Share Your World 2015 – Week 10

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Mama Cormier

……I’m a little late this week answering Cee’s questions…I’ll blame it on the time change

When you lose electricity in a storm, do you light the candles or turn on the flashlight? How many of each do you own?

I might turn on the flashlight to light the candles and the oil lamp. I have one head lamp and several flashlights. I probably have dozen of candles. My husband loves to burn candles and sometimes we’ll have electricity free evenings and only use candles as our source of light. At the cottage I don’t have electricity so we use candles and battery operated lamps all the time. I’ve got a couple of solar lights but they don’t produce light for very long.

You are given $5,000 and the chance to exchange it for one of two envelopes. One envelope contains $50,000 and one contains $500. Do you make the trade? Why or why not?

I guess it depends on how lucky I’m feeling. If I had to pay off a $5000 debt or something that I really wanted costs $5000. I wouldn’t exchange the money. The fact that I get at least $500. might entice me to take a chance and try for $50 000.

What’s your first memory?

In my first memory I’m about 3 or 4 years old and I’ve gone for a walk with my friend Irene. We decided to go looking for my Dad who was at work. We lived between Bloor and Annette in the west end of Toronto at the time and my father worked downtown at the Royal York Hotel. I remember crossing the street and tripping on the streetcar tracks. I cut my lip so we turned around and headed back to my house. Two elderly women in a car picked us up and drove us home. When we got there I remember seeing police cars in front of the house and my girlfriend told them a car had hit me. Of course that wasn’t true but they apparently went back to where I fell and looked for evidence that there had been an accident.

What do you do if you can’t sleep at night? Do you count sheep, toss and turn, or get up and try to do something?

I rarely have difficulty falling asleep. I focus on my breathing and inhale deeply. I usually fall asleep within 10 minutes of putting my head on the pillow. If I have to get up extra early to catch a plane or bus I might toss and turn a bit and wake up periodically throughout the night but other than that I’m a pretty sound sleeper.

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 the weather has finally turned and that I’m able to go outside without my winter boots. I’ve enjoyed spending time with family and friends this past week and I’m grateful that I can still bowl and hold my own with much younger players.

This week coming up I’m looking forward to more warm weather, getting out and walking more and just enjoying my week off. I’m also looking forward to posting more regularly again and getting caught up with my reading.

New Flower (March 14, 2015) – Purple Aster

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..a new bouquet…new flowers

A Week of Highs and Lows

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….I haven’t posted in days

My lows include not posting for a number of days. I had over 500 emails that I hadn’t opened and I tried to read as many as possible. I deleted many of them without reading them so I apologize if I missed an important message or one of your better posts. If I made a comment or ‘liked’ your post you know that I read it. I actually do read your posts and I feel unusually guilty if I have to pass them over. I’m trying to read my emails daily but there are over a hundred in my inbox again.

It’s been a tough week with the kids at school. I’m sure that it’s partly due to the time change. Everyone was tired and a bit cranky and with March Break in front of them many found it difficult to focus. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation for this holiday.

I also haven’t done any art for myself. Every day this week I planned to spend some time on my art and it didn’t happen. I’m planning on fixing that during my time off.

Now that March Break is here, I’ve come down with a head cold. Wouldn’t you know it! I’m not sick all year and on the first day of the break I have a scratchy throat and runny nose. Oh well, I have 9 days to rest.

On the high side I managed to get more of the books in the library labelled and shelved and I finally put in an order for supplies and more books. I know that may not seem like a high for some of you but I always feel good when I can get something accomplished.

Last Sunday I took my family to see Ray Cattell’s art show at the Arts and Letters Club. I’ve know Ray for over 25 years. His daughter, L and I work together and have been best friends for all those years. Ray is now in his 90s and it was nice to see the range of work that he has produced from the 1960s to the present day.

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The temperatures have finally warmed up and the snow has started to melt. In fact so much of the snow has melted that I’ve finally been able to go outside without my winter boots on. A few crazy people have also been seen wearing shorts in Toronto. Plus 4 is hardly warm enough to go outside without a coat never mind wearing a t-shirt and shorts.

I also went to a concert this week. It was part of the Music in the Afternoon concert series put on by the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto. The concert featured Jens Lindemann on trumpet. I had no idea what to expect but it ended up being one my most favourite concerts to date. I’ll write more about this in my next post.

I also spent time with my friend CL who I hadn’t seen since Christmas. We had lunch together and then headed downtown for the concert. Afterwards we stopped for coffee and continued to catch up on what we’ve been doing for the last three months. As with most of my friends she asked about my retirement and gave me some food for thought as to what I might want to do when I finally take that step.

On Wednesday a group of us from school decided to have a bit of a staff social and we went bowling and then out for dinner. Most of us are not very good bowlers but it was a lot of fun and we vowed that we would plan another outing after March Break.

Last night my daughter and her husband came over for an impromptu dinner of homemade pizza and salad. My husband and I are very spontaneous and we love it when things like this just come together.

To top off my highs for the week my husband bought me another fresh bouquet of flowers.