Just amusing myself!
I love Newsom's team copying tRump and MAGA getting all upset.
They got the most flattering picture of Vance and the worst picture of Newsom they could find and Newsom still looks better.
Gavin Newsom vs JD Vance in high school
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Tuesday Treasures
July 2025 - Toronto ON
IT TOOK NINETY-NINE DAYS to build the Southam Press Building in 1908. And befitting the crown of a publishing empire, jewels were affixed throughout: Striking tile work in the main stairwell. A stained glass street number above the front doorway. Fireproof reinforced concrete beams. A state-of-the-art sprinkler system, just in case. Red curtain walls by the Port Credit Brick Company. Sills, lintels, and coping—all of it Canadian.
IT TOOK NINETY-NINE DAYS to build the Southam Press Building in 1908. And befitting the crown of a publishing empire, jewels were affixed throughout: Striking tile work in the main stairwell. A stained glass street number above the front doorway. Fireproof reinforced concrete beams. A state-of-the-art sprinkler system, just in case. Red curtain walls by the Port Credit Brick Company. Sills, lintels, and coping—all of it Canadian.
Southam occupied 19 Duncan Street for fifty-nine years. By the early 1960s, the basement was filled with modern offset presses. Colouring books were printed on older Crabtrees on the second floor. There was a bindery on the third, along with storage for the maps and pamphlets Southam produced for Esso (that tiger you put in your tank was likely printed here). There were letterpresses, typesetters, composers, and salesmen scattered throughout the six floors. And when everything was running at full tilt, you could feel the building sway—ever so slightly—east to west.
The 58-storey, Hariri Pontarini Architects-designed mixed-use tower began construction in 2018.
specialists ERA Architects and integrated into the modern podium.
The nine-storey office podium houses the new Toronto home of news media giant Thomson Reuters, who signed on to lease the space for 12 years in a $100M USD deal. The 49 levels above are primarily dedicated to residential rental suites, along with a section occupying levels 52 through 55 that house hotel suites.
Update August 2025 - I confirmed that they did not keep the ghost sign!!!
Sunday, August 24, 2025
Monday Mural
I'm linking up at Monday Mural
August 2025 - Montreal QC
A small collection (2) of murals we found in Montreal.
Prince Arthur
Authenticité 2018
Ben Eine began his painting career as a vandal, leaving his first series of tags across London at a very young age. Eine was categorized as an artistic fugitive early on, police aggression a routine and common risk of the trade. Growing up, Eine’s group of friends were arrested frequently and the tagger’s life became risky. While many were incarcerated, Eine focused on the evolution of his work and craft, developing his own distinguished style. Bright, cheerful colors are at the core of his signature textology. Ben Eine established a studio titled Pictures on Walls which is globally recognized for its iconic screen printed works.
A Mural Honouring a Cultural Builder: Ethel Stark
To make space for the women who shaped history is to affirm our collective will to build a memory that is richer, fairer, and more inspiring. It is in this spirit that this mural was created—born from a citizen-led initiative, in tribute to Ethel Stark: violinist, conductor, trailblazer.
As the first woman to conduct a symphony orchestra in Quebec, Ethel Stark paved the way for generations of female musicians. After performing with the New York Women’s Chamber Orchestra, she co-founded the Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra with Madge Bowen—daring to introduce a new voice into the local musical landscape. Her orchestra would go on to make history at Carnegie Hall, becoming the first Canadian orchestra to perform there.
ANER URRA - a memorial dedicated to the Indigenous children of Canada and, more generally, to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
2019 by Gleo
Originally from the city of Annecy (France), Benjamin Tran is a French-Canadian artist. His work is represented in the form of paintings, murals, drawings and sculptures. After graduating in graphic design from the Lafontaine School and studying for a year at the Condé School in Paris, Benjamin moved to Montreal in 2012 where he has been living and working ever since.
Le Monstr
Saturday, August 23, 2025
Public Art
I'm joining Natalie who hosts a Public Art Challenge
he English Pug and the French Poodle (French: Le Caniche français et le Carlin anglais), also known as The Two Snobs (French: Les deux snobs), is a privately owned outdoor 2013 art installation with two bronze sculptures by the Canadian artist Marc André J. Fortier, installed at 500 Place d'Armes.
Standing in the heart of Old Montreal, the diptych evokes, with humour, the cultural discords that used to prevail between the French and English Canadians. Inspired by the historical site of the building, the novel Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan and Commedia dell'arte, the artist decided to express in his own way, this historical divide. For this, Fortier has intentionally divided the piece into two clear segments to accentuate the distance between the two parties. Both characters stand on the ground and face away from each other on opposite sides of the building.
On the south side corner of the tower, an Englishman, represented as a thin, elegant, pretentious man, wearing a grid pattern suit with a bow tie, firmly presses against his chest a pug and stares with condescension at the Notre-Dame Basilica, a symbol of the religious dominance of the Catholic Church in Quebec. On the north side corner of the same tower, a Frenchwoman represented as a small, elegant, snooty lady, wearing a Chanel-style suit, rubber-zippered high-heeled shoe covers and an imitation beret, firmly holds against her chest a French Poodle and stares with discontent at the head office of the Bank of Montreal, a symbol of the English power. Both dogs are attracted to each other but are made by their owners to stay away and far apart.
Notre Dame Cathedral and the Bank of Montreal (BMO)
Friday, August 22, 2025
Nord Lyon
Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader
August 2025 - Toronto ON
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QUEEN ST W. TORONTO
Other than dinner out, well in our building restaurant, we spent a blissful weekend lounging around home. It has been a busy summer so far!
When I say we did nothing, it still means we did chores like laundry, vacuuming, cleaning house, etc. Cooking is not a chore for me!
You know summer is drawing to a close when the Ex is on!
We don't have any plans to go this year, here are some photos from the last time we went, it doesn't change that much!
MONDAY
Made John a bacon, cheese, egg omelet before he went golfing. I went through my blog drafts folder to see what needed to be completed to post them.
I decided to catch the 11:20 bus downtown. I wanted to go to the post office but they didn't have what I wanted and as usual, as they are "working to rule" so were not very helpful (read rude).
Canada Post says talks with its postal workers that were set to restart on Friday have been pushed back a week due to a lack of available federal mediators.
“The company looks forward to receiving a detailed and comprehensive response from CUPW (Canadian Union of Postal Workers) that addresses the real, significant and increasing challenges faced by the postal service,” the Crown corporation said.
Then I decided to follow up on a post I had in my drafts folder. Photos as I waited, it was a picture perfect summer's day with the temperature around 21 C.
According to The Weather Network "The prolonged heat streak came to an end on Monday in Ontario, as several major cities, including Toronto, recorded daytime highs below 22°C. This marked the first time in 65 days that temperatures in these areas didn't surpass that threshold!"
This must be new! I'm assuming it is a "private" BBQ area for groups as opposed to the other BBQs set about on the lawns behind.
Getting serious about the "flying rats".
From the bus, it looks like we have a New York City movie shoot in town.
Mural by Collective Arts at Chef's Hall on Richmond.
Bike protection lanes, cement barriers on Richmond St.
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The Phae Tavern, another new location for local chefs, Chef Nuit and Jeff Regular (Pai).
Welcome to Tha Phae Tavern, where the spirit of Thailand meets the heart of Toronto.
Woo hoo! Nord Lyon has opened in Union Station. Coincidence that I had used that as my title/header this week!
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Back home, I took a walk to see some of Damien's work. He's back, despite his tools being stolen, his work destroyed by the city (some by-law nonsense), breaking his foot!
Simply a gorgeous day!
Back home, I took a walk to see some of Damien's work. He's back, despite his tools being stolen, his work destroyed by the city (some by-law nonsense), breaking his foot!
John (finally) received a voice mail and e-mail regarding ending our timeshare. I guess stopping the maintenance payments alerted someone to check our e-mail sent a couple of months earlier.
TUESDAY
Tuesday Toronto Treasures featured another landmark being replaced by a planned condo.
I had a bunch of various ideas but it was forecasted to rain so we pivoted (I hate that word) and decided to stay put although John did a couple of errands. By 1 PM we had had a couple of raindrops that wouldn't have filled a thimble!
I sorted out the leftovers to determine, what if anything, we would need. I strained the chicken stock for John's lunch tomorrow.
WEDNESDAY
Signs featured some new potato chip flavours found last week at T&T.
It was a cool cloudy day, I even needed a sweater.
Since it was the guys' golf day, my BFF and I got together. We met at 11 and went to The Well for lunch. We had intended on going to an exhibit but decided we'd rather gab.
I received a response from the Irish government re: my application for a new passport. They are questioning my name difference re: my birth certificate, although my previous Irish passport was issued in the name I use. Whatever, it is government bureaucracy so I'll just go along with it and get a new certified document tomorrow.
THURSDAY
We headed out to the market after lunch.
We picked up steaks, 3 lbs of ground pork ($10), potatoes, strawberries, carrots and shallots.
Then we did some Fan Expo people watching while sipping on our frappacinos.
More tomorrow!
FRIDAY
I made John ham, eggs and potato cakes for lunch, before he went golfing. I went to the notary to get a couple of documents notarized and register mailed for my passport. Then I did some wandering on a gorgeous day.
Yonge and Queen
So sad to see The Bay standing empty and lonely. Supposedly, the bridge connecting to the Eaton Centre is still open....
Looks like Pret is moving into the TD Centre where the pizza place was.
Natalie's Public Art Challenge is from our Montreal weekend.
COOKING
I used the chicken carcass to make soup, and I froze it. I also made a blueberry crumble to use up some whipped cream used as dessert and then two breakfasts with yogurt.
Saturday OUT lemon garlic Alfredo and strawberry margarita granita with whipping cream. So good!
Sunday pot roast (snow peas, carrots, bok choy, carrots, onions, rosemary)
Monday stuffed flank steak with bok choy mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts, gravy
Tuesday pot roast leftovers with broccolini
Wednesday ham and salad, hard boiled eggs, cheese
Thursday flank steak leftovers. Made more mashed potato with bok choy to use for potato cakes
Friday steak baked potato, braised shallots, broccolini and tomatoes
WATCHING
Sleeping Dogs An ex-homicide detective with memory loss is forced to solve a brutal murder, only to uncover chilling secrets from his forgotten past.
The Are Murders A Stockholm detective under internal investigation heads to a ski resort to unwind, until a young girl's disappearance compels her back to work.
The Grey Man When the CIA's most skilled operative, whose true identity is known to none, accidentally uncovers dark agency secrets, a psychopathic former colleague puts a bounty on his head, setting off a global manhunt by international assassins. Boring. We gave up. John said the book was much better.
BUTTERFLY When the consequences of a decision from his past come back to haunt him, a former intelligence operative finds himself pursued by a sociopathic agent assigned to kill him.
I'm catching up on the latest Grantchester.
READING
2025 What to read based on Toronto's favourite landmarks. I found three that I would like to read.
I flipped through Cook's Illustrated September/October 2025 without finding anything.
I cleaned out three LCBO Food and Wine magazines and found a few recipes of interest.
But perhaps because a fellow blogger (thanks, Mary!) suggested a family saga that I immediately got into! Signal Fires. A summer night in 1985 changes multiple lives forever, including for siblings Sarah and Theo Wilf, who are teenagers at the time, and their father, Ben, a doctor. Later, new neighbors move to Division Street and have an unexpected interaction with Dr. Wilf.
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