October 2026 stay-cation

22 Thursday Oct 2026

Posted by in community, creativity, Food and Cooking, Health, reading, Travel, Uncategorized, writing

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I still acknowledge that I have no control over world events or the weather. On a positive note, the autumn weather in the Ottawa area has been sunny and cool. I continue to maintain personal health, nurture relationships, contribute to local community causes and charities of choice.

The following photographs and thoughts may be of interest to the general reader. If not, they will serve as memory care records after my brain succumbs to old age.

As I did in September with attending a friend’s Canadian Citizenship swearing in ceremony, I booked a downtown Ottawa hotel stay in mid-October. This was another attempt at avoiding a long public transit commute from my home to attend events and connect with friends.

I love my home, my cozy and costly rental shared with one of the boomerang Millennial offspring. Lately though, I have allowed myself to enjoy a tiny bit of luxury, like a clean bathtub for a relaxing soak, a large bed, and a large screen TV with dozens of channels. The latter provides better entertainment than our home setup with an OTA antenna (Over the Air) that delivers randomly reliable reception for a handful of channels after a re-scan. One particular channel only provides clear reception while our back door is open at 45 degrees. Any thoughts on that oddity?

The room selection for this month’s stay touted a “river view” which was one distant section of the Ottawa River. All the new condo buildngs are blocking what used to be a decent view. The room location also provided street traffic noise, and late night hallway chatter on a Friday night. Rooms with bathtubs were not available. I’m not picky about the view for my next stay, I just want a quiet location. And a tub.

My goals for the October stay-cation:

  • Meet with friends and old acquaintances;
  • Attend a local book fair and buy some books;
  • Get in walking exercise;
  • Explore different sites in Ottawa;
  • Enjoy good restaurant food;
  • Work on my inner maze with journal writing.

All goals were achieved. My friend and I experienced a bus adventure down Elgin Street from the book fair at the Jack Purcell Community Centre, then we back-tracked from where the driver let us off. During that long walk up Bank street, it was nice to see many people out and about on a sunny, breezy Saturday afternoon.

TD Place / Lansdowne stadium from the Bank Street bridge over the Rideau Canal

We warmed up after that chilly hike and filled our bellies with delicious food and drinks.

Bellini cocktails

The good ole hockey game

My friend had tickets to an Ottawa 67s home game. I tested my endurance for raucous crowds, loud music and flashing lights. We left during the first period break. This experience provided an opportunity to nurture the relationship with my kind friend, and to confirm that live sports events are just not for me. Sorry not sorry.

The hotel stay gets me out of my head and into new surroundings. I remain open to accepting inspiration and mild adventures plus getting in some journal writing. I like how Cursive writing takes one away from the laptop keyboard and cell phone, tapping into a different region of one’s brain and releasing thoughts onto paper.

I have fond memories of living downtown during my first years in Ottawa. I want to enjoy that sense of adventure exploring more sites and cultural events while keeping to a budget.

My long morning shadow entering a downtown park

Question: In what ways are you being a tourist in your own city or town?

Thanks for dropping by.

T

Reaping rewards after the stinky Summer of 2026

29 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by in Art, community, creativity, family, Food and Cooking, gardening, Health, photography, reading, therapy, Travel, writing

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I have accepted that I have no control over world events or the weather. I am just maintaining personal health, nurturing relationships, contributing to local community causes and charities of choice.

The following photographs and thoughts may be of interest to the general reader. If not, they will serve as memory care records after my brain succumbs to old age.

So, buh-bye, stinky summer heat! We are winding down gardening season and reaping small rewards.

In the Lee Valley Vegepod, sifting stones from houseplant pots (playing in the dirt)
Empty containers (possibilities for next year)

Cooking and experimenting

The weather in the Ottawa region recently has been perfect for comfortable outdoor activities, and indoor kitchen cooking projects. Even prior to the official autumn equinox, I was practising with preparing some favourite comfort foods.

First pot of chili con carne (a weekly go-to for winter cooking)
Farmer’s Market apple pie (a favourite Sunday dinner dessert)

On Sunday I tried a combination of two internet recipes for stuffed spaghetti squash. It received mixed reviews. I don’t think I will try this one again.

Stuffed spaghetti squash (I used the garden tomatoes and basil ingredients)

Balancing decadence with support for an immigrant friend

A couple of weeks ago, I treated myself to hotel stay downtown in preparation to attend as a guest at a friend’s Canadian citizenship swearing in ceremony. It was scheduled for the early morning next day and I did not look forward to commuting by bus or taxi. At the ceremony, I observed 74 new Canadians swearing in, some were entire families with small children. It brought tears to my eyes. Afterwards, I treated my college classmate to a gift bag of Canadiana goodies (maple sugar concoctions, a shiny souvenir) and a lunch at a posh downtown restaurant.

If my budget can allow it, I plan to do more of these downtown stays, scheduled around cultural events, meetups with friends and old coworkers.

bubble bath in a posh hotel (luxury and relaxation)

The room with a bath also offered two Queen size beds. I used the many pillows to build a nest in one bed, to curl up in while snacking like a kid and exploring 100 channels on the wide screen TV. It was great!

LAC view from hotel window

Although I lost the “river view” option by requesting a room with a bathtub, I gained a view of a quiet street, what looked like a government building going through renovations, and the Library and Archives building (LAC) in the distance. I have an affinity to the LAC and fondly remembered the Doors Open Ottawa tour I took in June.

I have been testing my social anxiety limits and entertainment budget by:

  • Lunching out and catching up with friends.
  • Participating in Rotary club events to raise funds, socialize at lovely locations, and occasionally attend a lunch meeting in person.
  • Attending an Ottawa International Writer’s Festival event with a friend who holds a season pass. That required commuting to and navigating busy downtown Ottawa by foot, observing crowds of people attending events for the city’s 200th birthday and Nuit Blanche – all under a full moon. The author interview was good but the church pews were not comfortable for long sits with short legs. After ten minutes of searching the underground parking garage for my friend’s car, she kindly gave me a ride home. I appreciate the generosity of folks with vehicles who can transport me to and from places.
Book cover of Agrippa by Robert Harris and OIWF 2026 fall schedule

The Author warned us that his latest historical fiction contained some acts of cruelty and violence, a common trait of the ancient Roman elites. We drew many parallels to the current US administration.

Planning for the cooler months

  • Volunteer in person at the library, at Rotary club and community association events (I appreciate that I can perform the majority of tasks online).
  • Set up the DayLight lamp in the living room / home office area.
  • Continue the seasonal wardrobe organization, phase II (keeping a few summery outfits in case we get a warm Thanksgiving).
  • Get new Winter boots.
  • Try more comfort food recipes for sharing with loved ones, focusing on the healthy options.
  • Move that body!
DayLight Lamp on a kitchen counter above a dining table

I like to think that the DayLight Lamp supports positive feelings during the dark mornings of winter. That’s when I do my best writing. Well… you be the judge.

Thanks for dropping by. See you in a few weeks.

T