Grandma Loves You

 Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

August 2025 - Toronto ON

Wellington St. Toronto ON

SATURDAY

I did some laundry, it's seems never-ending. I made salmon salad for lunch and then limoncello granita for dessert.

John hung the latest photo creation which meant some rearrangement.

SUNDAY is my morning for reading book blogs and updating my library wish list which just grows and grows. I found some new book bloggers and some new authors.

I had an idea to go out to a street fair but got settled in, plus I knew how crowded it would be. I also knew we had plenty of leftovers that should be eaten for lunch. And I wanted to get dinner into the crockpot, yeah, yeah, excuses that I didn't need if I wanted to stay home!

I did clean out and update my spice drawer! I also added what we needed to my list.

MONDAY murals are from Montreal earlier this month.

Mani pedis were booked for 10:15. Since I planned on going to Yonge and Bloor I offered to pick up John's glasses at his optometrist at Yonge and Eglington. I hadn't taken the 66 bus to Old Mill subway in a long time!

As I waited for the bus.

Waiting for the subway at Old Mill.

Once I picked up his glasses I stopped into the local greengrocer at Yonge and Davisville. I picked up raspberries 2 for $5 and 908 grams (2 lbs) of Canadian blueberries for $6. I may go back and get more blueberries at that price, Longo's is currently 280 grams for $7!!

Then I went to Yorkville as they had their mural festival on the weekend but only found one new.

Click here for the two previous murals that adorned this hotel.

More Yorkville.

The temperature dropped like a brick, I was happy I had a sweater with me. 

I went into the Yorkville Library as I had heard that it has an extensive Theatre Play Sets collection has multiple copies of almost 300 different plays — both classic and contemporary. I thought it would be a special display but it is just available for borrowing.

This library is now towered over by all the new condos in Yorkville.

Across the street.

To the right.

The Toronto Reference Library, I always show pictures inside, but never the outside.

This post covers Yorkville's history and includes both of these libraries.

Another new condo that they've kept the facade of the original building. 

I debated taking the subway or walking. I started walking, thinking perhaps that I would go to Bulk Barn. But then I discovered a new Korean grocery store on Yonge, just south of Bloor. It has quick a large inventory of fresh, frozen and canned goods. I found bulgogi, which Costco hasn't had for a while.

When I came out it was spitting so I went into the subway back to Union where it was pouring. I scored two samples of the white Cadbury Fingers! So far I have collected 6 freebies.

John had booked the golf simulator for 1 PM.  Then he sold an unused golf club online so he took it to FedEx.

I made a raspberry granita from the ones I bought. The rest will be breakfast with yogurt.

It is so sad to read Nova Scotia bloggers who are in fear of their homes due to the wildfires burning there. 

TUESDAY

Tuesday's Treasure featured  new Toronto home of news media giant Thomson Reuters.

We were awaiting a phone call regarding our timeshare so I spent the morning in the kitchen. I made a blueberry crisp. I made rice for our lunch. I cleaned out the jars. I watered the plants. And I mailed something to a fellow blogger, you know who you are!

Did three loads of laundry! 

Our new wall photos came! We have photos of our travels on our wall, but John felt we should replace some of them with ourselves in those places, so I had Egypt, Cambodia, Australia, China, Thailand and Singapore.

And I created a new Portugal collage.

We did a quick Longo's run as they had crab legs on special!

WEDNESDAY

I decided to go back and get more blueberries but make it an outing. It has been a long time since I walked along Yonge St. north of Davisville. 

As I walked through Union Station.

Walking north towards Yonge and Eglington.

New with the original facade incorporated.

Cannabis shop

Another new development and it contains a Farm Boy and a Staples. I checked out the Farm Boy on my way back.

Inside Yonge Eglington Centre.

Oh my, I went a little pathological photographer in Indigo, a Canadian book franchise. 

I bought the navy blue!

In the right photo, those are ceramic vases!

Oh but I sooooooooo wanted that vases on the right, red, black and white!!

.

On my way back.

We used to go to the Duke for a big breakfast when we lived in this end of the city.

Lots of international flavours to sample.

The Butcher's Son

I scored these at Union from their samples display!

And these were $5 175 grams gluten free in Farm Boy (Canadian) compared to the French's 170 grams for $6.50 in Longo's!

THURSDAY

After yesterday's beautiful day we had a rainy one. We planned on catching the 9:35 bus, however, due to mechanical issues the company had sent a small van which didn't have enough room for everybody. We could have complained and probably got an Uber, but we decided instead to take the bus and subway. Plus it was quite chilly so we decided to change our clothes first.

If we are away we just bundle up and go sightseeing even if it is raining i.e. Reykjavik!!!!!

We got out at Broadview and went to the Broadview Diner. It was decent, but not worth a repeat visit although the server was a delight.

I "borrowed" a photo of their mural as there were too many people to take one.

I expected the avocado to be mashed on toast. The tomatoes were terrible for this time of year.

John asked her where the bacon was in his bacon cheddar omelet!!

We made a stop in Bulk Barn as it was on my list for this week and picked up what we needed.

This area is known as Greektown or The Danforth. It used to be lined with Greek restaurants, fish shops and bakeries, but it is more international now, with Persian, Mexican, Turkish spots.

I meant to get a photo of the building on our way back but the rain curtailed that.

Plant shop.

Old-fashioned signage.

Churches are being repurposed everywhere. We read the sign.

But then saw the actual footprint.

Very quiet, I guess no one wanted to get wet. This is the bike path layout along Danforth.

We were shocked by the hole left in the skyline. It seems the new Metrolinx will have a stop at Danforth and Pape.

Metrolinx is building a new, underground Ontario Line station at Pape Station, which will connect with the existing TTC Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth subway) at Danforth and Pape avenues. This new interchange will provide a faster route downtown and is expected to reduce congestion on the TTC.

Ontario Line

A new 15.6-km subway line in Toronto that will run from Exhibition Place, through downtown, all the way to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT at Don Mills Road.

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Artist's rendering

Considering we are still waiting for their original line to open, 5 years later!!!

Eglinton Crosstown LRT - A midtown connection between east and west Toronto with 25 stations along a dedicated route.

The Metrolinx Eglinton Crosstown line was originally slated to open in 2020, but it has been subject to multiple delays, with the project's current opening date uncertain after construction delays, legal action, and system issues have prolonged its completion

                                                                                               Mr. Toon

From there we walked in the rain to Donlands, but we were really getting wet so we hopped into the subway back to Broadview as John thought it would be more interesting to take the streetcar rather than the subway. We waited a long time for the 504 to come and then changed at University to the 501 Humber.

I submitted a building request regarding our living room lights. I was going to contact an electrician but why not use our own resources (that we pay for) first? Well, that didn't work, I was told to contact an outside contractor. 

FRIDAY

John had golf booked. I caught the 10:30 shuttle, a small 11 seater Mercedes again, but there was only 4 of us. It is Friday (everyone works from home), of the Labour Day long weekend so traffic was light.

It was cold out, I'm so glad I threw in an extra sweater! 13 C, lovely if the sun was out...

I took the subway to Queen St. walked around the stupid Ontario Line construction to City Hall for the Dragon Festival running this weekend.

I only took photos of the food vendors but there were various other vendors as well.

I was tempted by the squid skewer...

I nipped into the Sheraton for a "bio break".

Then I grabbed to 501 over to Spadina, intending to transfer to the Spadina streetcar, but then decided to walk. I would end up with 11,000 steps so I'm glad I used some TTC.

This photo is a place marker to remind me that I can try Mary Brown's chicken here as the only other one I know of, is on Queen St. in Parkdale,

For god's sake, do we really need all this holiday crap this early? Who buys this stuff to clutter up your cupboards??

I'll take an extra-large.

The LCBO at Front and Spadina has the best selection!

Since we don't have any American products on the shelves (not since January) we have a lot of interesting local stuff. This store also had the Sleeman's whisky, which someone had said was pretty good.

I was here to find No Taboo. Too funny, I had read it as Nota Boo!

Walking back.

COOKING

Yes, we got through that massive Costco tomato container! Ditto the broccolini!

And the pork I bought on special for $18, I divided it in three, a roast (2 X 2 meals), pulled pork (1X2 dinner and 1 lunch) and froze a piece for pork schnitzel. 

We are having local strawberries as often as we can.

We're almost through the large bags of limes and lemons as well.

Saturday roast pork roast potatoes, mashed carrots and broccolini 

Sunday Mexican slow cooker pulled pork buns tomato feta salad

Monday chicken curry and chips

Tuesday leftover pork mashed potatoes and carrots and broccolini

Wednesday beef bulgogi green peppers onions bean sprouts and rice

Thursday leftover bulgogi, mushrooms and broccolini stirfry (also lunch on Friday)

Friday  Szechuan pork and green beans and dumplings fried (thanks Suzanne, they were excellent, although American) and I added to the sauce.

Yes, Andrew, we digress once again, but John wasn't home until 8:30!

WATCHING

The Fall   TV series. Detective Superintendent from England investigates a politically-sensitive murder in Belfast.

Woo Hoo there is a season 20 2025 of The Hotel Inspector! This is my secret indulgence, wasting time bingeing.

I flipped through Tea Time September/October 2025 and Simply Knitting Sep 01 2025. Nothing caught my eye.

Becoming Belle was a decent, unexciting read. Belle actually annoyed me, or perhaps it was the repetition of the story line/writing. I did enjoy the history of that era.

But then a copy of book two of the Century trilogy, Winter of the World became available. I had put a hold and it had said 14 weeks, but I got it in one week! That will keep me happily entertained this weekend.