Restless Prairie Girl

Yes big changes in the wind...in mid March I will quit the working world and start the new journey that is called "retirement". To me it is just a new phase in my life.  After thirty years of full time work (that has given me a nice pension thank you very much) and thirteen years of casual/part-time work it is time it's time to pull the plug and be free.  What do I plan to do?  Well travel of course but let's be realistic...I can't travel all the time.  I do plan to do more local pet sitting for extra cash, volunteer when I am around, spend more time at the Y (I'll get back to you on that...), go for more walks around the lake, write more...the list goes on and on...and who knows I may not be saying goodbye to paid work forever...I still have fantasies of working in a book shop someday...That's the wonderful thing about life - we never know what's coming up next. First however.....you know it had to be travel and I am continuing the grand tradition o

As most people who read this blog know I am a HUGE Beatles fan and especially a fan of Paul McCartney.  Let's just say I have seen him in concert a few times.  When I found out he was going to be in Toronto and in my friend Pat's home town of Buffalo I knew I had to go.  I then found out that Ringo was going to be playing in Toronto in between those two concerts and then The Who would be there too. Great excitement and I managed to score tickets to all four concerts...though it wasn't easy...sadly The Who postponed their Toronto concert due to Roger Daltrey being ill.  Oh well, at least it wasn't one of my Beatle boys who cancelled although it was disappointing.  So on the morning of Friday October 16th at the ungodly hour of 6:45 a.m. I boarded a nonstop Air Canada jet bound for Hog town.  It felt SO good to be boarding a plane again as I had been home exactly four months and five days.  (but who's counting?)   They actually had to de-ice the wings of the plane a

One of the (many) things I love about London are the abundance of parks.  You may be surprised to learn that 38% of London is green space then add up all the private gardens to bring it to 62%. (yes there are people that actually figure this out...and you thought YOUR job was boring...)   Take that New York! (at 14% of green space)  Okay not as much as Singapore (47% and much loved by me as well..in fact I call it the Asian London) or Sydney (46%).  So indulge me and let me gush on about my favourite parks in the city I love so much. Instead of saving the best for last I am going to share the best first...St James Park.  I think this is a particular favourite of a lot of tourists including me.  Within a few minutes walk of Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament the park heaves with tourists at times but there always seems to be enough room for everybody.  I fell in love with this beautiful park the first time I visited in 1975 and it is one of the first thin