March 4, 2012
D is for Deli
Location: St. Lawrence Market
The thing about walking to St. Lawrence Market is that the trek justifies a lunch of a sweet cheese bagel, peameal bacon sandwich, banana crepe, cabbage roll, pierogies, a smoothie, a pickle on a stick, and a pepperette made of elk meat. All shared between three people, of course, which is further justification. We spent a splendid morning there yesterday, made even better for a stop at Ben McNally Books en-route, which was the first bookshop in six we’d found to be carrying Kyo Maclear’s Virginia Wolf, which just came out this week. We had big plans to take the subway home, because for Harriet, transit is always a trip’s highlight, but the subway was closed to due a broken watermain, so we had to haul the stroller onto the streetcar. Which turned out to be much more fun anyway because on a streetcar there’s a view out the window.
February 19, 2012
R is for Rink
Location: Nathan Phillips Square
Many years ago, before there was a Harriet, our good friend (and onetime downstairs-neighbour) Curtis promised that when Stuart and I had a child, he would teach it to skate. These days, Harriet is nearly three and Curtis is just weeks away from the birth of his own baby, but he still honoured his commitment and we all went skating this morning at Nathan Phillips Square in front of City Hall. Harriet has been talking about Curtis taking her skating for months and months, but the reality failed to live up to the promise– I think we have to get her bob-skates to really make this happen. She had fun though, but the real success of the day was that I skated! I’ve only skated once in the last 20 years and I remember hating it, but perhaps there was something about the particular dullness of the City Hall rental skates and how they don’t really go, because I did really well and I loved it. It still ached my ankles and I looked like an idiot, but not a complete idiot, and I wasn’t even terrified. And how nice to be outside on a beautifully sunny winter’s day, right in the centre of the city at such an essential Toronto landmark. I think we might have to do it again.
September 5, 2011
A is for Art
Location: Art Gallery of Ontario
Alphabetically speaking, we’ve had a very successful weekend. Though this picture is sort of cheating. We didn’t actually go to the Art Gallery, but rather walked by it on our walk home from the wonderful Textile Museum of Canada. The Magic Squares exhibit was cool in particular as I’d just finished reading The Quarc Issue, which was about the intersections between art and science. The exhibit was about the intersections between mathematics and art in West African clothing, the mathematical and spiritual significance of many of the patterns. Then after that, we went downstairs to play with looms, do some knitting, and molest various kinds of fibres. Finally, we explored the excellent Museum Shop where we did most of our Christmas shopping…
September 5, 2011
X is for the Ex!
Location: Exhibition Grounds
We went to the CNE today, and had a wonderful time. Highlights were the LM Montgomery Society booth, the flower/vegetable show (in particularly the prize-winning celery), tiny donuts, deep-fried oreos, colouring at the AGO booth, the farm building where we saw cows, horses, ostriches, alpacas, pigs, chickens, sheep and goats, plus the butter sculptures. And the amazing sand sculptures! Also the rednecks– unbelievable– they must bus these people in. And the food building– we had a healthy dinner of pierogies and poutine, just to keep everything deep-fried consistent. And the best part is that we got to go home on the streetcar…
August 23, 2011
P is for Park
Location: Centre Island
I don’t update my blog on the weekends, and due to travel, fun, family and houseguests, this past weekend seems to have leaked well into the week. Much fun has been had, many restaurants have been eaten at, but I’m slowly getting my act together (and finishing The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe. Can’t wait to post about this. Also the latest Vicious Circle recap). In the meantime, here is Harriet living the Big City Alphabet…
