"Doors Open" in Toronto

This weekend was the Annual "Doors Open" in Toronto - where 175 buildings that are not normally open to the public, open their doors for the general public to view. Some of the buildings open were; The National Ballet of Canada, Theaters, Churchs and Synagogues. So, off we went to Toronto to peek our noses in on some of these buildings. I love the Indian culture (although not crazy about the food) so one of the places I really wanted to vist was the Swaminarayan Mandir -(Hindu Temple) in North Toronto, built in 2007. It is the only one built in North America. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the Mandir, nor are short sleeves, clothing above the knees etc. The photographs do not do it justice - it is absolutely breathtaking! The inside of the Mandir is equally impressive - with opulent Hindu deities in royal attire inside their breathtaking thrones. The details etched into the pillars and walls are everywhere to be seen. As we walked up the ethereal marble staircases, we were greeted by a Swami with hands together and bowing to everyone that reached the top of the staircase. (The calming atmosphere reminded me of the Mormon Temple in Brampton I had visited years ago before it was consecrated.)The Mandir was built according to the principles of anciet Indian Shilpshastras; no structural steel was used in the construction. It was made with thousands of tonnes of hand carved marble, limestone and sandstone. The pictures above are of the Mandir and the one below is of the Haveli (meeting area)- which I believe is made of Teak - it is attached to the Shrine.

I was surprised to find this photo in our batch - Trinity took this of Avalon being naughty!

Douglas' Open House @ Salon

For all of Douglas' Canadian clients who phone me and ask me for updates on him (thanks for phoning!) - I thought I would post these recent snaps from the 14th of May (last Thursday). They had an "Open House Wine & Cheese" at the Salon in order to welcome and promote Douglas in Escalon. It went very well, with the photographer from the local paper "La Prensa" and some other magazine giving it coverage. He did "makeovers" on many women and they had a lot of traffic through the salon. It was a resounding success with many accolades!

So, if you are ever in the San Benito area of San Salvador - he is leasing space at "Jewels International Stylist" in Basilea.

One Month Ago Today...

Last pics taken of us with Daddy - oh the drama! Look how small my eyes are (from all the crying!)

I was just speaking with Douglas and reminded him that today was his One Month Anniversary of arriving in El Salvador. He had forgotton. I think he was a little surprised! Time flies so quickly in some instances. The loneliness he experiences has certainly been a challenge and he is so anxious for us to get down there and be together once more. A simple thing like going out for dinner with his family, or hitting the beach is what he craves right now. I almost feel guilty when I call him from the beach on the weekend to say the girls are having a fun time in the freezing cold lake!

The girls wore their Daddy's clothing for days on end when he first left - they still wear his jackets and shirts to bed. Even the shirts they were wearing at the beach are Daddys'. When I first told Douglas this in the early days apart, he would burst into tears. The girls would just laugh at me when I got off the phone with him and make fun of me crying! Rotten kids!

Mummy's Day

Well, my kidlets certainly had a (gastro) fantastic Mother's Day! They banished me to watching tv in my room early the night before so they could decorate the living/dining rooms with streamers, balloons and signs all over. In the morning, they ran ahead of me to be positioned downstairs so they could ambush me with "fireworks poppers" filled with confetti and streamers. The girls lavished me with "bling" of the fashion jewellery kind. It was a fun day with a party later on in the evening at my Mum and Dad's house.

You will pick up the confetti and streamers, right Avalon?

We drove to Niagara Falls for the day and had to be rolled home afterwards. You will see what I mean when you see the gluttony that ensued. I have never seen strawberries this size in the grocery stores - I wonder what they are injected with? - they are the size of the palm of your hand.

Avalon had a difficult time choosing.

She eventually decided on a candy apple and a chocolate covered strawberry.

Trinity doesn't really like chocolate - so she donated the chocolate bits to me!

This chocolate bar could feed a village!

Have to get a pic taken with the Mountie!

"Old School" Haunted houses and Amusement rides on Clifton Hill.

The expanse of whiteness in the distance is the mist from "The Falls".

In Honour of Spring...

We have finally shed our winter coats, stored the winter boots and, since the last drizzle of snow was in April, at last have stored the snow shovels.
Art crawls and gallery openings are in full swing. We are fortunate that we live in a city that has a vibrant arts community. The girls and I attended an Art opening today in our neighbourhood.
In honour of welcoming the month of May, some pics of Fleurs that grace us with their presence for such a short time. The beautiful white tree in my backyard will soon turn to a dull green!