HO HO HO
WISHING YOU, dear friends, A MAGICAL DAY SHARING LOVE AND LAUGHTER WITH THOSE YOU HOLD DEAR
TO YOUR HEARTS! ❤️❤️❤️😃🎄🌹 ​

My Grandfather-in-law, fondly known as Pop Thomson
Was borned into a wealthy and comfortable family life
He was a lawyer and partner in a firm
When he volunteered to serve his country in World War 1
He returned after 4 years of service...
But without his best friend, Lieutenant James William Williams, aged 28 and married
On the day he returned, Pop Thomson was told to report back to work by his senior partner for the very next day ...
He did so resenting that he wasn't offered more grace time to recuperate
But later realised his boss was looking out for him
For by being busy right away..
He recovered more quickly from the harsh effects of PTSD
Which many of his fellow comrades battled with
He volunteered again for World War 2
Where he was kept prisoner-of-war for 4 years in Hong Kong
He ate all bugs that crawled across his way
To supplement his thin watery rice rations
Released home in his mid fifties..thin and weakened
His work at his law firm was finally scaled down
His family got to enjoy him the rest of his life till his passing to heavenly glory at 88
I hold great awe for Pops Thomson
Who left his cushy life to help his country win the war
His children and grandchildren still speak of him with great fondness to this day..
For the Father and the Grandfather that he was..
And I speak today for the courageous man that he was..
I never once heard he was ever filled with hatred or bitterness after fighting in the wars..
Neither should we...
But we must never forget.. 

Painting in Paris in September...
Paris, Ontario that is..
What a lovely, interesting town! ​

ALL ABOARD!!
Painting "Red Rockets" in Toronto before they totally disappear..
With the advancement of streetcars technology
The "Red Rockets" generation is being replaced by the new longer, modern Flexity streetcars
A hot day to paint in..
Forgot to bring a coconut tree to give shade and coconut juice to all my fellow Toronto urban sketchers! 😁
But the pulsating energy of Toronto and fellow sketchers is invigorating and palpable! 🤩
#paintout #pleinair #urbanscape #oilpainting #fineart #torontoart#canadianart #artlovers #summerday #artistsoninstagram #summer#ttc #outdoorpainting #oilstudy #urbansketchers#torontourbansketchers #toronto #allaprima #artoninstagram#artstagram

Being driven to my hotel on the European side
After having landed in Ataturk Airport, the Asian side of Turkey

My cab driver was a spry, elderly gentleman
Who weaved in and out of traffic
I was slightly surprised at myself for feeling calm despite the seemingly reckless driving:
Changing lanes on a whim without signaling or straddling lanes

I thought to myself:
If he managed to drive and lived to this ripe age
I must be in skilled hands... and blissfully caught a few winks
And  delivered refreshed to my hotel front steps