hear a story about Ottawa. Our ears perked up. Apparently a fire had erupted in a long-term care facility. (Where?!! we wondered...) An elderly resident - on oxygen - had decided to sneak a forbidden cigarette, and his room had gone up in flames! Pictures quickly revealed it was the building next to our home!

But that was years ago, and since then life has remained quiet.














Until a few days ago... when the fence between our two properties suddenly disappeared!














Terry quickly went out to investigate, and discovered that a new neighbor who lives behind us wants a taller fence between his property and theirs... So he offered to tear it down and build a new one...














They have put in the posts - but for now we are enjoying the new view...














I also wandered over to take a picture of our house from their yard... a view which will disappear in the next few days!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

New Yarn Projects

I'm not sure what happens at this time of year - knitting and crocheting come back into my life.














I came across these yarn projects from Bernat yarns... (I subscribe to their e-newsletter and get free patterns that way).

I was looking for a new knitting project that would be easy to take along when I have to sit and wait...














This heart pillow (the one on the left) seems a perfect choice. There is a design - but I would need only one ball of yarn (not several, as when I have to change colors).














The only problem with knitting a pillow in the round is that it's hard to gauge how big around it will be till it is taken off the needles (...when it's done)!

I'm tempted to begin the mystery crocheted afghan featured on the newsletter as well: I could use up yarn left over from other projects.

Bernat sends out a weekly pattern ("clue") for 2 of the squares. Eventually (not sure how many weeks later), there will be enough squares to make the mystery blanket! Sounds like fun!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Urban Critters

I love to live amid nature, where I can watch the birds and animals that share my city spaces...














But not quite as close as this man, who must love pigeons! We saw him sitting on some church steps in Montreal!














On that same visit to Montreal, we had an opportunity to observe some squirrels, as we rested briefly in a park on St. Denis Street...














These Montreal squirrels looked different from the squirrels in our neighborhood... They seemed bigger, and had patches of white on their stomachs.

Most of the squirrels around our house are black or gray.














They annoy Terry by opening shells on our deck and leaving a mess...














This squirrel - sitting on the top of my weeping cherry tree - has something red in its mouth. Could it be a cherry?!














I've never noticed any fruit on the tree... but seeing the squirrel enjoying his tasty treat sends me out to check. No, I don't see any fruit growing on its branches.














We have a lot of crows around our house, too. Sometimes they decide to share in our meals - by taking food out of the compost. Here they are eating our leftovers... cobs of fresh corn that they have dropped on the grass. I don't mind them finishing off any bits we may have left behind... I just wish I wouldn't have to pick up after them!

We humans have the impression that we own the world... But I suspect birds and animals have the same feeling...

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Half a Loaf (or Road)...

I think of the old saying - "Half a loaf is better than none" - every time I come to the end of our street...














Because we now have half a road... (paved!) and it is definitely better than none!

We have been dodging potholes since about March...














And there are still potholes here and there...














But the really exciting news is that sidewalks are going it. That must mean that the end is in sight!

At least, that's what I'm hoping!