Snow Day 1: Sewing and Organizing

It's hard not to spend time outdoors when the weather is warm.

Snowy days, on the other hand, make me want to hibernate!

Why not get at some sewing repairs I've been thinking of doing...? Like my mother's three skirts that need adjusting.

While looking for elastic in a big plastic catch-all bin, I decided to sort it all out.

Several hours later, I've created mini-bins of elastic, Velcro, ribbons... and so on.

















And the skirts got done, too!

(If I could keep this up all winter, the house would look totally different by spring!)

Here to Stay?!

It was snowing when I walked to and from physiotherapy yesterday...

It wasn't bad for walking.

Later in the day, I looked out the window. It had been snowing all day...














 

I hate to say it, but the snow may be here to stay!

On the other hand, our first blast of winter last year was freezing rain, which created an ice base that made roads and sidewalks slippery all winter long. So I'm thankful for soft, fluffy flakes this year...

First Snow

I've seen flakes in the air - but yesterday I woke up to a bit of snow on the ground. And today we're expected to get more...

Is this the beginning of winter?!













I hope not! I still have a bit of gardening to do!

New Day

Thank you for...

"This new day you give to me
 From your great eternity..."

(David Adam, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime, p. 153)

Lansdowne - Almost Done

After visiting the Glebe pottery sale (mentioned in yesterday's blog post), Terry and I headed over to see what was new at nearby Lansdowne Park.

Previously known mainly for its football stadium - and as the site of the annual "Ex" - Lansdowne Park is undergoing a major transformation.
 
(It was a construction site when we were last here, last February...)









A lot has happened since then. Now newly-added shops and condos are beginning to open.

We checked out the renovated football stadium...














... (two college teams were playing)...





 
 





I could live in one of these condos, Terry said. One facing the field.

We can't afford it! I reminded him.






 



I'm looking forward to exploring the city's new shopping destination when it is completed.

Pottery Show

November is the month of craft fairs in Ottawa.













Last Saturday Terry and I ventured out...










 



Our first stop was a pottery show in one of our favorite Ottawa neighborhoods.













(I wonder what this magnificent domed building housing the Glebe Community Center was before it became a community center!)






 



The pottery at the show was beautiful...

Lots of inspirational designs! I ended up getting a beautiful pottery statue - my Christmas present from Terry. (It may have been done by the same potter who did this one.)

Terry insists: No peeking till Christmas!

(I'll take a picture of it then.)

Toronto Brick Works Park

Terry and I lived in Toronto for eight months prior to moving to Ottawa. Terry had decided to study counseling, and wanted to take a few courses with a Toronto professor he admired.



We lived in an apartment near the Don Valley - and enjoyed taking walks in this forested area. I remember passing the smoke stack of an abandoned brick factory.

In the intervening years, this site has been developed and now houses a few shops, a weekly farmers market, a restaurant or two, as well as facilities for educational programs and meetings.


 

During my last visit to Toronto, my son and I drove over to check it out...

















We saw the old ovens used for making bricks... (not much different from a pizza oven!)












We also wandered along some nearby paths.

Hard to believe that all this is a short drive from downtown Toronto!












A perfect place to spend a few relaxing hours!