The beginning of Christmas...

Today marked the 30th anniversary of the Swedish Christmas Fair in Toronto.  This event brings our community together; keep our traditions alive; and give our fellow Torontonians a Taste of Sweden.

Many volunteer hours are needed, prior and during this event.  We have some very dedicated people within our community.  Hats off!

I enjoy all the goodies that are specifically imported for this weekend; the open faced sandwiches and baked good that can be purchased in our "Swedish Cafeteria"; and the entertainment offered by our Lucia Pageant and folk dancers.

There are numerous Swedish items for sale.   Myself and my girls arrived early and  had our "eyes set" on some nice Swedish mugs.  Two hours later they were all sold out and we were empty handed. 

This year a special cookbook was created to commemorate the 30th Anniversary.  I purchased one and it contains wonderful recipes contributed by my fellow Swedes.  A great gift idea, especially for my non-Swedish friends.

For many years, I volunteered at the "Children's Workshop" but last year I found my true calling.  I offered to assist with the "gently used book corner" and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to volunteer the following day; and today I was back again.  It's so much fun to browse all these books while meeting new and exciting people.

I had a great day and for me this is always the beginning of the Christmas Season.

GOD JUL!

BAPS Temple Visit - Toronto

I can't remember the last time I was truly truly awestruck, but visiting the BAPS ,a Hindu Temple, in Toronto took my breath away.....

What an architectural eye feast.   The vast amounts of Italian marble, the detailed carvings of limestone are truly magnificent in this temple.

There are no words to describe the interior of the Temple; it brought on a feeling like no other...peace, serenity, beauty. It gave me the Goosebumps. 

What a gift to Toronto!

I could go on and on about this Temple but they have a great webpage with pictures and information to describe this Architectural Masterpiece.

Next time , I'll make sure to attend the Aarti Rituals, a devotional prayer ceremony.

Nothing like a day outdoors!

 Summer is for sailing, but I have to admit that I've missed my outings with my Hiking Buddies, so this weekend I was excited to join them on a hike at Niagara Glen Nature Reserve.

I've been to the Niagara Region numerous times over the past 25 years and had no clue that there is a beautiful scenic hiking trail in the area.  I love discovering something new and this was worth the drive.  Great Niagara Attraction for FREE!

 A metal staircase took us 30 meters down the side of a cliff, which is the steepest part of the gorge. The trails wind though a Carolian Forest scattered with huge bolders, left behind thousands of years ago when they fell from the cliffs above.

There are a number of different trails to follow, we chose the one that hugs the Niagara River. 

This is such a beautifully scenic hike that one can't help but get in a good mood.  We had lunch at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Whirlpool.  What a treat!

Hiking in this area involves an elevation change of over 200 ft, so we ended our hike climbing up a LONG staircase to reach the top again.. Pretty exhausting..

I'll be back here for sure...

Exercise with Caution

No Pain - No Gain is a familiar term for all of us, and I tend to push myself into the Pain Zone.  I want to feel the aftermath of a good workout.

 This week, I might have pushed my body too hard as I've ended up with either a pulled or torn tendon in my leg.   I hate being told to relax and put my feet up.  It's like torture.. I could do so many other things.

A close friend told me that I exercise too much, and therefore I'm to blame for this condition.  I get her point! 

But, the fact is, I have not had any injuries, pain or other ailments, for years, while keeping up with my yoga routine. I love yoga, and the benefit that comes with it.   Normally, I'll practice yoga 3 times per week but for the past 6 weeks, I barely got 3 yoga session in.   My body was slowly loosing its flexibility and strength.

So, I truly believe this injury would not have happened had I kept up my yoga routine.

Now, I'll pay the consequence as I won't be exercising for a few weeks and that's punishment enough for me. 

So, lesson learned.. Know what's good for you and stick to it!

I surely don't want to sit around all day....

Toronto by Bike

What a fantastic day!

I love being active but it's not always easy to find others who enjoy it as much as myself.  Well, my daughter does and today, we decided to "Take Toronto by Bike".

We picked up our folding bikes at the Yacht Club and drove down to the Beaches where we parked the car. 




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        The waterfront trail is fantastic, and the ride is easy as it is flat the whole way.

There's always something new to discoverer in this mega city.  Today we stumbled upon the new Sugar Beach, at the foot of lower Jarvis Street.

 "Play Me, I'm Yours"
We were pleasantly surprised when we stumbled upon a Whimsical Piano at Sugar Beach, as we had not heard of the 41 pianos scattered across the city of Toronto .  By the end of the day, we discovered 3 more.  We'll have to find the remaining 37 on another visit.  Evidently each piano has a caretaker that covers the piano at night.  The Pianos are a celebration of the three-year countdown of the 2015 Pan American Game.  Each Piano represents a participating Country.  

China Town has it's own energy.  I've never been to China but I can almost fool myself while at Spadina and Dundas.

We took our time to explore the city and covered so much ground in 4 hours.  Biking on the street is not for everyone, but I get a rush when I'm in the midst of everything.  Biking on Spadina with a bus next to me, cars behind and the sidewalk covered in people is exhilarating.   I've often been asked if I'm scared biking on the street, but to be honest, "I'm more scared when biking on the sidewalk".  I've had more close calls while on the sidewalk as the cars don't even take you into consideration. 


Yonge - Dundas Square has really changed in the last few years.  I don't ever remember so many billboards but I like it as it brings energy to the square.

                                                                                                                                                                    The Distillery District is such a treat.  We're in the city but at the same time we're not.  It's quiet. The historic buildings, streets lined with outdoor patios and various art galleries is like a smörgåsbord.  Each time you visit you sample some.  

                                                                                                                                 

The City of Toronto has a bottomless supply of things to see and do.

One does not have to be bored in this city!

Dyngkåt och hur helig som helst.

I loved this books!

The title through me for a loop as it's quite vulgar.  Wasn't sure what to expect.  Closest translation I can think of is "Fucking Horny and Holy as Could Be!

The book is written by Mia Skäringer, a well known Swedish comedian and actress.  It is based on a blog that she wrote for the Swedish magazine Mama.   Mia is brutally honest and humoristic while sharing her life stories about sex, family, divorce, career, and parenthood.

The book makes you think about your everyday life and how most of us live a very predictable life within our society. God forbid if we were different.  I recognized myself in many of the situations in the book and it makes one stop..reflect....and wonder..

Here's two extracts from the book.. (translated from Swedish)

"Damn, I'm tired of all the nagging about sex. All sexologists! All tips! Reportage! News Columns!  Have sexologists themselves a good sex life? Do priests really believe in God?  Does Mia Törnblom really have unbelievable  low self-esteem. Only the devil knows. But this is the world we live in.  A ten year conflict is solved by doctor Phil in ten seconds. Same with sex. Buy a dildo! Surprise your partner! Here are the top ten positions for the woman. This is what mothers are looking for this summer. Nice quick sex."

"I am so tired of the super-moms, self-sacrifice, martyrdom, sex to keep the the peace at home, and false facades.  I long for reality, vulnerability, and tummies and stretchmarks.  I long for people who dare to be themselves and show their true colors without pretense.  I long for "new" Maria's whom by their own will and their own sexual desire dare ask Joseph for selfish sex while baby Jesus is sleeping.  Mothers are people too, or?  Vulnerable.  Weak. Wild and free.  Feelings that come and go.  Just imagine if we all dared to be true to ourselves before we die.  Imagine if we all realized how fucking beautiful we are"



This book left me smiling long after I finished the last page....

A Chilly Dip in The Lake!

Today was a hot one!  With temperatures reaching +33C, suburbia was not the place to be unless you're fortunate enough to have a pool to cool off in. 

Hubby and myself decided to find some relief out on Lake Ontario.  We anchored at the beach not far from our club and decided to cool off in the water.

I dropped down the swim ladder and was plenty surprised when I put my foot in the water.  It was COLD!  We took a reading, and to our surprise it read 14.7C. (59F).  We went for a swim two weeks ago, and the water temperature was 21C (70F).  What the heck happened here.. It's been scorching hot for the past couple of weeks.

I might have spent childhood summers on the Baltic Sea, but let's just say that I did not linger long in the water.  I took two quick dips and I could feel my legs going numb.

It was a very refreshing but chilly dip in the Lake!