Happy Father’s Day at the Cheltenham Badlands

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…a sunny warm day

When our daughter invited us to join her and her wife at the Cheltenham Badlands, I thought we were driving there to look, take a few photos and then drive over to Spirit Tree for lunch. When we arrived at the parking lot we discovered that they were hiking on the Bruce Trail and were about 30 minutes away from us. They suggested that we get on the trail and walk towards them. Luckily I had on walking shoes but my pants were way too warm. Nonetheless we made the short hike, met them and then hiked back toward the Badlands.

FE934-DA8-4137-4-F0-D-86-B8-8-C4844-CF805-D

66-EB548-F-0948-4-E54-AF77-618-AB48-F3-B6-C

B5-A135-FE-9-F1-C-4140-9527-93-B45691328-F

698-E94-F6-CCF9-4516-8526-6-C8-E9-A234518

00726-FD3-062-D-4-C8-B-9-DB4-4-FB849793676

69661562-3515-485-E-BDE2-B82-FEF4-E6-D19

AE7-EAA96-FD3-B-47-D2-B930-F2677-D2401-E8

35-AB706-F-3-C97-4-F93-BABB-AFECC1-E77-E4-C

6-A038035-0-EC2-49-AB-86-F1-FBA37-EB470-E1

6-E276260-9-BB9-4-A10-856-D-22492310-EEFA

93604-D31-D4-F8-4-C49-89-F8-8920-CCD7-FABA

798-FC15-D-C174-4386-B312-2-C8717-FB528-F-1-201-a

2110738-C-7-C94-4-B99-AB2-A-8-C0350-E678-DB

AF8-C6-A04-2959-406-F-9433-DD21-AE52-C980

4-A49-C925-062-A-40-BA-9-EFB-414-C99-CB14-C4

45-CB944-B-E14-C-467-D-98-AB-45-FCB48-F39-FD

F8272721-C497-45-C2-9-D1-B-1-DEBABCF0797

7369-D3-F6-98-CE-494-C-BB53-7671-C6-F202-EF

D48-DD52-D-621-E-45-E8-BE8-D-866-D1-A612-AD4

C94-B9-EDC-5082-4867-9-EDC-AE23-DEAFAB6-B

ECF0-BD83-2-BE0-43-EB-B181-9-CD5-F73700-D2

DDE34052-47-A6-46-F7-B624-C0916-CD928-B1

B0-D84-DC1-13-CF-4-E40-B040-8-ECF7240-DD08

843-D99-B7-BF8-E-400-D-811-C-AEC1-F6-D4562-B

After a short walk back to the car we drove to the Spirit Tree Estate Cidery. We found a shady area under a tent and ordered cider and wood oven baked pizza.

EA1-E330-E-2968-461-D-A531-F1-B0-A0-AE44-CF

22-D221-DB-72-D0-45-F8-BBD6-F53-F634-BD4-E9

4-C06-BBA2-4-B4-B-43-D2-9-F75-A4-E7-B03-E08-A4

A Trip to the Aberfoyle Antique Market

Posted on June 4, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…48 years ago we bought each other a framed Coca-Cola mirror as a wedding gift to ourselves

The Aberfoyle Market holds many found memories for us. Over the years we have shared this wonderful place with our children and now our grandchildren. On our most recent trip we found some very interesting and fun artefacts. This time we just browsed through the antiques but we also had some very interesting conversations with some of the vendors.

The Aberfoyle Antique Market is located about one hour west of Toronto and is just down the road from the city of Guelph.

83-BCD70-D-09-DC-4-E85-AB9-E-54-D7-AD9-D89-B4

B3-F6-B699-F5-A2-49-DA-8790-0-B8-B82614264

77-D09-AC8-D1-A4-4-BC5-B4-A6-CB3525-D49059

5-FB43-AD2-C7-FA-4-CBE-824-C-31-ABE729-BC27

D34-B4-F68-E0-CB-48-E0-9-A5-B-7-E4981813-BCC

7-D8-E779-F-8505-45-C6-82-ED-8-A5-A734-E1-B26

09-DFAC73-1640-4296-A19-B-8-D61-DA053-E44

DA5-F56-D4-E8-B0-4124-9-FD8-22-FF0-F91-F102

A039399-D-0-B9-F-4-C73-9964-4970-DC67-AE11

RDP Tuesday – Indefatiguable

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting RDP Tuesday https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/05/23/rdp-tuesday-indefatigable/

There are days when I feel like the Energizer Bunny. I can keep going and going but I do eventually crash ….for days after. Kids and animals never seem to get tired or at least that’s what they want us to think. I also have two marathon runners in the family. My husband ran marathons in his 20s and 30s and years later our oldest daughter started running marathons. She gets better with every race. They also never seem to tire during a race.

37-AE61-AE-15-AC-4-A65-98-D0-663-FC2-F32980

429-D1-AC7-254-E-482-D-A8-D4-9-FBE13-B09293

DFF59303-282-A-478-E-97-DE-A0-E5-B8-DD46-FE

0-F1-DE08-F-B154-4-F4-B-9-F5-C-67-A84-DA95-D3-D-1-201-a

6237-E5-EA-26-F2-4-E35-9-B4-D-8-D6-E2-A0-CBD34-1-201-a — *Olive could play all day but we know that she can* *overdo it*

578-DAF7-E-4879-4577-93-BA-AE50-D5-CA8-DDB

CD33883-A-F2-B6-4-C8-A-B064-E83-C2-E8-D9-FD4

DA064-BB7-7-A1-E-4-E71-9-C0-D-41-B4-AD3686-D1

06-AD64-CE-E010-4500-9657-8-F72-A87-F5869

44-F9-C50-B-B40-F-4-ED5-942-A-93302-FDDFFD8 — *Winnie is constantly on the move*

D86-FC0-A6-3-C76-4606-B518-A28-A081-B9-D73 — *…and so is her younger cousin*

3-C9-C63-C4-9906-4096-8-A61-3348776-DE674

D83-C6355-AEEF-40-BE-877-D-A4-E05973-F309 — *….but eventually they both crash*

089-F4-D22-AFAD-4917-8023-2-D91-A3596-B17

4342-C11-A-69-F1-4461-93-F1-F8-EF44233-F5-E — *These young athletes never seem to tire either*

More Work in my Needle and Thread Series

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…two more small pieces and two larger ones

A while back I told you about wanting to honour my past with art that reflected my family’s influence on my Joy of Making. My great great aunt and her family on my mother’s side used to own a very successful business where they made and sold ladies leather gloves in the early 1900s, in Germany. Old photos of my great, great grandparents clearly depicted how important fashion was to them and of course looking one’s best at all times.

My mother taught me how to hand sew, make clothes, embroider and knit. Later in life I worked for a needlecraft company in my spare time and taught other women the art of needle crafting, like cross-stitch and needlepoint and I worked at the community school teaching people how to knit.

The following works are collage and mixed media with some hand stitching or implied hand stitching.

C6004081-405-C-4-F08-B22-E-6-BDF8980-DE45-1-201-a — *“Stitched With Love”, 8″x10″ matted and framed*

73-B745-EB-59-DA-431-D-AC4-B-333-C66-B9-B8-FD-1-201-a — *“A Stitch in Time…”, 11″x14″ matted and framed*

4-D7-FC0-B4-B601-45-C4-B144-9-ADBEA9-C0-B5-B-1-201-a — “*Tante Paula, 1910″,11″x14″ matted and framed*

0-E6-DD20-B-1710-4891-9-C30-C41-C55-EF31-E8-1-201-a — *“Brocade”, 8″x10″ matted and framed*

What One Does on a Rainy Saturday

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…for us it included painting, walking and cooking

Last Saturday the forecast was very wet for most of the day. In between downpours I did manage to get out for a walk and snap a few photos.

B04072-CB-83-F3-4-BA7-A6-FA-74-C3-F4-CFD598

F9-C956-A0-5-DF9-498-E-858-B-1-A18-FE5-EEFD5

BC84-ED63-4472-4290-8-A58-D1-B49-EE22925

3564-D643-F905-416-F-AB74-4-A2-C03-CAE807

When I returned from my walk I set up my art table to get ready for some more painting. Only 7 more sleeps before my solo show.

FD723473-7242-4-B28-9-ED3-11-D5440-E257-F-1-201-a

Kevin on the hand got into complete ‘chef’ mode and made empanadas from scratch.

0-DB242-C2-9-CE5-4-DE2-923-A-1-FAC9882-D0-CD

F19-E0237-412-F-4-ADF-8-F29-DC760-FB14-F96

51968-C58-3-C91-4-D22-931-D-B0021-D63-ED2-A

Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Frolic

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/04/22/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-frolic/

Nothing says frolic more that young children and dogs playing.

2341-C8-D4-F476-499-A-83-A7-803-D308-DD1-CB

57-D3-BA2-D-4706-49-E7-B31-E-D5368-CDDB28-E

2-FF701-DB-6309-4-D00-89-F3-FA63-F34-CB41-D

E50-BE8-B6-4964-42-B3-8-DAA-9747-A11-EB36-C

C2-FBE58-F-9-F93-4-FFF-8-CE4-894440-B59-BC9

New Flower (April 9, 2023) – Easter Basket

Image

411-F597-A-0-F5-F-40-AA-A557-4-CBDD834-FC6-A

Carrying On a Running Tradition

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…46 years ago Kevin ran in this race and yesterday our daughter took part at the High Park Spring Run Off Race

Back in the day my husband was an elite runner. When the kids were little we used to bundle them up, strap them into their car seats and drive off to races all over Ontario and New York State. One of the races that was closer to home was the High Park Spring Run Off. When it first started back in 1978 it attracted an impressive 1200 runners and yesterday’s race saw over 5000 men, women and children running in the 8k, 5k and children’s race.

This is not the first year that our daughter, Andrea ran in this race but it was certainly her best performance. She placed 1st in her age category for women. Kevin and I arrived after the race started but we managed to find a prime spot just at the top of the hill so we had a great vantage point for taking photos and caught her just steps in front of the finish line.

DBB5-C2-BC-A95-F-4-B77-9-F0-C-98-EFCDA20221

40960-AF3-EAC4-47-F9-9347-740787-F42-CA1

05-FBAD1-B-80-B7-478-C-991-D-1-E029-B883573

9358269-A-1-C8-F-4-EFD-A6-D1-23-C8-B6679-DB3

9-A17553-E-F390-44-CC-87-C9-1-A30-F26-DF5-F9

628-F652-A-65-C1-45-C1-AC7-C-E8066-FC3-AC81-1-201-a

165-CDE6-A-E7-A8-46-F8-B668-DEDCB6-D757-C1

Needle and Thread

Posted on March 29, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…the name of my new series of paintings for my solo show

The Joy of Making is the name of my solo show in May. I not only wanted to highlight my love of painting and making art but I also wanted to pay tribute to my family’s talents and the things that my Mom taught me when I was younger. From a very young age my Mom taught me how to make doll clothes with hand stitching and later how to use a sewing machine. She also taught me how to mend socks and sew on buttons.

As I got older I taught Family Studies and taught 11 to 13 year olds how to cook and sew. They learned how to embroider, quilt and sew clothes. I continued to learn and practise other needle crafts such as knitting, cross stitch, weaving, basketmaking and more. In my 50s I learned how to use watercolour and later I ventured into abstract painting using acrylics and collage.

Here are the first three pieces of my Needle and Thread series.