Sunday 6 May 2018

A to L fun

I was thinking about simple fun experiences making me happy this week. I'm writing them from A to L, kind of using Denyse's A-L optional prompt, and will join her link up.

My A to L fun experiences:

1. Art exhibitions that are free to the public: One of them is Kader Attia's The Field of Emotion which features an installation of seventeen roughly-hewn wooden busts of wounded soldiers arranged before a projection of J'accuse, a 1919/1938 antiwar film by French film director Abel Gance. Another one is the Asian Heritage Month Festival 2018, Art and Photo exhibitions, featuring many beautiful art work and photos.

The Field of Emotion by Kader Attia

Asian Heritage Month Festival 2018 exhibitions

2. Blogging using a free Blogger template: I'm blogging mostly on Sunday and Wednesday, and connecting with bloggers internationally. Speaking of connections, on Wednesday May 9, we have our monthly Wellness Wednesday link up for May. The optional prompt is Healthy hair and skincare tips, or any wellness-related posts that you may have. Please feel free to join in on the fun.

3. Coffee chats with my friends: There are plenty of coffee places where we can sit down, spend a few dollars for coffee drinks, and catch up on our news. Do you agree with the sign below?


4. Daffodils in the public gardens: These flowers are seasonal where I live. On a sunshiny spring day, they seem to exude joy, happiness, and energy.

 
5. Email message: From my Finnish friend to let me know she's got ferry tickets to go to Tallinn and will meet me there in about three weeks. I am so excited!

6. Free French lessons on Duolingo: I'm taking them daily to improve my fluency. Or for under CAD$5 in Toronto, je peux acheter une baguette ou deux croissants et un petit café.

7. Gardens with spring flowers: Like the Toronto Music Garden where I saw small carpets of pretty blue flowers at this time of the year. I love to explore the local parks and gardens in my city.


8. Hugs and happy moments at home with my family: We hung out, prepared a few platters of food, some drinks, had dessert (see next item), and chatted until it was time to go to bed.

9. Ice cream, first scoop of the year: Saturday was sunny, with high temperature 22 C, and ice cream was on sale so I got a container of vanilla ice cream for under CAD$5 to share with my family.

10. Jelly beans in ten flavours in a cheery-looking box: The flavours are blueberry, buttered popcorn, cinnamon, coconut, licorice, sunkist tangerine, green apple, juicy pear, watermelon, and very cherry. Have you ever tried them? Which flavour is your favourite?


11. Koi fish: Like those seen swimming in a pond, at the base of Lena and the Swan statue, in the Allan Gardens Conservatory. The Conservatory is free to the public. Did you know that the koi fish symbolize good luck, abundance, courage, and perseverance?


12. Lake Ontario and the trail along the shoreline: This is where I enjoy my daily walk and nature. I'm loving where I live.

The Empire Sandy in Toronto Harbour

There's my dozen of free or low cost experiences making me happy this week.

How about you? I'd love to know your fun experiences. Please share.

40 comments:

  1. I saw the $20 comedian up the road for the comedy festival, and Finders Keepers Markets with the street food - made for a fun outing...

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    1. Comedy festival and street food are fun for sure. Thanks, Lydia, for sharing your experiences.

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  2. My first ice cream of the year came in the form of a cake for my fiance's birthday. He loves it and it's a great way to usher in the spring!

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    1. Ice cream cakes are irresistible. Thanks, Katherine, for sharing your fun.

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  3. What a great take on AtoL Natalie. I'm ready with my post for Wellness Wednesday and have also stepped out of my comfort zone with one part of it. Daffodils are my favourite flowers, I always feel happy when I see them. Thanks for sharing your AtoL and I look forward to your MtoZ. I put B for Blogger too! Have a great week and see you Wedenesday for #MLSTL and Wellness Wednesday!
    Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond

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    1. Hi Sue, A-L is a fun prompt, isn't it? I'll need to find out when M-Z is on. I look forward to our Wednesday linkups. See you then!

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    2. Hi Natalie great to see you at Midlife Share the Love Party. Thanks for linking up and I'm sharing on social media. Have a great week. #MLSTL

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    3. Thanks, Sue, for hosting MLSTL. See you at Wellness Wednesday tomorrow. Have a fabulous week!

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  4. Hi, Natalie - I love how you take a Challenge (A to Z, or A to L) and give it your own twist to work for you. Very creative, very impressive and very well-done!

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    1. Thanks so much, Donna, for your comment. The alphabets are fun brain teasers.

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  5. What a great twist on the A-L prompt! Those are all fabulous activities. How exciting to be meeting up with your Finnish friend soon. It's so nice to have something like that to look forward to.

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    1. The activities are simple, fun, and mostly free. My friend's email really made me happy. Thanks, Min, for stopping by.

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  6. Awesome take on the prompt. Sounds like you have a lot of different interests. Looking forward to M - Z!

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    1. I like variety for sure. Thanks, Ness, for dropping by.

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  7. I love these types of posts - & enjoyed the twist you ave to yours re experience. As an aside, I love duolingo & it absolutely improved my (previously almost non existent) French to a level where I was fluent in menu & knew enough to help get us around.

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    1. There are simple fun activities that we can do for free or low cost. It's fantastic how Duolingo worked for you and your trip. Thanks, Jo, for stopping by.

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  8. I really enjoyed your A-L, Natalie. Especially about the joys of free art exhibitions. I make the most of them when overseas, it's a lovely way to both appreciate art but also to get the feel of a new place.

    SSG xxx

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    1. Free art exhibitions are awesome. Thanks, SSG, for your nice comment. I appreciate it!

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  9. Using letters makes it much more fun to write blogs and work around themes. Fun activities during my week? Well, during the weekdays, we work at our computers, which can be fun, I assume, but the weekend is when we take a break from the screen and try to be outside. The highlight this weekend was a 30-mile bike ride along the Rail Trail into Santa Fe. Fun and free!

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    1. Bike ride along the Rail Trail into Santa Fe sounds fantastic. It's something I'd love to do, plus explore Santa Fe. Hope you like your new bike. Thanks, Liesbet, for stopping by.

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  10. What a fun post and yay for French lessons with Duolingom, also fun.

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    1. Thanks, Jan, for your nice comment. Your recommendations for places to visit in Northern France were great.

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  11. oooooh, I like the look of the "field of emotion"

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    1. It was a great art installation. Thanks, Leanne, for your comment.

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  12. I love free art exhibits. Those are the best. Very beautiful garden. Thanks for sharing all of these. #MLSTL

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    1. Free arts and gardens are wonderful to explore. Thanks, Patrick, for stopping by.

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  13. What a great way to interpret the A-L. I loved reading yours. I like coconut flavour in most things so I am guessing that would be my fave jelly bean. We don't have first Icecream of the season here in Australia as our climate is mild enough for icecream all year round! Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek 19/52. Next week's optional prompt is #hshareyoursnaps4. Denyse

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    1. To have mild climate year round is fantastic. Thanks, Denyse, for hosting the link up, and for stopping by.

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  14. Love your AtoL. I love daffodils and blogging and art galleries too - among other things :)

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    1. Sounds like we have a few things in common :) Thanks, Jo, for dropping by.

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  15. (as you know) I love a good round up post and this one was a great twist on Denyse's theme for the week Natalie. I really enjoyed all your letters - I'm on blogger too - but bought my url so I don't have the blogspot bit anymore. Thanks for linking up with us at #MLSTL and I've shared this on my SM xx
    Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au

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    1. Your round up posts are great reads, Leanne. Thanks for hosting the MLSTL link up. Have a fabulous week!

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  16. Great post Natalie. I think if we would all pay attention there is lots of free stuff around all of us to enjoy. There is nothing prettier than flowers in the spring. I love when the peonies start to bloom.

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    1. Peonies are gorgeous flowers. I'm waiting for some in my neighbourhood to bloom soon. Thanks, Victoria, for your comment.

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  17. Natalie, visiting from MLSTL (again). I love A to Z lists and this one is so fun. A to Z (OK halfway there) of fun experiences is one I will have to try creating myself.

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    1. Hi Patricia, Thank you for revisiting :) I figure I may as well have fun with the alphabets while I'm having free or low cost fun.

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  18. Your inspiring A to L post made me happy too. Thanks for the lovely photos.

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    1. Thank you, Kalpanaa, for your nice comment. Glad to share my A-L fun with you.

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  19. I use Duolingo for German and I love it. Another great free app is called Drops. It gives you 5 minutes each day, and with each day that you use it, it adds more minutes. There is also a pay for time version too.

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    1. Another happy Duolingo user! Thanks, Cherie, for sharing information about Drops. It's a neat approach to add more minutes each day.

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