26 July: Water
2 August: Fruit
18 July 2026
Portside Coffee
San Diego CA (CLICK LINK)
It seems I never posted Friday's wanderings along Queen St. W in last week's recap!
Plantings being done at the front entrance.
This vertical calligraphic mural reads "Absolutely Fabrics" and serves as the building signage for the curated designer and vintage boutique of the same name. It is located at 613 Queen Street West in Toronto's Fashion District, right near the city's famous Graffiti Alley.
New?? diner - Short Turn 416, and there is a miniature streetcar in the window. 416 is Toronto's main area code. A "short turn" on the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) means a bus or streetcar ends its trip early and turns around in the opposite direction before reaching its final destination.
The TTC does this to balance service, close gaps, or manage delays caused by traffic or construction.
This historic building at 651 Queen Street West is currently a CB2 furniture store.
SATURDAY
We had our usual Saturday morning, I linked up and read blogs. We discussed our plans for the weekend and decided to wait until tomorrow to go to Chinatown as today is very busy with parades in the downtown area. We also want to check out the Art Show.
Our pop corn maker died!!! Almost 10 years, we bought it in the States on our way home from Minneapolis, where we had gone for John to attend the Ryder Cup. What a great trip that was!!
I ordered/received a new one, the same.
Our watching habits are - we record anything that is on "regular" TV, we NEVER watch commercials. Monday to Friday we watch Jeopardy during dinner, around 8 PM.
A couple of nights a week, we share a cooking show, at the moment BBQ Brawl. We recently finished Culinary World Cup and Top Chef. We do have 47 episodes of Masterchef Australia downloaded to watch at some point.
We then watch something on a streaming service.
I will watch something mindless when I am preparing dinner in the kitchen.
John watches sports (recorded) when he is home.
We watched Killers of the Flower Moon on Saturday afternoon, very disturbing. We both dwelled further into the history to learn more. I love a looooooong movie!!
Killers of the Flower Moon is a 2023 American epic crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Roth, based on the 2017 nonfiction book. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser. Set in 1920s Oklahoma, it focuses on a series of murders of Osage members and relations in the Osage Nation after oil was discovered on tribal land. The tribal members had retained mineral rights on their reservation, but a corrupt local political boss sought to steal the wealth.
How can two of my favourite actors turn out to be so despicable in this film? Di Caprio was such a dumba$$ and De Niro just plain hateful! Amazing acting.
He may not have won the Cup, but he won our respect!
SUNDAY
Eh, no, we're not going to Chinatown for fruits and veg today! I can't be sure of where their produce comes from.
I did some manic cleaning/sorting and made 32 scones for freezing. Ginger/mixed peel and raisin.
I tested out the "clean" washer and dryer.
I cleared out a couple of magazines after finding the recipes online.
I started 2026 recap.
This was not an active shooter, it was an exchange of gunfire between two people idiots targeting each other.
MONDAY
It was a glorious, if somewhat hot day today as we headed to Summerlicious at the Royal York Hotel. Lunch was $55 per person, a very good deal for a hotel.
John had the Caesar and I had to farm greens.
We both had the steak frites. John sent his back as it was too well-done. The fries were delicious!
I had the rhubarb, but it was overpowered by the sweetness. John had the cheesecake.
We're watching the series Your Friends and Neighbors, a comedy-drama, with Jon Hamm and enjoying it. I love John Hamm since Mad Men.
TUESDAY
I headed to the post office to mail a little something to a blogger friend in the US. I was told by the Canada Post person that due to that "Orange POS"(a direct quote) I would have to download a QR, then add an app, no way around it!!
I checked out the app, it is American, requiring my information which I do not want to give.
Following the removal of the U.S. de minimis exemption, the digital customs declaration is mandatory for all physical parcels crossing the border, regardless of value.
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From there I went to the passport office and picked my new one up.
Rather spiffy, heading into the passport office.
I "happened" upon a couple of beavers!
The Old Fire Hall: The structure was built in 1886 and originally served as the Lombard Street Fire Hall No. 5. The prominent arched windows shown in your image were originally the doors where horse-drawn fire wagons exited. (beaver alert).
St. Lawrence Market
I picked up three steaks and a pound of the ground steak.
I stopped for a caramel macchiato at Au Pain Doré, it was okay, but a little weak.
WEDNESDAY
I thought it was foggy when I got up! No, smoke from the Northern Ontario devastating fires.
The appliance installer came and replaced the gasket.
I went to Longo's, Rexall, $ store and Winners. John went to play golf.
Around sunset.
THURSDAY
This is what it looked like at 7 AM this morning. This quickly made our minds up to stay indoors.
It is supposed to break tomorrow.
The smoky haze hung around all day.
FRIDAY
We both updated our Nexus files - me because of a new passport and then we both realized we had other outdated info.
John did a Costco run and I placed a grocery delivery, mostly to stock up on canned goods.
Bananas must be a loss leader for Costco as well. I freeze them once they are too ripe for baking!
Raspberries are two punts. Strawberries are 28 oz or 794 grams.
I will be feeding visitors next week.
No produce is from the States!
This meant a pantry and fridge reorganization. I can say I feel good about our stock pile of goods.
I did a load of laundry. We just got caught up on things.
AROUND TOWN
UPCOMING
Finish beaver quest!
July 18 - BIG on Bloor
July 20 - 23 Family and Blue Jays
July 24 - Fan coil between 9 - 4
July 26 - Leonard Cohen Reference Library tickets subway
July 31 - Black and Blue reserved
Aug 1 - Beatles tickets
TBD
Mattress lunch Mc Grath's
Stove
COOKING
Saturday - pork tenderloin, colcannon and Brussel sprouts
Sunday - leftover pork tenderloin sandwiches and fries
Monday - out for lunch popcorn
Tuesday - garlic parm chicken with pita, tzatziki, tomatoes, red onions
Wednesday - lasagna and Caesar salad
Thursday - leftover over lasagna and salad
Friday - steak, baked potato asparagus. Market steak.
ADDED TO MY RECIPE BOX THIS WEEK
READING
The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly. This is my 4th book in a row by Paula.
A single mother is offered a way out of debt by a handsome and well off older man in this story, but it’s DS Joanne Aspinall who really grabs my attention. Present in all Daly’s novels, Joanne really comes into her own in this story. She’s not your ‘typical’ policewoman, by a long shot. Plus she’s FUNNY, so underrated in crime fiction.
I am obsessed with her women characters because they are deeply flawed, fiercely relatable, and stripped of the "perfect woman" facade commonly found in fiction.
Characters like Roz in The Mistake I Made make questionable choices under pressure, moving readers to empathize with their desperate situations rather than judge them.
Instead of idealized parents, protagonists like Lisa in Just What Kind of Mother Are You? are overwhelmed, spread thin, and prone to catastrophic, highly relatable mistakes.
or Jane in Open Your Eyes are often self-doubting underachievers or conflict-avoidant women who find unexpected strength when forced to take matters into their own hands.
Natty is an intimidating, high-achieving hotel owner in Keep Your Friends Close is completely stretched thin. She is relatable because her "flaw" is simply being too busy to notice her life fracturing, and when she is brutally betrayed, she doesn’t instantly become a perfect hero—she struggles, panics, and fights back with raw, messy desperation.
I started The Snow Killer, another Greenwood thriller. He is another of my recent new author finds that I am hooked on at the moment.
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