A dream come true to see the renovated library and that beautiful statue of
"The young Victoria"
Mary at the "Tea Party" with the suffragettes!

Mary and the "Spider"

View of the Library which is at the back of the Parliament Buildings

~~~GREETINGS!

I have been having some difficulties bloging and I have so much fabulous stuff to share with y'all!

I had the very best adventure EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had planned to visit dear husband's cousin and hubby but due to other commitments they were not available.

The destination was our nation's capital, Ottawa. I love that city so much. My last visit proved a disappointment since I tried to view the lovely statue of the young Queen Victoria which is in the centre of the library and there was a "press conference" going on at that time. I so wanted to see that statue.

Now several of you know how "head strong" I can be and once an idea pops into my head I run with it and so was the case of wanting to visit Ottawa.

Then I remember I had a Pen Pal who lived in Kanata which is a suburb of Ottawa. After making contact with Pen Pal (aka PP) a very nice invitation was extented to me to visit and I did.....

I stayed in Ottawa for 4 days and PP showed me so many interesting and beautiful sites and wonderful meals. From Wakefield in the Gatineau Hills to the Art Gallery and the Byward Market and last be not least the Statue of Victoria....
I thought I would cry since that library is magnificent and there she stood in the centre...I was so darn proud to be a Canadian.

I will post pix once PP checks out my poor sick computer which holds all of the pix. The pc has a very bad "worm" so I just hope I didn't loose anything.

Hang with me on this one guys!

Till next time....

~~~UP AND AT IT FOR ME!...
I was up really early this morning and had a very nice chat with my pen pal or as we call it my "e pal" who happens to be a very nice and extremely pleasant person at any time of the day!

Following a good cardio workout and some mild stretching I decided to tackle the "windfall" apples from the tree in the back yard. I raked enough to fill a wheelbarrow. To date that is the fourth load and probably a few more to go before fall.

Next on the "to do" list was "spider patrol". If I keep a vigilant eye on those little creatures then they don't create too much of a mess.
Following that was plant watering which doesn't take too long and then I was off to the have a shower.
And all of that took place before 7:45am....Yeks! one would think it was a "full moon" !

Till next time...

~~~THE GROOM AND THE BRIDE !!!
Stephen and Ella are being married on Saturday afternoon and the parents of the groom planned a surprise party Friday night immediately following their rehearsal. The party was not the surprise however all those who attended was a surprise to the Bride and Groom. Everyone in the neighbourhood and their guests were there.

It was a Caribbean theme complete with a live steel band, tropical food and drinks, all in a wedding tent. The dress was casual.
This was a way for the parents to thank the neighbours in advance for their patience on this special weekend.

It was wonderful meeting so many of my neighbours some of whom I had not seen for quite sometime.

Till next time...

~~~~ "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT....OMG".....
These were the words of Old Bro # 2 who is visiting for a few days.
He asked if he could help me with the painting and of course I was
so glad I had help. So he wanted to paint the arbor and I would do
the wishing well and the sills will have to wait.
As you can see he had a little misadventure....he got tangled up in the
arbor and look, just look at where the paint ended up.....LOL

Cousin Mike....he's at it again....

Till next time....

~~~DEAR READERS....
bare with me...and no I am not lazy just so damn busy with visiting and visitors and all the other commitments that go with living up here in "Heaven"!
Also I am planning my next adventure....
To be con't....

Till next time...

Here are some more pix of the event taken from my room balcony!


Even the train when by in the early evening when many people went for dinner.

~~~ONCE UPON A TIME.....
there was a man named Bob Gibbs and 25yrs ago he had a birthday party for his wife Maggie. At the party they played jazz records and had a sing-a-long and joke telling as well as karaoke before it was karaoke!
The second birthday party was more sophisticated and a family member accompanied Bob, on his piano, with a bass and banjo. It was after this that they decided to invite jazz musicians in the area to join in the birthday celebration at a "jam session" on the lake.

As the years went by, the party grew in the number of performing musicians, as well as, spectators. Thus, the party spilled over on the to neighbours' lawns and beaches, which encompassed the entire city block.
This continued for 16 years and went from a "potluck" lunch to a "bring your won picnic".

Problems occured when the weather was bad and that is when with the cooperation of the Thomas Edison Inn, thus, giving the party the advantage of being able to move inside in case of inclement weather.
By this time the Jazz On The Lake Committee was formed and along with the Blue Water Jazz Society this event is make possible.
All of the musicians attending do this voluntarily and the groups change about every hour until the "old pros" take the stage. These guys don't need any music stands or music. This happened in the evening and it just "blew my mind"!

Bob died a few years ago and his wife Maggie continues to attend for part of the day
There is a long-standing tradition with the jazz party ...free corn-on-the-cob which is roasted in its husks on the BBQ as well as other things like hot dogs, salads and drinks all at your own expense.

The event started at 2:00PM and went through to 10:00PM.
I arrived at 12:30 and met so many very nice people and got to chat with my new friends...

Here is Eunice and Pat, two women who have be attending this event for over 7yrs. Eunice is in her late 70's and Pat in her 80's and a real "nut" for the vibes.
They sure love their Jazz!
The woman sitting just behind Pat is Ellen and a fantastic drummer and she played several sets.

I was able to get a room at the Inn which faced the courtyard and the river. That is the International Bridge which spans the St. Clare River...
That Lake Freighter was on its way down the river....maybe even coming form Goderich...
Ok, cousin Mike get that map out once again....if the "oinking" isn't too distracting! LOL!

How's this for a cruise ship?

I couldn't pass a chance to do some "shopping" before heading home so the next day I did just that...what fun and the stuff I bought was new for a change!


Till next time...

~~~OOPS! I forgot to share this pic from my visit with son and family last weekend.
Grandson got a new motor bike and they convinced me to give it a try. I am pictured
there with son giving me instructions...what fun...I could get to like that bike!

Till next time...

~~~~A DAY AT THE "AGO"!
The birthday girl and I had a wonderful day at the Art Gallery of Ontario and I finally got to see the expansion the addition, which resembles and "upside down canoe"...it was fantastic!

We were part of a tour in which the focus was "artful conversations" and the conversations took place in one of the new rooms and was very interesting.
We view several of the "Group of Severn" plus several "wannabees"!

An enjoyable lunch and mid afternoon tea completed the day.
I will definitely return to the AGO!

I hope you have a look at the pix of that day!


Till next time ..............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhnsHry0Sw&feature=email

~~~If you would like to see what happened at Wonderland check out dear Grand son and friends...

Till next time...

~~~SUCH A BUSY WEEK!!!
Here are a couple of pix of the the Pool and fish pond at the Lamplighter Inn Best Western in London where I stayed following a lovely evening with an old friend. We had dinner and then attended a concert of Debussy a classical composer which I really enjoyed.


Today, Friday I'm off to the AGO, the art gallery of Ontario with another dear friend and today is her birthday...my how time flies.
Then Saturday a visit with still another old friend from my "teen years"...it should be a blast!

Till next time...

~~~~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HUSBAND!!!!

Today Doug would have celebrated his 70th birthday.

"Thank you sweetheart for all the wonderful memories"!

Till next time...

~~~To all my dear readers....
I want to thank L'll Sis and all of my many friends who have encouraged me along the way of realizing the beginning of my dream of becoming a "fitness instructor"!

One of the main instructors, Nancy ask if I was ready to do the "warm up" for the Functional Fitness class and I jumped at the chance to do it.

Now the time length is just five to seven minutes however it does take time and preparation to pull it off
correctly.
So last evening I practiced and then again at 3:30AM.
and it was so worth it..."Practice makes, well almost perfect"!

The class started with an introduction from Nancy that I would start the warm up and another trainee, Alison would do another 10 minutes and then Nancy would complete the class which involves cardio, weight training and balance techniques.

At the conclusion of the class Nancy was very impressed with my effort especially being able to project my voice which was a challenge for me as I was fighting with the butterflies in my stomach.(I guess I have been out of teaching too long.)

So there will be several times I will do the warm up until I am comfortable to move on to the next phase and I will keep you posted as to the progress. I hope you won't get too bored, just hang in there with me will ya?

Till next time...

~~~WELL FINALLY! The roses have decided to bloom!
Enjoy!

Till next time....

~~~~OK LILLY LADY...THIS ONE'S FOR YOU!
And how do you like it...let me know!

Till next time...

~~~Greetings!
Just wanted to let y'all know that I am doing just fine!

Life kinda got in my way! Like keeping up with the landscaping and my indoor duties and of course the all important "workout" sessions.

Brenda the instructor of the "Strength and Stretch" class that I attend twice a week had asked me to fill in for her while she went on holiday. Without hesitation I accepted. That was two weeks ago and she will return to class next Monday.
I have really enjoyed the planning and instructing of the class. I know how hard I have been on the class when I can feel those lazy muscles the next day!

Our weather here has been more like Sept. instead of July...does anyone know where summer is hiding? Please let me know....

Till next time...

"Alice" by the Avon!

~~~AAAAH STRATFORD ONTARIO....
As many of you know Friday is my day off. I found that I really need that day to recoup from the previous "workout" days.

On this particular Fri. June 26th my friend Alice invited me to join her and hubby and some other of her friends from Toronto to see the play "West Side Story" and to enjoy a picnic in the park. Following a day of storms and much needed rain this day the sky was cloudless and the temps...comfortably warm.

Well, I jumped at the offer.

We found a lovely spot to have our picnic right at the river's edge. Following a walk around the beautiful grounds and finding the Toronto gang we proceeded to enjoy our lovely meal and really good conversation.

That performance of "West Side Story" was one of the best I have ever seen...and of course it brought me to tears.
The costumes, dancing and the fantastic singing will stay in my memory for a long time. The whole theme of that play is ageless and so pertinant to our "time"!

Following the performance we decided to head up town for a drink and a chance for the two teenagers in the group from Toronto to check out the unique shopping in Stratford.
We found a lovely spot where there were tables and chairs on the sidewalk. You guessed it...more delicious food and wonderful conversation.


It will be a day I will long remember!
Many thanks to my dear friend Alice and hubby Brian for inviting me!

Till next time...

It just isn't Stratford without the Swans!




This is a memorial to the beginning of the Stratford Festival back in 1958.
It shows two workers pulling on the ropes to raise the centre pole of the tent under which the first performance at the theatre was enjoyed.


This rose garden is just outside the main entrance of the building.
And again, it wouldn't be the Festival without the roses!

~~~I mentioned some time ago that I ordered my tickets to view Curling at the 2010 Olympics well, today I booked my flight.

Can you imagine...going Business Class (OOOOOOOOh I couldn't eat another pea) out to Vancouver and back how lucky can I get and it is all on my Aeroplan Points.
Ya think I am doing something right these days?

Till next time...

~~~This is as far north that the sun will travel
north as taken from my living room.
The longest day is on Sun. June 21 and the days start to
get shorter...

Till next time...

~~~Looks like the Amish are heading for Walgreens...LOL!

~~~I was having a fantastic drive around and away from Chicago earlier this morning and I couldn't figure out why I didn't come across any toll roads. I did remember several while going into the the city.

Then it hit me...I didn't follow the directions given my by my darling GPS as I call her and I was heading south and onto Memphis...yeks! I was ready to continue my adventure by not that far south...not today. Any way I was able to make the correction and darling GPS isn't speaking to me any more...I turned her off.

I knew that I had to head east so I spotted Fort Wayne Ind. The highway was two lanes for some time then it broke into 4 and what a beautiful roadway and not much "dancing" with trucks either.

I went over the Wabash river twice and past Kokomo...yup you guessed it the singing began...thank you Perry Como and I don't know who wrote "The Wabash Cannonball" but I do remember Johnny and June Carter Cash sang it.

I also spotted at a very busy intersection an Amish family in their buggy.

I'll be heading home tomorrow...I think...this has been a wonderful trip.

Enjoy the pix...

till next time....

~~~Yup, went past KOKOMO....

~~~Another excellent day this time it was Frank L. Wright's house in Oak Park. This was the beginning of his illustrious career.

Till next time...

~~~Here is one of Wright's favorite style of statues in the garden.

~~~"What a FANTASTIC CITY CHICAGO IS!"
I took the 1/2hr train ride into the city on Wed. and then got to see and ride on the Chicago River while riding in a water taxi. I decided to get the all day pass which was very useful.

Then I wanted to walk Michigan Ave. for a while till I needed a rest. Now it was time get a "Hop On Hop Off" ticket on the double Decker and was I in for a real treat.
Chicago is a very beautiful city and I wasn't expecting that. The city is trying to get their bit in for the 2016 Summer Olympics well they sure have my vote!
Enjoy the pix that follow!

Till next time...

Here is a view from a Water Taxi!

~~~Clouds and Skyscrapers!

~~~AMERICAN GOTHIC AND ME!

~~~A pic as promised....more to come!
As you know I travel alone and it is difficult to capture some good pix!

Till next time...

~~~"HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN"!

The old adventure "bug" has hit me again...I am in CHICAGO as I type this. Yes, I knew that I needed a holiday so off I went. It was a wonderful drive into the city although there was a lot of smog you could still see the buildings.
I am in a small community just north of the city called Glencoe...so very quaint
Hey Charlene it reminds me of the area that your shop is in Grosse Pointe.

Cousin Mike get that map out and check out Kalamazoo...been there!
You would have loved the area...I thought of driving around Birmingham as I approached Chicago.

Barry thanks for your kind words wishing me well.

I hope to head into the city tomorrow and maybe I'll have pix to post...
keep your fingers crossed.

Till next time....

~~~"WHOO...HOOOO"!
As some of you know I really love the game of Curling and now I am the proud owner of tickets to see the wonderful sport in action at the highest caliber of play in the world...2010 Winter Olympics.

Dear nephew who lives in Vancouver BC emailed me last fall and asked if I was interested in seeing the Curling and he invited me to stay with he and his family...well, I jumped at the chance.

Memories came gushing back of the day in the winter of 1988 when I carried the Olympic Torch with an old colleague who has since died. Sorry for digressing...

Back to the story...Nephew pointed out to me that the Curling Venue is just down the street from where he lives and so easy to get to. I have never been to Vancouver so you can bet I will be doing a lot of sight seeing while I'm away from the rink...that is if I can tear myself away from the TV and their fabulous coverage.

Today I was able to order three of the tickets for the Curling events and I am so happy....
Now I wonder if I will be able to confront a "Torch Bearer" and catch a little of the excitement I experienced in"88"...

Till next time...

~~~So sorry for the delay...internet was spottie over the weekend!

I forgot to mention that as we drove into the Park memories of that wonderful National Park in AZ aka The Grand Canyon came to mind. The road at Geneva Park is not paved but the small and large out buildings were painted similar to the GC and the way that the buildings were placed about the property was so similar.

I do have to apologise for no pix...(maybe I can blame it on having too many "senior moments") but I always forgot to take my camera with me. Anyway we were really busy and every class was so interesting...Gee I learned SO much!

Thank you so much "YMCA"...perhaps I can repay the organization some day by sharing my new acquired knowledge...

Till next time...