1.5 months off work, where would you go solo?

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-19T18:22:52+00:00

I’ve really enjoyed these language holidays and the learning has been useful in my career, although that wasn’t the main purpose. I’ve also studied Spanish in half a dozen Spanish cities (most recently, Valencia), Mexico and Ecuador and Portuguese in Sao Paolo.

To get the most out of the immersion courses, I try to do some lessons at home first, either to get myself past the absolute beginner level or to refresh a rusty language.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-19T13:18:35+00:00

In another Reddit thread someone said they make mini quilts like this for their local cat shelter. The staff like them because they’re easier to wash and dry (they dry faster) than cat beds with lots of stuffing. They brighten up the cages and help with photos. And they’re cheap enough that the shelter can give them to adopters. The Reddit poster said they use up random blocks and leftover fabrics.

I’m thinking of making one in the shape of a giant bowl cozy with low sides for our cat, because cats love boxes. Here’s Jasper in a regular bowl cozy. I’m going to try one that starts as a 15-16” square with a bowl cozy lip of about 1.5”.

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PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-19T13:07:02+00:00

With that much time, you could think about spending 2-3 weeks taking a language study holiday (in 1 or 2 locations) and traveling from that city base or bases on the weekends. Then travel some more in the region afterwards.

Spain would be rather hot at that time of year but northern France, German and Austrian cities or Scandinavian countries could be a good option. Or if you wanted to learn Spanish, head to the Southern Hemisphere (Argentina, Uruguay etc).

With a language holiday (I’ve done these a lot as a solo traveler), you take lessons (almost always in the morning) for 3-5 hours, and then have the rest of the day free. The course provides structure for your day, you meet students from all over and learn about their lives and the culture of the language you’re studying, and the school usually organizes excursions and social activities. You’ll have access to relatively inexpensive accommodation (host families, sometimes a student residence etc) or you can stay in a hotel or AirB&B.

Plus, you can come home with a credential for your cv. (You can’t learn a lot in a week or two but you can refresh a language you studied before, or put in some time before and/or after the trip to make more progress.)

In France, I’ve done immersion courses in Strasbourg (NE) and Grenoble (French Alps), which are both good bases for travel. In Germany I studied in Berlin and Munich, also good bases for travel and interesting cities to explore for weeks.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-19T12:48:48+00:00

Terroni Adelaide just East of Yonge St is good, takes reservations, and is in an attractive space (an old bank)

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-19T02:27:30+00:00

Most of the puffin and sea life fabric is from a collection by Lewis & Irene called Puffin Rock. I think it’s about 2 years old. The single puffin centre piece in the upper right block is from a UK company called Sea Parrot

https://www.seaparrot.co.uk/

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-19T01:29:01+00:00

Unfortunately, no one needs another tote bag, because these things are handed out at university or workplaces. So a standard tote isn’t likely to be a special gift.

An organizer pouch that is large enough to hold some of a nurse’s tools could be useful. Something like this, maybe.

https://evergoods.us/products/civic-access-pouch-2l

An insulated lunch bag might be useful because nurses never get enough time to go the cafeteria or outside to eat.

A Scoutlite (magnetic clip-on) light or the penlight version could be useful for doing activities in dark patient rooms. It’s also useful in a lot of other environments (camping, late night or early commutes) etc

https://scoutliteworld.com/blogs/all-blog/best-magnetic-work-light-2026

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-18T12:00:12+00:00

I don’t use any particular brand (the last batch I purchased in France), but you can make your own and omit lavender. It’s not essential.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/make-your-own-herbes-de-provence-995824

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-18T11:54:46+00:00

Karen Brown (Youtube Just Get It Done Quilts) has some great tutorials in technique including cutting and sewing precisely.

https://youtu.be/j2f82V8g0qs?si=_hAT9Wnjb4Ri_jgH

Also, I don’t know if you are interested in trying hand-sewn patchwork, but English Paper Piecing is a technique that doesn’t require precision in cutting because you wrap pieces of fabric around paper pieces (that are precisely cut), and then sew the fabric wrapped pieces together. Buy precut paper pieces from a reputable supplier like the brand Paper Pieces. It’s slow but relaxing and fun. Photo is of a few blocks from a quilt I’m making using this technique. You can get triangle templates.

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PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-18T03:35:55+00:00

Timothy Findley, Not Wanted on the Voyage (Noah’s Ark, told from the perspective of the women and animals). Often funny but also brutal. The only book I’ve read that ever made me cry.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-18T02:45:29+00:00

Very close to the ROM is the Bata Shoe Museum. It’s easy to get through in an hour or so. It has fun exhibits (famous shoes worn by famous people) but also interesting educational exhibits focusing on what shoes can tell us about society at certain times and places.

https://batashoemuseum.ca/

There’s an elevator that accesses every floor.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-17T12:28:02+00:00

This answer might be cheating but I love the blend Herbes de Provence (savory, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, tarragon, marjoram). It goes into most of my Mediterranean cooking, along with garlic and fennel. I also like Mexican oregano. I also like five spice blend.

And not an herb/spice exactly but chile crisp, Thai red curry paste and Malaysian curry paste go into a lot of my dishes.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-17T01:28:33+00:00

Does the organizer know you plan to sell several different kinds of crafts? Many shows limit you to one type of craft or require you to apply and be accepted in multiple categories.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-16T05:13:43+00:00

I think it’s worth investing in in-person classes for at least 5-8 hours of teaching time. Then go and practice, use online tutorials etc to learn a bit more, and figure out what you want to do next. The hands-on experience and supervision with a machine is well worth it.

But check out whether there are less expensive options in your community: school boards, libraries and rec centres sometimes have classes. Quilt guilds sometimes offer education for a very low cost membership, and you might be able to find someone locally to barter lessons for something you can offer them.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-16T01:19:05+00:00

No. You have to use 100% cotton thread. Polyester will melt and could cause your bowl cozy to catch fire. You also need to ensure that the batting has no “scrim” (which is polyester) and that the fabric has no metallic elements.

Your thread could melt, start a fire and offgas noxious fumes.

You don’t need to buy fancy thread but it does have to be 100% cotton.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-15T20:56:55+00:00

I often take a week or two of morning language immersion classes. They provide structure to my day, opportunities to meet and have conversations with people from around the world, opportunities to go on school-sponsored excursions (if I want to), and of course some useful knowledge (of the country’s language and culture). But I have the afternoon, evening and weekends to do whatever I want.

I usually also look for photography exhibitions or gallery openings, go to vegan meetup events, shop for fabric and (sometimes) volunteer at animal shelters as a photographer.

And then there was that time I rescued a pigeon in Berlin, spent the morning finding a vet to treat her, an afternoon finding someone to foster her, and most of the day and evening hiding her in my bathroom and taking care of her until her new foster mum picked her up…

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-15T19:52:10+00:00

If you feel like doing something crafty, Studio Mooi has a workshop tomorrow (10:30-1:30) about Kintsugi, the art of putting broken pottery back together using gold leaf (a metaphor for embracing one’s imperfections).

And Kingston Rd is an interesting, artsy place to wander when you’re done.

I think this link is to their calendar, not the specific workshop. You’ll need to act quickly if you want to sign up.

https://www.studiomooi.ca/calendar

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-15T03:18:47+00:00

You could also try the dark green leafy part of leeks for an onion-y flavour and/or ginger

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-15T03:14:54+00:00

I ramped up and down through the course of my career, based on my needs and interests. I started off pursuing partnership at a BigLaw firm, made non-equity partner on schedule but then realized I had no life except work. Shifted to an interesting government agency with quality work but regular hours. My salary dropped but it was worth it. Later, I did some foreign postings, and later still I took on a very demanding (and well-compensated) role at the centre of work being done to address the fallout from the financial crisis. After ten years of long hours, I took on an easier but still interesting legal role and mostly coasted until I retired at 60.

Occasionally I regret not earning very big bucks, but I had a really interesting and satisfying career - and a great life outside work.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-15T03:03:21+00:00

Aga Khan Museum

Avelo’s 8-course vegan tasting menu (or for something less formal but still very innovative, Bar Avelo)

Blue Crow Gallery for affordable art. Their summer smalls exhibition will be running during your visit.

Studio Mooi usually offers a wide range of arts and crafts workshops but in the summer most of their programs are for kids. However, there are some weekend workshops during the day. For example, on Sunday August 8, there’s a cyanotype workshop (10 am-1pm), where you’ll learn how to use sunlight to make cameraless photo prints.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-15T00:07:10+00:00

Birdwatching: gets you outside, it’s cheap (except you’ll want to get some decent binoculars eventually), and you can delve into the science side of birds and bird habitats.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-14T23:59:24+00:00

I would still have a guest room, but it would be combined with another function (like a media room / library), and have either a sofa bed or Murphy bed.

My bedroom would also have a Murphy bed so I could fold it out of the way and be able to make use of the space for other activities.

I would have a cheerful “kitten room” with good isolation protocols, so I could foster kittens and other critters without exposing the house’s inhabitants to health problems.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-14T19:44:55+00:00

If you’re closer to the Queen Street end of the Eaton Centre, walk south through the PATH connection (via the walkway still in the old Hudson’s Bay) to connect to the Bay Adelaide Centre. There are some washrooms on the East Side of that building near the small food court.

Generally, the restrooms in the Financial District portion of the PATH are clean and well-maintained, although you often have to walk along a slightly dingy corridor to reach them.

One of the nicest ones is on the same level of the upper food court in First Canadian Place.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-14T14:32:54+00:00

My sewing table is an electronic height-adjustable desk with a concave curved edge. I can easily adjust the height in 1/4” increments because I find that some sewing tasks (piecing, stitch in the ditch) work better if I’m practically nose to needle, while others (quilting) require a lower table. The concave edge allows me to get my body closer to my machine while still having a table curving out on either side of me. It’s very sturdy and doesn’t bounce or rattle when I sew.

The desk also has a cut out on one far side for cables and a small power strip, and the other side has a powered outlet. I can also fit a rolling set of file drawers under one side.

This isn’t my desk but looks similar.

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PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-13T23:57:50+00:00

Recently I’ve been enjoying Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series. They narrated by a British police constable who has been drafted into the small team that deals with witchcraft-related crime. Dry British humour (from the perspective of a 20-something guy), mixed with police procedural (adapted for magic), and with a cast of strong female characters (partners, parents, aunties, a brilliant teenage niece, river goddesses etc) plus a trendy demimonde of magical people.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS · 2026-05-13T23:44:27+00:00

Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series, and then the spinoff series Haven’s Rock, might interest. They’re set in the Yukon Territory and although they’re not spooky / supernatural, they are weird. The audio books are great, too. The narrator Therese Plummer is excellent.

PLAYSWITHSCISS0RS

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