640 - More Maki Fun

A day spent cleaning the kitchen.
Clearing out old stuff to make room for new stuff.

Productive day ends with a workout, experimenting with makis (w/out rice) and an relaxing evening.

Grateful today for
quiet Friday nights.

639 - Supercharged Thursday

Starting at Metro Hall's market...walking with Cosmic C + Maya south through the green spaces..
A visit with ceeBEE and then more walking to Kensington Market for lunch at Urban Herbivore.

When my mate arrives home, we go out for dinner...to Live Food Bar.

Our meal is shared - an appetizer sushi, and the raw combo of pizza, tostadas, curry 'pasta' and ravioli.
Dessert is a decadent chocolate tart - only a few bites and the rest a take home for later.

Walking down Huron from top to bottom after dinner, paw'n paw with my mate...
A perfect end to a supercharged day!

Grateful today for
great vegan and raw restaurants in Toronto
cosmic C - for all the walking, talking and eating together - thanks so much for your excitement + enthusiasm,
and my open minded mate for sharing this raw journey together.

638 - Full Raw Day

After our class - today's session on homeopathy, we walk back to Huron for a multi-tasking workout...
As we workout, we watch Food Matters. Whew! Glad I had watched it twice previously...



Dinner is Spaghetti Marinara - raw, noodles are zucchini - and Asian Raw Kale Salad

A fully raw day ends with a great Scrabble game, and the arrival of our favorite dawg to the 'Flying Dawg Hotel'.



Grateful today for
the life energy in raw foods,
supportive friends,
and for my first raw dinner turning out tasty.

637 - Any Given Tuesday

The morning seems to zip by and I am having lunch with my mate at Yes to fresh.
After lunch, my favorite princess and I go to see the Envision Christmas gift samples...always good to spend time with princess.

Returning home, I get a haircut at the 'mysterious' place at the corner...just a few steps away from our door...
a fun experience meeting a neighbour and my mullet is gone.

Dinner is raw at Rikishi with Uncle Stu...and then to the Rivoli for a game of pool.

Grateful today for
great energy that carried me effortlessly through the day,
an afternoon with princess,
and viewing pool through the lens WITH good settings.

636 - JYC visits GoMo

After a workout with Maylee and my mate,
JYC comes with his ma, pa and grandma to visit Gomo, that's me! ('Aunt' on father's side, in Korean)

An afternoon walk to Grange Park, where JYC plays and runs after squirrels.
A light bite in Chinatown and they return home.

In the evening, mate and I have much energy...alone and undecided as to what to do?!
Time to relax in the quiet...and snuggles.

Grateful today for
MunHee - her loving and communicative relationship with Justin is beautiful to see,
time with family,
and especially for snuggles with my mate.

635 - Matie's Maki

Out for a walk in Kengsington Market - and it's pedestrian sunday!
It is a perfect sunny sunday and the market is filled with people.
Musicians in the street, latin foods cooking, reiki treatments and all the greatness of the neighbourhood.

Returning home, my mate makes beautiful and delicious maki for us to take to dinner tonight at Clareville.
We have a lovely visit and meal at Clareville.

Grateful today for
pedestrian days in the market,
my mate's maki,
and for the lovely visit this evening.

634 - Wedding fun

Off to the market again...our fridge overflows with fresh greens and fruits.
It is a beautiful sunny Saturday.

The day is relaxed and I finish reading 'the Help' - a book I could not put down and read in 2-3 days.

In the evening, I am off to see faces from a long time ago at a wedding reception.
The reception is at the top of the city at Canoe. A setting sun is the backdrop for a lovely meal and a great time.

Grateful today for
the facebook friends who recommended books to read,
an evening of celebration with friends and family,
and for a fun time dancing!

633 - Different Kind of Dinner

Rainy and dark today.
Feeling good energy from the raw foods this week.
After 5 days of adding raw foods, green drinks etc.. I am happy that we have had minimal amounts of meat and other cooked foods.

Dinner ideas are a bit more challenging and I continue to work through the different recipes...
Tonight, we noshed on maki rolls - with brown rice, carrots, celery, pickles, avocado and sunflower sprouts.
Turned out quite delicious and more filling than I thought they would be.

Grateful today for
a good week of good food,
and especially grateful that kimchi is a raw food!

632 - Apple

Two days ago, I went to the Apple store to see if they could have a look at my misbehaving MBP.
uh, oh...no appointment.
This morning I went back - with an appointment.

Arriving at the store 5 minutes before it opens, there are already 20 people waiting for the store to open.
As we file in, I cannot help but feel I am in a strange cultish environment...Still, I love their technology...

Grateful today for
the extended warranty I forgot I had,
the quick service at the Apple store
and a new hope that my MBP is not completely dead!

631 - Superfoods

Off to my second class - this one was on TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Quite interesting and so great to be learning for learning's sake!

Workout with Maylee after the class and then a walk together to the organic store in Kensington Market to pick up some superfoods.

The trail mix of goji berries, cacao nibs, coconut shreds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds is tasty and my mate is feeling supercharged.

In the evening, we are both treated to a night of laughs by Vero. Thanks Vero - it was so fun to catch up with you and laugh together.

Grateful today for
superfoods and a super fun day.

630 - Kale Drink

A busy day with a business meeting at Huron this morning.
Started out with my fresh kale, and apple smoothie - not so smooth really, more chewy - quite energizing and surprising tasty.

No coffee - sipped on green tea during the meeting.

Last night I watched Food Matters again - this time with my mate. Reluctant at first to watch a documentary, he enjoyed the film and is ready to increase his raw food consumption.

Grateful today for
the incredible energy I had today,
and for my mate's openness to do this with me.

629 - Thinking about Raw

Over the summer, I experimented with sprouting a potato - didn't last too long, however it grew roots in water..
Then there was a delicious melon - and the seeds are sprouting! Can't imagine that a melon will grow in the window...

As I read and think about raw foods, I am amazed by the life energy from seed, water, soil and sun.
Still working on the getting the best foods into my mate and I. The objective is better health with tasty foods that are nutritious and good for us.
Starting this week to try and get as much raw vegetables, fruit and superfoods into our meals...
Beginning with veggie/fruit smoothies for breakfast, drinking tons of water and attempting to replace coffee with green tea...

Grateful today for
the energy and freshness of raw foods,
all the information that I am treading through,
and all the people online that provide such great resources, stories and recipes on raw foods.

628 - Food Weekend II

More cucumbers to pickle today...trying to make the most of the cucumber harvest and the pickling spices at home.
A new recipe to try...hoping that they will turn out to be tasty.

Between the cucumbers and yesterday's chicken broth - I have washed, used and rewashed every large pot in the house.
What a workout that is!

Everything is now packed away - pickles in their jars, broth in jars for freezing and for souping...

Grateful today for
another batch of pickles - 5 jars made from $7 of cucumbers,
a gallon of chicken broth,
and grateful that my mate made dinner tonight.

627 - Food Weekend

Off to the market early this morning.
We return home with our shopping cart overflowing with farmer's goodness and flowers in hand.

One hour at the market - 2 hours cleaning and preparing everything for storing...
Back to making a chicken broth...

Nice to have dinner at C+C's before we go out for some Saturday night fun.

Grateful today for
the great harvests from the farms,
good food to eat,
and a day of lots of raw foods.

626 - Food Matters

I have been feeling that the question of good diet is a very entangled one.
There are seas of information on diet, nutrition, farming, sustainability...
No matter where I turn, there is more information to confuse and entangle my brain.

Food Matters was a great movie that helped to put a few things into perspective...
Keeping in mind that it is also a perspective.

Raw foods... superfoods...nutritional therapy...hmmmm....
more to research and consider...

Grateful today for
a focus to think about re diet,
the killer workout with Maylee,
and for a day that without planning ended up being a vegetarian day.

625 - Neighbourly

It's been great to have C+C as neighbours.
Texting back and forth - TIFF movies to see, lunches to share...
so much to do together...

Went to see a TIFF movie this evening - A Happy Event.
With no idea what to expect, we both very much enjoyed the movie.

Returning home, we are visited by our neighbours for a quick evening visit...
Love those spontaneous drop-ins!

Grateful today for
an enjoyable TIFF movie - with no lineups,
our vibrant city,
and neighbours.

624 - Back to School

An odd feeling cycling to the UofT campus today.
The street is bustling with students as I head into a class on Naturopathic Medicines.
Can't quite believe that it has been a few decades since I was last actively here...

A workout after class and then off to meet friends for a sail and dinner.
Busy day with lots of activity, conversation and fun times.

Grateful today for
Maylee - thanks for letting me know about the class + for the workout,
friends from way back - nice to hear BS (before sabee) stories...

623 - Scrabblin'

A fun scrabble match...
As always the game is challenging - opposing teams help one another and maintain a healthy competition...

Grateful today for
a house full of great scrabble players,
great meals and fun scrabble games.

622 - Diet Roulette

Perhaps it is the 'back to school' momentum that is making me think about diet...
looking online to see what the best diet is for optimal health.

The recollection of a friend who had success with "Eat right for your blood type" is starts my online search...
No shortage of information, forums, criticisms and success stories...
Now the author of "Eat right for your blood type" has a new one - the Genotype diet. AAARGH!

By the end of it all, happy to continue on the diet we are on - shopping at the farmer's market and continuing with Alice Waters recipes and consuming a little less meat and wine.

Grateful today for
the sea of information available,
for not getting lost in that sea
and for returning home.

621 - Harvest Moon

Matie is off in the early morning to go golfing.
BEE is back from her travels.

After a trip to the liberty farmers' market and dim sum at a new place, we spent the evening out on the boat to watch the sunset and the harvest moon rise.
Took two cameras out and had a fun time shooting with my mate.

Grateful today for
the awesomeness of nature,
a full day of activity,
and for BEE's safe return home.

620 - Cycling around town

Out for a cycle this morning.
First to Queen's Park where mom is at a Christian festival - Jesus in the city,
then to the lakeshore.

Initially planning to cycle to the beach, my mind changes as I pass the ferry station.
Taking the ferry to the island - it is a beautiful day for a cycle around the island.
So nice to be cycling with no cars!

Returning back to the mainland, I hook up with CEEbee and cycle west on the lakeshore to the humber river and then return home.
Wheww! The longest cycle I have done - 45 km.

Grateful today for
the beautiful breezes and warm sun,
our incredible toronto islands,
and a good day of cycling exercise.

619 - Happy Birthday Matie!

Today is my mate's birthday.
Came home early from work - had a workout with Maylee and played a game of scrabble together (my highest score yet!)

To celebrate his birthday, my mate's wish was to do as we always do...
Have a great meal at home with friends.

Hanging out with the boys, we ended up taking some pictures of each of the boys giving their best 'blue steel' look.
Great fun, a barbeque feast and lots of laughs.

Grateful today for
good friends,
fun times
and for my mate.

618 - The Eve of Matie's Birthday

C+C arrive in town just in time to celebrate the eve of my mate's birthday!
Dinner at Blowfish is delicious, in spite of challenges in the dining experience...
To the Drake afterwards to catch a set of Raoul + the Big Time.

Grateful today for
time to catch up and hang with C+C,
and for the start of birthday celebrations.

617 - Blurb

Using Blurb to put together the book on Cuba.
What a great tool it is.

Have lost track of the number of revisions now...
Layout is complete - a few more items to add and then the collection of the hi-res photos.
Exciting to see it coming together

In the evening, an exclusive preview of the book for my mate and Uncle Stu - very valuable feedback and responses from them...

Grateful today for
online tools to make and sell books,
the thoughts, ideas and feedback from the cuba group committe and pals,
and for having experienced Cuba.

616 - Remembering Kenny

A year ago, Kenny died.
Over the year, there were random moments of sadness mixed with wonderings of what he experienced in his last few years.
At times I feel regret for my lack of desire to spend time with him when he was here.
Other times, I search my mind for memories of him.

This evening, the Song family gathered to have a memorial service for him.
His favorite hymn sung, sharing by my brother and a prayer by my sister-in-law.
During the service, Kenny's grandson Justin noisily runs about the house.
It is interesting to consider what his remembrance of Kenny is...what each person's experience has been...

Grateful today for
a gathering that celebrates and remembers Kenny,
friends who have been great supports through the past year,
and for seeing a playful, happy Kenny in Justin...

615 - Labour Day

Last day of a lovely long weekend...
Coffee and fruit in the morning before S+J leave for home.

In the afternoon we visit with a beautiful wild boy in his jungle,
go bowling and return home in the early evening.

Charged up by the weekend, I move computers around and get myself set up to use a desktop...
All done now - and on a much bigger screen...Now to complete all the re-configuring...

Grateful today for
a fun weekend with fellow flexitarians,
and for another computer set up completed.

614 - Fun times

Delighted that S+J can stay another day...
brunch in the market, a cycle to Wellington and then to beer...
The day is filled with adventures that carry into the afternoon and evening...

Grateful today for
the ease and flow that naturally occur in time spent with S+J,
and all the sharing, conversations, meals
and flexitarian fun.

613 - Gray Skies to Blue

Ready with fresh fruit delicious cheeses and snacks from the market,
we go out for a sail with S+J.

Out on the water, the city becomes dark as a storm passes through.
Our captain keeps us on the edge of the storm and the skies are blue when we return to the dock.

After dinner made at Huron and a most delicious elderberry pie for dessert...
we head out into the night for Saturday night fun.

Grateful today for
times shared with friends,
the beautiful waters of Lake Ontario,
and for missing the storm.

612 - The EX

Great fun at the EX with Song family today.
Hanging out in the kid's area, running into friends and walking about...

Delightful to spend some time with Justin.
Quite a precious moment watching him feed a plastic carrot to a plastic lamb...

Grateful today for
a fun day at the EX,
getting home on my bike before the real downpour,
and for times with family.

611 - Ouch!

Turning on the shower this morning,
my back seized up...Ouch!

Spent the morning walking about in MBTs,
stretching and doing everything I could to relieve my back.

Fortunately by the end of the day, my back was okay.

Treated to a lovely dinner at Lee's - perfect ending to an ouchy day...

Grateful today
that it was a minor problem!