Self-Isolation Week 8

May 2020 - Toronto ON

NOW Toronto Thank You to Front Line Workers

Heritage Toronto is creating a series online tours. I took this guided self tour, around Old Toronto.

Toronto Flower Market goes online pop up.

I let John cut my hair on Saturday!

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.

But at High Park...

Last week I showed photos of the cherry blossoms in High Park. The blossoms popped this week but the city has completely closed down the park to everyone. It had been closed to traffic but not foot traffic until April 30.

But never fear...

BloomCam High Park Toronto

John took a walk on Monday and Tuesday.

Not my kind of garden features!

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.

New to me! Improve is Canada's largest home improvement centre, seriously, check out their map!

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.

People keep taking Jack's masks! Who's Jack?

May 1 

State of Emergency in Toronto Extended Until COVID Crisis has Ended

Image source

May 1 is also my mother's birthday and this was her favourite song, The First of May.

John's afternoon walk.

And today

Canada bans 1500 types of assault weapons in the wake of last week's horrific shooting in Nova Scotia.

LEARNING

I found a source for virtual travel and also some amazing world maps with pins for sale.

Anyone familiar with T. S. Eliot and his poem J. Alfred Prufrock will enjoy this coronavirus version. 

The first verse...

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,

The AGO, Art Gallery of Ontario, weekly #AGOfromHome series covered monochromatic composition.

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.

Artwork courtesy of Tania Santer via AGO

I discovered a family friend started a blog! Granny in the Mountains.

COOKING

Am I the only one who buys their Worcestershire sauce in a big bottle from Costco???

THIS WEEK'S MENU

Chili

Pulled pork sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce

Omelette

Leftover chili heated in oven with cheese, nachos and sour cream

Salmon with lemon mustard sauce, broccolini and roast potatoes

Shrimp pho

Steak with Tiger Cry dipping sauce and creamy coleslaw.

Check out a friend's new Youtube cooking channel for her pho recipe.

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.

READING

I haven't been reading a lot recently.
I did enjoy The Perfect Girlfriend.

THROWBACK TRAVEL

This week last year saw us in Paris!!!

LINKING UP WITH

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

Sunday Salon

Seasons