Category Archives: Happiness File

Day Light Savings

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…..moved the clocks back last night

One of the benefits of changing the clocks back one hour is that you get one extra hour of sleep the next morning but the best part for me is that I won’t be driving to work in the dark. This morning the sun cast a beautiful light over the backyard that I just had to capture with the camera. In fact, so that I wouldn’t miss it, I went out wearing only my pyjamas. I forgot how cold it can get in November. ImageImageImageImageImageImage

After ‘quickly’ getting shots of the garden’s remnants and last blooms I ran back into the warmth of our kitchen where my husband lovely made me my morning smoothie.

Life is good!

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Rain, Rain Go Away

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….it poured down all day and just before our Hallowe’en parade was to start it stopped

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The only thing worse than indoor recess all day is indoor recess on Hallowe’en. The kids are already excited and when they can’t run off that excitement during recess it’s hard to keep them focused on their work. On top of that the book fair is still going but I have to admit that business was considerably slower today.

Someone was looking out for us today because just before our parade was scheduled to start the rain stopped. Hooray! We didn’t have to parade up and down the halls but we actually got to go outside and show off our costumes for the parents and the community.

Some of the costumes this year were very creative. The homemade ones are always the best. Here are a few that I can share with you.

The teachers at our school also get into the spirit of Hallowe’en.

Unfortunately when I got home tonight it started to rain again. I managed to carve the pumpkin but only 16 children came to the door. They actually didn’t even come to the door. My husband and I stood out in the rain and took the candy to the few children that walked past our house. A very sad Hallowe’en night indeed.P1030588

Cranberry Festival in Bala

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….. rain, hail and wisps of blue sky

The Cranberry Festival in Bala always falls after the Thanksgiving weekend. My friends L and B and I decided to drive to Bala on Sunday. The entire weekend was cloudy, rainy and cold all over southern Ontario. It was really a last minute decision to drive to Bala at all. We wondered if we had made a wise decision when hail started to hit the wind shield but in the distance we could see traces of blue sky.P1030463

The drive in was uneventful and traffic was light. In years past the flow of traffic would slow down to a crawl as cars and buses approached the town of Bala. We found a parking spot easily and with umbrellas in hand we started our walk through town. One of the first things I did was buy a pair of gloves to keep my hands warm. We checked out some of the vendors that were  outside and then we made our way into the arena where more vendors were set up to sell their wares.P1030451 P1030452 We picked up some stocking stuffers for Christmas, sampled some yummy chocolate and tried on some trendy designer clothes.

When we headed outside the sun finally decided to make an appearance and it warmed up considerably. A vendor selling hot sauce looked at us as if he recognized us. He asked if we were teachers and if we’d ever taught at a middle school in Etobicoke. Well it turned out that all three of us had been at that school but it was our friend B whom he recognized. What a small world. He must have been one of her first students because he was already well into his late 40s or early 50s. He got very emotional at meeting her again after all these years and told her that she had made a huge difference in his life. Talk about making your day! P1030453

As we made our way back to the car we stopped and picked up some fresh produce from one of the stalls. Our bags were so heavy with our harvest vegetables and apples that we decided to take advantage of the school bus that transported visitors to and from the festival. When we unloaded our parcels we decided to go back to the church by the falls and have some lunch before heading back to Toronto.  P1030462

Lunch was a bowl of homemade turkey soup for each of us and a Canadian bacon sandwich cut into three pieces. For dessert L bought one cranberry crepe (it was the cranberry festival after all) with chocolate sauce and whipped cream that we shared as well. We took a few more pictures of the falls and the rushing water and then walked back to the car.P1030461 Just before we left Bala for good we made one more stop to purchase some more twigs with red berries. The urns outside L’s and B’s places will look very festive this Christmas with those red berries adorning a bouquet of evergreen boughs.

Thanks ladies, for a very enjoyable day!P1030465

Ai Weiwei – Part 2

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…..one week to go

If you live in Toronto or are visiting this is your last chance to see the Ai Weiwei show. Last week I posted some of the installation pieces at the show. Featuring photographs, sculpture, installation art and audio and video pieces, Ai Weiwei: According to What?examines how the artist spotlights the complexities of a changing world and probes such issues as freedom of expression, individual and human rights, the power of digital communication and the range of creative practice that characterizes contemporary art today both in China and globally.(as cited in the AGO newsletter).

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China Log 2005

This sculpture is made from 8 pillars salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples that were carved at the centre and when joined together they formed an opening through the entire length of the ‘log’ in the shape of China. The China log implies that present day China is made up of a variety of cultural and historical elements.

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Kippe, 2006

This sculpture is made with parallel bars as the frame for a three dimensional puzzle of tightly fitted pieces of wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples. Ai Weiwei’s memory of childhood school yards that were equipped with a set of parallel bars and a basketball hoop were part of the inspiration for this sculpture. The other part came from the beautifully stacked firewood outside his family home that was openly admired by the people in his neighbourhood.

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Wenchuan Steel Reebar, 2008-2012

Ai Weiwei uses rebar recovered from the rubble of collapsed schoolhouses following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. It is a large physical work, designed to remind people of the individuals in danger of being forgotten.

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Forever, 2003

These 42 Forever bicycles were dismantled and reassembled to form a circular sculpture. The Forever Co. was established in 1940 and became the largest manufacturer of bicycles in China. In recent years with the onset of modernization the bike is disappearing from city streets but many Chinese still cherish memories of their bicycles that will last ‘forever’ in this work.

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Coloured Vases, 2007 – 2010

This series consists of Han Dynasty vases dipped in industrial paints covering the patterned surfaces of the jars with bright modern colours while maintaining the original forms.

I love this man’s work and I discovered today that we share the same birthday. The show will be leaving Toronto this coming weekend and will move to Miami, Florida to the Perez Art Museum (November 28, 2013 – March 18, 2014) and then moves to Brooklyn, New York to the Brooklyn Museum (April 18 – August 10, 2014).

Cheers!

Things Didn’t Go As Planned

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…..but the concert was fabulous

Before I left the house this morning I gathered up all the documents I thought I would need to get my new health card. The only thing I couldn’t find was my passport but I had a photocopy of it.

I headed over to the x-ray and imagining lab to have my bone density checked. There was no waiting and the procedure was painless and went without a hitch.  I picked up a cup of lemon jasmine tea from the French baker on the corner and a couple of loaves of day old bread, rye and muesli. Next stop, the medical lab for my blood work. When I got there, however, the waiting room was so busy that there was at least a 30 minute wait. I was told if I came back before 4:00 I wouldn’t have to wait.

Plan B …..I made my way to the government office to get my new health card or so I thought. When I got there I showed the receptionist my papers and she told me that the photocopied passport couldn’t be used but I only needed two pieces of ID and the other two items I had would suffice. She gave me a number and I took a seat. There weren’t a lot of people there but it still took 30 minutes before my number came up. I no sooner got to the counter when I was told that I needed three pieces of ID and not two like I had been told. The clerk could see that I was visibly upset so she gave me a special pass so that when I returned with all my documents I wouldn’t have to wait.

I didn’t have time to drive home and get downtown in time for the concert. Luckily the offices were open till 7:00 tonight so I rushed to the subway station to catch a train into town and meet my friend, CL. When I got to the platform, one train had just left and then the sign came up saying that the next train was delayed. Fortunately it was a short delay and the next train arrived in three minutes. I arrived about 10 minutes late and CL was waiting patiently for me outside of Tim Horton’s. The lecture was starting in 10 minutes and we hadn’t had lunch so we decide to forgo the talk and grab a bite to eat instead.

The concert was sold out and the auditorium was already packed when we arrived. The only seats left where we could sit together were in the front row. When I read that we were seeing a piano duo I thought that meant two pianos and two pianists but there was only one piano on stage with two benches. The piano duo was one piano with four hands.

Bax and Chung have been described as a musical love story. Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung are married in real life and when they play together there is a sensuality and connection between them on stage that doesn’t go unnoticed by the audience. Today my favourite numbers included Stravinsky’s own four hands transcription of his ballet Petrushka and the duo’s own transcription of Three Tangos by the great Argentinian master Astor Piazzolla. After a standing ovation and three curtain calls, the audience was treated to another tango duet for their encore presentation.

I found an awesome video on Youtube that shows the couple playing Piazzolla’s Libertango. The camera is situated above the piano so that you can see the interaction between Bax and Chung. It is a great way to see the complexity of the piece and the difficulty of playing with four hands on one keyboard.

I didn’t get back in time to have my blood work done but when I got home, I found my passport and returned to the government office to have my health card processed. It should be arriving in the mail in a couple of weeks.

 

Getting Ready for a Busy Day

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….mixing pleasure with those things that never get done

I started my morning going through all my bills and then going on line to make some payments. I have three stops that I have to make this morning. First I’m going for a bone density scan that I should have done much earlier in the year, then I’m heading to the blood lab for more blood work and finally I’ll be standing in line to fill out the paperwork for a new health card. They finally caught up with me and after all these years of using my original health card I now have to get the new one with photo ID.

Once I’ve finished with these mundane tasks I’ll be getting on the subway and heading downtown to the university to take in the first of five concerts in a series called Music in the Afternoon. The Women’s Musical Club of Toronto, in its 116th season, puts on a series of concerts every year, featuring outstanding Canadian and international artists in a blend of instrumental and vocal chamber music. Many of these musicians are on the threshold of international recognition.

Today’s concert features Bax and Chung, a piano duo. I’ll be meeting a friend downtown and together we will walk over to the Edward Johnson Building for the Tuning Your Mind lecture which proceeds every concert. The guest speaker will give the audience some insight into the pieces that we will hear and perhaps some information about the artists who are performing. Shortly after the lecture, which is optional, the concert will begin in earnest.

I’m looking forward to the day and will report on the experience in a future post.

Cheers!

The Perfect Weekend

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…..mostly good weather and great company

The weather wasn’t perfect but it started off well and ended well.

I spent Saturday with one of my best friends and her family at the art gallery. Both shows, Ai Weiwei and David Bowie, were exceptionally good and awe inspiring.

Sunday wasn’t great weather wise but we spent it with family and enjoyed great food and celebrated my son-in-law’s birthday. We’ve also started what we hope will become a regular family event…..family game night. Who said game night was only for younger children? During our walk we stopped to see my neighbour and good friend, MC, and quickly said hello to her entire family who were also celebrating Thanksgiving together. I’ve known MC for more than 30 years and our children are very close in age. The big difference is that she’s a grandmother four times over and number five is on the way.

Today the sun was shining again. I had a lie in this morning and spent a good hour and a half reading a wonderful book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, by Rachel Joyce. K prepared a sumptuous omelet for breakfast and together we started making a hearty turkey soup. Actually K prepared most of the soup while I started cleaning out the fridge.

I know that most people wouldn’t find cleaning a very enjoyable activity. I have to admit that it’s not my most favourite thing to do but I do get a lot of satisfaction when I finish a task. Today the birds were given a nice clean cage, the bedding was stripped and washed and my vacuum cleaner that stopped working two weeks ago has miraculously started working again so the second floor and the stairs got a long overdue cleaning.

After cleaning I took a break and read some emails and other people’s blogs and wrote about our Thanksgiving dinner for this blog. As I was finishing up my latest post, the phone rang and one of my oldest friends and first teaching friend invited me to meet her at her place and then head out to Trinity Bellwoods Park and go for a walk. Perfect ….. the one other thing that I hoped to do today was get outside and get some exercise.

AB and I have a very special relationship. She is a few years older than I am and was my mentor when I first started teaching. When our first child was born she became her godmother and has always taken a special interest in all our children. In fact she considers all three of our children her god children. We’ve always considered and treated AB and her partner as members of our family.

I picked up my daughter, A and her partner, J and headed out to AB’s place. We drove over to Trinity Bellwoods and parked the car at the north end of the park. It’s a busy park with walkers, runners and cyclists. The leaves are just starting to turn and some of the trees are bearing some unusual fruit. There are numerous memorials and statues in the park, representing individuals and groups that have made significant contributions to the neighbourhood.

When we got to the south end of the park my daughter suggested that we stop for a coffee at a cafe across the street. She had obviously been there before and she was anxious to share this special place with me. More about this in my next post. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day and perfect weekend.

Cheers!

Family Get Together, Again

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….Thanksgiving dinner at the Cormier house

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada but we celebrated yesterday. We enjoy having Monday has a down day, where we can relax or in our case catch up on our reading, blogging, cleaning, gardening, etc..

Yesterday the big Thanksgiving Day dinner was hosted at our place. Come to think of it, I can’t remember when it wasn’t. When my mother was alive we used to go to my parent’s house. One year they decided to go away with friends on the Thanksgiving weekend. I was devastated, after all Thanksgiving is suppose to be spent with family. I can’t remember how that turned out but I think that soon after that we hosted the annual event. My sister had it at her house a few times but she ‘didn’t cook’ back then so a lot of the food was prepared ahead of time and brought to her house.

There were only six of us at the dinner table this year. My son is still living in the Netherlands and my sister and her family and my Dad and G had made other plans this year. We were planning to deep fry our turkey again but when we woke up it was pouring rain outside. Since we do the deep frying in the backyard we had to quickly decide if we chance it and wait out the rain or do the turkey the traditional way in the oven. Deep frying takes one hour versus the oven which takes 5 hours.

We decided on the oven. Good thing because the rain continued all day and came down even heavier when we would have started the deep fryer. Of course this meant more work for me but once the bird was in the oven the rest of the meal was easy. Our daughter G brought over a great salad made with barley, tomatoes, arugula and ricotta cheese and A, our oldest daughter, made homemade pumpkin pie ice cream and roasted plum ice-cream.

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After a delicious dinner, we celebrated B’s birthday. We gave him a new board game, Small World, Underground. We were all very full from dinner so we decided to go for a walk around the block before we started a new game of Ticket to Ride, Europe. A and J liked the last game so much that they went out and bought their own game.

P1030380     A great day. Wishing all my Canadian friends a great Thanksgiving Monday!     Cheers!P1030381
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A Mexican Delight

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…..surprisingly healthy

On Sunday we celebrated my husband’s birthday with the family. Food is very important when we have family get togethers and K is usually the architect of our meals. Our daughter suggested we do a taco theme and K started searching for recipes. On our shopping trip on Saturday, pork shoulder, tortillas and banana leaves were purchased.

On Sunday while the pork was cooking inside the banana leaves and the rice and beans were thrown together K decided that we needed something else to round out the meal. I found a couple of Mexican side dishes that looked interesting and we decided on the Avocado, Orange and Red Onion Salad. I quickly did some last minute shopping to pick up some of the ingredients that we were missing and I  bought a small birthday cake for K.

When I returned home, my daughter G and her husband were already there and A and her partner were on their way. G helped me slice the oranges while I prepared the avocado. The salad was simple to prepare. The orange and avocado slices were arranged on a platter with the slices overlapping each other. Then the red onion was sliced into thin rings and randomly arranged on top along with some cilantro leaves. The platter was drizzled with the juice of 1 lime and a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil. Not only was it a pretty salad and dead easy to prepare but it was also tasty and refreshing.

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The recipe for this salad came from Delish.

Everyone assembled their own tacos with shredded pork, pickled red onion, cilantro sour cream, and Mexican fresh cheese.

P1030325 P1030326The whole meal was surprisingly light and healthy tasting. Nothing was fried and everyone took as much or as little as they wanted. The two salads helped round out the meal and added some pretty colours to our plates. G made the pickled onions. They added a nice crunch to the taco. I’ll share the recipe in a future post. The green dip was simply sour cream and cilantro blended together in the Nutra Bullet. It could probably be made with yogurt if you want to reduce the fat content.

After dinner K blew out the candle on his birthday cake ( the number 3 has no significance…I couldn’t find any other candles).

P1030329Coffee was served and then the board game came out. We had a great time playing Ticket to Ride. K has wanted to have a regular game night for awhile now. All in all it was the perfect way to celebrate his birthday.