"Queen of the Night Communion", Luminato Festival, Toronto, ON

I volunteered this evening at the world premiere of Queen of the Night Communion (it's Canadian) at the Metropolitan United Church (Queen Street W/Church Street W), part of Luminato Festival.

Sneak into church after dark for an unexpected opera experience that turns sacred space into sonic rebellion. Opera's most fascinating characters - the mad, the misunderstood, the magnificent - come to life in this immersive musical journey.

From Mozart to modern day, experience classical music unleashed from tradition. As voices echo through the grand architecture, performers move freely through the space, illuminating performances that challenge everything you thought you knew about opera. Part ritual, part concert, part revolution - this is opera reimagined for today's audience.

Director Michael Hidetoshi Mori transforms the historic space into an immersive realm where the Queen of the Night presides over a secret society, celebrating a thrilling blend of music that spans centuries. Whether you're an opera aficionado or complete newcomer, this unique production promises an unforgettable night of visual and musical wonder.

It was my first opera and the venue was lovely. The voices were strong and powerful.

Before it started ...

As the performers taken their bows at the end ...

Venerosa Natural Gelato, Toronto, ON

I stopped in at Venerosa Natural Gelato (Queen Street W/Niagara Street) this afternoon for a double scoop in a cup. 

I had gianduja (chocolate hazelnut) on the bottom and mint ‘ n chip on the top. Delicious and creamy! The mint ‘n chip gelato is made with REAL peppermint and it’s obvious. The gianduja was chocolaty with bits of hazelnuts. 

Book ~ "Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby" (2019) Matthew Inman

From Goodreads ~ "Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby" is chockfull of comics about cats, babies, dogs, lasers, selfies and pigeons! 

This book contains a vast wealth of never-before-seen comics, including informative guides, such as: 

• How to comfortably sleep next to your cat 
• 10 ways to befriend a misanthropic cat 
• How to hold a baby when you are not used to holding babies 
• A dog’s guide to walking a human being 
• How to cuddle like you mean it

If you are a cat lover like me, you'll find this book funny.

It's a quick read as it's just colourful and black and white graphics.

Some of the topics include:

• How to tell if your cat thinks you're not that big of a deal
• Cat vs baby: tactical analysis
• How to cuddle like you mean it
• Diary entries of cats versus babies

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate ... the colours are black and periwinkle.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

"Rainbow Dreams", Luminato Festival, Toronto, ON

Luminato Festival started today. I had signed up to spend the afternoon volunteering at Rainbow Wheel, which is part of Rainbow Dreams, at Brookfield Place. 

The Experience

Amid the rush of the day, find a moment to pause, play, and reconnect. Three vibrant, site-specific environments—each infused with Hiromi Tango's signature rainbow aesthetic—invite you to explore pathways toward well-being. These installations are designed to spark joy, movement, and reflection, reminding us that mental health is an active, creative practice.

Internationally acclaimed artist Hiromi Tango brings her transformative vision to Toronto for the first time in North America. Drawing from her extensive body of work, these environments feature designs uniquely inspired by Toronto's striking glass towers and dynamic energy, offering spaces of color, playfulness, and mindfulness. In collaboration with neuroscientist Dr. Emma Burrows, Tango transforms the rainbow into more than just a symbol—it becomes a practice, nurturing the most valuable space we own: the one square foot between our ears.

There are three parts to Rainbow Dreams and I checked out the first one before my shift.

WONDER with Rainbow Garden at Bay Adelaide Centre: Immerse yourself in Garden, a whimsical landscape of oversized rainbow flowers and interactive elements. This gentle wonderland invites you to embrace playfulness as a source of joy and renewal.

I headed to Brookfield Place and started my shift at Rainbow Wheel.

Book ~ "Believe Me" (2018) J.P. Delaney

From Goodreads ~ A struggling actor, a Brit in America without a green card, Claire needs work and money to survive. Then she gets both. But nothing like she expected.

Claire agrees to become a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers. Hired to entrap straying husbands, she must catch them on tape with their seductive propositions. The rules? Never hit on the mark directly. Make it clear you’re available but he has to proposition you, not the other way around. The firm is after evidence, not coercion. The innocent have nothing to hide.

Then the game changes.

When the wife of one of Claire’s targets is violently murdered, the cops are sure the husband is to blame. Desperate to catch him before he kills again, they enlist Claire to lure him into a confession.

Claire can do this. She’s brilliant at assuming a voice and an identity. For a woman who’s mastered the art of manipulation, how difficult could it be to tempt a killer into a trap? But who is the decoy ... and who is the prey?

Claire is a Brit, living in New York and taking acting classes. Because she doesn't have a green card, she can't legally work so she works for cash for a law firm. She uses her acting ability to trick cheating husbands into making passes at her and bring the evidence back to the spouse who hired the law firm. After one encounter when a husband rebuffs her advances, his wife is found murdered and Patrick, the husband, is the prime suspect. Claire is approached by the police to go undercover and get close to Patrick and get him to confess.

Up until this point, I was enjoying the story. Then it got weird and confusing and unbelievable and went in so many strange directions ... I wasn't digging it anymore and I wasn't sure what was real. Had I known where it was going to go at times, I wouldn't have read it as it's just not something I'm into.

In the beginning, I liked the writing style. It was written in first person perspective in Claire's voice and third person perspective with other characters. It was interesting when it switched to screenplay mode with dialogue and stage directions, considering Claire is an actress. Patrick was a translator of the works of a 17th century poet and there was a lot of the verses of his poems ... zzzzz. As a head's up, there was swearing and adult activity.

“Barry Manilow: The Last Toronto Concert”, Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON

A friend had tickets to Barry Manilow: The Last Toronto Concert … at the last minute she couldn't go so offered me the tickets. I was downtown volunteering so scampered to the concert ... I missed the opening act and maybe 10 minutes of Barry.

Manilow’s voice is surprisingly still fairly strong (he’s 81). He told stories and jokes and the packed arena loved him!

At the Copa ... Copa Cabana

Bye Barry!

Book ~ "A Perfect Shot" (2018) Robin Yocum

From Goodreads ~ Nicholas "Duke" Ducheski is the most important man in the eastern Ohio steel town of Mingo Junction. Nearly two decades after he made the winning shot in the state championship basketball game, he remains much adored and the focal point of community pride. Hardly a day passes when someone doesn't want to talk about "the game." Now approaching forty, Duke no longer wants to be defined solely by something he did when he was eighteen. So he decides to parlay his local popularity into a successful restaurant - "Duke's Place."

But no sooner does he get his restaurant up and running than disaster strikes. One day "Little Tony" DeMarco, his brother-in-law and a known mob enforcer, comes into the restaurant and murders Duke's oldest friend. Now Duke faces the hardest decision of his life. DeMarco thinks he's untouchable but Duke discovers a way to take him down, along with his mob superiors.

To do so, however, means leaving Mingo Junction and sacrificing his treasured identity as the town legend. And if he follows through, what will remain of his life?

Duke peaked in high school when he got the winning shot in a state championship basketball game. He was offered university scholarships but had to pass on them when Nina, his girl friend, got pregnant. They married and he ended up working in the mill. Timothy, their son, had medical issues when he was born and had been in an convalescent home all his life (20+ years). The marriage was now loveless but Nina refused to give Duke a divorce. So Duke's life sucked.

Duke has always wanted to be known for more than something he did decades ago and reinvented himself by opening a restaurant called "Duke's Place". Tony, Nina's brother, worked for the mob and forced himself into Duke's business, something Duke wasn't happy about but there's nothing he could do about it. Finally fed up and potentially fighting for his life, Duke knew he couldn't continue this way and was determined to do something about it.

I liked this story and was cheering for Duke. It starts with Mitch, Duke's cousin and a reporter, telling us that Duke and his car disappeared one day and was never seen again. It's written in third person perspective except in the first and last chapters when it's in first person perspective in Mitch's voice. As a head's up, there swearing and violence.

"I Shot an Albatross", The Theatre Centre, Toronto, ON

I spent this evening volunteering at I Shot the Albatross at The Theatre Centre (Queen Street W/Dovercourt Road).

Cary Shields, star of Broadway’s ‘Rent’ shines as he recounts his journey from his mother’s couch to Broadway and back again. Born with both a remarkable gift and a curse in equal measure, Cary tells (and sings) his story with frank humour and honesty. The result is a raw, heart-felt show with a tour de force performance by Cary Shields supported by a full band. 

 A story of hope, realizing dreams, fighting despair, losing it all, starting over, and ultimately, finding one’s place of belonging in the world.

What an excellent show! Cary Shields has a wicked voice! His stories are humorous yet honest. Friday is sold out (as was tonight) and there are some tickets left for tomorrow’s show. 

The Joneses, Toronto, ON

I had supper this evening with Rona and Liz, my pals of 30 years and former colleagues, at The Joneses (Yonge/Wellington E). It was so nice to catch up … it had been a while. 

Doors Open - The Second City, Toronto, ON

I spent the afternoon volunteering at Doors Open Toronto at The Second City (York Street/Harbour Street). 

Grizzly Bar, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper at Grizzly Bar, a Canadian-themed bar at Queen Street W/Niagara Street.

When you walk in the door, a giant bear plays “O Canada”!

It's not hard to tell it's a Canadian-themed bar!

Doors Open - Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto, ON

I spent the day volunteering at Doors Open Toronto at Theatre Passe Muraille (Queen Street W/Bathurst Street). Built in 1902, it started out as a bakery and a stable. 

Theatre Passe Muraille is where Keanu Reeves began his career in 1984. 

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate ... the colours are cornflower and blue.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside