Autumn fun list update #1

Greetings and happy Sunday! About four weeks ago, I wrote a post on my Autumn fun list. Today I'm reviewing my list and providing an update on my progress. Before I get into the details, I want to share with you a photo of a red maple tree because I love autumn colours in Ontario.

AUTUMN FUN LIST UPDATE #1 (September 22 to December 20, 2018):

1. Attend ten concerts: 60% done so far. I was able to attend six excellent concerts performed by:

• Frédéric Lacroix (piano) and Norman Brown (baritone)
• Walter Buczynski with pianist Younggun Kim
• Artists of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio "The Best of Rossini"
• Cathy Yang (solo piano)
• Sofya Gulyak (solo piano)
• Lisa Tahara (piano) and Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh (violin)

All of the above performers have very impressive bios. They have performed at prestigious events in Canada and abroad so I feel very fortunate to listen to their performances live. Plus, admission to these concerts is free.

2. Visit three art exhibitions: 100% done and more! When I wrote my Autumn fun list in September, I was hoping to visit three art exhibitions. It turned out that I was able to visit more than three. All of them have free admission as follows:

• Insights Incite exhibition at FCP Gallery
• Visual Arts exhibitions Fall 2018 at Harbourfront Centre
• World Press Photo 2018 exhibition at Brookfield Place
• Art exhibits at Gallery Arcturus

Gallery Arcturus was new to me and what a wonderful discovery it was! I plan to write a separate post on it. In the mean time, I'm including a sample of the art work that I've seen at the first three places mentioned.

October Roses by Vera Dernovsek

Change Enables Growth by Tracey Lawko

The Peacock's Tale mural by Ola Volo

Glazed ceramics by Anders H. Ruhwald

Rockhopper Penguins, photo by Thomas P. Peschak

WP Photo of the Year, Spot News by R. Schemidt

Aside from the art exhibits, I also attended the Indian Residential School Survivors (IRSS) Cultural Gathering and Celebration at Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square. More than twenty painted teepees were set up around the square to offer educational programming and drop-in workshops throughout the three-day event.

Teepees at Nathan Phillips Square

The event also included the unveiling of a commemorative sculpture of a female turtle crawling over top of a boulder, to signify overcoming struggle. The shell of the turtle has tiles to represent the 13 moons and 28-day cycle. Turtles are symbolic within multiple First Nations creation stories. The sculpture, created by Anishinabe artist Solomon King, is the planned centrepiece of the IRSS Legacy garden.

Turtle sculpture at Nathan Phillips Square

3. Watch ten movies: In progress, 30% done so far. I watched Billionaire Boys Club, Skyscraper, and Ant-Man and The Wasp. My verdict:

• Billionaire Boys Club didn't keep my interest so I left about 45 minutes in
• Skyscraper is entertaining unless you dislike fires and super high-rise buildings
• Ant-Man and the Wasp is also entertaining unless you dislike ants and wasps :)

4. Try three new-to-me restaurants: In progress, 33% done so far. We dined out at Joe Bird, which has a quirky decor (an RV at the entrance, and casual decor inside), nice lake view, and good service. The food was average though so we won't be rushing back anytime soon.

Camper van at Joe Bird entrance

Lake view from Joe Bird restaurant

Chicken taquitos

5. Enjoy Thanksgiving with my family: Yes, 100% done! Our Thanksgiving was on October 8. My brother and sister-in-law hosted a beautiful family dinner with turkey and all the sides. We had a lot of fun catching up with everyone and a lot to be thankful for since everyone in our family is doing well.

6. Meet up with my friends for coffee or lunch: In progress. I had one fun lunch date with my friend this week, a second lunch date booked for next week, and a third one booked in early November. My friends' work schedules sometimes change at the last minute so it's great when our dates go as planned.

7. Write a guest post for another blog in October: Yes, 100% done! I'm honored to be the guest writer on Sue's blog on October 18. My topic was Thriving by Diversifying as posted here. Thank you to Sue for featuring me and to all readers and bloggers who left comments.

8. Take a trip to explore Morocco in November: Pending. I booked my flights and accommodations. I've been reading on a few places that I plan to visit in Morocco. I'll continue with my travel planning checklist until departure date.

From my list, I counted three items completed, four in progress, and one pending. In November I'll be in Morocco for part of the month so I'll resume going to the fun events in my home city after my trip.

Speaking of resuming...I've returned to read paper books. I used to read books all the time then paused to switch to online reading. Now I'm back to books that I borrow from the local public library. I'm currently reading Linwood Barclay's thriller novels. I just finished No Time for Goodbye which grabbed my attention from the beginning to the end. I'll start reading the trilogy Broken Promise, Far from True, and The Twenty-Three this week.

How are things going with you? What good things happened? I'd love to hear your update.

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