Together - Stronger Together states the plaque behind a statue dedicated to Jack Layton, a popular Toronto city politician who died from cancer in 2011. The bronze sculpture by Toronto artist David Pellettier features Layton on the back seat of a tandem bicycle, much like the one he rode with his family, with the front seat open for people to hop on and take pictures.
“The great thing about the tandem bicycle (is) it was faster than a regular bike, because when you’re together you’re stronger, you’re faster, you move forward, just like a community,” said Layton’s widow, MP Olivia Chow, the current mayor of Toronto. “Together you support each other, just like a community.”
Jack's Got Your Back
If only Jack was still around!
Click on the images to enlarge and read his final letter to Canadians.
John took this on Sunday night, looking west towards the Queensway, Humber Loop (streetcar loop). There is a small shopping mall and behind it is the Ontario Food Terminal, the largest wholesale fruit and produce distribution centre in Canada, and the third largest in North America.
Monday we ventured out. Then plan had been to pick up sushi at our favourite place but they had shut down because of the virus.
So we went mural hunting instead. It was a gorgeous spring day with few people out. It got busier as it got to noon.
Outside our condo
Along Dundas West
Everything closed up
Mural honouring the fishermen in Little Portugal.
Harbord St.
And across from the Greek - Y Not Italian.
We went by the cherry blossoms at University of Toronto but they hadn't quite opened as of Monday.
Wednesday the plan was to do a couple of errands and then go for a drive again.
But it was a cold overcast day so we went to the green grocer, dollar store, beer store and got gas. Imagine no lineup for gas at Costco!
We stopped around the corner for John to show me a bird's nest he had found yesterday.
Sculpture outside a condo on Bloor West
Thursday was a foggy day!
Friday John was excited to receive an email that his favourite gluten free bakery was taking orders so we changed our plans (wasn't a nice day anyway) and headed to pick up his order.
As mentioned the cherry blossoms are out in High Park but the city is determined to deter any one from entering the park. Fencing has been put up.
High Park on the way home, police at every entrance.
We also received an announcement from a city councilor that there will be a heavy police and parking enforement presence in our neighbourhood this weekend. The weather will be nice and they expect people will try to come here and park to enjoy walking around the lake. Tickets will be handed out.
Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like droplets lightly strewn upon a table; Let us go, past certain half-deserted streets, To the muttering retreats Of darkened homes with delivered Zinfandels,
In response to current events, the AGOinsider reached out to Tania Santer, an art therapist who recently relocated to a small town in Northern Ontario, to learn more about how she uses artmaking to combat isolation. Here is her story.
I forgot to mention that one of the challenges when buying bulk spices online was determining how much to get. I only wanted enough to fill my spice jars and on average it worked well. However, I forgot to take into account that since it is sold by weight and certain things weigh much less that powders, I ended up with enough bay leaves for a lifetime!
I had frozen (since whenever) homemade chicken stock in the freezer so I made chicken soup with fusilli (end of a pantry box) with onions, carrots and celery.
Made guacamole for lunch.
I had frozen strawberries so I used them to make strawberry lemon sour cream loaf. The recipe had currants and I replaced them with extra strawberries. This turned out so well that a friend I gave a (socially distant) slice to asked for the recipe.
I replace my (old) bread maker for a model with a gluten free setting.
I made a loaf, but the recipe (not from the manual) was a 3 hour bake and I had set it to gluten free which is a 2 hour bake, so it looked nice but wasn't cooked inside. Lesson learned.
WATCHING
We both continue with The Black List. I am continuing with Mad Men.
I never watched Mad Men when it first aired, and it is a history lesson in consumerism and entitlement along with a huge disregard for the earth!
We started watching Schitt's Creek as our light-hearted viewing.
Back in January when the show ran its last episode we saw the sign in the CBC lobby. Back when the world was normal.
