….this week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge is Serenity
Nothing is more serene to me than sitting by or on the water on a hot summer’s day
Weekly Photo Challenge – Serenity
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Category Archives: Memories
Share Your World – 2015 – Week 1
…..wow a new year of Share Your World with Cee
How do you get rid of pesky phone calls from telemarketers?
If I hear dead air for a second or two after I say Hello I know it’s a telemarketer and I hang up. Simple!
What are you a “natural” at doing?
I don’t know if anyone is a natural at anything. I know that people might think I’m a natural when it comes to art or public speaking but it wasn’t always that way. I had to work at it to gain confidence and even now I still have doubts about my abilities but I am always willing to try new things and take some risks.
How often do you get a haircut?
When my hair is short I try to get it cut every 6 to 8 weeks. When it’s longer it might be every two to three months.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “fun”?
Fun for me is creating art and being around friends.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week I was grateful for having my entire family home for Christmas and having everyone together to celebrate B and G’s birthday. I also loved visiting and spending time with friends.
This week I’m looking forward to some quiet time with my husband before he has to go back for more surgery on his thyroid next Monday. I’m also looking forward to starting a new on-line year long art class with Carla Sonheim and Lynn Whipple called Year of the Spark.
I can’t upload my Year of the Spark poster that I made. How frustrating!
Small Stones – January 5, 2015
….the first day back to work
A New Year
The car instinctively knew where to park
Making its way into a spot that really wasn’t a spot
But the lot had become too small for our growing staff
And no one car pools.
The cold Arctic air bit my face as I gingerly placed
My feet on the icy surface
Hoping that my boots wouldn’t let me down, literally.
The cold easily penetrated my thin inadequate gloves
But I knew that the walk to the door would take less than a minute
Sweet Miss M greeted me, as she does every morning
Opening the door to a warm and welcoming place
This gesture was even more appreciated today
As I had forgotten my swipe key
Had I really been away for two weeks?
The morning was already busy with excitement
Children eager to share their stories and
Teachers busy, preparing for their day
The New Year begins, a new day, just like any other
But with renewed hope and promise of good things to come.
© rgb for “On Dragonfly Wings with Buttercup Tea”, 2011 – 2015
What are small stones?
A small stone is a short piece of writing (any style) that precisely captures a fully-engaged moment for you. The process of discovering small stones is as significant as the finished creation. Searching for small stones encourages you to keep your senses on the “alive and alert” status. Involve yourself with a new set of eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers, feelings and mind. In short … OPEN, OPEN, OPEN!
Sunday Trees – 162
….two weeks overdue
Tonight all the ornaments come down and this beauty will be recycled to the outdoors.
Small Stones – Jan. 4, 2015
…..Becca Givens writes a Small Stone is “short piece of writing (any style) that precisely captures a fully-engaged moment for you. The process of discovering small stones is as significant as the finished creation. Searching for small stones encourages you to keep your senses on the “alive and alert” status. Involve yourself with a new set of eyes, ears, nose, mouth, fingers, feelings and mind. In short … OPEN, OPEN, OPEN!”
Here is my attempt at a ‘small stone’
A New Day
The rain shatters the morning quiet
Darkness shrouds my bed
I lie there forcing myself to rise
Today is the day I dread
My son leaves us and
Returns to his new home
Share Your World 2014 – Week 50
….thanks to Dawn over at Lingering Visions for coming up with this week’s questions and to Cee for hosting Share Your World
Do you have a signature dish? If not is their one in your family?
My signature dish changes every couple of years. Right now I’d have to say that my go to dish is a Kale, Pomegranate, Walnut and Feta Cheese salad. The recipe calls for wild rice as well but I change it up with Israeli couscous or faro and if I don’t have walnuts I might add another variety of nut.
Do you have a favorite board game?
I think my favourite classic board game is Scrabble and my favourite new game is Ticket to Ride.
Is there a household chore that you enjoy?
I’d have to say No! But wait I don’t hate all chores. I enjoy baking and some cooking and I don’t mind doing laundry.
What is one thing you will never care about?
One thing I will never care about is hockey or American football. These two sports just leave me cold. Too much fighting and physical contact for my liking.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week I’m grateful for two very different Christmas parties that I attended. The first one was the staff party and it was good to see so many from the staff turn out. It was fun and festive and it looked like everyone was having a lot of fun. The second party took place on Saturday and it was a very quiet affair with just a few good friends. Every year now my good friend L has the same group over for dinner. it was so relaxing and the food was outstanding. With her mom and daughter joining us there were seven of us around the table….the perfect size for good conversation.
This week I’m looking forward to Christmas and time spent with family and close friends. My son and his fiancé are arriving from London, England on Christmas Eve. Our big celebration is on the 24th and then we also do a Christmas dinner on the 25th. Boxing Day will be a day of rest and then the day after we will pack up two cars and all of my family will drive to Oshawa to visit with my Dad and G.
Wishing all my blogging followers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukka. Be safe and enjoy your family and friends during this festive season.
Share Your World 2014 – Week 49
…..toys, candy, drinks and cash….I’m detecting a Christmas theme here
What is your preferred hot drink: coffee, tea, water, hot chocolate, or other?
I’d have to say that coffee is my preferred hot drink. I like it strong and with real cream. As a child I would have said hot chocolate and then I drank tea for years before moving on to coffee in my 30s. 
What was your favorite toy as a child . . . and now?
As a child I remember playing with dolls and I loved ‘paint with numbers’. I also liked board games. Today my favourite ‘toy’ is my camera but I still love to paint and play board games.
Candy factories of the entire world have become one and will now be making only one kind of candy. Which kind, if you were calling the shots?
I’m not a huge candy fan but I do like chocolate covered peanut M & Ms. If that doesn’t count as candy my next cholce is Licorice Allsorts. Funny because I don’t like plain licorice.
Image courtesy of: http://www.brendanjack.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/licorice-allsorts.jpeg
Would you want $100,000 right now or $120,000 in a year (tax Free)?
I think I’d like the $120 000 over a year. An extra $10 000 a month over 12 months would be something to look forward to and I couldn’t spend it all in one go if I took a lump sum.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
Last week I attended a couple of Christmas parties with friends and neighbours. I’m also grateful for a very successful United Way Silent Auction. The staff really pulled together and we raised the most money ever in all the years that I’ve organized this event. It was a lot of fun and people really got into the spirit of it this year. Today I took the girls’ basketball team to the west conference finals. We won the first game and moved onto the next level. Unfortunately we were beaten in the next game but I was really proud of how well the girls played.
This week I’m looking forward to two more Christmas parties and the beginning of a two week Christmas break.
Share Your World with us and join the fun.
The Ninth Street Santas
….on Dec. 6th, western Christian children celebrated St. Nicholas Day, New Toronto had its Santa Claus Parade and Ninth Street residents inflated and lit up their Santas
A week ago, Saturday, my husband and I were walking Frances over to the park when I noticed a very unusual sight on Ninth Street. Giant inflatable Santas popped up all the way down the street. Now it’s not unusual to see Christmas decorations this time of year and the inflatable variety are becoming more common but it seemed like every other house had a large inflatable Santa on their lawn.
On the way back from our walk we purposely went down Ninth Street from the top of the street and I counted the Santas. There were 16 of them in one block that were all the same size and design. There were a few smaller ones in between and there was one lonely Frosty the Snowman.
Later that night I went back to Ninth Street to see the Santas lit up. I parked the car and saw two people on the street. I approached them and asked them if this display of all the same Santas was a coincidence or if it was an organized event. The latter was true. Apparently someone on the street went door to door and suggested that everyone put up one of these Santas. They were at Walmart and were on sale.
I asked if the person with the snowman didn’t get the message. It just so happened that one of the people there was the owner of the snowman and she protested very loudly. I calmed her down and concluded that Walmart must have sold out of Santas and that’s exactly what happened. A few more Santas have gone up since then.
Share Your World 2014 – Week 48
…..4 more shares and we’re done for 2014
What is your favorite toppings on pizza?
Everything on my husband’s homemade pizza is good but if I have to choose it would be mushrooms, caramelized onion, feta cheese and prosciutto.
I want to learn more about …
That’s tough because there are so many things that I want to know more about. One of them would be learning new art techniques and learning to use different tools and materials. As I get older I’ve also become more interested in history and would like to learn more about ancient civilizations.
What are three places you’ve enjoyed visiting?
I’ve enjoyed visiting the Netherlands and Ireland and the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. When I was a child and later as a teenager I visited Germany three times. I would love to go back and see it from an adult’s point of view.
Do you prefer eating the frosting of the cake or the cupcake first?
I’m a frosting person but I like to make sure that I have a bit of cake with my frosting. It’s all about balance.
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 friend L. Her life is rather chaotic at the moment and any time that we spend together outside of school is a bonus. We went to the One of a Kind Show on Friday and the week before we were at the ballet and went out for dinner.
This week I’m looking forward to going to the annual Christmas concert on Tuesday and hosting our United Way Silent Auction on Friday. I’m also looking forward to dinner Friday evening with friends.
Thank you Cee for the questions for this week’s challenge. I hope you get over your cold really quickly so that you can enjoy the upcoming holidays.
Share Your World – Week 45
….week 45?…. are there really only 7 weeks left in the year?
What is your favorite color?
Easy, peasy! Red
In what do you find the simplest of joys?
I find great joy in a good book, quiet time at the cottage, conversations with my husband, getting lost in creating new art and hugs from my students.
Would you prefer a reading nook or an art, craft, photography studio?
If I can’t have both I’d have to choose an art studio. I need a place where I can put out my supplies and leave them out and not worry about putting things away because company is coming or family is staying overnight and need to sleep where I currently do my art.
What is at least one of your favorite quotes?
I don’t know who said it first but I believe in “live in the moment”.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I am grateful for time with family. The memorial for my aunt and my daughter’s birthday brought together the family for two days. Some family members I see regularly but others only occasionally and it was nice having everyone together even if it was only for a couple of days.
This week I’m looking forward to our annual Remembrance Day service at school. Everyone has worked very hard to make the day special and if it’s anything like other years it will be a very touching and memorable day.
I’m also looking forward to spending some time with friends and going to another concert put on by the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto. On Saturday or Sunday I’m also entertaining a young man (J’s 7 year old nephew) by taking him to the ROM. It’s always fun taking children to the museum.
For more Share Your World posts check out Cee’s photography.
Mama Cormier 
