Silent Sunday – September 9, 2018
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Category Archives: Happiness File
Labour Day – The End of Summer?
….I think not
For many Labour Day signals the end of summer; children return to school, cottages are frequented less often, new TV seasons begin, fall classes are opening up and the days are becoming shorter. The weather, however, is anything but fall like. In fact, we’ve been experiencing very hot and humid conditions. I feel sorry for the teachers and students who returned to school this week without the benefit of air conditioning (most schools here don’t have it).
Traditionally the Labour Day is the final day of the CNE and the last day of the Air Show. I attended the CNE on opening day and I watched the Air Show from the park at the end of my street, along with dozens of people from the community. It wasn’t the best day to watch it but I had been at the cottage for most of the 4 day show.
Here are some photos from the last official weekend of summer (maybe not official, summer doesn’t end till Sept 21) from the cottage and the Air Show.
Share Your World – August 27, 2018
….this will be Cee’s last Share Your World challenge…..thanks for all the great questions you’ve given us over the years
Do you prefer eating foods with nuts or no nuts?
I love foods with nuts. If I’m not in a ‘peanut or nut free zone’ I always choose foods with nuts, such as hazelnut or almond dark chocolate, banana bread with walnuts, Thai food with peanuts, chunky peanut butter, and butter tarts with pecans. Yum!
Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
I usually sleep with the doors open. Not sure why.
Are you usually late, early, or right on time?
I try to be right on time but I’m frequently five to 10 minutes late for social events. I was rarely late when I was working and I was almost always on time for doctor’s and dentist appointments.
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This week I celebrated my birthday with my family and I spent the weekend at the cottage with my daughter and granddaughter. I also got together with my retired teacher friends for lunch. All these things made me smile.
Doing the Tourist Thing – Part 2
….after Greek Town
The second place that my sister, brother-in-law and I went to see was Harbour Front. As you can probably guess from the name it is on the waterfront, close to the centre of the city. This is where you catch the ferry to go to the Toronto Islands and Porter Airport (also accessible via a tunnel).
When you look north of the harbour all you can see are high rises. The dome where many of our sporting events take place is almost invisible because of the numerous condo towers that surround it. Between buildings you can still get a glimpse of the CN Tower which is no longer the tallest man-made structure in the world. It held the record for over three decades, from 1975 to 2007.
Share Your World – August 20, 2018
….thanks Cee for this week’s questions for Share Your World
Which tastes better: black or green olives?
When I first ate olives they had to be the black ones but now I prefer the green ones. My new favourite way of eating them is warmed up in a pan of olive oil.
What’s your favorite room in your home?
My favourite room has to be my art studio/bedroom. Ideally it would be nice if they were two separate rooms but when we built our addition we opted for a large bedroom at the front of the house instead of two smaller ones. The south side of the room was never really utilized properly and became a place to drop things that didn’t have a place to go. Now all the clutter has been cleared and the place is decked out with a desk, an art table and a wall unit for my art supplies. I love it.
Since these photos were taken there’s a new lamp on the drawing table and the wall over my desk it covered with art work.
What fictional family would you be a member of?
The Swiss Family Robinson. As a child I loved that movie and wanted to be part of that adventure, especially living in a treehouse.
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This past week has been very busy. Last Monday I hosted a BBQ to say farewell to my neighbour of 37 years. There were 12 of us and luckily the weather was perfect. I don’t know where everyone would have sat if we had to move inside.
On Tuesday my sister and brother-in-law from Calgary came to visit for five days. On Wednesday we drove to the Danforth for lunch and then to Harbour Front. That evening we had a lovely dinner at a local Italian restaurant and celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary a day early.
On Thursday we took my father to the casino. My birthday is in August so the casino sent me a coupon for $100. to play with at the slots. It’s fun to play with money that’s not your own and I’m happy to say that I ended up returning home with more money than I left with.
On Friday we went to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) where we ate Japanese Street Food, saw the dog show, the lantern show, the robotics show and walked through the midway where we played a few games of chance and came home with two small stuffed toys.
When we got home my sister and I did a little shopping and then picked up pizza for dinner. We had Dad come up and join us for dinner. Since it was our last evening together we stayed up late drinking wine and sharing stories.
On Saturday Cathy and Geoff left for the airport and I walked over to the lawn bowling club where I participated in a tournament and enjoyed a BBQ lunch. The only downside to the week was that it was very hot and we don’t have air conditioning. I’ve put a call into the cooling and heating company and they’re coming this week to give us an estimate on an air conditioning unit. I think it’s time to bite the bullet and just do it.
On Sunday it cooled off a lot and it was a day to relax and do very little. Frances wanted to go for a walk (very unusual these days) so we walked down to the park and around the block. What a busy week but I loved it.
Silent Sunday – August 5, 2018
….happy long weekend
Share Your World – July 23, 2018
…thanks to Cee for hosting Share Your World
In regards to puzzle what’s your choice: jigsaw, crossword, word search, mazes, logic or numeric puzzles, something else, or nothing?
My favourite puzzle is Sudoku.
List at least five favorite treats and it doesn’t necessarily have to be food.
I like to treat myself to the following:
A premium ice-cream in a cup
A manicure and pedicure
A good movie
An evening out with friends
A nice glass of wine with my husband
A piece of torte with my father (he loves his cake)
A slice of freshly baked bread slathered with butter
What is your favorite type of dog? (can be anything from a specific breed, a stuffed animal or character in a movie)
My favourite dog is hands down a golden retriever. I’ve owned two in my lifetime. We now have a mutt who is definitely my husband’s dog. He’s always said that the goldens were my dogs and Frances is his. (Scully is 15 years old in this photo and Frances is going on 12)
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This was a very special week because my son was visiting from London, England. There was a lot of eating and drinking, touring museums and art galleries, visiting his sister in Hamilton and attending a rugby game.
At the AGO
At the ROM
Family
A Week of Food
At the Rugby Game
Final Stage for One Doodle
….day 121 of 365 Days of Art
After the paint dried I started adding black and white detail with my black Micron pens and white Signo pen. This part is so therapeutic and I let my inner child come forward.
Share Your World – July 2, 2018
….thanks to Cee for creating Share Your World
Tell us about your first bicycle or car?
I got my first bike when I was seven. I remember it well. It was second hand, black and designed for a woman and an adult woman at that. It was so big that I had to stand to ride it. I think it took a couple of years before I could sit on the seat. We lived in a new subdivision and there were no sidewalks. The roads were gravel and a few nasty falls resulted in some road rashes and scrapes that required digging out little bits of dirt and stones out of my knees. It didn’t keep me from riding while we lived in Oakville. When I turned 10 we moved back to Toronto and I don’t know what happened to that bike. If my mother had anything to do with it she probably threw it out.
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
I can’t think of one fictional place I’d like to visit. There are too many non-fictional places that are on my to do list of places to see. For example, I’d like to go to the east coast of Canada, British Columbia, London, Scotland, and then return to some of the places I’ve already been to like Germany, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands.
If you could have someone follow you around all the time, like a personal assistant, what would you have them do?
I would like someone who is handy and likes to fix things and build new things.
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This past week a number of things made me smile. First I met a friend from high school and we had lunch together downtown. We see each other at least two to three times a year. She’s still working but she’s getting her head around the notion of retiring in the next year.
On Tuesday and Wednesday I volunteer and bake bread at Montgomery’s Inn. On Thursday I drove to Hamilton and spent the afternoon with my granddaughter. We spent most of our time together at the Hamilton Toy Museum. I’ve mentioned it before but the first time I went there with Winnie the place was closed and we amused ourselves on the grounds.
This time the museum was opened and we took advantage of all they had to offer. The place is divided into theme rooms. The first was an old fashion kitchen with lots of authentic bits of equipment that young children can safely play with.
The next room is a harbour theme with fish and poles, a boat deck and costumes you can try on.
The third room is a garden with fabric plants you can pull to reveal carrots and beets and the fourth room is the activity room with arts and crafts and an aquarium with gold fish and turtles.
On Friday we had dinner at our neighbours house along with a few other neighbours. It was the first time in awhile that my husband actually felt well enough to join us. On Saturday I went to the Canada Day BBQ at the Lawn Bowling Club and on Sunday we drove to Hamilton again and had lunch with daughter #2, her husband and Winnie.
As you can see it was a very busy week with lots of smiles and things to be grateful for.
A Sweltering Saturday
….what can I say but “it’s hot”
My plan was to drive to the cottage today to finally open it up but my husband made a deal with me and promised that we would go up together next week and stay for at least four days.
So instead of being stuck on the highway this long weekend I decided to attend the annual Canada Day BBQ at the Lawn Bowling Club. I’m glad I did.
It’s a very short walk from my house to the club and as I got closer I could see that the place was already decked out in red and white. Canada Day is actually tomorrow but the club decided to host the festivities today.
Even though I hadn’t signed up for the lunch because I thought I’d be away the organizers happily took my money and ensured me that there would be plenty of food. There were about 50 players today and we were divided into 16 teams of 3 players or more. The rules were a little different today and the four closest bowls to the jack were scored, 4,3,2 and 1.
I love this group because everyone is so friendly and supportive. It’s my year playing but I’m quickly learning names and picking up lots of good tips each time I play.
After everyone played we went inside and were treated to some delicious food. Hamburgers, sausages and hot dogs were cooked on the BBQ and the table was overflowing with salads, fruit, cheese and desserts, all donated by the members.
Tickets were sold for a 50/50 draw and Gail who sat with me had to leave early so I held onto her tickets. Didn’t she win the whole thing. It was fun shouting out that I held the winning ticket but I made sure everyone knew it wasn’t mine.
Before the festivities ended the top three scoring teams were announced and each member was given a small prize. My team came in third place and we each went home with $4.00.
The heat today was pretty oppressive for many of the members but we were all encouraged to stay hydrated and the occasional breeze off the lake brought some relief. To all my Canadian friends:
HAPPY CANADA DAY!
Mama Cormier 