Time for a Good Cleaning

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….when things start to go missing you know it’s time to clean

The first official day of my summer holiday and it’s pouring rain. Luckily I got out for a bit of a walk this morning before the skies opened up. The boys came over early enough to cut the grass as well and I got a little bit of weeding done.

My daughter A and her partner J ran a 5km race today and I missed it. They also lucked out and finished before the rain started. My daughter finished her race in 27 minutes and J (her first race ever) completed it in 33 minutes. Very impressive!

Unfortunately we didn’t get out in time to take in the Farmers’ Market. By the time we got there it was teaming with rain and most of the vendors had already packed up and left. We headed back for home but stopped at the top of the street and had a coffee at the Portuguese Bakery. Our son texted us from Paris with a photo of him and his fiancé at an outdoor cafe so my husband took a photo of me with my latte and sent it back to him.

My husband’s caption: Enjoying a latte from our own Paris cafe in beautiful New Toronto.

Notice anything different about me in this photo? Well I’m not wearing my glasses and not because I’m vain (I am a little bit). Remember when I said that ‘when things go missing it’s time to clean’? Well it’s my glasses that I’ve lost. I know that I wore them home on Thursday because I drove home and I would never drive without them. I do have prescription sunglasses and I wore those yesterday and today when driving but I’m really stumped as to where I’ve placed my regular glasses.

Since we’ve been back I have been cleaning the kitchen, going through my school bags, turning things upside down and looking in the most unusual places and I still haven’t found them. I’m afraid I’m going to have to go on my hands and knees and start looking under things, like my bed, night table, living room couch, and bathroom vanity. The only reason I haven’t I haven’t done it yet is because I fell a few weeks ago and I injured my right knee. The only time I feel any pain is when I kneel on it. A few times I’ve forgotten about it, especially when I go to bed. I can’t crawl into bed because I get a searing pain in the knee so I have to sit on the bed and swing my legs over the edge.

Well there are still a lot of places to clean in my house so I guess I’d better get back to work. The rain still hasn’t let up. If you have any suggestions as to where my glasses might be drop m a line.

Cheers

Share Your World 2015 – Week 25

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….. thanks Cee for four more thought provoking questions

What did you or did not like about the first apartment you ever rented?

Our first apartment was a basement apartment in uptown Toronto. We were close to the subway and great shopping and restaurants. I didn’t like being in the basement. Our windows faced the parking lot and driveway so we had to contend with cars rolling past our windows.

What kind of art is your favorite? Why?

My favourite art includes abstract paintings, watercolour or acrylic and collage and mixed media art. I don’t like things that are hyper realistic. I’d rather take a beautiful photograph.

A Ray Cattell painting.

How many siblings do you have? What’s your birth order?

I’m the oldest of three girls. When my son was born he was the first male born on my father’s side of the family in 50 years.

The three Winkler sisters.

Complete this sentence: I’m dreaming of a white …. (and no you can’t use Christmas as your answer)

This one stumped me for a few minutes. In fact, I went for a walk and really thought about this question. I’ve already owned a white car and my husband has one now. It wasn’t by choice for either of us but at the time they were our only options. I’ve really learned to appreciate white flowers and one of my favourite bouquets this year was all white.

I’m not very fussy about white weddings or white clothes. I don’t like white food, unless it’s vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream and white walls leave me cold. I do, however, like bright white trim. Therefore, I’m dreaming of painting all the trim in the house white. I also love crisp white sheets and big soft white towels.

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 weekend with the family. We did a double Father’s Day celebration. On Saturday my husband and I hosted a BBQ at our place and our girls and their significant others and two of our best friends joined us. My husband did most of the cooking because it’s what he loves to do. I did all the running around and picked up things that we needed. We also went across the street for a bit to congratulate our neighbour on her retirement.

Our daughter and son-in-law couldn’t keep the gender of their baby secret any longer and they shared the news with us. Unfortunately I promised to keep it a secret for a little bit longer and not share it with the world right now.

On Sunday, we drove to my Dad’s place in Oshawa and celebrated Father’s Day with him. My sister took the train in from Chatham and we all shared a meal at their new apartment. I brought a salad made from the lettuce in our garden and Dad picked up his special treat, KFC.

One other thing that I’m grateful for was a very enjoyable Tea that my friend L and I hosted for four students from school. It really was fun and the kids learned a lot about ‘tea etiquette’ and a little bit more about their teachers.

This week I’m looking forward to the staff party and to the last day of school and the start of our summer break.

Winding Down but Still So Very Busy

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..even though there are only 5 days left with students there is no slowing down

Yesterday we had our big annual outdoor extravaganza. Every class sang, danced and/or played musical instruments on an outdoor stage that the parent council rented for the day. We had a dress rehearsal in the afternoon and every class sat on the hill and watched the performances as they waited for their turn to go on stage.

In the evening the students stayed in classrooms and waited to be called to go on stage. It was very well organized and all 14 classes and two choirs completed their presentations in one hour and fifteen minutes. The weather this year cooperated. We couldn’t have asked for a better evening. The parents loved it and the students wished that it had gone on longer.

Today we started rehearsals for next week’s farewell assembly for the grade 5s. After school my friend L and I ran around to get the food organized for tomorrow’s tea with the students who bid on “High Tea with Mrs. C and Ms. C” at the silent auction a few weeks ago. I offered Tea with Mrs. C last year and it was so successful that my friend L wanted to go in on it with me. We decided to make it extra special and have the tea at L’s house where her very British mom could help us with the table setting. I just had these two photos sent to me. The table is ready for tea.

On the weekend we’re celebrating Father’s Day at our house. The ‘kids’ (my children, not the students) are coming over on Saturday for a BBQ. My husband is anxious to try out his new charcoal and propane combination grill. We’re also invited to a retirement party on the same day but it is just across the road so hopefully we can find time to drop in for a bit. On Sunday I’m hoping we can find time to visit my Dad in Oshawa.

Next week there will be more rehearsals for the farewell, the assembly itself that I’m emceeing, the grade 5 fun day and the school’s play day. On Wednesday evening we’re having our staff party (yeah!) and then on the last day of school there’s one more assembly. Somewhere in between all that we have to clean our rooms, order supplies for next year and store our computers and electronics in a safe place for the summer.

Share Your World 2015 – Week 24

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….here is the new format for Cee’s Share Your World

It’s pretty much the same but instead of 4 random questions there are now 3 and one list question.

What’s your favorite charitable cause and why?

I think my favourite charity has to be the Heart and Stroke’s Jump Rope for Heart event. I’m probably a little biased because I’ve been running this event for the last 16 years at our school and we’ve raised well over $100 000.00. This year alone we took in almost $10,000.00. I like this charity because it makes children aware of heart healthy activities and how the money they raise is used for research. The best part is the day that the whole school comes outside and jumps rope for an hour. We have music, games and prizes and everyone, including the teachers get involved.

What color do you feel most comfortable wearing?

I love wearing red and royal blue and white.

If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? (guest can be dead, alive, famous or someone you just know)

My first three guests would be Pablo Picasso, my father, and Jon Stewart.

List: What are at least five places you’ve enjoyed visiting?

• Amsterdam and Rotterdam

• Dublin, Westport and Howth

• Munich and Oberaudorf

• San Francisco

• Stowe, Vermont

• Hawaii

• Banff, Alberta

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 resolving some of my iPhone and computer issues on Sunday and for a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon with our daughter and son-in-law in Hamilton. Even though my husband’s test results are still inconclusive I’m grateful for the wonderful doctors and technicians who we’ve dealt with in the last few weeks and hopefully we’ll have a better idea which option to choose this coming week.

This week I’m looking forward to our school production which we do on an outdoor stage in front of the school. We’re all hoping for good weather. Last year it started to rain part way through but the parents wanted us to continue. The stage helped keep the children dry but the audience sat under umbrellas and tarps.

I’m also looking forward to getting together with both my daughters and their significant others on Father’s Day. We’re hoping that our friends A and W can also join us and with any luck we may be able to visit with my Dad as well.

When a Busy Weekend Keeps You From Walking

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..3 days in a row of over 10 000 steps and then the weekend comes along

Usually the weekend is a great time for walking but this weekend proved otherwise. On Saturday I squeezed my newly pedicured feet into a brand new pair of high heels and wore them for the next eleven hours.

We left the house shortly after 12 noon and arrived at the church just in time for the wedding. The service wasn’t as long as we had expected and now we had 3 hours to kill before the reception. We thought about going home but opted instead to go to a restaurant close by and have a bite to eat. We ordered a couple of appetizers and sparkling water. Well that took less than an hour and we still had time to spare.

We decided to find some stores to browse through but we were in the middle of box store city with lots of pavement and parking lots to walk over. Not very good for someone in 3″ heels. In hind sight it seems ridiculous but we drove from store to store. My husband hates malls and box stores so we didn’t spend too much time ‘shopping’. We didn’t actually buy anything.

We didn’t have any coffee when we were in the restaurant earlier and we were now in need of a caffeine fix. Back in the car, we now drove around looking for a coffee shop. After a couple of missed turns we finally found a Star Bucks and sat down, again, for a cup of coffee.

We arrived at the reception hall exactly at 5:00 and there was no one else in the parking lot. We wondered if we had the right place but within minutes the families of the bride and groom showed up and slowly the guests stared arriving as well. I guess showing up on time is an old fashion custom. I couldn’t believe how late people walked through the door.

After the cocktail hour, dinner was served and for the next four and a half hours we were in our seats as the courses were served with speeches and formalities in between.

I was hoping we’d get to do some dancing but by the time the last speech had been delivered it was already 10:30 and we realized that our poor dog had been alone since noon. We said our good-byes and headed home. By 11:00 o’clock we arrived at the house and the first thing I did was take off those high heels. My husband took the dog out for a quick pee. I was just too tired to go for a walk. I had only logged 3400 steps.

On Sunday I slept in and then read my book for a couple of hours. I had booked an appointment with the Apple store to sort through some issues I was having with my computer and my iPhone. My husband came with me so that we could leave right from the mall and drive to Hamilton to have dinner at our daughter’s house. That’s right, my husband was in a mall, two days in a row. What a sport!

Unfortunately today was a very rainy day and when we arrived in Hamilton our plans for walking to a new area to explore were altered. The rain had let up briefly but our daughter didn’t think it was a good idea to walk to our destination because the odds of a downpour were pretty high. She was right. We drove to a quaint shopping area on Locke Street, parked the car and walked up and down the street. We stopped for coffee and a bite to eat because dinner wasn’t going to be early as we had anticipated.

There are some great little stores, coffee shops and restaurants in this area of Hamilton. I’ll be sure to return on a future visit. When we returned to our daughter’s house I went out for another short walk over to James street but most stores on Sunday close between 4:00 and 5:00, if they’re open at all.

When I returned to the house G had put out a lovely spread of cheese, dips and crackers and shortly after they served us a scrumptious dinner of ribs and a watermelon salad. I suggested going for a walk before dessert was served but it was decided that we would play a board game first and then go for a walk. Well we never did get out for that walk and in total I only logged 4000 steps for the day.

Share Your World 2015 – Week 20

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..thanks Cee for four more thought provoking questions

What is the most important thing that you ever learned? (I bet it’s not something you learned in school)

I learned early on in my adult years that not everyone you meet will like you. The first time I discovered that someone really didn’t like me it took me for a loop. I get along with most people so when someone dislikes you for simply being yourself it can be somewhat hurtful. I don’t let it bother me anymore and figure that the problem lies with them.

I also learned that friends you make in school won’t necessarily be your friends later in life and sometimes if you’re lucky you can rekindle old friendships as you get older. In recent years I’ve been fortunate to be able to do that.

What feeds your enthusiasm for life?

I love to learn and try new experiences. I get joy from reading, doing art, teaching art, taking photographs and spending time with family and friends.

What’s your most memorable (good or bad) airplane commercial or private flight?

My most memorable airplane flight took place last year when my brother-in-law treated my middle sister and me to a complimentary flight, first class, to Calgary. The seats were comfortable, the food was good and our wine glasses were never empty. The flight took place on Air Canada.

If you were a great explorer, what would you explore?

I would explore all the great museums and art galleries of the world. That of course would take me to the most amazing cities in the world as well so I would check out all the historic sites and local markets and artisans.

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 spending an interesting day in Hamilton last week. I discovered a whole slew of interesting stores, restaurants and galleries in my daughter’s new neighbourhood. I can’t wait to go back and check out some of these places more closely.

I’m grateful that my husband’s biopsy went smoothly and that there weren’t any complications. The results were inconclusive so we have to wait for another test.

This week I’m looking forward to watching the girls play in their soccer tournament and meeting the author that I booked for the students’ activity day. Forty students met their goal of reading at least ten books in the last five months and earned a special day where they are excused from class to attend a drama workshop and bookmaking workshop, are treated to lunch and in the afternoon spend time with one of the authors whose book was nominated for the 2015 Forest of Reading Collection. It should be a lot of fun.

I’ll end with some photographs that I took the last few days.

From Winter Straight Into Summer

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….after months of complaining about the cold we can now complain about the heat

We never get much in the way of Spring weather here in Southern Ontario. It is usually very short lived and then we’re straight into summer. This year April was unseasonably cold and May has started out with very warm…..no high, temperatures.

This Mother’s Day weekend, my husband and I and our daughter, A, and her partner, J, drove to Hamilton to celebrate Mother’s Day with our other daughter G and her husband BT. It was so hot that I brought a change of clothes in case what I was wearing was too warm.

After our lunch at a local restaurant (we stayed inside where it was air conditioned) we took a walk to Bayshore Park where we saw people fishing, wading in the lake, cycling and having picnics. The ice-cream trucks were out and people were applying sun screen to their arms and legs.

There were lots of birds in the park and the mating rituals and bird chatter were abundant. The geese and seagulls were hovering close to the picnickers, as they always do and the dog walkers were out in droves. Most of the trees were in full bloom here and some were already losing their blossoms. Tulips were also in full bloom but the daffodils were already finished for the season.

Today my husband cut the grass for the second time this year and is now starting to get the vegetable beds ready for planting. Normally this would be too early here but these unusually high temperatures are saying otherwise.

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable Mother’s Day weekend.

Cheers!

Share Your World 2015 – Week 18

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….thank you Cee for another four great questions

What type of pets do you have or want? Or do you not want pets?

I have a lovely little mutt. She is a cross between a Dachshund and Australian Shepard. We inherited her 8 years ago when our daughter discovered that a new job made it impossible for her to raise an 8 week old puppy. My husband agreed to look after Frances (a name that our daughter picked out) until A could find a new home for her. To make a long story short, my husband bounded with Frances so quickly that he couldn’t give her up and she’s been with us ever since.

What was or is your favorite cartoon?

Before I read Cee’s answer I immediately thought of Casper the Ghost which I used to watch as a child. When I was a bit older my favourite cartoon had to be the Flintstones. I don’t watch cartoons anymore.

Courtesy of: https://yuq.me/tv/03/344/5785.jpg

When you’re alone at home, do you wear shoes, socks, slippers, or go barefoot?

I do all of the above. On a cold winter morning or when I sleep in a lodge I like to wear slippers. When I enter my house I usually leave my shoes on. I never worry about my floors or carpets. When I know that I’m in for the evening or when I’m on the computer like now I like to wear socks and when the weather is warmer, go barefoot.

Are you a traveler or a homebody?

I’m not really a homebody, even though I do like to spend quiet evenings at home. I would love to be more of a traveller. The only thing holding me back is the money to travel and my full time job. I’m hoping to travel more when I retire and when the mortgage is paid off.

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 our daughter and her husband moved safely and without incident to their new home in Hamilton last week. We had an opportunity to drive there on Saturday and check out the neighbourhood.

This week I’m looking forward to spending Mother’s Day with my daughters, their significant others and my husband. I’m also looking forward to more warm weather. It seems like we’ve gone from winter straight into summer.

Lucy and a Trip to Hamilton

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..my daughter and son-in-law have moved to a larger home

On Thursday and Friday, our daughter, G and her husband packed up their tiny apartment and left Toronto to start a new life in Hamilton. We offered to dog sit so that their Bassett Hound, Lucy, wouldn’t get underfoot. Lucy is a lovely dog but not the easiest to look after.

One of the things that Lucy likes to do is take over the chaise lounge and she won’t stop barking until the offending person gets off. If you’ve ever heard a Bassett Hound bark you know how irritating it can be and Lucy is relentless. By the way she also loves to be covered with a blanket.

Our dog Frances gets along with Lucy in short spurts. After awhile she becomes very territorial and she refuses to let Lucy pass to go up the stairs or down the stairs. We always have to separate them at meal time and Lucy finishes first so if Frances doesn’t finish we have to put her food up high and out of the way.

Lucy’s nose is always close to the ground; a very common trait of Bassett Hounds. When we work in the kitchen she is always underfoot, hoping that we drop something. She also loves kale and if we’re not careful she’ll pull it out of the fridge when we open the door. On several occasions when Lucy has been taken for walks down Yonge St. she’s jumped up onto to a city planters and pulled out the ornamental kale to chomp on. Our daughter is mortified when this happens.

Today our son-in-law returned the moving truck. We put Lucy in the car and picked up BT and drove them back to their new home in Hamilton. This was Lucy’s first exposure to the new house. We were a little worried about the stairs but a new carpet has been laid and Lucy was very comfortable going up and down the the steep staircase. Normally she doesn’t like stairs.

Lucy checked out the backyard. Clearly she’s going to need to be trained as to where she can and cannot walk and pee. The flower beds are definitely out of bounds. The front porch quickly became a popular spot to hang out with her loved ones. She’s content to be near her family and she didn’t bark at the folks that walked by the house. Hopefully that part won’t change.

The new house will be a bit of an adjustment for Lucy. There are still a lot of boxes that need to be unpacked and before we left BT started to paint the living room. I’m sure Lucy will learn to love her new surroundings and why wouldn’t she. She has a big backyard to play in and lots of new places to explore in the house and outside in the neighbourhood. I didn’t see any planters with ornamental kale but if they exists she’ll be sure to find them.

When we got home our daughter sent us a photo of Lucy. Apparently she has already decided where her new favourite place in the house is. So typical!

Share Your World – Week 14

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…..join the fun and Share Your World with us

What type of music relaxes you the most or do you prefer silence?

Sometimes I need complete silence. Being surrounded by children all day can take it’s toll. I do, however, love music. It can inspire me to paint and motivate me to move but if I need to relax I need, for lack of a better term, ‘spa music’. I know that there is a word for this type of music but i’m having a ‘_________’ moment. Maybe you can fill in the blank or come up with the name I’m looking for.

Show us a two of your favorites photographs? Explain why they are your favorite. If you are not a photographer, think of a two favorite scenes in your life and tell us about them.

This is hard because I’ve taken thousands of photos. I’d probably have to chose recent photos. One that stands out for me was the photo where I was able to capture a water drop coming from a faucet. It’s not a perfect shot but capturing that split second gave me quite a thrill.

Another photo that I like is one that I took yesterday. People were feeding the seagulls down by the lake and there was quite a feeding frenzy. I love being able to catch birds in flight and in this shot a seagull flew in front of my shot just at the right moment.

What is your favorite tradition? (family tradition, church tradition, whatever)

Our favourite family tradition is having everyone over on Christmas Eve. It’s a German tradition that my husband adopted when we were married and one he refuses to give up. My husband prepares food all day long. The menu varies from year to year. We often have mulled wine, a shrimp ring, and a cheese and meat platter. Those are standard items. Some years we’ve had a hearty homemade lentil soup made with a pork hock. One year my daughter brought over Chinese steamed buns and another time my husband made Jamaican roti and a Guiness punch. We nibble all night long and we slowly open gifts. Christmas Day is more low key. Some years when all our children are at the homes of their significant others we order in Chinese food and go out for a movie.

If you could go back and talk to yourself at age 18 what advice would you give yourself? Or if you are younger than 25 what words of wisdom would you like to tell yourself at age 50?

If I could go back to being 18 I would tell myself to listen to and learn from my elders and spend more time with them. I know that sometimes parents say the strangest things and I couldn’t wait to move away from home when I was 18. When I graduated from university I got married right away so I never did live at home again. I would also tell myself to put away a certain amount of money every month and never touch it until retirement. We started doing that but life doesn’t always go as planned and our nest egg disappeared. Luckily I have a very good pension fund as a teacher. I would also tell myself to pay off my credit cards in full every month. The last thing I would tell myself is to never count on an inheritance to feather your own nest. The unexpected can happen and generally people live longer.

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 the long Easter weekend and time spent with my family. My husband made a delicious pork roast and roasted vegetables and homemade cheese biscuits. My youngest daughter made a tasty Caprese salad with homemade mozzarella cheese and my oldest daughter baked a scrumptious plum cake that she served with homemade roibus tea ice-cream. I set the table and made the place setting cards.

This week I’m looking forward to lunch with friends from high school. It will the first time that we’ve all gotten together since the passing of our dear friend Marcia last July. It was because of Marcia that we all reunited in the first place and we vowed that we would continue to see each other at least once a year, if not more often.