Share Your World 2016 – Week 45

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….thanks Cee for hosting Share Your World

Describe your own outlook on life in seven words or less. (NOTE: does not have to be a sentence.)

Make the most of it. Enjoy it.

Where do you like to vacation?

I like to vacation at the cottage but when travelling abroad I enjoy going to Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy. I’d like to take a trip to Iceland, England and Germany in the near future.

Candy factories (sweets or treats including chocolate) of the entire world have become one and will now be making only one kind of candy. Which kind, if you were calling the shots?

It would have to be dark chocolate with marzipan or nuts.

Complete this sentence: Something that anyone can do that will guarantee my smile is…

….show me a photo of my granddaughter.

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 my daughters. On Saturday I went to the Royal Winter Fair with both my girls and my granddaughter. I hadn’t been to the fair since I was a little girl. I loved seeing Winnie’s reaction to all the animals. I forgot how massive this fair is, especially if you go back into the barns where all the farm animals are kept.

On Sunday we had the whole family at the house to celebrate my oldest daughter’s 37th birthday. She wanted a pizza making party so my husband made the dough from scratch and we cut up a variety of toppings for people to choose from so that they could design their own pizza creation.

This week I’m looking forward to unpacking all the books that I purchased at the book vendor’s fair today and attending a party for a good friend. I’m also hoping to finish reading The Nest and starting on some art projects for myself.

Cheers!

The Changing Seasons – October 2016

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..thanks to Cardinal Guzman for hosting Changing Seasons

October has been a month of birthdays in our family and all were special birthdays. We started with my husband’s 65th birthday, then my father’s 90th birthday, my granddaughter’s 1st birthday and my son-in-law’s 40th birthday. October also saw the colours finally change and mostly towards the end of the month. Finally the month ended, as it always does, with Hallowe’en and what a glorious day it was for trick or treating.

In the Hills of Assisi

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….my favourite part of my trip to Italy took place in Assisi

Part 1

I’ve saved the best part of my trip for last. As some of you know my son was married this summer. The family part of the wedding took place in the hills of Assisi. In June, B and A were officially married in the registrars office in London, England and the guests that attended were mostly friends and work colleagues who lived in England.

In July friends from Canada, England, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy and family from Canada, Germany and Iran came together to celebrate the union of our son and his beautiful bride in a traditional Persian ceremony.

The family stayed in a beautiful hillside resort, Casa Rosa, above the town of Assisi. Originally all the cottages had been farm buildings. The cottage we stayed in was formerly the pig barn and then later the horse stables. The view from our patio was breath taking and the property was surrounded by olive groves, lavender, fruit trees and rosemary.

Our accommodations were very comfortable and you would never have known that some of the cottages previously housed farm animals. We were warned to watch out for scorpions, yellow spiders and asps but we didn’t encounter any of these creatures. We kept looking over the hills in hopes of seeing some wild boars but we didn’t see any them either.

We took a walk along some of the trails that surrounded the farm. The trip out was pretty easy because it was mostly downhill but returning was a little more challenging. We passed numerous pieces of abandoned farm equipment along the way.

On our first evening in Assisi we took a taxi ride into the town of Assisi and had a wonderful meal on the patio of a local restaurant. It was our first real introduction to the family of the bride. We pretty much took over the restaurant for the evening. I tried to take photos of all the entrees that were placed before us but sometimes they were so mouth watering that half the plate was eaten before I remembered about taking photos. All in all it was a great evening and a good start to the wedding festivities that followed the next day.

More about the Persian ceremony in a few days.

Ciao!

WPC – Quest: Vatican City

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….while in Rome my quest was to get to Vatican City

There were many things that I wanted to see on our trip throughout central Italy but one that stood out for me was Vatican City. I’m not sure why it was so important to me because I am not particularly religious. Perhaps it had to do with the numerous suggestions that I got before flying out to Italy. Almost everyone said I had to see Vatican City. On our last day in Rome and the day before we were to leave I was bound and determined to see it.

My son and his new bride were in Rome the same time we were there and he very much wanted to spend time with his family before we departed. He was willing to do anything and go anywhere I wanted. Seeing that no one else was up to another site seeing day, it was just me who met up with my son.

I ventured onto the tram by myself and met B, before the tram crossed the river into the busy metropolis of Rome. We walked to our destination in the hot sun, stopping for a snack and then later for a light lunch just outside of Vatican City. As we approached the city I was impressed by the sheer size of it. We had already passed over the bridge leading up to the castle that protected the Pope from invaders during Napoleon’s reign.

As we got closer I could see the square in front of the Basilica. There were barriers to keep you from crossing the square and people were lined up along the perimeter. The one thing that bothered me were the hordes of vendors trying to sell tours and selfie sticks. I don’t know how many times I said no, politely at first, but then more abruptly and tersely. At one point my son said ‘Don’t talk to me!’ to one of the vendors and an argument pursued. Well actually the tour guide salesman started yelling at my son, telling him he was rude. My son simply walked away, a little shaken up by the reaction he got from the statement he made.

At one point I told my son I was happy just seeing the outside of the Basilica and the square and that I didn’t need to stand in line to go inside. B, however, insisted that I had to see the paintings and sculptures in the church. He convinced me, with the help of his wife, now on the phone, that I should go inside. He asked if I minded going in alone because he had already seen it and he hated standing line as much as his father does. I told him I’d be okay and he waited outside, under a portico out of the sun.

The line-up for a security check took only about 15 minutes and then I walked to the entrance in no time flat. As I entered I was told I had to cover up because I had bare arms. Luckily I brought a scarf with me for that very purpose. My quest to see Vatican City had been achieved.

Share Your World 2016 – Week 35

Posted on August 30, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..thanks to Cee for hosting Share Your World

List 2 things you have to be happy about?

There are many things to be happy about, good health, being mortgage free, being married for 41 years, having a great job, etc. but two things do stand out for me. The first is that all my children are in happy, loving relationships and the second is the joy that our granddaughter brings us.

If you could take a photograph, paint a picture or write a story of any place in the world, what and where would it be?

There are many places that I would love to paint, photograph and write about but the one place that I seem to blog about a lot is the cottage. Our little residence in paradise has brought us much pleasure and fond memories and I look forward to my stay there every summer.

Should children be seen and not heard?

Children should definitely be heard but there is a difference between being delightfully vocal and miserably disruptive. We were always very lucky with our own children. We could take them out to dinner and they knew how to behave in public. Too often parents ignore bad behaviour and often condone it and have no regard for the people around them who have come to a place to relax or enjoy a quiet meal.

List at least five of your favorite first names.

Girls names I like:

Winnie, Katherine (Kate, Katie), Abigail, Lydia, Willow, Josephine, Christina, Alessia

Boys names I like:

Michael, Brendan, Mark, Paul, Peter, William, Jack, Christopher

Names that can be either male or female:

Gaelan, Andrea, Josie, Avery, Morgan

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 small but wonderful birthday party that my children and husband hosted for me. It was just the immediate family but the food was amazing and the gifts that they showered me with were very thoughtful and generous. More and more, time spent with family is becoming increasingly important to me as I get older.

I’m also grateful for four days spent with my daughter and daughter-in-law at the cottage. We swam, sun bathed, read, played board games and cooked up some great meals. We also attended the Pow Wow and stopped at the Cookstown Antique Market on the way home.

This week I’m looking forward to getting my nails done with my good friend L and hopefully having my hair cut and coloured before I start back to school next week.

How to Stay Cool in Italy

Posted on August 26, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….when people tell you it’s hot in Italy in the summer….believe them

We knew going to Italy in July that it would be very warm. Everyone who had been there before us warned us over and over again. One thing that we made sure of was to book accommodations that had air conditioning. Here is my list of how to stay cool in Italy in July.

Stay only in air-conditioned hotel rooms or homes with air-conditioning.
Drink lots of water.
Walk in shady areas and underneath porticos if you can find them. They were everywhere in Bologna.
When eating outside make sure you’re under an umbrella and preferably next to water.
Spend time in the mountains (the Dolomites) or high up in the hills of Assisi.

6. Always wear a hat.7. Cool off in the sink, shower or pool.

8. Sit or stand by a fountain.

9. Spend time in an air-conditioned museum or find an old dark cathedral to sit in.

10. Enjoy a gelato.

11. Cover yourself in yogurt.

11. Find a shady park and sit or lie down for a spell.

12. Enjoy an icy glass of Aperol spritz or Prosecco.

I hope these suggestions are helpful. Enjoy!

Opening the Cottage in August

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….I was dreading going to the cottage on my own to open up for the season

Before we left for Italy I was hoping to open the cottage so that it would be ready when we returned. Unfortunately that didn’t happen for too many reasons to go into to.

When we did return home from our amazing trip it took me a couple of days to recover from jet lag. My husband was still recovering from his gastrointestinal problems so a couple of days were spent visiting his doctor and then a specialist. One thing was for sure; going to the cottage meant going on my own. My husband didn’t feel well enough to be at the cottage, my daughters couldn’t make it until later in August and my friends were busy with elderly parents and health issues of their own.

Last Sunday I finally packed up the car and made the trip on my own. Leaving on a Sunday meant I missed all the weekend traffic and the line-up for the ferry (barge) was short. One of the other reasons I was hesitant about going up alone was because the regular car ferry had been taken off the lake forever and a temporary barge was transporting eight to twelve cars at a time (normally 20 cars were on the old ferry). The fear of the unknown kept me in the city longer than I had planned.

Everything went fairly smoothly crossing the lake. When I got to the cottage my neighbour’s adult children had already removed the plywood panel from the back door and had moved my propane fridge from inside to the deck outside. It was evident that the mice had moved in last fall after we left or early in the spring. It’s been worse. I quickly cleaned up the mouse poop in the kitchen and removed all the cushions from their protective storage bags.

Every day that I was there I tackled a new job or two. This way I didn’t kill myself trying to do it all in one day. After four days I had wiped down all the surfaces, washed most of the dishes I would need, swept and washed the floors on the main level and opened up the sofa bed to make sure nothing was living inside. Outside I raked the leaves from the pathways, swept the deck and set up the outdoor furniture and the barbecue.

While I was there I had some fun as well. I visited with my good friends next door, celebrated a birthday down the way with cake and a bonfire, learned a new board game, went for walks on the beach and actually swam in the lake, two days in a row when the water was calm. I was able to get some reading done and finished a novel I had started earlier in the year. I’m now on a second book that I hadn’t finished from a couple of months ago.

On Thursday when I left I luckily got the last spot on the barge for my car and had a leisurely drive back to the city. It felt good knowing that the cottage was somewhat visitor ready and that next time the trip would be less stressful.

The other fun thing that I found time for was taking photos that I will share with you over the next few days. You may have already seen some of the flower shots that I took of my neighbour’s garden.

I’m Back and Excited to Share My Journey

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….I’ve finally returned from my trip of a lifetime to Italy

We stepped through our front door on Tuesday evening after being on an airplane for 9 hours, at the baggage carousel for at least an hour and then two hours in a car. We ended up driving to Hamilton first to drop off our daughter and Winnie. We stayed for a bit and had a much needed cup of coffee and a bite to eat. Then we packed up our dog, Frances and headed back to Toronto. By the time we got to bed we had been up for about 21 hours.

Luckily for me I managed to sleep through the night but my husband was up at 4:00 and Winnie was definitely on European time, getting up at 2:00 and 4:00 and then again at 7:00. Not only did she wake up but she stayed awake for an hour or two each time.

When I checked my emails I had over 1000. Needless to say that checking and replying to each one is next to impossible. I apologize in advance to my followers whose emails I had to delete. Even deleting emails takes time and I’m now down to 300. I’m hoping to read most of them.

I’ve managed to upload about half of my photos to my laptop. I’ve asked my family members to send me more shots, especially with ones of me in them. At the family wedding I didn’t have one photo of me in either of my cameras. Luckily my brother-in-law and nephew took lots and they promised to send me some.

So for the next couple of weeks I’ll definitely share some of my adventures and certainly many of my photos from Italy. For now I leave you with a small sampling of my 17 days in Venice, Florence, Bologna, Lucca, Assisi and Rome. Enjoy!

Share Your World 2016 – Week 25

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..check out Cee’s Share Your World and join the fun

How many languages do you you speak?

Basically I speak two languages, English and German. German was my first language and I understand it very well but I am very hesitant to use it. Growing up I had to go to German school on Saturdays and I hated it. Whenever my parents or their friends spoke to me in German I would answer in English. When I turned 18 I sang in a German choir and did so for 27 years.

What are some words that just make you smile?

The first word that makes me smile is my granddaughter’s name – Winnie. I can’t help but smile when I think of her or hear someone utter her name. Come to think of it all the names of my loved ones make me smile. Other words that make me smile are love, art, summer vacation, cottage, puppy and party.

If you were the original architect of one existing building, which building would you select?

This is tough because there are lots of buildings that I would be proud to put my name on, even ones that have been somewhat controversial. I love old and new but I think the one that stands out for me at the moment is the AGO. It is a combination of old and new. Several years ago it underwent a renovation and I simply love the lines and all the wood on the inside. The architect is Frank Gehry.

Day 1

New addition: The Italian Gallery

Would you rather have telepathy or telekinesis? (Telepathy is the communication using your brain waves, telekinesis is channeling the energy onto physical objects to cause substantial, observable physical changes.)

I think I’d rather have telepathy. It would be neat to be able to send messages without opening my mouth.

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 check off more items from my to do list. As you know June is extremely busy for me at school. Every time I’m able to cross off another item it takes a huge weight off my shoulders.

Things that are done:

2 retirement parties- collected money and bought gift for one

Jump Rope for Heart – money collected and prizes distributed

Report cards written, proofread and printed

Timetables for next year organized

Father’s Day gift bought and BBQ with the family

Year end school concert

Rehearsals for grade five farewell

book club for June

finished paintings with the students for the stage

son’s wedding via the internet

city finals for girls’ soccer

taking 78 students to Jays’ baseball game to sing the national anthems

This week I’m looking forward to the grade 5 farewell assembly, play day, cleaning up my office in the library, the staff party and making final arrangements for our trip to Italy. Most of all I’m looking forward to getting on that plane next Saturday. Phew! I’m tired just thinking about it.

Thursday’s Special – Here and There

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….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.