…coming down from a high after my first solo art show opening
If you have any photos with trios I’d love to see them. Just copy the link from this post and paste it into your blog and I’ll be sure to leave a comment.
…the doors open today for “Before and After Paris”
After months of preparation with ordering supplies, painting, framing and advertising, my show is ready for the public to see. I spent hours yesterday, with the help of two good friends hanging the paintings. Barb did a lot of the ladder work and Arlene eyed the levels and curated the placements. We were all very pleased with the final result. For those of you who live close by, I hope to see you at the opening but the show will be up till July 9th.
Here’s a peak of the gallery where every piece you see is mine.
…..to all women who are mothers at heart to their families, friends and colleagues
What a beautiful day. A day to be celebrated by anyone who is a mother, has a mother or knows a mother. I am blessed to have known my mother for 40 years, been a mother for 42 years and have so many friends who are mothers, step moms, godmothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and aunties.
To all those family and friends who did make it into this collage please know it’s only because I ran out of space. You are all loved and I’m thinking of you on this special day.
….last Saturday was all those things and Saturday Sloth was a little more animated than normal
It was a wonderful birthday that ended up spreading over three days with family and friends dropping by for wine and food. Thanks for all the lovely flowers and gifts but most of all your company.
…from our trip to the Aberfoyle Antique Market
…thanks to all my well wishers on Facebook and Instagram
Last Friday I celebrated my birthday with my husband. My kids live all over the place so we planned to celebrate on different days. The day before my birthday my son called me from London, England and we had a fun conversation with Sevin in the forefront. I love video calls because we were actually able to interact with our granddaughter, who is already seven months old. She was so engaged with what she saw on the phone. I remember Winnie was the same way at that age.
She also surprised everyone that same day because she started crawling.
On my birthday, my husband took me out for dinner. We tried to get into Snug Harbour again but once again the wait was over an hour. We walked up the street to Posta and enjoyed a lovely meal outside on the patio.
The next day on Saturday we planned to get together with Andrea, Josie, my Dad and my dear friend Arlene. Arlene and I have know each other since 1976. She was my first teacher friend but she’s more like family. She’s godmother to my children and she loves being called Aunt Beanie. This was the first time since February that we’ve seen each other. We’re all at that vulnerable age and some of us have compromised immune systems. COVID has kept us apart all this time. We feasted on a Japanese lunch in the backyard. Later in the afternoon another friend from across the road came over to share a glass of wine with us.
When it was time for birthday cake, it was extremely windy but then my daughter reminded us that during COVID it probably wasn’t a good idea to blow out candles over the cake. Instead she lit one candle and held it up to me to blow it out. Ah the things we do in the name of safety.
Our youngest daughter is still up at the children’s camp at Sparrow Lake (no children this year, just maintenance workers). I did get a phone call from her and also one from my sister in Calgary. Hopefully sometime next week we’ll be able to get together with daughter number two and her family and the celebration will continue. I love birthdays that continue for days and sometimes weeks.
….celebrating an old friend’s 100th birthday
Last week one of my father’s oldest friends celebrated his 100th birthday. Back in June Fred phoned us and told us that he wanted to do something special for his milestone birthday. I assumed he wanted a big party but he surprised us by saying that he didn’t want any presents and instead he was hoping we would pledge a dollar a day for 71 days until his birthday. Every day he went out with his walker and walked 800 m in front of his retirement home and he hoped that any money raised would go to Forests Ontario.
Fred has always loved being in nature and doing his bit to save our environment. When he saw Capt. Tom from England raise money for the health care workers by walking every day he figured he could do the same but put any money raised towards planting more trees in Ontario. We gladly sent him money and looked forward to following his progress.
About two week before his actual birthday his daughter, Hilde, phoned us and told us about the arrangements that were being planned for the big day. The local newspaper and TV station got wind of his challenge and featured him in their newsfeeds. COVID was creating its own challenges for bringing people together so the numbers had to be limited. The event was going to take place outdoors but there was very little shade and people had to bring their own chairs.
In the end we decided it would be better if Dad and Fred got together after the actual birthday so that they could spend time together without being interrupted by the media, politicians and numerous guests. Two days after the birthday Hilde picked up her father and drove him to her house in Wasaga Beach and I drove my Dad from Toronto to Hilde’s house.
We learned that Fred had managed to raise over $5000. for Forests Ontario. The two men talked about fond memories of their choir days together while Hilde and I got caught up on the last 45 years. After a lovely lunch and a walk down memory lane we said our goodbyes and Hilde drove her father back to Barrie and Dad and I returned to Toronto.
,,,thanks to Sandy for hosting this week’s Friendly Friday Photo Challenge
Summer traditions may be on hold this year as we’re still not allowed to go to the cottage. Hopefully we’ll hear in the next few days when Christian Island opens up to lessee holders. When it does there will be quite a few restrictions, like no friends and only immediate family will be allowed on the ferry.
Having said that we’re still able to barbeque in the backyard and go for walks through the parks. Some of these photos are from years past.
Community Corn Roasts (cancelled this year)
Driving Through the Country
Ice-Cream with Winnie
Swimming at the Lake
Summer Fun Runs (cancelled this year)
Sunsets on Big Sand Bay
Walks Along the Beach
Sharing a Meal at the Cottage
The CNE (cancelled this year)
Relaxing on the Deck at Friend’s Cottage
BBQ in the Backyard
….April 25th is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand, similar to our Remembrance Day
Thanks to Leanne Cole for hosting the 30 Day at Home Challenge.
On this day the theme is ‘not forgotten’. The past 9 days have been very difficult for all Canadians and for me personally. On April 18th and 19th a madman went on a rampage and gunned downed 22 innocent people in Nova Scotia. Dressed as an RCMP officer and driving a car made to look like an official police car this monster went on a killing spree that lasted 13 hours. One of the ways he got people out of their homes was by setting houses on fire and naturally in this small rural community this prompted people to go outside to see if they could help their neighbours. Instead they walked straight into the path of this killer.
One of my friends and colleagues was one of the victims. Lisa McCully safely put her children in the basement of her house and walked outside to see what was going on. As she rounded the corner of her house she was shot. I waited over a week to find out when and how she was killed. I feared for her children.
I knew Lisa over 14 years ago when she was a teacher at our school. She was only with us for a year but in that time we got to know each other well and we frequently went out together. I was with her when she met her husband and Kevin and I had them to our home for dinner. Unfortunately Lisa was declared surplus at our school and moved to another school closer to my home. My neighbour’s daughter had her as her grade three teacher that year.
When Lisa moved back to Nova Scotia we kept in touch through Facebook. She got married there and had her two children there. At some point her marriage broke up and she discontinued her Facebook page. I thought of her often and in fact she came to mind just a couple of days before this tragedy hit.
My heart is broken. I feel for her family and for all the families of the other victims. It’s been difficult to grieve in the normal way because of COVID-19 but Nova Scotians and Canadians have been sending videos, text messages, making music and laying flowers and making tributes on makeshift memorials.
Lisa was a mom, a teacher, a sister, a friend and a beloved member of her community. We will all miss her. Difficult times are ahead for her students and her family.
Rest in Peace my friend.
Love, Carol
Mama Cormier 