Impact

 Linking up at Marg at The Intrepid Reader 

Weekend Coffee Share

Once Upon a Time 7 21

Sunday Salon

Hearth and Soul Link Party

Sherry's Pickings

What's On Your Plate (Monthly)

July 2021 - Toronto ON

July 2021 - Queen's Quay Toronto

The week flew by uneventfully with John golfing Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The weather went from hot high 30s feeling like the 40s with the humidity to lots of rain and cool sweater weather at 18 and windy.

Monday I went down to Harbourfront, first time this summer. 

“After a hasty return from an artist residency in France, I went directly into quarantine for two weeks at a friend’s empty Airbnb apartment in downtown Toronto. Having already been essentially isolated at my residency for the previous two-and a- half months, I was beginning to feel the effects on my mental health – such as a deep sadness at the impossibility of a hug – so I made gag comics to keep myself company and to mark the days which were otherwise beginning to blur. In those first few weeks of increasing restrictions, so much was changing so quickly, and almost all the plans I had made for the upcoming months flew into uncertainty. Making these comics was a way to ground myself in the present, feel connection by putting something out into the world, and bring a little levity to a deeply worrying situation. It’s ironic, and even a bit funny, that feeling alone at times is something we all as humans share – so even when we’re alone, we’re alone together.”

— Rebecca Roher

The sightseeing and dinner cruise ships and getting ready to be allowed to open. July 16 is the date for stage 3.

The Power Plant is Canada's leading public gallery devoted exclusively to contemporary visual art. It is also always free.

As it is currently closed it is showcasing CONTACT's photography on the outside walls.

Sasha Huber, YOU NAME IT
The Helsinki-based artist’s practice investigates the ways colonial history is imprinted in the landscape through acts of remembrance. Her photographic mural Rentyhorn documents a reparative intervention aiming to rename the Alpine peak Agassizhorn, named after the “scientific” racist Louis Agassiz. Rentyhorn is a prelude to Huber’s first Canadian solo exhibition at The Power Plant, January 29 – May 8, 2022.

Tall ship in front of gallery.

“THE ONLY TONGUE IN VOGUE”1 is a quote pulled from history that helps us to envision a future where Indigenous languages are once again “in vogue” on Indigenous land.

This casual observance is from an explorer’s 1810 journey through the trade routes of what are now the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta, where nēhiyawēwin (the Plains Cree language) was one of the predominantly spoken languages of the time. White explorers and traders would have had to hire translators or have a basic understanding of the language in order to communicate, trade and survive.

These words encapsulate what conversations would have sounded like before English and French became pervasive on these lands. While the historical context of colonialism was thoroughly underway when the quote was written, under an Indigenous lens the words provide a glimpse into a different time and become a beacon for a possible future.

Joi T. Arcand

1 Alexander Henry qtd. in Fromhold, Joachim. The Western Cree – (Pakisimotan Wi Iniwak) Louis Joseph Piche (Chief Pesew) The Founding of a Dynasty. First Nations Publishing, 2016.

Waterglass includes 119 art glass panels (1,736 sq. ft.) of hand-painted and fired glass which was fabricated in Germany and Austria. A series of glass panels on the east wall are imbedded with more 360 photographic images documenting the history of Lake Ontario, visible only from inside the Theatre lobby. The artwork generates solar energy through photovoltaic cells that light the Theatre’s lobby.

Waterglass is the first solar glass art project in Toronto and the first in the world to integrate heat mirror technology. The result is creative and inspiring – art generating energy. This partnership won an Award of Distinction at the 2011 The Globe and Mail Business for the Arts Partnership Awards.

Then I went to Winner's and found a light coloured golf shirt for John, it has been so hot. In Longo's I picked up chicken quarters as John couldn't find them at Metro in the morning.

Tuesday we talked about an outing and finally got our act in gear after lunch to drive out to Caledonia. But once we were on the QEW traffic was stop and go several times so we gave up and came home.

Wednesday I went to Harbourfront to check out the new Farm Boy (I didn't do this on Monday because I knew I was going to Longo's). I picked up field tomatoes, some salad dressings and a spaghetti sauce. I also found a potted cilantro plant. I planted both the basil and cilantro in my herb planter on the balcony and we'll see how that works.

The museums are opening on July 21 16!! I got our tickets for the Andy Warhol exhibit for September.

Thursday I had plans for us downtown but it absolutely poured all day. One item was the Toronto Art Show so I will go by myself on Friday.

Nope didn't happen on Friday. It rained on and off and I couldn't get motivated. 

I forgot to post June and YTD crossword puzzles stats last week.

BTW if you are wondering about the slightly blurry header photo, I encountered the same problem others did when Blogger made an unannounced change to the header set-up. It has decided, in its ultimate wisdom, that we should only have itsy bitsy postage stamp headers in the right corner.

I kind of got around it by saving as a PNG instead, although it isn't as clear as it should be.

SOPHISTICATED SHAKERS

I had an Aperol gin cocktail and John felt like having a scotch. The gin cocktail was good but I wouldn't bother with it again.

New York Times had an article about women left out of the history of cocktails.

COCKTAIL CIRCUIT - TO DATE

Mai Tai with orgeat which is new to us

Tequila Sunrise

Rob Roy required bitters which we had never bought

New York Sours 

Gin Fizz

Rusty Nail

Vodka Sidecar

Vodka Cosmopolitan

Negroni

The Perfect Storm

Boulevardier

Side Car

Jalapeno Margarita

The Godfather

Peach Cosmo - FAIL

The Barista

Blue Diablo

Kentucky Mule

Bloody Caesar

Aperol Gin

COOKING

Saturday I baked a gluten free vegan lemon blueberry loaf. Once again my oven is acting up and even with an extra 10 minutes baking it was still raw so I stuck it in the air fryer on bake for 20 minutes and it turned out well.

Dinner was ham (in freezer for a while) with au gratin cauliflower and potatoes.

We have a glut of fruit which we enjoy for breakfast so I made an almost one ingredient strawberry ice cream.

Sunday pepper tuna steak and lemon Dijon sauce with potato salad. Sauce was meh I prefer my other mustard sauce.

Monday pork chops, carrots and turnips, mashed cauliflower and potatoes.

Tuesday chicken quarters and salad

Wednesday mushroom pasta I never buy canned/jarred spaghetti sauce but I picked one up on impulse when I was at Farm Boy and we both loved it.

Thursday hamburgers and potato salad with gluten free homemade burger buns and I used the air fryer proof setting for the first time. 

These were good but the tops were very hard. I will make some changes in the proofing. I will also open a new jar of yeast as the one I am using was bought at the Bulk Barn a year ago.

Friday was going to be steak frites. But since I didn't go out and was feeling antsy so I made a chimichurri and garlic mushrooms along with the fries. I am loving chimichurri!!

WATCHING

I put House of Cards (really could a couple be more evil?) aside when I discovered Mad Men was on Prime. I had been deep into it when it was removed from Netflix in June 2020.

John finished the latest Bosch.

I was looking for another series that I couldn't remember the name of and came upon Into the Night, a Belgian one series season (although I believe there is a second season coming).

Thursday at the movies 2021 Judas and the Black Messiah. Daniel Kaluuya gives a stunning performance as Fred Hampton the murdered chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party.

We are watching the latest Yellowstone series.

I binged on MasterChef Australia Season 13 on Friday as I have had trouble finding it online the last few weeks. I went back to watchtvseries.si and it was wide open again. I am at episode 55 so no spoilers please!!!

READING

I borrowed the latest issue of BBC Good Food magazine from the library. Yes, I hate reading magazines online, the font is too small.

Outrage how can I go wrong with a female police inspector that loves to cook and writes cookbooks?

The Almost Wife, set in Ontario, started slowly but slowly got better if not great. You can see the ending coming.