….this week’s photo challenge is Partners
WPC- Partners
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Category Archives: Family
Thursday’s Special – Here and There
….today’s theme is being in two places at the same time, Here and There
Today our son and his fiancé were married at the registrar’s office in London, England. Thanks to What’s App we kept in touch all day with messages and photographs.
While everyone in London was toasting the young couple with champagne and spirits, here at home we raised our cups of tea and coffee to celebrate this special day. It was still morning here and most of us were at work.
Four weeks from now we will be travelling to Italy to participate in part two of this wedding when all the families gather in Assisi to celebrate this union. Can’t wait.
Two Weekends With a Baby
….part 3 of A Busy Three Days
Over the last two weekends we had the pleasure of hosting our daughter and her baby. When they arrived the first time it was the Saturday that I was working at the Fun Fair at school. As soon as the Silent Auction ended I packed up my winnings and headed home. Our granddaughter greeted me with a big smile when I walked through the door.
There was a lot of passing the baby around while we cooked dinner. After the baby was born I acquired two pieces of baby equipment that I’ve never regretted owning. One is the high chair that I literally found on the street last summer and the other is an exer-saucer that I purchased second hand at Once Upon a Child. Apart from taking up a lot of space, these two items have come in handy on numerous occasions.
The plan was for Mom and the baby to spend the night with us because Dad was at a conference here in the city. Dad was going to drive back home, get a good night’s sleep and then drive back to the city for the second day of the conference. Unfortunately the first weekend sleepover didn’t work out as planned. When it came time to put the baby down for the night she had other ideas. Our daughter admits that if she’d given it a bit more time the baby eventually would have fallen asleep but she was a bit stressed, called her husband and he picked both of them up.
The next day they returned early in the morning. Plans had been made to meet up with a girlfriend and her baby at the park a few blocks over from our house. It was fun putting Winnie on the swing and some of the colourful ‘bug’ seats in the park. I also learned that you have to watch her like a hawk because everything goes into her mouth. For a split second I took my eyes off her when my husband texted me about going shopping and I wrote back ‘okay’. In the time it took me to type that little word, Winnie had put a wood chip in her mouth. Luckily I got it out before she swallowed it.
The following weekend G’s husband had to go to Sudbury on a business trip so we tried the overnight experiment again. This time the two of them managed to stay overnight. I slept like a log but my daughter said she was up every two hours. In the morning Winnie was all smiles and her grandfather made her a special breakfast of pancakes.
I’m feeling somewhat better about taking an eight month old baby to Italy. Her sleep patterns may be off for a few days until she adjusts to the time change but at least we know she likes pasta.
Share Your World 2016 – Week 23
…..thanks Cee for hosting Share Your World
What was one of your first moneymaking jobs (other than babysitting or newspaper delivery)?
It seems to me that I’ve answered this question before so I will keep my answer short. When I was 14 I worked in my parent’s milk store. I did this till I was 16. That job ended after the night I was robbed. My parents gave up the business soon after.
What is your favorite month of the year?
I think my favourite month is October. It is still warm but the nights are getting cooler, the leaves are changing colour and the markets are bursting with the harvest.
What three things in nature do you find most beautiful?
I love being near water, trees in the fall and the first big snowfall.
List at least five of your favorite spices? (excluding salt and pepper)
• cinnamon
• cloves
• nutmeg
• curry
• cumin
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 time spent with Winnie and her mom. On the weekend the two of them came to the house and stayed overnight while Dad drove to Sudbury on a business trip. They had also come over the weekend before but ended up going home Saturday night and coming back on Sunday. We’re trying to get Winnie used to sleeping away from home so that the the trip to Italy won’t be so traumatic. I thought she did really well but our daughter was a bit tired because she was up more often while she was here.
A trip to the mall with Oma and Mommy
Checking out the view from the Food Court
Enjoying pancakes for breakfast made by Papa
It looks like the plans for the wedding overseas are going well. The dress, wedding bands and the suit and tie are purchased. The registry office in London is arranged and the pub for close friends has been booked. In Italy the rooms at the villa have been assigned, reservations for dinner in the town of Assisi the night before the wedding have been made and the meal for the actual wedding sounds yummy. Three and a half weeks before we fly to Venice.
Share Your World 2016 – Week 20
….thanks to Cee for hosting Share Your World
When do you feel most connected with others?
I feel most connected to people during those quiet one on one conversations over a cup of coffee or tea. I like that intimate personal time with people where you can really get to know them.
Tea and Panettone
What daily habit would you like to introduce to your life?
I would like to do one creative activity every day. I paint and read sporadically now but I’d like to be more consistent. I’d also like to do some volunteer work.
What one mini-little-adventure would you like to have in the coming week?
This week I’d like to visit the art gallery or the museum. It’s a long weekend here in Canada and sometimes it’s a good time to visit places in the city because so many people head north to open their cottages.
List things or events that changed your Life: It could be as simple as a book or meeting a certain person?
• meeting my husband 43 years ago
• the birth of my children
• graduating from university and becoming a teacher
• the death of my mother
• meeting my best friends AB in 1976 and LC in 1989
• learning to drive when I was in my 20s
• my first art class where I learned how to paint with watercolour
• building a cottage next to my good friend DM
• the birth of our first grandchild
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 being able to continue on my weight loss journey and for the support of my husband and my friends at work. My husband has lost 26 pounds and I’m down 18. My new passport arrived this week and I can check off one more thing from my to do list before I go to Italy in July. I’m also grateful that my photo isn’t the worst passport photo that I’ve ever taken. I have to live with it for the next 10 years. 
For the rest of the week I’m looking forward to our girls’ soccer tournament on Friday, visiting our daughter and her family in Hamilton on Saturday and seeing my older daughter on Sunday or Monday. Since it’s the long weekend here I’m also looking forward to planting some things in the garden and firing up the barbecue for a meal or two. It’s also suppose to be a spectacular weekend, weather wise.
Here are a few photos from this past week.
Share Your World 2016 – Week 19
….thank you Cee for some very unusual questions this week
You win a pet monkey but this isn’t just any old monkey. It can do one trick for you whenever you want from getting a pop out of the fridge to washing your hair. What would be the trick?
When I saw this question I couldn’t help but think about the Ikea monkey and all the grief the owner went through for owning a monkey. Washing my hair? Never! I’ll think I’ll pass on this question. I could never own a monkey regardless of the talent it may have.
What caring thing are you going to do for yourself today?
Today I went to see a chiropractor. In the last two weeks I’ve had chronic pain in my upper thigh and the side of my hip. It all started on the day that I walked 18 000 steps. I thought it would go away on it’s own but the pain persisted. I discovered that I have bursitis in my hip as a direct result of that long walk. I was tugged at, pushed and pulled. It hurt! The good news is that it felt better when I was done. My homework is to do some exercises, apply ice and not start any new exercise program. No running or long walks. With a few more visits my hip should be ‘all cleaned up’ before I go to Italy in July.
What color do you feel most comfortable wearing?
Believe it or not I love wearing bright colours like royal blue and red. I also like white, peach and periwinkle.
Complete this sentence: When I travel I love to….
….check out quaint little shops, markets and art galleries. I love outdoor cafes and restaurants that the locals eat at.
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 wonderful Mother’s Day weekend. I drove to the finish line for the Sporting Life 10k Run that my oldest daughter, her partner and her brother-in-law participated in. All three finished in great times.
We then drove to Hamilton where we met up with my husband and our youngest daughter and her little family. We had a great time playing with the baby and enjoyed a wonderful meal together.
It’s been a great week at school. The children did really well at the West Conference track and field meet and many of them are moving on to the city finals. All the plans for our Forest of Reading book club celebration are now in place and the silent auction contributions from the classes have been completed by the students and are ready to be fired. Here is the platter that my grade 3 class designed and painted. I did the black lines. I can’t wait to see what it looks like after it’s been fired. 
The other thing that I’m grateful for was the amazing lunch that the parents put on for the staff for ‘Teacher Appreciation Day’. They really go all out. They used the library and came in the night before to set it up and decorate it. The food was over the top and there was so much left over that we had a second meal the next day. I also appreciated the fact that there were lots of things that I could eat and still stay on my ‘diet’.
I’m looking forward to a great day on Friday when the students who earned their 12 reading credits come to our Forest of Reading Celebration. We have an author coming to talk to the students, a drama workshop and a hands on journal making workshop plus a pizza lunch for the successful students and the staff who participated as expert readers.
I’m also looking forward to creating more paintings. I’ll write more about that in another post in the next few days.
Cheers!
WPC – Admiration
….this week’s photo theme is admiration
I admire my family. I admire the love, courage and commitment that our oldest daughter and the love of her love share. I admire the parenting skills of our youngest daughter and her husband and the love they surround their baby with. I admire my husband for his cooking skills, bravery through difficult times, and the love he showers upon me. I admire my son who after years of networking and perseverance has landed himself a job that allows him to travel, experience the world and meet some very interesting people. Finally I admire my future daughter-in-law who is working on her PhD and keeps my son grounded. Both my husband and I are extremely proud of all our children and their significant others and we admire them all.
Share Your World 2016 – Week 17
….thanks Cee for more great questions
When writing by hand do you prefer to use a pencil or pen?
As I was writing with a pencil today, I decided that I prefer to write with a pencil. I like how it flows smoothly over the paper and doesn’t smudge like ink does.
What’s your choice: jigsaw, word, maze or numeric puzzles?
I used to love jigsaw puzzles but now my puzzle of choice is numeric. I can’t pass up a Sudoku puzzle when I see them in the newspaper or magazines.
Do you prefer long hair or short hair for yourself?
I definitely prefer medium length hair. I saw a photo taken about 10 years ago when my hair was very short and I instantly went ‘yuk’.
List five or more of your favourite blogs.
- Cee’s Photography https://ceenphotography.com/2016/04/28/cees-black-white-photo-challenge-hiding-or-camouflaged/
- Life In-between https://lifeinbetween.me/2016/04/28/the-rusty-old-bridge-in-watercolor/
- Jill’s Art Journal https://artjillkuhn.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/creative-play/
- My Guilty Pleasures https://mygulitypleasures.wordpress.com/2016/04/25/big-girl-trying-to-be-a-bit-smaller/#comment-41729
- Curious to the Max https://judithwesterfield.com/2016/04/26/frankly-freddie-parenthetically-speaking-2/
- My Life Lived Full https://mylifelivedfull.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/w-washington-dc/
- The Year of Living Non-judgementally https://annkoplow.wordpress.com/2016/04/28/day-1214-relationship-managers/
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 time spent with my daughters. On Saturday my oldest daughter and her wife came to the house to sort out some financial issues with their financial planner (my husband) and we enjoyed a wonderful lunch together. My daughter also helped me put together a dresser that I bought months ago. Earlier in the day my husband and I went for a very long walk. With the nice weather we’ve been inundated with midges so K made us coverings for our mouths and noses so we wouldn’t breathe them in. Luckily it was a bit cooler when we headed out so we didn’t have to use them very often. My neighbours were right when they said we looked like a couple of bandits.
On Sunday we drove to Hamilton and watched our son-in-law race in his first go-cart race. The baby didn’t seem to mind the noise or the smelly fumes.
After the race we were treated to a wonderful dinner of BBQ steak and grilled vegetables back at the house. My husband and I are still on our weight loss journey together and a meal like that makes it very easy to stay on program. So far I’ve lost 13 pounds and my husband is down 17.
This week I’m looking forward to do more painting. I’ve redone a couple of paintings I started two weeks ago and have started two more. I’m also looking forward to more success on the scales this week.
Share Your World 2016 – Week 16
….thanks Cee for another great set of questions
Unfortunately I’m more than a week late for this post but I wanted to answer the questions, so here goes.
If you had to have your vision corrected would you rather: glasses or contacts? Or what do you use if you need to have your vision corrected?
In my mid twenties I started wearing contact lenses. I loved them until I reached my 50s. I couldn’t read close-up so I tried wearing bifocal lenses but I couldn’t wear them at night because the lights would turn into star bursts. For the last 10 years I’ve worn glasses and I would take them off to read. In the last 2 years I’ve switched to progressive lenses. It took a bit of getting used to but I don’t need to constantly take my glasses off and on.
If you had to describe your day as a traffic sign, what would it be?
I think I’m a yield sign. I move cautiously forward and look out for the needs of other people. I get the job done but not at the expense of others.
Was school easy or difficult for you? How so?
School was pretty easy for me. There were periods where I struggled with language in elementary school but I found math very easy. In high school, after grade 10, there were units of math, like calculus that would frustrate me but I learned to love the mechanics of language.
Would you rather take a 1 or 2 week vaction with an organized tour or take a cruise of your choice?
I think if I were travelling alone I would take an organized tour but seeing that I wouldn’t travel alone I would choose to take a cruise of my choice. One thing I’d love to do is take a European river cruise.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Seeing that I’m late with this post I have to go back two weeks. I’m grateful for the coming of warm spring weather. For awhile anyway we had very warm temperatures and sunshine.
As always I look forward to spending time with my family, especially my granddaughter. My son-in-law is racing in his first go-cart race this weekend so I’m looking forward to another trip to Hamilton.
Now I’m off to answer the questions for week 17.
WPC – Dinnertime
….our granddaughter’s first BBQ dinner at our place
Today was a glorious sunny warm day. When our daughter said she was dropping off the dog for a few hours and then would be back around suppertime we decided to have dinner together. We spent the afternoon pulling out the garden furniture and cleaning it up. I went shopping for food and my husband prepared the charcoal fire and the food to go on it. I set the table and prepared the salad. By the time dinner was ready the temperature dropped a bit so we put on our sweaters and enjoyed our first outdoor meal this spring.
For more dinnertime photos check out WPC site.
Mama Cormier 