My Vacation Went Awry

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…with an unexpected trip to and extended stay in the hospital

After our road trip to Banff, I knew that my husband Kevin was not okay health wise. At first it we thought it was a bit of altitude sickness but after two days we knew it was more serious and on the third day my brother-in-law drove Kevin to urgent care. It didn’t take long for them to diagnose that we were looking at pneumonia and they transported Kevin to the hospital were he stayed for the next four nights. The day before we were to fly home he was finally released when his oxygen levels were closer to normal.

My sister and brother-in-law were wonderful and tried to make my stay as enjoyable as possible. Every day we made one trip to the hospital to visit with Kevin and a very close friend also made a couple of trips to keep him company. My sister and I did a lot of retail therapy over the next four days and on one day we drove out to the country where we explored the Leighton Art Centre. We also drove throughout the city and explored some of the more interesting neighbourhoods.

On Wednesday, I went to visit our friends that we’ve know since university. Lance and Kevin have actually known each other longer and went to grade school together. It was because of Lance, who was my neighbour at Guelph, that I met Kevin and the rest is history. Lois reminded me that I introduced Lance to her. That was almost 50 years ago.

Luckily Kevin was released the day before we were to fly back home. His oxygen levels were somewhat normalized and he was allowed to fly. The flight home was uneventful and Kevin continues to improve every day. In fact he started to do his walks again around the neighbourhood. Our next trip is a road trip in September to New Brunswick. Fingers crossed!!!!!

1252-D63-E-2-DE2-46-D9-A49-B-31-FDD3-D250-BE — *The day before Geoff took him to Urgent Care*

CFB6-EEC5-3-D8-B-44-FA-B0-B8-F5-A04-E9-A3282 — *Lunch with my niece, Kelsey*

EE137-AD4-5-B25-4103-88-C6-263-C81-BD8-DE9-1-201-a — *My sister and brother-in-law, Cathy and Geoff*

16-B57-C3-E-933-D-47-DD-AA52-1-BBAADED2-CFB — *In Emergency*

DD12-AAB8-883-B-4-EC5-BEC0-998-F593-B28-DC-1-201-a — *Driving through the city of Calgary*

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257-C4777-100-B-4992-ABC2-80-F4-D9-ED94-A6 — *Road trip to the country*

7458-D4-E5-F745-4-F42-B1-F2-13-D552-DE4-C1-A-1-201-a — *Friends, Lance and Lois*

B57-F8723-07-D5-4618-8-D8-F-9-DEAFFE8662-C — *Sisters ,me and Cathy*

One Day Left

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…for my solo art show, The Joy of Making

It’s been a crazy two weeks and my show will be coming to an end on Saturday, May 13, 2023. I’ve loved every minute of it and thoroughly enjoyed speaking to my family, friends, fellow artists and total strangers who came to see the show. I’m sorry that I missed some of them because I couldn’t be there every day but I tried to get to the gallery if I knew someone was coming for a visit.

As of today, I sold 9 paintings, 81 photo cards and two rock weavings. Love those red dots. Yesterday I added two more paintings to the wall. I had every intention on adding one more painting when I put up the show but I ended up making two more. One is called Crazy Quilt, 8″x10″, framed mixed media and the larger one is called Nothing Goes to Waste, 11″x14″ framed, mixed media.

8-E95-AA38-C350-4-DF1-9-D2-F-5-B94-BDD573-C5-1-201-a

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Love Those Red Dots

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Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Partners

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/04/15/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-partners/

Partners can me a number of things. I immediately thought of my husband and all the married couples that we know but partners can also be things that go well together, like wine and cheese, eggs and bacon, Batman and Robin, fork and knife, socks, twins, etc..

1-B81-F939-88-BE-4318-8-A50-56656-ADE7038 — *Partners for Life*

E35167-E7-2-C6-F-4129-B640-9636-D868-B8-B2-1-201-a — *Swans partner for life as well*

5-B97-A1-C2-D9-BA-4-ED6-A77-A-5-D4223-A22-F36 — *Birthday cake and candles*

6-C8-C0-D49-B6-D0-4024-8-ED5-0-CC9-EFFF2583 — *Father and Son*

F916-A6-B7-0906-4-BC0-A66-F-F3737-DDEE76-E-1-201-a — *Tea and Biscuits*

D3-CB3652-4-FA5-48-A2-B9-D7-563-C663-F5102 — *Couple*

9-AAD1-C84-F5-EF-4-BD3-B611-441648-C474-B4 — *Best friends*

Happy Easter From Our Family to Your’s

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…this Easter weekend has involved painting, drawing, getting together with family and eating…lots of eating

Every family celebrates this time of year differently but it almost always includes food. In our house it also includes drawing and painting and getting outside to walk and take photos.

Food with Family

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Walking and Taking Photos

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Making Art….to be continued

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Neighbours

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/03/15/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-neighbors/

Neighbours mean the world to us. Not only do we help each other out in times of need or to carry out a goal, we also have become friends and celebrate special times in our lives together.

Trish and I picked up garbage in the neighbourhood for a month when COVID first hit. It was her idea but I was right there with her for 30 days.

A102868-F-2-B4-B-4-F89-876-D-4726-D7-FA49-C7

4-BB38-E86-04-D7-4-A8-C-977-A-99-D202994-FC8 — *…she even got one her daughters and her friend to pitch in*

5-F17-BE9-F-D587-4-ACC-AF5-E-DE7-A497-B8560 — *For years we shovelled snow for our neighbours and now they help us out when we’re not able*

D3376-F57-7697-4-E75-989-D-CDB0888-BD4-DE — *This is our neighbourhood lawn bowling club and many of the members are my neighbours. I’ve met a lot of great people*

0-EFE3-F52-113-C-40-CD-9-A91-D4-C02191-A69-E — *Friends since high school and neighbours at the cottage…always there to support me*

670-D8-CF4-6-D18-4-A99-9538-CD6-DCA435753 — *Neighbours and friends helping me celebrate my ‘big’ birthday*

B57-A2-A59-7-E1-D-4-EDD-95-F1-B0-F16-AD9-C9-F4-1-201-a — *Neighbours pitching in to help clear the leaves on the corner lot*

Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Old

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/02/11/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-old/

Getting old is not just a number but it’s a state of mind and declining physical abilities. We need to work at staying in shape and it becomes harder as we get older but the benefits outweigh the aches and pains that may come with it. Not caring how you look is not embracing old age or aging gracefully. Even though my husband is suffering with pain and discomfort he would never think about going out, even to a doctor’s appointment without showering first and putting on clean clothes.

26-EE9-D4-D-A763-4360-93-AC-1348-B59-E14-A3 — *Knight’s Armour*

DC82-E5-E5-E399-41-AA-93-C2-24845-EE5908-E — *Kevin’s 70th birthday*

As plants get older they wither and dry up. Our pets get grey around the muzzle and they slow down and sleep more. My grandmother was very wrinkled but she stayed active right up to her last three years of her life. She walked everywhere, rode her bike and travelled. My father was the same. He was less wrinkled but he walked every day, worked on his crosswords and at 90 he made one last trip overseas to visit his younger brother. He wasn’t without his faults and as he got older he said things that could be hurtful but in his mind he was just being ‘honest’. He passed at 94.

4-E333769-1-A98-491-C-9337-A494-D4-D8-F7-D3 — *Frances at 14 1/2 years old*

C1514090-F200-488-A-96-C8-E05312-A2-DF98 — *Dad doing this civic duty right to the end*

DEB25152-F04-C-4-D4-F-A865-945-F8969-C222 — *Dad on his 93rd birthday*

Furniture and paintings fade as they get older if they aren’t properly cared for. Books and papers yellow and can get musty and brittle. Old things in museums are stored in carefully crafted atmospheres to slow down the aging process and skilled hands can bring masterpieces back to life for future generations to experience and enjoy.

27-FD72-CE-0-C75-418-C-B2-DF-ACB2-EA6-B0-A04-1-201-a — *Degas’s Ballerina*

1-F774-B12-602-A-4399-A36-A-F161923-FCCFB — *The Mona Lisa*

EF57934-A-D5-BE-43-D2-B1-AD-99-DF0-DFCE14-F — *A Cathedral in Paris*

40590-A42-FFD3-4-EF4-9-F85-3944-B2-D21-DCB — *The Medieval section of Tours, France*

BCB13-F05-3-CFD-473-E-894-F-79549800-E442 — *The Cathedral in Tours, France*

2-E98-AFD1-7-F2-C-4-B0-A-B9-CE-6-E0-C8228-CB0-D — *The Chateau Amboise in France*

589-EA76-B-87-A8-4-A95-8457-663043244409 — *Furniture in the Chateau*

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Belonging

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/02/01/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-belonging/

Before COVID I belonged to a group of bakers. Every week, twice a week, we got together to make dough and bake bread in the wood burning oven at Montgomery’s Inn, one of Toronto’s Historical Museums. When COVID hit in March 2020 all volunteer jobs were eliminated and bread baking ceased to exist for almost three years. I loved belonging to this group of men and women who came together every week and I look forward to the day that we can once again get together to make bread.

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I also belong to an organization of mostly women artists but also some men and that too has reduced it’s in person activities considerably since COVID hit. I love belonging to such a creative group that shares knowledge and ideas so freely and openly. It’s given me the confidence to pursue my art journey and I even hosted my first solo art show in 2022.

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I also belong to a lawn bowling club and this past year we’ve been able to get together in person to play ‘normal’ games where we can have three people per side and use all the lanes at the same time. We were also able to celebrate Canada Day and we had a year end dinner. A great group of people that I’m happy to call friends.

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The most precious of groups that I belong to is that of my family and friends. COVID has been difficult but thanks to ZOOM and WhatsApp, I’ve been able to stay connected. In the past year we’ve been able to travel again to visit family overseas and on the east coast and we’ve even gotten together for celebrations to acknowledge milestone birthdays.

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Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Home

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/01/25/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-home/

Home is where the heart is and my home and heart have lived at the same address for over 44 years. My favourite part of my home is my backyard where we’ve entertained over the years with family gatherings, memorials and milestone birthdays.

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Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – December 17, 2022

Posted on December 17, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W. and GC for the prompt ‘wish’ https://weeklyprompts.com/2022/12/17/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-wish/

What do you wish for this time of year? Presents, time with the family, solitude, Peace, good health…..?

My wish for all is whatever brings you happiness. Presents are nice and I love to give them but the other things on my list are more important to me. I loved spending time with my granddaughters and my family this year. That was my number one wish in 2022.

656-DFCFD-794-B-4-F5-C-BF7-F-85-B54-FBC7-DF4 — *My son, daughter-in-law in England*

4-F90-B7-CB-B77-C-4365-AC9-C-351-FB80-FF1-DC — *My Granddaughter in New Brunswick*

9073-CEF6-10-B7-4295-9-DFF-80-D1-B7-AE4-FC7 — *Travelling with my husband when he was well*

0533-C7-EC-6-D86-4-CCC-81-E6-6756-D51-FFF81 — *Walking on the beach at my cottage with friends*

90-B08-F42-5-FF0-4-DFF-8525-17876-AE83859-1-201-a — *Evening Walks on the beach with family*

4-C9-D09-BC-FECD-424-E-B616-640-CF32-C2-F0-B — *Celebrating with friends*

Seventy Years and Counting

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…I can’t believe that I turned 70 yesterday

I don’t feel a day over 50, until I put out my back lifting a towel out of the laundry basket or wrenching my wrist trying to collapse some cardboard packing materials. That said, I’ve recovered relatively quickly and had a great day at my special birthday party in the garden yesterday. I’m always happiest when I’m surrounded by friends and family and 35 of them showed up.

The weather was absolutely beautiful, if not a tad too warm but when the shade came over the deck and patio, sitting outside was very comfortable. I was showered with love, cards, wine and flowers. There was lots of food and drink and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

For the rest of the week I’m spending time with my daughter and granddaughter before they return to New Brunswick and to get my birthday present from them I have to visit them in Moncton to use my gift ( a day at a Nordic Spa). I see a flight in the near future.

Thanks to my husband for my new patio furniture and thanks to Andrea for helping me put it together so that we could enjoy it at the party.