A trip to Paris this weekend.

Been a busy weekend.  Yesterday, in a moment of unusual decisiveness, I found a pair of lights for my kitchen, which is currently in the midst of a redecoration which MUST be finished for Christmas.  About 8 years ago, I stumbled across a lighting store on Broadview, that seemed to specialize in reproduction 1920s and 30s lighting, and found a perfect fixture for the downstairs hallway.  After lots of internet browsing for new kitchen lights, and no decision, I remembered that store, and decided to see if it was still there.  Unfortunately, it is no more, but across the street, Der Dietemann antiques had a whole windowful of art deco lighting, so we had a look inside.  The shop was overflowing with all sorts, and after a few minutes talking with the owner, Albert, I decided that a pair of simple schoolhouse lights would be ideal.  The store is going to fix them up to my specifications, and will even install them for me to the bargain, so I won't have the pain of fiddling around with wires.

Then in the evening, the trio and I had a gig, at a birthday party for a Hungarian octogenerian.  We did a couple of hours of foxtrots, tangos, Gershwin songs and the like, which came off really well despite challenges trying to get any time to rehearse.  It helped considerably that the audience was of an age and demographic to fully appreciate our repertoire!  We had some sing-along and clap-along going on, and if there had been more floor space, I think we could have seen the rug being cut up, so to speak.

And then today, Davey and I had a nice drive out in the country.  For a while now, I've been following the blog of Daryl McMahon, and so today, I finally made a trip out to Paris, Ontario, to see his work at a Christmas Open House at his beautiful home.  Can't show pictures of everything we brought home, in case they end up as Christmas gifts.  If you haven't seen his work before, you must check out his blog to see examples of his amazing work, and find a chance to catch one of his shows if you can.
Paris, Ontario is quite a lovely, old country town.  Lots of early industrial development along the grand river, and plenty of examples of early 19th century architecture, some beautifully maintained and pristine, and others looking much more Dickensian.  In it's day, it must have been a wealthy and bustling little town, and it's lucky that it's survived without too much unfortunate redevelopment.

Photo doesn't do these candle hooks for the Christmas tree justice.  They cleverly been made with decorative (non-functioning) candles, to avoid any serious fire hazard.  Check out Daryl's blog to see much more elaborate and spectacular examples of his work.

This fascinating house was really eye-catching.  The stone walls were  lined with regular courses of river pebbles, much like flints are sometimes seen as a facing of old houses in East Anglia.  I'd never seen this type of treatment in Ontario.

The front entrance was very much like a mausoleum - highly imposing.  The house stretched back into the large lot for ages, with one addition after another at the back.  Would love to take a look inside.

Meanwhile, back in Mimico, my kitchen is in a state.  The hole in the ceiling is the last evidence of the bathroom issues that have plagued me since labour day.  All fixed now, except this ceiling issue, which hopefully will be taken care of very shortly.

The cupboard doors are off because I'm finally re-painting the cabinets.  I have the day off work tomorrow, so will finish off garden chores, and hope to make some progress with these cabinets.

Ham, eggs and homemade tomato ketchup

I was on a pickling, canning and bottling frenzy this weekend.

Ham steak and eggs for breakfast this morning - not a normal Monday breakfast for me, but definitely a good one for a long weekend.  And the real highlight?  Tasting the homemade tomato ketchup that I made on Saturday!  It was surprisingly little effort (although it didn't half make the kitchen hot!!), and the results are amazing.  I can highly recommend it if you have access to some good, ripe tomatoes.  I followed a recipe from delectablemusings.com, which was a real cinch.  I may make another batch on a cooler weekend in the fall to give away as presents.

Following a tip on delectablemusings.com, I broiled my tomatoes to remove the skins, before canning them.  Much easier and quicker than the boiling water method.

I was also very pleased with a previous auction purchase this weekend.  A year or two ago, for no particular reason, I bought a massive copper pot in an auction.  The interior tin lining is still there, but probably not intact enough to be safe to cook in directly, and it's so gargantuan, it didn't seem worth the money to have it relined because I don't intend to boil 10 chickens simultaneously at any point in the near future.   However, when I discovered that my normal process of using my stock pot as a boiling water bath when canning wasn't going to work with quart jars because they are just too big, I suddenly remembered that old copper pot.  It weighs a ton, and by the time I had filled it with water, it took two of us to get it on the stove, and about an hour to get the water to a rolling boil, but it did the trick admirably.  I knew I must have bought it for a reason!

I don't know how many litres this copper pot holds, but you could boil about 10 chickens in there, and probably half a sack of potatoes as well.

For a sense of scale, to the left is my standard stock pot, which I normally use when canning....don't normally do anything larger than a pint jar.

Provost Skene's House, Aberdeen

A very elegant 18th century dining room.  Wooden panelling keeps out Scottish draughts and adds grandeur.

Sometimes, as they say, the best things in life are free, and this was certainly true during my visit to Scotland last summer, where I was delighted to find that many museums and galleries are still free of charge (although everyone who visits should still do what they can in the form of donation).   Provost Skene's House is a museum run by Aberdeen Art Galleries and Museums, which is an absolute delight to visit.  First mentioned in records in 1545, the house was an important dwelling of the new Town through the 16th to 18th centuries, and it was reputedly commandeered by the Duke of Cumberland as he travelled north to the slaughter at the Battle of Culloden, where he earned the nickname "Butcher Cumberland".  Indeed, the house was known as "Cumberland House" for the next 200 years as a result, during which time it eventually became a public rooming house.  The immediate vicinity of the house gradually devolved into a slum, which was eventually cleared out in improvements between the wars. Remarkably, Provost Skene's House was spared destruction, although it was ultimately surrounded by a sea of 1960s/70s concrete, which remains to this day.  Recently, the council has agreed that their vacant office building, the most prominent eyesore in the area, should be demolished and the site sold.  Hopefully the planners will get the next phase right.  Nonetheless, Provost Skene's House has managed to survive thus far, and will surely withstand any future insults!   And who was Provost Skene anyway?  Well, he was not the original occupant of the house, which was built at least a century before he lived there in the latter part of the 16th century.  He was the Provost of Aberdeen from 1676 to 1685, the Provost being the head of the town council, similar to a Mayor.

In any case, the interior of the house forms a wonderful series of rooms displaying period furnishing from the 17th to early 19th centuries, and an absolutely remarkable painted ceiling in what was originally a catholic chapel.  The painted ceiling naively represents the life of Jesus and was hidden for  three centuries, only to be rediscovered when the rooming house was being restored.  When we visited, we were lucky enough to be in the room with a native Aberdonian guide who really knew all of the history and allegory in the painting and who gave a very colourful account of the scenes depicted.  Definitely worth the entry price and a real gem of the city.

A richly carved "press", possibly from the low countries, with whom the port of Aberdeen had strong trading relationships

A very toasty spot!

love the long case clock

The painted chapel ceiling, thought to have been painted by itinerant Italian artists

Much of the ceiling is in near perfect condition, after being concealed for nearly 300 years

There are 10 panels in all, each telling an important part of the life of Jesus - and most with some characters that definitely look more like locals than folk from the Holy Land!

Love the crewel work drapery

A perfectly charming bedroom

A regency period sitting room.  That yellow silk was extremely intense, but in the grey gloom of an Aberdeen winter, would be reminiscent of warm sunshine, and it worked well in the room

A perfect place to take tea.