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Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Yes, peeps - though more Pepys's than Pepy's.
When I got to Yonge and Bloor, around half past nine, Casa looked like something placed on our planet by benevolent aliens - serene, solid, yet otherworldly ... in the last glimmers of daylight. Subdued light did something for this beautifully proportioned building that it failed to do for the the little scrolly scraps. I generally enjoy looking at buildings on days with plenty of cloud cover for the same reasons: diffused light, surface details revealed, nothing bleached out or plunged into deep and obscuring shadow.
When I got to Yonge and Bloor, around half past nine, Casa looked like something placed on our planet by benevolent aliens - serene, solid, yet otherworldly ... in the last glimmers of daylight. Subdued light did something for this beautifully proportioned building that it failed to do for the the little scrolly scraps. I generally enjoy looking at buildings on days with plenty of cloud cover for the same reasons: diffused light, surface details revealed, nothing bleached out or plunged into deep and obscuring shadow.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Just got this email from the Gardiner:
Dear friends and Gardiner Museum Supporters,
I am honoured to be a strong advocate of the Gardiner Museum — the Gardiner is dedicated to celebrating the joy, wonder, and passion of ceramic art and its power to reveal the richness of human history and contemporary life.
I worked with George and Helen Gardiner to found this uniquely focused institution, and am currently the Vice Chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees.
The Gardiner Museum has partnered with Vantage Magazine, in a private, online art auction to raise funds for our organization. Gardiner Museum members and donors contributed the exciting collection of art pieces for this unique online auction, which will close on July 6, 2009. Proceeds will support new acquisitions made to enhance the Gardiner Museum’s already extraordinary permanent collections.
I urge you to visit this website (www.vantagemagazine.ca/gardiner) to view and bid on these pieces.
I hope you will forward this email to your art-loving friends and colleagues and join me in supporting this very worthy cause, at this time of cultural need.
With warm regards,
Aaron Milrad
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Gardiner Museum
Dear friends and Gardiner Museum Supporters,
I am honoured to be a strong advocate of the Gardiner Museum — the Gardiner is dedicated to celebrating the joy, wonder, and passion of ceramic art and its power to reveal the richness of human history and contemporary life.
I worked with George and Helen Gardiner to found this uniquely focused institution, and am currently the Vice Chair of the Museum’s Board of Trustees.
The Gardiner Museum has partnered with Vantage Magazine, in a private, online art auction to raise funds for our organization. Gardiner Museum members and donors contributed the exciting collection of art pieces for this unique online auction, which will close on July 6, 2009. Proceeds will support new acquisitions made to enhance the Gardiner Museum’s already extraordinary permanent collections.
I urge you to visit this website (www.vantagemagazine.ca/gardiner) to view and bid on these pieces.
I hope you will forward this email to your art-loving friends and colleagues and join me in supporting this very worthy cause, at this time of cultural need.
With warm regards,
Aaron Milrad
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Gardiner Museum
TonyV
Senior Member
Our tickies arrived for next season of opera! We had the seat assignments changed to central Ring 4 and we scored beautifully, row A, somewhat central. Our first seasons in the new opera were in the loose seating along the sides, and we grew to dislike those seats for various reasons, chiefly that it was difficult to get comfortable in that part of the house.
I am a balcony creature while a few of our friends "vastly" prefer the orchestra. Each to their own!
I am a balcony creature while a few of our friends "vastly" prefer the orchestra. Each to their own!
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
I'm basically a creature of the night - or at least of darkened rooms with flatteringly soft illumination.
Mine arrived too, and I'm happy with my usual spot - just over half way back from the stage, in the middle of the room ... the focal point where all roving eyes seeking beauty, inspiration and delight eventually come to rest - thank goodness I'm not some hideous old troll. I was thinking of cutting back, and maybe joining the common folk in Ring 5 for a season to show solidarity with the masses because of the beastly recession, but thought better of it.
Next summer I may book a week off to attend the Toronto Summer Music Festival again. It does rather conflict with the jam-making season, but I'm sure I can squeeze them both in somehow.
What night is your opera night?
Mine arrived too, and I'm happy with my usual spot - just over half way back from the stage, in the middle of the room ... the focal point where all roving eyes seeking beauty, inspiration and delight eventually come to rest - thank goodness I'm not some hideous old troll. I was thinking of cutting back, and maybe joining the common folk in Ring 5 for a season to show solidarity with the masses because of the beastly recession, but thought better of it.
Next summer I may book a week off to attend the Toronto Summer Music Festival again. It does rather conflict with the jam-making season, but I'm sure I can squeeze them both in somehow.
What night is your opera night?
TonyV
Senior Member
I looked at the Summer Music Festival current season and thought that there were many tempting things, but we have so much going on that we couldn't fit these in. Next year, perhaps.
Our opera night is Tuesday, good crowd, an audience that seems to know its stuff. We have two TSO series also, Thursday and Saturday -- got those tickets, too. There are plans to trade a couple of the Saturday concerts for different ones.
So, you make jams! What are your favourites and is it a good year? I am a huge cook.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
I've made gooseberry, a blackcurrant/redcurrant blend, and raspberry jams ... and redcurrant jelly - just over 4 litres of each, keeping some for myself and selling the rest at work ( oops! "work" ) for the first time. All fruit picked from the garden, sold at $6 for the 250 ml and $10 for the 500ml, and generating over $200 in profit. I use proper Mason jars and metal screw lids, and Certo to make everything set since I don't use massive amounts of sugar. The jelly is the most time consuming to produce since I strain it twice. I can't stop I tell ya, I'm a jam fiend.
The cool, damp weather has been remarkably good for the blackcurrants in particular. The one redcurrant bush produces enormous amounts of fruit, and I've frozen 16 small plastic supermarket produce bags of gooseberries ( from the four bushes ) to cook next winter - nice with custard or yogurt or ice cream.
There be rhubarb too, but not for jam. Sometimes it doesn't set very well.
The cool, damp weather has been remarkably good for the blackcurrants in particular. The one redcurrant bush produces enormous amounts of fruit, and I've frozen 16 small plastic supermarket produce bags of gooseberries ( from the four bushes ) to cook next winter - nice with custard or yogurt or ice cream.
There be rhubarb too, but not for jam. Sometimes it doesn't set very well.
TonyV
Senior Member
/\ sounds delightful. Jams are wonderful things, especially those you make yourself. I have no recipes for comparison in this particular culinary field, but I may say that these gorgeous (not hot) summer days afford my favourite kind of cooking and eating, that is to say outdoors. There is not much more appealing than the simple stuff, in summer, things like bbq'd pork chops done to perfection in a marinade from my own kitchen, or chicken (again, marinated) alongside summer veggies (magnificent Ontario tomatoes), and for desert lately we have those awesome Ontario field strawberries which nowhere else can seem to match. We like wines, the French white stuff and the Ontario white stuff.... mmmmm it's only morning but I'm dreaming up something for dinner right now (that is a good mental shapshot of my life in general, actually!).
It is a good living for me right now, I am taking the whole month of August off; it's the first time I've done this in my entire working life. August is my fave. I have no agenda, the "plan" is to let life happen as it will and I will scoop up whatever good social opportunities arise. There is a cottage to visit if we wish, but I seem to prefer the city, it is such an easy choice.
Oh, yes, upon hearing of my availability my family has made some requests of me ... why oh why didn't I keep my big mouth shut? It's okay, they are a great bunch, truly. Maybe I'll cook a big meal for 'em.
It is a good living for me right now, I am taking the whole month of August off; it's the first time I've done this in my entire working life. August is my fave. I have no agenda, the "plan" is to let life happen as it will and I will scoop up whatever good social opportunities arise. There is a cottage to visit if we wish, but I seem to prefer the city, it is such an easy choice.
Oh, yes, upon hearing of my availability my family has made some requests of me ... why oh why didn't I keep my big mouth shut? It's okay, they are a great bunch, truly. Maybe I'll cook a big meal for 'em.
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Urban Shocker
Doyenne
You're a regular little Susie Homemaker, aren't you?
TonyV
Senior Member
.. such a transformation from my former 'round the town flirt sort of ways.
Both parents were magnificent cooks and the tendency rubbed off on me I like to think -- their inspirations were from everywhere on the globe, they turned me into a real foodie. And it helps to have a great friend who can lead us to the best wines on a reasonable budget.
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Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Yes, you're quite famous ...
TonyV
Senior Member
Infamous, I would prefer to think. 
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Beyond that, perhaps. Notorious ... a fabulous creature approaching legendary status in the minds of many, yet leaving enough eye witnesses, broken hearts and tormented souls in your wake to situate you to the real world that we all inhabit.
TonyV
Senior Member
Well, now I guess everyone really knows who I am .. ... my past has caught up to me. At least they still speak of me.
... my past has caught up to me. At least they still speak of me.
Roy G Biv
Senior Member
US, my partner is a gooseberry fiend. I may have to nab a couple of jars off you sometime.