Flora's Deli, Toronto, ON

It's such a nice day today ... sunny and warm ... so Gord and I went for a walk.  We were hungry and ended up picking up sandwiches at Flora's Deli, a pop-up just west of Dundas Street W/Dovercourt Road.

Gord got a La Cantina and I got a Jersey Mike sandwich.

The thank you note and sticker
were a cute touch

Nova Scotia's Community Haul ~ March 2021

I received my March Nova Scotia's Community Haul subscription box today.

Weddings and school concerts, charity bake sales and chase-the-ace - our community halls are where Nova Scotians have come together for generations to celebrate and support one another. Since we’re together apart for the foreseeable future, we’ve transformed the community hall into a Community Haul. 

Community Haul, partnered with Symplicity Designs set out to create a safe and fun way to help the small business community through the next year. Our product forges connection, creates community, and offers you the opportunity to explore Nova Scotia - all from the safety of your home. 

We've launched a local subscription box to celebrate Nova Scotia business owners and help reboot the regional economy. By pledging your community support with a subscription, you can help keep the lights on for dozen of small businesses during these economically stressful times. What's more, every box sold will support the IWK Foundation to provide care for the women and children in the Maritimes.  

I'm originally from Nova Scotia and have been enjoying receiving stuff from "back home" and helping support their economy.

Here's what I received ...

College Falafel, Toronto, ON

I've been craving "east coast" donairs for a couple weeks so picked some up for lunch today at College Falafel (at Ossington Avenue and College Street).  The owners, Oljana and Bard, are very nice and friendly and they make very good donairs.

There are a wide variety of condiments but traditionally a donair has meat, tomatoes, onions and sauce.  I got just tomatoes and donair sauce (I'm not a fan of onions) and Gord got onions (he's not a fan of tomatoes).  The donair is served in a pita pocket.  The meat was good and tender and the sauce was tasty.

Book ~ "Look At This If You Love Great Photography" (2021) Gemma Padley

From Goodreads ~ "Look At This If You Love Great Photography" is a must read for anyone who appreciates the power of the image. Featuring 100 of the best photographs ever captured on camera, Gemma Padley offers concise, insightful summaries on just what it is that makes each one so special.

Having written for some of the most important publications on modern photography, Gemma draws on her expert knowledge to reveal the fascinating stories behind these incredible pictures, focusing in on why each image chosen represents such a high point in photographic history. Uniquely curated to offer a fresh perspective on the medium, expect to see pictures from legends of the art form, including Ansel Adams and Martin Parr, alongside cutting-edge examples from the studios of the most creative photographers operating today.

Whether it’s gut-punching photojournalism that changed public opinion and made us question who we are, or images that rewrite the rules of photography and blur the lines between other art forms, this is a penetrating rundown of the pictures that really matter and you need to see them.

I like reading books about photography because I find it interesting to see what interests people enough to take a photograph of it.

The author was invited to write a book featuring 100 photos of any genre and from any period in history that people must see.  The book was divided into 10 different categories:

1. Breaking the Rules
2. Photos That Make You Look Twice
3. A Punch in the Gut
4. Reflecting on Who We Are
5. Flirting with Other Art Forms
6. Photos That Could Be Dreams
7. Reappraising the Everyday
8. Colour is King
9. A Wonderful World
10. Capturing What the Eye Can't See

Along with each picture were suggestions to Google other images by the same photographer or similar works by other photographers; an interesting fact about the photograph; sources to further your knowledge; movies, documentaries, interviews, etc. worth investigating; podcasts and interviews to find out more about the photographer and their work; and list of other photographers with similar works or influences.

Sometimes when I see someone taking a picture, I'll stop and try to see what they are seeing ... sometimes I see it, sometimes I don't.  And that's how I felt about this book.  With some pictures, I could understand why it was photograph-worthy while others I didn't get.  But that's the beauty of taking photographs ... it's what catches your own eye that's important.

I found it interesting that for a book that contains 100 "great" photographs, the book cover was fairly bland and nondescript.

Book ~ "Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows" (2017) Balli Kaur Jaswal

From Goodreads ~ Every woman has a secret life ...

Nikki lives in cosmopolitan West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, she’s spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community of her childhood, preferring a more independent (that is, Western) life. When her father’s death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a "creative writing" course at the community center in the beating heart of London’s close-knit Punjabi community.

Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpected - and exciting - kind.

As more women are drawn to the class, Nikki warns her students to keep their work secret from the Brotherhood, a group of highly conservative young men who have appointed themselves the community’s "moral police." But when the widows’ gossip offers shocking insights into the death of a young wife - a modern woman like Nikki - and some of the class erotica is shared among friends, it sparks a scandal that threatens them all. 

Nikki is in her twenties and living on her own in London.  Her parents are from India and are traditional in many ways as is her sister, Mindi.  While Mindi is trying to find a prospective husband and an arranged marriage, Nikki is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life.  She had been going to law school and, much to her father's dismay, she quit and is now working in a pub.  When her father suddenly passes away, Nikki feels guilty because they had been fighting just before he died.

When Nikki sees an ad looking for someone to teach a creative writing course at a Punjabi community centre, this gives her purpose and she applies and gets the job.  A handful of Sikh widows show up to take the class, thinking they would be learning basic English literacy so Nikki begrudgingly adapts.  One day Nikki had picked up a book of erotica as a joke for her sister and the widows see it.  Nikki then discovers that the widows aren't as meek and mild as one would think.  The class becomes a creative writing class with the widows sharing their fantasies.

In the meantime, Kulwinder, Nikki's boss, is grieving because her daughter had passed away, causing gossip.  She has given Nikki a hard time in the past so Nikki has to hide what she is really teaching.  Plus Nikki has recently met Jason who she really likes but he is hiding a secret.

I liked this book.  I liked the writing style ... it was funny at times and moved at a quick pace.  It's written in third person perspective in Nikki and Kulwinder's voices.  I found it interesting and learned a lot about the Punjabi culture.  My physiotherapist had recommended this book to me and gave me the head's up that there is swearing and the widows' stories are fairly explicit.

Nature's Wellness Box - March 2021

I love getting subscription boxes and recently ordered a six month subscription for Nature's Wellness Box ... and the first box arrived today.

Aromatherapy-focused, lifestyle & wellness subscription & gift boxes all non-toxic, natural, vegan and cruelty-free.

What is in the Box?
The box features 5-6 full-size, natural, vegan and cruelty-free products worth $80+! We designed our boxes to feature practical and fun products you can use every day.

What is Not in the Box?
You’ll find no toxic chemicals in your box. We select all of our products carefully, with love, so that you can relax knowing they are eco-friendly. You can always count on that.

Here's what I received ...

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting another pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens.  They are fun to make.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Fat Bastard Burrito Co., Toronto, ON (Queen Street W)

Gord picked up burritos for lunch today at Fat Bastard Burrito (Queen Street W/Dovercourt Road).

He ordered us "big" chicken burritos, which is their in-between size.  I got chicken, refried beans, cheese, rice, mild salsa and burrito sauce. It was exploding and so yummy!

Book ~ "The Bounty" (2021) Janet Evanovich and Steve Hamilton

From Goodreads ~ Straight as an arrow special agent Kate O’Hare and international con man Nick Fox have brought down some of the biggest criminals out there. But now they face their most dangerous foe yet - a vast, shadowy international organization known only as the Brotherhood.

Directly descended from the Vatican Bank priests who served Hitler during World War II, the Brotherhood is on a frantic search for a lost train loaded with $30 billion in Nazi gold, untouched for over seventy-five years somewhere in the mountains of Eastern Europe.

Kate and Nick know that there is only one man who can find the fortune and bring down the Brotherhood - the same man who taught Nick everything he knows - his father, Quentin. As the stakes get higher, they must also rely on Kate’s own father, Jake, who shares his daughter’s grit and stubbornness. Too bad they can never agree on anything.

From a remote monastery in the Swiss Alps to the lawless desert of the Western Sahara, Kate, Nick, and the two men who made them who they are today must crisscross the world in a desperate scramble to stop their deadliest foe in the biggest adventure of their lives.

Everyone thinks Nick is a con man and thief and Kate, an FBI agent, is trying to catch him.  But in reality, Nick had been caught and is now secretly working with Kate and the FBI.  Only a handful of people are aware of this.

There is going to be a robbery at the Vatican and Kate and Nick are dispatched to roam to be part of the team to stop it.  Imagine their surprise when the robber doesn't seem what they thought he was going to steal AND it turns out to be Nick's father, Quentin.  Nick protects his father and in turn, Kate protects Nick.  It seems that Quentin was stealing part of a map that would lead to $30 million dollars in old Nazi gold.  There are different pieces of the map which takes Kate, Nick, Quentin, Jake (Kate's father) and a professor all over Europe to find them because they land in the wrong hands, a group called the Brotherhood.

This is the seventh in the Fox and O'Hare series ... I've them read all and liked them but I didn't like this one.  It was very far-fetched and had Nick climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Kate climbing to the top of a castle, Nick and Quentin searching a polar bear exhibit, the team climbing a rugged mountain and more ... with hardly a scratch.  All the while fighting off the bad guys.  I've liked Kate and Nick and their interactions and banters in the past but in this book there weren't many.  It was more action-packed and cold, perhaps due to the change in the second writer.  I hope the next one in the series is better.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting another pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens.  They are fun to make.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Book ~ "Diary of the Cat Named Carrot" (2021) Erin Merryn

From Goodreads ~ Celebrate a year in the life of the Cat Named Carrot, as she goes from humble beginnings in a shelter to a loving home with a family of three adorable little girls and internet stardom.

Bailey was certainly no ordinary cat - an orange tabby who gained fans around the world when his humanlike antics went viral. Sadly, when 14-year-old Bailey died, his family grieved their loss. They’d never find a cat quite like him - or would they?

Then along came Carrot, an orange tabby kitten born as a stray, who appeared just as Erin Merryn and her young girls Abby, Hannah and baby Claire were mending their broken hearts. 

Written in the voice of Carrot, follow her remarkable journey from shelter cat to top Instagram celebrity feline. Much like Bailey did, she loves spending time with her human family: making mischief with her girl gang; going joyriding in a pint-sized pink Barbie Jeep; doing arts-and-crafts projects; modeling a pink tutu and flowery headband; enjoying a spa day complete with fluffy robe and cucumber eye treatments; celebrating Christmas, Easter, and every holiday in between. It’s no wonder that Carrot’s videos have gone viral - garnering millions of views on Ellen, the Dodo, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, People, and many more.

Complete with four-color photos that will leave readers purring with delight, the journal of this sweet, adorable kitty with personality to spare shows us that the human-animal bond runs more than fur deep. It is love that will last a lifetime! 

I love reading books about animals.  This is a year long diary written by Carrot, an orange tabby.  She started her life in a foster home with her mother and siblings.  She was quickly adopted by Erin and her family, whose cat, Bailey, had passed away.

Carrot tells of living in the foster home, being adopted, and all the escapades and celebrations she enjoys with her family.  Along with her diary entries, are full-colour pictures.

I thought this was a cute book.  We have two rescue cats and we volunteer with a cat rescue.  It was funny to see some of the pictures ... our cats would never ever let us dress them up like Carrot.  Crumpet is too spicy to allow it.  I put a sweater on Muffin once and she just laid there stunned until I took it off.  Ha!

Book ~ "Search for Her" (2021) Rick Mofina

From Goodreads ~ At a truck stop near Las Vegas, fourteen-year-old Riley Jarrett vanishes from her family’s RV, turning their cross-country dream of starting over into a nightmare. 

Investigators have their work cut out for them. The massive, bustling truck plaza in the desert is the perfect place for someone to disappear - or be taken. 

Detectives pursue every chilling lead as all eyes fall to the newly blended family with a tragic past. With the clock ticking down on the likelihood that Riley’s alive, suspicions run deep. Everyone - from Riley’s mom to her stepdad to her stepbrother and her ex-boyfriend - has something to hide. And their secrets could prove deadly.

A couple years ago, Grace's husband had passed away in a car accident and John's wife and daughter had passed away in a boating accident.  Grace and Tim meet, fall in love and get married bringing together Grace's 14-year-old daughter, Riley, and Tim's 18-year-old son, Blake to form a new family.  Looking for a fresh start, they head from San Diego to Pittsburgh where John has a new job in an RV.  Blake finds it boring and Riley is mad because she's forced to break up with her boyfriend and leave her friends behind.  

The family stops at a huge truck stop.  Leaving Riley pouting in the RV, they go in and get food.  They are miles down the road toward Las Vegas before they realize that Riley isn't in the RV.  Heading back to the truck stop, they get in an accident and the RV is totalled.  By the time they get to the truck stop, lots of time has gone by.

Was Riley kidnapped and a family member involved?  Did a local pedophile grab and kill her?  Or did Caleb, Riley's ex-boyfriend, arrive to come get her?  As the police get involved, they discover that Grace, John and Blake are keeping secrets.  

I've read a few books by this author and thought this one was okay.  I liked the writing style and it is written in third person perspective with the focus on wherever the action is.  There was a lot going on with everyone having secrets that are hinted at and eventually revealed.  I thought it was obvious what happened to Riley and I wasn't buying it.

Dave's Hot Chicken, Toronto, ON

After our walk, Gord and I picked up a late lunch at Dave’s Hot Chicken in Parkdale (they opened a couple months ago). 

Gord got Combo #1 with no spice and mac ‘n cheese. He liked the tenders and would get them again but wasn’t crazy about the mac ‘n cheese because of the spice. I liked it so will have it for lunch tomorrow.

I got Combo #3 (no kale slaw) with lite mild spice and fries. I liked it and would get it again. The fries had a bit of spice on them. The lite mild spice on my sandwich and tenders was spicy enough for me. It was a big meal and I have a tender and half a slider left over for lunch tomorrow.

Sunnyside Boardwalk and Sheldon Lookout, Toronto, ON

It is a sunny crisp day (-1C) and Gord and I wanted to get outside for a walk.  We drove about ten minutes away and parked near Sunnyside Pavilion and walked towards Sheldon Lookout and back. 

We walked along the Sunnyside Boardwalk.

Gord

Gord

Amour knitted dishcloth

The Year of the Dishcloth is organized by the Kitchen Sink Shop.  

February’s pattern was an Amour dishcloth. It’s knitted upside down so you start with the top of the heart. When the pattern was revealed at the beginning of February, I started it about 15 times but I couldn’t get the first row (the top of the heart) right so I gave up. This week I reached out to the Kitchen Sink Shop for help. This was a tricky one for me and I unravelled many rows many times but ta-da! 

I used Bernat Handicrafter cotton yarn and a 5mm needle.

Set up

• Rows 1 - 3: K38
• Row 4: K3, P32, K3

Amour Pattern

• Row 1: K5, *K1, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, K1, K2tog, YO, K1, YO, SSK, K3* 2 times, K3
• Row 2 (and all even rows 2 to 14): K3, P32, K3
• Row 3: K5, *K2tog, YO, K3, YO, (S1, K2tog, PSSO), YO, K3, YO, SSK, K2* 2 times, K3
• Row 5: K5, *K1, YO, SSK, K7, K2tog, YO, K3* 2 times, K3
• Row 7: K5, *K2, YO, SSK, K5, K2tog, YO, K4* 2 times, K3
• Row 9: K5, *K3, YO, SSK, K3, K2tog, YO, K5* 2 times, K3
• Row 11: K5, *K4, YO, SSK, K1, K2tog, YO, K6* 2 times, K3
• Row 13: K5, *K5, YO, S1, K2tog, PSSO, YO, K7* 2 times, K3
• Row 15: K5, *K6, YO, SSK, K7* 2 times, K3
• Row 16: K3, P32, K3
• Row 17: K38
• Row 18: K3, P32, K3

Knit Amour pattern (rows 1-18) a total of 3 times

Finishing

• Rows 1 - 4: K38
• Bind off and weave in ends.

Note:  S1 K2tog PSSO – Slip 1 stitch from left needle to right needle, knit next 2 stitches together, pass stitch you slipped back over two stitches you knit together (a decrease of 2 stitches)