A Productive Day and a Movie Review

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….didn’t finish everything on my to do list but actually did more than I planned to do, including watching a very bad movie

It was a perfect day, yesterday, for working in the garden. I raked the front and the back yard and bagged a lot of yard waste. I know that I said I would report back later in the day but I think I overdid it because I couldn’t keep my eyes open later in the evening. Here’s what I accomplished in one day:

I did actually put some fertilizer down over my bulbs. I think I called it bone meal yesterday but in actual fact it’s chicken poop. It’s suppose to keep the squirrels from digging up the bulbs. As soon as the snow melted away last week I noticed that something started digging in the garden so I had to take action quickly before the hundred bulbs I planted last fall are completely destroyed.

I also took down the Christmas lights on the Yew in front of the house. As I was doing that I decided that it needed a good trim so I got out the ladder and proceeded to give it a ‘hair cut’. This was not on my to do list.

As you can see from the photos, new growth is just starting to come up from the ground. Now you can see why I’m so envious of all those beautiful photographs of blossoms and spring flowers that the rest of the world seems to be enjoying. It really has been a long winter.

I also did about four loads of laundry, vacuumed the main floor of the house, dusted in the living room and I did take out some of the garden furniture. I didn’t want to push it because I was afraid I was going jinx this beautiful weather we’re having. As it is the weatherman has forecast snow for this Tuesday and I also put away the snow shovels. Well, I actually left one out just in case.

I also cleaned the oven, wrote one post (started this one) and took a few photographs.

I didn’t get to the bird cage and I didn’t put away my winter clothes and take out the summer clothes. I think the latter project is a little premature anyway, seeing that we’re in for a few more days if not weeks of cool weather.

Later in the afternoon my husband and I decided to treat ourselves and go and see a movie at the theatre. Usually I check reviews before deciding on a movie but for some reason I didn’t do that this time. Big mistake.

We went to see, Noah. It had some very good actors in it (Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson) and it was directed by the same director who did the Black Swan. How could we go wrong?

It was bad. This interpretation of the biblical story of Noah is so out there that it was barely recognizable. The only things that made it recognizable were the ark and the animals pairs (all computer animated by the way). It was a disaster movie with rock creatures called the Watchers. For a better review of this movie go to my favourite movie blog and see what Movie Joltz has to say. I usually go here before I decide on a movie. After watching Noah, my husband’s comment was, “Well, that’s three hours I’ll never get back.”

Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….the most famous monument in Toronto has to be the CN Tower

Visible across the lake from the west end of the city.

From the Gardiner Expressway.

From inside the Dome at the baseball game.

From the base looking up at night.

For more ‘monumental’ photos check out WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument

Weaving Our Way to Happiness

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….even the boys are enjoying this activity

We’re finally all working on the same project. We started with a paper loom so that everyone could experiment with different materials and weaving patterns. Once the paper loom was finished I gave each student a sturdy piece of cardboard and they each made their own loom. Students were encouraged to bring in yarn, fabric, lace and ribbon to create their wall hangings. I also had a lot of fancy yarns, raffia and trims that they were welcome to use.

The kids are really excited about this project. I’ve even taught a fair number of them how to finger knit. I think there are more boys then girls who are incorporating knitted chains into their weaving. A lot of the projects are about half finished but I thought you might like to see how they’re progressing.

Share Your World – Week 14

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Mama Cormier

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

I would be yield or proceed with caution. As much as I love teaching I always have to be careful about what I say, how I say it and to whom I say it. I think it is much worse for male teachers. Young children love to hug their teachers and I always hug them back but I know that my male colleagues feel that they would put themselves at risk if they did that.

Is your hair short (total neck and ear showing), medium (covering ears and neck), long (below shoulders), extra long (at least halfway down your back) or bald?

My hair medium in length. When I was younger I had very long hair and in my 30s and 40s I wore it shorter but not really short. For some reason in my 50s my hairdressers convinced me to wear my hair very short. When I look back at those photos I feel that I look older than I am now. The hairdresser that I go to now convinced me a few years ago to start wearing it longer again. I’m much happier with medium length hair.

When you are with your friends, do your interactions include much touching—for example, hugging, kissing, rough housing, rubbing backs? Would you like to have more of this? (Note: the answers may vary depending on where you live on this wonderful planet.)

I greet my friends with hugs but we’re not really into kissing. My daughter’s partner and her family are Italian and they always greet me with kisses on both cheeks. I like it but I find it awkward and I invariably I lean in with the wrong cheek and if the other person wears glasses I’m always smashing my lenses into theirs. It can actually be painful.

What do you feel is the most enjoyable way to spend $100?

I think the best way to spend $100 is with my husband or good friend over a nice meal and a decent bottle of wine.

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 that the weather is finally starting to warm up. Today I noticed that the grass on my front lawn is actually starting to turn green. This week I’m looking forward to more warm weather, a concert in the afternoon, and reading some of the new books that I picked up for the library at the book fair today.

For more Share Your World posts check out Cee’s Photography.

How Grade 5s Interpret Abstraction With Charcoal

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..after some reluctance on their part and some encouragement on my part they really started to enjoy the process

When I introduced abstract art using charcoal I had a few students who cringed at the thought of using charcoal. They thought they had an option and could choose something else. Not so. I told them I wanted them to experience the versatility that charcoal offered. After some hesitation they started to get into it and when I showed them some techniques, such as smudging the lines and erasing some of the dark areas, they started to enjoy the process.

I have to admit I was never really interested in using charcoal myself never mind teaching children how to use it. After taking the course with Karine Swenson I discovered that I really enjoyed this medium. Here are a some of the samples that students produced.

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Avocado Soup and Hummus

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..I was inspired to cook today

It was sunny today but still a little brisk and even though we did get out for awhile I’m still not into long walks, never mind running at the moment. More about that in another post.

Instead I turned my attention to the food in the refrigerator that needed to be prepped. We’re having small steaks for dinner but I felt like having soup to start so I Googled the three ingredients that I had on hand that I wanted to use in my soup; broccoli, cauliflower and an avocado that wouldn’t last another day. I thought that it might be an unusual combination but lo and behold this recipe showed up over at Family Fresh Cooking.

I had all the ingredients in the recipe and it was pretty close to what I would have done anyway. The only difference is that I used the broccoli stalks and only about half the cauliflower that the recipe called for. I thought the recipe produced a soup that was a little too thick so my version will be thinner.

: Cut up broccoli stalks to use in the soup and about 1/3 to 1/2 of the cauliflower

: Saute the broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic and seasoning in a small amount of oil

: Add the broth and cook for about 30 minutes until very soft.

: Blend all the ingredients and add the avocado and blend some more. Add more liquid if too thick.

: I added a little cream to thin my soup and then put a dollop of sour cream on top.

I’ll be using the left over broccoli and cauliflower as a snack with hummus at school this week. Here’s my recipe for an easy and quick hummus.

Hummus

2 cans chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, well rinsed and drained

fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon

1/2 cup (125 ml) tahini
2 small garlic cloves, minced (more if you like garlic)
1/4 cup (125 ml) olive oil, plus more for serving
1 tsp. (5 ml) salt, depending on taste
1 tsp. (5 ml) ground cumin
4 to 6 tbsp. (125 – 185 ml) water
Dash of ground paprika for serving

Throw everything into the food processor (except the water and paprika) and blend. Add the water while the food processor is running until it reaches the consistency you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning. This is where I take a spoonful and get my husband to sample it. He didn’t think it needed anything added today.

Serve on a platter and drizzle with oil and sprinkle a little paprika on top. So easy to make and so much cheaper than buying store bought. Enjoy!

: Gather up all your ingredients

: Blend together in a food processor until smooth

: Serve with oil drizzled on top and a pinch of paprika

: Tonights dinner. Yum!

Daily Prompt: Remembering Summer

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Mama Cormier

Theoretically, summer will return to the polar-vortex-battered Northern Hemisphere. What are you looking forward to doing this summer?

Summer Dreams

Mornings at the cottage

sitting on the deck with a good book

and a cup of coffee

Long walks on the beach

soaking up the sun

running through the waves

Puttering in the garden

turning the warm soil

picking fresh herbs

Starting up the barbeque

sharing food with family and friends

warm evenings with a glass of wine

in the backyard

Painting in the great outdoors

Listening to the CBC

Marathon games of scrabble,

Rummikub and euchre

Car trips to the country

farmers’ markets, antique stores

ice-cream parlours

Dreaming of summer

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/daily-prompt-in-the-summertime/

Daily Prompt: Express Yourself

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Mama Cormier

Do you love to dance, sing, write, sculpt, paint, or debate? What’s your favourite way to express yourself, creatively?

People who have been following me for awhile know that I love to paint and experiment with new art forms. I loved drawing when I was in elementary school, especially when one of my teachers took the time to teach us about perspective and shading. It opened a whole new world for me.

The unfortunate part is that once I went to high school I no longer took art classes. There was no room in my timetable for it. I knew at an very early age that I wanted to be a Family Studies teacher. That meant taking a lot of science classes in high school and of course my one and only elective I had went to Family Studies classes.

Once I started teaching I spent the next 17 years working side by side with the art teachers because we shared an open concept space or were only separated by a door. At the time all middle school students took Unified Arts, which included visual art, shop and family studies. I loved watching the creative process that happened in all three disciplines but I didn’t venture outside my own comfort zone and try my hand at woodworking or painting.

Once my own children approached adulthood the yearning to paint grew stronger and in my late 40s I took my first art class. I loved it. I started with folk art and then moved on to watercolour. In recent years I’ve experimented with acrylics and just recently tried oil painting. This year past I also took a pottery class and loved that as well and last week I attended a 6 hour workshop on dyeing fabrics with indigo dye and of course I’m crazy about that too.

As you can see I need to try new things all the time. Recently I took on the job of teaching art to grades 2 to 5 along side my library duties. I have the best job, books and art. What a perfect combination.

Here is a small sampling of some of the art forms I’ve played with:

An earlier attempt at collage.

A Word A Week Photograph Challenge – Contrast

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….a challenge from Sue Llewellyn

To me contrast is not just complementary colours, side by side, but anything that makes something else stand out. Black and white and neutral colours make bright colours stand out and unusual groupings provide contrast. I love the dachshund surrounded by the bright pink flowers over the black and white stripes.

For more photographs that feature contrast go to A Word a Week Photograph Challenge.