We are deep in the thick of August. AQ courses are finishing up (Queen's U Summer 2023 TL Specialist and York U July 2023 TL Parts 1 & 2) or starting up (York U August 2023 Parts 1, 2 & Specialist). Conferences are fast approaching (ELAN, OECTA, and TDSB TL). Medical appointments were made and kept. It's been a work-heavy summer for me. Since "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" (or Diana a cranky girl), I've had a few little day trips sprinkled into the mix. This is a mini-highlight reel (with a big treat at the end).
Whitby Farmers Market
In July, I went with several of my work friends to the Whitby Farmers Market, followed by a delightful brunch. The Food and Art Café in Whitby serves the best London Fogs I've ever drunk and the large group ate brunch there after our market sojourn.
St. Jacob's Farmers Market
I went twice to this "mother of all farmers markets in Ontario". The first time this year, I attended with my family. They had never been before and enjoyed the variety. We purchased yummy cheese, delicious fudge, and more. The second time I travelled west, I went with a small number of colleagues from school. Because my family knew what was in store, they sent requests! I returned with fresh pretzels, gourmet perogies and more fudge.
Uptown Toronto
Having lunch with a friend at a Korean restaurant near Yonge and Finch is the perfect recipe for relaxation.
Hibachi Teppanyaki
I could have sworn I mentioned enjoying this meal performance with my husband, daughter and her boyfriend earlier on my blog. Since I cannot find it, it provides me an excuse with posting more photos of the flames and feast.
Kensington Market
What do you do when your original plans to go to Paris (Ontario) aren't possible? Scale back. Another friend and I wandered Kensington Market, searching the vintage thrift stores, sipping on fresh juice, and eventually making our way to the Danforth to have a late lunch at a café.
Backyard BBQ
This past weekend, hubby and I were invited to a BBQ. It's been ages since we attended something like this and I forgot how lovely it can be. We didn't know everyone there but we were familiar with enough people to have many conversations with new and old faces, and the grilled meat and salads fed us well.
High Tea
I've never had high tea before but there's always a first time for everything. Three of us went to "My Cup of Tea" Dessert and Tea House (at Leslie and Highway 7 in Richmond Hill) for a scrumptious feast for the eyes and taste buds. This location is not as pricy as some high tea spots and the food and atmosphere were lovely.
Credit for the following photos goes to Farah Wadia. You can see the originals on her Instagram account.
Bonus Feature - Audition Video for Family Feud
You'll notice a lot of the same faces popping up in the pictures. I'm pretty close with many of these people I've hung out with during the summer. In late June, I alluded to a secret project. The secret project was that a team of teachers were filming an audition video for the Teacher Week Canadian edition of Family Feud. The sad news is that we didn't get chosen. (We heard via Twitter that another TDSB school made it to the second round of auditions - good luck, Ellesmere-Statton PS; we are rooting for you!) Since we didn't make it, I think it's safe to share the eight-minute video that our team created as our entry. As everyone involved in the project said, it was just fun to be part of creating this media text.
If big travel plans aren't feasible for you, either financially or due to schedule restraints, I hope you are able to enjoy a short day trip or at least a satisfying meal with people that mean a lot to you.
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