Category Archives: Snow and Ice

Sunshine

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….hooray, hooray!!!!

Today was the first day in a long time that I was able to go for a long walk and actually take photos. It was cold but the sun was so bright and beautiful that I hardly felt it. I managed to get in an extra 3000 steps and now only have another 4500 to meet my goal of 10 000 steps a day. I’ve been very bad as of late. I’ve just wanted to hunker down and veg in front of the TV or my computer screen.

Here are a few of the shots that I managed to take today.

The best part of the walk was that for the first time in almost two months I was able to take Frances with me. This is the farthest she’s walked with me willingly without my husband at our sides. Hopefully she’s turned a corner and I’ll be able to get her out more often now.

From Record Breaking Highs in February to Bone Chilling Temps in March

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….it was too good to be true….winter is still with us

In February we set records for the warmest February ever in Toronto and southern Ontario. People were wearing spring jackets, tee shirts and some brave souls wore shorts. In Toronto all the snow had melted but north of the city there was lots of snow and skiers were enjoying spring skiing conditions.

Every year our physical education teacher organizes two cross country ski trips for our grade 4 and grade 5 students. It is usually the only time I go skiing but I love it, so when I was asked if I wanted to go again to supervise the students I jumped at the chance. The first group went on the 22nd of February and the second group went the next day. Both days were exceptionally warm, 15 degrees celsius. Luckily Hardwood Hills had a lot of snow this winter so the base was good and the conditions were excellent.

I went on the second day so I was warned that I wouldn’t need heavy clothing. I packed three tops and extra socks. I’m glad I did because every time I came inside I had to change my top and socks because I was soaked through from perspiration. Many of the kids skied  with only their tee shirts on. It was a beautiful day and the more I skied the more confident I became. My goal was to not fall. I’m happy to report that I met that goal and I skied the equivalent of 13 000 steps and 50 flights of stairs.

March 1st didn’t enter like a lion but by the evening the temperatures had plummeted from double digits above zero to minus zero in a matter of hours. Today and yesterday the temperatures went even lower to minus 13 celsius. The good news is that warmer temperatures are forecast for this coming week. The ice that formed along the water’s edge will give you some idea of just how cold the last few days have been.

Share Your World 2016 -Week 14

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….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.P1000868

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!

Share Your World 2016 – Week 10

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…..it’s Thursday and I’m home trying to get over a cold

I don’t like waiting so long to get to Cee’s challenge but it seems like I’ve taken on more than I can manage at the moment so something had to be put aside temporarily. That something just happened to be writing for my blog. I’m trying to rest today so that I’m not sick over my March Break. Plans include drawing, reading and answering the following questions.

What would you ask for if a genie granted you three wishes?

I would ask for good health for me and my family. My second wish would be enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life and take two or three trips a year.  My last wish would be for on going happiness for my children. If they’re happy and I’m healthy what more could I ask for?

What experiences are most meaningful to you?

The experiences that are most meaningful to me are those that involve my husband and my family. They would include getting married, buying a house, having my children, going on vacation, having a great job and watching my children grow up and sharing their happy moments.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was very young I wanted to be a nurse. At the age of 12 I knew that I wanted to be a teacher and not just any teacher but a family studies teacher. I held on to that dream all through school, occasionally contemplating about going into medicine but my first choice was teaching. Well I did become a family studies teacher and did that for 15 years and then switched to become a guidance counsellor for two years and then a grade 5 homeroom teacher for 14 years and for the last 4 years I’ve been the librarian and art teacher.

Complete this sentence: The best day of my life was….

I can’t pick just one. My wedding day, the days my children were born, the day we bought our house, the day I got my first teaching job, the days when my daughters got married, the day my son got engaged and the day my granddaughter was born.

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 spending the day babysitting my granddaughter last Sunday. My husband had a lot of medical tests done this week and I’m grateful that everything looks good and that his cancers are still in remission. We have the green light to proceed making plans for our trip to Italy this summer. We’ve had warming temperatures all week and the rain that we were suppose to get didn’t arrive until today so we’ve experienced very pleasant days.

After tomorrow our March Break begins and I’m looking forward to a week of rest and relaxation. We haven’t made any plans other than seeing our children. Maybe we’ll take in the museum or the art gallery and I’m sure we’ll be doing a lot of walking.