A TV Star I’m Not

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….not even a quick cameo

Two weeks ago I went to see the Steven and Chris show with my friend D. We got quite the workout applauding, cheering and raising our True and False paddles on cue. The entire time cameras were scanning the audience. We never let the smiles leave our faces.

The audience prompter kept telling everyone what a great looking audience we were. Everyone wore their ‘jewel colours’ and were dressed to impressed. After two and half hours we were sent off with some weird telephone gizmo that I’m not sure will ever be used in my home and we were encouraged to watch the show on April 5th when the segment that we participated in would be aired.

Well I was working on the 5th but I was able to catch the show the next day. Did I see myself on TV? No! For that matter there were very few shots of the audience and when there were the cameras seemed to zoom in on the same 5 audience members. Of course they were all young and beautiful women. The overviews of the audience were far away, always on the side opposite to where I was sitting and they were over in a blink of an eye.

After viewing the show via my television I could see immediately that it was not one of the better shows. Maybe, we as an audience weren’t animated enough but the gadget section was a complete bust and the segment with the experts on parenting was pretty serious and somewhat depressing for anyone with adolescent children. Normally the show is very light hearted, informative and funny.

I won’t lie, I was disappointed not seeing D or myself on TV but in the big picture of life it’s pretty insignificant. What matters is that D and I had a good time, had a great lunch together afterwards and experienced something new and different that we can check off our bucket lists.

All the photos are courtesy of the Steven and Chris show.

Cheers!

Coming up on my One Year Anniversary

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. I can’t believe that I’ve been blogging for a whole year

When I started on this new journey I didn’t know exactly where I was going with this blog. It’s taken me in many directions. It’s been a weight loss journey,

My official ‘before’ picture taken in March 2012 just before I started my weight loss journey.

In February, 2013, 33 pounds lighter.

a site for reflecting on my past, an experiment with writing stories and prose, a place to share my new hobby of photography, a gallery for my art work and the work of my students, a cookbook of recipes and a journal to experience and share what makes me happy.

: Grade 3

: Grade 3

: Grade 2

: Grade 5

Blogging has kept me on track with my new fitness and eating journey. I’ve never felt better (not counting this cold I’m battling) and I think I look better. I’ve never been happier with myself than I am now. I feel that life has so much more to offer and for me to experience. I look forward to each new day and can’t wait to see where it takes me.

: Trillium

: Seed Heads

: Sunset at Christian Island

: August: Niagara Falls, ON

I’ve met the nicest people from all over the world. Thank you to all of you who have liked and commented on my posts. You have no idea how much joy I get from hearing from you. You lift me up when I’m not feeling well or when I’m down in the dumps and you honour me with your compliments and awards. I hope some day to be able to meet some of you when I start to travel more after I retire and I hope if you come to Toronto you’ll look me up and we can meet for coffee or share a meal.

Before the end of the month I hope to reach 10 000 views. The month has started off slowly but that is my own fault. I haven’t had much energy or interesting things to blog about because of my cold but starting today I’m going to try to publish every day. There are 23 days left so that means I need about 30 views a day to reach my goal. Last month I averaged 42 views a day so 30 I think is very doable.

I’m delighted with how many people are following me on mamacormier. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that so many people would want to read what I have to say. Just before the New Year I put out a plea to reach 200 followers and a few kind people made that dream come true. Since then I’ve been steadily getting new followers and am currently sitting at 281. Before the end of the month I’d love to reach 300. Any takers?

So where do I go from here? Well, I’m definitely going to continue with my weight loss and fitness journey. One thing that I’ve learned is that this journey is and will be a life long commitment. I want to live a long and healthy life. I don’t want to live my last 10 years as a statistic and be a burden on society. I have too much I want to do and accomplish in life.

: Abstract monoprint 5×7

: Abstract monoprint

: Three of my 6 prints, plus the wood block. I started with the orange but wasn’t happy with the colour so I switched to the blue.

: Frances guarding the tomatoes for Sunday’s sauce.

: August: Celebrating my 60th birthday.

I love the challenges that wordpress and other bloggers put out there so I know that I will continue to participate in some of them, especially the photography ones. I’ll also continue to share the art that my students create and hopefully I’ll find more time to create more of my own art. Who knows, maybe something new will cross my path and I’ll share that with you as well. I can’t seem to focus on any one thing so I tend to do it all. That’s just the way I am. I wouldn’t be happy any other way.

Cheers!

Sunny and Warmer

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. it seems like everybody around the world is commenting on the unusual weather

Yesterday was the first day that we ventured out onto the deck to enjoy the sun after our delicious Easter lunch. We decided to do dessert and coffee outside. As you can see from the photographs the temperature wasn’t all that warm and we donned our coats, vests and sweaters but the sun felt good on our faces as we tried to absorb some of that natural vitamin D.

Yesterday we also skyped our son in Rotterdam and spoke with him for a good 30 minutes or more. It was a video call so we showed him the table setting, and the food as it was coming out of the oven and he showed us the new blinds he put up in his apartment and then he went out onto his mini balcony and showed us his view of the street. Isn’t technology wonderful?

One of the things that B mentioned was the bitter cold they were experiencing and how the winds were relentless all week in the Netherlands. My cousin in Germany also told me about the unusual amount of snow they were getting for this time of year and my blogging friends in Dublin and Prenzlau also commented on the cold, snow and wind. None of this is that unusual for those of us that live in Canada or the NE sections of the U.S.A. but in Europe it’s a big deal because they’re usually well into spring by now with the flowers blooming everywhere.

And speaking about blooming, the mini daffodils that I bought for the table started to open today. I think one of my favourite things about Easter is the selection of all the wonderful flowers that you can purchase from the market this time of year. I treated myself to more tulips today.

When the tulips open up they should be a beautiful pink colour. The only other thing that would make this scenario perfect would be the addition of some pussy willows. I’m on a mission. Till tomorrow. Enjoy the day, wherever you are, regardless of the weather.

Cheers!

Celebrating Easter With a Beautiful Table, Great Food and Family

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…. the only day we could get most of the family together was for Good Friday

When your children grow up and leave the nest to begin their lives with their own partners getting together for the holidays can sometimes be difficult. Our children now have two families to consider when planning where their time will be spent for celebrations. This year Easter Sunday coincided with a special anniversary and a baby shower was being hosted on Saturday. Consequently the only day that suited everyone involved was Good Friday.

I’ve been down for the count all week with a viral respiratory infection and have spent much of my time searching for easy fun ways to decorate our table for our Easter lunch. I didn’t have to go far or search too long before I found inspiration in the form of paper tulip dishes that would greet each guest as they sat down to eat. The idea came from my daughter’s wedding blog over at Uschi and Kay

For instructions go to:

DIY Paper Tulip Dish

For the other table decorations my inspiration came from Kate’s Creative Space. This woman’s creativity blows me away. I love her blog.

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it before but my husband is a great cook and he planned, shopped and prepared the entire meal by himself. Last night he prepared the Ham, Peas and Rice Stuffed Phyllo Logs and Fresh Strawberry Pie. Today he continued prepping the Melon and Grape Salad with Basil Yogurt, baked the logs and prepared the Asparagus and Fresh Beans.

At the end of the day each of my daughters took home one of the mini daffodil plants, the paper tulip dish and a slew of chocolate and candy Easter Eggs. It was a lovely day. We had a few laughs, we talked to our son in Rotterdam via Skype, we sat on the deck and I didn’t cough too much. Happy, happy, happy!

Update

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….got to school and was promptly sent home

I really thought I would be okay to go back to work today but my cough gave me away. I no sooner stepped through the doors of the school this morning when I met up with my principal and she immediately sent me home. I can’t say I was unhappy about going home. It’s easy when someone makes the decision for you.

In hind sight it was the right decision. If anything my cough has gotten worse instead of better. I’ve been drinking tea with honey and lemon all day. It’s hard for me to sit all day so I found myself vacuuming and washing the floors in the basement and doing a couple loads of laundry. After that I sat down and did a lot of reading. When I got tired of that I went on the computer and searched for a video that made me smile. I love music and art and this video has both. It’s beautifully made. Enjoy!

Who Knew?

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….how much work it is being part of a studio audience

The fact that I came down with the flu the day before probably didn’t help. For weeks I had been looking forward to being part of a studio audience for the Steven and Chris Show and after arranging the time off (that’s another story) I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity. I medicated myself with cold and flu medicine and made sure I got a good night’s sleep.

I parked the car in the car park about 1.6k away because I missed the walk with the dog this morning and last night I had to pass on the walk. At least I got one walk in yesterday. After walking back to the car I got a total 3.3 k in. Happy about that!

My view on the way to the studio.

Once in the studio, we had to rehearse how to clap and cheer and keep smiling. Do you know how hard that is? The show was entertaining but my friend D who came with me had it right when she said that the hosts talk more to the TV audience than to the actual audience in the studio. At times it was difficult to see what was happening on the floor because there were so many cameras in front of us.

Between vignettes there were lots of prop and scene changes. During that time staff members from the show kept us entertained with draws, games and interviews with audience members. Chris, one of the hosts, was also sick and I felt for him. He was a trooper but he avoided contact with the audience at the end of the show. All in all we were there for about 2 1/2 hours for a one hour show.

Would I do it again? I’m not sure I would go back to the same show unless I knew they had a special guest coming. Apparently if I follow the show on FaceBook they make those announcements ahead of time. I would go to different show. I’ve already applied to be on the Marilyn Denis Show. This show airs Friday, April 5th.

After lunch I walked back to the car and I really started to feel achy again and the cough started up again. I phoned into work and asked them to retain my supply teacher so I could take one more day off. When I got home I went straight to bed. I’ve also started my lemon tea and honey regime. Rest, rest and more rest.

I wrote this post last night but didn’t publish until today because I couldn’t upload my photographs. Has anyone else had this problem? No problem today. Hmmmm?

A Cacophony of Bird Noises

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Mama Cormier

… at 6:30 this morning

My Happiness File: Day 12

Finding things to be happy about this week has been tricky. The first day of Spring arrived but the temperatures were cold and it snowed all week. Our dog Frances has been feeling somewhat under the weather so I didn’t get out for our evening walks this week.

Today Frances woke me at 6:30 to take her outside. When we stepped into the cold March morning we were greeted by birds squawking, screeching and making quite the rukus. It was so loud that Frances just stood there looking off in the distance trying to see where the noise was coming from. She never did do anything and after standing there in my pyjamas in the cold I decided to bring her back inside. I knew that this cacophony of bird sounds was a sure sign of spring so I found myself smiling despite the cold.

Later that morning my husband decided that we needed to take Frances to see the vet. Earlier in the week she suffered with vomiting and constant diarrhea and today she couldn’t go at all. When we got to the vets’ office she was full of vitality, not the same puppy we had experienced all week. Anyway, $200.00 later, armed with special gastro intestinal food and antibiotics we left the office with one happy dog. Update: she hates the one medicine, loves the ‘canned’ food and appears to be back to normal.

The upside to her feeling better is that we went back to our evening walk. I really did miss it and I feel so much better for it. Happy!

The other happy moment (yesterday – I didn’t finish this post last night) is that the sun came out. I was checking some studies about how sunshine and happiness are related and apparently people in countries where they don’t see the sun as often as other parts of the world are actually happier overall. I have my own theory about that. When Canadians and other more northerly countries actually do see the sun we’re so grateful when it happens that we become doubly happy. I can imagine that in countries where the sun shines all the time people tend to take it for granted.

Here is the perfect song for the end of winter.

Enjoy the sun. Cheers!

Three Reasons to be Happy!

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Mama Cormier

It’s Friday!

Yeah the weekend has arrived!

Hope it’s a good one for everybody.

Cheers!

Day 11

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..here are 3 pieces of art that I finished today

Doing art puts in me in a zen state of mind. I’m totally into what I’m doing and I lose all sense of time. I like to create examples of art that I can share with my students or leave for supply teachers to use when they have to cover one of my art classes. There have been times when I’ve gone to school despite being sick because the art project we were working on was too complicated or too messy for an occasional teacher to have to deal with.

Lately I’ve across some interesting, fun and very doable projects that I can leave for a supply teacher. Here are the samples I’ve been working on. The first one I’m actually doing with some of my classes right now. It’s a still life that the students outline in crayon and then fill in with watercolour. The wax crayon creates a resist which prevents the paints from running into one another. The idea came from Be Creative Mary.

The next two projects are perfectly suited for a supply teacher. Both ideas came from Artisan des Arts

If you need instructions for any of these projects check out the blogs where I got therm from. Cheers to creating art!

Grade Two Masterpieces

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..children’s art always puts me in a happy mood

Happiness File – Day 10

Today in my grade 2/3 art class we critiqued the art work done by the grade 2s. You may recall seeing some of the finished monochromatic abstract art pieces that I posted a couple of weeks ago. We discussed what worked and where some of the pieces could use some tweaking to make them better. Many of the students took their pieces back and added some more detail and then signed their work. Here are some more of their masterpieces.

Two of my happy moments happened today in my art class. The first was how willingly my students listened to the critiques and then actually took some of the suggestions to heart. The second moment was watching my students tackle the drawing assignment I assigned. Some found it difficult but after showing them some simple techniques they started to create some very beautiful designs. I’m really looking forward to their finished still life paintings.

Tonight I had book club and we discussed the book The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I love the time spent with good friends. We don’t always agree on how much we enjoy a book but the discussions are always lively and friendly as we defend our positions. I enjoy the circus and I really liked the book so I tended to give it a higher rating than some of my fellow book club members who don’t like the circus and weren’t as enamoured with the book as I was.