Share Your World 2014 – Week 26

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….now we are truly at the half way mark into the year

Is your refrigerator, organized or a mess inside?

It depends on the day. Of course after I clean it, it’s organized and I try to keep it that way. My husband, however, does a lot of the shopping and he doesn’t always check to see what’s already in there. Consequently we have doubles and even triples of condiments and vegetables. Even if he does check he often doesn’t see what’s near the back of the fridge. So some days it looks a tad messy in there.

If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?

If I could be famous, I’d like to be a famous artist, preferably while I’m alive.

An earlier attempt at collage.

What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?

I’d love to have my own art show. I was suppose to have a show at a community arts centre several years ago but because of politics, the group that I was working with was kicked out of the time slot that we had booked to make way for a more established group of artists who were also on the board of directors. The experience left me with a bad taste in my mouth and I haven’t booked another show since.

Where do you eat breakfast?

I try to eat my breakfast at the kitchen table. If I’m running late I’ll take my breakfast with me or stop at the local Tim Horton’s and pick up some oatmeal. Once I get to school I sit down in the staffroom to quietly enjoy my meal before my classes begin. Now that the weather is nice I sometimes eat my breakfast out on the deck both at home and at the cottage.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I’m grateful that school is out and I can now focus on my fitness and weight goals once more. Even though I have to go back in this week to tidy up some more and pack away more books I’ll be able to do it without having children around to supervise.

I’m looking forward to spending time up at the cottage. I haven’t opened up yet and finding someone to go with me this weekend was impossible (too much going on in the city). I’m also looking forward to having my hair cut and my feet pampered before I go.

For more posts about Share Your World check out Cee’s blog at: http://ceenphotography.com/2014/06/30/share-your-world-2014-week-26/

A Word a Week Photograph Challenge – Remote

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..the word Sue pulled from her dictionary this week is remote

Remote to me means far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The beach where I have my cottage feels remote very early in the morning or early or late in the season. A great place to reflect.

For more ‘remote’ photographs check out Sue Llewellyn’s blog A Word in Your Ear

Sunday Trees – 137

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..very old trees at Malahide Castle in Ireland

A grand old beauty that is over 500 years old.

Gnarly old trees surrounding the church

For more Sunday Trees check out Becca Givens blog: http://beccagivens.wordpress.com/2014/06/29/sunday-trees-137/

New Flower (June 29, 2014) – Iris

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..this is from my neighbours garden

Pliio Clothing Organizer

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….if there’s one thing I need it’s help organizing my clothes

I don’t normally advertise products on my blog but I recently purchased a Pliio organizer at our school’s silent auction. Clare Kumar is a parent at our school and the inventor of Pliio (I hope I got that right). When she first showed me this product I was intrigued and so when I saw it at the auction I had to have it. Here’s a video on how this product works.

I haven’t quite decided how I’m going to use the organizers but it will either be for my 30 some scarves or for my summer tops. If you’re interested in purchasing this product you can buy the Pliio at the following:

Bed, Bath and Beyond (Canada)http://www.bedbathandbeyond.ca/store/product/pliio-by-fhe-reg-clothing-filers/1041366790

Bed, Bath and Beyond (U.S.A.) http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/pliio-by-fhe-reg-clothing-filers/1041366790

The Shopping Channel http://www.theshoppingchannel.com/Closet-Organizers/Pliio-Clothing-Filers-Set-Of-20/pages/productdetails?nav=R:511666

For more information about Pliio you can contact Clare Kumar at:

NB – I don’t receive any kickbacks, commission or payment for endorsing this product.

School’s Out but I’m Back Next Week

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..just couldn’t finish in the library

Normally the children are finished with school one day before the teachers but this year everyone had to stay in school right up to Friday. The last day for teachers is usually a clean-up day where teachers put away as much as possible so that the care taking staff can do a thorough cleaning in the summer.

Many of us found it very difficult to get our rooms to that point and despite staying for a couple of hours after the children had left some of us need to come back next week to continue with the purging and tidying. In the library I had one extra job that needed doing this year. I’m having new carpet tiles put down and in order for the workers to move the free standing shelves and the book carousels I had to empty them all and box the books again (same job as last year). I had children in all day who tried to help me with this task and we still didn’t finish.

As I wrote earlier the last two weeks of school have been very busy and stressful. I’ve mentioned before that stress and weight gain go hand in hand for me. Not only that but all week children and parents have been bringing in chocolates, cupcakes and cookies. We had a pizza lunch with the book club, a BBQ with the grade 5s, our staff party and our principal treated us to breakfast (muffins, Danishes, bagels, croissants) all in the same week.

This morning I put myself on the scale thinking that I had gained back all the weight I had lost recently plus more. I did gain four of the five pounds that I had lost but I was relieved that it wasn’t more. Now that most of my stress has been lifted for the summer I’m hoping to get back on track and drop all the weight that I’ve gained this winter.

I started the morning with a healthy breakfast and then went for an eight kilometre bike ride. For the rest of the day I’m going do some gardening, get out for a walk and drink lots of water. I’m also hoping to get up to the cottage this weekend to open the place up and then I’ll come back to finish up in the library. With any luck I should be able to get the job done in one day.

New Plant (June 28, 2014) – Hosta

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….for some reason I wasn’t able to grow Hostas but in the last two years they’ve taken off

New Flower of the Day (June 27, 2014) – Hydrangea bud

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..all my plants are later than most because of our proximity to the lake

In recent years I’ve become a big fan of the hydrangea.

A Crazy Week

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..so much has happened at school this week and we’ve got more to go before signing off for the summer

If anyone tells you that nothing happens in the last month of school don’t believe them. This week alone (the last week of school) we’ve had rehearsals for the grade 5 farewell, the actual farewell assembly, the book club’s all day activity event for 50 students, field trips into the community, training for next years Peace Keepers, the kindergarten play day and final printing of the report cards.

Yesterday I emceed the farewell assembly for the grade 5s in the afternoon and then spent time after school getting the materials ready for today’s Forest of Reading Extravaganza. In the morning we split up the group of 50 children into two groups and sent one group to the drama workshop and the other group stayed with me for the book making workshop. After recess the boys and girls rotated to their second activity so that everyone had an opportunity to participate in both activities. After the morning activities we served them pizza, water and Freezies and the staff that helped us all year as expert readers joined us for lunch.

When lunch was over we had Allan Stratton who is the author of Curse of the Dream Witch come to the school for an hour to read to and talk to the children about being an author. The children asked him wonderful questions without any prompting from their teachers and he skillfully kept the children engaged with his many personal anecdotes about writing and how they could become writers.

After the last recess of the day some of the children returned to their classrooms but many stayed behind to finish their handmade books. There was a fair bit of cleaning that needed to be done but the grade 5s were more interested in getting their yearbooks signed. I’d put them off all day while the activities were going on so during the last period of the day I gave in and signed most of their books.

It’s been pouring rain since I’ve left school and it hasn’t stopped for over five hours. I’m afraid that it might affect tomorrow’s play day at school and the grade 5’s excursion to the pool and the park for lunch tomorrow. I’m not sure if I’m going to that but I think that the teachers who get prep from me tomorrow were given their time today. If all goes as planned we will go swimming in the morning, go to the park for a barbecue lunch and then head over to the golf course for a round of mini putt.

After school we have our staff party at the home of our gym teacher. It is usually our last day with the students but this year we all have to return to school on Friday. I suspect that many of the students won’t show up especially since they get their report cards on Thursday. On Friday we have an assembly in the morning and in the afternoon teachers will be madly trying to straighten up their classes with their students present. It should be an interesting day.

I have a feeling that I will be going into school next week to tidy up the library. As much as the students want to help me it often ends up being more messy than when we started.

Cheers!

New Flower of the Day (June 25, 2014) – White Peony

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….this one is from my garden

When I got home from work today it was pouring down rain. I was worried that my peony bush would be flattened if we got much more rain so when the weather let up a bit I went outside and took some pictures of the peonies that have finally opened up. There’s usually a bit more red in this plant. Maybe it will show up in another day or two.