A Walk to Canoe Landing Park

Two days after a major snowstorm, on the first day of March, we had sunny skies with calm wind and the high temperature near freezing point. It was perfect for my 'fit and fun' walk to Canoe Landing Park.

Canoe Landing Park is an urban park created in 2009 in downtown Toronto. Its total area is 8 acres (3.1 ha). Its location is adjacent to the Gardiner Expressway, a municipal expressway, running close to the shore of Lake Ontario.

What makes Canoe Landing Park visually interesting are the standalone art pieces by Douglas Coupland, the Vancouver artist, author, and sculptor.

Here's a closer look at the art creations:

1. The Red Canoe: The canoe is large enough for people to stand in and see over the Gardiner Expressway to Lake Ontario. It's placed on a hill made from on-site excavated fill and geosynthetic reinforcements. Some 20,000-25,000 dump truck loads of fill were diverted from landfills.

The Red Canoe

2. Iceberg Benches are a pair of benches situated near the canoe. On a clear day, one can sit on the benches and have a panoramic view of Lake Ontario to the south and the high-rise buildings surrounding the park.

Iceberg Benches

3. Fishing Bobbers: A colourful display of twelve large fishing bobbers adds visual interest, especially on the white snowy ground. In the summer, when sprinklers are turned on, this area becomes a fun splash pad. Imagine running around, or in and out of the fishing bobbers with water spraying.

Fishing Bobbers

4. Beaver Dam: It's a sculptural beaver dam situated near the fishing bobbers, not a real one :) Due to the snow, my photo did not show the sticks and branches similar to what beavers use for their dams.

Beaver Dam

5. Terry Fox Miracle Mile: It's a one mile run named after Terry Fox, the Canadian athlete who ran the cross-country Marathon of Hope in April 1980 to raise money for cancer research. His life story and actions are incredibly moving and inspiring.

Map of Terry Fox Miracle Mile

6. Heart-Shaped Stone: This bronze artwork was cast from a stone retrieved by Terry Fox's brother at the end of his journey. Terry Fox was forced to end his run after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 mi). He died at the young age of 22.

Heart-Shaped Stone

The beautiful sunshine encouraged me to continue my walk from Canoe Landing Park to the lake front. There I saw lots of seagulls, ducks, birds, and a few white swans.

Seagulls on Lake Ontario

Swans in Toronto Harbour

Then it was time to head home. I felt great and relaxed after walking outdoors in the sunshine and observing nature. Another fit and fun walk done, another good day!

I'd love to hear your comments.

Winter Fun List Final Update

Greetings! About two months ago, I posted my Winter Fun List for the period of 2018.12.21 to 2019.03.19 here, and provided my first update here where more than half of my list was checked off. Today, I'm sharing my Winter fun list final update.

MY WINTER FUN LIST FINAL UPDATE:

1. Enjoy my family holiday party: Yes, as mentioned in my Update #1 here.

2. Start the New Year 2019 at home: Yes, as mentioned in my Update #1 here.

3. Visit the Winter Flower Show: Yes, as written here and here.

4. Explore Guatemala in January: Yes, my itinerary took me to beautiful colonial Antigua, a colourful market in Chichicastenango, and a wonderful boat trip on Lake Atitlan to visit Santiago village. I was thrilled to see the active Fuego volcano. I plan to write a post on my stay in Guatemala City next week. The warm weather and vibrant colours in Guatemala made me feel happy while I was there and long after I returned home to our winter.

Guatemalan woman in Santiago village

5. Attend the Icefest event in February: Yes! I greatly enjoyed a 'fit and fun' outing to Icefest 2019 and wrote about it here. This is an outdoor event that showcases incredible ice sculptures and live ice carving demonstrations in Yorkville Park, in the heart of Toronto. This year's theme is Hollywood North, inspired by the success of the film industry in Toronto, and Yorkville known as the home of the stars. On the day of my visit, the high temperature was minus 5C, with the windchill it felt like minus 10C so there was no chance for the ice to melt :)

Icefest 2019 Hollywood North

6. Check out the Ice Breakers 2019 winter exhibition: Yes! I checked out the five winners of the Ice Breakers 2019 International Design Competition. They were installed outdoors, with the theme Signal Transmission. A post is coming up on this topic.

My kind of Christmas tree

7. Photograph snow-covered objects: Yes, as shown in the header photo and in my photo collage below. We've had a few snow storms in the past four weeks so I got to enjoy the beauty of winter during my morning walks. Mother Nature is truly amazing because she usually gives us a break with several good days after each snow storm and all is right again.

2019 winter scenery

8. Book a trip in the Spring with my sister: Yes! We've booked a guided tour to Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia. We're going in March. I'm very excited about this trip for the sights that we'll see and the memories we'll make.

So I've completed all eight items on my Winter Fun List and winter is officially still here until March 20. For the next four weeks, I plan to continue with my goals for 2019, read to prepare for my upcoming travel, and do some spring cleaning at home.

A friendly reminder that our next monthly Wellness link up is on Wednesday, March 13. The optional prompt is Indoor or Outdoor Fitness. I look forward to reading what you have to say.

How are things going with you? I'd love to hear your comments.

Inlinkz Link Party

Winter Fun List Update #1

Greetings! About a month ago I wrote my Winter fun list here for the period of 2018.12.21 to 2019.03.19. It's time to check in and provide an update on my progress.

MY WINTER FUN LIST UPDATE #1:

1. Enjoy my family holiday party (on December 26): Yes! There were twenty-five of us in attendance. We enjoyed plenty of food, board games, and fun conversations. I talked to each of my nieces and nephews and listened to their news. They grow up so fast. We're now planning a get-together in February.

2. Start the New Year 2019 at home: Yes! On New Year's Day, we woke up later than normal, had a leisure breakfast, and enjoyed a relaxing day. My first cup of coffee in 2019 was so good, I made a second pot of coffee for us. It was a mild winter day, partly cloudy, with high temperature 6C (43F) so we went out for a 45-minute walk along the waterfront trail and enjoyed a beautiful view by the lake!

Lake Ontario on New Year's Day 2019

3. Visit the Winter Flower Show: Yes! I made this visit into a 'fit and fun' outing, and wrote about it here. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed doing it. There were many beautiful and bright colours at the Winter Flower Show, except the winter 'blues' :)

Winter Flower Show

4. Explore Guatemala in January: Yes! I had a wonderful, wonderful time in Guatemala. So many fantastic experiences to share on my blog once I sort out my travel materials. Below is a sample photo that I took while watching the sunrise over Lake Atitlán which is surrounded by three volcanoes. Note the contrast in weather and scenery between this photo and my photo in #7 below.

Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

5. Attend the Icefest event in February: Pending. This is an outdoor event that showcases incredible ice sculptures and live ice carving demonstrations. I hope the weather will cooperate on the event date.

6. Check out the Ice Breakers 2019 winter exhibition: Pending. The five winners of the Ice Breakers 2019 International Design Competition are installed outdoors and on display from January 19 to February 24, with the theme “Signal Transmission”.

7. Photograph snow-covered objects: When we barely had snow in December and the first two weeks of January, I began to wonder when I would be able to photograph snow-covered objects this season. Well, last Friday night into Saturday, Toronto had a major winter storm. By Monday morning it had stopped snowing and I was able to capture a few photos during my morning walk. I love the clear blue sky and green trees laden with fresh snow.

Fresh winter snow

8. Book a trip in the Spring with my sister: Pending. We've narrowed down our destination choices and will be going on a guided tour so that most of the logistics will be taken care of.

I counted five completed and three pending items. Stay tuned for my next Winter fun list progress update on February 21.

I'd love to hear about your fun activities this season.

An InLinkz Link-up

Goals for 2019

Happy New Year 2019! It's so exciting to have a brand new year ahead of us and a fresh calendar to pencil in upcoming events and activities. Today I'm sharing my overall plan and goals for 2019.

My overall plan for the year is to create nice memories with my family and friends, to stay healthy, and to enjoy life. I group my specific goals in three categories: Family & Friends, Health, and Leisure.

MY GOALS FOR 2019:

FAMILY & FRIENDS

• Do four fun family outings, tentatively in January, April, July, and August.
• Go on a trip with my sister in March.
• Visit a cousin who lives abroad, tentatively in June.
• Get together with my family clan, approximately every two months.
• Meet up with my friends as many times as possible throughout the year.

HEALTH

• Meditate 15 minutes daily.
• Find humour to smile or laugh daily.
• Walk 45 minutes near nature 6x/ week.
• Strength workouts 3x/ week.
• Yoga 2x/ week.
• Swim 1x/ week.

LEISURE

• View three art exhibits/ month.
• Blog weekly, except when I travel.
• Read three books/ month.
• Listen to three concerts/ month.
• Learn French and Spanish, 15 minutes/ day for each language.
• Watch three movies/ month.
• Travel to explore five new-to-me countries this year.
• Try at least one new food dish in each of the countries I visit.

I'm motivated to achieve my goals. I expect to accomplish more in some areas when I'm at home than when I travel. I'm open to try something new that is not on the list as well.

To track my progress, I'm using a simple sheet. It makes it easy for me to see at a glance how I'm doing and to share my monthly summary on my blog throughout the year.

Before I end this post, a friendly reminder that our first Wellness link-up of 2019 is on Wednesday, January 9. Feel free to join in on the fun and share your wellness-related post. I look forward to reading what you have to say.

Your turn...What are your goals for 2019?

Winter fun list

Greetings! I was reviewing my Autumn fun list update #2 that I posted here, to see if all of my items were checked off by today, the last day of Autumn in my calendar.

Since my last progress update on November 21, I watched three more movies (Little Italy, Crazy Rich Asians, and Fahrenheit 11/9), had two coffee meet-ups and three lunches with my friends. So yes, my Autumn Fun List is all done! Time to embrace winter and one way to do that is to have a winter fun list :)

MY WINTER FUN LIST (from 2018.12.21 to 2019.03.19):

1. Enjoy my family holiday party: There are usually 20-25 people at our annual holiday party on December 26 (Boxing Day). We coordinate our menu items so each family unit knows what to bring for food and drinks. It's a guaranteed lively and fun event.

2. Start the New Year 2019 at home: I like a relaxing start to the new year, something like wake up at home on New Year's day, have breakfast, and take it easy all day.

3. Visit the Winter Flower Show: This show is on from December 2 to January 9. I look forward to seeing the beautiful flower displays that will brighten up any wintry day.

4. Explore Guatemala in January: I booked this trip last month, now I'm looking forward to exploring Guatemala for the first time. A new adventure awaits!

5. Attend the Icefest event in February: This is a one-day event that showcases incredible ice sculptures and live ice carving demonstrations.

6. Check out the Ice Breakers 2019 winter exhibition: The five winners of the Ice Breakers 2019 International Design Competition will be installed outdoors and on display from January 19 to February 24, with the theme “Signal Transmission”.

7. Photograph snow-covered objects: I'd love to do this on a calm and sunny morning when the snow is clean and fresh. I hope to share some nice pictures on my blog.

8. Book a trip in the Spring with my sister: We travel well together, and had a great time exploring Central Europe. I look forward to enjoying new travel experiences and creating new memories with my sister again.

Stay tuned for my progress update about a month from now. Wishing you a healthy and joyful holiday season!

An InLinkz Link-up

Autumn fun list update #2

Greetings! Now that I'm back at home from Morocco, I'm reviewing my autumn fun list that I wrote about eight weeks ago, and my first progress update as posted here to track my progress update #2 for the season.

AUTUMN FUN LIST UPDATE #2 (September 22 to December 20, 2018):

1. Attend ten concerts: 100% done and more! I was able to attend eleven excellent concerts since September 22 to date. Most of them were piano performances.

2. Visit three art exhibitions: 100% done and more as posted here, here, and here. I also saw amazing arts and architecture in Morocco when I was there earlier this month.

3. Watch ten movies: 70% done so far. I watched Billionaire Boys Club (the first 45 minutes), Skyscraper, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Mama Mia Here We Go Again, Shock and Awe, Casablanca, and Mission Impossible Fall Out. I actually watched Mission Impossible Fall Out twice while flying from Frankfurt to Toronto because part of it was filmed in Paris where I was in August, and I liked the stunts.

4. Try three new-to-me restaurants: 100% done and more! We ate out at Joe Bird, Joey, Taverna Mercatto, and Trattoria Mercatto in Toronto, and different restaurants in Morocco. The Moroccan couscous, tapas, and tagine dishes were delicious.

5. Enjoy Thanksgiving with my family: 100% done as posted here. Our Thanksgiving was on October 8 which was several weeks ago.

6. Meet up with my friends for coffee or lunch: I had four meet-ups so far (three lunches and one dinner). I have one date coming up this weekend and two next week.

7. Write a guest post for another blog in October: 100% done as posted here.

8. Take a trip to explore Morocco in November: 100% done! My trip was fantastic sensory stimulation from beginning to end. I was able to visit Rabat, Volubilis, Fez, Marrakesh, and Casablanca. So much to share that I may end up writing one post per city. Stay tuned for upcoming posts and photos right here on this blog :)

From my autumn fun list, I counted six items completed and two well underway. With the year-end holidays approaching, I'm confident that I'll be able to watch more movies, and meet up with my friends a few more times.

In addition, I read five thriller novels by Linwood Barclay in October and early November, just before I went to Morocco. I'm currently reading Glass Houses, an award-winning mystery book by Louise Penny.

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

An InLinkz Link-up

Mums is the word

Greetings! Mums is the word as in the hundreds of colourful pot chrysanthemums, cascades, and baskets that I saw at the Allan Gardens Conservatory Chrysanthemum Show. This event runs from October 8 to November 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, free admission.

I visited the Conservatory at mid-day, mid-week and shared the Chrysanthemum Show with a handful of other visitors. Plenty of space and time to pause, admire the flowers, and snap photos at different angles. A very relaxing experience!

Take a virtual wander with me to see a small sample of the eighty or so varieties of colourful mums, from pink, yellow, white, red, to the deepest burgundy and purple below (click to enlarge the pictures):

The Chrysanthemum Show is a wonderful visual treat. There are many plants to see in other parts of the Conservatory, in case you are not into flowers. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoy admiring the chrysanthemums during my visit.

So it's not "mum's the word" as in to keep a secret, or keep quiet. It's mums, mums, and mums everywhere at the Chrysanthemum Show.

Let's chat about gardens and flowers in your city, or what is making you smile today :)

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.

An InLinkz Link-up

What I've Gained by Diversifying My Activities

Thank you to Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond for inviting me to be a Guest Writer on her site. It is an honor to be part of her Over 50 & Thriving Series.

The terms "diversify, diversifying, diversification" often come up in investment portfolios. They aim to optimize return and reduce risk. I apply the same concept to my Fun and Wellness plans!

To find out the Top Five Benefits that I've gained by diversifying my fun and wellness activities, please join us at Sue's site.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Happy 2nd blog year

Greetings! My blog's second birthday is on October 10. I've got a photo of a seasonal cupcake to mark the occasion. Natalie the Explorer readership has grown well, based on the volume of comments that I've received. My sincere Thank You to everyone who has read my posts and sent me your comments. I greatly appreciate our virtual dialogues in this space.

What's my intention for this blog?
When I started Natalie the Explorer on October 10, 2016, I intended to use the space to document my explorations in my home city, my travel adventures, and my attempts to live a healthy and fun life as fully as I can. Two years later, my intention stays the same. I have ideas and experiences to write, just not enough time to do them quickly enough, and that's OK with me.

Where is the fun so far?
I enjoy the creative process of writing down my thoughts, sort and attach some photos to my posts, and publish the finished posts, without accumulating paper as I used to do when I maintained my journals.

I enjoy reading other blogs and experiencing the unique writing styles as well as how different each site looks. I also enjoy the virtual dialogue that occurs when I receive comments and reply to comments. Best of all, I feel that I'm making connections with a few bloggers across the miles, and I'm hoping that we'll meet in person one day.

What's next?
In the next few weeks, I plan to do some general clean up on this site, such as choosing a new design theme, removing outdated posts, organizing my labels, and giving more thoughts to what I'd like to focus my writing on in the new year.

Would you be able to help me? If you feel inclined, please let me know:

1. What do you like most about my blog?
2. What format or content changes would you like to see made on this blog?

I value your opinion, and look forward to receiving your honest feedback.

Autumn fun list

Greetings and happy Friday! Today we still have our last day of summer with high temperature around 27 Celsius (80F). The local garden centre was selling a lot of potted mums as shown above. Tomorrow, officially the first day of Autumn, our high temperature will be a cool 16 Celsius. So goodbye Summer and welcome Autumn! I'm looking forward to enjoying autumn colours in nature, pumpkins, less humid days, cooler nights, our Canadian Thanksgiving on October 8th this year, and the festive atmosphere around town in December.

It's been a wonderful summer for me with lots of fun outdoor activities and some travelling to French-speaking cities. I'm happy to wrap up my summer fun list with all items ticked off. More importantly, each of the experiences enriched my life while their quantity and quality exceeded my expectations.

Here's the outcomes of my Summer Fun List (June 21 to September 21, 2018):

1. Visited farmers' markets seven times, local parks or beaches almost daily.
2. Attended five summer festivals.
3. Gone to ten outdoor concerts.
4. Watched ten new-to-me movies.
5. Viewed nine art exhibitions, not including arts seen during my travels.
6. Enjoyed eight BBQ gatherings with my extended family in Toronto and Paris.
7. Met up with friends in Quebec City in July as posted here.
8. Celebrated my cousin's wedding in Paris, France in August - Yes, plus time to wander in Paris as posted here, and a side trip to Auvers-Sur-Oise still to be written up!

This autumn I plan to enjoy a number of arts and entertainment events in the city, social time with my family and friends, and a trip to another country in Africa. I'm also looking forward to writing a guest post on another blog. I'm not telling what topic and on which blog just yet, to keep it as a nice surprise. My guest post is currently scheduled for October 18 so please stay tuned for further announcement.

Here's my Autumn Fun List (September 22 to December 20, 2018):

1. Attend ten concerts.
2. Visit three art exhibitions.
3. Watch ten movies.
4. Try three new-to-me restaurants.
5. Enjoy Thanksgiving with my family.
6. Meet up with my friends for coffee or lunch.
7. Write a guest post for another blog in October.
8. Take a trip to explore Morocco in November.

I'll be providing monthly progress reports on my Autumn fun activities with the first report out on October 21.

How was your 3rd quarter of 2018? What good things happened? What's your plan for the new season? I'd love to hear your comments.

An InLinkz Link-up

Summer fun list update #2

Greetings! It's been about four weeks since I posted my summer fun list update #1. Today I'm checking in on my progress and sharing my second update of the season. 

My Summer Fun List Update #2 (June 21-August 19):

1. Visit farmers' markets, local parks, or beaches: Making great progress! Since June 21, I've made seven visits to farmers' markets, and spent time at the local parks or beaches almost every day. This summer is still going strong with warm, humid weather, and occasional heavy downpours. When I'm outdoor, I stay in the shade as much as possible and drink a lot of water.

2. Attend summer festivals: Good progress. I've attended five summer festivals in eight weeks. There were two other festivals that I noted the dates in my calendar but ended up not going as they were outdoors on very humid days. The show performers are so diverse and fantastic. For example, in July, the Barbados on the Water Festival and the Brave Festival presented amazing musicians and singers. Last night I was at the Small World Music Festival and saw a band named Kalàscima from Salento, Southern Italy playing various instruments and engaging the audience during their show. I'm happy to be in town to experience the festivals.

3. Go to outdoor concerts: Making great progress! In addition to the summer festivals,  I attended eight outdoor music performances by Mike Branton, Amanda Rheaum, Elan Trotman, Jordan John, Sol de Cuba, Amai Kuda & Y Josephine, Rufus John, and Ryan McNally. Every performance was unique and showed how much talent is out there. Listening to live music in a summer outdoor setting is simply wonderful!

4. Watch new-to-me movies: Good progress. So far I watched five movies I Feel Pretty, Beirut, Overboard, Life of the Party, and Avengers: Infinity War. I'm not picky about the movies at the moment as I only watch a movie once a week with my neighbours. We enjoy popcorn and chat before and after the movie so it's a social and entertainment combo activity.

5. View art exhibitions: Making great progress! This summer I viewed numerous indoor and outdoor art exhibitions like the art on King Street. The most recent exhibition titled Alternate Perspectives is at a gallery that I haven't been to before. It's always a pleasure for me to discover new art galleries and get to view new art work.

6. Enjoy BBQ gatherings with my extended family: Good progress. We enjoyed one family BBQ gathering in June, and one in mid-August. There were birthday cakes at both gatherings. Note that the candles are just representatives now, not the real age, or we may have to have a fire extinguisher ready, LOL.

7. Meet up with friends in Quebec City in July: Completed! We had a wonderful time in Quebec City. I wrote a post about the trip and included some photos here.

8. Celebrate my cousin's wedding in Paris, France in August: Getting close! I started going through my travel checklist and did a quick packing for my trip. The weather forecast in Paris looks good. I hope to get a photo of the Eiffel Tower with some blue skies this time.

It's been an excellent summer so far. I look forward to going to Paris later this week. I'll post on my blog again when I return home in early September.

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

An InLinkz Link-up