Staycation!

I scheduled my staycation around Yoga in the City again this year, hitting the studio in the mornings with Marlene. An hour of pranayama, then a half hour break before two hours of asana. Really feel wonderfully renewed at the end of the week. I would like to do more maha mudra, when we did it in class it seemed like something I could spend a lot more time exploring. And for the 'twenty breaths' I am taking in my regular morning practice, why not bring more bhramari breath?

Food Meals from Mark McEwan's grocery were a special treat, no cooking required in the summer heat; although I did enjoy preparing an easy meal of duck comfit one night. Tried a few new Mexican restaurants, Playa Cabana on Dupont had great cocktails and Mariachi's on Yonge added crunchy and carmelized onions to their soft tacos for extra bite and texture. Douce France was a nice end to the yoga week, sitting on the patio in a bistro chair, eating a stuffed plum, and then grabbing some Parisian delicacies to take to Kitchener to enjoy with my mom.

I ended up hanging out in my own backyard most afternoons, just loving being there, in no real hurry. Reading a book and drifting off to sleep in the sun, waking up when the book fell and hit the  deck with a clunk, finding my page and then drifting off again.  Gardening in the backyard, planting some new clematis, monarda by the pond, purple ajuga on slope, moving some shade plants into the ravine (liverwort, solomon seal), transplanting ferns and hosta. Weeding and puttering. Watering. Getting dirt under my nails.

Sailing on the first weekend enjoying the dazzle on the water. Saturday a perfect wind and Sunday anchored at the Bluffs beach. Saturday the day with Rob, Sunday hanging out with friends. Caroline swam over to the boat; Alex dinghied; Aldo hung out for a bit on the swim ladder. Then back to the dock and a lovely dinner of lemon chicken on Caroline's boat.

 Fringe Theatre Festival added three titles to my
playlist, in different venues, so in a way I did get about to explore the city. I really enjoy sampling the offerings of these dedicated amateurs. There are moments of brilliance butting up against the not-so-fine, but that is part of the adventure. So much talent! There was venue in Kensington market, the Poetry Jazz Cafe, that reminded me a bit of Small's in NYC for its dimensions; no more than twenty in the seats but fantastic show where the actors were embedded in the crowd and the audience was able to order from a menu of different emotions to start the show. The Tarragon at Dupont and Theatre Passe Murraille were other destinations. This was a reminder that there is lots going on in the city throughout the year, with readings and open rehearsals to explore works in progress.

I started my vacation on a Friday, and drove to Kitchener to visit with my mom and sister, and returned the following Friday for another visit. Squeezed in a visit with Janine, too, an old high school friend; we've recently reconnected and it is amazing how quickly we've caught up. Going back to my childhood home brings mixed emotions, especially with my mom so sick and my sister's very recent diagnosis of M.S.  But I really liked sitting in the carport surrounded by the green space; the climbing hydrangea making a wall and the scent of rambling roses and the fragrant linden trees wafting into the space.  I am so grateful she is able to be there instead of in a hospital room. Mom now has Facetime installed so we visited throughout the week.......... I took my sister out for a birthday lunch and she was able to joke about her condition, saying she plans on buying a t-shirt that says, "I'm not drunk I have M.S." The second Friday I returned with some yoga gear and taught her a few poses, hoping she will start a regular practice of her own. My brother Pat was celebrating his 49th birthday and we had a few good belly laughs together, too, as he shared evidence from the Flat Earth Society about the fiction of the visit to the moon - he actually almost has me convinced of a conspiracy.


The last day of my vacation I went to Rosetta McLain Gardens to check out a jam with some local musicians. A few people from Scarborough Uke Jam showed up, so although I left my ukulele at home, next time will bring it, along with some charts. I've been meaning to check out this park for quite some time as it is a hotspot for birders. On the way out we went by a tree with three fledgling Screech owlets, and a birder was kind enough to lend me their binoculars. What a little fluffball! Three ready to leave the nest.I got a good look at one curious bird, poking it's head out of the tree and looking around. My phone didn't do the owlet any likeness however this is about the same age and stage. Absolutely adorable.