Showing posts with label walk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walk. Show all posts

Thursday, September 7, 2023

One Thursday in September

I watch the cooking show Mary Makes it Easy and saw this chicken pot pie hand pie recipe being made.  I decided to try it out because the hand pies appealed to me as a 'grab and go' snack or an easy meal served with a side salad.  I also made some chicken pasta soup so I don't have to cook tomorrow. I usually give myself a day or two off from cooking on a Friday or a Saturday.  (Click on any photo to enlarge).


I have to fast for an abdominal ultrasound in the morning but have already tried the hand pies and they are delicious. I still have some filling and will make more very soon but have to buy more ready made pastry or make some.

I try to get in a short walk every other day or so.  These are some photos I took around 8 p.m. last night just as the sun was setting.






I had to return a few books to the library.  If interested I would recommend The Rose Code by Kate Quinn and the Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly.  The first book is quite fascinating and is based loosely on historical facts about the role of women as codebreakers in WW2.  The other book, is also based on true events of a woman who pursued a medical career as a nurse during the time of the US Civil War when women in the battlefield were considered a bother.


I also picked up this book which I'd placed on hold.  Chita is the memoir of Chita Rivera,  famous for appearing as Anita in the Broadway musical West Side Story, among many other roles. I saw her a few weeks ago on the Tamron Hall Show and she still looks and sounds fantastic.  She's a true inspiration at 90 years of age, still limber and dancing on the stage.


Here is the interview if you'd like to see it too.


Thanks for stopping by!






Friday, January 28, 2022

Snapshots over the Week

I had a good week. Though I got off to a slow start I made up for it by the end of the week. 

I had what is probably my last appointment with the plastic surgeon about my facial injuries. They have healed well. Though I have a barely noticeable indentation, it will likely continue to heal over the coming year. In any case, the specialist said I am not a candidate for plastic surgery given underlying health conditions. His statement made me all the more grateful that my face has healed so well. Honestly it looked a fright at the end of September. The difference is like night and day.

The photo below shows the atrium in the Diamond Pavilion of the Vancouver General Hospital where I saw the specialist. I think the ceiling is fabulous. Can you see the stylized canoe, paddler and paddle? A friend joined me as he had an appointment in the same building a few hours after me. We sat and enjoyed a visit over coffee.


 

He has been living downtown near a different hospital over the past months as he has required frequent visits to the hospital. I understand that he will now lose 3 more toes from his right foot after having lost 2 toes about 2 or 3 years ago. Ever since he had the amputation he has had nothing but troubles with his foot and infections in his bone which is why he is now having further amputation. Without it he may lose his entire leg.

The collage below shows some of the street scenes on my walk to the specialist appointment. You can see the day was a bit foggy. We've had a few foggy days this week but the week has ended with beautiful sunshine.



I picked up two new books at the library. Though I have a goal to reduce my reading this year, I find the first months of the year are good for reading when it is still dark and one doesn't have the energy or natural light to do much else like sewing or certain crafts which require light.

I was treated to dinner on Thursday night. I always love a night when I don't have to cook though I still have to do the dishes.

Thank you for stopping by for a visit.

Have a wonderful weekend wherever you are.


Monday, March 15, 2021

Signs of Spring & Cooking Q & A

I had to pick something up in the neighbourhood on Saturday evening. 

I walked to my destination and back and took these photos along the way. 

The air was nice and warm so the walk was lovely. 

Afterward I met a friend for a coffee. Of course we followed the procedures which are in place.

Crocuses are always the first signal of spring season.





I love this little outside cafe area.

This building with the bricks and bay windows has always been a favourite of mine.

The public murals on buildings (right side) is always a beautiful sight. Can you see the pussy willows?

I love the lace like effect of the branches and the brick building in background.

A beautiful sunset but I didn't have the best view of it for photo taking.

This building is a church I attended before they sold it and turned it into condos.

 

Tonight the weather was much different. It was very windy and cold. 

But I think spring is around the corner (she says hopefully).

 Joining in with Our World Tuesday 

 and

 I'm also joining in with Tuesday 4 Meme which is hosted by Annie at Cottage by the Sea and in memory of Toni Taddeo.

This week's theme is cooking.

 

1.  What is the most valuable kitchen utensil you have or one you use often and could not live without?

My most valuable kitchen utensil is probably my blender stick. I use it often but so far it is best at whipping up instant puddings and whipping cream.  I actually bought it to make blended soups but have only used it once for that purpose, lol. I also use it to whip potatoes into mashed but I prefer using a potato masher and doing it manually. 

2. Do you have any fancy gadgets like air fryers, etc in your kitchen? How are they working out for you?

I do not own an air fryer though I'd like one. My brother and his wife enjoy using theirs. I do have some appliances (juicers, food processor, Kitchen Aid mixer. George Foreman Grill and Vitamix blending machine). I  don't really use the juicers anymore because the Vitamix does it all. I love the Kitchen Aid for mixing up bread or dough for cinnamon buns or pizzas. I don't use the food processor that much except to shred cheese. I don't find it does a great job of it.  I love a George Foreman Grill but mine has seen better days. I still use it now and then. I forgot to mention the Instant Pot (IP) until someone mentioned it in the comments. I do like my IP because it softens tough meats and makes cooking beans much quicker. I also forgot to mention the rice cooker which get called into action several times a week so it has more than paid for itself.

3. Do you have any step or labor saving ideas that make cooking and meal preparation easier?

The only thing I do from time to time is advance preparation of vegetables and meats or fowl. If you chop up vegetables ahead of time and or prepare the meat a day ahead, it makes cooking much more fun. However, you still have to do the dishes. I prefer doing dishes by hand rather than loading and unloading the dishwasher.

4. What is your favorite recipe of all time? Would you share it with us?

I don't have a favourite recipe that was handed down to me. I cook mostly everything from my childhood or that we ate in my family. It is all by 'feel' rather than recipe. If I want to try a dish mom never made, I google it and try the recipe with the fewest ingredients. I'm not afraid to omit ingredients or substitute ingredients within reason (using common sense). I'm a lazy cook at heart. It needs to be easy or I won't  try it since cooking has never been my favourite thing. If I try a new recipe I will often post it on my blog so I can search for it later.

 

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Fantastic Walk to Granville Market - Pt. 3

Well my friends, it is so good to see you back for the 3rd and final installment of my blog posts on the fantastic walk to the wonderful Granville Island Market. If you missed parts 1 and 2, you can catch up here and here.

When I left off, I was just about to continue the walk along the waterfront represented in the photo below.


I did that until I arrived just under the Granville Street Bridge.


That is the bridge above my head in this photo. I will continue the walk straight ahead.  Immediately to the left of the bridge pillar is the famous chain of steak restaurants, The Keg. 

Just a few short minutes and here I am right out side the public market, better known as Granville Island Market.


The market itself is housed in this big yellow and red building. It contains fresh produce of all kinds, fresh meats, delicatessens, honey and home made crafts and goods. There is also ready made food to eat.  Just outside where the benches are, buskers will sing and you can sit or stand and be entertained.


Here is a young lady now singing "Heart of Gold" by well known Canadian musician, Neil Young.  I love the song and she is singing very well.


Behind the young woman you will see shops. There are wonderful shops all over the island, many of them house the works of gifted artisans and uniquely west coast products.

Here is a photo of the wonderfully, fresh produce available for purchase.  You can find all sorts of local produce and ingredients here but you can also find the more exotic. Many people love to shop here. Even though it is more expensive, it is fresh and it "moves" quickly.


By now it is getting to be after 3 p.m. and I haven't had lunch yet so I head straight to the food area.  It is fairly busy at the food court. I guess everyone loves to eat at the market.


I always want fish and chips when I come to the market. A public market on the waterfront is about fish.

While I eat, I listen to more great tunes sung by the man close to the door.  Can you see him? He is just under the exit sign.


I also people watch. I was fascinated by the women at the table in the photo below. They were primping and preening in public (putting on lipstick, etc.) right at the table after eating. You might have a hard time seeing them but they are to the far left of the photo. They were "Betty Boop" lookalikes. I'm thinking there is a Betty Boop club in town as there are a lot of young women about these days with "the look". (Oops, I meant Bettie Page. Betty Boop is a cartoon character with a totally different hairstyle).


Now that I have finished lunch I want to go out nearer to the water and watch the boats and the sea gulls. I want to get a photo of the sea ferry for you too.

I got lucky. There was a beautiful photo shoot going on. A young Asian couple who had just gotten married were having a photo shoot on the boardwalk right on the water.


I had to get in on the photo action too! lol. I think this couple will be very pleased with the photos in their album.  Can you see the photographer's equipment bag in the forefront of the photo below?


These kayakers look like they are having fun as I wait for the ferry to pass by.


Here is one larger ferry (above).  There is also a smaller fleet of ferrys. These ferrys are great as they take you just across to the city or back to the Island and a few other points for $2.00.  These are very short rides but lots of fun.

Now I leave you with some flowers. Aren't they simply beautiful? There is every colour of the rainbow here.

I've had a fantastic day and a fantastic walk. It was especially nice to have you along. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Now I make my way home again.  This time I make my way back to a bus by walking back under the Granville Bridge.


On my way, I pass by another marina. Here you can rent a boat for a few hours.


I take my last look at the seawall which continues toward Burrard Bridge (westward) just before I get to the bus stop.


Lovely.

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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Fantastic Walks in Vancouver - Granville Island Market (Part 2)

Thank you for returning to continue the journey to the Granville Island Market with me. I am making my way through a lovely walk in the False Creek Development area and on to the Granville Island Market. If you missed the first part of the walk, you can join me here.

As I carry on my walk through the waterfront development, I am in bliss. The sea air is strong today and I love it. I can't smell it in the residential area where I live though it isn't so terribly far from this place. Once that salt air hits my olfactory senses as it does today, I always question what took me so long to return to this place.

The view in the photo below is north and slightly east. The high rises across the water are in downtown Vancouver. I can't describe for you what a fantastically beautiful day it is today but with the blue sky and green grass, I think you can see for yourself.


Today there is an abundance of fragrance and colour from all the flowering trees and bushes. Don't you love the stand out red colour of this Rhododendron?

Next up is a photo of some of the condominium developments here on the False Creek Development. It isn't a great photo as the school gates block the view but at least you will have some idea that the people who live in these condominiums (condos) have beautiful northfacing views of the water, high rises and North Shore mountains.

False Creek is a inlet in the heart of the city which separates the downtown area from the rest of the city. Believe it or not, this area was a prime industrial area up until the 1950s. This area fell into ruin as industry started moving to other locations and it is fortuitous that some people of vision had a plan for this area as multi-use community that is vibrant and thriving. If it weren't for them, this area could have been over run with city freeways instead. This area fascinates me because the residential parts are set up so as to have low-income (social housing), co-operative housing, live-aboard marinas and fair market value housing all co-existing in the same small area of land. It appears to be working very well.



This next photo is the local elementary school. I think any child attending school here would be very blessed indeed to have such a wonderful playground with idyllic scenery; in the heart of the city, yet away from all the hustle and bustle.


You can see the backdrop to the playground area. See way over there? You can see a bridge. It is called Granville Bridge and the market where I am going is located directly under the bridge. I still have a ways to go before I get to the market so let us continue.


I've noticed that park rules are more stringent now than the last time I was here. Owners can only have their dogs off leash at certain hours and they must pick up the dog doo. This sign tells you more and also has bags hanging below in case you don't have one.


These pink boards appear to be an art installation. They are the same hexoganal shape as a stop sign except they are pink and they don't say "stop".  They occupy a prime piece of outdoor space.

Here are a couple more photos of the mixed residential properties in the area.


These next few snap shots are facing north east.


This tourist couple (above) seems to be from Germany. At least I heard them talking in German. The walk around the waterways in Vancouver are popular with locals and tourists alike.  The photo below is of boats and yachts moored at one of the marinas in the False Creek area.


This last photo is one taken to the west. You can see the fenced path just along the water front and the path continues in a circular way just beyond those trees. That is where I am heading.


I think I will end today's walk here as I have enough photos left of the final leg of the trip to fill one more blog post. I hope you will join me again soon as I make my way to my destination. It is Sunday in most parts of the world now if you are reading this shortly after it is posted. So put up your feet and have a nice cup of tea and check in with me again soon. Bring your sneakers so we can conclude our walk in comfort.

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It Was a Spectacular Day! ~ Skywatch

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