 | ||||||
| A Toronto street scene, by Doug Taylor |
That bright, barn red streetcar in the beautiful painting
above has been my main means of transport for the
past month. I board it every weekday morning, at
exactly 8:15 a.m, to take me to my new job, at a
busy law firm, in bustling, midtown Toronto.
 |
| The Cretan countryside, by Poppy |
On the island, this single cypress tree, just outside the
village, stands for our one and only bus stop. The descent
into town, via picturesque patches of vineyards, orange and
olive groves, was always a relaxing ride and a peaceful
prelude to tutoring fidgety, Greek teens in English!
 |
| The Toronto Skyline, as seen from Centre Island, by Doug Taylor |
Each trip takes precisely 25 minutes,
but the second seems like a lifetime ago.
xo
Poppy
Poppy
P.S.:
Hope you can forgive me for not being able to visit
blogland lately, but after 8 hours of filing, faxing,
prepping and printing, I only end up in one place:
dreamland! Promise to catch up with you soon!
Happy February!
I am a bit behind.
ReplyDeleteAre you permanently in Canada now?
Hi Carol, yes, I am, but I've learned that, in life, nothing is ever really permanent. So, for now, however long 'now' is, I am living and working in my beloved hometown of Toronto.
DeleteThanks for visiting!
I'm behind, also... have you moved?
ReplyDeleteHi Claudia,
DeleteWell, I guess you could say that I've moved, although it wasn't something I had planned. I'm starting to believe that sometimes fate paves the way and you simply follow.
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Dearest Poppy , your photow are wonderful. Are you stay in Toronto now ? I hope you and your family are well .Take care yourself and don't worry about blogland !
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts to you !
Olympia
Dearest Olympia,
DeleteSo wonderful to hear from you! Yes, my friend, I staying in Toronto, now, but I really miss the beauty and light of Crete, and of course, my sweet friends. Thank goodness for Skype!
Καλό μήνα!
Poppy
Hello Poppy, I love the images of Toronto. I hope you enjoy your new job! Congrats, it is also nice to be near your daughter and family. Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteI love your new header. I am like the rest behind in my blog visits. I did not know you are staying in Canada now.
ReplyDeleteAlways good to see you post something! Love the red streetcar picture...sounds like you found a good job! Making new memories! Hugs, Liz
ReplyDeleteDear Poppy, this post is touching and loaded with meaning! Congratulations, welcome and sweet dreams of course I forgive you. Blessings. xo
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new job, Poppy. I somehow had not realized that you left Cyprus. I thought you were on an extended vacation in Canada. xoxo Su
ReplyDeleteThank you, Su.
DeleteNow, although I adore Cyprus, mostly because one of my very best friends lives there, in Limassol, actually, I was living on the island of Crete, land of the Minotaur, birthplace of the mighty Zeus, and home to the great Daedalus and Icarus.
Oh Poppy, I can't believe it has been that long since you started your new job. Sounds exhausting but like you are thriving. You chose a beautiful way to illustrate both your new life and your old one on Crete! Hugs to you~ xxx
ReplyDeleteSo good to hear from you again, Poppy! You sound very busy with your new job. How do you like riding the streetcar to and from work? I know driving into Toronto would be a nightmare. Think of you often and hope you're doing well. xoxo
ReplyDeleteAlways nice visiting your lovely blog Poppy!
ReplyDeleteYes, the time flies and so many things to do...
Have a great week now and take care.
Love from Titti
Poppy dear, don't worry about blog visits when you're adapting to this wonderful new position bull of exciting new challenges! That red trolley is a magic carpet ride of 25 minutes to observe unique new sights and people bustling along the roads, all with their own dynamic stories, just as yours is. And we will love glimpses into all of your worlds as you write ever so beautifully about them, as always.
ReplyDeleteLovely presentation, dear friend, and it won't be all that long before the sailboats will be out on Toronto's pretty lakes!
Love to you,
Dewena
"full" not "bull"! Will I ever learn to proof read before hitting publish? After all, it's what they paid me for when I was in my 20s!
DeleteI understand you are permanently in Toronto now and have a new job. After a long day at work it's hard to keep up a blog. I always love reading your writings, so I don't hope you stop for good, but take care of yourself first.
ReplyDeleteGood hearing from you. Sounds like you are really busy, Take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteJudy
I hope that you will be happy in your new job and your new/old life in Toronto. Hugs to you! xx
ReplyDeletehello I hope you are well I am sure you are for the simple reason that you are near your daughter and family... 25 minutes can be a long time or just not enough - :)
ReplyDeleteI know I would not want to be on the computer if I had to work on the computer!Doing exactly the opposite, teaching face to face and standing all the time(and jumping and dancing with the kids) I feel relaxed when I sit down and read blogs!No worries!You will visit blogland when you can!AriadnefromGreece!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new job and I am sure you love spending time with your family! Don't worry about visiting. It's just nice to see you pop up in my feed every now and then and to say hello!
ReplyDeleteDoes it seem like Greece is part of another lifetime? I'm glad you have found work in Toronto. I know what you mean about a busy day and being too tired to do much else.
ReplyDeleteHugs to you, dear Poppy. This change in your life is a huge transition. So glad you found time to post here today.
I know you travel back and forth, Poppy. Will you be staying in Toronto permanently?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new job. I hope you really love it. :)
So good to hear from you Poppy. Love your pictures and congratulations on your new job. So glad to hear that you love it. So glad that you posted today.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week dear Poppy.
Hugs,
Mary
OMGOSH!
ReplyDeletei almost emailed you just today. i've been wondering.
and well. maybe worrying just a little. :)
FINALLY NEWS!!! and such GOOD NEWS!
no more crepes! LOLOL.
oh my own poppy. wow.
and i love the pictures. all of them!
but especially the one with the red streetcar knowing poppy might be on it.
just REST darling bean. every chance you get.
every time i ever started a new job i kept a headache for the first week. just from trying so hard i guess. who knows.
but things are good for you now... this will be a good year. i feel it!
XOXOXO♥
It is such a striking difference isn't it? The calmness and nature filled ride in Crete, compared to the hustle and bustle of Toronto. But I do believe the later is what you soul needs right now, and no matter where life takes you, I know it will be a place made all the more happy because you are there.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs- rest if you can.
ReplyDeleteSee you soon. ♥♥♥
Please give us a quick catch-up! I have no idea what is going on! Crete? Toronto? Please....just a few sentences to let us know....so we understand! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteHey Penelope, my sweet, serendipitous friend,
DeleteI know you must be slightly startled to learn that I've left my home in the Cretan countryside, a home inspired partly by your own gorgeous abode, so many years ago, when I first came across it in House Beautiful! Yes, both for professional, as well as for personal reasons, I am now living and working in my hometown of Toronto, Canada. My heart has always been torn between two countries: the one I was born in and the one that 'adopted' me! It's now time to return to my birthplace, as life, itself, has brought me here.
Hope this answers your question, and thanks for caring!
Dear Poppy, all the best on your new job. Hope you can get some proper rest on the weekend. I can't blame you for missing the beautiful island of Crete. Thank you for your kind visit and birthday wishes of my birthday. You are a sweetie.
ReplyDeleteTake care and stay warm.
Hugs,
Aida
Are you back here in Canada permanently now Poppy? Quite a different bus ride from the one you enjoyed in Greece.
ReplyDeleteI love the artwork you have posted! Best wishes to you in your new adventure! Lynn
ReplyDeletePoppy,
ReplyDeleteLife is ever changing to bless us along the way. Travels and relocation in life open up new opportunities - what struck me was the 25 minutes of travel time from the past to the present. Poppy I feel your emotions and you soon drafting a poem out of it. Congrats on your position and I know I will be graced by your visit when you have time. I was especially taken by the beauty of the art you chose for this post. Did you paint yours? Gorgeous. Enjoy writing this next chapter of your life, moment by moment, day by day we are graced by unlimited possibilites in front of us.
Sending love,
Vera
Hello Poppy,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on joining the world of commerce. I love the Toronto street cars and there is always good street entertainment, assuming you get a seat. It takes a while to get street car legs, if standing. Hope life and family are great.
Helen xx
Enjoyed your cute photos, and can relate, after a day of work the last thing I wanted to do is be on the computer...Sleep was much more appealing. Where are you anyways, fill us in. Are you staying in Toronto?
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you, Poppy, and good luck with the new job. I like the new header.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Two totally contrasting journeys Poppy and symbolic of the changes to your life recently. Sometimes it is hard enough to find time to post, never mind to return visits, much as one would like to. I do wish you well in your new life and look forward to finding out what fate has in store for you next.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a change. Wishing you all the best for your life in Toronto and your new job, Poppy. What happened to sweet Prince Richard? Did you take him with you?
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you are doing well! Enjoyed your post. You are an inspiration both there and in your comments! God bless:)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your new job Poppy! There is a huge difference between your two bus stops in 2 countries! I wish you well as you settle in to working and hope we'll see more of your beautiful photos and poems as you have time. Blessings to you! Hugs. Pam
ReplyDeleteI read the comments and understand that you are for now in Toronto. I can't tell you how may memories those two Toronto paintings brought back...
ReplyDeleteOh Poppy, you always illustrate your thoughts so beautifully! I'm happy for you that you have found a job during this time that you are in Toronto close to your daughter. I can only imagine how much you miss your dear Crete though! I know how much you loved that place. So happy to see you posting, and loved that picture of the Toronto skyline.. take care of yourself dear friend!
ReplyDeleteOh Poppy from this delightful post, it appears that at least you are now working a single job in the law firm, rather than those two other positions that left you even more bedraggled. Bless you and your new life...do rest and we will see you, when we can. Love and hugs~
ReplyDeletePoppy, I am so happy that you are doing well in your hometown and now you have a job. I see myself following in your footsteps Poppy! There is no end in sight to the hard times that have befallen us here in Greece. I wish you all the best in your new job and enjoy being with your family. And you pop back into blogland whenever you can we will always be here for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to read that you are settled into a job, Poppy. I know the challenges of working full time and trying to keep all the 'balls in the air'. I hope you are able to blog once in a while to let us know how things are going. Whatever challenges come your way, I have a feeling that you will be able to meet them head on and make the very best of everything life puts before you.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we'll have time for tea one day when I visit my sister in Toronto!
Thanks for the vote of confidence. It would be so very lovely to meet you! Please let me know when you're in Toronto!
DeleteGood luck with your new job, Poppy! I like how you wrote this post and included the artwork.
ReplyDeleteHere's wishing you well, Poppy, as you settle into your busy Toronto life. I'm sure your decision to stay was made with great care and I hope that you find happiness here.
ReplyDeleteFondly,
Karen
Congrats on the new job, hope it fullfills enough of your desires.
ReplyDeleteIt is understandable that you are so busy and tired now. :)
Hi Poppy! I have missed this post until now. Congratulations on your new job! Wishing the best for you as you have made this transition and know that you will be a blessing...no matter where you are! Take care of yourself and looking forward to your posts...whenever you are able :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new job, Poppy! It's always so nice to see a blog post from you...hope you are doing well in Toronto!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel. A full time job makes it so very hard to blog. Hope the people you work with know what a treasure they have in you! Hugs and I hope you and I both can get back to our blogging selves....lol.
ReplyDeleteLovely illustrations to your landscapes...currents and held in your heart. Your blog is a visual treat for sure.
ReplyDelete