Miscellaneous

Here I was driving down a Saskatoon street on the weekend, when I happened to catch sight of this critter out of the corner of my eye. As I circled around again to confirm what I’d thought I’d seen, and then stopped to snap a photo, I wondered whether Frosty had been the work of those two down home boys from years ago – Bob & Doug McKenzie. Maybe yes or maybe no. You can decide for yourself. I do believe, though it’s entirely likely that either before, during or after the Great Snowman Caper, there was partying involved. Do you think Jackie Kennedy would have approved of this ‘made in Canada’ version of her ‘Pil-Box’ hat?

The charming grandson, Ethan, was the center of attention through the holidays.

Cut and paste this web link into a fresh browser page, and you’ll be rewarded with a 2.5 minute You Tube video glimpse into Christmas as experienced by the little guy:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLE-T2xMBNQ

Hope you enjoy his exuberance every bit as much as we did.

I caught these signs on a recent business trip to Toronto (AKA – The Big Smoke).

The first sign, Crisis Station, was prominently featured on various pillars in an underground parkade at the exhibition grounds.

Oddly enough, the fact that there was a need for a Crisis Station didn’t do much to reassure me on the safety front!

The second sign appeared under the wall mount sprinkler head in my room at the Downtown Marriott hotel. In case you’re having trouble reading the fine print, it says, “Contact With Sprinkler Will Cause Flooding.”

Clearly there’s a story behind this sign – and I expect it wouldn’t have been much fun being there to see the situation played out!

Three weeks of European restaurant eating yielded a variety of experiences – some zany, some tasty, some elegant, some comforting, some downright amazing – and the odd ‘I don’t ever want to go back there again’.

It’s not my intention to give a play by play recount of the culinary experiences. I leave that to my much more food savvy husband Dave to explore on his Kitchen Savvy web-blog. ( http://www.kitchensavvy.com/ )

However, if you happen to be headed to France or Italy or Spain, these are a few of the places we enjoyed. (more…)

One of the things I love most about Paris is the pace. Sure, there are places where cars and scooters are whizzing by, the traffic is heavy, and folks seem bent on getting somewhere in a hurry.

However, there are many more places where people are ambling along arm in arm, soaking up the sun on a park bench, or lingering over a coffee at a sidewalk cafe.

I thought you might enjoy are few images I captured of Pausing in Paris. Enjoy!

Sunning In The Tuileries

Snoozing On The Passerelle Solferino over the Seine

Nodding Off Near Notre Dame

(Yep, same afternoon. Nope, not the same girls)

Doggin’ It At The Place De La Concorde

This is me on our last day at sea on the Emerald Princess – as six weeks of vacation draws to a close – endlessly grateful for so many things.

The luxury of time to break away from the routines of everyday life.

The resources and good health that make it possible to travel the world.

My dear husband, a loving and congenial touring companion.

New places and old haunts that offer joy and beauty at every turn.

The hospitality and skill of those who have served our needs along the way.

Adventures and delights in abundance.

Challenges and disappointments in very small measure.

Fresh images to paint, and new stories to share.

Interesting and engaging work to head back to.

Family and community to anticipate our arrival back home.

Safe passage and safe return.

Life has been and continues to be very, very good to me.

This mosaic is inlaid into the floor at the entrance to the dining room in Villa San Michele atop the island of Capri – a beautiful island across the bay from Naples.

The Villa San Michele was salvaged and restored through the efforts and philanthropy of a Swedish physician, Axel Munthe.

The mosaic features a skeleton holding a wine carafe in one hand and a water jug in the other.

The meaning is that one should enjoy life while one can, as death lurks just around the corner. A sobering thought given that the mosaic is a copy of an image from the ruins of Pompei.

Italy is the home to the slow food movement – a concept that encourages leisurely dining on foods raised and cultivated close to where they are prepared and served.

Apparently some businesses recognize a marketing angle when they see one.

This fast food restaurant on the island of Capri prominently displayed its support for the slow food movement right on its promo sign touting the quick and easy ‘Take Away’. (more…)

Over the years, Dave and I have made a practice of connecting with waiters, desk clerks, and other service folks by creating opportunities to share a chuckle and a smile. We love it when others choose to play – and especially when they start the game themselves!

This trip’s hands down winner of the Lighthearted Playful Award is our Emerald Princess room steward, Vitor from Portugal.

We had an inkling that our exchanges were going to be fun on the very first day of the cruise, when I asked Vitor for a new stick pen. The plastic case on ours was cracked, and the nib and refill kept sliding out when I tried to write with it.

Vitor’s response to my request was an expression of mock horror as he proclaimed, “Madam, we have not yet set sail and already you have damaged precious Princess property!”

On handing me three replacement pens, he added sternly, “Don’t come running to me if they don’t work. That’s all I’ve got.” (more…)