A change of perspective

The past few weeks have been a bit tough.  The weather was struggling to move from winter to spring; a laborious transition. The ground was holding onto its seed and refusing to let it spring up.  I still have no job, though I did have one for a week and then left because I am NOT designed to work in retail.  The futility of selling overpriced items (beautiful and delicious as they were) to people who really didn't need them was soul sapping. It was such a strange experience because I LOVE the store and the people were really friendly and I don't mind hard work but every night I'd come home and say, "really?" Better not to be there I decided so here I am still searching. Job hunting can become a reason not to get out of bed.

This past weekend was like squeezing a pimple. There were some tears and snot but the relief of getting that out of my system meant that I had a clear enough head to make a decision to make Monday a better day. I had a few chores to do today and so I made it into a journey, took photos on the way and sent them to my friends (see below). I stopped in the most beautiful furniture store (one of many along King Street - just around the corner from where I live), oggled the $4,000 leather pouff and the $13,000 hanging chair, talked with Noel and sipped the sparkling water that he offered me. It was a charming 1/2 hour of my time in the company of a knowledgeable and well spoken gentleman. He gave me a tip on a place to go for a weekend, gave me his card and told me to pop in again. I just might because that furniture was breathtakingly gorgeous even if there was nothing in the shop I could afford. My eyes were satisfied after my visit. 

  

Next I had a coffee at Tandem, plus the best ever GF brownie for my lunch (OK maybe not the best choice but it was delicious). It's so good to enjoy the journey, the rest of which involved a banking transaction with the nicest of bank managers (thank you Ryan from Scotiabank), and the purchase of some on sale art bits and pieces for my grandies.

The last thing I purchased was a map of Canada. That's right a honking great big enormous map and I've put it up on the wall where we have to walk past it. Is it trendy, does it fit in with our decor? No, but it is there to remind me to change my perspective.  You see I have allowed the 4 walls of my small apartment to enclose me and shut me down.  I've seen Toronto as a confined space. What I needed to do was look at where I was in relation to the opportunities that Canada presents. Really, have you ever look at how enormous Canada is? It is HUGE and we are going to have a go at exploring it.  So the planning is going to start. I'm not sure that we are going to be able to do this without a car but lets see what can be done. Watch this space for the Canadian adventure.....

BTW, the other weekend we took the streetcar to the other side of the city to High Park because the cheery blossoms were out and they don't last long.  We could barely see the trees for the people, but they were beautiful, a gift from Japan.

After that we took the streetcar down Queen Street to the Loaded Pierogi for lunch. Lunch was delicious though the Pierogies themselves were not GF. I ate a couple just to taste what they were like - in the dumpling family.  They had beautiful toppings though, mini meals of tastiness all on their own. People have been appearing along with the spring weather and so there was a nice bubble of conversation in the restaurant and the lovely ladies next to us were happy to discuss their plates and then have a good look at ours once they arrived. A short walk to King Street saw us back on a streetcar for our ride home.

Now that the weather is warmer we have started to have an evening walk around the distillery. I have always been drawn to bright lights but this is seriously a pretty area to wander around. It's nice now that there are people out and about, sitting in the restaurants and in the outdoor areas. This is the nice side of city living. 

From Mill Lane to Mill Street

So we are here, Mill Street, Toronto.  I am sitting this morning watching the sunrise bounce off the buildings and skim across the lake. I've traded morning birdsong in Mill Lane for morning birdsong with a background of traffic on the expressway which dissects my view out across Lake Ontario (well part of it anyway). Gone are the quiet country lanes, fields and canals that I used to walk and hello urban jungle.  Actually I like living in the city again but I do miss the beautiful English countryside.

We are carless (by choice, though we are sometimes doubting that choice) and so exploring our new neighborhood on foot, bike, streetcar (quaint but effective) and subway. We have also just joined a car share scheme and will use that to get out of town occasionally and for big grocery shops. It does make exploring a little different but parking is at a premium here and we are within walking distance of the big fella's work. Speaking of which, the exercise has had a wonderful side benefit for him at least, of weight loss, down yet another notch on the belt this morning. Our first 6 weeks here were in the biting cold of the winter's end. We had some snow and ice to contend with but it was not much and not at all like they have here for winter.  I have to admit that I still find snow exciting but I am so pleased that things are warming up.

So what have we found so far? Two weekends ago we took the ferry to the islands just off the end of downtown (picture above is a view back towards the city).  About a 20 minute walk from home to the ferry.  It was most probably the first really nice weekend that we could go and explore the islands. Next time we will take our bikes and a picnic with us. There are beaches, gardens, a fairground, lots of lovely grass and it's quiet.

The street art is fantastic here in Toronto, reminds me of the lane ways in Melbourne and I'm often surprised about where I find it, like under the expressway or train lines.  I can't buy Vegemite. The cafe culture is good (yeah!) and the food is generally good and culturally diverse (not so in Peterborough, UK). I cant buy Vegemite.

There are a lot of performing arts (going to a show tonight only a 2 minute walk from our door).  Toronto has a big film production centre which is just down the road from us. Torontonians are friendly, helpful and have a beautiful accent, even if I can't understand them sometimes. But, they spit, seriously, I have not seen so many people spit since I was in Asia, it was totally unexpected in this city. They also hold their line on the footpath and wont blink an eye if it means you have to step off out of their way. Drivers are, however very courteous to pedestrians. Not far from the city are ski fields (95 mins), quaint towns and beaches (a streetcar ride, cycle or long walk).  I've also now got a reasonable idea of how to get around the city. Did I mention that I cant buy Vegemite? Thank goodness for Amazon.

We live in a tiny apartment now. One bedroom and a den area that I have transformed into my sewing area/ office. We have downsized yet again and it is interesting to see what we really need.  Storage space is lacking so we have thrown out anything that isn't necessary. I think we have adapted to our new space now but this is definitely a place where everything has its place and it needs to sit there in order for things to work. On Sunday our Eufy arrived; a little round robotic vacuum cleaner. I was skeptical but he's great!! He is the answer to our need to clean the carpet and not having any space to put a traditional vacuum.  In fact as I type, he has switched on for his 10am clean. 

One of us has a job and one doesn't...... but hopefully that will change soon. In the meantime I've done a fair bit of reading, sewing, walking and cooking. Oh yes, and there has been the odd coffee consumed. I'm enjoying Mill Street and the city, but I still miss Mill Lane (and its inhabitants).

Great reads for the 1st quarter (well maybe not all of them, but let me know what you think)

  I have loved reading since I was a child. I read for the pure pleasure of the moment whereas my other half reads and remembers all the details.  We have totally different experiences reading the same book which makes for some interesting conversations.... I usually read on an ebook and currently I am using a Kindle.  I have worn out two Kobos (the first early version was a gift and it had buttons that I literally wore out, the second decided to die after three of years hard work) and only switched to Kindle because I have Amazon.  The benefits of using an ereader are that I can take lots of books if I am traveling, I can read in bed after lights out, it is not heavy to hold (I have arthritic wrists) AND most importantly I can enlarge the print which helps my eyes deal with all the reading.  Plus the back lighting is much easier on the eyes than the ipad or small print books.  However, I do love a paper book and occasionally we will buy some.  We have found a couple of great places to buy pre loved books recently and have found them to be in good condition (see here). I have also brought second hand options off Amazon and had no problems (saves SO much money!).  Our limited space means we take these back to the shop when we are done and replace them. So here goes what I've read lately, mostly since arriving in Canada.

A woman of note

This novel follows the adult life of a female virtuoso pianist and composer in Vienna in a time in history when women were usually seen but not heard. As a pianist myself, I really enjoyed this novel. The ability to create in the absence of tangible assets actually was a lesson for me. We are all creative but some people have a "gift" and when that is lit within, circumstances do not eclipse the creativity.  This novel made me thankful that I live in an age when I am unrestrained by many of the social conventions that restricted the main character in this novel.

God on mute

I started this book in February as our church was running a series of the same name. Unfortunately I only got half way through and had to hand the book back as we were leaving the country. I may have to purchase this and read the second half.

This book looks at why God doesn't always answer our prayers. I found it hugely challenging, most particularly in the way I pray. This book really does tackle some of the big questions around prayer and does so in a really thoughtful, calm and provoking way.  Provoking because it asks questions of the reader and if you take some time to think through those and find answers for yourself then I think that you might look at this subject through a different lens....

Jeffery Archer - Books 6 & 7  The Clifton Chronicles

I hadn't realised that Jeffery Archer had written the final 2 books in his series The Clifton Chronicles. So when I came across them, I had to read them as I had enjoyed the other 5 books so much. I find him a good and easy read but I did think that these two books were just written to fuel his retirement fund (sorry Jeffery).

The runaway wife by Elizabeth Birkelund

I picked up this book from the sale table because the cover blurb said it was by the author of The Dressmaker. I didn't read the author's name at the time and just assumed it was by Rosalie Ham (see below). Anyway, this was a interesting book about a wife who had everything (so everyone thought) except the things she thought were important. This book looks at the expectations placed on us by others and the life that we might create if we had an opportunity. The setting is the Swiss Alps, it made me want to pack up and head straight there.

The Dressmaker - the movie.  Book by Rosalie Ham

I have to write something about this movie based on a novel by Rosalie Ham. I recently watched this with Big Red and we both really enjoyed it.  It is totally quirky and SO Australian; it made us miss Australia a little and laugh out loud a lot! It is one of those movies that you can feel the temperature, taste the dust and see in wide angle the whole of the towns life. It is about the things in life that impact, wound and heal. Its about love in strange places, social conventions and courage. This is a movie to make you reflect, laugh out loud and cry. We both loved it.

The Overlook (Harry Bosch) by Michael Connelly

I like Harry Bosch both in a novel and in the TV series. Connelly has developed a convincing character. Bosch is a no nonsense cop who doesn't like to play by the rules. It gets him into scrapes but also helps him solve crime. This time things aren't quite what they first seem when a body is found in a car at the overlook above Hollywood.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Jenny

This book made me laugh.  I'm not sure why I have never read any of this series before because it has been around forever. recently I have been buying books for my grandies and I have decided to read what I buy when I can fit it in.  This book was so relatable from both my memories as a kid and a mother. We used to embark on plenty of road trips with our kids and we ticked lots of the boxes in this book, including pulling a boat behind us.  I think this book should appeal to both boys and girls and I am looking forward to reading some to Mr 7 on our next visit.

Sea of Memories

This was a light and fluffy book, picked up from the pre read shop. I'd call it lying in the sun holiday reading material - you don't need to think about it too much.  

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

We both read this book and enjoyed it. It all takes place in the same space but is full of movement and and light and dark as it moves through time. My main reason for selecting this book was becuase I saw that it was coming out soon as a movie and I do like to read the book before the movie.  I hope the movie doesn't disappoint. It has elements of suspense and surprise, it explores relationships

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

This is my first novel written by a Canadian writer. It was recommended by Kathleen from my writing course who always has a book in her hands. What I love about living in other countries is that after a while you start to see how the culture infiltrates and impacts that society. The marrow thieves looks at society after it has totally broken down, people have lost the ability to dream, and the environment has been ruined. In the aftermath of the huge environmental changes (chunks of land falling into the ocean - watch out LA), the establishment are trying to steal the marrow from the bones of the indigenous peoples in an operation that mimics that of the holocaust. To read the book is not, however, horrific.  It is a book of hope and promise and human stamina in the face of adversity. It was a great departure from my recent reads.

The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal

I really enjoyed this one. I love reading stories from a different cultural perspective to mine.  Having been into the sari shops in Auckland, NZ, when I lived there,  I can imagine the colors, jewelry and the atmosphere. The sense of honoring family is strong in this book and I think that is a challenge to think about how that sits within my own antipodean culture. Books dont have to be "deep" to learn from them...

The Innocent By David Baldacci

David Baldacci is always a good read. Full of suspense and action packed, it looks at how relationships form in the  strangest of circumstances. But really this book is all about a hitman and his race to live with a teenage girl and a female FBI agent thrown in for good measure.

Unbreakable By Andrew Wilson

Andrew Wilson writes so clearly and succinctly. This is a small book but it packs a big punch. It discusses what Jesus said about the word of God. This is a book to read carefully, chapter at a time,  and digest for a bit. It will sit by my bed for a while

The Alienist

This is my latest read. I had seen the shorts for this movie and wanted to read it before seeing it.  The opening scenes are graphic and straight away showed some difference to the movie. Set in NYC in the late 1800's it follows the tracking down of a murderer using the new science of criminology against a backdrop of police corruption and political disbelief. 

Books on my next to read list (already downloaded and ready to go) are; 

The Unnamed Midwife By Meg Elison
The home for unwanted girls
Texas: A novel by James Mitcher
Talk like TED by Carmine Gallo
The Spiritual Life by Henri Nouwen

Lille: Our last european fling....for a little while

The weekend before we packed our bags and left the UK for Canada, we took one last trip to Europe, as you do. This trip had a purpose; to get our friend Jo out of the country and traveling. We were supposed to be accompanied by Sarah as well but she detoured to hospital the day before we left so we had to go without her (sad face). We chose to travel by Eurostar because Jo is uncomfortable flying. Eurostar has become a favourite travel method for us. We could hop on the train from Peterborough to London, switch to Eurostar (a 5 minute walk across the road) and be in Paris 4 hours after leaving home. THAT is impressive to an antipodean who has, for years, longed to travel Europe.

Why Lille? Well, its the first stop on the train so the least expensive AND we had never been there. Did it disappoint? No it did not! I loved Lille.  It has the old town and the new but they merge nicely. The buildings range from futuristic (the railway station) to cathedrals and museums.

 

You can easily walk around Lille. The shopping is amazing in the old town with loads of boutique shops as well as the big names. You need lots of money to buy there, so we didn't, but we did look at a lot. I thought we'd had a reasonably quiet weekend but when I look at the steps we took (32,000) and the photos, I realise we actually packed in quite a bit over 3 days. We left early Friday morning and got back home early evening Sunday.

We stayed in a great Airbnb on Rue Princesse (apart from the lack of firewood which would have been nice on a really cold weekend!). It was well placed for cafes, patisseries, shops and restaurants.  Our first night we had dinner in a loud congenial restaurant (can't remember the name) but this was a meat feast - the others had steak and I had veal scallopine which was wonderful and tender. On our way home we booked into Le Scoop for the next night's dinner.  Le Scoop did not disappoint. I love it when no planning turns into a great event.

While in Lille we also, strolled along the canal, visited an old hospital (fabulous blue & white tiling, furniture and museum pieces, went through the cathedral, came across a market square full of wonderful food and treasures, ate galettes, pastries, tarts, fresh bread and found a few good cups of coffee at the local cafes.  We looked at clothes shops, furniture stores, in underground caves, at a Marionette museum and a motorbike shop (of course we did - Legend Motors, Lille, great old bikes). There was plenty to see, lots of good memories made. And if ever you need a great couple to travel with Jo & Steve are it. All you need is a pack of cards and the party is started. It is always great traveling with friends. We had great conversations, lots of laughs and the big fella and I learnt to play euchre. I think Steve (Jo's other half) and I were just on the cusp of winning when we wound it up for the night.....



We all managed to squeeze in a snooze on Saturday but we needed that after the serious amount of walking we did. I would highly recommend Lille as a lovely weekend holiday destination.

Au revoir

Living lightly, packing up, moving on.

Today is the day. It's snowing, the packers are here and I am finalising all the loose ends of our life in the UK.  I'm also emailing backwards and forwards to the realtors in Toronto about finding us a new home. I say home rather than house because I firmly believe that home is where your heart is and home is what you make it.  Home in Toronto is likely to look different to the UK but wherever we land I will make a nest.

We have lived in a fabulous home for the past (nearly) 3 years.  A little bungalow on a magnificent 5 acre property next to a stunning "big" house. I couldn't have imagined living here and I am so thankful that we found this magnificent place and it's lovely owners. In their words, we arrived as tenants and leave as dear friends.We are so grateful to have found the best landlords and made a new friendship.

And now the detritus of our life is packed in boxes on a truck. Not that many boxes. Everything was done and dusted in 3 hours. We came with 2 suitcases and 2 carry-on bags and we have tried to live lightly. This is not an easy thing. Marie Kondo makes it look simple. Despite this, in an attempt to live minimally we have resisted the urge to buy unless it was necessary. Some secondhand pieces (crockery, dining table & chairs) were purchased, some pieces (sofa bed and a TV) were gifted to us and we tried to buy no more than we really needed. And still, as I sorted what to take and what to leave behind, I found that we had gathered so much that was so unnecessary, the small dust bunnies of life. I have now managed to pass most of this onto others. One person's trash is another person's treasure.

My wardrobe did not miss the sorting process.  I have been trying to turn it into a capsule wardrobe for a couple of years and now it is truly tiny. I look forward to buying a few well chosen pieces to add to it.  Living lightly takes quite a bit of work.

So that's it. Our 42 pieces are in the truck, our 3 suitcases are ready for the plane, an afternoon of cleaning ahead, two dinners and we are off!  My heart is full of gratefulness for all we have seen, done, experienced and participated in. For jobs, friends, church and village life. We take with us so much more in memories, and our hearts than we came with.

People say we are adventurous and fearless but we are just ordinary people living an extraordinary life. We have hopes, dreams, fears and failings just like everyone else but we are trying to live the one life we have to the max. Follow our next adventure, to Canada.

Grateful. Excited. Apprehensive (just a little). Loved.

Au Revoir

Crab Apple Jelly

Our beautiful little home has a fabulous big lawn with beautiful flower garden and fruit trees. Through the archway at the back is the landlord's orchard in which we have been given free reign to pick whatever we like...

 I hate seeing things go to waste so have recently been making apple pies and apple sauce but without the family around to feed, I just have to stop cooking. However, the other day I found that the crab apple tree was laden with fruit ready for picking.

 There is something so satisfying about cooking the produce from your land. (well, someone else's land technically but we wont split hairs).

 I haven't made crab apple jelly before but the end result looks great.  Like most jams it just takes fruit, sugar and lemon juice, a lot of boiling, some skimming and then you're done. I did feel a bit sick pouring all that sugar into the pot when I have been so busy trying to keep sugar OUT of our food, but the end result is so beautiful.  Satisfaction is a beautiful jar of homemade jam.

A day in York

Yesterday I went to York. It's an easy 1.5 hour journey from Peterborough on the train.  I went because David was off to a meeting there and I thought we might be able to catch up for lunch, didn't happen.  However, I had a great day mooching around on my own.  Thankfully I had worn my leather jacket as it was cold even at 10am when I arrived. My first mission was to find a cafe with GOOD coffee.  I was distracted as I passed the museum gates (one of my possibilities for the day) by a sign advertising a guided walk at 10.30am.  That was it! I now knew what I'd be doing for the next couple of hours. I whipped across the road and found a fab deli/cafe  Cabra Verde. I just had a coffee but it was great and the cakes and treats on display looked very tempting but for once I was good. This will be a place to return to on future visits.

Back to the park gates where I met up with John, a lovely retired man who is passionate about York, literature, history and coins (I'm sure he had many other hobbies too but we didn't have time to get onto those!!).  John charged the man standing next to me for my ticket as well before I explained that we were not together - the man looked very relieved! I love these sorts of tours because you find out so many fun facts that you would never know about just walking around with a guide book.  And so we set off on the Snickets, Ginnels and Walls tour with John who had an old leather satchel out of which he pulled coins found in actual sites around York, old books, photos and maps. He had stories of famous people from York, including Judi Dench (one of my favourite actresses) whose career started in York. Having worked at the library and then as a tour guide in the Minster, John had a wealth of information about the place. We visited the Kings Manor (below) where Henry VIII stayed when in York. We even got to see York's tiniest window which is said to be where the king's bathroom was. One of the fun things was that he pointed out many places where the city has been altered to meet tourists expectations. Tourism is York's major industry and the town was full of thousands of them yesterday.  But John  had photographic evidence of streets that were asphalted in the 50's and now are cobble stoned, once derelict buildings now prettied up to look like marvelous old shops and even one of the town entrance arches bearing arrow slits facing into the town (really, they were going to shoot their own?), where previously there had been arched windows - again verified by old artwork. It was a fun 2 and a bit hours and John was a great guide.
The rest of my afternoon I wandered the streets, checked out a few lovely stores and walked a part of the city wall. The walkway around the city wall did not exist when the wall was first built (thank you John for the info).  Apparently, wooden scaffold would be used on the inside of the city wall so that if the wall was breached the scaffold could be pulled away so that the enemy faced a large drop. It wasn't until ladies in crinolines started visiting York that the walkway was built for them to take in the views of the city and its surrounds.
It was back to the train station and the 16.02 to Peterborough. David jumped aboard at the last minute so we got to enjoy the ride home together, mostly through fields, some still being harvested, nice views, sunshine, sleepiness. We are loving the train travel, so comfortable, easy and FAST.
And my favourite sign of the day.......