Swiss Chalet Rotisserie & Grill, Toronto, ON (Harbourfront)

I had an early lunch today at Swiss Chalet at Harbourfront on Queens Quay.

I ordered what I usually order at Swiss Chalet ... a half chicken dinner with corn.  It's Weight Watcher friendly (just seven points!).  It came out really quickly and was okay.  The corn was obviously frozen and warm.  The chicken was warm and a bit burnt and dry in spots.  The roll was warm and the sauce was hot and had a tasty bite (it was the best part of the meal).

The host/server was sitting in a booth on the phone when I arrived so I had to wait a bit to be seated.  That seemed to be his spot as he was there when I left too.

Book ~ "Alfie and George" (2016) Rachel Wells

From Goodreads ~ As the residents of Edgar Road know, Alfie is no ordinary cat. Since his arrival in the street, he's made every house his home, helping this group of neighbours to become friends for life. 

But now there's a new cat on Alfie's turf - a tiny ball of fur called George. With no home to call his own, this little kitten is in desperate need. And little does Alfie know that they’ve got quite an adventure ahead of them to get him through this most difficult of times.

Alfie is a doorstep cat who has three families.  He lives with Claire and Jonathan  and their daughter on Edgar Road.  Polly, Matt and their children are their neighbours and Franceska and Tomasz and their children are former neighbours and visit weekly.  All three families are very good friends with each other, thanks to Alfie.

Alfie is in love with Snowball, a neighbour cat, and that love is returned.  Both are heartbroken, though, when Snowball's family moves away and they know they will never see each other again.  Seeing how depressed Alfie is, Jonathan and Claire get a kitten named George hoping to distract him.  Alfie takes to George right away and becomes his adopted father, teaching him how to be a cat.  Tiger, Alfie's best friend, becomes George's adopted mom and the rest of the cats in the neighbourhood dote on George.

Posters of cats are turning up on lamp posts which have the neighbourhood cats wondering what's going on ... is it a beauty contest?  In addition to figuring out what this is all about, each of Alfie's families have troubles that he is determined to fix.

This is the third in Alfie series (there are currently five in the series) and I enjoyed it.   Though it's part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  It is written in first person perspective in Alfie's voice.  We can see the conversations he has with other cats.  Plus he understands the conversations of humans around him (rather than "blah blah blah blah blah Alfie blah blah blah).  Though he can't talk back to them in their language, he does try to communicate in cat-talk and expressions.  As a head's up, though the story is about a cat, it does have mature themes.

I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "A Cat Named Alfie" (2015) Rachel Wells

From Goodreads ~ Edgar Road used to be your typical London street: a road full of people who barely said a word to one another. Then Alfie came along - a big grey ball of fur who changed the lives of every family he met and brought a community together. 

But now a new family has moved into Edgar Road and they, more than anyone else, need Alfie’s help. Can he bring light to their darkest times? Or is it already too late to stop them from falling apart?

Alfie is a doorstep cat who has three families.  He lives with Claire and Jonathan on Edgar Road.  Polly, Matt and their children are their neighbours and Franceska and Tomasz and their children are former neighbours and visit weekly.  All three families are very good friends with each other, thanks for Alfie.

The Snells move onto the street and despite everyone's efforts, tend to keep to themselves.  The Goodwins run the Neighbourhood Watch and aren't going to tolerate it.  They suspect the Snells are up to no good so do all they can to get rid of them, including meetings, petitions and surveillance.  Alfie's families, though they do find the Snells odd,  just want the Goodwins to leave them alone.

Alfie is feeling something that puzzles him until he realizes he is in love with Snowball, the Snells' cat.  Unfortunately like the rest of the Snell family, Snowball makes it quite clear to Alfie that she wants him to leave her alone and she isn't very nice about it.  But Alfie is determined to win her heart.

This is the second in Alfie series (there are currently five in the series).   Though it's part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  It is written in first person perspective in Alfie's voice.  We can see the conversations he has with other cats.  Plus he understands the conversations of humans around him (rather than "blah blah blah blah blah Alfie blah blah blah).  Though he can't talk back to them in their language, he does try to communicate in cat-talk and expressions.  As a head's up, though the story is about a cat, it does have mature themes.

I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Cat Shelter Building Workshop, Toronto Street Cats, Toronto, ON

From 10am to 2pm, I was at a cat shelter building workshop organized by Toronto Street Cats.  The workshops are held every two weeks throughout the fall and winter season in the garage of the Toronto Humane Society  I've been going since November ... it's so nice helping the kitties in Toronto keep warm and dry during the cold winter.

Our mission: improve the lives of Toronto’s homeless cats by offering spay/neuter services, free for feral cats, and building overwintering shelters. We are also working to increase public awareness about Toronto’s homeless cat population and the importance of spay/neuter and trap/neuter/return (TNR). 

We are part of the Toronto Feral Cat Coalition, working together to implement strategic TNR programs to sterilize Toronto’s feral cats, decrease shelter intake and reduce euthanasia rates.

Here were the bins which would soon be made into the cat shelters.

Book ~ "Alfie the Doorstep Cat" (2014) Rachel Wells

From Goodreads ~ Can a pet really change your life? 

Alfie is homeless, abandoned after his elderly owner passes away. But when he stumbles on to Edgar Road, Alfie knows he's found his new home. However, the street's residents don't agree - the last thing they need is another stray cat, and he is shooed away from many doorsteps. 

But as life throws its worst at the residents of Edgar Road, they soon realise how much they all need Alfie - a cat who brings hope to the darkest times, and who will always be a friend to those in need.

When Alfie's elderly owner passes away, her daughter and son-in-law plan on taking Alfie to a shelter.  Alfie has heard that shelters are not a good place for cats (he may be euthanized) so he decides to strike out on his own and find a new home.  But Alfie has been a well-cared for and well-loved cat so he's not sure what to do or where to go.

After wandering around for a long time, he ends up on Edgar Road, hungry and thin. Along the way, he had been given the advice by other cats to look for a family with children as he will have a good chance of being taken in. He finds a new home with Claire (a recent divorcée), Jonathan (who lost his job in Singapore and moved back to London,) a young Polish family with two children who recently moved to London and don't know anyone, and young couple who recently had a baby.   As Alfie spends time with his four new families (he splits his time with Claire and Jonathan at night and the families during the day), he discovers they are all sad and though it's time consuming and a lot of responsibility, it's up to him to make things right for them.

This is the first in Alfie series (there are currently five in the series) and I just discovered them this week.  It is written in first person perspective in Alfie's voice.  We can see the conversations he has with other cats.  Plus he understands the conversations of humans around him (rather than "blah blah blah blah blah Alfie blah blah blah).  Though he can't talk back to them in their language, he does try to communicate in cat-talk and expressions.

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure who the target audience was since it was about a cat.  I quickly realized that it's for an adult reader as it deals with more mature themes.  I liked the writing style.  As I said, it's in Alfie's voice and I kind of forgot that he was a cat because he has so many human qualities.

I look forward to reading the others in this series.

Book ~ "The Last Hockey Player" (2018) Bretton Loney

From Goodreads ~ After society crumbles, walking alone in the Canadian winter tempts death in a hundred ways. Epidemics have killed most of mankind, forcing people to flee the cities and live off the land. 

A professional hockey player travels across the wreckage of North America to find his mother and sister. He stumbles into a Nova Scotia village of survivors and finds family but not where he expected. 

"The Last Hockey Player" explores what remains when society collapses and is burned away, and what defines Canadians no matter what happens. 

About 20 years ago, a couple viruses wiped out about three-quarters of the world's population.  Those who survived now live in small villages with barely anything from their old lives but their memories and a few prized possessions.  They have learned to live off the land and pass on their knowledge to the younger people.

Hockey Player has been travelling from the United States where he was a professional hockey player (hence his name) when the viruses hit.  He has made his way back to Nova Scotia, where his mother and sister lived, in hopes of connecting with them, though he hasn't seen them in about twenty years and has no idea if they are even alive.  Once he arrives in Nova Scotia, he spends some time in the village of The Barn before intending to move on to find his family.  There he becomes part of the community as he gets to know The Apprentice (a thirteen year old boy), The Leader and others.  In addition to trading among the villages, hockey is a big deal and the players from the villages play each other.  Hockey Player is able to teach the players of The Barn team hockey skills and he learns more about himself and family as he is there.

This not typically the kind of book I read ... I'm not a big fan of "end of the world" stories.  But because it was written by a Canadian and takes place in Nova Scotia (where I am originally from), I thought I'd give it a go ... and I'm glad I did because, though it took me a bit to get into because of its premise, I ended up liking it and the characters.

I liked the writing style.  It is written in first person perspective primarily in Hockey Player and The Apprentice's voices (the chapters are labeled).  I liked the Canadian references such as a The Barn hockey player named Neil-Young, a dog named Littlest Hobo and the nearest town is Tim-Hortons.  As a head's up, there is swearing, violence and adult activity.

Open Cribbage Tournament, Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 31 Mount Dennis, Toronto, ON

Gord and I enjoy playing cribbage.  In fact, we were in a cribbage league for a couple years about fifteen years ago (we played once a week from September to June).  About 30 years ago, I was in a league at a legion when I lived in Antigonish, NS.  These days we play it on our iPads.

I came across a cribbage tournament that was being held at the Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 31 Mount Dennis today and we both knew we had to go!

There were 52 teams in the tournament.

Book ~ "Maple Sugar Pie" (2017) Susan White

From Goodreads ~ "Maple Sugar Pie" is the story of Hazel Whitford and her family's past.  Told through old black and white photographs, we see the events that caused deep fractures in her family and her estrangement from her husband and all but one of her living children.

We also see the story through the eyes of Hazel's grandson Michael's wife Jennifer, who lived with the elderly Hazel for five years. After Hazel's death, Jen and Mike's future on the farm, and the small business Jen has started, could be in jeopardy. 

Jen plans a reunion for the Canada Day long weekend hoping to reunite the family and to gain title to the farm. But will the estranged family want to return and will they be able to come to terms with the pain the events of the past have caused? 

Hazel had gotten pregnant by a fella before he went off to World War II.  Concerned what people would think, her nasty mean father married her off to Sonny, a guy who worked on his farm in rural New Brunswick.  They ended up having a happy marriage and more children until tragedy struck.  After that, things were okay until something finally broke up the family for good.

Michael is Hazel's grandson.  His mother (Hazel's daughter) had committed suicide when he was young and he was placed into foster care.  Jennifer is his girlfriend and they are short of funds and need a place to stay.  They start to visit Hazel and persuade her to let them move in with her on the farm.  Rather than taking advantage of her, they fix up the farm, have four children (who Hazel dotes on) and Jen starts a business.

When Hazel passes away five years later, it's discovered that all her children are on the deed to the farm.  Jen hates to lose what she has built up if they have to leave the farm but more importantly she thinks it's time that Hazel's estranged children and father come back to the farm to deal with the past.

This is the third book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the story and writing style.  It isn't told in a linear way ... we go back and forth from today to the past but also through Hazel's children's recollections.  It is told in third person perspective in various voices.  As a head's up, there is swearing and some violence.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Toronto Rock 11, Philadelphia Wings 10, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON

Gord and I are season ticket holders for the Toronto Rock lacrosse team games ... the Rock is a professional lacrosse franchise in the National Lacrosse League (NLL).  This is our sixth year going to the games and our fifth year having seasons tickets.

The Rock Cheerleaders greeted everyone as they entered the area ... here's Gord with a couple.

The Rock were hosting the Philadelphia Wings tonight in second home game of the 2018-19 season (it's their third game of the season).  Coming into tonight's game, they were 1 - 1.

We got there early enough to watch the Rock warm up.

Scotty Newlands sang the national anthems.

The Strath Pub, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper before the Toronto Rock game this evening at The Strath Pub (in the basement of the Strathacona Hotel at York/King W).  We've been there many times and like it.

Book ~ "The Memory Chair" (2015) Susan White

From Goodreads ~ Thirteen-year-old Betony has always hated going to her cranky great-grandmother's house. It's old and stuffy and boring and the woodstove in the kitchen is always burning too hot. But her Gram doesn't have any other family living close by on the Kingston Peninsula so Betony ends up being dragged along all the time. 

She'd rather be pretty much anywhere … until one day Betony sits on her Gram's favourite chair. She is suddenly transported into the past and is experiencing her Gram's life as if it were in her own memory. At first Betony is excited and curious, and begins to develop a close relationship with Gram, even learning to cook and quilt. But after she has experienced a few more of her great-grandmother's memories, she realizes she is slowly uncovering a terrible, shameful family secret.

Thirteen-year-old Betony and her family live in a small town in New Brunswick.  Though she has a large extended family, there aren't many living around so her mom and dad take care of Ida (aka Gram), her 92-year-old maternal great-grandmother who lives on the family farm.  Gram is old-school, set in her ways and cranky and Betony doesn't look forward to having to visit her.

On one reluctant visit, Betony is having a snooze in Gram's favourite old chair and she has a weird dream of something that happened in Gram's life that is very vivid.  As it continues to happen on subsequent visits, Betony realizes that she is not dreaming ... she is experiencing Gram's memories.  Not only does Betony learn more about Gram and seeing a different side of her but she starts to look forward to going to her house to learn more, especially as Gram shares her love of quilting with her.  But as the memories continue, Betony discovers a family member she didn't know about and who no one has even spoken about and she is determined to find out why.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it ... I liked the story and writing style.  It was a nice feel-good book.  Though I think the target audience is young adults, I didn't find the writing juvenile.  It is written in first person perspective in Betony's voice.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Book ~ "One Day in December" (2018) Josie Silver

From Goodreads ~ Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic ... and then her bus drives away.

Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered. "One Day in December" is a joyous, heartwarming and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness. 

In 2008, when Laurie transiting home from a job she's not crazy about, she looks out the window and locks eyes with a guy waiting at a bus stop.  Instantly she feels something and is sure the guy feels the same.  Before either can react, her bus pulls away and the moment is gone.  She and her best friend and roommate, Sarah, spend the next year looking everywhere for him (aka "Bus Boy") to no avail.

Then Sarah starts dating Jack ... and it's the guy from the bus stop!  Of course, Laurie can't say anything to Sarah.  Over the next ten years, their lives carry on in different directions with marriages, deaths, babies and new job opportunities, with the three of them involved in each other's lives ... and Laurie and Jack hiding how they really feel about each other.

I enjoyed this story and the characters.  I liked the writing style.  It's told in first person perspective alternating in Laurie and Jack's voice over the years ... the sections are labeled so you know whose voice it is and the time period.  At the end of the book are drink recipes according to the personalities and tastes of the characters.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I look forward to reading future books by this author.

SinglesSwag - January 2019

My January SinglesSwag box arrived today.

Every month, enjoy full-sized, hand-selected products exclusively for fun and fabulous single women. 

• Organic beauty fun
• Trending fashion accessories
• Delicious snacks and treats
• Best selling books
• Other surprises

You can get the SinglesSwag (receive 6-7 full-sized products every month for $224.99US for six months) or the SinglesSwag Petite (receive 3-4 full-sized products every month for $139.99US for six months) ... I ordered the SinglesSwag.  Shipping is free in the U.S. but there is a shipping cost for them to send it outside the U.S.  The link I went through gave me a discount and it ended up costing me $261.50CN for six months ($43.58CN per month).

Here's what I received ...

Gladstone House Bistro + Bar, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had lunch today at the Gladstone House Bistro + Bar, which is on the northwest side of the hotel (at Queen Street W and Gladstone Avenue).

We both ordered the Club Sandwich.  Gord got his without tomatoes and I got mine without lettuce.  They were good sandwiches and we'd get them again.

Be the Breath Meditation, Laya Spa & Yoga, Toronto, ON

Gord and I attended the lunchtime Be the Breath Meditation.

A 45 minute meditation session which includes some easy movements to create more comfort within the body. We'll practice 10 minutes of Pranayam (yogic breathwork) and lastly move into a 25 minute partially guided meditation focused on the breath. 

This 5 part series will be led by Alisa Donkers and will be on a sliding scale basis $7 - $15!

It was at Laya Spa & Yoga (Queen Street W/Ossington Avenue), which is in our 'hood, and led by Alisa.  Meditation and yoga are held in the building next door on the third floor.  We have attended other sessions by led by Alisa in the past.  There's one more left in the series (next Wednesday).

Another relaxing session ... thanks, Alisa!

Book ~ "Ten Thousand Truths" (2012) Susan White

From Goodreads ~ Thirteen-year-old Rachel is bad news, or so her foster care worker tells her. She's been shuttled from one rotten foster family to another ever since her mother and brother died in a car accident five years ago, and she's running out of options. So when she gets caught shoplifting and is kicked out of her latest home, the only place left to send her is the last resort for kids like her; a farm in the middle of nowhere run by a disfigured recluse named Amelia Walton, whom Rachel names 'Warty' because of the strange lumps covering her face and neck. 

Rachel settles into life on the farm, losing herself in daily chores and Amelia's endless trivia and trying to forget her past and the secret she's holding inside. But when a letter arrives for her out of the blue, Rachel soon realizes that you can't hide from your past - or your future.

Five years ago Rachel's mother and younger brother were killed in a car accident.  With no other family except for her maternal grandmother who didn't want her, Rachel, then eight, was put into the foster care system.  She was bounced from one foster family to another because of behavioral issues.  When she is caught shoplifting, that's it ... she's sent to Amelia's farm in rural New Brunswick, considered the last resort.

Rachel isn't used to the respect and support that being with Amelia provides to her and the other three foster children living there so she's initially suspicious and keeps her guard up.  Stopping in on a regular basis and helping out are Zac and Jodie, former foster children of Amelia's.  Just when Rachel has settled in and is comfortable living on the farm, she receives a letter out of the blue from a family member she didn't know she had and didn't think cared about her.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it ... I liked the story and writing style.  It was a nice feel-good book.  Though I think the target audience is young adults, I didn't find the writing juvenile.  It is written in third person perspective in various voices including Rachel's and Amelia's.  I found the characters likable, even Rachel when she wasn't at her best behavior.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Book ~ "Captured Hearts: New Brunswick's War Brides" (2008) Melynda Jarratt

From Goodreads ~ Imagine you're a young woman caught up in the ugly reality of war. You meet and fall in love with a young soldier from a foreign country. You marry and your world is upended: when the war ends, you leave all you've ever known behind - your family, friends, and way of life - to begin a new life in Canada.

This is the story of hundreds of women who made their way to New Brunswick at the end of the Second World War. Between 1942 and 1948, young women from all over Europe came to this part of Canada with their servicemen husbands. Some married Aboriginal New Brunswickers; others married French-speaking Acadians; still others married New Brunswickers of British descent. In this compelling volume, wives, widows, fiancees, and those who and returned to Europe after failed marriages tell compelling stories of prejudice, perseverance, kindness, hope, defeat and triumph. 

During World War II, there were many Canadians soldiers stationed overseas.  It was a time for living for the moment and during off-time there was no end to the possibilities for fun and romance. 

As months passed and the number of weddings increased, both British and Canadian authorities started getting concerned that too many marriages were being done in haste so the rules made tougher.  The soldiers had to fill out a "Permission to Marry" form and have it endorsed by their commanding officer.  If the bride and groom were under 21, they had to get their parents' written permission.  The bride-to-be had to get a letter of recommendation from her employer and take a medical from a Canadian military-approved doctor.  They also had to be interviewed by the padre of the soldier's unit to see if they fully understood the implications of marriage.

When the war ended in 1945, the first priority was to bring the soldiers home to Canada and the transportation of the war brides and their children had to wait until the next year.  A survey done in 1947 used New Brunswick as a "typical example" and determined there had been 1,820 marriages between New Brunswick soldiers and their war brides and that 1,760 wives were still in the province (only two had returned overseas and obtained divorces).

When many of the war brides arrived in New Brunswick, they discovered that life wasn't what they had been used to or expecting ... no running water, no electricity, outhouses, hard rural lives, they didn't speak the language (ie French), etc.  Many stayed and grew to love it while others stayed because they had no choice.

I'd read War Brides by this author and liked it.  That book was a collection of stories of Canada's war brides ... some of the stories were told by the brides themselves, others by children or grandchildren.  This book focuses on New Brunswick.  I liked this book too and found it interesting ... it's hard to imagine what it was like during that time and being a war bride.

If you want to learn more about Canadian War Brides, you can go to the extensive website.

Happy New Year!

I wish you health .... so you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the love of friends and family ... and peace within your heart.

I wish you the beauty of nature ... that you may enjoy the work of Mother Nature.

I wish you wisdom to choose priorities ... for those things that really matter in life.

I wish you generosity so you may share ... all good things that come to you.

I wish you happiness and joy ... and blessings for the New Year.

I wish you the best of everything ... that you so well deserve.