City Daily Photo Theme - June

Posting at City Daily Photo Theme Days.

June’s Theme Announced – “Zest!”

I was so pleased to see RedPat being featured for this month's theme. RedPat is a fellow Torontonian.

RedPat from “Occasional Toronto” was given the mission of choosing an emotion for our June Theme. She wanted a positive emotion, so she picked “Zest,” which encompasses energy, exhilaration, vitality, enthusiasm, and probably some other interpretations that will surely pop up on the CDP portal on June 1.

RedPat is an artist who lives and works in a converted factory building in downtown Toronto. She has been posting on Occasional Toronto daily since 2010. Her main interests encompass design in many forms, especially public art and architecture, and exploring the many diverse neighborhoods in Toronto.

Let’s see what “Zest” looks like in your city!
noun
great enthusiasm and energy.
"they campaigned with zest and intelligence"
synonyms: enthusiasm, gusto, relish, appetite, eagerness, keenness,
avidity,zeal, fervor, ardor, passion

Last weekend we were around the University of Toronto campus and came upon this event.

Event date: Sunday, May 25, 2014, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Newly admitted Engineering Science students are invited to attend Welcome to Engineering. This is an opportunity for potential EngScis to chat with professors, current students and staff, see presentations and tour our facilities.

They obviously have some ZEST and enthusiasm for their chosen studies and there was a fun demonstration of the various clubs.

 They exhibited great gusto and energy as they sang "Engineers' Drinking Song" a traditional drinking song for engineers.

Godiva's Hymn is sung either to the tune of The Battle Hymn of the Republic or The Son of a Gambolier. Near Christmas, it is a tradition of the Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad (sic) of the University of Toronto to sing Godiva's Hymn to the tune of Good King Wenceslaus.

One Version of the Chorus is as follows:

We are We are We are We are--
We are the engineers--
We can We can We can We can--
Demolish forty beers--
Drink rum Drink rum Drink rum all day--
and come along with us for--
We don't give a damn for any old man--
Who don't give a damn for us--

The fervour and passion exhibited when they let this extremely noisy explosion erupt certainly stopped my heart for a moment!

Sepia Saturday - A Tribute

I'm posting at Sepia Saturday today.

O’Connell, Ursula (nee Swift)

Born in Dublin, Ireland

May 28th, 1936 – May 20th, 2014

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Ursula at the C.H.S.L.D. Bussey in Lachine. Beloved wife of 56 years to Jim (Séamus) O’Connell. Dearest mother to her devoted daughter Laura (Paula) and loving son Derek. Also remembered as loving Nanny to her grandchildren Kayleigh Ann and Anaïs. Predeceased by her parents Veronica and Thomas Swift and her sister Angela (Jack McGuinness). Loving sister of Kathleen (Brendan O’Shea) and brother Nicholas (Barbara), her many nieces and nephews here in Canada and the large family of in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews in Ireland. 

A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Edmund of Canterbury Catholic Church, 105 Beaconsfield Blvd., Beaconsfield, on Saturday May 31st at 11 a.m., in the presence of her cremated remains. The family will receive condolences from 10:30 -11 a.m. and following the Mass in the church hall where a small reception will be held. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Alzheimer Society in Ursula’s memory would be appreciated. Ursula’s cremated remains will be interred in the Mausoleum of Saint Peter and Paul at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery at a later date. 

This is my tribute to my Aunty Ursula, these are some of my memories of her as I grew up.
She was a kind, unassuming, generous lady.

Always fastidious about her appearance, going to the "beauty parlour" every week. I have a photo of her wrapping her hair on Christmas Eve with toilet paper to keep the style protected.

 At my parents' wedding in 1951 in Dublin, Aunty Ursula on the left, my Mom in the middle and Aunty Nell (Kathleen) on the right. These three sisters were very very close. Mom passed away in 1989.

As the first grandchild on my mother's side, I was spoiled by my aunts. Here I am at the Dublin zoo with Aunty Ursula, my uncle and grandmother.

My sister, Ursula was her namesake and godchild. We always referred to them as big Ursula (all 4'10'' of her) and little Ursula, even when little Ursula was bigger than big Ursula.

The last photo we have of the two Ursulas together.




Aunty Ursula got married in Dublin and little Ursula was only around two years old and was to present the lucky horseshoe to the bride.
However, little Ursula was really too little and shy to do this so here is a photo of me presenting the horseshoe. My dress was a salmon pink made by my Mom.

On the day of the wedding, it is not uncommon among Celtic brides to sow a horseshoe into the hem of a dress. This custom goes far beyond luck. It is part of an ancient belief, perhaps tracing as far back as the iron age.

They didn't have children for a while and moved to Canada. At one point they lived across the street from us in Montreal and every Sunday after Mass everyone would gather at our house for coffee and pastry. 

By then my grandparents had also moved to Canada.

My mother went back to work when we were both in school and one day a week my sister and I would go to Aunty Ursula's for lunch. My absolute favourite was Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs! To this day I will occasionally have to buy a tin to everyone's horror!
When I told my cousin about the spaghetti she was amazed as my aunt was always very health conscious and didn't serve junk food.

Aunty Ursula got me my first job at Richstone's Bakery in Van Horne Shopping Centre. And everyone who grew up in Montreal knew you could never get fresh bread on a Monday!

My BFF fondly remembers my aunt when she visited from Deseronto in the summers. She always thought Aunty Ursula was so glamorous. We lived upstairs and she reminded me a few years ago that when Aunty Ursula left our home she would shout back up the stairs TTFN (ta ta for now) and I now end all my notes to my BFF with TTFN.

Sisters forever! Aunty Ursula in the middle, Mom on the left and Aunty Nell on the right.

My cousin, my Aunty Ursula and me.

TTFN, Aunty Ursula and I hope you and "little" Ursula are getting caught up on all the news!!

Below is the lovely eulogy my cousin delivered at her memorial service.

Saturday Snapshot

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by West Metro Mommy. 

May 2014 - Toronto ON

A couple of weeks ago we went to see the cherry blossoms in High Park. They were not at their peak this year. Last year they had been spectacular, however the long cold winter had an impact.

Still we did get some nice shots.

Weekend Cooking on British Isles Friday

Beth hosts Weekend Cooking where you can post anything food related.



Joy's Book Blog is hosting this weekly meme.


May 2010 - London England

The Hung Drawn and Quartered, 27 Great Tower Street, City of London. EC3R 5AQ

You have to love the name of this pub. I had been here in 2009 on a trip with my girlfriend and niece and we had to take our husbands here when we returned in 2010. It is walking distance from The Tower of London so we headed there after our tour of the Tower.

To be hanged, drawn and quartered originated in 1351 as a statutory penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III (1216–1272) and his successor, Edward I (1272–1307). Convicts were fastened to a hurdle, or wooden panel, and drawn by horse to the place of execution, where they were hanged (almost to the point of death), emasculated, disembowelled, beheaded and quartered (chopped into four pieces). Their remains were often displayed in prominent places across the country, such as London Bridge. For reasons of public decency, women convicted of high treason were instead burned at the stake.

You can see the noose in this photo.

 Prawn sandwiches!!

Friday My Town Shoot Out

I'm posting over here this week.

May 30: Sculptures - What sculptures can be seen in your town? Show us a sculpture, or more from your town

August 2013 - Toronto ON

Located outside of the University Avenue Courthouse, this 20-foot-wide steel sculpture, created by artist Edwina Sandys (daughter of British Cabinet Minister Duncan Sandys, and granddaughter of Winston Churchill), consists of 11 human “pillars” holding up the roof a courthouse. Because the justice system depends on the participation of citizens, the installation is meant to represent the fact (as the plaque accompanying the installation states) that “we are the pillars of justice.” Moreover, the artist purposefully omitted one human column so that “a person can stand there or imagine being in the vacant space and ‘become’ the important 12th juror.