Stouffville and Thornhill

Whew, what an amazing trip down memory lane today!
Lisa and I woke and had a leisurely morning catching up on each other's news, drinking coffee, flipping through magazines, eating toast...finally showered and left the house by noon. We went straight to Stouffville where we parked at a plaza (the plaza where A&P used to be but is now a rubbish huge junky store called Giant Tiger) and set out on foot exploring all the areas I remembered from when we lived there. Most of my memories were of pushing Grace or Tara around in strollers! We visited the park on Rupert St, then Glad Park School where Grace spent a year in Jr Kindergarten, then the old house on Ninth Line - it looked unchanged and sad. The front lawn was unkempt, the front garden that I tended so lovingly and filled with perennials was overgrown and untidy, the paint on the side of the house near the air conditioning unit was pale and peeling. It was quite depressing. In fact the overall feeling I had walking around was of a town past its prime. Interestingly the old part of town, down near the post office, was still pretty with the cute old houses with their painted front porches. Glad Park School was tired looking with a faded flag and faded plastic playground equipment and lawns overgrown with weeds. It is only 13 years old but it was like no one had painted or improved upon it since it was brand new. Shame on York Region school board. We ate a nice lunch at East Side Marios then on impulse drove to Thornhill! It was fun to go there together as we both had the same vivid memories of growing up there, and of course that's where we first met. We went down the street I used to live on and then her old street, then we visited Stornoway Public School then Thornlea Secondary School. Again both schools looked like very little had changed since we attended - I swear it's the same paint on both buildings! Obviously the school boards aren't putting any of the taxpayers money into maintaining their older buildings. I took lots of pictures!!
I drove Lisa back to Uxbridge for 5pm and the jet lag was definitely rearing its ugly head. I could have curled up for a nap but turned around, after a tearful goodbye, and drove the hour back to Peterborough. Susie and Glenn had a lovely dinner ready of shish kebabs on the BBQ with rice which went perfectly with my chilled white wine! We're going to watch Survivor then Susie and I are going to make my mum's tourtiere pie recipe for Sat night dinner at the cottage. I've never made it, it has always been Susie's thing. I hope I stay awake!!