Share Your World 2016 – Week 7

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….thanks Cee for hosting Share Your World

What are you a “natural” at doing?

I think I’m a natural at teaching art to young children and reading stories to them.

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Would you prefer a one floor house or multiple levels?

I like multiple levels in a house. I find climbing stairs helps keep me fit. Maybe as I get older I’ll prefer a one floor house.

What was your favorite subject in school?

In school my favourite subject was Family studies. I’ve always loved practical hands on classes.

Complete this sentence: If only the rain..

….would happen only at night.

What are you grateful for from last week and what do you look forward to this week?

I’m grateful for my daughter’s wonderful wedding a week ago today. It was a beautiful and simple ceremony at City Hall. Afterwards we walked to a very nice bar down the street and toasted the girls with Prosecco. Dinner wasn’t until 6:00 so we stayed at Drake 150 for about an hour and then we headed to Terroni’s for the reception. The guest list was very intimate with only 26 family members and very close friends in attendance. The food was fabulous and a wonderful time was had by all.

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On Saturday I paid a visit to my friend Maria and brought her some goodies for her birthday, Valentine’s Day and Family Day. On Sunday my husband treated me to a very nice lunch at Snug Harbour in Port Credit to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The meal was fantastic.

This week I’m looking forward to pyjama day at school, the dance for the kids on Friday and hopefully seeing my granddaughter on the weekend.

Happy Birthday, Valentine’s Day and Family Day

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….for my friend Maria all the good stuff comes together in less than a week

This week my friend Maria celebrated her birthday and was finally well enough to have company. She recently had her hip replaced (her second one) and didn’t recover as quickly as with the first one; however, this week she was finally receiving visitors. In honour of her birthday I decided to bake her some cookies and bought her a nice new mug, some tea and candy. I also collected some of my favourite novels that I’ve read in the past year or so and put them in a bag for her to pull out and read at her leisure.

Over at Life in Between my blogging friend, Jodi posted a wonderful recipe for Amish Oatmeal Raisin cookies and I was very eager to try it. The instructions were easy to follow and the recipe made four dozen very large cookies. My husband loves oatmeal raisin cookies and the only fault he found with these was that there weren’t enough raisins. Easy solution; just add more next time. I, however, found the amount to be perfect. This recipe is a little different from most oatmeal cookies because it has molasses in it and that’s why the colour is darker.

I packed a dozen cookies into a small disposable loaf pan and placed it inside a special translucent bag with hearts on the outside. I then placed them into a square basket that I had purchased and placed the other items (tea, mug, candy) next to the bag.

Before making my way to Maria’s house I decided to make her a card. I took some watercolour paper and watercolour markers and created a simple design to acknowledge her birthday, St. Valentine’s Day, Family Day and a speedy recovery.

In the end I had a very nice visit with my good friend. Her husband spoiled us with wine to start, a plate of cheese and then before I left he made us tea and we enjoyed some of the cookies that I had baked.

If the cookies interest you be sure to check out Jodi’s recipe over at Life in Between.

Cheers and have a wonder Valentine’s Day!

Share Your World 2016 – Week 6

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….this week’s questions were suggested to Cee by Bridget from the The Happy Quitter

What is your favorite word?

My most favourite word is ‘love’. It’s what makes the world go round, conquers hate, looks beyond your imperfections, accepts you as you are, melts your heart and “love has no age, no limit; and no death”, John Galsworthy
What is your least favorite word?

My least favourite word is so offensive to me that I can’t even print it. I absolutely hate the word Cee u next Tuesday. I find it so demeaning to women.
What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Long walks through the wilderness and along the beach and quiet moments at the cottage give me inspiration to be creative and reflect on life.

What turns you off?

Gross consumption of anything is a turn off for me. I hate excessive behaviours of all kind.
What is your favorite curse word?

I don’t normally curse but occasionally the sh*t word comes pouring out from my mouth, especially if I’ve messed up or hurt myself.
What sound or noise do you love?

I love the sound of birds singing in the morning and the pitter patter of a light summer rain.
What sound or noise do you hate?

I don’t like sirens, horns and traffic in general.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I’ve often wondered what kind of doctor I would have been.
What profession would you not like to do?

I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to be a lawyer.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Welcome Carol, your art studio awaits you.
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 good friends and a wonderful husband. After finding a dress for the wedding my husband treated me to a dinner at a new Middle Eastern restaurant called Paramount. The food was fantastic and we had enough left over for another lunch this week.

Tomorrow is our daughter’s wedding so of course that is what I’m looking forward to the most. Everyone is excited about meeting the baby, some for the first time and having a fantastic meal at Torrone’s.

Share Your World 2016 – Week 5

Posted on February 6, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..thank you Cee for four more thought provoking questions

If you had a shelf for your three most special possessions (not including photos, electronic devices and things stored on them, people or animals), what would you put on it?

I don’t own many family heirlooms. My mother was very much a bare bones kind of person when it came to decorating the house. She, herself, didn’t own a lot of special possessions because so much of what they owned was lost in the war so growing up the only things I remember my mother cherishing were her photo albums. When I got married my grandmother gifted me a blue decanter that she managed to save from the bombings and when my mother passed the only thing that I wanted was an old silver serving spoon with the date 1909 stamped on it and the initials WS. The third item would be a collection of things my children made over the years, such as, paintings, photography assignments and hand made toys.

If you had a box labelled ‘happiness’, what would you put in it?

I would fill it with photos of my family, music, paintings and art supplies and books.

What do you want more of in your life?

I want to travel more, spend more time painting and take classes to learn new art techniques. I also want to spend more time with my family. If I had unlimited resources I would travel with my family and visit my family across the ocean.

Daily Life List: What do you do on an average day? Make a list of your usual activities you do each day.

My husband wakes me up at 6:30 and brings me a cup of coffee.
I shower and get ready for work.
I eat breakfast.
I leave the house between 7:25 and 7:50 (earlier when I have basketball practice).
I arrive at school between 7:45 and 8:10.
I have another cup of coffee and socialize with colleagues before the school day begins at 8:30.
My first period is usually a prep and then I have my first library class of the day.
During recess children help me in the library putting books away.
After recess I have another class or I do library administration work (labelling books, ordering books, putting books away, straightening shelves, removing damaged and old books for recycling, etc.)
Lunch is at 11:15 and I usually bring a lunch from home.
Lunch ends at 12:10 and my afternoon is usually filled teaching library and art.
3:00 the school day ends but twice a week I do bus duty at this time.
3:15 to 4:00 I work in the library or during report card time I’m in the office printing and reprinting report cards for the staff.
Anywhere from 4:30 to 5:00 or later I leave for home.
My husband usually makes dinner so when I get home I have a cup of tea or coffee and we talk about our day while he cooks.
At this time I’ll also check my emails.
Dinner is usually around 6:00. Afterwards I usually wash the dishes or we do them together.
My husband goes to watch TV and I spend time on the computer reading and answering more emails and writing new posts for the blog.
On certain nights I will watch some TV and I have started to knit. I also like to read so if there isn’t anything I like on TV I’ll read a book.
At some point in the evening I take the dog for a walk
Anywhere between 11:00 and 12:00 I get ready for bed.

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 day spent with my granddaughter. The weather has been warm and there is no snow and on the weekend I managed to get in 30 000 steps over two days. I’m also pleased that I’ve finished proof-reading report cards. On Sunday I met up with 7 friends from high school and we had a great lunch at a Thai restaurant. Then two days later I went out for Winterlicious and enjoyed a scrumptious dinner of South American fusion food.

I’m looking forward to a quiet weekend. I’m hoping to relax, buy a dress for my daughter’s wedding and clean a small corner of my bedroom. The thing I’m looking most forward to is the wedding which takes place next Wednesday.

Tea and Panettone

A gift from Australia

Discovering her toes

WPC – Time

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….nothing demonstrates the passage of time more vividly than watching how quickly a baby grows and develops

It seems like only yesterday when we anxiously awaited the arrival of our first grandchild. Now, a mere four months later, we are stunned at her rapid development. What happened to that helpless infant back in October?

Share Your World 2016 – Week 4

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..a cave or glass dome, focusing on today or tomorrow?….just two of the things that Cee has me thinking about today

What one thing are you really glad you did yesterday?

When this post first came out and I started to think about this question I was really glad that I made the effort to get in my 10 000 steps. Unfortunately I wasn’t as diligent yesterday and today isn’t looking much better.

Are you generally focused on today or tomorrow?

I like to be in the moment but I have to admit that I can’t help but think about tomorrow.

Would you want to have as a guardian angel/mentor? What would they tell you right now?

I believe that I have a guardian angel that looks out for me. Years ago I had a nasty fall from a 10 foot drop and came away with barely a scratch. Someone was definitely looking out over me that day. I think that today they would tell me to enjoy my family, take care of my health and don’t put off till tomorrow what I can do today.

Would you rather live in a cave house or a dome house made out of glass? (photos of the houses found on google search)

I think I would like both if they had the following:

Cave House

• enough natural light so that I wouldn’t feel claustrophobic

• dry smooth walls

• in a warm climate – the cave would be nice and cool

• a deck or porch where I could sit outside

Glass Dome House

• a room where I could get away for some privacy

• situated high up in the trees for privacy from the outside world

• window coverings to keep out the hot noon day sun or a canopy of leaves

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 I was able to finish my report cards last Friday during the PD day. It was nice and quiet at school. I don’t like taking home my work if I don’t have to. I was also able to spend an hour at the Olympian pool and watch a former student compete in a synchronized swimming routine. I had never been to one before and I found it quite interesting.

I was also happy to spend some more time with my daughter’s family and I was very grateful for the time my son-in-law spent with me to help me with some of my issues with the new camera. I also got all my Christmas decorations put away and I did a thorough cleaning around the main floor of the house. I always feel so good when my house is company ready.

I’m also grateful for all the photos my daughter sends me of Miss Winnie. She’s growing so quickly.

Stroke of Midnight

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….where was I and would I have preferred to be somewhere else?

That is the question posed by the Daily Post today. First of all I have to admit that I have not been out for New Year’s celebrations for several years, preferring to stay at home and watch the ball drop from the comfort of my living room.

This New Year’s Eve I definitely would have preferred to be somewhere else. I wasn’t at home cuddled up on the couch. I was sitting in a dark waiting room at the hospital with my husband, watching a preselected channel on the television. At least it was the coverage of Times Square and the view from the room allowed us to see some of the fireworks that went off at the stroke of midnight.

For the last three days, I’ve been back and forth to the hospital waiting for our adult son to be wheeled down to surgery to repair a broken arm. It finally happened at 8:45 last night. The surgery was successful and at 1:15 when he was returned to his hospital room he was wide awake and chatty. Once I was assured that he was comfortable and had everything he needed at his fingertips I said my goodbyes and made my way home.

Definitely an unforgettable New Year’s Eve but one I’d prefer not to repeat.

Happy 2016 to the blogging world. Wishing everyone good health, happiness and peace in the world.

Carol

A Christmas First For Me

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….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

Posted on December 25, 2015 by Mama Cormier

…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. 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.

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?

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

Merry Christmas to all and happy holidays.

Carol

Sunday Trees – 213

Posted on December 20, 2015 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Becca Givens for hosting Sunday Trees

I’m a week behind. Last weekend we drove to a Christmas Tree farm because our daughter wanted to cut down a tree for their first Christmas in their new home. It became a family affair.

Our daughter’s house is an old Victorian style home with very high ceilings so they wanted a nice tall tree.