…. I love the macro zoom feature on my camera
For more A Word a Week – Zoom photographs check out Sue Llewllyn’s site A Word in Your Ear
A Word a Week – Zoom
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Monthly Archives: February 2013
Enough Already!
…. three falls on patches of ice in one week is too much
I know I wished for snow this winter but I’m ready for Spring. Really ready! 
The snow has been beautiful and when it’s fresh, deep and crisp and you don’t have to drive anywhere it is lovely to look at and even fun to walk through.
The problem with the snow this year is the pattern of weather we’ve been experiencing. Shortly after the snow we’ve had warm weather and the snow all but completely melts away and then we get more snow. Not a bad scenario but after the last BIG storm not all the snow melted and we were left with slushy patches and puddles that froze a few days later.
This made walking very difficult for humans. Frances is small enough that she basically walks on the crust without breaking through and of course she wants to continue with her daily walks. She doesn’t realize how treacherous the walks have become.
I recently reported how my husband fell on one of his walks with the dog and hurt his back. It was just starting to feel better when he fell again….not once but twice on the same walk this morning.
On Groundhog Day, Wiarton Willie predicted that we would have an early Spring. Boy did he get it wrong! We definitely haven’t seen the end of Winter, in fact we’re suppose to get another snow storm on Tuesday. Wiarton Willie
Wish us luck. I guess I’ll be taking over the dog walking duty for awhile. I don’t mind but I like it better when both of us go out, especially when it gets dark. March 21st can’t come soon enough!
Cheers!
Hitting the Jackpot and my Weight Loss Conundrum
…. couldn’t believe my luck when I stopped in at Marshall’s today
After getting my hair cut today I decided to check out Marshall’s which just happens to be located around the corner from the salon. Right at the front of the store there were a few ‘final markdown’ racks. I’ve never seen such reduced prices in my life. Who marks down a brand new sweater to $0.70? I checked the entire garment and couldn’t find any flaws. I took nine garments to the change room and decided to keep five of them.
A friend told me when I retire I won’t need as many clothes but I love to shop and since I’ve lost 32 pounds I love it even more because I have so much more to choose from. I’ve really hit a plateau with my weight loss. I won’t lie and say I don’t understand why. I’m really good for four or five days in a row and then I’ll have an off day or two with my eating. I’ve been trying to get out and walk every day regardless of the weather but I’ve missed a few days in the last couple of weeks. It’s become so icy outside that’s it’s actually become treacherous for walking. My husband hit a patch of black ice week and fell flat onto his back. He’s had quite the time recovering from this accident.
I’ve also been seeing an acupuncturist for the last 2 months to help me with a balance issue I’ve had for quite a few years. In the last year it actually got worse and I would get terrible dizzy spells during my yoga or exercise sessions. Back in December my personal trainer witnessed one of my dizzy spells and recommended I try acupuncture. I’ve always been open to alternative medicine and decided to give it a try. I’m happy to report that the spells are fewer and very minor in comparison to what I used to experience.
I don’t know if it’s the winter doldrums or boredom but I’ve noticed an increase in my appetite. If I can avoid sampling foods that are put out in front of me at social gatherings I can pretty much control my food intake but once I take my first bite of anything ‘forbidden’ I find myself on a slippery slope. I know that I won’t feel well if I continue to eat but sometimes I just can’t help myself.
I need to put myself into a different mindset. I’ve done it before and I know I can do it again. I just don’t want to wait until I start gaining weight again or worse gain it all back. Maybe I need to come clean and admit to how much I actually weigh. I’ve avoided it up to this point and kept telling myself that when I lose another 10 pounds I will reveal my weight. Maybe this is one of the reasons why I haven’t taken off any more weight….. the fear of the reveal. One of my problems is that I actually feel very good about how I look at the moment, even though the number on the scale should tell me otherwise.
I’m posting pictures of the garments I bought today. My daughter kindly took photos of me as I modelled the clothes for her. All the tops, except the workout top can be worn to work and some I will combine with a camisole or thin t-shirt.
Can you believe that I got all of these garments for only $14.70 before taxes?
Word of the Week – Industrial 4
….this will be the last of the industrial pictures for awhile
One of the aspects of this challenge that I love so much is the variety of shapes, sizes and forms found in industrial equipment and structures.
For more industrial photography check out Sue Llewellyn’s blog at A Word in Your Ear
Word of the Week – Industrial 3
…. my neighbourhood used to be a very industrial area but over the years businesses have closed or moved to other areas
Some factories look like bombed out shells that keep out curious visitors with steel fences and barbed wire
In other parts of town all evidence of former factories have been razed leaving behind empty fields, also surrounded by fencing and barbed wire.
Even factories that have been ‘rocks in the community’ are beginning to leave to make room for more condos. The latest casualty is Christie’s. The smell of freshly baked bread wafting along the Lakeshore has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
For more industrial photos check out Sue Llewellyn’s A Word in Your Ear
Word of the Week – Industrial 2
…..industrial sites converted into new businesses
or parts that have been turned into pieces of sculpture (with a practical side)
For more industrial photos check out Sue Llewellyn’s http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/9740/
A Word A Week Challenge: Industrial
…. over at A Word In Your Ear, Sue’s A Word A Week Challenge this week is Industrial. Today I’m focusing on old industrial sites that have been restored to be used by the public.
I love this challenge. Living in Toronto presents itself with all kinds of industrial photo opportunities. On our daily walks we always come across this amazing old building that used to be a power plant in the early to mid 1900’s. Today it’s been restored and is used for recreation purposes. In the winter it houses a seating area to lace up your ice skates and a place to warm up after enjoying the outdoor skating rink next door.
Another great old factory that has recently been restored is the old Brickworks in the city’s east end. It’s also become a multi-purpose facility. It houses a farmers’ market in the summer and is used for workshops, art exhibitions and a variety of functions. I love walking around the old brick ovens.
Tomorrow I will share photo of more industrial areas that have been re-invented and are now used for new businesses.
Cheers!
Happy Family Day!
…. to all my fellow bloggers who live in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, Canada
This got me to thinking about how other people in the world might be celebrating today. Is it a normal work day or do you have the day off today as well. For years, we Canadians envied our U.S. neighbours who had an official day off at least once a month. In the last decade or more our Ontario government officials toyed with the idea of creating an official holiday in February.
Here’s a little history of when Family Day came to be in Canada that I copied directly from: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/family-day
Family Day was first held in Canada in the province of Alberta in 1990. It is supposed to reflect the values of family and home that were important to the pioneers who founded Alberta, and give workers the opportunity to spend more time with their families. Family Day was introduced in Saskatchewan in 2007 and in Ontario in 2008. British Columbia observes Family Day as a statutory holiday for the first time in 2013. One of the reasons for introducing Family Day was that there was a long period when there were no holidays from New Year’s Day until Good Friday.
Here are a few photos of my family taken in the last year or so.
My three ‘girls’.
My son, home for a short visit before heading back to the Netherlands.
So how is everyone celebrating today? We had our official Family Day celebration yesterday. All the immediate family that live close by came to the house and we had a
My daughter and her husband.
family dinner. My husband made a great pasta and sausage bake, my oldest daughter and her partner brought a yummy Iranian quinoa rice and sweet potato salad and my youngest daughter and her husband made a decadent flour less chocolate cake…..not exactly diet food. To top it off I got into one of my Martha Stewart moments and just had to bake chocolate spice cupcakes with pink buttercream icing in honour of Valentine’s Day.
The cupcakes and the leftover food were all packed up and divided amongst the girls and the freezer (except the cupcakes….all but two were given away).
My middle sister and her fiancé.
My baby sister and her husband.
A rare photo with all three sisters together, our father and his partner and my husband and my sister’s son.
This morning I slept in till 8:30 and then caught up on some reading. I finally emerged from the bedroom at about 10:30, had a cup of coffee and then got ready to go for our morning walk. It snowed again here on Saturday night so the ice is covered with a pretty substantial layer of fresh snow. I brought along my camera as I always do but the sun was so bright that I had a hard time focusing on anything.
When we got back from our 3k walk, K made us a delicious omelet with lots of vegetables. I’m trying to convince him to go with me on a bit of a photo journaling expedition this afternoon. In the meantime I’ll finish writing this blog, read a bit more and probably work on some samples for my next art project at school.
I’d love to hear from you and how you’re spending the day. Drop me a line. Have a great day!
Cheers!
Hearts and Paper Quilts
…. “are we making Valentine’s?”
I sometimes forget that the younger students still want to make crafts or cards for special occasions and holidays. So earlier in the week I was caught somewhat off guard when one of my students asked if we were making valentine cards in art class. I guess I thought their homeroom teacher would look after that. Well luckily I came across an art lesson that involved hearts and when I found out that I would be teaching 30 grade 3s at the same time It seemed like a perfect project. We used the art sheets that we had created weeks earlier, I was able to teach the children a little bit about Romero Britto and Andy Warhol and the kids created a ‘Valentine’s ‘ project.
All of this took place after I taught the original lesson I had in mind. The grade 3s are learning about Canadian pioneers and pioneer life so I gave them a quick lesson on how early settlers made quilts. Before we actually work with fabric I had each student make a quilt block out of construction paper and then I pieced them together to make one large quilt. In the quilt pictured here I didn’t have the students add any embellishments. The class that did the same project the next day added stitch lines with a black Sharpie.
The paper hearts project was a big hit. I love how the textured papers make such interesting hearts.
This heart project came from We heart art. Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope all of you had a great day.
More Doodle Painting
….this project has been more popular than I thought it would be
When the parents start asking if their child will be doing the same project, you know you have a winner.
Today I thought I was teaching half a class because the older students in this split grade were going skiing. Last night I found out that the these 12 students were being combined with another class and my total numbers for this class went up to 30. A little tricky when they only have 20 desks in the room. One of my colleagues who only teaches half time in the morning offered me her portable for the afternoon. She has nice big tables and more importantly, 30 chairs.
The grade 3s are studying Pioneers so I’ve decided to make small quilts with them. Today we started by creating pattern blocks out of construction paper. When they finished that I let them make an art piece using hearts in honour of Valentine’s Day. More about these projects tomorrow.
Mama Cormier 