Sunday Lunch at Our Place

Our friend Andrea came over for a late lunch and some movie watching on Sunday, and as always, it was a delight having her here.

She arrived around 1:30, just as I was putting the cake I made for dessert into the oven. I quickly made a salad dressing then joined her at the kitchen table, where we had a glass of wine and chatted with Nick as he prepared the salad and the main course. (I was forbidden from taking a picture of him wearing his apron and hairnet.)

Out with the Old, In with the New – A Look at a Building Being Demolished in Toronto

My friend Kim and I went to the movies recently (we saw Gone Girl and both thought it was good and reflected the book well).

The theatre (this one) is an easy walk for us ... well, I should say, it is normally an easy walk for us. But these days, there is so much construction going on in Toronto that all along our walk we had to keep crossing from one side of the street to the other, and then back again, dodging puddles of mud and drips of water falling from the roofs temporary tunnels installed to keep pedestrians and work-sites separated. All that while surrounded by the sounds of roaring cement trucks and banging jack hammers.

It was a shock to the senses, no doubt, and a true testament that there is a whole lot of change going on in this city right now. According to this news story published in August, there were 37 condominium high-rise buildings begun this year, which will yield a total 7,600 new housing units. Most of these towers are being built in the downtown core of the city, where it seems like there is an active construction site (or three) on every block.

The experience with Kim reminded me of this set of photos I took last fall. This site, which was one that we had to cross the road to get past, is currently a huge hole in the ground, where layers of underground parking are being built, which will be topped by 17 stories of housing. (It is this building.) These shots of of the demolition of the building they had to take down in order to construct the new one.

A Crocheted Rose Brooch

In my previous post, here, I included some photos of me taken while we were out in Toronto's Kensington Market area on the weekend. I was wearing this newly crocheted rose brooch in the pictures.

I first spotted this style of crocheted flower on Pinterest and was taken by how much the example looked like a real rose. I just had to try this interesting looking technique out for myself. The outcome made a cheerful accessory to dress up my plain denim jacket.

A Sunday Morning in Toronto’s Kensington Market

Here are some photos of a walk to Kensington Market we took on Sunday morning. It was clear and sunny out, although cool enough that we needed hats, scarves and gloves. Really it was one of those perfect autumn days and I am so glad I got up and out with Nick after he announced he was going. (He goes a few times a week and, especially on a Sunday morning, I am more apt to let him go on his own.)Here are some pictures taken on the way ...

Mr. Sociable : The Squirrel Who Knows Us

I quite like squirrels but I've never really gotten to know one from another by sight. They were all just part of the group out in the garden.

That's until this brown coloured one was born in a nest in a neighbour's tree this past spring. I specify 'brown coloured' because he is technically of the gray squirrel species, which not-true-to-their-name are often very dark, almost black. So this one stands out around here with his light brown coat. We originally thought he was a 'she' when he was a baby, but let's just say that he has now grown into his manhood.

Not only was he different than the rest in colour, but right from the beginning he was quite curious and friendly towards us. Not friendly in an alarming 'there is something wrong with that squirrel' way, but more in a 'comfortable and not afraid to be around us' way.

During the summer when we spent time on the deck he was often around, just sitting on the fence, or popping his head up over the leaves of the vine, as if to say hello.

Eddie the cat knows him too ... one afternoon while I was out there, the squirrel came right down and sat beside Eddie, who had absolutely no problem with that whatsoever. So there I sat with my pet cat and my sort-of pet squirrel.