Diving for Frisbees and Fuzzy Caterpillars

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. more fun things from the cottage

After 23 years, I finally got my staircase to the second floor. No more ladder. Hooray!

My cousin and his girlfriend spent 3 days at the cottage with us. PW helped the guys with building the staircase while M helped with the meals.

After the staircase was finished K and I had time to enjoy the beach.

Our crazy dog, Frances. loves to chase and retrieve her yellow frisbee. Unfortunately if the frisbee is right side up it sinks in the water. NO problem. Frances dives for it until she finds it and then surfaces and brings it back to shore.

Unfortunately the video would not upload to this site without the upgrade. Check my Facebook page for the video.

PW and I continue to experiment with our cameras. On Sunday a little caterpillar joined us on the picnic table. It was tricky taking his picture because he was constantly moving. These were taken with my Lumix Panasonic DMC-FH1 on the macro zoom setting.

Rust and Wrought Iron

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. years of mist from the Falls has left these wrought iron fences peeling with rust.

On our trip to Niagara Falls today I was looking forward to taking some interesting shots. I didn’t have to wait long as we walked toward the Canadian Falls and crossed the street from the power station. I’m not sure how old these pieces are but I found them extremely beautiful and intriguing. Hope you enjoy them!

Shop Till You Drop

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. went into stores that I never dreamed I would step into never mind try on clothes and actually buy from.

Yesterday I needed to buy my sister and husband some gifts so I headed out to Sherway Gardens with my 20 year old guests. I made all my planned purchases in one shop and returned an item in another and then my cousin and his girlfriend ushered me into numerous trendy stores that I’d never looked twice at in the past.

One of the reasons that I never set foot in them was that they were dark and forbidding and seemed to be inhabited by mainly young people who were more interested in the brand name and willing to pay a hefty price for the privilege of wearing it. The second reason was that these stores would never have carried anything in my size, 27 pounds ago.

Well it seems that this time of year there are actually some very good deals to be had in these stores where half naked men are displayed at the entrance and perfume is misted throughout the store. I tried on a shirt in a large that was okay but then I found a cropped sweat shirt in large that was perfect for my yoga classes and an excellent price to boot.

While waiting for my cousin to pay for his shirt I found a comfy leather chair to sit in and had a lovely conversation with a young lady who had obviously done a great deal of shopping that day as well and she was excited to show me some of her purchases. I found it very interesting that she was so open and friendly towards me and engaged me in conversation. I was at least the age of her mother or older.

Later that evening my sister and her son came to the house to meet our cousin from Germany and his lovely girlfriend. I gave her the present that I purchased earlier that day and then I proudly modelled the sweatshirt that I bought at H…..

As I slipped the shirt over my head I felt something hard under my arm and discovered that the security tag had not been removed. How I got out of the store without setting off the alarm I’ll never know. So much for security. I guess I’ll be returning to the store when I come back from the cottage. Who knows maybe I’ll find something else that I like and more importantly that fits me.

Some of the Family: my cousin, PW, my middle sister C, her son, PJ, me and my husband K. Thank you Marie for taking the picture.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way!

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….lesson learned by watching a squirrel

I’ve learned a lot on my weight loss journey and I continue to learn. The difference on this journey is two fold. First there’s a ‘will’ or stick-to-itiveness that I’ve never experienced before and secondly I’m baring my soul and putting myself out there on this blog. I think the second reason is why I’m experiencing the will power to follow through.

Today in the garden we were watching a very creative squirrel trying to retrieve food from the bird feeder. This little guy was determined to find a way to get at that bird seed. He eventually found a way and met his goal. Like the squirrel, I’m determined to meet my goal and despite some trials and tribulations I will get there.

All the following photos were taken by my cousin, PW, with his Canon Power Shot SX40.

Getting a Workout at a Baseball Game

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. or how not to gain weight at a sedentary event

At the Rogers Centre in Toronto for the Blue Jays vs the Chicago White Sox game. Monday, August 13, 2012

Let’s face it, watching baseball is a very sedate activity. So how does one go about getting a workout at a game? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Park the car far enough away so that you have to walk at least 1.77 km to and from the stadium. You’ll also save money using street parking; $4.25 vs $10.00 in a lot.

2. Buy tickets for the upper deck so that you have to climb to the 5th level up the ramps and descend using the stairs. You’ll use 2 different sets of muscles and give your heart a good workout. Again you’ll save at least $30.00 per ticket by sitting in the “nose bleed” section.

3. Stand up and cheer every time the “Let’s make some noise!” sign appears on the jumbo screen. Just hang on to the rail so that you don’t fall over into the crowd below.

4. Eat a healthy dinner before you go so that you’re not tempted to buy the $8.00 hotdog and $10.00 beer. Again you’ll save yourself some money.

5. Throw caution to the wind and get up and dance when your team wins the game in overtime.

Did it help me with my weight loss journey?

Yup, I’m down another 1/2 pound for a total of 27 pounds.

Did I miss the beer, Cracker Jacks and hotdogs? Not one little bit.

My cousin P, his girlfriend M and me at the game. While we posed for this picture we missed a home run.

My Weight is Down Again

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

….. an then up but still down more than up

Yesterday was a good activity day but also a lot of time was spent sitting in the car and at my Dad’s.

I’m not sharing my total loss from yesterday morning because it was up slightly again today, despite a walk/run in the morning and a very long walk (5 km) in the evening. The problem was that I spent at least 3 hours driving to and from my father’s house in Oshawa. Once there we were ushered immediately to the dining room for lunch and then 2 hours later to a picnic BBQ at the German club.

I think that I made the best possible choices that were available to me but I think that my nemesis, salt, played havoc with my weight again. If my weight is down again tomorrow I will share by how much. No hotdogs for me tonight at the ballpark. I will eat dinner before I leave. Salad and salmon. Yum!

On our walk yesterday I took some pictures of one of my favourite wild flowers, Queen Anne’s Lace.

Enjoy!

From Cloudy City Views to Cities of Fossils

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. greys are the predominant colour today

Taken by my cousin with his new Canon Power Shot SX40

Taken from the car window on the Gardiner Expressway.

It’s amazing what we don’t see in life when it’s right below our feet. Upon closer inspection of the rocks that we were walking on we discovered a world of tiny cities made of fossils.

“Get down here, Carol, and take a closer look at these amazing fossils!”

Taken with the Canon.

Taken by me with my old Lumix Panasonic DMC-FH1.

Taken with the Lumix.

I Did What I Said I Would

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. running

After writing my blog this morning I set the table for my guests, put on my running shoes and headed out the door. The sun was shining but the clouds in the distance were ominous. I wish I had brought my camera with me.

Frances was nowhere in sight this morning so I headed out without her. I walked to the rugby pitch in a nice steady pace. When I arrived at the college grounds I saw that the rugby pitch was actually being used for rugby this morning. So instead of running around the pitch I stayed on the path and ran a different route.

I decided that I would run as far as I could before switching back to walking. I was surprised how long I was able to run. When I got back into to the neighbourhoods I walked for 3 blocks and then ran the remaining distance home.

I have admit that I was a little disappointed when I tracked the distance on the computer. I ran about 1.2 km without stopping and then another .8 km on the last stretch home. When I walked in the door I noticed that my guests were still sleeping and Frances finally emerged from her bed.

I buckled Frances into her harness and set out again. This time I walked to Rotary Park and added another 1.5 km for a total distance of 4.6 km of walking and running.

I stopped at my friend, M’s house for a chat and a coffee before heading home to check on P and M. While sitting on her front porch the clouds opened up and the rain fell again. This happened all day off and on. I was glad I got my run in when I did.

Looking forward to another run tomorrow.

Feels Like a Cottage Morning

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…even though I’m still in the city

I woke up early this morning to the sound of rain hitting the pavement. After all the heat and drought we’ve experienced this summer the rain is welcome relief. It’s one of those mornings where you want to stay in bed, read and write and contemplate life.

But alas I have company here and I need to get up and start the coffee and make breakfast.

My cousin and his girlfriend arrived last night after being on a bus for over 50 hours. It was our first encounter. What a lovely couple! We enjoyed a simple supper together here at the house and to our surprise they stayed up till midnight and shared stories of their adventures here in Canada. They’ve been here since last October but mostly out West.

I was hoping to get out for a run today with Frances. Even though it’s still raining I might brave it anyway. K left for the cottage early this morning (5:30) so that he could build the staircase. He’s usually my motivation for getting out to run.

My weight loss journey has slowed down considerably but I am down another 11/2 pounds for a total of 26 1/2 pounds. I’m not discouraged but I do feel that I have to re-exam my food intake. I love cheese and I think that’s my biggest downfall. Even though it’s acceptable on a low GI diet I think adding the gluten free crackers slows my metabolism and interferes with how fast I lose weight.

Obviously I’m burning more calories than I’m eating and that’s the main thing. I keep moving forward in a positive direction and there’s no looking back.

As I lie here and ‘contemplate life’ I feel that this weight loss journey is different from any I’ve ever been on and I’ve been on many. The difference this time is that I’m not thinking about when this diet will be over. I’m developing habits that will last me a lifetime and I honestly don’t feel deprived. I’m not thinking about going back to my old ways and looking forward to my next piece of cake.

Unlike this little chipmunk from the cottage I’m not constantly thinking about my next meal and scavenging for food 24/7.