Driving Up Yonge Street - Where Will We Stop?

When we go to Toronto this spring, where will we go and how will it feel?

I am probably a little more attached to my home town than most people because I lived there pretty much continuously for over fifty years. There are certain places I have to go and some people I like to see.

It is easy to find a Swiss Chalet Restaurant - in almost any city in Canada. And the chicken tastes much like it did when young men would take me there when I was in my early 20s. I usually go there more than once. You can still get a quarter chicken dinner with fries, BBQ sauce for dipping and a side salad. It just costs a bit more, but even the Catalina-style dressing tastes the same.

The tough part for me now - and for Keith when he goes to Robinson, Illinois - is that there are less and less of our friends and relatives each time we go.

It has been almost two years since we were in Toronto and Port Hope. There are at least two less people to visit this time. It was the quickest trip we ever made to Toronto - in and out.

A major highlight, of course, is visiting young William who will be 6 - 1/2 when we see him. He always gives me a spectacular welcome. His Grandmother, Judy, will either make us a wonderful home-cooked meal or even better, she might take us to Swiss Chalet! (When you know how much I look forward to that, why would you knock yourself out cooking?)

Last time I saw Judy in person, she was facing some pretty serious surgery and we were all scared. She has done very well and I expect her to be pretty happy when I see her. Her hubby, Don, always makes us feel welcome as do the rest of their family.

Two years ago, we had lunch with my "old" friend who died last year. I didn't think of her as old but yes, we had been friends for 48 years.

This year, her husband will pick us up at our hotel and take us to his daughter's home - and she and her significant other will welcome us for dinner.

Cathie is so much like her grandmother, that I always have to smile when I see her. Do you know someone who reminds you more their grandparent than their parent?

Well, Cathie is trim and blond and, dresses very smartly. Her mother liked to be relaxed but grandmother Mary was more formal.

Mary wore lipstick at 8:30 in the morning. Her hair was always in place and she loved to wear shirtwaist dresses which suited her petite figure. Cathie is like that. Mary was very friendly - all those gals were outgoing and friendly.

Mary would get excited when she could introduce you to something "new" and I recall in the late 50s her discovery of a wonderful coffee creamer that was frozen when you brought it home, lasted three weeks in the frig and tasted delicious! That was Coffee Rich and I always think of Mary when I see that product. She had such an enthusiasm for life and passed it on to daughter and granddaughter.

Although I am sad to have lost my friend, I am honored that her family is enthusiastic about seeing us when we are there.

So that is a little of what we will be doing. I will let you in on some more things another day. There's a special friend who's wheelchair-bound and a son and daugther-in-law of my late cousin. There are some of the wonderful neighbors from Port Hope but they tell me the Dover Seafood House is closed. Hmm. . . things do change.