Archive by category "Andrea" (Page 2)

Christmas 2013

Andrea January 12, 2014 November 20, 2025Andrea, Our Home

Christmas holidays 2013

The 2013-14 Christmas Holiday Season is now officially in the history books. Over the January 11-12 weekend, we carefully dismantled the decorations and adornments in the house, labelled everything in its box, stored it back downstairs, and then cleaned and vacuumed. All traces of Christmas 2013 are now in storage. As always, the Christmas tree was last to go, its lights signaling the festive season until the very last minute as the Christmas music CDs get one last play while the takedown tasks are done.

Winter 13-14

Andrea January 7, 2014 January 7, 2014Andrea, Our Home

Winter of 2013-14

We were all looking forward to a relaxing Christmas this year. Bob had a very long autumn sitting at Queen’s Park, with more than the usual amount of travel and committee work. Bob’s big personal thrill of the year came when he was not only the starting goaltender in a hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leaf Old-Timers, but also delivered the Province’s greetings at the same time. Then came the big ice storm of December 2013. A major weather system carried a huge mass of wet air up from the Gulf of Mexico through the heart of North America before colliding with a mass of cold air coming down from the arctic, and Toronto was frozen solid.

Mississauga RibFest 2013

Andrea July 21, 2013 July 21, 2013Andrea

Mississauga Ribfest 2013

Sometimes, time pauses and for an evening, something perfect happens. The annual RibFest at Celebration Square in Mississauga was just such a mid-July event. The oppressive heat and humidity had lifted with a Friday thunderstorm that washed the air clear. The weekend weather was sunny, warm and dry. And what better event to take in with Bob and my then-EduNational colleague, Gabriella Herrero, than the annual RibFest that the different Rotary Clubs in Mississauga host at Celebration Square, the recently-built gathering place for special events in Mississauga.

Waiting for warm weather

Andrea March 31, 2013 November 20, 2025Andrea

After Easter, spring taking its sweet time The WordPress software on this site lets anyone register, and become a subscriber. As the web site owner, I have to manually “upgrade” subscribers to become “contributors,” which lets you write comments on the web site. I hope my friends and family add comments on my recently-published corn bread recipe. The computer generated registrants on this site, like those e-mail addresses from eastern Europe, and the anonymous ones…

Healthy Living Expo 2012

Andrea July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012Andrea

First non-Chinese co-chair I had just returned from a very short whirlwind holiday in Hong Kong, when I was approached by the Chair of the Mississauga Board of Chinese Professionals and Businesses (CPB) with an intriguing suggestion. He said that CPB had appointed a Co-Chair for their upcoming Healthy Living Expo, and suggested that I consider taking up the position of the other vacant Co-Chair. I accepted. And so began my journey of learning and…

Warmth is finally here

Andrea July 7, 2012 July 7, 2012Andrea

Long-awaited Mississauga summer

This year of 2012, our garden looks better than it ever has. The garden is a long and complex springtime project. This year, my Mother took a real interest in the garden, and the extra days she spent with us helping me get everything planted were glorious. The many indoor tropical plants in the house go outside around the Victoria Day holiday weekend. Now the patio looks like one of those tropical spa getaways you see in the upscale design magazines.

Dinnertime

Andrea May 31, 2012 November 20, 2025Andrea

Headwaiter for the cats

Mixing up some dinner for the cats at the kitchen counter: May 2012.

Obi-Wan and Bebe get their dinner served to them by their Mummy, May 2012

Chinese New Year

Andrea January 25, 2012 January 25, 2012Andrea

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy New Year! It’s Chinese New Year, or the festival of Têt, as the Vietnamese call it. This is one of my favourite times of year, when everything is bright and cheery, and there is a meaning or significance to everything that you eat and partake of in the Asian community. I look forward to this event as if I were Chinese myself. I have cleaned up the house,…

Gumbo-making

Bob December 31, 2011 December 31, 2011Andrea

Days of culinary effort by Andrea Andrea has worked for the better part of two days crafting a feast of Louisiana-style shrimp gumbo and a special, vegetarian, all-halal version of her famous chili that was quickly cleaned out to the last drop in a party this summer. The lucky invitees who have accepted our invitation will be treated with a few dishes they cannot buy at any price, or get from any caterer. Happy Birthday,…

Category: Andrea