Sophisticated Eating

Sophisticated Eating

We were recently visiting in Uxbridge, Ontario , Canada .went into a delightful, new trendy restaurant. 
Uxbridge is a small country type town set in the lovely rolling hills north of Lake Ontario. Just a beautiful charming area with beautiful farmlands and scenery in all directions.
While we were there we went into a delightful, new, trendy restaurant with our son called the Urban Pantry. This restaurant would have fit easily  into any of the large cities of North America and it obviously was doing well as it was well frequented by local people. Maybe a sign of changing times in the area as we noticed many retired people are now choosing this part of Ontario for retirement.
We had just come in from a long day  travelling by airplane through a very crowded Toronto airport and then out into the traffic of a  busy rush hour of crowded street and traffic jams so the restaurant was so lovely to visit,-quiet and uncrowded with good service and food.
We decide to have appetisers and above in the photo you can see a specialty of the pantry " a Charcuterie Board" For 3 of us we ordered 2 and there was so much food we didn't even finish it all!
On a large section of each tree trunk shaped board, we found 2 or 3 different kinds of local meats, 3 or 4 specialty cheeses, various sweet and sour pickles and preserves, eggs and crostini bread. The tubes that look like spaghetti are actually pickled long beans. Add to that a good glass of wine and our vacation had really started,
I would really recommend giving "the Urban Pantry" a visit if you are in Uxbridge, The food is good , the atmosphere very pleasant and the service attentive and just right.

A Star for Mrs Blake by April Smith

A Star for Mrs Blake by April Smith

After World War One, when many soldiers were killed and buried in France the USA government  made an arrangement for the mothers  of these young men to go to visit their graves They were called the 'Gold Star Mothers" and in 3 years over 6693 mothers made the trip.
They came from all states and from all classes in a loving pilgrimage to say a last goodbye to their lost sons. The expense for the trip by sea on a ocean liner, a side trip to Paris and a visit to the  battlefields and graves was paid for by the USA government.
This novel is based on a diary of Colonel Hammond who was the liaison officer for one of the groups of women.
The book tells the fictional story of one group of ladies of varying backgrounds accompanied by an officer and a  nurse. They start out as strangers but over a short time become friends and help each other  to fulfill   a sad but dedicated task. On the way they see many new sights, make new foreign friends, have different opportunities to experience new foods and people.
It is a very interesting story to read, heartbreaking and sad in  places but  well written to show  the lives and feelings of the ladies  and  how their journey is accomplished.
This is a part of history that I never knew and I am pleased I found this book.

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir

This is an excellent suspense novel  very similar to a modern day space version of "Robinson Crusoe". It is very well written and  very readable although not always understood completely by a non-scientific non -technical person like me. It certainly holds your attention and is in the category" can't put down until completely read !!"

"The Martian" is the name Mark Watney, a botanist astronomer has given himself when he is inadvertently left on Mars, when the rest of his team leave to return to the mother ship on the voyage back to earth. The crew and NASA think he has died.

Mark, has not died and with considerable ingenuity and using his  technical and botanist know-how manages to cope with his situation by using the left- behind items of the space venture .He also manages to start communications again to let NASA and the world know he is alive but will run out of food after so many days. Even in this dire situation he seems to keep his wits about him and even at times seems to be enjoying the challenge.He writes a daily log and it is well documented and even funny.
So will he be rescued or can he even be rescued?
This book will appeal to not only people who like suspense novels, but it is loaded with technical expertise and so anyone interested in space travel will find it very interesting.
I am usually not interested in books about space but this one certainly held my interest. 
I certainly recommend it

Challenge painting MPC: "Then & Now"

Challenge painting MPC: "Then, & Now"

Watercolor and ink, 8"x10"

The challenge topic on  Monthly Painter's Challenge for August was the topic: "Then, and Now".
This of course, brings to mind all kinds of things as so many things have changed over the years and some change even in the course of a few hours.
I finally decided on the way cartoon characters are so popular for a short while and  new ones come up with each new generation of children.The old ones aren't forgotten but new ones quickly take their place.
In my day , then, it was Mickey and MInney but now, the obvious favorites are the MInions. I must admit not having young kids around I had to find some photos to see what these quaint little creatures really look like. They obviously have stolen the hearts of not only children but adults too as you see them everywhere. 
I even heard they had made an appearance on the Great Wall of China!!

Check out the other entries to this challenge on Facebook at the page "Monthly Painters Challenge".

The Global War on Morris by Steve Israel

The Global War on Morris by Steve Israel

A most entertaining book if you have an interest in government and the ludicrous complexity of the bureaucracy that it supports. 
It is entertaining as it is a satirical, humorous book written by a congressman about a typical American family and how they get drawn into  the "war on terror".
Morris is an unassuming, middle-class American living a quiet placid life in suburban USA. He is a salesman for a pharmaceutical company. 
He has a dalliance with a receptionist at one of the companies he visits. In an attempt to hide his misadventure from his  wife Rona, he inadvertently gets mixed up with a drug criminal who is under observation from homeland security and at least 2 other government agencies.  Each agency doesn't know about the other agencies activities and life quickly becomes very complicated for everyone concerned.
The whole situation gets even more convoluted  when Rona feels sorry for a young Arab pool attendant and his friends in Florida and decides she is going to help them with counselling, her profession.
 Unfortunately for Morris and Rona, the young Arabs  really are terrorists just waiting for their turn at "going to paradise".
The plot thickens and if you read on through many layers of confusion and misinterpretation by all the agencies, eventually you will then find out if  Morris and Rona will ever get their old life  back.