Planting Tulips in December

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….temperatures warmed up enough to get a shovel in the ground

Sunday, December 1st…the first advent of the Christmas season and I’m in the garden planting tulip bulbs. About three weeks ago a parent at school kindly gifted me 40 tulip bulbs and advised me to plant them that weekend. I told her I had problems with squirrels digging up all my bulbs in the past so she also brought me a small bag of hen poop. Apparently they don’t like the smell. We’ll see.

Unfortunately I didn’t get the bulbs in the ground when the weather was warmer and the soil was still soft. Life just got in the way. Last weekend when I had some time I pulled out the trowel and almost broke it when I tried to turn the soil. It was so cold that the ground was frozen solid. Winter had arrived early.

This past weekend we were having the kids over for our annual pre-Christmas goulash and mulled wine party. I wanted to start decorating the house to get in the festive mood so I pulled out the outdoor lights. After testing each string and hauling the ladder out from the garage I started to drape the yew in front of the house. I noticed that the ground was pretty muddy so I decided to take advantage of the conditions and get my bulbs into the ground.

So there I stood in the drizzling rain, bent over and digging holes in the garden. My neighbours must have thought that I was crazy. Once all the bulbs were in the ground I continued to decorate the tree with the outdoor lights. It was still raining as I was literally tossing the strings over the branches. I made several trips into the house and I noticed that I was tracking in a lot of mud.

With only a couple of hours left before the kids arrived I got out the pail and mop and washed the floors, cleaned the mud from my shoes and set the table for our meal. I then drove up to the liquor store to buy the wine for our mulled wine or gluewine as we call it. My husband was in charge of making the goulash.

When the kids arrived we enjoyed some appetizers and cups of mulled wine while the spaetzle cooked. I underestimated the amount of German noodles that I needed to cook but there was more than enough of the goulash to go around. Everything was delicious. After dinner our son-in-law brought out the board game we bought him for his birthday and we all learned how to play Small World: Underworld from Days of Wonder. When the rules were being explained to us I really didn’t think I’d get the hang of it but once we started to play I was on a roll. In the end I tied for second place. My son-in-law, the game board master, was impressed with my standing.

Less than three weeks of school left before we’re off for the holidays. The Hundertwasser projects are coming along nicely and hopefully I’ll be able to post some of the finished projects in the next day or so. I’d better get off to bed. I have to get up early for more basketball practises. We play in the semi-finals next week. Till later.

Cheers!

Sports, Shingles, Supper and Shopping

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..my week so far

Basketball

Last week, after a flurry of tryouts, we chose the girls’ basketball team. We had to go from 40 girls to 12 when choosing the team. Every morning since we’ve had early morning practices starting at 7:45. Tomorrow is the tournament. Yikes! I know that the season has been short but we literally didn’t get any information about the season until people started to ask when and where the teams would play. My friend, L swears that we’re going to win but I know for a fact that some schools have been practising for over a month compared to our seven days. Anyway wish us luck. If we win, however, it means more early morning practises and another tournament.

Shingles

No, not the ones on my roof. I’m talking about the painful kind that affects adults who’ve had chicken pox when they were children and no, I’m not the one who is suffering with it. Shingles is an infection of a band of nerves and results in a rash along that band. The pain can be moderate or severe. In my husband’s case, unfortunately his pain is severe and feels like stabbing pains under the skin. This is my husband’s second bout with this horrible infection. He’s on some antiviral medication that should help with the healing process but he’s already at day 10 and only today is he starting to feel somewhat better. There is a shot to prevent shingles but it costs about $200. for one dose. If K could take it, he says he’d pay $1000.00 to be pain free but because his immune system was compromised by his cancer he doesn’t qualify for the treatment. If you want more information about shingles click here.

Supper

My brother-in-law from Calgary called on Sunday and told us he was going to be in town on Tuesday on business. He wanted to get together and grab some dinner before he checked into his hotel. Not knowing how well K would be feeling we left it open as to where we would dine. I also didn’t know if I’d be having dinner because I already had made plans to have dinner downtown with a group of friends from work.

It turned out that my dinner was cancelled so when I got home I was able to join them. GS literally arrived a few minutes after I walked through the door and at that moment in time K wasn’t feeling too bad. So we got back into my car and drove over to the Junction to catch up with what was going on in GS’s life while we enjoyed a light dinner at the Indie Ale House. The evening went well but I could see that K was starting to fade so we had to call it an early night. I sure hope these shingles are gone before Christmas.

Shopping

Now I know that I told you that I didn’t need to shop for a long time but I can’t resist a great sale and I mean great. The doors were only open to family and friends and as a friend I couldn’t turn around and invite some of my friends. I did, however, buy some great gifts for my family and, well, I just couldn’t pass up a good deal, I picked up a few things for myself. How can you say no to $100. sweaters for $15. 00 and designer blue jeans for $15.00.

Tune in tomorrow to see how we performed at the tournament.

Cheers!

Winter is at our Doorstep

Posted on November 23, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..cold temperatures and a dusting of snow today (yesterday)…..hit published….looked like it went through…..discovered this morning that it hadn’t…..sigh…..by the way we got another covering of snow last night

An image of what’s to come in the next few months. Brrrr!!!!!!!!!

What a perfect day to do a little Christmas shopping and check out the Winter Arts Fest at Neilson Park Creative Centre. I met a great artist who makes beautiful jewellery with glass imbedded with copper, a retired principal who creates gorgeous wooden boards and boxes made from different types of coloured wood and an author who wrote a novel about Toronto’s history.

I also ran into my former art teacher, LZ, whose classes I took for a couple of years at Neilson Park Creative Centre. She told me she’s been thinking about me lately and hopes I’ll come back to one of her classes in January. She says she’s including collage and more printmaking lessons to the class. She must have been channelling my thoughts of late because I’ve wanted to do more of both, especially collage.

An earlier attempt at collage.

Printing on Gelli plates.

After doing some shopping at the craft show I headed over to the mall which is close by. The kitchen store had some great sales and I picked up some small items for stocking stuffers. I then went to one of my favourite stores and treated myself to a couple of new tops.

What’s up for tomorrow? Well I keep saying I’m going to reorganize my bedroom but there’s an interesting arts and craft show at my old alma mater in Guelph that I might check out. It all depends on whether someone is willing to go with me. I’m all about living in the moment.

Cheers!

The Colours of November

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….the contrast between the grey skies and remaining flora is stunning

Unexpected Pleasures

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..the joys of spontaneity

I really didn’t have much in the way of plans for the weekend. The only thing that I really needed to do was buy new tires for my car. So early Saturday morning I dropped the car off at the Tire Centre at Costco and walked home. It turned out to be a beautiful day and the walk was invigorating. I made an unexpected stop at the library and successfully signed out the next book for our book club meeting in December. So far I’d logged in 5 kilometres of walking and it didn’t stop there.

When I got home I changed into my running shoes and joined my husband, my daughter, G, her dog, Lucy and our dog, Frances for a walk to Sam Smith Park. I brought along the camera and found lots of wonderful things to photograph. Again, I played around with the macro setting and got close and personal with some plant materials.

Not only did I walk another 5 kilometres but some of that distance was covered with running. I didn’t want to get too far behind the family who were always a few steps ahead of me. The distance would get longer every time I stopped to take pictures so I found myself running to catch up. Near the end of the trail I found the group sitting on the rocks waiting for me. As you can see, Lucy has fully recovered from her surgery.

Later in the day, my other daughter called and wanted to meet and go to Ikea. We planned to rendezvous at Costco when I picked up the car but when I got to the tire centre the car wasn’t ready. I quickly called my husband to pick me and the girls up and drop us off at Ikea. This part of the day wasn’t so wonderful for K but the rest of us had a great time. Since it was already late in the day, we decided to have dinner together after our shopping adventure at Ikea. Again K picked us up and took me back to Costco to get the car and then we each had a job to do to get dinner organized. A and I were assigned to get the salad and wine and K, G and J were in charge of getting the pizza.

The day ended with a lovely unplanned dinner with all the girls. G’s husband was at a conference in North Carolina and our son of course is still in Rotterdam. We sent him a quick message to see if he still wants to participate in our Secret Santa draw but I haven’t heard back from him yet. Next week we’re getting together again for a planned meal where we will draw names to see who we will buy gifts for this Christmas. I didn’t think I’d like the Secret Santa concept but we’ve done it for a couple of years now and it certainly takes some of the stress off of buying gifts at Christmas.

Yesterday we got an unexpected phone call from old friends who live in Calgary. They were in town and wanted to get together before they go back on Wednesday. Today was the best time for all of us so we met at the house and then drove over to the Roncesvalle area and had a nice lunch at Hey’s. We had a long leisurely lunch and got caught up on what’s been happening in our lives. My husband and L have been friends since grade school and we all went to university together. We were at each other’s weddings and the births of our children. We literally had to drive L and L to the hospital when their first child wanted to enter the world in the middle of the night. As luck would have it, their car wouldn’t start at that crucial moment in time.

What a great weekend; fantastic weather on Saturday, walking 10 k in one day, an unplanned dinner with family and an unexpected visit from old friends. What more could you ask for? I hope your weekend had some special moments as well.

Cheers!

I Must Confess

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….I haven’t walked or run in weeks

As much as I like to walk and even run I haven’t done much of either in several weeks. Today I left the house early in the morning to have new tires installed on my car. I’ve been shopping around and found that Costco had the best deals but you can’t make an appointment. I arrived right at opening and was shocked to find that I was number 22 in line. Luckily the wait wasn’t too long and I’m glad I didn’t get there any later than I did because they stopped taking cars at number 24. The downside was that I had to leave the car and it wouldn’t be ready for six hours. Obviously I wasn’t going to wait around for that length of time so I decided to start walking home.

I wasn’t sure how far the walk would be but my plan was to walk about one third of the way and then phone my husband and have him pick me up at the Italian bakery. I ordered a cappuccino and a breakfast sandwich and then pulled out my phone. It was dead. Oh well!

I knew that the walk was doable, so after nourishing myself I continued to walk. It is a beautiful day today in Toronto, one that I’m sure we won’t see too many of before next spring. I forgot how much I really do like to walk. As I got closer to home I felt compelled to walk even further and check out the library to see if they had the book I needed for our next book club meeting. Bonus! I lucked out and checked out their only copy of The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.

When I got home my husband was surprised to see me walk through the door and no car in the driveway. I went to gmap pedometer and mapped out the route and discovered that the walk covered 5 k. Will I walk back to pick up the car? Probably not but then one should never say ‘never’. I will, however, do some gardening today and plant some tulip bulbs that were gifted to me and maybe I’ll join my husband and daughter and walk the dogs to Sam Smith Park.

It’s going to be a good day!

Cheers!

The Ongoing Saga of Rob Ford

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..every day there’s something else

Courtesy of the Huffington Post

I’m embarrassed to be living in a city that can’t impeach its mayor. I try not to be too political with my blog but the actions and words of Rob Ford are beyond ridiculous. If you’ve been living in a cave for the last six months you may not know what I’m talking about but Toronto has been in the news worldwide ever since The Toronto Star and Gawker released the story that Rob Ford is on a video smoking crack cocaine. Of course the mayor stated that there was no video and that he did not smoke crack cocaine. That was back in May.

In June there was a raid on a housing complex in the west end of Toronto where numerous people were arrested on drug and weapons charges. The raid was called Project Traveller. Two weeks ago the police released some of the findings from the raid and Rob Ford was smack dap in the middle of it. The police chief said the alleged video was found and activities described earlier in the year were on the video.

Last week Rob Ford announced to the world that he had smoked crack cocaine. He apologized profusely but refused to leave the office of the mayor to get help. He said there were no more skeletons in his closet. Almost every day since that announcement new skeletons and more bizarre behaviour with the mayor have been revealed. Late night television hosts, such as Dave Letterman, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno have been having a hay day. The monologues are funny but embarrassing at the same time.

So far this is what he’s been caught doing:

– doing illegal drugs and keeping bad company, i.e., prostitutes at city hall, Oxycontin, cocaine, a joint in his desk and employing a driver with a criminal record

– angry outbursts – using racial and homophobic slurs, abusive language, using the ‘f’ bomb over and over again, and violent confrontations with staffers

– heavy drinking in public – incoherent late-night calls, sending his staff to buy him alcohol, guzzling vodka and then driving, appearing intoxicated at official public events

– erratic work habits – drunk at the office, arriving late and leaving early, missing meetings, coaching football instead of being at work, illicit meetings with known criminals and exchanging mysterious packages (contents unknown)

– making death threats while in a drunken stupor (caught on video)

Today the mayor came out of his office and commented to the media, using the most demeaning and vulgar language, about an allegation that came out in the news yesterday regarding a female staffer. My principal was driving to school when she heard the report live and she almost drove off the road. I don’t like to utter the words in public so I’ve posted the news clip for you. Of course later in the day he apologized again.

In council yesterday, 37 out of 42 councillors voted to ask Rob Ford to take a leave of absence. In our municipal system the mayor cannot be fired or impeached unless he is charged and convicted of a crime. Rob Ford refuses to step down, despite the polls. His support from the public diminishes every day and 75% of Torontonians polled want him out of office. Even the organizers of the this weekends Santa Claus Parade have asked the mayor not to attend and take part in the parade.

I think maybe it is time for the provincial government, along with the municipal government to put in place provisions to have the mayor ousted from power.

Drunk on the Danforth Courtesy of Macleans

What are the Odds?

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….in a city of almost 3 million people

Today at work I sat with two of our new teachers during lunch. I asked my table mates if they had ever eaten at Tavoos or had any experience with Persian foods. One of my colleagues used to live within walking distance of the restaurant that I posted about yesterday. This conversation eventually led to where people lived presently.

Mr. T said he lived in the Parklawn area. I perked up immediately because I had spent 10 years of my formative years in the same area. I asked him if he lived in one of the apartments or a house in the area. He said it was an apartment. I also lived in an apartment. I asked him if he lived on Kings Point Dr. The answer was yes. I couldn’t believe what came next. Not only did he live on the same street but he lived in the same building and on the same floor. When I described the view from our apartment it became very clear to both of us that he is residing in the same unit that I lived in for 10 years. We were both blown away. We continued to describe the neighbourhood and the amenities that were across the street. He couldn’t wait to go home and tell his wife of our conversation today. What are the odds?

Cheers!

Persian Breakfast

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….celebrating my oldest daughter’s birthday

My daughter, A was away on her birthday last week, touring wine country in Prince Edward County. She did, however, want to celebrate with the family and she expressed an interest in having brunch at a very trendy Persian restaurant in the west end of Toronto. Tavoos doesn’t take reservations so they suggested that we arrive at 10:00 when the restaurant opened on Sunday so that we wouldn’t have to wait.

My sister was in town on the same day and she was hoping to spend some time with me so we invited her to join us at the restaurant. In total there were six of us in attendance. Arriving early turned out to be a very good idea because when we left the line-up went out the door.

This unique little restaurant is located on College Street just west of Dufferin. When you walk in you are greeted by a warm, inviting atmosphere with a very Persian decor. There are a couple of areas that are covered with exotic carpets and cushions and you can enjoy your meal sitting cross legged on the floor. Luckily, A requested the small room at the back of the restaurant with regular tables and chairs. I’m not so sure I could get up gracefully from the floor after sitting for any length of time.

The menu offered some very unusual breakfast selections. One of them was a soup made with a goats head and hoofs. We all passed on that item. A ordered the porridge with lamb which was quite delicious and surprisingly sweet. My sister played it safe and ordered a Mediterranean salad and the rest of us had Persian egg dishes. Traditionally the dishes are baked with the eggs sunny-side up on a spinach or onion potato base. With coffee and or tea and tip the total cost came in under $65.00 for our party of six. Pretty good for the city of Toronto.

After brunch we went back to A and J’s house. My sister hadn’t seen their home and it gave us more time together. Of course there was birthday cake and more coffee. We didn’t need to eat again until dinner time.

My sister with ‘my three girls’.

Ai Weiwei – Part 2

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Mama Cormier

…..one week to go

If you live in Toronto or are visiting this is your last chance to see the Ai Weiwei show. Last week I posted some of the installation pieces at the show. Featuring photographs, sculpture, installation art and audio and video pieces, Ai Weiwei: According to What?examines how the artist spotlights the complexities of a changing world and probes such issues as freedom of expression, individual and human rights, the power of digital communication and the range of creative practice that characterizes contemporary art today both in China and globally.(as cited in the AGO newsletter).

China Log 2005

This sculpture is made from 8 pillars salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples that were carved at the centre and when joined together they formed an opening through the entire length of the ‘log’ in the shape of China. The China log implies that present day China is made up of a variety of cultural and historical elements.

Kippe, 2006

This sculpture is made with parallel bars as the frame for a three dimensional puzzle of tightly fitted pieces of wood salvaged from Qing Dynasty temples. Ai Weiwei’s memory of childhood school yards that were equipped with a set of parallel bars and a basketball hoop were part of the inspiration for this sculpture. The other part came from the beautifully stacked firewood outside his family home that was openly admired by the people in his neighbourhood.

Wenchuan Steel Reebar, 2008-2012

Ai Weiwei uses rebar recovered from the rubble of collapsed schoolhouses following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. It is a large physical work, designed to remind people of the individuals in danger of being forgotten.

Forever, 2003

These 42 Forever bicycles were dismantled and reassembled to form a circular sculpture. The Forever Co. was established in 1940 and became the largest manufacturer of bicycles in China. In recent years with the onset of modernization the bike is disappearing from city streets but many Chinese still cherish memories of their bicycles that will last ‘forever’ in this work.

Coloured Vases, 2007 – 2010

This series consists of Han Dynasty vases dipped in industrial paints covering the patterned surfaces of the jars with bright modern colours while maintaining the original forms.

I love this man’s work and I discovered today that we share the same birthday. The show will be leaving Toronto this coming weekend and will move to Miami, Florida to the Perez Art Museum (November 28, 2013 – March 18, 2014) and then moves to Brooklyn, New York to the Brooklyn Museum (April 18 – August 10, 2014).

Cheers!