Monthly Musings

 

1. Favourite spring flower?

Any flowering tree gets my appreciation - lilacs, magnolia, cherry blossoms. They are all so pleasant to look at.

2. Do you have flowers planted at your house?

No, but I will buy some planters to place at the front of the house.

3. Any gardening tips?

Get an automatic watering system. That way you don't have to actively remember to water the plants and if you're away, things still get watered. 

4. What is your go-to spring outfit?

I like the white pants I got last year from Aritzia, paired with a light sweater or linen top, or my green dress with a blazer or sweater.

5. What spring fashion trends are you loving right now?

I'm want to get the same linen top pictured above in light blue, and the same dress but in a different colour. I have a gift card to Aritzia so I'll be doing a little shopping soon. 

6. Best wardrobe tip for when the weather can't make up its mind?

The answer is obviously layers. The temperature can change within minutes when the sun goes down or you go into the shade.

7. What beverage do you love in spring?

Aperol Spritz. Yes, I'm basic, but it says spring/summer to me. 

8. The spring can be super busy, share your easiest spring meals.

Yes, with baseball games and practices starting at 6:00 and tee times often scheduled for late afternoon, we need these easy meals. My best tip is to make things the day before if you can so it just needs to be warmed up, but if you're making it the night of, we like quesadillas hot dogs/sausages, peanut butter and jam sandwiches, tortellini.

Linking up with Patty.

What's Up Wednesday

 

Linking up with Shay for this monthly catch up.

What we're eating this week...

Sunday - Sausages, mac and cheese, salad

Monday - French Toast and sausages (and I had quinoa/lentil salad)

Tuesday - Sloppy Joes

Wednesday - Baked Beans on Toast

Thursday - Hot Dogs/Sausages and waffle fries

Friday and Saturday - not planned yet

What I'm reminiscing about...

I am starting a new job next week so this week I am reminiscing about when I started with the job I'm finishing up now. It was 2019 and I had no experience in mining but I learned quickly and became a valued member of the team. We dealt with COVID, when fortunately mining was an essential service, but it meant a lot of different considerations to keep operating. It's always bittersweet to move on to something new, but I am looking forward to my new position.

What I'm loving...

I keep running into neighbours and other moms I know, at the nail place, the grocery store, the ball field. It seems that we are all coming out of hibernation and it's been great to catch up.

What I'm dreading...

I have had some left elbow pain lately. There is no event that caused this injury, but I think irritation from weightlifting and from the way I sleep. I've been icing it, wearing a brace, and taking Advil when it's acting up, and it seems to be getting better, but I am worried about how it will feel as I start golfing. 

What we've been up to...

Clearing out different places in the house - the shed, the coat closet, the kids' closets, our clothes (although I still need to do the official change over to summer wardrobe), the kitchen drawers, and the downstairs bathroom closet. I've been able to put a few things on the curb and people always pick up whatever is out there. 

What I'm working on...

As usual, working on getting my workouts in and trying to make good eating choices. If the weather can warm up a bit, I will try to get outside more for some runs and walks.

What I'm excited about...

I am excited to get my hair cut and coloured on Friday. I don't get my hair cut as much as I should and I haven't had colour for awhile, but I thought I would treat myself. 

What I'm watching/reading...

I'm watching the Blue Jays, Raptors playoff basketball, and Season 2 of Landman. 

I posted about my March and April books on Monday, and right now I'm reading another book by one of the same authors I read last month. 

What I'm listening to...

As much as I like some easy listening country or light pop in the mornings, I want some good dance jams in the afternoon and evenings - recently added songs to my "Dance Party" playlist - The Days (NOTION remix) by Chrystal, Bring Em Out by T.I, Memories by David Guetta with Kid Cudi.

What I'm wearing...

Now that it's spring and I don't have to wear nylons with my skirts and dresses, I am back to wearing shorts from Thigh Society underneath. They make walking around all day very comfortable. I have them in black and pink and would definitely recommend them.

What I'm doing this weekend...

High Park Little League Opening Day, Q's first regular season game, church, and maybe some golf?

What I'm looking forward to this month...

We have a lot on the calendar for May - new job for me, golf, Blue Jays games, Q's baseball, Mother's Day, a trip to Whistler, our anniversary, and more!

What else is new...

This cool necklace that we Dave and E 3D printed. I would not let Q get this at the game, but now that we printed our own, I think it's pretty cool. 

Weekend Recap

My colleague and I hit up The Frederick for lunch on Friday. We both had the Harbord Room burger and it was delicious, and so was the fried chicken appetizer we shared.

Saturday was supposed to be a day of baseball for Q - game in the morning and rep team tryout in the afternoon. Instead it was raining all day so I went to the golf club for the ladies' welcome breakfast. It was a pleasant way to spend the morning.

Then I did a bit of nothing.  E took this  photo...

...and this, as I tried getting my phone back.

We also made some cupcakes. Thumbs up from E.

I love a rainbow sprinkle.

I convinced the boys to play a game so they chose Axis and Allies. Not really my game but they were fine playing with each other and I was nearby for moral support (while folding laundry and watching the Blue Jays game.

Dave had some tunes going after supper and Q was showing up his dance moves. 

Sunday had much better weather. I went to church and Dave took the boys to the golf club to hit some balls in the practice area. The rep tryout was rescheduled to Sunday afternoon so we biked there. I got to hang out with some moms and had a nice time. 

 

March and April Books

 I read some great books these past two months, here is what I thought of each of them:

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This book takes place in the ‘80s and tells the story of a female astronaut and how she became an astronaut but more importantly about her relationship with a colleague. It starts with an emergency in space and then goes back to tell the story leading up to that moment.  

You may already be familiar with other books by this author. I have enjoyed a few books by her. My only critique about this book was that it seemed very much like the show For All Mankind, if you're seen that on Apple TV.  It is a fictional retelling about the space race and focuses on women in the program and relationships between the astronauts, similar to this book. It was an enjoyable read though and with the recent attention to space with Artemis II, it was a timely.

The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand with her daughter Shelby Cunningham

A story about a private boarding school in the United States. We get the perspective of different students and staff. Like many Elin Hilderbrand books, there are lots of characters but their stories are well woven together and it’s not hard to follow.  She brought her daughter in as a co-author as someone who had attended boarding school and could give a unique perspective to the story.

I found this book pretty fascinating as I have no knowledge of the private school or boarding school systems but I know they are a thing. I know they are just teenagers, but there is a different level of maturity (and immaturity for that matter) for kids that are living away from their parents. I see there is a sequel, which I guessed since the main characters in this book still had one more year of school. 

The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen (Canadian!)

A young woman has recently inherited an apartment in Paris from her grandmother. No one knew she even had an apartment in Paris, but when we get inside it appears to be untouched since the mid-1940s. It is full of art, fancy clothes, and a hidden compartment with even more art. There is also Nazi magazines and a personal note from one of Hitler's top commanders. Was the grandmother a Nazi sympathizer? 

The main character finds an art dealer to try and figure out where the works came from, and together they try to untangle the mystery. Fortunately we also get to go back in time to hear from two women, including the grandmother, from those war years.

 

This was a very good book and I had a hard time putting it down. I had a few things figured out but was kept guessing by others. I wanted more.

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

This book was floating around on a few book lists, so when I saw it on the Best Bets shelf at the library I picked it up. We meet the main character living with her husband on a farm. An old boyfriend has just moved back in next door, about 10 years later from when they dated. He is a famous writer and has brought his son to live with him, having gotten divorced. There is an immediate interaction between the two families and the story goes from there. There are also flashbacks to when they dated, and broke up, and the early family life between the woman and her farmer husband. 

This was an extremely moving book and I cried a few times reading it. It's not just what happened in the plot, but the compassion shown to various people at different times. 

My only critique is that although the book took place in England in the 1960s, it felt like it was set in modern times. Aside from the lack of cell phones, and a passing commentary on women attending college, the way the characters interacted with each other seemed more modern. Not sure why that bothered me, but I think it's because I would forget it was set in the "olden days".

Last Call at the Savoy by Brisa Carleton

Cinnamon (yes, that's her name) is called to be with her sister who is on bed rest for the last few weeks of her pregnancy. Her sister has just moved to London for a job but since her flat isn't ready yet, she is staying at the Savoy Hotel. Cinnamon has to hang around the hotel to make sure she is close by to her sister in case something happens. She meets some new (and old) friends, spends time in the bar, and learns about a female bartender that worked at the hotel in the 1920s.  This part of the story is true and the Savoy Cocktail Book is a real book.

This was a fun book, but had some serious themes as well. She drank a lot of cocktails created by the aforementioned bartender, as the "American Bar" at the hotel was the original cocktail bar, and they sounded so tasty. I am planning to go to London later on this year so now I want to go to this hotel bar to try one of them.

Friday Favourites

 

A few favourites from the week to share with you today.  Happy Friday!

Q and E played frisbee in the backyard on Tuesday night and then went to the park to play on Wednesday night. It was nice to see them playing together.

I went to one of my favourite places in the food court for lunch, Freebird Market. I enjoyed my pizza and salad.

Q got some cool new shorts (he already had the sweatshirt).  It's a baseball brand with some fun prints.

I picked up these little pottery dishes at Simons a few weeks ago. They are perfect for putting a few nuts in for a snack (or more accurately Mini Eggs after Easter) or to hold olives on a charcuterie board.

I was cleaning out a closet and found these little Italian amaretti cookies that I had bought for my mom for Christmas. Oops, guess I need to eat them now!

I went to Q's baseball practice with him last night and went for a walk around High Park. I checked in on the cherry blossoms and they are just about ready to bloom. I bet next week will be the week for Sakura. 

Linking up with Andrea and Erika.

Two Things

 I started writing this as a Three Things post but got stuck on a third one for all of us, so instead here are two things going on with each of us at the moment:

Q

1) Q has been biking to school and then gets to hang out with his friends after school, sometimes bringing a few of them home with him to play in the backyard. He's in Grade 4 so he doesn't have a phone, but we can track his location with an AirTag and get in touch with other nearby parents if we really need to.

2) Baseball season has begun. Q is on a house league team but will also be trying out for a rep team. 

E

1) E got his mid-semester marks back and is doing very well. We spoke with his teachers and they all had nice things to say about him. I can't believe he is nearing the end of his first year of high school already!

2) We rearranged some of our kitchen drawers and E has been tasked with designing and 3D printing the dividers for our new cutlery drawer.  When it's all done, I'll share photos.  I don't like change, so I wasn't totally on board with this initiative, but it looks great so far and will definitely be an upgrade.

Dave

1) Dave picked up some new skis for next season to try out a new hobby - ski touring. This is when you walk up the hill on skis and then ski down when you get to the top. There are a group of dads that have started doing this at our ski hill just to have something else to do in the afternoons. 

2) His work recently moved offices, and they have a gym in the building. Dave has started the good habit of getting downtown early to use the gym before work.  He likes that they have heavier weights than we do at home and treadmills. 

Me

1) Not to bury the lede, but the biggest news here is that I have a new job. I start on May 4 and I am excited for this new opportunity. I am still in the mining industry and based in Toronto. 

2) I have signed up for Year 2 of the Learn to Golf program at the golf club this year. I am looking forward to participating in ladies' night, new member nights, and golfing with my family :)

 

Weekend Recap

We kicked off our weekend with a little visit with Dave's cousin Adam who was in town for work. We were able to meet him before lunch before he was heading back to the airport. And in true fashion, I neglected to take a photo!! Great to see him though.

Q had his first baseball practice on Friday night.  It was nice to meet the coach and the rest of the team. Q has one buddy from his rep team last year, and one friend from school.

Dave was up early the next day to go to Home Depot. We are getting a new BBQ and he is building a space for it. The boys were happy to help out with this project. 

This is the work site.

Meanwhile I did a bunch of things in the house - vacuumed and dusted behind dressers, put the screens back on the windows, cleaned my hairbrush, and put away the Easter decorations. 

The boys made cookies in the afternoon.

I made stew for dinner, which was great for the cold rainy weather that came along. Dave did manage to finish the portion of the project he wanted to do that day, working in between rainfall. 

I went to church on Sunday morning and then E and I went shopping for a few things. Dave and Q had baseball practice and came home cold and tired. Q set up on the couch for the rest of the day. 

We ordered burgers for dinner instead of going out, which was our plan. I cleaned the boys' shoes, folded my clothes, and got to bed at a good time.

It was nice not having too many plans in the calendar so I could putter around at home. This time between skiing and baseball/golf is always a good break.

Why I Like Singing in the Choir

A number of years ago I wrote a post about why I go to church and I'm updating that today as I joined the church choir a couple of years ago. 

The music at our church is one of the draws for people and I love being about to contribute to that. 

And that goes for me too. I am not someone who reads the Bible all the time, although I am familiar with much of it and even took a class in university called "The Making of the English Bible", but it is mostly the hymns that I connect with. The music contributes to the message and can be very moving.

I love that we are singing songs that people have sung for years.  Sometimes we have new hymns and anthems, or old hymns with new words, but occasionally we will do one of the old ones and I feel connected to choirs and congregations of years past that gathered to sing those same words. 

And in particular, my own family would have sung those words. My grandfather and mother both sang in church choirs and would have sung their parts to those hymns. When I hear the lower parts of the song it's like my Papa Doug is there with me. 

I like being able to read music and hit the right notes. Many of our anthems are new to me and take some practice, but it is satisfying to perform it and get it right (or most of it right anyway!).

It's nice to have my own hobby, not that skiing and golf (and watching baseball) aren't great ways to spend my time, but going to choir is something I do for myself and that's a good thing. 

Friday Favourites

 

Happy Friday! 

We had a rainy week, April showers bring May flowers, right? Our May is set to be blooming then!

I met a friend for Happy Hour drinks at The Frederick. I really should do this more often. 

E likes to take photos of me while I'm unaware, but at least he's in the photo too, so I'll take it :)

I do not typically meal prep anything, but I had bought a large package of ground beef so I made it all into meatballs. I used some for our dinner one night but still have a good size bag in in the freezer. 

The Blue Jays have been hard to watch lately with many players on the Injury List and just not being able to put many wins together.  I'm glad it's the beginning of the season so people have time to get healthy and come back strong in the next few weeks. But we love this team no matter what. 

But speaking of Toronto teams (not talking to you Maple Leafs), our beloved Raptors are in the playoffs this year starting Saturday. We didn't get to go to any games this year but we will be watching them take on Cleveland. Good group of guys on this team and will be exciting to watch. 

Hope you have a good weekend!

Linking up with Andrea and Erika.

Weekend Recap

Q had biked to school on Friday so he brought some friends home with him and they played around in the backyard (and then inevitably came inside to play on the PS5), but then he biked his friends home when it was time to go so lots of outdoor time was still achieved. 

(You can see where we have cleaned half of the back steps with the new power washer. We will do the rest but wanted to see the difference first.)

I walked up the street at the end of the day to get a few things for dinner - roast beef sandwiches on ciabatta buns with some new mustard, some produce, wine, and new library books.  Meanwhile we were also watching the Masters.

On Saturday morning we drove downtown to meet Dave’s aunt for lunch. We passed the Art Gallery of Ontario, this statue is made out of leather couches apparently. 

Found a cool playground.

And this steeple.

We went to Fox On John. 

Nice to see Aunt Isabel. 

In the afternoon I decided to empty out Q’s closet and bookshelf and sort through everything.  It took longer than I wanted, but I was successful. I kept a bunch of good picture books even though we aren’t reading those often anymore, and then put the books that Q reads on his own on the shelves, instead of where they were, stacked up in big piles on the top. 

I went to church that morning and then we went downtown for the Blue Jays game with Q’s rep team from last year. It was fun to hang out with the kids and parents (because the game wasn’t great for the Jays). 

I chose this beer because I love marketing. 

E and V have been playing together for 3 years, but will be on different house league teams this year. Hoping to get on the rep team so we get to keep hanging out at the ball field. 

It was Jr. Jays Sunday so we stayed for the kids to run the bases. The cut off is 14 years so this was probably E’s last time. 

We got home to watch Rory’s second nine at the Masters (recorded) and loved seeing him win.