Chip Season Almost Over!

One of the most popular outdoor eating spots in the Ottawa River Valley is Wes' outdoor chip stand in Arnprior.

It's always busy!

When we stopped in a week ago, we noticed that they will soon be closing for the season... (It seems like yesterday that we were here on the first weekend they were open  in spring!)

So, this weekend is your last chance, in 2017, to enjoy their wonderful French fries!

Richard Gill's Fall Pottery Exhibit

A week ago, Terry and I headed into the country to Burnstown, to attend potter Richard Gill's fall exhibit - featuring plaques of iconic figures in Canada's history.

I took along a 1982 edition of Canadian Geographic magazine that I had found in our basement.

Among the articles was one featuring a younger Richard Gill and some of his Newfoundland-inspired pieces. We left it with him...

It was interesting to see his latest pieces...

And to hear him talk about his latest collection.










 

I noticed some metal work in his studio, as well. I don't know who created these pieces - but I love them!

The drive out into the country was lovely, too.

Eating Out in Arnprior

Last week, Terry and I spent a day in the country. Towards evening, we decided to stop for supper at a popular restaurant in Arnprior.

We found it through the tripadvisor website by googling: best restaurant in Arnprior.

The ambiance was lovely. (There is additional eating space upstairs...)

I ordered soup and a salad topped with chicken strips... Delicious!

Tripadvisor's top rated Arnprior restaurants included a truck stop...

Now, that's where I want to eat next time!

The Malleable Brain

When my boys were young, they loved to play video games... for hours!

What is this doing to their brains? I'd often wonder, as I'd stand behind them and watch them control Super Mario as he ran through tunnels, slamming into prizes wherever he went. Later their video games became move violent - something I found troubling. Were they being programmed to be violent themselves?!

I've recently come across several books about the malleability of the brain... The Brain the Changes Itself and The Brain's Way of Healing, both by Norman Doidge, M.D.

Both books are in my public library. One interesting quote explains the premise behind both books: namely, that "mental activity is not only the product of the brain, but the shaper of it..."

After reading a few chapters, I've learned that exercise and learning both keep the brain young and active. Travel is one kind of learning mentioned. Not only does one learn about new places when traveling, one is challenged to step into new situations and learn that way...

I'm interested in finding out more...

My Knitting "Fast"

I've been knitting and crocheting a lot this summer... at times, too much. The repetitive motion is sometimes hard on my hands...

I try to make myself take a break if my wrists become sore... But it's hard! (Other knitters may identify!!) It's hard to stop when your goal is in sight!

Wearing a wrist support can help avoid painful motions, but it also makes knitting harder - more awkward.

For the past few months, my left thumb has been bothering me from time to time.  Then I got a really sharp pain came from (of all things!) twisting an elastic band in my hair!

That's a wrist motion, too...

So now I'm on a "knitting fast" - hopefully for only two weeks.

After a few days of pain, I went to see a physiotherapist...

Tendinitis, he said. No knitting until we get this fixed.

I can handle two weeks - but the situation left with a sobering thought: How would I handle it if I could never knit again?!

I'd be devastated!

At the same time, I should be thankful that there are so many other things I could still do...

You can never have too many interests!

After the Heat...

The day I left for Edmonton, the weather became unseasonably hot and humid in our part of Ontario, with temperatures in the 30's Celsius, 90's Fahrenheit.

I missed the first week of heat: I was in Alberta - where windy weather made it feel considerably cooler.

The weather was still hot when I returned... The AC ran non-stop and I stayed in the house a lot. I really didn't mind the heat. I knew that when it cooled off, I'd have lots of yard work to do - and no excuse for not doing it!.

A week after my return, a cold front moved in...

Between the hot and cold fronts, a brief storm: strong wind and five minutes of rain that unexpectedly wrecked havoc in some parts of  town. Trees were downed.

On our street, a few doors from our house, part of a tree came down. The following night, our street lights were out.

The beginning of fall weather?!

Visiting the Sisterhood of Mary in Millet, Alberta

One place in Alberta that I wanted to visit - time permitting - was the Canadian branch house of the Sisterhood of Mary, near Edmonton.

This order of protestant sisters was established in Germany after World War II.

My original connection with the sisterhood was through a friend I met in Israel who went on to join the order.

For several years, I attended their national conference in Ottawa.

It was lovely to walk through their prayer garden...

They invited us in for coffee afterwards...

An interesting, welcoming place to visit!