CIVIC LONG WEEKEND IN ONTARIO CANADA

Many provinces have Monday as a civic holiday. In Ontario it is a civic holiday for Lord Simcoe one of the earlier statesmen  in the province that established some laws and good government. Yonge Street was created by him in the 1790s. I love history and all that goes with the reason for the day. What I really love more is the fact it is a long weekend! And next week will be a four day work week! Are you celebrating this weekend? Do you have an extra day with family?

THE CANADIAN MUSKOKA CHAIR

A big Muskoka chair at the Pan Am games was fun to see. Such a Canadian icon. They are found coast to coast.

From past trips to the Exhibition!

A friend's cottage. I wrote about this wonderful icon in a previous blog post. There is an unique history. Look it up in my post list. Do you have a Muskoka chair?

JULY-THAT FUN SUMMER MONTH

Pan Am games, hot summer days, a broken then fixed air conditioner, garden and weeding, planning for fall projects and just relaxing when possible says it all for the summer month. Birthdays and barbecues- celebrations! Love the summer! Hopefully with another month to go there are still adventures to be had.

NANA SAYS IT IS IMPORTANT TO LET GRANDCHILDREN EXPERIENCE MAJOR EVENTS

Recently I took grandchildren to a couple of Pan Am events. Letting them be part of an international happening was more fun for me than for them. Buying them some memorabilia of the event for the future let's them have some of their inheritance early! I know I am here now so want to share as many activities with them. One day their friends, their lives will not include the grandparents. Establishing those relationships takes effort. Of course, as a grandparent children give the same attitude they give to their parents. They know they are loved unconditionally so do not need to give their best behaviour!! Hum. Actually returning from one event on the shuttle bus, my two oldest grandsons entertained people on the bus with their shenanigans! My son-in-law and I found them annoying but since people were laughing and having fun we let it go! As long as they were not annoying others, I guess it was okay. So international events bring out the same silliness in children but at least there are the good memories and some quick pictures to know it happened! Would I take them again- sure why not! Nana does love them- shenanigans, silliness and turned heads when asked for pictures!

TORONTO PAN AM GAMES 2015- WHAT A SUCCESS!

Toronto and the GTA stepped up to the plate and hosted a wonderful games for the Americas and Caribbean. Our athletes and those of 40 other countries did well and showed us how sports unites people. Loved Serena Ryder and Pit Bull at the closing ceremonies. What can I say about all the dancers!  Only saw some of West and his rap act as Monday was approaching. I have my share of merchandise to wear for the next few years. Did I have fun? Yes is the answer. Only 4 venues but did get a feel of the celebration, the organization and the wonderful work the volunteers did. Derek in Caledon was a wonderful guy who showed us the way back to our bus as well as supervising his crew. As a grateful Canadian, I tried to thank as many of the 23,000 volunteers that I could.

Bye Pan Am Games, it has been a great ride. If there is another big sports event in this country, I am going to buy more tickets and try to see more events. Better get saving now for that time!

PAN AM WOMEN'S SOCCER FINAL

Taking my son-in-law and two grandsons for the Women's Final Soccer in Hamilton, it was an adventure. Brazil versus Colombia. Leaving early to arrive 1 hour before the game, we had to park at McMaster University- HAM 1. The shuttle bus to the stadium- the Tim Horton's one which is home to the Hamilton Tiger Cats- took about 20 minutes through downtown Hamilton. The boys wanted to sit at the back. School bus rides are very bouncy and uncomfortable.

We needed to wait in line for over 1/2 hour to clear security until it seemed more security people came so the line moved quicker. We missed the beginning ceremonies. Since it was very open all the announcements could be heard. When the national anthem for Brazil came on the people in our crowd waiting started singing. We Canadians in the crowd looked at each other and smiled. It was very sweet.

When we finally made it to our seats, it was apparent more people were still arriving. The stadium is in the lower part of Hamilton. The skyline in the distance shows the "Hamilton Mountain" as it is called.

The women played well. The little boys who are on soccer teams knew the moves and enjoyed the game. The stands were indicative of who was cheering for what team. Lots of flags and tshirts of the desired team.

 Brazil had some good breaks. Colombia had some tough breaks. The final score was 3-0 for Brazil.

The Canadian group- Sheep Dogs- provided the 1/2 time entertainment. The place rocked.
We left before the end of the game to catch our bus but could still watch and hear it until we boarded our ride back to the parking lot.

Fans could also watch from outside the venue! Luckily we left early because as soon as Brazil scored the third goal, the stands started to empty. Bumpy bus ride and our little guys entertained some people on the trip with their antics. Home before 1000 it was a fun day.

REMEMBERING A MOM

Anniversaries happen in our lives. Good ones like a wedding. Happy ones like a great vacation. Remembering the day someone died let's us keep the good memories. 17 years ago my mother-in-law died from cancer. She will always be missed by my husband and children. She was a good person, a loving mother and a caring Nonna.

LIFE IS LIKE A LABYRINTH

Labyrinths are interesting tributes to life. A place to walk. Meditate. Start at the beginning, walk around the path to the centre and return to the beginning, to start all over again.

Found in many places, they are a retreat that can be accessed easily.

In a quiet square in downtown Toronto, it can be found. People and pigeons alike find solace there.

Quiet and contemplative reflection are vital for the human soul. To take time to think. Soften the energy. Then to move on to the rest of the day would be a great way to begin a day. Labyrinths- one way to achieve such a goal! Do you have one near you? Have you walked the path?

NANA SAYS TIME TO MAKE SUMMER MEMORIES

So the kids are to camp, to the park and riding their bikes or doing what kids do. Often, parents hear-I am bored! Structure helps but it is not school. Helping children to self entertain with activities is good learning. If nothing else, when the boredom word surfaces, tell them to clean their rooms! However, keeping those momentos and taking lots of pictures, encourage the family to do a family memory project. A large collage of items to hang! A binder with plastic pages to organize the "stuff". Yes I know the pictures can go in the cloud, stay on the computer but why not print a few for the family memory book. Used to call it an album! Of course there are fun photo books to be made, online videos etc. Encouraging the children and teenagers to pick items for the Summer of 2015 may be met initially with rolled eyes and resistance but just doing it may be the favourite thing that comes out at Christmas for the family to view. I say this because doing one of my last visits to my parents, my niece Vanessa had made a wonderful summer album for my parents with narrative paragraphs of what they had been doing. A wonderful little story of one summer in the life of her family! Pick a theme. It could be one day of the summer. Things we ate! Places we visited! Well the themes are endless! I know I hear it all the time that " I don't print pictures anymore!" But will the internet file always exist- who knows. I believe in diversifying and having information in several places. Even though my girls have their own system, I still print them pictures from my stash of pictures for them to have some hard copies. My grandchildren enjoy them! So what memories do you want to make for your family? I think mine will be the Pan Am game events. I might try my first photo book.

SPORTS BRING NATIONS TOGETHER

Major sporting event brings nations together in peaceful competition. Being proud of our nation but accepting others and their culture too. It is difficult to consider there are people in this world who think differently. How do we reach out to them?

NATURAL IMAGES IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO

Trees in the city at Trinity Square add some natural beauty to it. Right beside the Eaton Centre it is a serene place to reflect on life.

Interesting bricks and flower border.

Even a city sign is beautified by colour.

Big pots of flower and vegetation arrangements contrast the old buildings.
Images everywhere one looks. With a camera the images just present themselves.

Celtic symbols flow from ancient times in a modern city. The church is still operational with regular services for the downtown crowd. What images do you find where you live? Stopping and looking can reveal many things to us! A slow methodical walk taking in the environment is a photographer's paradise!

PAN AM TORONTO SIGN IS A HIT

 A sign of Toronto proudly displayed beside the fountain in Nathan Philip Square on Queen street has been the hit of the summer. Toronto Ontario Canada is the largest city in the country. Host to the 2015 Pan Am games.

When seen by the side, the colours show up.

From the front the colour is white. I took in the excitement at the square for awhile before I headed off to the Beach Volleyball at the Exhibition grounds. The evening ballet in the water troupe was rehearsing so was getting in the way of people's pictures that wanted to have one from across the water. A simple name but there was a lineup to have the picture in the O. Selfies with Toronto in the background abounded too.

Tourists and locals, i.e. Torontonians  alike wanted pictures. No one was shy to ask a stranger to help get a picture.

People waiting for their picture with the sign.

The Panamania stage makes a nice backdrop for the sign. The artist who created the idea must be thrived. To have art photographed, experienced and simply enjoyed is more than anyone expected. Apparently social media has made it go around the world. It is a draw to the centre of the city. I know it drew me. Just to experience the fun of the place. See smiles on faces. The poses in the letters different for the variety of people who chose to pose there. 7 simple letters! Just the name of a city but an easy way to be part of the overall Pan Am and Toronto summer. There is a big debate of where the sign should go once the games are finished. Meanwhile each day draws a huge crowd simply wanting their picture with the sign.

Even a tilted view gives a different perspective. City Hall famous since 1967. Many memories for me at different times in my life. Another memory created and even a small story to tell.

PAN AM BEACH VOLLEYBALL JULY 18 2015

Being at the CIBC PAN AM CENTRE which is really just on the Exhibition grounds was fun to see teams play. Taking the 509 streetcar from the Union Station it was a pleasurable ride with people going to Centre Island, getting off to enjoy Harbourfront and like I was doing going to the games. Exiting at the Exhibition Loop, it was a familiar site. Walking past the Food Building and seeing BMO field, felt like home.

While walking towards the security area, the crowd was a happy and enthusiastic bunch.

Lots of booths and activities to do as well as food and drinks. Free water to fill up any water bottles or containers.

Waiting in line for my general admission seat.

There was a huge contingent of Canadian fans. Once Brazilian group kept saying "Brasil" then added Canada sometimes to be part of the bunch. The wave, the chants, the pounding of the rafter seats made up the hot sticky afternoon.

Brazil won their quarter final game against Uruguay.

Canada played hard against Mexico.

But alas lost the 2 very close sets. The Canadians in the crowd tried their best to encourage a win.

I could have stayed for two more matches but it had been a long day with a long transit ride home. People were in a good mood. Strangers talking to other people. Discussing what events they had seen. Being part of the games in a small way has made my staycation a hit.

EARLY MORNING EARLY THINKING

There is a pleasure in rising early with a good start to the day. Savouring that first coffee. Listening to the birds sing. Waiting for others to awake. Time to think. Read the paper. Do the sudoko. Start a puzzle. Start a load of laundry. Saturdays in the summer are joyous times. Long days to bask in the sun or sit in the shade. Afternoon naps by the pool, the lake or any favourite place.

Watching the sun rise in the east. Saying a little prayer of thanks for the day. What opportunities will the day bring for us?

A JULY SUMMER GARDEN 2015

I love these summer flowers. Grow tall! A nice contrast to the green in the garden. And the weeds are diminished. The summer garden needs lots of work. I found a great clear the path spray which has diminished the growth in most of my paths. With the rain today, I must wait for a warmer day so the spray does not get washed away. The vegetables are coming in leaps and bounds. Our oregano crop is plentiful. Two types of zucchini - the regular green and a yellow one.

The cone flowers are abundant too. So durable in all kinds of weather, a welcome addition to any Canadian garden. How is your garden? Are you enjoying it?

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE IN A HURRY

Waiting in line to make my purchase at a children's store, the clerk was serving another customer. She looked at me and said I will be with you shortly. I replied without thinking, it's okay I am not in a hurry. Then I added- life is too short to be in a hurry all the time! It made me think that the best moments in life are not rushed. Taking our time to do activities brings more meaning. Mistakes are made when done quickly! Just relaxing and doing something methodically and with pleasure does bring more joy! I usually ask where is everyone rushing?

PAN AM SWIM EVENT IN SCARBOROUGH

Taking in some swimming at the Pan Am Aquatics Centre at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus July 14 was a fun day for me. Starting out at 0650 in the morning to go to the subway at Finch with my daughter to avoid one bus ride made it a long day. Wearing my red Canada games Tshirt as well as a white skirt and white blouse, I looked like I was going to an event with the early morning work crowd. I overheard two men in suits discussing what events they would be attending. Transferring at Bloor to take the Bloor/Danforth line out to the Kennedy Station to take the 198 rocket express to the campus was a memorable journey. I have not gone that far on that line for awhile. I actually had a Children's Aid job in Scarborough years ago so do remember the area and the roads. The Centre was about 30 minutes from the station.

About a 5 minute walk from the bus stop. I stopped near the front to help a family of 10 have a group picture. Knowing the photographer rarely gets in a picture, it is always a kind thing to do to let him get in it too. Chatted with them, they had come from Puerto Rico for the games.

Lots of signage and the usual security checks. No food, no drinks, small bags.

All the volunteers wear orange shirts and are always available to help. I spoke to one young volunteer about her experience. She was loving it! Good to hear!  Feeling a little hungry from the early start, I bought a Jamaican meat patty and a banana from one of the vendors supporting the event. The patty-$3.00. The banana-$2.00! Good thing I was alone or the food bill would have cost more than the tickets.

The swimmers were doing practice lengths when I arrived poolside 0900. The event started at 1000. The stands filled slowly but not full at any point. This was just a preliminary session with several heats for the various categories. The women and men's free style, women and men's butterfly, and the free style women and men's relay teams were the main events. One Canadian won his heat and is one of our better swimmers. Since I could only see the board on a slant, thought I should look up his name at a later time. He had a small contingent in the crowd who looked like the Mom, aunts and grandmother waving the Canadian flag wildly during his practice session as well as his win.

There were many Canadians in the crowd so it was great to see so much red in the stands. The Americans and Brazilians had some strong swimmers. There were a few South American flags in the audience too. Finishing at about 1120, it was time to head home. Catching the 198 it was busy with Pan Am people as well as students and others going to work. Since it was near lunch time at the Kennedy station, I bought some Swedish gummie berries and another patty. Ya Man patty that was supposed to be spicy but it was not. The subway took me back to the Yonge/University line which took me to Finch- the north end. Caught the express VIVA bus to Richmond Hill. To encourage people to use public transit, all the transit at any of the communities hosting the venues was free. So I did give a loonie at two different places to the musicians that are allowed to play their instruments as a kind of pan handling job. If I had to pay for transit it would have been close to $20.00 for the day. Parking would have been about the same. A long day, but there are times it is worth experiencing different parts of Toronto as a community person. Attending this event was city travel. So my walk to and from work is always more rewarding as I think of people taking transit every day. It was a part of my previous life to sit on buses and subway cars. Doing it occasionally is an adventure however and time for inner reflection and contemplation. Actually giving me some ideas and themes for future posts on my blog.

One last comment on the Aquatics is that the facility will be used for future competitions and training. As much of the money to host the games added a legacy feature to it. One never knows perhaps a grandchild could become a swimmer!

STAYCATIONS ARE FUN-TAKING IN PAN AM EVENTS

Summer has so many opportunities to enjoy local activities. Yes I would love to be on some tour in Europe or Australia. Just not happening. So enjoying the Pan Am fun which is here in the GTA-Greater Toronto Area has filled a need. The Equestrian Events are being held at the Centre in Palgrave- a small community on Highway 50 which is north-west of Toronto. About an hour or more for Torontonians depending where they originate their journey and about a 40 minute drive from Richmond Hill for this writer.

It was a good review of my French and Spanish as all the announcements are in three languages!  The literature in all the brochures has the languages as well.

The morning crowds were slowly building as the Dressage Event lasted until 6 pm. Needing to be bussed from the Albion Hills Conservation Area north of Bolton meant a good early start. Picked up my granddaughter and friend by 0730 to get to the park for spectator parking by 0800 then bussed to  the event by 0820. Time to look at the event vendors- horsey stuff, use the johnny on the spot and buy some water and goodies. Security does not allow any food or drinks. So sucked up the over inflated price for the food and drinks even though water was available for free if one brought their empty container! There was a booth to buy some PAN AM memorabilia so bought some more pins, stickers and a program. Adolph and I already had two tshirts courtesy of my daughter.  The two little 10 year old girls go to Horse Camp each year so Nana felt the event would be interesting for them. Well it was! Lots of red and white in the crowd. The Brazilians were noisy and fun! Venezuela will give the Canadian team a run for their money! Since the bus ride back to our car was in the middle of the day, we had it to ourselves. The girls sat at the back and giggled loudly at every bump! I chatted with the bus driver.

Overall, I found the horses and riders to be wonderful to watch doing their routine. Lots of applause from every country from the crowd could be heard. The volunteers dressed in orange were very helpful. Especially Derek, a supervisor who helped us find our way back to the bus. A change from work as it was with people out to enjoy themselves. A pleasure to be with my granddaughter and friend was relaxing in itself. The country drive along the King side road to Bolton was very soothing. The girls commented that we were the only car on the road for most of the trip. As a polite Canadian, I thanked many of the volunteers for well- volunteering for the games!