Pool in Winter

View of the Thames

Snow Canoe

I wonder what inspired this wonderful snow sculpture? (You might have to click on the image to get a good look). A family vacation, a school trip, learning about les voyageurs? Paddle to the Sea?

Comb & Scissors

There's something nice about this 'tools of the trade' kind of sign.

M. Bic!

Our fabulous visiting speaker asked if he could leave some of his visuals in my office so I got to eat lunch with this little fellow.

Hyland Cinema

An independent cinema with a long history; I'm looking forward to checking it out soon.

This morning at the bus stop

There was something lovely about this dress as I stood in the snow, dressed in black from my wool chapeau to my shiny waterproof boots.

Same place, same quiet, different dark

Office at 6:15 PM

Dental Office

A terrific sign that evokes the work of Maurice Sendak and Edward Gorey.

My office: 7:50 AM

My shamrock and peace lily watch the snow fall and savour the warmth and silence of my office in the early morning.

The Droste Effect

It's cold here too. I've loved this package ever since I came across it in a shop in Vancouver ages ago and it turns out this cocoa advertisement inspired The Droste Effect.

Gracie

Last night it occurred to me that we're missing a huge part of the equation when we think we've offered a kitten a good home: she's offered our home a good kitten. Even though her teeth marks are now on 4 hardcover books, one borrowed paperback and one iBook, I'm endlessly grateful for her.

It's cold so I'm staying inside and photographing food again. Sorry.

So, there I was dutifully following the instructions for my pasta and they say "and serve with our favourite sauce." Surely they mean "your favourite sauce." It appears not. The French instructions say to serve avec notre sauce préférée. Not knowing what their favourite sauce is, I had to improvise with a sauce I'd struggle to call a favourite. Hopefully the weather will change soon so I can go back to photographing things not in my kitchen.

Coolen's Sewing Machines

I think this is an example of great design: simple, informative and fun to look at.

The Village Idiot

In the Wortley Village neighbourhood, every other business has Village in its name, so this was probably inevitable. They have a pretty impressive collection of vinyl records and it's the kind of place that will put up your band posters and sell tickets.

Saturday afternoon with Travis

My commitment to an afternoon constitutional lasted precisely a block. My tolerance for minus double digit Celcius temperatures appears long gone. Thus my afternoon consisted of housework. Thanks to Travis on our new iPod speaker system and some sunshine, it turned out to be a pretty nice afternoon and my kitchen is extra sparkly. For the record, I tend not to keep my iPod in the fruit bowl. I'm not sure why it's there.

Cold night in Detroit

Had I been able to stop shivering or had been more suitably attired to take a few extra minutes to get this shot, it would have been much better. In the spirit of "a photo of the day is better than no photo of the day," I give you this blurry offering and a promise to do better.

Library Book

I finished Maugham's The Painted Veil at a cafe tonight. This particular copy, borrowed from my library, is from 1971. The end papers of this book offer-- for a modest fee of a few pence--to send you mailings outlining the latest releases of Penguin books. I'll admit that I had once sent my pence in and spent more hours than I care to admit looking at the names and titles and covers of books that I hoped to read one day. Perhaps I should have known then I was destined to be a librarian. Still, I have to admit a lingering fondness for Penguins and a sense of warmth at being part of a community of readers who have read this particular Penguin.

Snow and the Morning

There is something comforting about the silence and solitude of snow in the early morning

Turner Drug Store

Turner Drug Store & Vitamin Centre, at the morning bus stop, waiting for the 8:25.

The Blue Chair: Part II

This photo is a bit of a cheat since I took it on Jan 15 but wanted to take it Jan 14 (but did not have the camera). Is that a violation of todayphoto rules? Will bad things happen to me? Probably. Bother. Oh be still my overactive Canadian commitment to the integrity of rules. Anyway, here's this very same blue chair now right outside my office window.

Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station

Degas Horses at the Met

The Dugout Ice Cream

If any Tigers fans visit London during the summer, they'll have to step in for a cone at The Dugout.

Pre Show at the Blue Note, NYC

Hardware Store

True, it's part of a national or maybe international chain. But size matters, and a small hardware store can be an anchor for a neighbourhood. I've found lots of shops and places I like around my new home but seeing this made me the happiest. It's an example of what Jane Jacobs wrote about, the vitality and pleasure of a self sufficient neighbourhood.

Hmmm

8:30 AM "Why are there two blue chairs in a flower bed?"
5:00 PM "Why are there two blue chairs in a flower bed?'
Hmm.

Reason to believe

Tonight I was listening to D's show as I finished up work. The last song he played was Aimee Mann & Michael Penn's version of Springsteen's "Reason to Believe." As I left work and walked through the dark, the song's final line was firmly planted in my brain. On the way home, the river was looking particularly bright and I knew I needed to stop and take a photo. "At the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe."

Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.

I love Moleskines. I love New York. What could be lovelier than a little New York Moleskine? Perhaps a tiny January trip to New York with a Moleskine?

Miss Austen coming to a widescreen TV near me! And you!

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a girl in possession of a big TV must be in want of a lot of PBS costume dramas. Happily, I've just learned that PBS is going to be showing The Complete Austen. Suddenly these dark winter nights are looking a mighty bit brighter. My love for Jane Austen has spanned-- gasp-- 21 years. I bought my first Jane Austen novel, Sense and Sensibility, in 1986 with a Christmas gift certificate from my Aunt. I have a complete set (the Penguins) at home and a second complete set (the Oxfords) at work. One never knows when one might be in need some of her wit; it's really best to be prepared.

Tres cool. Cool tray.

On a grey rainy day, we ran some errands and stopped at the Italian Bakery for some bread. While D was plugging the meter, I spied these nifty trays in a shop window. We ended up getting two but this is my favourite; their shoes (not visible in this photo) are so adorable! It makes me miss old friends (like JM) and sidewalk cafes. Sigh. I'll put photos of the other one and a detail of their shoes on ye olde blog and ye olde flickr site.

London Ontario

A welcoming committee in my new home town.

Same sky, next day, but earlier

Ambassador Bridge

Does cold weather make sunsets more spectacular? My view as I left work this afternoon.

First day back at work

Professor Snape seems particularly joyous at my return. The impudence of the pens and pencils were beginning to grate on his nerves, he said.

Conceptual Self Portrait

A visual representation of how I feel about going back to work tomorrow.