Waiting for the snow

Warm days and wet nights spells green grass. We are now waiting for the snow. Simple Christmas decorations can get lost in the visual clutter when the blanket of white snow is missing.

Salvation Army Village

It's called the Salvation Army Village. Once it had residents. Today it has offices.

The Salvation Army is a Christian church famous for its charity work. Its motto is "Giving Hope Today." Formed in 1865 in London, England, it came to Canada in 1882 and is still a going concern today.

According the the Salvation Army Internet page the Salvation Army London Village has a history going back to 1954. Originally it was a Children’s Village with six cottages providing accommodation for orphaned children. With the increasing use of foster care, the Village slowly changed its purpose.

With the closure of institutional facilities for people with developmental disabilities, in 1973 the Village began operating services dedicated to helping such children. This led to a Community Living program which was operated by the Village throughout London starting in 1989 and running for more than a decade.

Today the residents are gone. In the summer there may be day camps held on the grounds. The cottages on the circle are now offices used by various charitable organizations.

The wooden nativity scene on display at The Village today looks as if it has a long history. One doesn't see many like it in the city today. Although one gets the feeling that displays like this were quite common at one time. This display is a trip into the past.

Do apartment blocks have to be so massive?

Do apartment blocks have to be so massive? I wonder. When I was a boy we had two and three floor walk-ups here and there about the neighbourhood. These structures blended easily into the urban fabric. Plus, sometimes the apartments inside had floor plans reminiscent of a small home with large kitchens and two and three bedrooms.

In Paris most of the older apartment blocks are, I believe, no more than six floors. I understand that some city planners argue phenomenal urban density can be obtained by building rows of six floor apartment blocks similar to the ones in Paris rather that staggering tall apartment towers about the subdivision.

Personally, I am not against massive apartment buildings but I do wish the units inside offered floor space in keeping with the apparent size of the building.

Stink bugs shelter in homes for winter

Stink bugs are a common pest in London homes this winter. Many London homes, including ours, have a real infestation. Somehow the little bugs are working their way through the exterior walls and finding their way inside. In our case, the bugs are appearing in our kitchen, ugh, and our hallways.

Curious as to why, I googled the problem. I learned the reason I don't recall these pests from my youth is that these little critters are new to London. Called brown marmorated stink bugs, this invasive species is native to Asia. First discovered in the northeastern United States in the early 2000s, now, almost two decades later, they are in southwestern Ontario.

Apparently, they do no damage to one's home. They are only seeking a warm place to hang out until warm weather returns. They don't lay eggs or raise young indoors. Their presence is simply an an annoyance -- unless, one is not careful when grabbing one with a small bundle of bathroom tissue in order to flush it away. Crush the bug and you'll be sorry. Apparently these bugs are appropriately named.

Christmas shopper numbers down

 

The mall, one of London's oldest and largest, was not in the least bit busy the other night. No Christmas shopping crowds in sight. But lots of sign and symbols of the Covid-19 virus responsible for the shopping freeze that has seized so much of the world.

The vaccines cannot come too soon.

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Comfort food was the topic of the month

 

I understand that comfort food was the topic to be covered on the first of December. Oops! Uh, better late than never?

Both my wife and I must watch our weight. But we both love pasta. We've found that the usual serving amount of 85g of pasta, dry weight prior to boiling, is too much. We have settled on 55g as the perfect amount and this allows the other ingredients to shine.

This lobster pasta is a bit pricey but I call it a restaurant substitution dinner. To the lobster I like to add a vegetable for colour, texture and flavour. This time, as you can see, I added big pieces of asparagus and chunks of mushroom. To give this a bit of a sauce, about 60g of soft goat cheese has been stirred into the mix and all has been topped with some grated Parmesan immediately before serving.

For medical reasons, I am only allowed the occasional small glass of wine. For a dinner like this I usually allow myself a small glass of white wine.

Some things don't change. Virus on no virus.