I really loved these...good on The Tyee!

Thank you, Tyee readers, for unleashing that inner cartographer that lives in all of us and charting what your lockdown life looks like now, from canine territory to the crowded “mask zones” of your communities.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS & MORE FROM TYEE AND SELECT PARTNERS

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A few weeks ago, inspired by a recent CityLab experiment, we asked you to send us a handmade map of your life today. And you delivered.

Many of you seem to be living in a Groundhog Day as you repeat the same routines over and over again. One reader drew Email Hell, where visitors are doomed to read “Hope you are well!” for the umpteenth time. Another is measuring time with toilet paper.

But there are also pleasures to be found in the time of a pandemic, whether in relative solitude, such as admiring the dandelions with young ones, or embracing what pleasures are available, such as diving into what one of you called the “snack vortex. 

Here are the maps:

For the commentary on the "maps" and more maps:
https://thetyee.ca/Tyeenews/2020/05/13/Pandemic-Geographic-Tyee-Readers-Map-New-Worlds/?utm_source=national&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=140520

Not really a puzzle person but could see doing thiis one...

Posted on FB

t's an American puzzle made by a company called White Mountain. 
Slightly bigger (higher) than our English 1000 piece puzzles so it didn't fit on our board, but a great puzzle to do!
For those asking - it's called 'Best Sellers' by White Mountain

But, of course, all puzzles seem to be sold out. I was thinking of making one but really don't have the supplies and it seemed a bit tedious.

And we had our bolognese sauce yesterday from my Mother's Day goodie package for dinner....very yummy and lots left over for today.

Tulips coming out beautifully....

Now, if I really could do justice painting these.

Susan K. is doing some great still life these days.  She's in a challenge. She's very modest!

From her blog:

Just in time to quench my thirst, I found a still life drawing challenge on Instagram:  #stillherestilllife.  Each week they post a new photo or painting of a still life and invite us to do our own interpretation.  The inspiration looks really good so far, so I've jumped in.

I should start my own hashtag:  #farfromperfectbutsomuchfun

Well, Paris seems to be going completely crazy...don't' really blame them. Love that the Paris police were really upset about having to ban drinking on the Seine.
Is there such a thing as too much freedom, this blog author questioned? Well, the French certainly have their ideas about this and I understand it.

https://myparttimeparislife.com/2020/05/12/deconfinement-day-2-theyre-baaaaack/

Salmon Chowder from my box of goodies....

We had this for lunch yesterday...it was wonderful!  So tasty and lots of salmon. As you can see the quantity fit our two bowls perfectly.

Trimble Park

We went to this neighbourhood for a walk yesterday. It's about a 7- 8 min drive and lots of those wonderful heritage homes we love looking at. We had been to the West Point Grey Lawn Bowling Club where my Grandmother Phoebe was a member but we didn't realize how big this park was and with great views of the mountains. No problem social distancing as you'll see from the photos and lots of benches and picnic tables and lots of shade trees. Next time, we'll take our Bocce balls and play and we always have our beach chairs in the trunk but there doesn't seem to be a problem getting a bench or table. Quite a difference from all the people at the beaches these days. There is lots of street parking and the parking lot for the park was open as well.

I think this will be a real treasure as the weather warms up. Warm yesterday and we could sit out on our balcony. Often too cool and windy. We are not complaining as a cool breeze has been very welcome in the summer months here.

I didn't know there was such  thing as a "climbing boulder".

No problem with social distancing here...

I guess someone told this guy to "go fly a kite"...

Anybody want a tree?

 Lovely homes and gardens in the neighbourhood.

This is for you Mary S...a monkey puzzle tree with monkeys...even an old sock monkey. Richard had one of those.

West Point Grey Lawn Bowling Clubhouse and pitches. There would have been lots of bowlers in normal times.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hot croissants for breakfast...they were amazing! You put them in a cool oven the night before. They rise to double, then bake for 20 minutes. The directions said "Optional step: brush with egg wash". I did that with four of them but another time I'll do them all...makes for a nice golden finish. I should have known this. Also, I think I could slip in a bit of chocolate.

I really recommend Legends Haul if you're in the Metro Vancouver area. Free delivery with orders over $75 and they even deliver as far as Squamish. And you are supporting a lot of local businesses. I see this bakery is on Powell Street.

The finished product.

Just before putting them in the oven.

A very special early Mother's Day....wow!

Richard said to keep close to my cell today and have the ringer on as there was going to be a special delivery for me. What a delivery!

I can't wait to see how amazing these tulips will be when they open up. I may even have to do a painting of them.

Decisions, decisions...which soup shall we try first? Perhaps the Salmon Chowder and have the Duck Ragu another time. They both look wonderful. Oh...I see the Duck Ragu is a pasta sauce...even better!

Moroccan Style Braised Lamb Shanks from Chambar Restaurant. This restaurant gets rave reviews.

Croissants from Cadeaux Bakery. I was just thinking about croissants after I heard Peninsula Pastries in Palm Springs is open for business.

This pasta and Bolognese sauce looks terrific too. Jim's favourite meal.

Thank you so much Richard. How perfect to give yummy food that is all prepared. It really gave me a lift today. We are very blessed to have such a wonderful son. Love you so much.

This is where Richard ordered from.
You can order a lot of things here and they are teaming up with restaurants and various suppliers. For you bread bakers out there, you can buy a pound of fresh yeast for $4.50.
https://shop.legendshaul.com

My cousin, John, making bread...wonders will never cease!

As someone who believes food is more fuel than pleasure, John has never been much interested in its creation. To him, cooking is a mysterious activity carried on in another realm that is not photography, bicycles or computers. So it was with amazement that I learned, a few weeks into pandemic isolation, that my partner of nearly 50 years had heard the call of the bread-making hordes. The most unlikely males of the neighbourhood were turning to baking; Facebook acquaintances were peppering the site with their golden loaves. Whether from boredom or a desperation for something new, John expressed interest in joining the action.

Rest of Carol's blog post:
http://mountdunbar.blogspot.com/2020/05/an-unlikely-baker.html

Itty Bitty Book Review: "Redhead by the Side of the Road"

 "Red Head by the side of the Road" by Ann Tyler

Well, I quite enjoyed this...lots of crazy characters. I must read  more of her I think. Thanks, Donna, for passing this along.  It was a good experience reading it on my phone.

Down to the beach yesterday...and Zooming

Well, it was pretty crazy like usual but we do miss our oceanfront walks overlooking our wonderful city. I hope things will get back to a little bit of normal and we will be able to get back to parking and walking on the beach and in July, we hope to be swimming in the ocean. We were lucky to get a parking spot around Jericho Beach and had a walk and I took these photos of people doing their sail boarding. Thinking of Almanerre in the south of France.  Ah well, so glad to have had so many wonderful memories.

Fun to be on Zoom with Linda and Cec, Carol and Dave, and Donna. Thanks, Donna, for setting this up!  One thing we learned that you only want one device. Initially I had mine on too and it messed things up.

The last time we were all together was our Burns Supper on Jan. 25. We all certainly didn't think we'd be going through a pandemic.  I took this with my iPhone.

Sunset the other night...and Paris

And I loved this little video that Lisa Anselmo posted on her blog Wednesday:

Anything Goes Wednesday is here!  Something short and sweet: A little video I made for my mom of one of my trips to Paris. In the time before I had my apartment, I used to come to Paris twice a year and stay in a wonderful hotel near the Rue de Bac Métro called the Hotel K+K Cayré. After nearly ten years of visits, I became pretty close to all the staff there. I found this video yesterday while backing up my Paris photos, and had a twinge of nostalgia. I remember making it with a then new movie editing program while sitting at my mother’s kitchen table, 2007 or so. It’s a little homemade and the old resolution doesn’t quite fit today’s specs, but here it is.

https://video.wordpress.com/embed/Cz3ITPBB?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0

I think we may have visited this or an old mill like it.

You never quite know what you're going find or not find in the grocery store. At Save-on Monday morning, very few people, no waiting to get in or for the check out. Lots of sugar and flour. 

London (CNN)A 1,000-year-old water mill in southwest England, which previously witnessed global pandemics such as the plague in the 17th century and the 1918 influenza pandemic, has resumed production to meet demand for flour during the current coronavirus outbreak.
The Sturminster Newton Mill was last fully operational in 1970, before becoming a museum and normally producing flour just two days a month during the summer.
It has now produced more than 2,200 pounds of flour in the last few weeks, the same amount as it would usually produce in an entire year.
Pete Loosmoore, the supervisor of the historic mill, told CNN: "We were set to open for the season when the coronavirus hit. Our first reaction was we have to close down and pack up."

"But we realized that many local shops had no flour in them and people were desperate for it."
With the mill closed to visitors, "we had a couple of tonnes of good quality milling wheat that we could use," added Loosmore.

Rest of the article:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/29/uk/english-mill-flour-resumes-production-scli-gbr-intl/index.html?utm_term=1588242073984341303647c8d&utm_source=Five+Things+for+Thursday%2C+April+30%2C+2020&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=202321_1588242073987&bt_ee=StGwFs0Suf5qfQc5LyWJYHVPxeRF1tB7%2FPz%2B3%2FUi0L1QuZzzS9NxvJM99SAwtRHb&bt_ts=1588242073987

Some humour

And I gave Jim a trim the other day since his hair was curling up in the back. Not too bad, I think.

Before

After

Remember these?

I'm sure Jim wished there were still curb finders...I do seem to scrape up the car a lot :)

Itty Bitty Book Review: "A Match Made For Murder"

"A Match Made For Murder" by Iona Whishaw

There are two settings and two murders in this one...Nelson and Tucsan, Arizona. Lane and Darling are on their Honeymoon and, of course, they get involved in a murder and at home there is a murder too.  Quite an intertwined plot! I really enjoyed it and liked the desert setting as we missed our desert   in March. Whishaw hasn't let me down yet. I look forward to her next one!

Gretel has been adopted!

That's great news for her. Richard and Grace will probably foster another one. It's been fun for them. Her friend, "Stevie" will be missing her. They look almost like twins!

Ah....the good times in Palm Springs

 Talking to Nicki  the other day and hoping we'll all be in PS  next season. Well, at least Jim and I had a wonderful November enjoying our favourite restaurants. I see Bill's Pizza in PS is on Doordash...guess they wouldn't deliver here.

We have been loving using Doordash for Stephos, Cactus Club, and Las Margaritas. And really trying to support Four Olives which is a fairly new local restaurant that has been struggling. It has always been "closed" when we tried to order and now I see it's not on Doordash so I guess it's gone out of business. Very sad for them and I guess many others will follow.

Happier times....

Bill's Pizza

Splitting our fabulous Western burger after golf.

Enjoying the music at Las Casuelas.

 B-B-Q duck at The Supreme Dragon

Catfish at Fisherman's

Everything is good at Lulu's!