Reality Bites!

Weather is always a popular topic in our hemisphere - North America - and more specifically, in Canada. I live in Toronto, and today we got our first real chill of the dreaded next season: we are still in autumn, but, it's coming (winter!).

Just a few days ago, I enjoyed a lovely walk among the colorful trees in a nearby arboretum, which also happens to be a cemetery...enjoy the photos.

Canadian Thanksgiving

happy Thanksgiving weekend to all Canadian readers - in Toronto we are having wonderful temperatures and sunshine. The leaves are changing color in the city, having already done so in northern regions...it's coming...the dreaded W word! let's enjoy this while it lasts.

some images from the summer of 08

How I spent my summer vacation

what a great summer - travel, painting, taking pictures, meeting new friends with common interests, highlights: a week-long oil painting workshop in June on the shores of Lake Huron in Southhampton, Ontario - next: a week-long acrylic painting workshop at the Kenderdine Campus of the University of Saskatchewan's property on Emma Lake, n.w. of Prince Albert, Sask. What a thrill to be there with the lingering spirits of the Regina Five and their summer visitors from Manhattan circa the 1950s-60s. My own little cabin, use of a large studio and the magnificent outdoors - great company, working with 23 other artists...followed by a week in beautiful British Columbia visiting the most wonderful grandchild in the world (mine!).

it's a heatwave!

greetings, gentle reader: Summer weather came upon us suddenly in Toronto yesterday, through today and promises to stay for a while -- during power walking this morning, it was noticeable as we acclimatised ourselves to the new conditions...thank goodness for wick-away socks, hats, shirts, and - unflattering as they may be: the capris, or as we used to call them in Montreal, pedal pushers...good shoes are de rigeur of course when you are walking for exercise... strolling along by the lake with a friend is another great pleasure, as is window shop walking...which reminds me, gotta get the bike out soonest!
Today I am adding a photo of what I gaze upon from my balcony when the moon is full over Lake Ontario's inner harbour in Toronto. I could look at the moon's reflection on the water for hours.

Canadian long weekend

good day - here it is in the middle of our traditional May long weekend. In our climate it is the weekend that signals the beginning of the gardening season - hopefully "risk of frost" is a phrase no longer heard in the weather reports (of which we are obsessive!)
Cottagers open their weekend retreats, put in their docks, sweep out the detrius of winter and look forward to the lazy, hazy days of weekends to come with promised warmth and sunshine.
Other city dwellers, such as this writer, stay behind and enjoy our bustling surroundings in a variety of ways: visiting friends for dinner, leisurely coffee sipping, gallery hopping, exercise walks, get at that stack of books on the 'to be read' shelf, listen to the radio - have you heard that song of Nanci Griffiths (U.S. singer) called "if you can't find a friend, listen to the radio", it is hilarious and comforting...but I digress...back to books, one of mine to be read is by Nuala O'Faolain, I read her first one "Are you Somebody?" and I've had her 3rd book, "Almost There" on my shelf since it came out over 4 yrs ago, I think - well, today I learned that this wonderful woman writer, from Ireland, passed away on May 9th this year; and because I listen to our Canadian public radio, CBC, there have been repeat broadcasts today of a couple of past interviews she had done - so funny, so inspiring, so poignant...think I'll start that book today.

Luminato in Toronto last summer

Last year we had the very first Luminato Festival in Toronto, summer of 2007. One of the features was a light sculpture installation - set up outdoors by The Power Plant, one of this city's contemporary art galleries.
This year, Luminato returns again in early June. Here are two photos taken from my 26th floor balcony, overlooking the harbour and the light sculpture.

Finally, Spring!

where I live, we've had a long, cold winter. This coming week we will finally have balmier temperatures and rain to wash all the winter away...I took some photos of tulips today, thought I'd share one with you.

recently, there was an ice sculpture exhibit in Toronto, where I live this piece was so whimsical, it caught my eye! enjoy...

Sunflowers are my favorite - I recently painted this image in acrylic on canvas, thought I'd share it here.

almost one year later...

here I am again...I thought I'd reactivate this page;
there is always so much to do, places to go, people to see, projects to manage, songs to sing, pictures to paint, photos to take, books to read, music to hear...chocolate to savor...wine to sip...paths to walk...mountains to climb (not me, maybe you?)...grandbabies to kiss and hug...magazines to skim...oceans to sail, lakes and rivers to kayak...a partner to share with...a partner to search for...dreams to come true...