It’s Friday again! How did it get here so fast?! Here are some more bits and pieces that have made their way through our consciousness this week; useful, whimsical, fun short reads to make you smile and reflect and maybe even do some repairs on your own!
I don’t really know why rainbows happen. It has something to do with water droplets . . . I do know that they are fleeting, enchanting, tantalizingly out of reach above us and yet so soothing. I think of hope and dreams and Judy Garland and leprechauns waiting with a pot of gold and spirits lifting.
What do you think of when you see a rainbow? – Maria
Everyone just calls this store “The Zipper Store.” The store is in downtown Toronto. Do a Google search of “the zipper store” and it will come up. They stock a lot of zippers, all sizes and colours, and types. Open ended, closed, by the yard, plastic, metal, invisible, separating. You’re looking for a zipper? Chances are they will have it. There is nothing fancy about this shop, but they have tools and notions that go way beyond just zippers, and the folks working in the shop are knowledgeable and always quick with a smile. Can sewing make you a happier person? Check out this blog post by Seamwork and let me know what you think.
In case you were wondering, I don’t have any connection to this store, except that of an occasional shopper. This is just a PSA, from me to you. – Cris
Whatever happened to flash mobs? I thought they were a cool, very positive phenomenon: a lovely surprise that amazed people and made them smile through the power of music, dance or both. One of my favourites is this performance of The Hallelujah Chorus. Along with the wonderful singing, which seems to happen without a hitch, I love the looks of delighted surprise on the faces of the people watching and listening.
I have been thinking of it this week because, although it has become associated with Christmas, its message has always seemed very Eastery to me. I googled it and, yes, Handel’s Messiah, which includes this chorus, was written for Easter and was performed for the first time in mid-April, 1742 in Dublin. – Maria
Do you remember the name of this stuffie? I’m sure that any millennial, without googling, could tell us that this is Hedwig! In fact, my children, especially my daughter, adored the Harry Potter stories. She brought this cutie back from Harry Potter World. Do you have a Harry Potter fan in your life? Did you read the stories?
We often have interesting, eclectic conversations at our supper table. The other night we tried to guess, WithOUT googling, why owls are associated with wisdom, intelligence and reading.
Why do you think owls are connected to knowledge? We’re interested to know what you think. – Maria
I’ve been doing some work around my home over the past few months and the @torontotoollibrary has been a lifesaver. They have all the tools I could possibly need. Since becoming a member, I’ve used the miter saw, circular saw, table saw, jig saw and a hand saw. I feel like Bob the Builder or Cristina the Builder! The best surprise was that they have a serger sewing machine. Sewing tools and power tools – two of my favourite things.
I have not taken any of their classes but they do offer some. I just like to putter around my house doing stuff like this and the tool library provides the tools for me to get the job done. According to Wikipedia, the first tool library was started in Gross Pointe, Michigan, by the Gross Pointe Rotary Club in 1943. Supposedly the next tool library was started in 1976 in Columbus, Ohio and is still open to this day.
Do you have a tool library in your city? – Cris
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