our group went to view the Fleurs de Villes display after our birthday lunch at Gather…
as always, a walk through the Tropical Biome is rejuvenating…
we had such fun as each of us shared different points of interest as we wandered through the lush vegetation…
we visited the cacao trees, saw coffee beans, enjoyed new vistas of the fish, chatted about the banyan tree, spotted many heliconias, and got dripped on a few times, lol…
we moved on to the Mediterranean Biome for the Fleurs de Villes exhibition…
all of the mannequins (that represent the arts in the city) were very nicely done… we met two of the designers and spotted things we liked at every display… it was amazing to see the details that had been included…
after we’d been around once, most of us went around one more time, as we each made a decision on our favourite and filled out the ballot which we received as we entered the space…
the Fleurs de Villes exhibition is always stunning and such a delight to have had here two years in a row;-)…
fun morning… picked up by a friend after shovelling the sidewalk… my fingers were very cold in my gloves when I put the shovel away, and I discovered that it felt like -40°… no wonder I thought it was cold, lol…
we visited a number of spots and I got some goodies;-)…
a nice loaf of rustic sourdough which made a lovely grilled cheese, with onion and pistachios for my lunch…
we visited Chapters where I found a few fun books for some little friends and got the cutest cloth bags to put them in…
then a wander around Lee Valley where I picked up a couple of things, including this 2 tablespoon silicone freezer tray… leftover pesto and tomato sauce went into it after my lunch…
finally we had a great time at D. A. Niels where I saw many things I would like, but restrained from purchasing anything today, lol…
going through my Facebook memories on December first is a great reminder of the various Advent Calendars I’ve had over the years…
they started a number of years ago, when I received 24 decorated magnets that went on 2 muffin tins… the items to go into them were provided and a colleague filled them;-)…
since then I have received fancy chocolate calendars, a repurposed frame with purple inserts that my daughter made, and individual boxes that have been refilled numerous times…
I was surprised when the doorbell rang as I wasn’t expecting anything, but after the recent surprise of my daughter at the door, I hurried to see who or what was there…
it was a parcel with my name on it;-)…
opened it to discover a Walker’s Shortbread Advent Calendar, woohoo…
the kids in Ottawa had sent it and I was very excited to receive it…
I’d never seen an advent calendar by them before and just recently my friends and I had been discussing how much we all liked their shortbread cookies…
I can hardly wait for December 1st when I can open the first flap on the calendar;-)…
what a delightful treat…
I was thinking about what a world we live in where you can see something, buy it online, and have it sent directly to someone in another city;-)…
what a wonderful surprise I received this morning;-)…
as I was taking my poached eggs out of the water, I heard the doorbell ring… I was expecting a parcel so wasn’t surprised, but when I opened the door, my daughter was standing in front of me…
she had come to town to attend a concert with one of her friends and had planned to include a day with me;-)…
what a super treat…
we quickly booked a trip to The Leaf so she could see her beloved cacao trees… we had a great time there, checking out the trees, watching the koi, and realizing how much growth has taken place since we were last there together in June…
she was able to get a few nice shots of the koi which she shared with me.
we enjoyed time in the Yasuragi display and read up on all the bonsai, including new ones which hadn’t been there the last time I visited… the stories behind them are very interesting…
spent a few minutes with the butterflies…
it is sad that they are still in the netted enclosure and not flying freely around the space…
one last wander to see the cacao trees and koi, a bit of fun in the gift shop, and then we headed home…
some relaxing time together and then I dropped her off at the airport to head home…