A Benedictine Retreat

The book, Benedict's Way, suggests a schedule for a retreat... (not necessarily in a monastery), in a group or alone.

As I jot down the daily schedule, I can't help but notice it bears some resemblance to my normal day... (Minus midday and evening prayers...): Rise early, read, pray, reflect, write, do creative work, do essential work like laundry, food prep and dishes... Gardening in summer...

(No wonder the simplicity of my daily retirement routine provides a lot of peace.)

New Flowers Indoors... And Out

The end of July has brought new blooms to my perennial beds - and a few new African violets indoors.














I am particularly happy to see some new plants blooming.














This small one - with its first flower - grew from a leaf that sprouted in soil. (I have about a 90% success rate with this method.)














I confess I'm always surprised to see them bloom in summer, as I view them as my "winter flowers."














Outdoors, I see a few flowers I remember from previous years...














... though I don't remember all their names!














Several years ago, a friend divided her plant and gave me roots that have grown into these tall yellow flowers. They are doing well.














And I had totally forgotten about these two-toned lilies.














I'm happy to see two bunches of echinacea flowers - last year I only had one!














I'm also glad to see this lovely day lily blooming. Nancy (from Sunlight Gardens Nursery) gave it to us several years ago.

The phlox is also beginning to bloom in all its colors.














... and this yellow tea rose (a Christmas gift to my mother) is beginning to bloom. I don't remember if it is the one I planted this year or last. Whenever she visits, she asks about her roses.














Every few weeks my garden looks different!














I love the ones - like the hostas - that stay all season long!

Visiting Montreal's Olympic Stadium

I was living in Montreal when the Olympic Stadium was being built - so I am no stranger to this massive structure...














But only recently did I ride the glass elevator to the top.














I'm not usually one for heights...














But it was a truly memorable experience.














The ride up was not scary in any way...














And the view was spectacular!














I admired Montreal in all directions!














And glanced down to see the Biodome - located in the stadium where Olympic cyclists raced.














Fortunately the day was sunny and the air was clear, so the view was magnificent!

To residents and visitors alike, I highly recommend the experience!

We Still Need (Gardening) Books!

My most frequently read blog - according to Blogger Stats - is entitled What to Do With Indoor Trees? I posted it on February 25, 2011, and it has outranked all others. So I assume that indoor trees are a common problem.


















This past week, one reader asked about the name of the tree pictured in the post - the one that is almost touching the ceiling in my upstairs hall.

I didn't know...














After searching fruitlessly online, I turned to my gardening books. This Houseplant Encyclopedia gave me the information I was looking for: The plant is called a Dracaena Marginata (pronounced "drah-SEE-ah").














(Now that I know its name, I can find it online!)

The book also adds that they can be propagated from stem cuttings - so perhaps that is what I should do when the top leaves touch the ceiling... Cut it back, putting the stem into a pot of soil... Perhaps the same pot the parent plant is in. (I think I'll give that a try.)

So I see that... although there is a lot of information online, I still do need my gardening books!

Apple Mango Salad

I recently enjoyed a delicious apple-mango salad at a Montreal Presse Cafe...














My coffee break included a date square and a latte...

I would love to get the recipe. Searching the internet, I have come across a number of apple mango salads with with cashew nuts. But this one was simply sliced red delicious apples, fresh mango cut into strips, chopped parsley - and a sour vinegary dressing (Italian dressing, perhaps). It added a slightly tart flavor to the apple and mango slices. Refreshing on a hot day... Delicious!!

Sharing Children

I was going to title this post "Giving Away a Child" - but I thought it sounded too callus... And I don't believe this tradition is done in a cold-hearted way...

Teaching English to students from other countries was a fascinating experience - partly because of the interesting stories I heard... Here are two - from different countries - that share a similar idea: that children belong, not merely to a couple, but to a wider, extended family.

I first encountered the custom of "sharing children" when chatting with a student from China, a middle-aged man who had been sent to study for a year at the University of Ottawa. In those years, spouses rarely accompanied students - perhaps the thought was that students would be less likely to defect - and choose to stay in Canada - if their family members were all back home.

In any event, I remember asking the student if he had any children, and he replied, Yes, I have a daughter who is a teenager, so my wife isn't alone back home.

Then, after a moment's pause, he added: Actually, she isn't my daughter - she's my niece. My wife never had any children, and my sister, who had six, felt sorry for her. So when she had another baby, she gave her to us.

Really? I asked. Do people do that often?

Sometimes, especially if the family with a lot of children doesn't have enough money to educate them all - and the couple who doesn't have any children is well-off.

I was left pondering this ultimate act of kindness... willingly giving up a child...

The next time I encountered a similar situation was a few years later, when teaching immigrants to Canada. I was talking with a pretty young woman who had recently arrived.

Are you here with your family? I asked.

Just with my husband, she replied.

So all your family are back home?

Well, my mother is in the USA with my brothers, she explained. So we can visit them whenever we want.

Then, after a pause, she quietly added: I have a strange situation. My mother lives in the USA but I didn't know she was my mother until recently. I always thought she was my aunt.

She explained: Back home, my parents lived with my grandparents - my father's parents. We lived in a big house together with my father's brother and his wife.

My mother had three sons, and when I was born, my grandfather told her: You have three children, and your sister-in-law doesn't have any. Give this child to your sister-in-law. My mother didn't want to, but she had no choice. The grandfather was boss. So I was raised in the same house with my parents and my brothers, but I thought my aunt and uncle were my parents.

It was very hard on my mother - she hated living like that - so when my brothers immigrated to the USA, she went with them. I didn't know she was my real mother until I visited her there - and she told me.

So you have two mothers.

She nodded. Then after a pause, she added softly: I would never give away my child...

It's a JUNGLE out there!

We have had a lot of rain this year - and the weeds (as well as the flowers) have thrived! One part of our yard, in particular, is totally out of control.














Ever since a large tree - that dominated the area - was removed, we have been unsure what to do there. There are several difficulties: The tree is gone, but the stump continues to produce shoots and branches. Also, at one time (when the tree was still there), I created a little pond and a rock garden (with the soil I removed to make the pond). For years, the pond was the summer home of our three gold fish, which grew quite large. We would bring them indoors to an aquarium, where they would spend the winter... And then, come spring, they would go out again. It worked well for us. A baby fish managed to survive and joined the fish "family." This pleasant arrangement continued until one year a raccoon discovered them - and managed to topple the rock shelter I had created to protect them from cats...

The pond has never been filled in and the rock garden was taken over by ivy...

So ideally, we should flatten the area and try to grow something there. But we haven't - it has never seemed like a priority: there are always more important things to do.














But in the meantime, it has become overgrown.

So today, I went out and started to cut...















Virginia creeper...














thistles...















blackberry bushes...














Two and a half garbage pails later, there is still a lot to cut down...

But after noticing bees on the wild mint, I decided to call it a day!

You Never Know What You'll See!

In summer, my world expands as I spend more time outdoors. I like to go walking... and I never know what I'll see!














At a nearby shopping mall, I came across this outdoor red carpet reception - with a 3-piece band!














For a minute I thought I was in New Orleans!














Motor cycle lessons are not new in the nearby college parking lot I often walk or cycle through...














But I was surprised to see this motor-home rally... a few hundred meters (or feet) from our house!














Terry would like this one with not one - but two - satellite dishes!

(I wonder what I'd discover if I wandered farther afield?!)

Easy CREPE Recipe

Crepes are thin, rolled-up pan cakes - one of my favorite ways of eating eggs. For some reason, I especially enjoy crepes in the summer. They provide a filling meal yet don't heat up the kitchen. Cottage cheese and fresh fruit - two of my favorite summer foods - are easy crepe fillings.














Here's how I make crepes for one person. (Double the recipe for 2 or 3 servings.) Leftover batter can be stored in the refrigerator and fried up later. But I often fry them up and I eat the leftovers cold or warmed up in the microwave.

Here how I make them:

• Beat two eggs lightly with a fork.

• Add half a cup (approximately 125 mL) of BOTH flour and milk.

• Mix well - then let stand for 10 or 15 minutes, to blend the ingredients.

• Heat a frying pan. When it is hot, add a little olive oil or butter and spread it around.

• Pour enough batter onto the hot, greased pan to lightly cover the bottom. Spread the batter by turning the pan at an angle so that the whole frying pan bottom is covered.

• Let it cook until the top is dry. Flip the crepe over to lightly brown the other side.

• Put on a plate and fill.

I enjoy cottage cheese (with fresh fruit) or simply sprinkle them with sugar and roll them up.














When I was growing up, we called these "roll-up pan cakes." They were a childhood favorite - and I still love them!

I don't usually make them with savory fillings, but I recently had one filled with smoked salmon, grated cheese and pesto sauce at a restaurant brunch. It was delicious!

Crepes - like bread - are very flexible. They can have many different kinds of fillings, sweet or savory. They also make an elegant dessert with brandy poured over them - and served aflame (in a fire-proof pan!)

I should also add that I have taken to using different types of flour in crepes. My mother always made them with white flour, but the ones pictured above (in the recipe) are made using quinoa flour. I've made them with whole wheat flour and spelt flour as well.

African Violets in Bloom

I'm enjoying my outdoor summer flowers... And also my (indoor) African Violets!














Some bloom in the winter. Others, like these, flower in summer. They like the afternoon sun they get through a west-facing window. I do have to watch that they don't dry out in the hot summer sun.














Both the pink and the violet are currently in bloom!

Wandering Around Yorkville

One of the most elegant shopping districts in Toronto is Yorkville, in the heart of downtown.














How elegant is this neighborhood?














Even utilitarian structures like telephone repair boxes are covered with flowers!














A destination of Toronto tour buses, Yorkville is characterized by old and new architecture...


















... like this old fire station...


















...dwarfed by new condo high rises.














It isn't surprising that buildings are going up everywhere - homes and retail spaces are among the most expensive in North America.














But you don't have to be rich to wander through the neighborhood, enjoying its beauty!














And be reminded that, if it's summer, it must be baseball season!














And biking season!