New Flower (Sept. 3, 2016) – Yellow Wildflower in Assisi

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….I wish I knew the name of this delicate little thing

If anyone knows what this flower is called I would love to know. It looks like it could be related to the pea family.

P1010269

New Flower (June 20, 2016) – Wild Roses

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….growing by the Lake

Share Your World 2016 – Week 23

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Mama Cormier

…..thanks Cee for hosting Share Your World

What was one of your first moneymaking jobs (other than babysitting or newspaper delivery)?

It seems to me that I’ve answered this question before so I will keep my answer short. When I was 14 I worked in my parent’s milk store. I did this till I was 16. That job ended after the night I was robbed. My parents gave up the business soon after.

What is your favorite month of the year?

I think my favourite month is October. It is still warm but the nights are getting cooler, the leaves are changing colour and the markets are bursting with the harvest.

What three things in nature do you find most beautiful?

I love being near water, trees in the fall and the first big snowfall.

List at least five of your favorite spices? (excluding salt and pepper)

• cinnamon

• cloves

• nutmeg

• curry

• cumin

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 Winnie and her mom. On the weekend the two of them came to the house and stayed overnight while Dad drove to Sudbury on a business trip. They had also come over the weekend before but ended up going home Saturday night and coming back on Sunday. We’re trying to get Winnie used to sleeping away from home so that the the trip to Italy won’t be so traumatic. I thought she did really well but our daughter was a bit tired because she was up more often while she was here.

A trip to the mall with Oma and Mommy

Checking out the view from the Food Court

Enjoying pancakes for breakfast made by Papa

It looks like the plans for the wedding overseas are going well. The dress, wedding bands and the suit and tie are purchased. The registry office in London is arranged and the pub for close friends has been booked. In Italy the rooms at the villa have been assigned, reservations for dinner in the town of Assisi the night before the wedding have been made and the meal for the actual wedding sounds yummy. Three and a half weeks before we fly to Venice.

Share Your World 2016 – Week 20

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Cee for hosting Share Your World

When do you feel most connected with others?

I feel most connected to people during those quiet one on one conversations over a cup of coffee or tea. I like that intimate personal time with people where you can really get to know them.

Tea and Panettone

What daily habit would you like to introduce to your life?

I would like to do one creative activity every day. I paint and read sporadically now but I’d like to be more consistent. I’d also like to do some volunteer work.

What one mini-little-adventure would you like to have in the coming week?

This week I’d like to visit the art gallery or the museum. It’s a long weekend here in Canada and sometimes it’s a good time to visit places in the city because so many people head north to open their cottages.

List things or events that changed your Life: It could be as simple as a book or meeting a certain person?

• meeting my husband 43 years ago

• the birth of my children

• graduating from university and becoming a teacher

• the death of my mother

• meeting my best friends AB in 1976 and LC in 1989

• learning to drive when I was in my 20s

• my first art class where I learned how to paint with watercolour

• building a cottage next to my good friend DM

• the birth of our first grandchild

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 being able to continue on my weight loss journey and for the support of my husband and my friends at work. My husband has lost 26 pounds and I’m down 18. My new passport arrived this week and I can check off one more thing from my to do list before I go to Italy in July. I’m also grateful that my photo isn’t the worst passport photo that I’ve ever taken. I have to live with it for the next 10 years.

For the rest of the week I’m looking forward to our girls’ soccer tournament on Friday, visiting our daughter and her family in Hamilton on Saturday and seeing my older daughter on Sunday or Monday. Since it’s the long weekend here I’m also looking forward to planting some things in the garden and firing up the barbecue for a meal or two. It’s also suppose to be a spectacular weekend, weather wise.

Here are a few photos from this past week.

Share Your World 2016 – Week 16

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….thanks Cee for another great set of questions

Unfortunately I’m more than a week late for this post but I wanted to answer the questions, so here goes.

If you had to have your vision corrected would you rather: glasses or contacts? Or what do you use if you need to have your vision corrected?

In my mid twenties I started wearing contact lenses. I loved them until I reached my 50s. I couldn’t read close-up so I tried wearing bifocal lenses but I couldn’t wear them at night because the lights would turn into star bursts. For the last 10 years I’ve worn glasses and I would take them off to read. In the last 2 years I’ve switched to progressive lenses. It took a bit of getting used to but I don’t need to constantly take my glasses off and on.

If you had to describe your day as a traffic sign, what would it be?

I think I’m a yield sign. I move cautiously forward and look out for the needs of other people. I get the job done but not at the expense of others.

Was school easy or difficult for you? How so?

School was pretty easy for me. There were periods where I struggled with language in elementary school but I found math very easy. In high school, after grade 10, there were units of math, like calculus that would frustrate me but I learned to love the mechanics of language.

Would you rather take a 1 or 2 week vaction with an organized tour or take a cruise of your choice?

I think if I were travelling alone I would take an organized tour but seeing that I wouldn’t travel alone I would choose to take a cruise of my choice. One thing I’d love to do is take a European river cruise.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

Seeing that I’m late with this post I have to go back two weeks. I’m grateful for the coming of warm spring weather. For awhile anyway we had very warm temperatures and sunshine.

As always I look forward to spending time with my family, especially my granddaughter. My son-in-law is racing in his first go-cart race this weekend so I’m looking forward to another trip to Hamilton.

Now I’m off to answer the questions for week 17.

Seven Day Nature Challenge – Day 6

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Becca Givens for inviting me to join the Seven Day Nature Challenge

Share Your World 2016 -Week 14

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Mama Cormier

….thanks Cee for some great questions this week

If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work?

Hands down, I’d want someone to help me with the cleaning. I’d love to have someone clean the bathrooms, wash the floors, dust and vacuum. We already have a family of young boys who cut our grass once a week and we love to dabble in the garden. My husband is an excellent cook and he loves cooking for me and for family and friends. I don’t mind cooking either.

What makes you laugh the most?

A good joke, a funny movie and watching my granddaughter feeding herself.

What was your favorite food when you were a child?

I loved food and was definitely not a fussy eater. It may sound odd but I loved creamed spinach and my dad made a tasty spaghetti with ground beef and peas in a brown gravy. When I was about 11 or 12 my mom learned how to make a real spaghetti meat sauce with tomatoes and that quickly became a favourite meal for me. Truth be told I don’t think I had one favourite food. I loved cabbage rolls, chicken a la king, chicken pot pie, homemade burgers, fruit torts with whipped cream, ice cream and most cakes and cookies.

List at least five favorite flowers or plants.

I love the following flowers: sunflowers, tulips, Peruvian lilies, irises, carnations, roses, daisy mums and Gerber daisies.

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 some beautiful weather last week before winter returned. I enjoyed a wonderful day with the family in Hamilton on the weekend, despite the blizzard we had to drive home in. I’m grateful that I didn’t break any bones when I slipped on the ice when I was going down the concrete steps in front of my house on Monday. Earlier in the day all of the snow on the sidewalks and pathways had melted but there were a few wet patches that froze later in the evening and that’s what caught me by surprise when I took the dog out for one last walk that night. Thank goodness for strong bones and a good amount of padding.

I’m also grateful for the support from my husband on our weight loss journey. He’s lost 10 pounds and I’m down 8 1/2. There are 96 days left before the wedding. If I can lose 1 pound every four days I should be able to lose another 24 pounds but I can’t think that far ahead. One day at a time.

Cheers!