ArtLife

More To Say

2009-11-26T19:45:00.000-05:00

I stopped posting here last February with the sentiment "I'm only writing to myself; what's the point ?". I've since decided that keeping a diary may not be a bad thing. I've got a lot of things on my mind that can perhaps be better understood by the act of putting them into words. At the very least I'll have a record that I can look back on. So, with that premise, I'm back in business.

The End

2009-02-12T21:23:00.002-05:00

I've been writing here for several years. I've come to realize that this writing is really a way of speaking to myself. I've decided that I've written to myself enough. If, perchance, anyone has read all this, well, goodbye. I've moved on to Facebook.

Hasta la Vista!

Yeast Breads

2008-10-31T12:22:00.004-04:00

Whenever I've tried making yeast breads in the past, I've always failed in spectacular ways. Mostly the result was an inedible brick. Somehow, the kneading was always insufficient. So, when I read Mark Bittman's blog http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/ in which he described making no-knead bread, I had to try bread again. Using the principle of letting a very moist dough rise for 12+ hours and baking in a sealed container (pot + lid) produced a bread with a crisp crust and a very satisfying crumb. Compared to intensive kneading, sleeping while the yeast does all the work for you is very easy!

Orchids

2008-09-29T13:05:00.000-04:00

A decade ago I had never tried to grow orchids. I thought of them as difficult plants to grow; plants that needed environments that were near impossible to replicate in a home. My opinion was changed by a friend who grew them as if they were standard houseplants.
That was all I needed to give them a try.
Well, they are different from what I had been used to growing. Epiphytes are not like terrestial plants. Watering, feeding, light conditions are all different. Still, after many failures, I have a core of 4 plants that grow and flower successfully. I cannot say they are easy to grow, but the reward when they flower is wonderful.

Family Ties

2008-08-19T16:00:00.003-04:00

Broken families are by definition broken. The thread of daily familiarity is gone. With time, however, it is possible to pick up some of the strands. This is exactly what has happened over the last two weeks.
Sarah, my youngest daughter now works in Toronto; Olivia, my second youngest daughter lives in Toronto. So, what could be more natural than to meet for lunch. We did; and we did it again.

It was an exhilarating experience, both times.

Divorce is permanent; the shattered pieces can be picked up.

Birch Syrup

2008-07-25T18:12:00.000-04:00

O.K. , everyone has heard of and/or tasted maple syrup. This tree produces sap that can be reduced 40:1 and taste sweet and wild. Birch sap has much less sugar content and must be reduced 120:1. It cannot be reduced by boiling, as it will be burnt. It is reduced by a much more tedious process of reverse osmosis. The result is a sweet syrup with a taste like no other. It can be used in small amounts to drastically improve a sauce. I'm sure it will never rival the sales of all the high fructose products we see everyday. I'm sure that the producers have no interest in even trying.

For a few drops of magic in your sauce, try this product.

Pink Pepper

2008-07-25T17:54:00.000-04:00

I don't usually steal from websites;this is an exception. This quote comes from alibaba.com :"Pink Pepper is unrelated to the black pepper. They come from the Bales Roses, a small tree that has numerous compound leaves with slender, symmetric, leaflets on each side of the leaf. They have a brittle, papery skin enclosing a hard irregular seed a lot smaller than the whole fruit. The flavor is quite delicate. They are pungent and slightly sweet aroma rather than spicy, but not nearly as flavorful as the real thing.
They are reminiscent of a mild citrus zest and sweet berries. Pink peppercorns go especially well in fruit sauces, vinaigrettes, and desserts. These peppercorns have a rich rose color that adds a elegant appearance to any cuisine.
Usage- Pepper is best ground directly on to food. With hot food it is best to add pepper well towards the end of the cooking process, to preserve its aroma. White pepper is used in white sauces rather than black pepper, which would give the sauce a speckled appearance. Green peppercorns can be mashed with garlic, cinnamon or to make a spiced butter or with cream to make a fresh and attractive sauce for fish. Pink peppercorns are called for in a variety of dishes, from poultry to vegetables and fish."
These berries are readily available and add a great taste to sauces and meats.

Besan Batter

2008-07-25T15:06:00.004-04:00

In recent posting, Elizabeth described the delights of Indian pakoras. These are vegetables dipped in a chick pea flour (besan) and water batter (about 1:1) with a pinch of salt and pepper and then shallow fried. To try this out I coated pieces of cauliflower and blackberries and fried them in canola oil for about 5 minutes. They were mildly crunchy on the outside; the sweet berries went really well with the savoury cauliflower. I guess the only mildly difficult part of this dish is finding besan.

Scapes

2008-07-25T14:51:00.001-04:00

In an earlier post I mentioned that the store Culinarium featured a large variety of foods produced here in Ontario. One of these is garlic flowers, or scapes. Both the stems and flowers have a mild garlic taste. They can be chopped directly into a salad or softened up a bit in a stir-fry. I will now buy them every year when they are in season. A great find!

Culinarium

2008-07-15T15:30:00.001-04:00

Our Neighbourhood

2008-07-15T15:07:00.003-04:00

Some months ago a new store opened in our neighbourhood, a store with a difference. The store is called Culinarium and features only foods produced in Ontario. The foods are as diverse as our province and includes local fish, cheeses, and meats. Fresh produce as well as a rich assortment of preserves is also featured. It has a policy of making most things available for tasting before purchase. It was this policy that induced me to buy Birch Syrup - a wonderful, wild syrup I'd never heard of before. Because garlic scapes are available now, they go into all our salads and stir-frys.
The store has a website at:http://www.culinarium.ca/ Not only is it an exciting store, it also looks cool (see photo above).

2008-07-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

Bob Dylan

2008-07-02T18:18:00.005-04:00

Some time in 1963 I bought the album "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan". As I was only 13 at the time and didn't come home until close to midnight (I'd spent the day in Toronto - we lived some 50km away) my mother had sat up and waited for me. Instead of scolding me for staying out so late, she asked what I'd bought. I plugged in my mono Seabreeze and played the album - she insisted on hearing the whole thing. She thought Bob was cool.

I remain a fan of Bob Dylan. Over the 45 years since, I've followed his many changes. One particular highlight was his DVD
13 years ago called "Bob Dylan Unplugged" (see photo above).

Music

2008-06-23T17:44:00.001-04:00

What lasts and what doesn't; this fascinates me. So much changes with aging. Things that seemed relevant at a younger age now seem silly. This should apply to early music impressions, should it not? It doesn't seem to work that way for me. I suspect that I'm not unique. My musical "idols" in my 20's were Todd Rundgren , Van Morrison, John Lennon, David Bowie, Mark Knopfler, James Taylor, and Jesse Winchester. With aging, these stars don't seem to fade. Instead, these and many others, become more cherished as time passes. Many new performers keep appearing; I expect them to subtract from my pantheon. They don't; it keeps growing. That's wonderful!

Keeping Pets

2008-06-18T12:12:00.002-04:00

Sometime in the 80's I read "King Solomon's Ring" by Konrad Lorenz. This book , which is an account of Lorenz's study of animal behaviour, sparked my interest in observing animals at close hand - pets. I began with fish. I had a small aquarium with an assortment of tropical fish (and plants). I eventually decided that I would concentrate on African cichlids.

These are amazing fish. They establish their own territory, even within a small aquarium. They will alter this space to suit them by moving everything until it's just right.

Then came dogs; I've yet to have a successful dog experience.

Lastly, I wanted to observe parrots. I began with one green-cheeked conure in 1997. The next year I got a second (Jules (left) and Louis (right)). Aside from being very messy, these two are perfect pets.

They behave very much like 4 year old children. They fight, makeup, are best friends and then worst enemies. They have distinct personalities. They have a strong desire to belong to a group.
If you have only one, it's up you to be the "parent"; if you have two, you become a tolerated outsider.

My Block At Night

2008-06-16T11:43:00.000-04:00

Tom

2008-06-11T19:03:00.001-04:00

After moving in to the apartment building where we now live, I made the acquaintance of the person in the apartment directly opposite ours. He turned out to be an 80 year old man from Ballymena in Northern Ireland. He has lived by himself in this small apartment for some 30 years.
His apartment, as I first found it 3 years ago, had not seen any improvement in all that time.

My first impulse was to suggest a complete makeover. I soon realized that this was not on. Instead, I decided to suggest incremental changes. For example, he had a stove/oven on which only 1 of the 4 elements worked. I asked the management to replace it; they agreed but needed him to sign the request. This took 6 months on his part. Once he did, it was replaced within a few days.

Tom has taught me that you cannot suddenly burst into someone's life and ask them to change everything; if you value the person, you must respect their attitude toward change, even if these changes seem to you to reflect only "common sense". You cannot impose your own vision of life on someone else arbitrarily ; listen to them and take great care.

Kate

2008-06-10T18:43:00.004-04:00

Kate and the internet

2008-06-10T18:17:00.002-04:00

The internet has changed our lives. Kate is a good example of this.

In the late 90's I began to submit photos to a site called Photocritique. This site afforded people the opportunity to have their photos critiqued by peers (other photographers). During this time, I began to correspond with one of the contributors, Kate. This correspondence, between two people who had never met, is, I think, a direct result of the internet.

Our exchanges have continued to this day. We have never met, and yet, I consider Kate a close friend. This has been made possible by the internet.

Gardening

2008-06-07T08:04:00.001-04:00

In the past I thought that a large, land based garden was essential. It was essentially a small farm in which the goal was to produce as many fruit and vegetables as you needed for the summer and fall. The prime requirement for this kind of gardening was buying a house with a substantial lot.

My attitude toward this sort of enterprise has changed drastically as I've got older. While my passion for growing things has remained, I no longer find the need (or ability) to compete with local markets. I now find that growing large varieties of herbs, flowers and vegetables on a small scale is equally satisfying (not to mention far less work!).

Containers on our balcony now more than adequately fill my gardening needs that large (3m x 6m) plots did in the past. As, well as filling my needs, this type of gardening does not need a huge 25 year mortgage!

Many Things

2008-06-02T11:32:00.006-04:00

When I was asked to leave my matrimonial home 14 years ago, I left a house filled with many "treasured" things. All had been slowly gathered over the 25 years that the marriage lasted. My then wife suggested that nothing major be removed from the "home". I accepted this as it would make it "easier on the children". This was, of course, foolish, as "things" do not a family make.

In the aftermath of this event, I first found myself scrambling to assemble the basics - a chair, a table, a pan, etc.

I then determined to rebuild.

The irony of this "rebuilding" has now (14 years later) hit me - I have acquired more things than I need. Ah, that these lessons could be learned without a price!

Pigs' Feet

2008-05-30T18:36:00.003-04:00

As you pass the meat cooler in your local supermarket, how often do you chide yourself for not buying 1/2 dozen split pigs' feet? How about never; me too. That's too bad as they are the source of more protein than you need in a week. I bought some, braised them ,and got the solid jelly you see here.

I took a spoonful of this jelly and added the small amount of pork meat that resulted and added black beans, tomato, savory,marjoram, chillis and came up with this lunch.

2008-05-30T17:19:00.001-04:00

New Beginnings (hopefully!)

2008-05-29T14:44:00.002-04:00

Anyone who has followed this blog will have noted that not much appeared in 2007. The reason for this was that most of my time and energy went toward taking care of my ailing parents. This situation has now become more manageable. I'm now going to attempt to revive the blog. This is not a firm promise to the thousands(!) who visit here.
I'm also going to make it easier to post comments. I got fed up with spam in the past but I didn't realize that using the anti-spam mechanism would virtually make commenting impossible. So, stay tuned!

Spring photos

2008-05-25T21:09:00.000-04:00

2008-04-21T16:22:00.001-04:00

New Camera

2008-04-20T22:30:00.003-04:00

Some weeks ago I found that some nameless idiot (me) had left my very small camera in the pocket of my jeans as they went through a complete 40 min. wash cycle. The camera died. At Barbara's urging I got a replacement. This replacement just happens to be the best small camera in the world (Canon G9). It takes some getting used to. Here is the result of the first few weeks of trials. Because of my clumsiness, the photos are displayed above!

Family Matters

2008-01-18T11:57:00.001-05:00

Dinner Last Night

2008-01-10T13:28:00.000-05:00

When I served dinner last night I thought it looked rather good. I was trying to serve an oxtail stew in a way that wouldn't look like a brown puddle in the middle of a round plate - this is what I came up with.

WebAlbum - Misc.

2007-11-02T11:27:00.000-04:00

Here is a random selection of recent photos.

As Time Goes By

2007-08-07T19:49:00.000-04:00

Many years ago (about 40) I bought a small hibiscus cutting at the Hamilton Farmer's Market. It was rooted in a styrofoam coffee cup. As it grew, it produced the most amazing flowers. Later, in the 80's, I had an office with wonderful light. I took the plant to work, where it became a wonder for all to behold. I took cuttings and gave rooted plants to many people.
In 1994, my wife and I decided to divorce. When I came to pick up the hibiscus, I found that it had been thrown away. A few years later, I was offered plants by a friend at work who was moving from a large house to a small apartment.Among these plants was a mature hibiscus which had grown from a cutting that I had given him in the 80's. I still have this plant.

Vacation '06 - a Web Album (click to slide show)

2007-01-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

Jordan, Ontario 06

Web Albums

2006-11-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

Just choose "Slide Show" after you click.

Balcony Gardening

More Web Albums

2006-11-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

MOI

Web Albums II

2006-11-10T08:49:00.000-05:00

Here are some more of my web albums. If you want to look, make sure you choose the "slide show" option for best effect.

FOOD

Web Albums III

2006-11-10T08:42:00.000-05:00

Here are some more of my web albums. If you decide to look at them, check the "Slide Show" option; it runs through the whole shebang full sized on a black background.

Prince Edward County

Web Albums

2006-10-30T09:39:00.000-05:00

Web Albums can now be shown on blogs. So, here is my modest start.

Sunrise on the balcony

Click On Photos

2006-10-03T10:22:00.000-04:00

As long as I have been posting photos in this blog, I have never mentioned that they are all thumbnails! So, for full sized versions of all photos, please click on them!!!!

2006-10-02T12:16:00.003-04:00

Growing Orchids

2006-09-29T09:56:00.000-04:00

I have been growing orchids for about 10 years. It has never really been a serious pursuit. For example, I have never gone to the extent of providing the ideal environment for a particular variety or invested in the kind of equipment for assured success. Still, I've managed to keep many specimens thriving and even occaisionally bring them into bloom. It is therefore a giant coup for me to have two plants in bloom at the same time! One is an ordinary phalaenopisis and the other a hybrid of various varieties. So, only 10 years to get this photograph!!!

Garden Guest

2006-08-11T13:57:00.000-04:00

Because my "garden" is 100 ft. from the ground, I don't find that it attracts much in the way of insect life. I was therefore really surprised to find an enterprising praying mantis sittting smack in the middle yesterday. My first reaction was to find better hunting for this guy. I lifted him up to toss him down to the ground; bad move. These guys have sharp pincers for eating insects and he didn't hesitate to use them on me! Then I used a sieve and a towel to persuade him that life would be more rewarding on the ground. Hmmm...was this a smart move? I should have left him to guard my garden!

A View From The Balcony

2006-06-12T12:39:00.000-04:00

The tug of spring

2006-04-18T12:35:00.000-04:00

It seems beyond obvious to say that the arrival of spring is a welcome event. It happens every year after the snow melts; after five decades of watching this you might think the thrill would wear off. No, no, no! It's quite the opposite - it becomes more thrilling. The push of the earth to grow again makes me more giddy with each passing year. Just now, every living plant life in Toronto has begun the thrust to fruition. I'm thrilled.

Grano II

2006-04-11T15:07:00.000-04:00

In a previous post I described going to "Grano" and feeling at ease, which was a novel experience for me. In a way, that post was not entirely honest, as it suggested that I had been there for an entire meal; I had only stayed for wine and calamari. Yesterday I put my "courage" to the test. I invited four people (Sarah, Olivia and Heather, and Barbara) for a full dinner. As it was scheduled for 7:oo, naturally I arrived at 6:30!
How did it go? Well, the first time checked my watch it was 10:00 !! It was an evening without tension; pure enjoyment for me.
This kid is going places!!!

Citizenship

2006-02-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

After waiting since 1959, I finally take my oath of ctizenship in 2006. Why the long wait? Well, since the age of 9 have always thought of myself as a Swede living in Canada. I wasn't willing to take an oath to say this wasn't so. But, over the years (many!) it gradually began to dawn on me that I had become a "Canadian". Regardless of where I was born, Canada was the country whose language I spoke, whose values I held, whose history and current affairs I knew, whose fate I cared more about than any other country in the world. It had become time to affirm these facts. So, when I finally took my oath, it was not simply a gesture to obtain the right to vote; it was a confirmation of facts I had been denying. It was time to abandon the idea that living in Canada was simply some kind of extended visit. I wasn't ever going to go "home" ; I am living in my "home".

Grano

2006-02-02T14:24:00.000-05:00

Grano I

2006-02-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

I've had an odd relationship with restaurants. I've spent years reading reviews of the various wonderful places in Toronto; I've done this to the point where I have a pretty good idea of who is cooking where. The trouble with exploring these places, at first, was quite simple - they were too expensive. Then, when I decided that a once-in-a-while splurge was OK, I got hit with something quite unexpected - panic attacks. These are debilitating episodes that take the fun out of everything, especially being in any formal setting where you "cannot escape". Well, this began in 1986, when treatment was in its infancy. Now I am able to function, but not able to forget.
So, now, 20 years later, I can write about a restaurant called Grano. It is a place highly recommended by the assistant property manager in our building. It's chief feature is rustic Italian cuisine and a casual atmosphere. Still, it is no "ordinary" place. On my second visit, I was stunned to see our former Governor General and her husband walk in. It is a place of good food and culture; best of all, it doesn't scare me!

Balcony View II

2006-01-19T19:56:00.000-05:00

South

Eglinton

2006-01-19T19:54:00.000-05:00

Eglinton

Balcony View

2006-01-19T19:53:00.000-05:00

Looking South

Rainbow

2006-01-19T19:49:00.000-05:00

Looking East.

Karman Ghia

2006-01-19T19:48:00.000-05:00

Barbara

2006-01-19T19:47:00.000-05:00

Adrian

2006-01-19T19:45:00.000-05:00

Unexpected presents

2005-12-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

Neighbourhood III

2005-12-28T12:32:00.000-05:00

This Chistmas totally unexpected things happened. It began with a phone call from the assistant property manager asking me to come down to the office on the 23rd. When I got down she held out a huge package and said "This is for you". This was followed by "Open it!". I was flummoxed - inside was a beautiful Italian tray. This was followed up by a knock on the door on the 24th - our neighbour across the hall was there with a gift bag - inside was a bottle of Bailey's! Last, but not least, later on that evening there was small package left on our door step - inside was a silver box of fudge. WOW! This simply does not happen in apartment buildings! When I told my mother about all this she reamarked that this type of giving (not in any way obligatory) "comes from the heart". I agree and am really moved.

Neighbourhood II

2005-12-20T17:37:00.000-05:00

Apartment buildings ( 200 units plus) are typically anonymous places; most people living in them would be hard pressed to name 2 neighbours living on the same floor. I find it hard to separate my own gregariousness and the nature of our building. I know my neighbours and many other people in our building . It may just me - being very nosy and intruding on fellow tenants. Still, people here are not resistant to conversation. One factor that really contributes to the breaking down of barriers between tenants is the annual Christmas Party. All tenants are invited to a wing-ding in the spacious lobby every year. Not all attend, but, many barriers are broken here. I came back with 5 new names to put to familiar faces from this year's party. I would call that small victories.

Neighbourhood

2005-11-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

I have never lived in one place or city long enough to establish the feeling of "belonging"; have no idea how long this takes, but I suspect a decade must be a minimum. I am therefore a bit surpised at the beginnings of a "sense of neighbourhood" that I'm feeling after only living here for one year.
Many things are contibuting to this feeling of "connectedness". Last week I asked the local supermarket manager if he could stock ciabatta in his bread section; not only did he say "yes", but he phoned me to say it had arrived; our neighbour (apartment) knocked on our door on Saturday to ask if we had any chillies suitable for her pasta ( we have tons!); an other resident dropped by unexpectedly to say she had an extra bromeliad from work for me. Our building manager has offered us the Sunday New York Times which has not been picked up by the subsciber - Hey, is this becoming my neighbourhood!?

Modern Life

2005-10-21T13:25:00.000-04:00

Having a TV with a cable attached the back is not a big deal. If you add a VCR, well, you need a few more cables; still, no big deal. Now, if you decide that you want a DVDR, things get interesting; even more interesting if you decide all signals should be directed through the digital amp. Yesteday, I finally convinced all these components to speak to each other!

Squash Fun

2005-10-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

There must not be any shape or colour that squash cannot be grown in. I recently bought 8 of these delights for $2 CAD. Two of these, however, seemed to have more than mere decoration on their "minds" - hmmm.....

New Carpet

2005-10-12T13:53:00.000-04:00

I've never before owned a hand knotted Persian "tribal" carpet before. I've always assumed that the real thing was only for millioniares. I dropped into a carpet shop and found out that many of the smaller carpets are available for under $400 CAD. For this you get the most wonderful range of hand dyed wool carpets that just glow with their richness of colour. So, here it is!

2005-10-07T14:45:00.000-04:00

The garden is over for this year.

Summer's End

2005-10-07T14:43:00.000-04:00

When I started my balcony container garden this spring, I knew that come first frost, it would all have to be put away. That is, after all the whole nature of seasonal gardening. What I didn't quite figure on was the impact it would have. I have spent time in this wonderful mini environment every day this summer, watering, pruning, harvesting, etc. To have it all gone is, well, a bit of a shock. With terrestial gardens something always remains; many plants can overwinter; not so here. Ahh.. but next year......

2005-09-27T05:55:00.000-04:00

Rose gets married!

Balcony Gardening II

2005-07-26T13:28:00.000-04:00

Well, the theory was that I would use part of our balcony for gardening and leave plenty of space for outdoor dining. The photos below show the current state of the balcony. Have I gone too far? Listen to my reasoning before you answer. It has been far too hot and humid to enjoy outdoor dining during July. So, I've concentrated on keeping the garden growing. Sounds good so far? Well, has it ever grown! I've only replaced plants that were not thriving and not really increased the number of crops under cultivation; the gradual conversion of the balcony to a garden with SOME seating is therefore not entirely my fault, right?!

2005-07-26T13:27:00.000-04:00

Same balcony!

2005-07-26T13:26:00.000-04:00

Crowded balcony!

Balcony Gardening

2005-06-29T11:27:00.000-04:00

After many years of trying to grow plants inside, I finally (since our move last year) have access to a balcony. It has been difficult not to make the entire balcony a garden; I promised Barbara that there would still be room for outdoor dining. As the balcony is very small, I tried to confine most of my activity to 2 75cm x 25cm planter boxes as well as a similar shelf for assorted pots.
With the whole affair facing ESE the results have been, well, staggering! There are DAILY changes to every plant.
Since I cannot grow everything, I decided to try only flowering plants that I've never grown before in one of the planters, and herbs that we use every day in the other (mint, basil, marjoram, greek oregano, silver thyme, garlic chives, and variegated sage). It is a tremendous pleasure to step out and harvest fresh herbs for every meal.
All gardeners are keen to try something new. For my 'total crazy' I bought a Chinese luffa plant.
Sure, I know the fruit can grow to 2m long, but I'll harvest them at about 15cm!

2005-06-29T11:26:00.000-04:00

Balcony Gardening

Stunning Beauty

2005-05-21T16:23:00.001-04:00

In starting this blog I tried to include all family members. I cannot find any excuse for my failure to include the stunningly lovely Patricia, my sister-in-law. This photo is from our one and only meeting in 1998.

2005-05-21T16:23:00.000-04:00

Patricia.

2005-05-20T12:31:00.000-04:00

wedding photo

Getting Married

2005-05-20T12:18:00.000-04:00

Weddings can be very elaborate, or, they can be simple. Barbara and I opted for the simple kind. In the summer of '98 we asked my future sister and brother in laws to meet us at city hall for the cermony.When we came out, I asked some touritsts to take our picture.

2005-05-20T11:54:00.000-04:00

Laurie

2005-05-16T09:39:00.000-04:00

Lester

A Little Lost

2005-05-16T09:21:00.000-04:00

In 1994 I found myself living alone in a new city. I was, in a sense, starting life over. Two people at my workplace stepped in to make this transition much less painful than it could have been. Laurie suggested, for example, that I could cope and was, in fact, a quite adequate person. Lester, who lived near the place I had moved to, declared that I was welcome at his house anytime. Both helped me enormously to find my feet again.

Forgiveness

2005-05-10T15:01:00.000-04:00

Some years ago I listened to a CBC broadcast in which Jean Vanier spoke about forgiveness as a very important tool of personal liberation. In saying that, I'm simplifying his message; still, it is the essence. The burden of anger is one that will wear one down; it can be shed by the act of forgiveness. All this is easy to say, hard to do.
I had someone steal 25 years of work (photographs) from me about 10 years ago. I thought that this was unforgivable. Now, I realize that I can still create and must let the past go; not exactly in Vanier's terms,but still progress.

2005-05-10T15:00:00.000-04:00

Photo from '70's

Ego

2005-05-02T12:36:00.000-04:00

A blog is an electronic message in a bottle. Those messages (in bottles) usually drift around and eventually disappear. Nobody actually finds the message and writes back "Cool message". Imagine my delight and surprise when someone commented on one of my posts with "sharp tools and sharp picture"!!! Well, that's not really the whole story - the 'someone' was my father and he kindly posted the comment after I had asked him to. Such is the shameful state of my ego!
Still, who knows, I may get a 'real' comment today!

I Am Uxorious!

2005-04-18T09:56:00.001-04:00

My wife is wonderful. Proof? Well, on a recent Valentine's day I unwrapped a present with the following goodies inside:
- 2 jars of St. Dalfour jams
- 1 bottle of balsamic vinegar
- 1 package of stock cubes aux fines herbs
- 1 bottle of Ume Plum vinegar
- 1 package of smoked salmon mousse
- many small Toblerone chocolates
I rest my case!

2005-04-18T09:56:00.000-04:00

Happy Valetines Day !

A Fascination With Tools

2005-04-16T18:39:00.000-04:00

Last Christmas my parents gave me a generous gift certificate for a local hardware chain. I decided to use it to buy tools that wouldn't ordinarily ever find their way into my toolbox; pure indulgence, in other words.
The first was a pair of avation tin snips (yellow for straight cuts). Next I bought a fine toothed flush cut saw; this will cut any wood, like a dowel, without touching the surface it is potruding from (the teeth are set only one way). After that came a set of steel calipers. Then a small butane torch. Last, but not least, I bought a clear protective face sheild to be worn when using all of these tools. Have I used all these tools yet - no; will I - yes . Am I thrilled to have them - YES.

2005-04-16T18:38:00.000-04:00

Tools.

2005-04-07T11:37:00.000-04:00

$10 CAD !!

$10 CAD Goes To Market

2005-04-07T11:21:00.000-04:00

Well, it's April here in Toronto. Nothing in the way of vegetables is growing here. So, what can one expect at the local corner fruit and vegetable store? A lot, as it turns out. For $10 CAD, I got the following:
- 4 300g Fuji apples from the USA
- 1 600g Butternut squash
- 2 600g giant carrots
- 4 200g red peppers
- 1 800g bunch of celery
- 1 50g bunch of fresh mint
Hey, that's incredible value!!

Saul Bellow 1915 - 2005

2005-04-06T15:16:00.000-04:00

It was sad to read today of Saul Bellow's death. He was, without question, one of the greatest writers of the modern era.
Personally, my reading of his novels began in the summer of 1965, when I chanced upon a copy of "Seize the Day" while my mother and I were staying in New York for a few days waiting for our ship to depart for Sweden. Even though I was really impressed by this short novel, it would take another 34 years before I read him again. In 1999, I read his last book, "Ravelstein", based loosely on the life of his friend Allan Bloom. After reading this magnificent work, I decided to go back and read his previous novels. What an amazing body of work! I have not yet read all of his 16 novels, but I'm well on the way.

Our Family Expands

2005-04-03T18:54:00.001-04:00

My daughter Rose is getting married this July to Dan, seen here in a family shot at the left. We are hoping for great weather in Victoria this summer for the outdoor ceremony!

2005-04-03T18:54:00.000-04:00

Family

Toronto April

2005-04-03T18:45:00.000-04:00

Well, Toronto April weather is variable, but this looks more like January! As testimony to the variability, the predicted high for tomorrow is 9C !

2005-04-03T18:44:00.000-04:00

April 3

Painting Easter Eggs

2005-04-01T14:27:00.000-05:00

It seems a trifle immodest , but, what the heck, here is my Easter egg for '05.

2005-04-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

Easter Egg

Full Circle

2005-03-23T09:24:00.000-05:00

In 1959 I arrived in Canada. My father had gone first, and my mother and I arrived some months later. We were to live in Toronto only a few months before moving on to Vancouver. We lived for a short while in an flat above a store on the corner of Mount Pleasant and Manor Road. It was a really unsetteling time for me as I spoke no English and had left all my friends behind. My mother took me to the school at the corner of Eglinton and Mount Pleasant where the teacher gave me a book, asked me to sit at the back and said something like "Just try to pick up the language". Easier said than done!
After 45 years and many other towns and cities, I now live within a few blocks of that flat.

2005-03-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

Early home.

Bulb Onions

2005-03-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

Visiting a local fruit and vegetable store I found this bunch of three bulb onions just pulled out of the Texas soil impossible to resist. The bulb is as sweet as fresh picked corn with just enough bite to let you know they are still onions. This, while there is still snow on the ground here in Toronto. Hard to ask for more.

2005-03-21T12:08:00.000-05:00

bulb onions.

Plating

2005-03-18T09:29:00.000-05:00

It doesn't take much watching of Food Network shows to realize that the amount of interest in any meal serving can be increased by a some simple presentation techniques. Here I've prepared braised chicken and vegetables with steamed rice. I've used three plates of different shapes. It wasn't a huge change from putting everthing on one round plate, but it certainly made the whole meal a lot more interesting.

2005-03-18T09:28:00.000-05:00

Plating.

Random Photos

2005-03-10T13:28:00.000-05:00

Sea trouble.

2005-03-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

Clay's.