ONE CANADA, ONE MAPLE LEAF

July 1st is our national holiday to celebrate the confederation of provinces into one nation, one Canada. Currently there are 10 provinces and three territories. 
The tiniest province P.E.I. joined in 1873 yet its capital, Charlottetown, was the birthplace of the Confederation in 1864 when it held the Charlottetown Conference the began the porcess.
The actual Confederation took place July 1, 1867. The provinces of New Brunswick, Nova 
Scotia, Quebec and Ontario formed the first union at that time. All the rest joined at their own pace.
Initially there was a Canada West, Ontario and a Canada East, Quebec. To get a handle on internal rivalries of these growing colonial areas it was thought unification might help, hence the idea of one Canada.l
Today Il find myself living in an area of peace and relative prosperity in a very multicultural environment in Ontario, Canada and it feels good. 
It's time to celebrate. Let more red and white flags be raised with pride for the occasion.
Happy Canada Day !!

RETURNED

Both rses Buddy and I planted are finally blooming. It is already summer and it took until this week for them to come to full bloom. That they made it through the crazy harsh winter we had is fabulous.
How's your garden doing??

EUROSTAR Trip

Buddy was impressed with the bullet train ride from London to Paris and back. On the train he studied the magazine that illustrated how the tunnel was constructed. He then drew his own versions.

Notice that it is dark next to Buddy in his window seat. That's because we are actually in the chunnel at that moment. That part of the train ride lasts only 20 minutes. Once we are out on the French side it takes an hour to reach Gare du Nord in Paris. The train zooms along at a high speed of up to 298 km (186 mph) all the way and links the cities in 2½ hours. The ride is smooth and quiet. Seating is reserved if you wish or you can buy a cheaper ticket and risk finding an empty seat. There's also a first class. We had reserved seats. We didn't bother with going to the dining cars but hubby went to the  snack bar for tea. We had our own food from home.

There is table seating and it was very practical. Each car only has two of these so we were happy guests to have this set up. It makes using an iPad and drawing so much easier.

 After our three day visit, hubby and Buddy checked out the bullet trains from a departure platform in Paris. The Eurostar trains have a separate entrance with extra security similar to that of airports. We boarded the train below through a special set of stairs going down.

The trains certainly are impressive. And the ride was definitely fun!!
Buddy is proud to announce he has travelled under the seabed of the English Channel twice. Buddy loved the whole tunnel thing and hubby loved the train ride. I loved watching them have fun.

P.S. Did you know that Buddy's BIL is a geotech engineer who helps in the construction of such tunnels? He is currently working with a team creating a new tunnel in the London Underground. Buddy finds tunnels very fascinating.

SLEEP TIGHT

On Saturday, May 2, my daughter took me to Montgomery Inn Museum for a tour , tea and a concert. The drive from my home was a fair distance as I live north east of Toronto and the Inn is in the south west part of the city, the now infamous area of Etobicoke, the residential area of Mayor Rob Ford, a man whose character I've always had doubts about. He has made light of some serious matters by running a large metropolis without a sound mind since substance abuse does interfere with one's judgement. 
The area is very lovely and so is the old Inn that was established back in the 1830"s along Dundas Street also known today as Highway 5.The picture is taken from the rear east side of the in.

The tour was educational and the guide added some humour that always adds to the fun of learning and recalling things. It's hard to imagine how the people back then enjoyed the use of Inn facilities in comparison to our modern times and our hotel room expectations.

There's the fact the ladies had to have a travel companion to vouch for them and ladies had to use a family bedroom.

The little cot was for children and was stored under the big one when not needed.  When I first saw the room pictured below I thought it was the servant quarters but I was very wrong.

This is the room assigned for the men who needed a bed and it was expected that three men would use the same bed at the same time. The term sleep tight comes from the fact that three adult men side by side was a very tight situation. Privacy was of no matter. It was more a case of survival. Warmth was important as the winters were very frosty cold with no heating provided in the bedroom. But there's also the fact that the mattress sat on knotted rope which had to be kept tight with a tool so that the mattress wouldn't sag in the centre. It was tightened every other day.

This photo shows a bit of the rope (and the porta potty, ha ha ha).

I imagine the Inn would have had less customers in need for a bed in the summer months because it did get warm in the area. Choosing sleeping under the stars was not uncommon then.

Next time you say, 'sleep tight' to someone, imagine the image of three to a bed that were likely not always related and nine to the room. I try to tune out the snoring as I think of it. 

Buddy, hubby and I are off to sleep tight at our daughter's place in Bromley, UK for a bit. And we also have planned a 'chunnel' train trip to Paris. We three will sleep tight at Hotel Henri IV for a couple of nights.
It was difficult finding a room for three. How times have changed.

Thanks in advance for stopping by. We hope you are well and we often think of all our blogging friends. We'll have new stuff to share soon.

P.S.  George and Betsy, one of our roses has fully survived our crazy winter and the other has one tiny branch that is green. We are hoping both roses will bloom again maybe in June?

FESTIVE TIMES

For our festive lunch on Good Friday with my visiting sister and BIL, Buddy and I shopped for some fresh wholesome food and we added fresh cut roses into our basket. We prepared out home with a few decorations that include our self coloured eggs. We enjoy transforming them. this year we used both white and brown ones in the same colour bath to observe their different shade outcome. It was barely noticeable.

We are thankful for all we have and can share and we are excited to be entertaining. It is still early and rather quiet but soon there will be a hustle and bustle as folks clamour to make their day count. 
Since we are a nation of many faiths and many of us get this day off, with most businesses closed, people find all sorts of activities to do. One Family is busy preparing for their daughter's wedding that will take place on Sunday. They are neither Christian nor Jewish. They are Muslim. We are invited but are unable to attend.
I find it intriguing that those three religions all share a common Abrahamic connection and all arose from a relatively close range to Jerusalem where one can find a church, a temple and a mosque not far apart. 
What is fascinating is that Christians have managed to incorporate bunnies of chocolate, little chicks and all sorts of eggs to be used on Sunday for the fun part of their festivity. We saw lots of goodies while shopping.

Easter Sunday Buddy and I will be back in Cayo Santa Maria. We leave on Saturday. Hubby is very busy with filing client tax returns.
Have a great weekend. 

VINTAGE GOODIES

   Once again I sit at my laptop hoping to be the inspired blogger I used to be because my eye op has successfully delayed some rapid vision deterioration but I just can't seem to feel that spark.
   Our little get away was fun but also had a darker side. Hubby is slipping into a more serious stage of memory issues and with that comes some very odd and annoying communication issues. He was not able to recall our morning routine after breakfast. Buddy and I would head for the pool while he headed for an espresso and he was to join us when done but he could never find us. Instead he would just sit by a poolside and wait. The place had several pools and we always went to the one closest to his coffee bar. He kept heading to the one closest to our room. While I quietly sorted it out it did have an impact on me. As we age we face so many odd issues that pop up. Still Buddy has a way of keeping us balanced when the going is a bit rough. He's a rock that one just has to love.
   Santa Maria has several large resorts and since the island has an 48 kilometre causeway in the Atlantic Ocean connecting it to the mainland there are no local inhabitants but a shopping area was created. Here's what we found in its parking lot;

Buddy loved the 1930 FORD taxi. It is a love for these oldies that has owners keeping them fine tuned and running. 

INDOOR OUTDOOR

Today we are in the daylight saving mode once again. Spring is supposed to be in just a few days but really here in our area we are still deep in a bitter winter freeze. More snow is on it's way by Wednesday and the cold will continue on for days to come.
In my backyard I shall need to have someone shovel some of the snow away from the house to avoid basement flooding once the melt comes. I am not allowed lifting of heavy stuff yet because the retina is still healing. I just tried a bit to see the depth of the situation and there's a fair bit of the white stuff right up to the patio door.

To get to the furniture will be quite a dig.

The pansies, daffodils and crocus are deeply buried in the back by the fence. My two lovely rose bushes in the front garden are hidden near that lamp that is situated on a small post barely peeping out.

Indoors it's it's quite cosy and the plants are cheerfully and elegantly blooming but it just does not feel right. Spring is not filling our hearts with all it's joys yet. 

Outdoors it was the very opposite last year as everything began early.

Being blessed I decided to use our means to enjoy more travelling.

 We leave in a few days heading south to be able to enjoy some warmer outdoor living. Buddy is excited and happy that I have recovered well enough to take on this journey with the eye surgeon's permission to fly. Hubby is joining us this time. He really wants a break before he'll be bogged down with this year's client's tax returns. We hope to enjoy more of the bright red blooms that grow outdoors all around and are liberally used to decorate. 

And when we get back hopefully a warmer springlike weather will have commenced so we can enjoy our local outdoor gardens again.

Right now the birds have not yet appeared. Usually they would be busy chirping early in the morning. Instead it remains eerily quiet. 

Across the big pond my daughters daffodils are blooming in her Bromley area garden. Some type of palm tree that can survive outdoors in her London suburb has been replanted to another spot and she is grilling in her shorts and Tees..

How is your spring shaping up?

GROUNDHOG DAY

Compare the photo with the header and see how the white powder continues to rise on the patio.
I doubt the groundhog saw his shadow today in our area for the sun didn't appear.

WISDOM

   Today there's a thaw outdoors, rain too and it's so gloomy yet it's a lovely break from that long, super cold and snowy spell that began before Christmas making life hard for so many.

Buddy's resting so I have some free time. 

   Today let me thank all of you for your kind comments each time I post. If only I had the determination to be more prompt in replies. Somehow that's still not in sync. I seem to be spending lots of my time entertaining Buddy and myself now more than ever. 

   Since hubby's fall in the summer I also try to do more of the cooking and cleaning. He was more of an equal partner for a while. He loves to cook. But months away from his regular practice time meant a lot of catching up. He's been at his office most Saturday's and many Sundays too since September. Good that he truly loves his job and that it brings him pleasure to be at his office. 

   It's wise to let my septuagenarian enjoy his time for he's likely to be happier and live longer as a result. He's looking weel these days. 

   

Christmas Day Photo

Now about Buddy; January 10th was the date for surgery to have his three wisdom teeth removed. One being decayed, the surgeon decided it was wise to do all three. To be at the hospital by 7:45 was quite a chore. My men moving by 6:30 was unusual since we tend to live more in a relaxed mode, our usual morning routine starting around 8:45 with breakfast at 10.

But on this day by 9:30 Buddy was all set and ready to head to the OR to loose his "wisdom" as he put's it. I snapped his photo as he was being led to be under the knife. Was he afraid?

January 10 Photo

Absolutely not! Look at him smile. 

He's had open heart surgery twice and a knee done too! He just has the greatest trust and attitude about health related things now that he's a  40 year old man!

WISDOM

Yes, I believe he has matured into a greater person who teaches me more than many of you can imagine!

What a blessing he is!

And he grins knowing I post stories about him. 

It's my gift to him.

He loves to read them and your comments too!

ICED

   On December 21st the weather changed. Rain fell and then the temperature dropped. All was covered in ice. The same thing happened again the next day and this caused our city some major grief with many power outages. Two large city hospitals were without power. By Monday the city traffic was in chaos. Subway trains were out. Street cars wee cancelled. No power was there for them to run. Street traffic lights were out. Driving was a challenge that needed much patience. And to make matters more difficult many stores could not open. Of course there were thousands of homes that had no power. It was a very tough pre Christmas situation.
   By Tuesday some repairs had been made but it became clear that in our city there would be homes without power on December 25! Imagine the old fashioned Christmas those families would be faced with if they could bear to stay in their unheated homes while the temperature had dropped to -14C during the night. Most would have had to find a warm shelter or friend and relatives to get through this. Some homes will not have their power back until Friday!
   Our area was not badly affected as it is newer and not many trees were large enough to fall on hydro wires to cause outages but we saw a lot of damage nearby.
   Our small trees looked rather pretty coated with ice, iced. 

We hope your festive time is going well and that you were not chilled by any bad weather. 
   We wish you all the very best at this special time of the year.

P.S. I wonder if my two roses will come back after such a nasty icy time.

Festive Times

  As the eve of Christmas arrives very soon two Advent Sundays have already past. So has St. Nicholas Day on December 6th, a big day of celebration when I was a little girl. Buddy and I ate some treats to celebrate.
  It has been quite a year of events in my family this year and I'm so glad that so far all keeps working out for the best.
  I was relieved when my eye surgery was post poned to January 27th  because I worried how it might affect our festive season. Usually it takes several weeks for an eye to heal and recover so it has full clarity.
  Our first Christmas time in our current home is shaping up quite nicely. We have started decorating both the indoor and outside as you can see above.
  Some presents have also been purchased and need wrapping.
  But most of all I have missed our regular blogging and my hope is to get back to a better schedule. I send you all many thanks because I know you are such great followers who care about what I share and keep encouraging me with such positive comments!
  Please let me know how your days are shaping up.
I am going to try to catch up on your posts I have missed.
Buddy is fine and awaits Santa patiently. If you feel like going to my other blog from the link above you can learn more about Buddy and our latest fun together.

FORCES TO REMEMBER

Let us not fail to remember all those who made our present freedom possible!

11.11.11

ONIONS

In June of 1967 I suffered the misfortune and humiliation of being fired from my part time job. That's because I was clumsy and slow. Still I'm that way! I cannot peel potatoes or chop onions like most of you can. I just lack the hand eye technique to do it with speed and skill. On another note, I'm just fine when it comes to playing the piano. While loosing that job led to a few tears it also opened another door for me. The newspaper want ads posted a position for airline staff and it included training so I applied and was accepted because of my ability to be fluent in three languages.
The training was a fun but challenging week that required learning the short forms of major airports globally and included a major geography test. It was mandatory to achieve a high mark. I scored 95% and was able to move on to the next level to train for my actual position. I would be ground staff in reservations. I was thrilled. I loved anything to do with aviation and my salary was okay and there were the perks, free tickets locally and once a year globally. But before my actual placement first I had to pass a physical for insurance purposes. I qualified and was invited to a large company party held at a yacht club on the island off the Toronto shores. I was employed by Air Canada.
Shift work was a part of my assignment and the night pay was even better. 
I was sent to the Bloor Street office location in the heart of our bustling and growing city far from the airport. My job was to compile the passenger list of confirmed travellers as per travel agencies or passengers who called 72 hours before the flight for the pilots. I worked with about 7 others at one time. Since it was the summer of EXPO'67 in Montreal there was a lot happening and my passenger lists had some very famous travellers. One the sticks out right now is TWIGGY from the UK.

Friday as I was chopping away and recalling those long ago days my chopped onions made me laugh rather than cry. That sent me to get my camera to shoot a photo of them. It would be great for a blog. And as I continued to cook I realized that I might as well share what I was making. The onions were going into a big pot along with 250 grams of lean beef to be browned. Spices would include the usual salt and pepper along with a tablespoon of paprika and a couple of cups of water before adding this.

The sauerkraut was first rinsed and then added to the big pot to be cooked slowly to create a delicious version of Szegediner Gulasch, its original recipe coming to me from my Dad's family. He was from northern Sudetenland. 
Our Gulasch is usually served with yeast dumplings but this time I just boiles some local potatoes. That's because I had already used yeast to create our dessert, a nice juicy plum cake with fresh seasonal prune plums from the Niagara region. I usually make it with a baking powder dough but this time I went all out and did the other version. Yeast takes time to rise so the process takes longer but this method yields more cake.

I have known this as Zwetschgenkuchen since my early childhood days in Germany. It's a cookie sheet cake. I always add a buttery topping because I love the added flavour and richness but it's just as tasty without it.
Did you know cake is great for breakfast too? Yes and we ate it on Saturday and Sunday morning. It's a nice change from muesli and cottage cheese or eggs and rye toast.
Sometimes our brain just sends us to awesome places in our memory by way of some tiny thing, a trigger, in this case onions.

SHOWBIZ AND BONICA

Our SHOWBIZ rose situated out front and it has been the spotlight of the flowerbed. Everyday it's bright red blossoms just makes us smile.

Off to the right side of the same flowerbed sit this beauty, BONICA. It has bloomed continually since we put it in the ground.

Buddy and I are very happy with these two gorgeous plants. It was my first set of roses in the garden after many years and I must say these two have been a treat to watch. They are hardy and did well no matter what the weather. They sit on the south front lawn where there is very little shade.

As the season comes to an end we are now concerned about caring for them over the winter months. Do you have any helpful tips?

PS. Hubby is back to his normal routine minus his need cigars and alcohol.

      What a blessing that is for us!

      I have an eye exam on Sept. 6th and a heart stress test on Sept.11. 

      I am hoping that both will show no serious set backs but one never knows.

FRUITS in ABUNDANCE

 This was the summer that I had the inclination to pass on a skill I learned from a dear aunt. Our daughter was here on vacation from UK from June 27th till August 9th. To brighten up our days we took time out to go to Whittamore's Farm where we gathered up some scrumptious fruits. Ripe red raspberries were a great hit and yielded her first ever batch of jam.

For my palette I enjoyed the tart red currants and the sweet wild blue berries. Hubby loved the rhubarb in a cake and we are loving the peaches.

P.S. Hubby has made a satisfactory recovery with improvements each day. I thank you all for your kindness during this period of anxiety.