…. Frances wouldn’t go any farther
I shouldn’t blame the dog for not wanting to carry on but she was pulling in the wrong direction and frequently put on the brakes.
It felt good to get in a long walk today. So far the knee feels good. I really thought I had done at least 5 km but according to gmap-pedometer it was only 4.6 km. I’ve posted the map.
… I found a few books that students forgot to pick up
Last week when I wrote about the book making workshop I did at school I said my only regret was not taking pictures of the finished projects. When I returned to school last Monday I noticed that several books had not been picked up. After coming back from our trip to Mono Cliffs I took the books home and photographed them to share with you.
If anyone is interested in knowing how to make them I’d be happy to post a DIY page. Let me know through this blog.
A handful of examples from the book making workshop
….. hooray!!!!!!
After my last post I did go for a nap and slept for 2 1/2 hours. I guess I was really tired.
On Saturday I got out for a walk with the dog. It was shorter than normal because they’re doing work on the rugby pitch and two laps of that is at least 1 km. I’ll have to find a new route for awhile.
I also got to the farmers’ market at the Brick Works and I was really looking forward to taking some great shots of fresh produce and anything else that might present itself. It was very busy but there was very little there in the way of produce. I really wanted to buy some rhubarb but there was none to be found. There were vendors there selling baked goods, gardening supplies, juices, honey, sausages and prepared foods but very little in the way of greens. I guess it’s still a little early in the season in Ontario.
My daughter and I also stopped at a cute little flower shop on Dundas St. West, near Trinity Bellwoods, called Sweet Woodruff. She had great “air-plants” that don’t need soil or water to survive. Well actually you do have to soak them about once a week but you can put them anywhere. I bought 3 and gave one away to my oldest daughter because she has always wanted one.
When I got back home I also got some gardening done but I have a lot left to do and when I finish here I’ll be out there pulling more weeds and planting a few flowers.
So everything that I set out to do on Saturday happened, plus I got some more school work done.
I haven’t shared the readings on my scale with you in almost a week. I knew that being away for 3 days would have a somewhat negative effect on my weight, even though I was incredibly active and I avoided all the desserts, bread, and fries. Thursday morning I was up 1/2 a pound and on Friday, another 1/2 pound. Today I lost that weight plus an additional 1/2 so that my total loss to date is an even 10 pounds.
This morning, my husband and I met up with two of our life long friends at the AGO and saw the Picasso show. If you’re in Toronto you should really check it out. It’s quite amazing and awe inspiring. Afterwards we went to the member’s lounge, had a nice lunch and then went our separate ways.
TTFN
…. but I’m too tired to enjoy it.
What a crazy week! Three days at Mono Cliffs with 56 grade 5 students, an all day soccer tournament (the girls won), Girls on the Run, and an all day library/computer workshop. I’m falling asleep over my laptop again.
I never get home before 6:00 from work but today, because my workshop was only 5 minutes from my house I was home before 4:30. I avoided all the sweets and crackers that were being offered during our breaks but when I got home I was famished. Luckily there was some homemade leftover vegetable soup in the fridge and I warmed up a cup to tide me over till dinner.
I should get out and go for a walk before dinner but I think I need a nap.
I don’t have any big plans for the weekend other than going to the AGO on Sunday and seeing the Picasso show. It looks like it’s going to be a good weekend to get some gardening done and I think a trip to the Farmers’ Market is in order as well.
I seem to be avoiding the topic of walking/running. Maybe I’ll be in a better state of mind after I take that nap.
Sweet Dreams!
When I got home today from Mono Cliffs I set up my laptop and checked my emails. I was literally falling asleep over my keyboard. If it wasn’t so early I would have gone to bed but I hate that feeling of waking up at 8:00 or 9:00 pm and not knowing where you are.
I’m pretty proud of myself and even if I don’t lose any weight I feel I have conquered a major hurdle in the last 3 days. I passed on dessert, the homemade bread and fries for 6 meals in a row and for snack instead of the homemade cookies I ate vegetables and salad that I brought from home.
The other thing I noticed on this trip is that I purposely took longer routes for my walks and didn’t look for short cuts when travelling from activity to another. The one thing I haven’t been too successful with, though is getting to bed earlier. Part of the problem is that I’m sitting at this computer longer because I’m writing this blog. So tonight I’m going to keep this post short so that I can get at least 6 hours sleep.
Installation art using objects from nature.
Sweet Dreams, everyone.
…. scorching sun, rough terrain and hills
Today I had a choice of doing a long all day hike with the kids and eating lunch during the hike or doing activities closer to the centre with some hiking during the day. I opted for the first.
The weather was fantastic and while hiking through the woods the sun didn’t bother me but when we were in the open the scorching rays were almost too much to bare. Thank goodness for sun screen and a goofy cap I borrowed from the centre.
The day started with a hardy breakfast of oatmeal and yogurt but I passed on the French toast. For lunch we made our own wraps. I loaded mine with meat and cheese and lots of lettuce and tomato and topped it off with mustard. Again I passed on the cookies but I did eat half an apple. Dinner consisted of spaghetti and meat sauce and a salad. I loaded half my plate with salad and took about a half serving of pasta. I passed on the banana cake.
The hike itself was beautiful. We went along the edge of the cliffs, around a lake, through forests, across board walks over swampy areas and explored the contents of a pond. In total we walked about 7 km, although it seemed much further. We were outside for about 6 hours.
I loved being one with nature but I could have done without the the final climb back up the cliffs. It is incredibly steep and even the stairs are difficult to ascend. I spoke to one of the teachers who regularly runs the course we took today and she admitted that sometimes she will run an additional 3 km just to avoid the climb.
I’ve posted some of the many pictures I took of today’s hike. Enjoy!
…. beautiful, serene, quiet….. maybe not!
Just a quick post. I brought my computer with me to do some school work and discovered that Mono Cliffs has added WiFi to their location.
Busy day. Archery, lacrosse and orienteering were on the agenda for today. Beautiful weather and friendly staff (as always) made for a great start to our 3 day stay. Now if only I could get the boys to stop shouting (having too much fun) when they’re inside the dormitory. Early lights out last night. Ahhh…… peace and quiet.
All day hike today! That should tired them out.
…. Mother’s Day has never been the same for me
Mother’s Day is always a bitter sweet day for me. My husband and my children go out of their way to make the day special for me but not being able to buy a gift for my own mom or have her over for dinner leaves me feeling like something is missing in my life. The first few years after her untimely death were the hardest. I think about her every day.
To honour my mom I thought I would share some memories I have of her as I was growing up.
Mom always worked. When we were little she worked at Appleby College serving dinner to the boys. When she came home at night we would anxiously await to see what “leftovers” she’d bring to share with us. Not that Mom wasn’t a good cook, she was but she cooked ‘different’ food and what she brought home was ‘Canadian food’. Besides after working all day I’m sure she was pleased not to have to cook all the time.
Mom was definitely an entrepreneur. She worked side by side with my dad when they started their own catering business and then managed a Becker store together. After a couple of hold ups in the store my parents decided to open their own business that was less risky. What better than a fabric store. Did she know anything about running a fabric store? No, but she knew how to sew and so did all her daughters.
In her 30s Mom learned how to be a dental technician, in her 40s and 50s she learned how to operate knitting machines and other specialty sewing machines and she took courses to become a night school teacher. The money she earned from teaching was always put aside for a yearly vacation. Mom and Dad travelled every year. Trips included Germany, Mexico, Florida and numerous islands in the Caribbean.
My mom liked to experiment with cooking and we had a neighbour who shared many of her recipes with her. Some of our more Canadian meals resulted from this sharing of recipes. She learned to make a great spaghetti sauce and delicious cabbage rolls. She aimed to please her family, especially her husband but if you ever crossed my mother she had a bit of a stubborn streak. I remember one day when Mom served us cabbage rolls (this is after cooking them for years) my father announced that she didn’t have to make them again because he didn’t really like them. My mother was furious. If you’ve ever made cabbage rolls from scratch you know how labour intensive they are. She never made them again, despite the fact that the rest of us liked them.
My parents had to scrimp and save all their lives. My parents finally owned their own home long after I was married and my sisters were in their 20s. One of my favourite stories happened when I no longer lived at home so I heard it from my middle sister. Mom really wanted new dishes and my father kept saying ‘no’ and that there was nothing wrong with the old ones. One day she pointed out how badly the dishes were chipped. My father insisted they were fine and when they broke he would buy her a new set. So my mother promptly broke all the dishes and she finally got her new ones.
I was shocked when I heard this story because in all the years I lived at home I never heard my parents argue. My mom was truly loyal to my dad but she always ‘quietly’ got her point across and I know she defended our decision to go to university. If it were up to our dad he would have had us all working in an office as secretaries. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it’s just not what we wanted to do.
When mom baked she frequently made a cake called Koenigskuchen which literally means King’s Cake. It wasn’t my favourite unless she iced it with chocolate. As I got older I became very fond of it and recently I’ve been really missing it. Maybe it’s because I’m trying not to eat sweets at the moment and I have this urge to bake all of a sudden. I found several recipes on line and played with the those that most closely resembled the one my mother made.
Koenigskuchen or Cake Fit for a King
4. Beat in the egg yolks and continue beating until batter turns a light yellow colour.
5. Combine the flour and baking powder and beat them into the sugar the sugar and egg
mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.
Blanching and Grinding the Almonds
6. Stir in the dried fruit with the liquid and the grated almonds and the grated lemon rind.
7. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff peaks
form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 1/2
hours or until the cake tester comes out clean from the centre of the cake.
9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a
cooling rack.
10. Prepare the chocolate glaze (my favourite part).
Chocolate Glaze
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. boiling water
…. to all the moms out there, “Happy Mother’s Day”
What a great weekend!
On Saturday I got out for my first long walk in over a week. K and I woke up early and took Frances for our usual walk around the neighbourhood, about 3 km. Then we picked up some champagne and drove to our daughter’s and son-in-law’s apartment, where my other daughter and her partner joined us for a special Mother’s Day brunch.
I was a little worried about what might be on the menu but my children are such good cooks that I knew I would have to try a little bit of everything. We started with half a glass of champagne topped with orange juice. There were lots of things to choose from and I certainly didn’t feel pressured into having to try everything. I started with fruit salad, topped with yogurt and a little bit of granola. Daughter G made a wonderful egg strata and served it with bacon. A cup of good coffee and I was a happy mom. I passed on the homemade muffins.
For the rest of the day my other daughter and I did a little bit of shopping for the gardens, after dropping K off at the house. It took us longer than planned so I ended up picking up ready made chicken and salad for dinner.
…. more success on the scale
This morning I had a pleasant surprise when I weighed myself. I thought I might be up slightly after Saturday’s brunch or at least be the same. I am actually down another 1/2 pound for a grand total of 9 pounds in just under 3 weeks. Hooray!
This morning, K and I and Frances went for another walk but we went further today, 5.8 km. I haven’t started to add any running yet to my walks. So far my knee hasn’t given me any more grief.
… a new challenge!
Tomorrow, I leave for 3 days with 56 grade 5 students for Mono Cliffs, an outdoor education centre. I’m not worried about getting enough exercise because we’re outside for about 6 to 8 hours (rain or shine) everyday. The food there is amazing but it is somewhat geared for kids. The good thing is you can take as little or as much as you want and there are always lots of choices.
The evenings are a little worrisome for me because I won’t be eating the snack they provide. The cook there makes the most amazing cookies and muffins and I know they will be hard to resist. I think I’ll have to pack some veggies and dip to take with me.
Wish me luck!
… I’m talking about the never ending list of things to be done
The week I’ve been dreading most has just ended. Every year I tell myself that I’m not going to let myself get burdened down with too many extracurricular activities. “Let someone else do it.” However in a moment of weakness I volunteer my services. Don’t get me wrong, I actually enjoy most of the activities I get involved with but “why do they all have to occur at the same time?” With Girls on the Run, early morning soccer practices, organizing the Jump Rope for Heart assembly, filling in pages and pages of paperwork for our 3 day stay at Mono Cliffs with 56 students, preparing for the activity day for the Forest of Reading program and staying after school for 5 hours to create next year’s timetable, I was physically and mentally exhausted. All of this took place in the space of 5 days.
I was asked to go to the Track and Field meet but I actually declined the offer and suggested that a younger teacher on staff take on that responsibility. I love going to these meets but I needed to be at school to prepare for the open house.
On top of all of this I still had to prepare lessons for my grade 5s, finish the class project for the Education Week open house and at least try to maintain and keep 2 classrooms organized (not very well I might add).
… not everything was bad
A lot of positive things happened this week as well. The Jump Rope for Heart assembly took place, the timetable for next year is finished, the paperwork for the Mono Cliffs field trip is finished and all the details have been organized, and the activity day and open house were hugely successful. We also had a Teacher Appreciation Lunch served to us, compliments of the parents and my sister from Chatham came for a visit on Wednesday evening.
The Forest of Reading
Our Forest of Reading program came to an end this week with a culminating activity that every class took part in. I wrote about this in an earlier post. We combined this activity with Education Week and invited the parents to an Open House on Friday. The book club also had their activity day on the same day and the parents were invited to come into the classroom and observe some of the activities that were taking place.
I’m pleased that 30 students met the goal of reading a minimum of 10 Forest of Reading books and were able to participate in the planned activities for the day. Arts Express came in and did 2 drama/literacy workshops for the students and I ran a book making class. My only regret is that I didn’t get any pictures of the final projects. They were quite amazing. After treating the students to a pizza lunch we spent another hour together and made thank-you cards for the staff that were ‘expert readers’, honoured 3 students who read more than anyone else and had a draw for prizes (books of course). We also started painting a large banner that will be displayed permanently in the hall. Each student placed a painted hand on the tree and will later sign their names right on the tree.
The following pictures are some of the presentations that classes displayed around the school. I think they’re very creative. I only wish that I had been able to take pictures of all the great work but because I was so busy with the book club activities I didn’t get to some of the displays before they were taken down.
Enjoy!
“Wordle” pictures of Rm. 14’s favourite books.
Room 8’s giraffe paintings from the the book “Giraffe and Bird”.
Our “Forest of Reading” wall.
Mama Cormier 