Autumn Nights ~ Tuesday 4

Annie at Cottage by the sea is our host for Tuesday 4 and she writes 

"Autumn evenings were always special when I was a kid.  The day ended early and the family gathered in the living room where my mother and grandmother watched a little TV and my father sat on the sofa reading and smoking his pipe.  My parents enjoyed a cup of coffee and sometimes a snack."

Here are the questions she poses (and my answers) this week.

1. Does your life go along in the same way all year or do  things change with the seasons?

My life goes along in more or less the same way all year. The thing that changes is that I am indoors a lot more once the summer ends simply because it's cooler and often rainy. It keeps me from wanting to go out unless I have something specific I need or want to do.  

Where I live the weather is inclement for half a year so if we want to do something we have to plunge ahead and do it, not wait for better weather.

2. Do you have a favorite meal on the chilly night?

I don't really have a favourite meal on a chilly night but as the weather gets colder I do need to fuel my body with hot and more substantial food than at other times of the year. Having a salad during our winters just doesn't cut it though I wish it did.

3.  Do you have a snack while you watch TV or read?

Yes indeed. I usually have a hot drink of herbal tea or regular tea with milk (the Kenyan way) or if I don't feel too cold I might have a cold drink. If I have a hot drink I will always have something to go with it like a few cookies, a piece of cake or pastry. On a rarer occasion, I'll have crackers and cheese or yogurt with fruit.  I'll often make a fruit smoothie for my cold drink and add some healthy things like chia seeds and sometimes green protein powder.  This becomes my dessert and also boosts my nutritional intake.

4. Do you have a fireplace in your home?

I have a fireplace but very seldom use it. In fact it doesn't even work. The pilot light keeps going out and I only got it fixed once. I could light it myself but I'm afraid to do it.  My fireplace likes needs replacing because the pilot light keeps going out.  Fixing it is not top priority because of all the other building projects and special assessments. One thing about living in a condo is you don't plan the overall capital expenditures yourself though you do vote on them and you do have a legal obligation to make sure the capital projects are done and paid. You don't control the timeline or negotiate costs of expenditures unless you sit on the Strata Council or are the Strata Manager.  Not every building has a strata manager because they need to be paid just like any other service.

Thanks for stopping by for a blog visit.

Autumn Arrived ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to my blog. I'm sharing a few photos taken near the end of September showing some of the autumn foliage. The weather had been quite hot for some time but autumn arrived suddenly with lots of rain and colder weather.

I feel the chill in the air as I sit and write this post.  The cold air blows through the vents in the hallway and in the apartment.  It happens every year when the heat of the summer turns to the chill of autumn.  I always have to remind the caretaker to adjust the air flow.  I don't think it bothers too many people.  There are really only 2 or 3 units that are most affected because of where the vents are located and I'm often the one bringing the issue up at this time of year. 

Anyway, I took the following photos when I exited my class at the community centre from a different door from where I'd entered earlier in the day.  I was surprised to see how the leaves have turned from green to the golden colours of autumn.  You can see in the photos that a lot of leaves have already fallen because it got quite windy and rainy over the past few weekends. 

The white bags and the umbrella have been set up by a local group that was organizing a community clean up.  Many people had signed up to help out and they were waiting around for things to get underway.

This building with curved windows was built quite some time ago.  It was one of the tallest buildings in the general neighbourhood at the time.  However there are now multiple building projects awaiting development in the neighbourhood and they'll be 25 to 30 stories high.  

Part of the City's plan is to mandate developers to build residences in the immediate vicinity of the new sky train and subway stations in the neighbourhood.  One of the new stations is about a block west from where this condominium building is located.  The details are in a document called The Broadway Plan which I've read.  It gave me good insight into the plan for how high the buildings can be built and where they will likely be located.  There isn't any land left to continue building single family dwellings.  Such an expansion of high rises will definitely change the nature of the area.

By the time this post goes 'live', our weather may well have changed. It will be nice to see the sun again but at this time of year we begin seeing much more rain.

Take care and thanks for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post.

October Reading ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Tuesday 4 in memory of our friend Toni Taddeo.

Most people love to read.  It opens other worlds to us.  Autumn weather is often conducive to reading as weather can be chillier and rainy. Cozying up with a book can be a lovely way to spend some time.

How do you relax in the evening after dinner? 

By watching television, working on the computer or by reading a good book.

Do you read in bed? What kind of books do you read?

I do read in bed but not that often as I don't find it comfortable. I usually sit and read on my sofa.  I try to read all kinds of books but I tend to read more historical fiction than anything else.

Do you have a list of books you look forward to reading?

I keep a very long list of books to read and I'm always adding new titles. I can get most of them at my local library or have them sent there from the city's inter-library system. I seldom buy books these days because there are just so many available through the library.  I do get the itch to buy a book but will only buy them used and if they are a very good price at the thrift store on a rare visit there.

What is the best book you've ever read and why?  Or how about the worst book you feel you wasted time reading?

I have several books and authors I've read that I call 'the best'.  Some of my all time favourite authors are Mauve Binchy (Evening Class), Rosamunde Pilcher (The Shell Seekers),  Abraham Verghese (Cutting for Stone), Khalid Hosseini (The Kite Runner), Rohinton Mistry (A Fine Balance), Sandra Gulland (The Josephine B. Trilogy), Ken Follett (The Century Trilogy), Lisa See (The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane),  Karen Blixen (Out of Africa), Jane Austin (Pride & Prejudice) & Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina).  There are many more and so you see it is difficult to choose one best book and author. 

There have also been a few books that I feel I wasted time on. Some of them I plodded on and read them anyway.  But in the last few years I've started shelving them rather than waste time especially if I've dawdled over reading it and it's due back at the library.  One book that I can clearly recall not liking is President Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" (I own this one and recently gave it away). I was quite surprised because I really enjoyed his book "Dreams of My Father".  I'm afraid I didn't keep good track of the others I've more recently shelved including a cosy mystery I tried reading last month. It was very highly rated but I could not get into it.

Other

This is a Public Service Announcement for Canadians. If you haven't yet heard about several bills that are currently before the Parliament of Canada for consideration, please pay attention to the following short video 

and the particular legislative proposals mentioned therein. Also, share this information as widely as you can.  The rights of citizens in virtually every nation around the world are being eroded before our eyes and Canada is no exception.  We need to do what we can to protect our rights. Please investigate these items and contact your local Member of Parliament with your concerns.

C 2 - Would Allow Canada Post to open your mail at the border without your consent.

C 5 - Could pull funds that are paid to provinces affecting national unity.

C 8 -  Would give the government power to order the shut down of all your Internet and phone if you are deemed to be a threat.  

C 9 - Changing definition of hate speech and giving government the power to charge you without Attorney General approval.

The above descriptions are taken directly from the video above, not through my own research. The next step is for people to do their own research and contact their local Members of Parliament with their concerns.

Here is a link to the bills currently before Parliament including the Bills I've mentioned above.

This link will take you to a page showing you the current status of each bill and identifies the stage of the legislative process they are currently in.

Last, but not least, here is a link to find your Member of Parliament should you need assistance in finding your local MP.

 

A Thing of Beauty ~ 2

 The setting sun and the early autumn flowers makes for a thing of beauty.

More recent photos show that fall colours are well underway in some parts of the city. Things turned very suddenly it seemed and the temperatures also cooled suddenly and quickly.

In the Park ~ Skywatch Friday

It was over a week ago now when I made my visit to our small community plot at a local park.  I was there to cut down the majority of the sunflowers in my garden.  There was an awful lot going on in the sky that evening as well.

I left one rather tall sunflower plant because it's still blooming nicely.

Thank you for stopping to visit my Skywatch Friday post.  Enjoy your weekend.

A Thing of Beauty ~1

 (To see my Tuesday 4 post please click here.)

Thank you for stopping by! 

Have a great week. 💗💗💗

Hooray for Hollywood Part 2 ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo it's first host and founder. How about the subject of Hollywood, it's 'stars', its products and it's affect on the world? 

1.  Which of the big movie stars of the past were your favorites? 

I have many favourite big movie stars of the past: Gregory Peck, Vivian Leigh, Maureen O'Hara, Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed, Joan Crawford & Betty Davis and more.

2.  What movie is the funniest you've seen? How about the most romantic?

I have two movies I'd like to mention as the funniest movies I've ever seen.  The first movie my mom and I watched together at the movie theatre back in the 1984.  We laughed so hard and never forget the movie reliving it's funny moments that made us laugh so much over the years.   It's called Johnny Dangerously and stars Michael Keaton and Maureen Stapleton. The character Johnny is played by Keaton who acts like a good boy at home but is living a double life as a gangster in order to pay for his neurotic mother's medical bills.  The reason that the film appealed to us is that Johnny's mom was a hypochondriac and a lot of that things she complained about were things my latest mom would also complain about.  In mom's case the health issues were real but doctors sometimes had to be "convinced".  It's a shame when you have to convince doctors to listen to you and take things seriously rather than dismiss you outright but we found the movie very funny.

Click here for a little teaser.  The full movie can be watched on You Tube but don't watch if you have sensitive ears. There is no actual swearing in the movie but there are words you can decipher which are used in place of swear words. 

The other movie I saw on an airplane on trip back to Ontario with my boss at the time.  The movie is My Cousin Vinny starring Marissa Tomei and Joe Pesci. We laughed so hard and probably disturbed the other passengers.

Click here for a preview.  The character Vinny, played by Joe Pesci is a newly minted lawyer who gets a desperate call to defend his cousin. It's clear that Vinny doesn't know what he's doing but his girlfriend played by Marissa Tomei helps him out with her expert car knowledge and along the way, Vinny learns the ropes.

There are several contenders for the most romantic movie.  I'll pick Out of Africa with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.  Mostly because I love both actors and I love Kenya where the movie was filmed.  Here is a clip from the film showing the beauty of Kenya.

3.  Do you watch the Oscars or the Emmy Awards shows?  

I watch the Oscars most years but it seems like I've missed the last few years. These days I'm not enjoying the ultra rich celebs congratulate themselves so many times a year on various award shows.

4.  Some movies, plays had a big impact on people.  Orson Welles radio performance of War of the Worlds was broadcast on Halloween 1938 and people, causing panic and widespread hysteria especially in the Grover's Mill area of New Jersey where the "invasion" took place.

Is there a movie that you were greatly influenced or affected by hopefully in a good way?

It's a Wonderful Life. A movie starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.  A feel good movie that illustrates that one life can make a huge difference in the lives of many.

Thanks for dropping by and thank you so much for participating and making this a lot of fun for everyone.

A Cloud 'Blob' ~ Skywatch Friday

I found this weird cloud (photos 1 & 3) in my neighbourhood the other day. I stopped to take a couple photos but they didn't turn out well. I've never seen such a cloud before. Does anyone know what it's called?

It was a beautiful, sunny day and still quite warm. I understand we're supposed to get rain on the weekend, possibly even Friday night.   I can't complain about our weather as it's been quite nice.

Thanks for stopping by my Skywatch Friday post. Have a wonderful weekend.

Autumnal Equinox ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4... are you ready for Autumn?

Monday,  September 22 is the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of the Autumn season.  

Autumn is the name of the season and fall is the term for the time of Autumn when leaves begin to fall from the trees.   Let's discuss it.....

1. Are there pumpkins or chrysanthemums on your porch or are you planning on putting some out?  

No. Most of us in Canada do not decorate for the seasons. We generally only decorate for the major holidays.

2. Are stores around you showing Autumn clothing and decor now?  Here in New Jersey, leaves on some trees are changing slowly and temperatures are way down. What is it like in your neck of the woods?

I haven't been in the stores for a long time other than grocery stores and pharmacies. A few days ago, I noticed that the pharmacy has their Hallowe'en items out on the shelves. It means that clothing stores and other retail shops likely have their autumn items out now. The leaves have only just started to turn colour but not much yet. 

3. Do you have plans for Thanksgiving yet?

I have thought about the Thanksgiving meal. We'll probably have chicken with stuffing and all the sides instead of a big turkey.           

4 . If we can arrange an autumn trip or get away for you, where will you choose to go and why?

I don't much feel like travelling with all the turmoil in the world. DH has been away in Kenya for some business related matters and to see family. I hope he'll get home before long. He didn't want to be away so long but dealing with the government business can sometimes take awhile.  

If I did take a journey I would only want to go up country a bit. It's fantastic weather and scenery at this time of year. We call the area the Thompson Okanagan, around Kamloops, Chase, Kelowna. I would also like to go even much farther north to Prince George and beyond into northern British Columbia around Dawson Creek and Alberta around Grande Prairie and Edmonton. Autumn is the best season to see the beauty of the area. 

Here is a map so you can have a look (Click on the map so you can read the names).

Also, if you click here you can see some posts and photos of the area I've made in previous postings. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

Sky in Mid- September - Skywatch Friday

I took these photos on a sunny day.  

The air is now cooler during the day and especially at night despite the sunshine. Sometimes our hot weather can last well into Fall but it's a bit too early to see how things will play out this year.  

Rain was expected for a day or two shortly after I took these photos.

Overcast skies and rain did, in fact arrive in time for Car Free Day. I didn't actually attend the festival so these photos were taken at the very end of the day when stalls were being taken down and many people had left for home.  There seems to have been a good turnout despite the weather.

I did a bit of food shopping then went to the J.J. Bean coffee shop to have a coffee and read. It was a good way to end the weekend.

Thank you for visiting my Skywatch Friday post.