Road Trip – Days 3 and 4

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…Bangor, Maine to Moncton, New Brunswick

After leaving Sherbrooke we crossed the border to Maine. It was one of the easiest and most pleasant border crossings we’ve ever made.

The scenery was breathtaking. The road curved its way through forests of yellow and red and passed fast flowing rivers and glistening lakes.

The downside of crossing the border was losing our internet connection and not being able to use our GPS. As we got closer to Bangor we weren’t sure how close we were to our hotel until we passed it and the exit off the the freeway. We took the next exit but got so disoriented we had to stop and ask directions. It turned out that we were very close.

Right next to the hotel was a truck stop with a large diner and bakery. Not only is Dysart’s popular with truckers, the locals and tourists flock to it to enjoy the hot sandwiches, pot pies and homemade rolls and pies. We had our dinner there and thoroughly enjoyed the chicken pot pie and the personal attention that our grandmotherly waitress doted upon us. We were afraid that if we didn’t clean our plates she would have been personally offended. A flash from the past…..

The next day before we headed to New Brunswick we drove into Bangor to visit Stephen King’s home. This old Victorian home is fun to look at from the outside.

A Special Visit

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….arriving from London, England

On Thursday of last week, our son and his family flew in from London, England for a two week visit. It was a rocky start because Kevin and I were in the Emergency department of the hospital when Brendan’s flight arrived and we weren’t able to pick them up.

Luckily Kevin is okay but we felt we had to have him checked out after he had a nasty fall at home. After six hours of tests and waiting we were relieved to find out that there were no broken bones or internal injuries, just a nasty bruise, swelling and considerable pain.

Brendan’s flight wasn’t without complications either. In Montreal they had to change planes and just before take-off a truck hit the plane so there was a delay to make sure that there was no damage to the plane.

On Friday, we spent most of the day at home so that the family could recover from jet lag and Kevin could get some much needed rest. Andrea and Josie came over later to visit with the family and we had a very relaxed dinner in the backyard. I took Sevin to the garden and had her help me with harvesting some of the tomatoes and a squash. She was delighted.

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On Saturday, another special visitor came to stay for a week from the east coast. More about that tomorrow.

The Rockies

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…road trip to Banff

The morning started off cool and rainy. My brother-in-law lent us his old pickup truck which he affectionately calls Lucille, and we drove through the foothills of Alberta towards the Rocky Mountains.

As we got closer to Banff we started to see some of the mountains through the clouds but it wasn’t until we returned later that evening that we realized how much of the scenery had been obscured by the clouds. We were in awe.

As we approached Banff:

Throughout the day the weather constantly changed but towards late afternoon the sun started to peak though the clouds.

Not wanting to drive back to Calgary in the dark we left Banff around 7:00. This is when we realized how much of the Rockies we didn’t see in the morning.

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Nostalgia

Posted on June 17, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting weekly prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/06/14/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-nostalgia-2/

As I get older I become more and more nostalgic. All kinds of things remind me of my past. Baking bread at the inn reminds me of our first trip to San Francisco where I first tasted sourdough white bread and my box of buttons reminds me of my mom and her button box. I even created a series of paintings called Needle and Thread that brought back memories of my childhood.

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A Trip to the Aberfoyle Antique Market

Posted on June 4, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…48 years ago we bought each other a framed Coca-Cola mirror as a wedding gift to ourselves

The Aberfoyle Market holds many found memories for us. Over the years we have shared this wonderful place with our children and now our grandchildren. On our most recent trip we found some very interesting and fun artefacts. This time we just browsed through the antiques but we also had some very interesting conversations with some of the vendors.

The Aberfoyle Antique Market is located about one hour west of Toronto and is just down the road from the city of Guelph.

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RDP Tuesday – Indefatiguable

Posted on May 23, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting RDP Tuesday https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/05/23/rdp-tuesday-indefatigable/

There are days when I feel like the Energizer Bunny. I can keep going and going but I do eventually crash ….for days after. Kids and animals never seem to get tired or at least that’s what they want us to think. I also have two marathon runners in the family. My husband ran marathons in his 20s and 30s and years later our oldest daughter started running marathons. She gets better with every race. They also never seem to tire during a race.

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6237-E5-EA-26-F2-4-E35-9-B4-D-8-D6-E2-A0-CBD34-1-201-a — *Olive could play all day but we know that she can* *overdo it*

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44-F9-C50-B-B40-F-4-ED5-942-A-93302-FDDFFD8 — *Winnie is constantly on the move*

D86-FC0-A6-3-C76-4606-B518-A28-A081-B9-D73 — *…and so is her younger cousin*

3-C9-C63-C4-9906-4096-8-A61-3348776-DE674

D83-C6355-AEEF-40-BE-877-D-A4-E05973-F309 — *….but eventually they both crash*

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4342-C11-A-69-F1-4461-93-F1-F8-EF44233-F5-E — *These young athletes never seem to tire either*

More Work in my Needle and Thread Series

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…two more small pieces and two larger ones

A while back I told you about wanting to honour my past with art that reflected my family’s influence on my Joy of Making. My great great aunt and her family on my mother’s side used to own a very successful business where they made and sold ladies leather gloves in the early 1900s, in Germany. Old photos of my great, great grandparents clearly depicted how important fashion was to them and of course looking one’s best at all times.

My mother taught me how to hand sew, make clothes, embroider and knit. Later in life I worked for a needlecraft company in my spare time and taught other women the art of needle crafting, like cross-stitch and needlepoint and I worked at the community school teaching people how to knit.

The following works are collage and mixed media with some hand stitching or implied hand stitching.

C6004081-405-C-4-F08-B22-E-6-BDF8980-DE45-1-201-a — *“Stitched With Love”, 8″x10″ matted and framed*

73-B745-EB-59-DA-431-D-AC4-B-333-C66-B9-B8-FD-1-201-a — *“A Stitch in Time…”, 11″x14″ matted and framed*

4-D7-FC0-B4-B601-45-C4-B144-9-ADBEA9-C0-B5-B-1-201-a — “*Tante Paula, 1910″,11″x14″ matted and framed*

0-E6-DD20-B-1710-4891-9-C30-C41-C55-EF31-E8-1-201-a — *“Brocade”, 8″x10″ matted and framed*

Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Frolic

Posted on April 22, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/04/22/weekly-prompts-weekend-challenge-frolic/

Nothing says frolic more that young children and dogs playing.

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Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Anything Large

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Cee for hosting CFFC https://ceenphotography.com/2023/04/18/cffc-anything-large/

C82-A6939-AFB6-4-A9-F-B1-AF-19-D954751048 — *Cruise ship outside of Venice*

25992-E93-9-A1-B-43-D1-B6-A0-EBB6-A3-A4-A790-1-201-a — *David looking over Florence, Italy*

54-D977-CB-11-C0-4636-A24-B-6-F8-EAB142122 — *Part of the Colosseum in Rome*

57-F7-A49-D-B405-409-B-A8-DC-BD1-BC0727785 — *Giraffe at the Toronto Zoo*

D9-B9-D973-208-F-4-CC4-AE09-EF8-E40-C9154-B — *Cathedral in Tours, France*

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F7277-D7-D-C5-A1-4274-8111-4-DF9265-BD57-D — *Giant pumpkin*

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RDP Friday – Wonderment

Posted on March 31, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting RDPhttps://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/03/31/friday-wonderment/

“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”
― Albert Einstein

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I take my daily walks with my camera in hand, I’m alway in the state of wonderment with the beauty that surrounds me every day. I’m saddened by the fact that so many people never see what is right in front of their eyes. Many evenings I have run out of the house with my camera in hand to catch a beautiful sunset or quietly stood by my back door to catch the birds and squirrels come to the feeder.