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You are here: Home / Archives for Culture / Toronto

January snow blues

January 11, 2009 by Tricia

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I look outside and everything is a blanket of white. While it’s nice to see a fresh blanket of snow on the ground (I mean rather than old slushy dirty snow), to be frank I’m getting darn tired of it.

I don’t hate winter. Heck, I live in Canada – born and raised in Ottawa (tied for coldest capital with Moscow) so there’s no way I’d survive here if I hated winter. However, here in Toronto the snow usually doesn’t stay.

It snows, lasts for a day or two and then melts away, or that’s the way it’s been for most of the time I’ve lived here … however the last two years have been snow, snow and more snow and to top it off it rained most of last summer. Hopefully you can’t blame me for being more than a little tired of dull grey skies and all the white stuff.

What I need is some color and I thought that some of my readers who are going through the same thing I am (snow, snow and more snow) might also appreciate a cheery flower.

So here’s a lovely daylily that I grow in my garden. it’s called Bonanza. I think the name suits this vibrant yellow flower – don’t you?

IMGP2979

Now how’s that for some color?

BTW if you want to see another summer flower I have a great picture of my Clematis growing over a birdhouse on my gardening blog.





Filed Under: Canada, Gardening, Green Thumb Sunday, Photography, Toronto Tagged With: bloom, bonanza, cheery, color, daylily, dreery, flower, Green_Thumb_Sunday, grey_skies, GTS, January_blues, rainy_summer, snow, snowing, tired_of_snow, winter, winter_blues, winter_cold, yellow

Ok snow, you can stop now

January 7, 2009 by Tricia

It’s been snowing here in Toronto since last night. Steadily!

We’ve had everything from snow flurries to freezing rain to ice pellets. It’s only snowing at the moment, but it’s going to keep laying down the fluffy stuff until sometime tomorrow. (Actually it looks like it’s going to snow on and off until Tuesday!)

I shoveled last night when the snow on the ground was light, and a few times today when it was heavy and wet. Now my back is aching. Plus, with that slippery layer of ice underneath the snow in some areas you just about need to have safety equipment on while you’re shoveling! LOL Ok, it wasn’t that bad, but still … enough already!

I was saving the end of the driveway for when my husband came home from work. With my back already aching that heavy slushy snow that the snow plows leave at the end of the driveway was just too much for my back to handle.

Our new neighbors weren’t out there shoveling the driveway at all either. That ticked me off a bit since they now own half the driveway. However they managed to redeem themselves by early evening. You see the new neighbor has a snow plow business (pickup trucks with shovels on the front) and he brought one of his trucks over to clear out a parking space for his car in front of their house … which of course meant that he also scooped up that big heavy ridge of slushy snow at the end of the driveway.

So that took away the worst shoveling job and Chris had much less snow to remove when he got home from work. It only took him about ten minutes and since he wasn’t all that tired from shoveling we both took the dog on a long walk through the snow streets. Now that made us all tired!

I just hope that the snow that’s falling now and into tomorrow is the light fluffy kind. I don’t mind shoveling that – even if the shoveling does get to my back, I can still usually get the job done before my back is really bad.

Is it snowing in your area too? How are you coping with all the shoveling? No … don’t tell me you have a snow blower or that you live in a warm climate! Arghhh!

Filed Under: Home and Lifestyle, Items to Try, The Neighborhood, Toronto Tagged With: aching_back, back, Chris, heavy_snow, husband, neighbors, ridge_of_snow, shoveling, slush, snow, snowing, snow_plow, snow_storm

Earl Grey Tea, Beebalm and finally … a belated Christmas dinner

January 4, 2009 by Tricia

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I’m finally getting around to having my true Christmas dinner. Yeah, I know, I said we went to my in-laws for Christmas dinner on Xmas day, but she cooked pressed chicken breasts and I guess Christmas isn’t Christmas to me without having some turkey.

So we are just about ready to sit down and have some turkey. I bought a large double turkey breast and it’s almost done. I also made roast potatoes, peas, stuffing, and a broccoli carrot mix to go with dinner. Oh and we can’t forget the cranberry jelly and a slice of apple pie for desert (couldn’t find any pumpkin pie < sob > ).  I honestly don’t know if I’ll have room for desert, but I’ll try!

As I’m waiting for dinner to finish cooking (yes I know it’s a bit late) I’m sitting here having a cup of Earl Grey Tea. I haven’t had Earl Grey in ages! I love Bergamot.

Did you know that a plant that many commonly grow in their gardens, BeeBalm, is also known as Bergamot or Oswego Tea?

I grow Beebalm in my garden. It’s a hybrid variety called Aquarius. It’s a lovely plant with hot pink flowers.

Bee Balm Monardo aquarius

When I’m in the garden in the summer I love brushing by it’s leaves so that I can smell that lovely Bergamot scent. I really must remember to dry some of it’s leaves next year and try to make a tea with it. Hey it’s worth a try.

I’m glad we’re indoors this evening. We were supposed to have freezing rain all evening and through the night. We did have some rain in the afternoon and I think it left a slick on the roads and sidewalks, but it looks like the worst might have already passed us by. Still … it’s better to stay inside and have our belated Christmas/ New years dinner I think!

How are things in your part of the world?

Filed Under: Dining and Restaurants, Green Thumb Sunday, Home and Lifestyle, Photography, Toronto Tagged With: Beebalm, belated_Christmas_dinner, bergamot, desert, dinner, earl_grey_tea, flower, freezing_rain, full, garden, Green_Thumb_Sunday, GTS, indoors, leaves, oswego_tea, scent, turkey, wild_bergamot

Happy New Year to all!

December 31, 2008 by Tricia

Chris and I are having a cozy night at home this New Years eve. It’s much too cold (-22 C (-7.6 F)) to go down to Nathan Philips Square to watch the City TV New Years show and well … going out to a bar to celebrate is much too expensive.

Besides, our Toronto live show always sucks. Sorry … but it does. No big name entertainers, only up and coming possible future stars.

So we’re cuddled up on the couch with our dog Midnight and we’re watching the Niagara Falls (Ontario, Canada) celebration on TV. Roger Hodgson, one of the co-founders of Supertramp, is headlining the Niagara Falls show and he’s amazing.

I saw SuperTramp in concert on their last official tour of the original band. I believe it was in 1983. Yes, I know like all big bands that state “this is our final tour” they have come back again a few times, but never with all the original band members (I believe).

Supertramp has always been one of my favorite bands. Yes, I love classic rock (and indie, punk, techno – but classic rock will always be my favorite). Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Cheap Trick and similar bands along with Supertramp are in my top ten list.

So far I’ve heard Roger Hodgson sing The Logical Song, Give a Little Bit, Dreamer, School, and Take the Long Way Home – pretty much the top SuperTramp hits.

I’ve watched the Niagara Falls New Years show in the past and their performers (always big names) usually play until 12:30 so if you can get E or a CJOH station tune in. It’s a good show! kim Mitchell (Max Webster) is also playing. Maybe one year Chris and I will go to Niagara Falls for New Years and see their show.

Now as for the new year? I don’t really make New Years Resolutions. If I do at all it’s to be healthier in the new year than the year past. So far that hasn’t happened for me. I just keep getting sicker. But hey … I can hope, can’t I?

Actually I do have a little more hope for health in 2009.

A few days ago I got a call from my doctors office telling me that my Vitamin D levels were really low. That’s bad news but it gives me some hope. Now that might explain all my muscle stiffness and bone pain (and maybe my increasing back pain) and trouble sleeping over the last year or so. (Yeah, I don’t think being deficient in vitamin D is new, just newly discovered) So maybe now that I’m taking a heavy duty dose of Vitamin D I’ll start feeling a little better. Honestly if I could feel 25% better it would be wonderful, 50% better would be almost miraculous. I don’t dare hope for more than that, but it would be nice.

Whatever you are doing this evening – enjoying time with friends and family, attending a New years party or event or just staying in like my husband and I, I do hope that you are having a wonderful New years eve and I wish you all the best in the New Year.

Thank you for being loyal readers. You have no idea how much I appreciate your visits and comments. Happy New Year.

Filed Under: Canada, Chronic Pain, Health Fitness and Beauty, Home and Lifestyle, Inflammatory bowel disease, Life with Chris, Music, Nutrition, Toronto Tagged With: 2009, band, bone_pain, CityTV, Classic_rock, concert, Dreamer, entertainer, event, Give_a_little_bit, Health Fitness and Beauty, healthier, kim_Mitchell, Max_webster, muscle_aches, New_Years, New_Years_eve, new_years_show, Niagara_Falls, Roger_hodgson, School, singer, stiffness, Supertramp, Take_the_long_way_home, the_Logical_song, toronto_show, Tour, vitamin_d, vitamin_d_deficiency

Snow snow go away … and don’t come back!

December 21, 2008 by Tricia

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I’m a little late getting around to posting my Green Thumb Sunday post today because well … it’s been snowing like crazy here in Toronto. I’m taking a much needed break from snow shoveling right now.

Actually it’s not snowing that bad at this time, but the big snow plows and sidewalk plows are out doing work in our area so we have to keep going out and shoveling away the ridge of snow they keep depositing at the end of our walkway and our driveway.

Ugh … go away!

Anyway, if you’re getting slammed by snow or some other form of bad weather today you might appreciate seeing this late spring/ early summer bloomer – Pink Astilbe. isn’t it lovely?

Astilbe

I took this photo two years ago after we’d had a light rain in the garden. You can see tiny drops of rain on the flower petals. I think it gives it a frosty look which is totally suitable for this time of year. BTW did you know this is the first day of Winter?

Filed Under: Gardening, Green Thumb Sunday, Photography, The Neighborhood, Toronto, Tricia's Garden Tagged With: Astilbe, break, early_summer_flower, flowers, frosty, garden, Green_Thumb_Sunday, GTS, lovely, petals, photo, pretty, raindrops, rest, shoveling, snow, spring_flower, storms, suitable, winter

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