The drive to LT’s was quiet and quick…the girls slept and I listened to CBC…it was only about an hour and a half drive…we were supposed to stay at LT’s from Thursday to Monday and head down to my Mom’s Monday…but on Sunday night there was a storm – it blew like mad and started with rain, which turned to sleet, hail and then finally to snow…I guess a cold wind got up the vans ‘skirt’ and froze there…after I had loaded up the van on Monday afternoon, she wouldn’t start…turn over, yes, but no way would she start…by the time we gave up, called CAA and got it towed to Canadian Tire in Midland, the mechanics were getting ready to head home…so we left the van and went and got stuff for a home-made spaghetti and garlic bread feast…we still had wine left to drink…
Tuesday morning, after a night in the shop warming up and drying out, the van started with no troubles…but I am getting ahead of myself…
We had a great visit with LT, her beau and 2 dogs (Teegan and Cloe)…lots of sitting around the kitchen table eating, drinking wine and talking...much laughter…we also put in a lot of miles…driving both to new places and to old haunts and reminiscing…we used to live in Warminster from the time my younger daughter was 3 until she was 8 and then we lived for a year in Orillia before we moved to Ottawa…so there were a lot of memories for all of us…
On Friday LT, the girls and I drove to Orillia and had lunch at Mariposa Market…I found it kind of funny, that after over 6 years, I had the same lunch that I used to have when we lived there…it was still yummy! I also found it kind of frustrating that the Mariposa Market food counter still operated in its haphazard, chaotic way which always left you wondering if you were ever going to get the food you had ordered! The store was pretty much the same in every way…a very quaint, small town, old fashion-styled emporium…baked goods, gourmet food stuff, pottery, cards, the best fudge and kitchen gadgets…
After lunch we wandered around the main street…I remember when I first moved to the area (Warminster was less than ten miles outside of Orillia), I had asked someone where a certain store was and I was told it was on “Main Street”…I couldn’t find it…”Main Street” is actually Mississagua Street…but the locals just call it Main Street…
Here is LT and my younger daughter...LT's lunch wasn't as agreeable as mine had been...so she isn't feeling all that well here...
I always loved Orillia's downtown...it has wonderful old architecture and many of the stores have done beautiful jobs fixing up thier store fronts...
Manticore Books was a favorite store of mine...I spent many an hour and dollar in here!
I wanted this garden toad...
Hudson's was another favorite store...I used to go in and look longingly at the Fiesta dishes...
I worked for over 5 years at a picture framing shop and gallery on ‘the main street’…I loved working there…now the store stands empty and is for rent…that was sad to see…the vacant space holds so many happy memories for me…the 2 women I worked with and I had so much fun there and we went wild with creativity…I have a great number of fantastically framed pictures from my days as a picture framer there and many tears of happiness, silliness and sadness fell over the years we worked together…
Even though the store I had worked in is empty, Orillia has a pretty vibrant downtown…there are quite a few neat little boutiques, kitchen stores, galleries and restaurants and we poked our noses into a bunch of them…a good number of them were ones that had been there when I used to live in Orillia and that was nice to see…it is nice when some things don’t change too much!
On Saturday we all headed to Barrie in the afternoon to go to Chapters…I got a neat book called The Artist’s Muse - Unlock the Door to your Creativity…...there is a book and 3 decks of creativity prompt cards…1 deck is called the 'Doors of Awareness', one the 'Cirlces of Growth' and the third is called the deck of 'Windows of Opportunity'...you can choose a card from 1, 2 or all 3 decks to be prompted...I am looking forward to having a chance, when I get home, to try it out...on first glance I really like some of the examples of art in the book...so, if nothing else, it will be inspirational eye candy!
On Sunday LT and I left everyone to sleep and we went out for a drive…LT took me all over on the back roads…it was a lovely, sunny day and it felt like spring was in the air…I loved this clump of trees at the intersection of 2 back roads...
We ended up in Orillia again and got the fudge we had forgot to pick up before, but the stores were almost closing, so we ended up just having a walk up and down the main street again…then we drove over to the house I had rented the year before I moved with the kids to Ottawa…I had always liked the house…it was cute…it has been fixed up quite nicely, but the huge tree that had been in the front yard is gone and it looked bare to me…
Monday was spent getting ready to leave and then figuring out what to do about the van…Tuesday morning we got on the road to my Mom’s and arrived here in Mount Hope in the early afternoon…
Oh...a couple last pictures...LT's dogs are so badly treated...the poor things...here is Teegan demonstrating the abuse she has to endure...
1 comment:
I love your pictures! I really enjoy taking pictures of interesting buildings.
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