Angel Cards

….years ago my good friend AB introduced me to Angel cards

I love my friend AB. She was the first friend I made through teaching. She’s several years older than me and she quickly became a mentor for me when I started in the teaching profession. She was the art teacher and I was the family studies teacher and our classrooms were next to each other. That was over almost 40 years ago.

AB is like a sister to me and an aunt to my children. In fact she is my oldest daughter’s godmother but she has always called all my children her godchildren. She has an unusual but great sense of style and she has always been open to new age practices. She’s fascinated with astrology and numerology, tarot cards, meditation and natural cures for illness. Over the years we have received astrological readings, spirit cards, homemade bath products and interesting books.

A few years ago AB gave A and J a set of Angel cards. Last night I paid them an unexpected visit. I had spent the entire day at the hospital with our son and I needed a change of scene and a cup of coffee. They weren’t expecting me but they greeted my warmly and invited me in. On the table were the Angel cards that had been gifted by AB and they had just finished picking their cards for the year.

The idea with Angle cards is that you meditate on what you hope to accomplish or change and then look at the overturned cards. You’re suppose to be drawn to certain cards because of the energy they exude or how they present themselves to you. Based on that you choose up to five cards. Each card has a word on the reverse side and you interpret the meaning as to how it applies to you. Here are my five words:

Faith

Compassion

Creativity

Clarity

Purification

Over at Chris’ Journaling Journey, Chris has written a post about choosing one word to live by for the year. I like this idea so I’m thinking about choosing one of the words above and focusing on working on that aspect of my life to nourish and expand.

It is also interesting to me that I was thinking about my painting goals, personal health strategies and relationships with my family and friends before I chose the cards. I’m leaning toward the word ‘clarity’. I’m hoping this year I’ll come closer to being ready to retire and moving on to a new path in my life. When that becomes ‘clear’ to me I’ll be ready to make this life changing decision.

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Photo courtesy of: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLhK1Bdg8bo/TyRVQ12Ym8I/AAAAAAAAAKo/IYyhEqfPNbA/s1600/angel+cards.JPG

A Christmas First For Me

….the weather continues to hover above freezing and it’s almost the end of December

Today was our last official Christmas party with the extended family. I woke up early to put the turkey roll in the oven and then I started to clean up from the previous two days. Presents had to be put away, the table needed to be reset, the bathroom needed a touch up and a few more presents needed to be wrapped.

I don’t know why I always find more things to clean when I have a short time line to get things done. I think because people were arriving in the afternoon I felt that any grime I had missed would show up more in the day light. So I started to wash the glass ware and wipe down the shelves in the kitchen.

The weather has been so warm that the spiders have been unusually active and I noticed more webs between the windows and the window screens. I took down the screens in the kitchen and bathroom and started to clean them and I knocked the spiders onto the deck outside. I also took down the patio door screen to clean it but because it is so large I took it outside and leaned it up against the deck rail to wipe it down. As I was doing this I realized that I was outside in my nightgown with a sweater and bare feet. It was so mild that I wasn’t the least bit cold. I can honestly say that I’ve never gone barefoot outside on the 26th of December in Toronto before today.

It hindsight it might not have been a very wise thing to do. You see I’ve been suffering with a head cold and laryngitis for the last three days and I may have made it worse. As I write this I’m drinking my Neo Citran and I hope that it will relieve me of my headache and stuffy nose. I’m sure a good night’s sleep and no more pressure to entertain for a few days will help. Oh did I mention that on the 30th my twins will be celebrating their birthday? My son is here from London, England so we’ll probably have another family get together on Wednesday.

As much as I love Christmas and having family get togethers I’m glad for a few days of rest. The temperature also looks likes it’s dropping a bit so there won’t be anymore trips outside in bare feet.

Cheers!

Christmas Delights

…while many of you are busy preparing for Christmas dinner I’m having a little down time

Our big Christmas celebration took place last night on Christmas Eve. My husband has long enjoyed the German tradition of opening gifts on the 24th since we first met 42 years ago. Now that our children are grown and have significant others we only prepare Christmas dinner every other year and this is that year. Later today we will be driving to Hamilton to enjoy a dinner prepared my daughter and her husband.

I thought I would take this time to share some of the highlights of this years Christmas season. As many of you know I’m a teacher librarian/art teacher. I essentially teach every student in the school for library and I have four classes that I do art with.

The week before Christmas I started receiving gifts from students and their families. There’s always one gift that stands out for me and this one brought a huge smile to my face and I couldn’t wait to share it with my colleagues and friends.

One of my grade one students brought me a small box that he had clearly wrapped himself and very proudly handed it to me. When I unwrapped the paper I discovered that the box was from Juicy Couture. IMG_7136 When I read the name out loud, T very quickly declared that the box had nothing to do with what was inside. When I opened the lid I couldn’t help but smile for inside the box lay an angel that he had clearly made himself.IMG_7137

He used masking tape, paper and marker to create this little gem. Today it sits prominently  on my Christmas tree, just below our angel tree topper. Aren’t kids wonderful?

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Hopefully I’ll have more stories to share throughout the week.

Merry Christmas to all and happy holidays.

Carol

Share Your World 2015 – Week 48

…..it feels strange to have missed a week so I’m glad to be back to answer Cee’s questions for Share Your World

Are you a hugger or a non-hugger?

I’m definitely a hugger. I like bear hugs from family members and close friends. I’ve read recently that hugs can reduce your stress and the longer the hug the more effective it is for calming you down.

What is your favorite toppings on pizza?

I love kale and sausage (no tomato sauce) and mushrooms, bacon, caramelized onions and cheese (with tomato sauce). My husband makes fantastic pizza.

If you were the original designer of one existing corporate logo, which one would you select?

I love the Volkswagen logo.It is so recognizable.

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Complete this sentence: Where I can seek my solace is… 

….anywhere where I can paint and/or read. The place that comes to mind first is my cottage.

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 my father finally got to meet his first great grandchild. My daughter and her husband made the two hour trip to my Dad’s place. My husband and I picked up lunch and joined them and we enjoyed a simple meal together. I think that this photo says it all.

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I’m also grateful for perfect walking weather. I’ve averaged about 12 000 steps a day. My principal was gifted a Fit Bit for her birthday and she has made it very easy to get in my steps for the day. Every spare minute in our day she asks me and anyone who will join her to walk around the school. It really helps. Thanks M!

Share Your World 2015 – Week 33

……thanks Cee for four more great questions

What are some words that just make you smile?

Ice-cream, babies, wine, family and friends are some of the words that will bring a smile to my face.

You’re given $500,000 dollars tax free (any currency), what do you spend it on?

I would pay off the rest of my credit cards and then take some of that money to renovate my house and cottage. I’d also put some money aside for travelling. That would still leave me with a nice sizeable chunk and I couldn’t enjoy any of that money knowing that my children also have debts so I would probably give each of them $50 000. and put the rest away for our retirement.

What subject would you like to study in depth, if given the time to do so?

I’d love to study visual art in depth. I’ve contemplated going back to university after I retire, just for the fun of it.

Would your rather be stuck in a small plane with bad turbulence for 2 hours or be a passenger in a car racing the Daytona 500?

I’d rather do neither but if I have to make a choice I think I’ll put up with two hours of turbulence. But wait! You did say ‘in a small plane’. Hmmm? Maybe being a passenger at the Daytona 500 would suit me better. I don’t know! I’m a terrible passenger in a car that is travelling at high speeds.

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 my husbands surgery is over and that the prognosis looks good. Will know for sure in a couple of weeks. I’m also grateful that our youngest daughter was able to spend some time at the cottage last week.

I’m looking forward to spending the weekend at the cottage with my older daughter and her partner. It will be the first time that they’ve made it up to the cottage this summer. I’m also looking forward to spending some time with our friends D & D, who I haven’t seen much of this summer. Hopefully the weather will be good so that I can get in some swimming and of course lots of walking. Maybe I’ll even start running again.

Share Your World (2014) – Week 51

….thank you Cee for another week of great questions….will there be a week 52 or do we start with week 1?

Would you prefer snowy winters, or not, and why?

I’d like something in the middle. A little snow (maybe one good blizzard) and when there’s no snow I’d like mild temperatures. We had a lot of snow back in November but for the most part by the time December rolled around most of it had disappeared and we ended up with a green Christmas. Today is Dec. 31st and we still don’t have any snow but it’s become bitterly cold. I like to walk but when the wind blows and the temperature drops it makes for a bone chilling experience. What a difference from last year!

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So, you’re on your way out and it’s raining. Do you know where your umbrella is or do you frantically search for it all over your apartment/house? 

Rain? The umbrella is always in the car. A lot of good it does me when I have to run through the parking lot at school in the pouring rain to get to my car.

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Do you prefer your food separated or mixed together?

I like both but when it’s separated I’m not one of those people who can’t stand to have the different foods touching. That’s just weird. Sorry to those people who feel that way. I also love casseroles, soups and stews. When I need comfort food the latter mentioned meals hit the spot.

…..filled with lamb and a side of  fesenjoon (ground walnuts with chicken)

…..filled with lamb and a side of fesenjoon (ground walnuts with chicken)

What is set as the background on your computer?

On my computer my background is a photo of the city of Toronto that I took from the park west of the city. This is what I see every day when I walk to the park with Frances.

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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 having my entire family home for Christmas and being able to spend another Christmas with my Dad.

This week we celebrated the birthday of my twins and I am looking forward to going to my friends 60th birthday levi on Thursday and bringing the family together one last time on Saturday before my son and his fiancé fly back to London, England.

Happy New Year, everyone. All the best in 2015!

Birthday, Brunch, Books and Best Buys

…..Dec.30 is the birthday of my twins, G and B

Today we celebrated a birthday. Thirty-three years ago I gave birth to two healthy children, a girl and a boy. We celebrated at G’s place where she treated us to a wonderful brunch of homemade bread, homemade ricotta cheese, jams, honey, coffee, fresh fruit salad, kale and goat cheese frittata and a delicious green salad. Everyone contributed to the meal but the bulk of the work was prepared by G.

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Gifts were exchanged earlier in the day and then again at the brunch. Our son loves books and our daughter collects cookbooks. Yesterday G ordered B a very special cookbook that he had expressed an interest in and surprisingly it was delivered while we were there. Now that’s service!

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After brunch we (our oldest daughter, our son and his fiancé) drove north on Yonge St. and   stopped at Super Khorak to purchase some special food items for dinner. Our future daughter-in-law is Iranian and we wanted to purchase some authentic Iranian food. My son and my husband literally cleaned their bowls and the food containers with the flat Iranian bread that we bought. There wasn’t a morsel of food left over. It was definitely a ‘best buy’ today.

One at a Time – WP Daily Writing Challenge

….today Word Press is challenging us to write on any topic using only one syllable words

Sing,  A Time of Love

Sing a song that brings joy

Make it full of whole long notes

High and low, soft and loud

Add a quick bar or two for fun

Sweet babes sing with glee

Dear Saint Nick is on his way

Hum, dance and dream

Of toys and sweet treats

Bless this day so near

Bring one and all home

to share and sing

Sing, sing, sing!

 

Picasso Portraits as Seen Through the Eyes of Children

….my kindergarten class just finished their Picasso portraits

After discussing faces and the different parts and how to draw them I introduced Pablo Picasso to my kindergarten class. We talked about the difference between reality painting and abstract painting and how Picasso could do both. I had photographs of some of Picasso’s abstract portrait paintings and then I drew an oval shape and divided it with a vertical line down the centre. I encouraged the children to use curvy or zigzag lines and to add more than one.

The next part was the fun part. They could draw as many eyes, noses and mouths as they wanted. They could use any colour for skin and hair. Each child was given a black Sharpie to draw a shape for the face, the lines within the shape and then all the facial features that they wanted to add. When they were done with that they took crayons and coloured in their Picasso faces and some of them coloured the background as well. I was amazed at the detail that they added. They really took the time to examine some of Picasso’s portraits and you could see how they tried to incorporate some of his design details in their own work. I think they’re fabulous. You be the judge.

Share Your World – 2014 – Week 46

….6 more weeks before the end of the year

Thanks Cee for four more great questions.

On a vacation what you would require in any place that you sleep?

I require at least two pillows, a clean bathroom with a hot shower, and a desk to write from.

Music or silence while working?

More and more I find I like to work in complete silence, especially late at night. During the day I don’t mind a bit of music when I’m doing chores. It helps elevate my mood when I’m working on something I’d rather not do.

If you were to move and your home came fully furnished with everything you ever wanted, list at least three things from your old house you wish to retain?

I would want to retain all our musical instruments, all my art work and my antique blanket box. These are the things that add character to our home.

What’s your least favorite mode of transportation?

My least favourite mode of transportation is a speed boat. I’m fine with larger boats, ferries and sailboats but I’ve never understood the thrill of bouncing over waves in a speed boat.

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 time spent with my oldest daughter, her partner J and her nephew A. We spent an afternoon at the museum and then we all went to one of my oldest teaching colleagues and best friends for supper.

I know I’ve had a good weekend when I can finish a piece of art. Last week I did the last of the assignments for my on-line class, Table Top Drawing and Painting. I’ll post those pieces later in the week.

This week I’m looking forward to some normalcy. I can continue to organize the library. Everything is finally coming into place. The last of the additions arrived today and will be installed this week. I’ve finally deleted boxes of damaged and old books from the computer and processed half of the new books that I purchased during the book fair.

On Thursday my husband and I are going to the theatre to see The Book of Mormons. I’m really looking forward to that. It’s not often that we get out to see a live show.

Cheers!