Raven's Brew

 Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

June 2024 - Toronto ON

August 2023 - Skagway Alaska

It was our usual leisurely weekend, cloudy Saturday and rainy Sunday. I had two boxes of frozen spinach (why??) in the freezer and had the brain storm to make soup, also using some sad bits of vegetables that were languishing in the fridge.

Monday John did a grocery run and I went shopping, because I "needed" black capris, mission accomplished in Cleo's.

Cutting through the Royal York Hotel.

Tuesday we went to The Well, we had first visited this new building back in January, The Well, we had first visited this new building back in January, on the coldest day, but the food court hadn't opened as yet. WOW we were impressed with the selection.

John picked up his lunch from here.

I ordered from Blue Claw, home of the Canadian catch, fresh lobster from the east coast.

I was just thinking of knishes last week and how I miss them!!!

PRIDE flag on side of new TD building.

BTW, on our way there, we ran into an old friend and made plans for lunch.

Wednesday I took the 9:30 bus to Union Station and took the GO train to meet my BFF for lunch in Burlington. The bus was delayed by this, just passed the bus exit ramp, causing traffic to be backed up.

Pictures from the train.

Waving at John as I go by Palace Pier.

We had a good catch up at the Piper Arm, and I missed the 2:19 train by a minute, we hadn't bothered to check the schedule. I got the 2:49.

I have been lusting after this cookbook for eons but I knew I could find most of them on his blog/FB/YouTube, but I broke down this week. John has already tagged his likes.

Thursday we were planning on meeting above-mentioned friend for lunch but she begged out due to work and a vacation day on Friday. 

I thought I would do a quick run downtown for some groceries. I saw the 1:20 bus go by and waited and waited for the 1:30, with some other people and finally gave up and came back upstairs. I caught the 2:20 which was on time. The streets were teeming with Blue Jays fans and school buses. Then I realized the game was a "school game", which ENDED at 3:30, sheer chaos as the stadium emptied. My 3:45 bus showed up at 4:22 (never saw the 4:15 bus) so we had a full bus. I walked into our condo at 5:19!!

Friday dawned grey and gloomy as we pondered going out. I knew that the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) had not gone on strike at 2 AM as threatened, reaching a last minute agreement.

I found three tablets that John had set back to factory settings and gave two of them to our cleaning lady T for her girls. I also gave her some plant cuttings that needed a home (not mine)!

We decided to catch the 11:20 and got sprinkled on. The rain stopped as we walked to lunch.

It was very quiet downtown, everyone "works from home" on Fridays, and those that don't, used the TTC strike as a reason not to come into the city.

Photo taken from bus, wet streets and blue sky would not last long!

Looking north, in the distance, dark clouds are looming.

Aroma is our destination. When I worked at the Hyatt, on the right, we had consultants (IT guys) from India and we would lunch here. It is an AYCE, all you can eat Indian buffet. Today's cost is $22 a head, but that includes a salad bar, dessert, soup and lots of choices. Pakoras, samosa, naan bread, chicken tikka masala, goat masala (my favourite) chickpea curry, tofu curry, beef rogan josh, tandoori, rice, aloo gobi, paneer, fish masala, I think I got them all!

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There was a huge downpour as we were eating, creating big puddles.

The rain let up when we left the restaurant so we decided to carry on with my our plans.

Luminato Festival Toronto is a multi-arts festival that celebrates the energy of the city and connects people through memorable art experiences. Every June, our festival transforms Toronto into a playground of art, creativity and conversation.

As part of this year's festival, Evanescent, a massive, immersive piece of 'art-chitecture' by Australian design firm Atelier Sisu, will be set up in two different locations in the city for the entire month.

The installation is comprised of gigantic iridescent bubbles that you can walk through and around, scoring some of the best Instagrams of the entire summer.

Gillie and Marc's public sculpture debut in Toronto features their newest creation, "He Was on a Ride to a Safer Place with Rabbitwoman and Dogman," on display at the renowned David Pecaut Square.

I knew I recognized their work! They have a piece in Yorkville.

This extraordinary piece invites viewers to join Rabbitwoman and Dogman on a cycling adventure led by a majestic northern white rhino at the front of the bicycle. Inspired by their travels and commitment to environmental consciousness, the artists have beautifully embodied their ethos in this interactive sculpture. Designed with a rear seat, the piece invites the public to become part of the whimsical journey, spreading a message of love, unity, and positivity.

This wild tandem ride calls attention to the plight of the endangered northern white rhino, threatened by poaching and habitat loss. Rabbitwoman and Dogman’s autobiographical tale of two opposites coming together as best friends and soulmates serves as a conduit to reconnect us with nature and wildlife. With 70% of the planet's wildlife lost in the last 50 years, the call to action is urgent. 

The rain is holding off!

A new sculpture gifted by  the Anthony and Gay Longo family and created by sculptor Timothy Paul Schmalz, well known for his Homeless Jesus sculptures around the world.

Love Hands at Commerce Court.

We got on the bus just as the skies opened up!

This was the sunset after the rainy afternoon.

COOKING

Saturday steak, baked potato and broccolini

Sunday lamb shanks (carrots/corn/onion) mashed sweet/white potatoes

Monday hamburgers and chips (crisps)

Tuesday chicken dumplings (steamed/fried)

Wednesday wieners and beans 

Thursday Spanish tuna tomato stew with baguette. New recipe, John says it is a keeper, although he is not keen on stewed tomatoes. He is a very fussy fish eater. We did add hot sauce to it. $15 worth of tuna but we did get a good lunch out of the leftovers.

Friday steak with broccolini and balsamic roasted mushrooms

WATCHING

I watched the mini series The Ashley Madison Affair 2023 documentary mini series. Follows the hack of an infidelity dating website for married people that shocked the public with a scandalous data breach. And then John watched it!

We watched Bodkin Irish TV series 2024. A group of podcasters set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in an idyllic Irish town. But when they start to pull the strings, they find a story much bigger and stranger than they could have imagined.

The Outlaws is a crime thriller comedy television series created by Elgin James and Stephen Merchant. Filming of series 1 was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We did watch some of this in August 2022 but didn't remember a lot of it and they have added two more seasons. It is quite funny.

The story follows seven strangers from different walks of life who are forced together to complete a Community Payback sentence, set in Bristol. However, their luck changes – not necessarily for the better – when they discover a bag full of money, unaware that its true owners are very dangerous.

READING

I gave up on Wonderland. Boring characters.

I started The Ex-Wife, which seems like a trite topic done to death, however it was a good read.