Share Your World – 2015 Week 17

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….four more thought provoking questions from Cee

What is your most favorite smell/scent?

I love scents that are citrusy, light and fresh.

Do you prefer long hair or short hair for yourself?

I prefer hair that is shoulder length or just above the shoulder. Anything shorter and I feel older. These photos were taken six years ago, four years ago and last summer. Each year my hair has gotten a little bit longer. I also lost a fair bit of weight between the second and third picture so that might also influence my decision about hair length.

older

Do you plan out things usually or do you do them more spontaneous (for example if you are visiting a big city you don’t know)?

My husband and I tend to be spontaneous. We might have an area in mind or a food we’d like to experience but we don’t plan to the nth degree. If something better comes along we’re just as likely to drop our plans and go with our gut feeling.

What is your favorite outdoor activity?

I’d have to say my favourite outdoor activity is walking or riding my bike.

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 for a positive visit to my husband’s endocrinologist. We thought we were facing a tour of radioactive iodine treatment in the next month but his thyroglobulin levels were so low that the doctor didn’t think the treatment was necessary at this time. They will check his levels again in 6 months. Now we don’t have to worry about being around our pregnant daughter or having to give the dog away for a month while he’s radioactive.

This week I’m looking forward to more nice weather. The only downside is that the grass and weeds are growing so quickly that I’m going to have to do some heavy duty yard work over the weekend. Our daughter and her husband are also moving this weekend and I’m looking forward to helping them set up their new home in Hamilton.

New Flower (April 30, 2015) – Oldest Tulips in My Garden

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….these tulips have been coming up every year for over 35 years

There are fewer of them every year but when we bought the house 36 years ago they were already planted.

New Flower (April 29, 2015) – First Tulip in My Garden

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….it’s small and I almost didn’t see it

Kindergarteners Rock When Painting to Music

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….painting to music is energizing and allows you to be loose and free with your lines and application of paint

Last week’s assignment for the http://www.carlasonheim.com/yearofthespark/ was presented by Lynn Whipple. We were instructed to draw and paint a floral arrangement using a variety of pens, pencils, markers and watercolour paints while listening to music. Here is my finished piece after listening to Astor Piazzola’s El Tango.

I decided to try and re-created this assignment for my kindergarten class. I chose five varied pieces of music and did up a quick sample before heading to the kindergarten class. I had a stuffed rabbit in the library so I did a quick drawing to music and left some of the painting to do later with the children. Here is my finished sample:

In class I reminded the children how colour can affect our moods and that music does the same. I demonstrated how music can affect how you draw and make marks on paper. I told them that they could draw anything that they wanted (there were flowers in the centre of each table) or they could simply make marks and shapes to the music they heard. They were given pencils, coloured pencils, crayons, chalk pastels and markers.

They each chose one tool and when the music started they began drawing. After one minute I changed the music and told them to change their tool. We did this for five different pieces of music. When they were happy with their drawing we added watercolour to the mix. Some of the children saw shapes and animals in their pictures and added colour accordingly. I put on a quieter piece of music for this last part. It was fascinating to watch them. Some children clearly picked up on the concept and moved their brushes to the beat of the music and some actually stopped when there was a pause in the music and continued when the music started again.

There was so much joy in the room. Not one student wanted to stop early and many of them wanted to experiment with the dripping paint. I love these pieces so much that I am going to frame them and put them up in the main foyer of the school. Here is a sizeable sample of work done by four and five year olds.

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I sincerely hope that some of the parents will mat and frame these pieces of art. If any piece of art work is worthy of saving this is it.

Architects Do Design Cities and Curvy Buildings

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..the book, Young Frank, Architect, inspired our art lesson in Kindergarten

Two weeks ago I reminded my kindergarten class of the book we read in the library. The book was Young Frank, Architect by Frank Viva and published by MOMA.

The story is about a young boy named Frank and his grandfather, also named Frank. Both Franks are architects. Young Frank builds chairs, curvy buildings and models of entire cities. His grandfather tells him that architects don’t design chairs, buildings should be straight and architects design one building at a time and cities take a hundred years to develop. Young Frank is discouraged and he doesn’t want to be an architect any longer. Old Frank decides to take Young Frank to the museum, the MOMA, so that he can show his grandson the buildings that architects design. In the end it is Old Frank who learns that he was mistaken and he apologizes to Young Frank. The book ends with briefs bios about Frank Lloyd Wright and Frank Gehry.

The art lesson introduced the kindergarteners to collage and city landscapes. They were reminded about foreground and background and were taught how to create a night sky with stars and a moon. Students were encouraged to cut out at least three high rise buildings and make windows and doors in different shapes. It was up to them whether they wanted to create straight or curvy ‘Frank’ buildings. The shapes of some of the buildings are delightful. It’s amazing how much their scissor skills have improved since last September. Enjoy!

New Flower (April 27, 2015) – Forsythia Bud

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….nature is finally bringing forth buds on shrubs and trees in the northern hemisphere

Great Weather, Great News, Great Concert

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….it’s been a wonderful weekend and I can finally share my big news

1. Finally a beautiful weekend, weather-wise. Sunshine and warmer temperatures. I managed to get out on Saturday for a walk with the dog and took some photos of the neighbourhood.

2. Also on Saturday, my husband and I picked up our youngest daughter and her dog Lucy and brought them back to our house. G’s husband was on a business trip so she was looking for some company and she needed a break from packing boxes. This Friday they will be moving from their tiny apartment in uptown Toronto to a 4 bedroom Victorian semi in Hamilton. It’s a move they need to make because they needed more room to accommodate the new baby that they are expecting in October. Yeah!!!!!!!!! I’m finally going to be a grandmother. That’s my BIG news!

3. Today my friend DM invited me to a concert downtown. The Women’s Musical Club of Toronto hosted a live competition to present the Career Development Awards. The concert featured the three finalists who were chosen from a pool of 10 candidates chosen by CBC regional producers. Usually a jury of musical experts from across Canada rank all the entries based on written and audio materials and select a winner but because this was the tenth anniversary for the award (given every three years) a live competition was held. Prizes of $20 000., $10 000 and $5000 were awarded for first, second and third place.

All three competitors played magnificently. There were two pianists and one cello player. First prize went to Charles Richard-Hamelin on piano, second prize to Stéphane Tétreault on cello and third prize to Pierre-André Doucet on piano (my personal favourite).

I’ve found Pierre-André Doucet’s performance of Carl Vine’s Piano Sonata No. 1 on YouTube.