Craig's Cookies, Toronto, ON

I stopped in at Craig's Cookies (on Queen Street W, just west of Sorauran Avenue) this morning.

It smelled sooooooooooo good inside!  There was so much choice and they are all yummy choices!

I decided on a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie cookie.  Both were still warm ... and they were delicious!

Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Etobicoke, ON

It was warm and sunny and I felt like being outside so I drove to Colonel Samuel Smith Park (about a 20 minute drive west) for a walk this afternoon. 

Colonel Samuel Smith Park is an urban park and a former weekend get-away destination for Victorian Torontonians. The park has a variety of attractions, including a children's playground located only steps from Lake Ontario. The park is named for Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Smith and lands were part of his property in the 1800s. The park was developed from the 1970s onwards and opened in 1996.

A scenic hiking trail along a peninsula on Lake Ontario provides access to the waterfron, and to several rocky beaches with views of the lake or for birdwatching. A nearby yacht club provides opportunities for boat watching. The park offers a panoramic view of the city, with the iconic CN Tower visible on a clear day, as well as prime fishing spots and other outdoor activities.

Throughout the park are observation decks, from which visitors may spot wildlife engaged in various activities, such as turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, groups of baby ducks and swans, beaver dams and even the beavers themselves. Over one hundred bird species nest in the area.

I took the path that headed right to the water.

Waiting for babies!

I headed east along a path and ended up at a beach.  There were a few people enjoying the beach and some were even in the water!  I chilled out there for a bit.

Book ~ "Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo" (2021) Jo Koy

From Goodreads ~ Well guys, here it is - my story. A funny, sad, at times pathetic but also kick-ass tale of how a half-Filipino, half-white kid whose mom thought (and still thinks) his career goal was to become a clown became a success. 

Not an overnight success because that would have made for a really short read but an All-American success who could give my immigrant mom the kind of life she hoped for when she came to this country, and my son the kind of life I wished I’d had as a kid. 

With all the details of what it felt like to get the doors closed in my face, to grind it out on the road with my arsenal of dick jokes, and how my career finally took off once I embraced the craziness of my family, which I always thought was uniquely Filipino but turns out is as universal as it gets.

In this book, I’ll take you behind the mic, behind the curtain - OK, way behind it. From growing up with a mom who made me dance like Michael Jackson at the Knights of Columbus, to some real dark stuff, the stuff we don’t talk about often enough as immigrants. Mental health, poverty, drinking. And show you the path to my American Dream. Which was paved with a lot of failure, department store raffle tickets to win free color televisions, bad jokes, old VHS tapes, a motorcycle my mom probably still hates, the only college final I aced (wasn’t math) and getting my first laugh on stage. There’s photo evidence of it all here, too.

In this book, I get serious about my funny. And I want to make you laugh a little while I do it. I’m like Hawaii’s favorite lunch—the mixed plate. Little bit of this, a little bit of that. My book Mixed Plate is too. (less)

I knew who Jo Koy was and had seen his bits on some comedy shows.  Recently I watched his own comedy specials and thought he was a hoot.  I saw he had a memoir out ... I like reading biographies/autobiographies so checked it.  And it too is a hoot!

Jo is a American-Filipino ... his father is a white American and when was in the air force when he met Jo's mom, a Filipino, when he was stationed overseas.  The family moved around a lot as his dad got transferred.  They finally settled in Tacoma, WA, where the family was one of the few non-white families.  To fit in, Jo used humour.  He loved watching stand-up comedians and decided that's what he wanted to do when he grew up.  His father suddenly left and Jo didn't know why and it left a void.  It made things tougher at home because his mother was now a single mom supporting four kids.  Things got better when his mother remarried and Jo got the father figure he was lacking.

The family moved to Vegas when Jo was 18 and he started working on his future.  He had some success but he knew that if he was going to fulfill his dream, he had to head to LA.  So off he went.  He married, had a child and quickly divorced, though he and his ex are still good friends and he has an excellent relationship with his son, Little Joe, who is now 18.  One of the things that drove him and continues to drive him is that he doesn't want his son to have the childhood he did.  So he works hard to ensure his son has everything he needs and wants, unlike when Jo was growing up.

I liked the writing style ... like his comedy routines, it was funny and sarcastic. I liked him as a person and he sounds like a nice caring fella.  But he also speaks from the heart as he talks about his childhood and the struggles and hustles to achieve his dream.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

At the beginning of each chapter, there is a Filipino recipe.  At the end of the book, there are lots of pictures starting from when he was a baby right up to him and his teenage son, Little Joe.

KC's tree, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Toronto, ON

It was such a nice day (warm and sunny) so I went for a walk this afternoon to Trinity Bellwoods Park and checked out KC's tree.

I'd been there a couple weeks ago and the leaves were just starting to bud.

I continued on with my walk through the park.  I could hear some jazzy music so headed towards it to see what was going on.  I discovered The Max Simpson Group playing.  They were really good so I sat under a tree and watched them for a while.

Classic Chicken and Herb Soup Mix, Mitchell’s Soup Company, St. Thomas, ON

I made Classic Chicken and Herb Soup from a Mitchell’s Soup Company mix (they are in St. Thomas, ON) for supper this evening.

Almost everything is in the mix. All I had to add was cooked chicken (I added chicken breast) and carrots (we’re not fans of parsnips and I’m not a fan of celery so I added extra carrots). I got it started around 2pm and let it simmer all afternoon.

Ta-da!  I'm not a fan of soups but this was really good and hearty! Sister Sarah has given us this mix before so I knew it would be tasty.

And there's lots left over!

Free samples at SampleSource.com - May 2021

A couple weeks ago, I had answered an emailed survey from SampleSource and a box of free goodies arrived today. This is the tenth box of samples I've gotten from them over the years.

Here's what I received ...

We already buy the Fancy Feast cat food for Crumpet and Muffin and they love it!  I ate the mini Pop Tart at lunch and it was tasty!  Gord had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch using the Jif sample and he liked it.

Humber Bay Park West, Etobicoke, ON

After I left Mimico Waterfront Park, I headed to Humber Bay Park West rather than going home.  Gord and I had been there for the first time in January.

Looking towards downtown

The sky had some great colours!

Mimico Waterfront Park, Etobicoke, ON

I wanted to go for a walk this afternoon and drove to Mimico Waterfront Park in Etobicoke.  I was there for the first time in July and have been wanting to go back.  I parked in the Humber Bay Park West parking lot, which is across the street.

This park lies on the Lake Ontario Waterfront between Humber Bay Park West and Norris Crescent Parkette. Its features include 1.1km of multi-use waterfront trail, headlands and cobble beaches, a small bay, boardwalks with small pockets of wetland habitat between the boardwalk and shoreline, and terrestrial and aquatic habitat enhancements to support healthy ecosystems. 

This park was created by Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) with funds provided by Waterfront Toronto. It was developed in two phases, the first completed in 2008 and the second in 2012. It provides safe access to the waterfront, improves the ecological functioning of this section of the Lake Ontario shoreline and offers environmental, economic and social benefits to the Mimico community and broader region.

I started at the east end of the park and headed west.

The boats aren't out yet at the yacht club

Eyelet Crescents knitted dishcloth

I finished knitting a dishcloth this evening using an eyelet crescents pattern.  It's easier than it looks.

I used Bernat Handicrafter cotton yarn and a 5mm circular needle. 

I cast on 41 stitches (you need multiples of 10 stitches plus one).

• Row 1 and 2 - Knit
• Row 3 - *P1, yo, K3, skp, K4* repeat to end
• Row 4 and all even row - K1, *P9, K1* repeat to end
• Row 5 - *P1, K1, yo, K3, skp, K3* repeat to last stitch, P1
• Row 7 - *P1, K2, yo, K3, skp, K2* repeat to last stitch, P1
• Row 9 - *P1, K3, yo, K3, skp, K1* repeat to last stitch, P1
• Row 11 - *P1, K4, yo, K3, skp* repeat to last stitch, P1
• Row 13 and 14 - Knit
• Repeat rows 3 to 14 three times
• Knit two rows 
• Bind off and weave in the ends

Book ~ "Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters" (2021) Andrew Morton

From Goodreads ~This biography follows Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Margaret, as they navigate life in the royal spotlight. 

They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll abdicated the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forever more Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet.' And bow to her wishes. 

Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system - and her fraught relationship with its expectations - was often a source of tension.. This book explores their relationship over the years. 

Elizabeth was four years old when her sister, Margaret was born.  Though they were close, the sisters were different ... Elizabeth was quieter and more of a rule follower whereas Margaret was the more attention seeking sister.  Things all changed when their uncle Edward VIII abdicated the throne and their father was suddenly and unexpectedly the king ...which meant that Elizabeth would someday become queen.  This shifted the dynamics between the sisters because Elizabeth now started being groomed to take over the monarchy someday and Margaret was left out, which she didn't like at all.

The book follows the sisters as they were growing up.  Things shifted again when Elizabeth married Phillip and didn't spend as much time with Margaret.  The book focuses more on Margaret after Elizabeth's marriage.  She became a party girl and started dating a married man (he eventually divorced his wife).  That relationship cooled as distance was put between them and Margaret ended up marrying someone else.  It was a hot and cold relationship, becoming freezing as the years went by, and they ended up hating each other.  There was bad behavior on both sides, including infidelity.  They divorced and Margaret moved on to a much younger man.  Margaret's smoking and partying behavior caught up with her and in her later years she wasn't in the best of health.  She ended up passing away at the age of 70.

I like reading bios/autobios and thought this one was interesting.   I liked the writing style.  It wasn't overly long as there weren't a lot of details and I was okay with the high level view.

There are lots of pictures at the end of the book from when they were children to Margaret's coffin being carried from the chapel.

Hooky's Fish & Chips, Toronto, ON

Gord picked up lunch for us today at Hooky's Fish & Chips (on Queen Street W/Strachan Avenue).  It's been there since 2017 but it's the first time we've had it.

Gord ordered halibut and fries with mushy peas.

He also ordered crab cakes and mushy peas, which he's going to have for breakfast tomorrow.

I ordered haddock and fries.

Nature's Wellness Box - May 2021

 I received my May Nature's Wellness Box today.

Aromatherapy-focused, lifestyle & wellness subscription & gift boxes all non-toxic, natural, vegan and cruelty-free.

What is in the Box?
The box features 5-6 full-size, natural, vegan and cruelty-free products worth $80+! We designed our boxes to feature practical and fun products you can use every day.

What is Not in the Box?
You’ll find no toxic chemicals in your box. We select all of our products carefully, with love, so that you can relax knowing they are eco-friendly. You can always count on that.

Fallen Forest essential oil holder

Candle.wtf, Sunderland, ON

I recently came across Candle.wtf (in Sunderland, ON) on Instagram.

I love scented candles and have plenty but this company intrigued me.

First there's the name.  I assumed "wtf" is what a lot of us have been saying for more than a year ... "what the f$$k?!"  But according to the website, it's short for "Wow, That's Fantastic!".  The names of the candles are cute.

Second, the candles are in a can.  Yes, a can!

So I had to order some to check them out ... and they just arrived.

By ordering two (I chose Mint to be and Karma is a Beach), You Are ASSome was free.  Plus there was no charge for shipping because my order was more than $40.

I appreciated the personal thank you

Loti Wellness Box - May 2021

I received a Loti Wellness subscription box today ... the theme is Flourish.

ORDER 

Become a member and receive 5 to 8 quality wellness and lifestyle products to improve your overall well-being each month. Prepay for subscriptions and save. Retail value of $90+ in each box! 

GET LOTI 

Your box will be delivered right to your doorstep. Open your box to enjoy each themed box. Don't forget to share your unboxing! #liveloti 

DISCOVER SELF-CARE 

Self-care will not only help you to be more productive and to have better physical health, but also greater mental health.

Here's what I received ...