Hello blog friends! How are you doing? I hope all’s well with you. Come on in my blog space for a coffee or tea. It’s the last day of May and a Sunday so I hope we can linger and catch up on what’s been happening. Let me share with you what brings me smiles in May.
Spring continues to transform the scenery in my neighbourhood. Every week what I see is like one of many acts in a theatre play, where each act brings on new props. Tulips, trilliums, and dandelions have reached their blooms while lilacs and other flowers are getting to their prime.
Health
I’m thankful that the lockdown started in the spring, as opposed to winter. Spring is the ideal time to visit local parks and gardens to see the beautiful trees and blooming flowers. They brighten my day and keep me in good spirits. I’m also thankful to have Lake Ontario nearby so I can go and soak in the ever-changing views and watch active bird life.
I’m committed to stay fit and have fun in May. I do a combination of meditation, strengthening exercises, walking, and yoga to keep me calm and strong. By adding Chloe Bent’s 20-minute dance cardio workout to my Friday fitness routine, I have something fun to look forward to on Fridays.
Home
Grocery shopping continues to be interesting. Some products are still on short supplies or unavailable when I’m at the store. Fortunately, brand substitutions have brought satisfying results. One of the three supermarkets in my neighbourhood requires shoppers to wear masks. Bars, coffee shops, and restaurants can offer take-outs, delivery, drive-through, or curbside pickups only.
I used Jean Paré’s Muffins and More recipe book to bake my first Coconut Bread. It was easy to make and turned out very good. It would go well with coffee or tea. I’m learning to bake one new recipe per month just for fun. I’ve progressed from no baking to five successes!
Leisure
Blogs: May 31 marks a full year that I’ve been using WordPress for my blog. I’m happy with WordPress and still enjoy blogging. Several ideas are floating in my mind so stay tuned for the next post 🙂
Hot Docs 2020 Festival: I enjoyed viewing some of the thought-provoking documentaries from the Hot Docs 2020 festival, one of the biggest documentary film festivals in the world, from the comfort of my home.
Languages: I learn French and Spanish lessons daily on Duolingo.
Movies: These movies are all about love and relationships. I gave them 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5. Their locations made my travel heart happy.
- Ma Ma starring Penélope Cruz (Spain).
- Boy starring James Rollestone & Taika Wahiti (New Zealand).
- Girl on a Bicycle starring Louise Monot (France).
- This Beautiful Fantastic starring Jessica Brown Findlay and Tom Wilkinson (England).
- Take Me Home starring Sam Jaeger and Amber Jaeger (USA).
Music: I listened to a lot of pop music in May plus 2020 Jazz concert at Lincoln Center Gala, and classical concerts at Berlin Philharmonic Digital Concert Hall.
Readings: To shake up my reading routine and since May is Short Story month, I paused my book reading and started reading 73 Canadian short stories available free online. I also listened to actors’ readings of Harry Potter’s The Philosopher’s Stone or The Sorcerer’s Stone, chapters 1 to 7.
Shows and Theatre Plays: In May, I watched MacBeth, The Tempest, A Streetcar Named Desire (with Gillian Anderson), and the Cirque du Soleil special One Night for One Drop.
Walks
With a little planning, each of my walks outdoors is interesting. It’s getting warmer as we move into summer so I leave home earlier in the morning and add sun protection to make my walks more comfortable.
Two nice wildlife surprises made me smile this week. I saw a bunny, maybe the same Easter bunny that I spotted in April, and three new Trumpeter swans with tags X01, X02, X03 in the harbour. They are not the Trumpeter swans P24 and T63 that I saw before. The Trumpeter swan was near extinction about forty years ago so I was pleased to see five of them in two months.
Conclusion
The end of May marks 22 weeks into 2020 and 11 of those weeks were under heavy COVID-19 impact. I anticipate that it’s a long haul even as restrictions ease up. In my own small world, May is a good month. I’m grateful that everyone in my circle of family and friends is safe and well.
June usually brings good weather here and Toronto Public Library starts curbside book pick-ups in early June. I look forward to being outdoors as much as possible and reading more books in the coming weeks. After all, the lake view and a good book are irresistible.
How did May go for you? What good things happened? I’d love to hear your comments.
I’m linking this post to Su’s The Changing Seasons at Zimmerbitch blog for the first time and my regular link-ups here.
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Natalie the Explorer 
Well, this is certainly the happiest and most beautiful post I’ve read this week, Natalie. Thank you for brightening my day! I love that you saw the Trumpeter swans. What a treat that must have been for you. May was a good month for me. Like you, all of my loved ones are healthy and that is what’s important. Thanks for sharing the gorgeous photos! Have a great Sunday. ❤
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So glad May was good to you and my post brightened your day, Jill. The Trumpeter swans were a rare treat and they keep me looking for them every time I go to the lake. Thank you for stopping by. Have a beautiful Sunday and upcoming week!
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Natalie, sounds like you had a happy week. Mine was good too. I like your movie suggestions and will check them out.I watch the Hallmark Channel most evenings (also love and relationships) and fall peacefully asleep afterward. Have a great week.
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Hi Suzanne, Glad you had a good week. I accessed the movies on Kanopy with my library card. The Girl on a Bicycle movie is a rom-com set in Paris so I enjoyed watching it and seeing all the famous landmarks in Paris. If you like English gardens, This Beautiful Fantastic movie is a good one. Ma Ma is a sad but uplifting story with great performance by Penelope Cruz. I think she won awards for her role in Ma Ma. I got your inquiry via my Contact form. I’ll respond to it shortly. Have a beautiful Sunday and upcoming week!
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Wonderful post and you sound busy, but in a good way. The trumpeter swans are beautiful and so are all the tulips and beautiful flowers blooming! Such pretty photos that you share. The bread making sounds delicious. I’ve never made coconut bread, I’ll have to give that a try! Have a wonderful week ahead. 😀❤️
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Thank you, Diana, for your kind comment. I was so happy to see the Trumpeter swans up close. They’re very calm and beautiful. I’m thankful to see so many amazing spring flowers this year. They make me forget the grim news 🙂 The Coconut bread is more like a Coconut loaf despite its name. If you make it, I hope you like it. Have a wonderful Sunday and upcoming week!
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I love coconut bread – also whack a few bananas in it for coconut banan bread. Delicious!! #Lifethisweek
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Sounds good! I’ll add bananas next time.
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Hi Natalie what a lovely May you had despite the restrictions of lockdown. Your photos of the flowers and nature always bring me joy and certainly have started my Monday morning with positivity and gratitude. Have a lovely June and keep enjoying life. #lifethisweek xx
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Hi Sue, I’m glad you liked my photos. I feel grateful for spring flowers and the lake. They brighten my day. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
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HI Natalie, just popping back to thank you for linking up at #MLSTL. I’ll be sharing your post which I know will brighten everyone’s day. Have a great week. xx
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Thank you, Sue. Have a wonderful week!
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Hi, Natalie – Meditation, strengthening exercises, walking,yoga, dance cardio, Friday fitness routine…. You remain a true inspiration.
When I simply walk each day I am super proud of myself. Somehow I’ve not yet gotten around to adding more fitness to my walking routine during our isolation. Where does all of the time go?!
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Hi Donna, Your walking each day is a fantastic achievement for sure. During this isolation, we do what we can and what makes us feel good. I do all my fun health routine in the morning before lunch, then the less fun chores in the afternoon. Hard to believe we’re five months into 2020 already. Time slips through our fingers like water.
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HI, Natalie – I’m back from #MLSTL. I’ve shared this post on my social media. #MLSTL
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Thank you, Donna. Have a wonderful week!
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Beautiful images of spring! Oh, and coconut bread… that looks so yummy!
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Hi Janis, I have more time to examine nature this spring and it’s been a wonderful treat. The coconut loaf is good 🙂
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Hi Natalie – I can’t believe it’s already been a year since you swapped to WP – time has flown! I still think about swapping over every now and then, but I’m reluctant to start from scratch or to figure out how to shift everything, so for now I’m staying put.
Loved all your flower photos and I’m looking forward to seeing what you’re planning on announcing soon – you sound like Sue with all her new ideas and directions!
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Hi Leanne, The year sure goes by fast. In late June Blogger is rolling out their new interface. Have you tried it? The new Blogger dashboard shows some similarities to the WordPress dashboard. I have no big announcement planned for my blog, just some fun ideas.
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Hi Natalie – my blog has already converted over to the new format – when I looked at my dashboard on the morning it happened I had a minor seizure – then slowly worked my way thru the new stuff and I actually like it better than the old one. I think it’s a bit like the WP Guttenberg changes that some people adapted to quickly and others struggled with – the blogger FB group has similar reactions.
Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 😊
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Hi Leanne, Some changes are improvements. I’m glad you liked the new Blogger format. Have a wonderful week!
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That coconut bread looks delicious, Natalie!
SSG xxx
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It was good and gone fast 🙂 Thanks, SSG, for stopping by.
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Lovely to view where you walk Natalie, enjoy your lovely spring days.
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Hi Suzanne, Spring and the walks in nature have been so good to my mental and physical health especially in these times. Hope you and the Squire are well in NZ. Thank you for stopping by.
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Oh, Wow, Natalie! The beautiful pop of colour! Beautifully said about “acts in a theatre play….new props.” I also have thought how Spring was a better time to cope with the transitions we are facing.
I have always liked Jean Pare’s recipes. I now have coconut on my shopping list.
The circle around the bunny made me smile. True meaning of camouflage. I did not know about Trumpeter Swans and extinction.
I always enjoy your posts, Natalie. You often bring to my attention something totally new and different. They are a bright part of my week.🙂
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Thank you, Erica/ Erika, for your kind comment. I’ve been looking out for the bunny. When I went by that area, I stood still and let my eyes adjust before spotting it. The Trumpeter swans have black bills and make nice melodic sounds. They’re graceful and magnificent at the same time. They’re not the mute swans that have orange bills. Have a wonderful week!
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Hi Natalie, I am revisiting your post and your lovely photos! Sharing #MLSTL and on SM. xx
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Thank you, Erica/ Erika. Have a wonderful week!
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Those tulips Natalie, they are gorgeous! We are just starting winter today and it’s turned wet and miserable, after lovely autumn days in recent weeks. I really enjoyed catching up on all your news and congrats on the year with WordPress platform. #lifethisweek
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Oh Debbie, I hope winter brings some of its charms to you soon. I’m thankful for the nice weather here and the flowers keep me in good spirits. My first year with WordPress has been good. Thank you for being part of my blogging community. I look forward to reading your posts and comments.
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Just back for #mlstl Natalie, and thank you for your lovely comment. We are part of a very caring and supportive blogging community.
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Agreed. The lockdown has given us more ideas to share on our blogs 🙂
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May had a lot of downs but it turned into ups towards the end.
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That’s good to hear. Thanks, Vanessa, for stopping by. Have a great week!
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Certainly a lot to smile about in your post! I love all the nature shots and it’s looking beautiful. I heard you guys had a glorious weekend of warm weather. I’m envious as we head into winter despite knowing our winters are nothing like yours! I hope you have a fab June!
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Hi Sanch, We had a few warm, summer-like days last week and now back to normal temps. June weather is usually good here and the plants and trees look great. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful week!
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I don’t think I noticed before that the trumpeters are tagged.
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These Trumpeter swans have yellow wing tags with big black letters and that identify they’re from Ontario and part of the restoration program. Trumpeters are sometimes confused with tundra swans, which are more common and also white.
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I’m surprised Tundra swans are more common. Here on the east coast we have the invasive Mute Swan. They have spread west, and in the US have replaced the Trumpeters in many areas.
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Both the mute and Tundra swans are more abundant than the Trumpeter swans in Canada. The Tundra swans breed in the Arctic and are common in some areas of southern Canada during their annual spring and fall migrations.The mute swan is not native to North America and is considered an invasive species outside of Europe and Asia.
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I’m grateful the shutdown occurred in spring rather than winter too. I think I would have gone even more stir-crazy if I couldn’t have been able to get outside. Spring is usually perfect running weather. I would not have seen that bunny in the photo if you hadn’t circled it! He was camouflaged!!! 🙂
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Spring weather has been very helpful for me during the shutdown. Longer daylight hours, nice temperatures and greener scenery… It’s good for the soul. The bunny blends in its habitat. I think that’s part of how animals survive.
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Another month full of things to love. Those cardio dance classes sound fun, the tulips are gorgeous & I continue to admire your dedication to your fitness, language and culture. I remember watching Boy a few years ago and really enjoying it.
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Thank you, Jo, for your kind comment. I do the dance cardio on Fridays, just to make it different from other weekdays and something fun to look forward to. I enjoyed watching Boy, too. The young actors in that movie did a really good job.
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Wonderful post. I am impressed with all that you are able to accomplish in terms of variety and interest. The Coconut bread looks tempting too. Oh, how long have you been blogging before WordPress? I just started in December and I like WordPress, although there are a few things I still have to figure out. Blessings, Michele
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Thank you, Michele, for your kind comment. I’ve been blogging for about 2.5 years on Blogger before switching to WordPress. WordPress has very good support and online help if you need to figure out something.
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What a lovely uplifting post thank you so much.#SeniSal
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Thank you, Bree, for your kind comment. I’m glad you found my post uplifting. Hope you’re all well in Australia.
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I love your photos and their spring feel. We have just entered winter and it’s quite cold tonight so some lovely spring photos were very welcome.I haven’t been game enough to swap to WP yet but it seems to be the place to be.
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Thank you, Veronica, for your kind comment. I’m glad you liked my spring photos. Blogger plans to release a new interface in late June. Have you seen their sample? I saw it on my Blogger site. The new Blogger dashboard has some similar looks to the WordPress dashboard. I don’t know if Blogger new release would have any functionality updates.
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Yes Natalie, I have seen that Blogger is bringing in an update. I’m not good with change so I’m leaving it until they make me change. I will just have to see how I go then being as I am definitely one of the technology challenged. 😂
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The new Blogger format looks likes an improvement. It’s normal to take time to adjust to any change. You’ve got this!
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May was more difficult than March and April. We decided not to go home to Powell River because of the Canadian border closure and quarantine requirement. We have a place in the States near the border so have hunkered down here. While the numbers of cases are declining, the border closure keeps getting extended and with each time my hopes of going home diminish at the same time that necessary business items (drivers licenses, car registrations, taxes, etc.) are pulling me north only to have to sit inside a small condo with a small balcony for fourteen days strait. At least here in the States I can go out to shop for essentials and go outdoors to walk for exercise. That has made the isolation tolerable. – Margy
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It’s a tough situation with the extended border closure and quarantine requirement. Being able to go outdoors for exercise or essentials has helped me a lot too. That’s pretty much what I do since mid-March. We’re still under emergency orders in Ontario atm.
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I just returned home from picking up 3 books curbside and could not agree more that a lake view and a good book is the best. Great job on your baking success! We were baking way more than usual too and I am having such a hard time cutting back.
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I bake once a month and just one loaf. I’m waiting for the public library here to announce when I can pick up books. Thank you, Joanne, for stopping by. Enjoy reading by the lake!
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Was the Street car good? I’d planned to watch it and then didn’t….I love all your tulips – how lucky to have them everywhere #MSLTL
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Gillian Anderson was fantastic in The Streetcar Named Desire by Young Vic Theatre in the UK. I think she and/ or the play won awards. I had watched and liked her in the X-Files years ago.
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We’re heading into winter here in Australia so that should be interesting. I actually like winter so I’m kinda happy, but I hope it doesn’t cause a spike in coronavirus as our case numbers are still very low.
I’ve actually not watched any ‘theatre’ or live shows but know that a lot have been made accessible and I think that’s great. I must make the most of that before they disappear!
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I take advantage of the shows and plays that are available now as I stay at home more, they are free and I can watch them from my the comfort of my couch. Normally, the front row tickets are expensive or I’d have to travel to see them plus the ticket cost.
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So very beautiful. Love your smile pics. #MLSTL
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Thank you, Patrick, for your kind comment. I greatly appreciate it.
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Thank you, Natalie! Your lovely photos certainly kickstarted my day!
Happy Wednesday!
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You’re welcome, Veronica. I’m glad you liked my photos. Happy Wednesday!
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Love your pictures of spring flowers. I’m so grateful that lockdown happened now and not in winter!
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Spring has made it easier for me to manage the lockdown. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful June!
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Wow! You have been busy. Lovely to see your images and your list of films. You’ve reminded me that it’s ages since I watched Boy. Something for this rainy evening I think.
Thanks for joining the Changing Seasons.
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All fun stuff while staying at home 🙂 Thank you, Su, for the opportunity to participate in the Changing Seasons. Have a wonderful week!
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What lovely, calming photos you have captured for this month. It is so important to document these strange times we are living in at the moment, it has certainly made me realise the things I took for granted. I agree that lockdown has been easier to deal with at this time of year when we can get outside and enjoy walks in the fresh air – it would have been harder if it were winter and we were confined to the inside of our homes.
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Hi Deb, Spring and walks outside have been a huge help for me to manage the lockdown. Blogging also helps, not only to document but also to connect and share our experiences with others around the world. Hope you and your loved ones are well in the UK.
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I can see why you would be glad to have your restrictions in Spring. How lovely your city looks. Those blooms are extraordinary. I too can’t believe it’s been a year since you moved to wordpress. Good on you for baking. I love coconut. Yum,
Thank you for linking up today for Life This Week. Next week’s optional prompt is 23/51 Life Stories #2 8.6.2020 where I will be doing a part 2 on being a grandmother. Do link up any post, old or new it does not need to be on prompt. Looking forward to seeing you there, Denyse.
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Hi Denyse, Spring blossoms make my walks very appealing. One good thing that came out of this lockdown is that I finally learned to bake a few things 🙂 Thank you for hosting LTW. See you soon.
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Those are some fantastic spring colors! I’m glad you’re healthy, hope the lockdown doesn’t last long for you.
Thanks for being a part of ‘My Corner of the World’ this week!
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Thank you, Betty, for hosting MCoW. Glad you liked the spring colours I chose. We still have spikes of COVID-19 cases so emergency orders have been extended. I’ll keep going outside to walk and take photos 🙂
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Hi Natalie – your May looks to have been a fabulous month despite the Covid-19 restrictions. Did you know that tulips are my favourite flower? Aren’t they beautiful! What a treat seeing that wild bunny. Have a great week! xo
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Hi Min, I’m glad to share my virtual tulips with you. We have a lot of tulips in May, even a Tulip festival (in non-pandemic times) in Ottawa, our capital city, with lots of bulbs gifted from the Netherlands. I was pleased to see the bunny the 2nd time, in the same area. Have a wonderful week!
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Love your flowers and that picture of the Trumpeter Swans so graceful and beautiful.
I come to your blog via Esme’s Senior Salon. I really like your blog.
Crystal
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Thank you, Crystal, for your kind comment. I greatly appreciate it. Hope you’re staying safe and well. Have a wonderful week!
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Lots of reasons to smile here Natalie. Your photos are beautiful and that coconut bread looks yummy #MLSTL
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Thank you, Jennifer, for your kind comment. The weather has been pretty good here so it’s easy to take nice photos in natural light. The coconut bread was easy to make and turned out very well.
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Lots of great things have kept you busy. I was interested to watch Gillian Anderson in Street Car but I fear I’ve missed it now. How anyone can complain about being bored is beyond me when we have a wealth of choices in all directions.
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There are lots of high quality arts and entertainment available for free during this pandemic. The National Theatre At Home on You Tube channel has free full-length plays every Thursday if you’re interested. Thursday night is my Theatre at home night atm 🙂
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Yes, I’ve seen what the National Theatre are doing. I’ve been watching the Andrew LLoyd Webber musicals too and a few other things. I did a blog piece a while back on some of the amazing offerings. It’s marvellous although they are struggling to make ends meet with no live audiences and ticket sales. Hopefully lots of people are donating for the free streamings.
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It sounds like you made the most of May. I love the tulips!! I’ve made the coconut loaf from Muffins and More and it is very good. Have a wonderful June. xo #SeniSal
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May was good considering we’re still under emergency orders in Ontario. It was also prime month for many varieties of tulips to bloom here. They’re mostly gone now. Thank you, Darlene, for dropping by. Have a wonderful June!
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What a lovely post, Natalie! Love the happy flowers, the delicious looking coconut bread, the bunny and the trumpeter swans! So good that you stay active and also learn new languages! Wishing you a wonderful June! ☺
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Thank you, Sarah, for your visit and comment. I’m glad you liked my post. June is off to a good start so far. I have 30 days to ‘do a great job’ 🙂 Wishing you a wonderful June as well!
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You’re welcome! And thank you! Looking forward to you June catchup at the end of the month. 😀
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It’s nice to read that you still manage to keep up most of your routines in regards to fitness, art, and languages. I agree that it would have been worse if the pandemic happened in winter. At least in spring, many people found an exercise outlet outside.
May is usually my favorite month, but this year was different. Because of the lockdown and Massachusetts having an extremely cold and windy month of May. I’m surprised not all the grocery stores in Toronto require masks…
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Hi Liesbet, Nice to hear from you. Currently, in Toronto, masks are recommended when physical distancing of 2 meters (6 ft) is not possible. They’re not required everywhere yet. All stores have implemented sanitizing and physical distancing procedures (e.g. limit number of shoppers enter the store, sanitizer station, shields for cashiers, directional traffic signs in the store, etc.). I hope you’re doing well in MA with better weather in June. My hello to Mark and a gentle paw shake to Maya.
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It sounds like May treated you kind, Natalie. The flower photos are truly beautiful. Thanks for sharing them. Here’s to an even better June! #MLSTL
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Thank you, Christie, for your comment. May was very good to me, aside from the global COVID19- virus spread. Have a wonderful June!
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What a snuggly lil bunny camouflaged there in the brush. Glad you circled him or I would never have spotted him.
The coconut bread sounds yummy. I drink mostly black coffee and enjoy having something sweet to eat with my coffee. Just started a bread baking board on Pinterest. Will pin this to it.
The flowers you encountered this past month were vibrant and varied. I miss having real flowers!! Our cactus blooms aren’t quite the same.
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The coconut bread would go well with black coffee. if you do try the recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of it. Thanks, Leslie, for stopping by. Have a wonderful Sunday and upcoming week!
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Welcome to The Changing Seasons, Natalie! Looking forward to seeing you often here.
Congratulations on your 1 year Anniversary on WordPress!
What a month you’ve had! It is good to hear all your family and friends are safe and well, given the public health situation we find ourselves.
Wishing you a great month of June! Keep well & safe.
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Thank you, Ju-Lyn, for your visit and kind comment. I hope to join the Changing Seasons again. I’ll visit your blog shortly. Hope you and your family are all well. Have a wonderful June!
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