….this week’s words from Ronovan are style and fresh
The Bitter Truth
Her own reflection
confirmed her need for a fresh
up-to-date hair style
*****
But what style would bring
a smile to her aging face?
A fresh youthful look?
*****
Or does one forgo
the fresh style of youth for a
short practical cut?
*****
Does a modern style
mock her attempt to slow down,
to look fresh again?
….March has finally arrived but winter doesn’t want to leave
How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
It depends on the day. I feel at least 10 years younger than I am, most of the time. Last week when I had trouble standing up after falling while skiing I felt much older. If I have to put an age to it I’d say I feel like I’m in my late 40s or early 50s. Having said that there are days that I think I’m in better shape, physically and mentally than many people who are actually in this age range.
Are you left or right handed?
I’m left handed. I write, paint and eat with my left hand but I do much with my right hand. I bat with my right hand, play the ukelele and guitar with my right hand and knit with my right hand. When I golf and bowl I use my right hand. I iron and type with both hands.
If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to?
I’m really struggling with this question. I’ve gone through the alphabet trying to pull up names that would suit me. I’ve tried thinking of people that I admire but my husband would leave me if I chose Meryl or Hilary. I’ve gone back to my German heritage but people can’t pronounce most German names and Heidi is just too cutesy. My name, Carol, comes from Charles so I thought I needed to find a more masculine name but Carla, Karen, Connie and Karine are too close to Carol. Then I turned to numerology and settled on a name with German roots and one that suits the number 8. My new name would be Erika.
Where do you hide junk when people come over?
Everything goes into my bedroom. Don’t ask me for a tour of the upstairs of my house. I’d be too embarrassed.
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 a special day spent with my friend AB. We met when I first started teaching in 1976. Our rooms were next to each other. I was the Family Studies teacher and she was the art teacher. We had a special relationship right from the start. She is God mother to my children and we’ve stayed close all these years. She’s 11 years older than me and has been retired for awhile. She’s looking forward to the day I retire so that we can ‘play’ again.
On Saturday morning she called me to see if I wanted to look at a condo building with her. She has been preparing to sell her house and down size to a condominium. Both my husband and I thought we were just going to look this place and then walk away so that AB could think about this major purchase. We were blown away when she took out her cheque book and made a down payment on a unit. We were touched that she wanted us there to help her with this life changing investment. We love the location. In fact my husband and I lived in the same location for two years before we bought our own house.
The other thing I’m grateful for was being able to drive to Oshawa with my oldest daughter and her partner on Sunday and help my Dad pack up some dishes and clean the fridge before the mover came on Monday. We drove over to their new apartment and filled up the new fridge with food from the house. They were both very pleased with their new accommodations and I was happy to see the place first hand.
This week I’m looking forward to going to Kiwanis with the Grade one classes to hear them sing. My friend’s father, Ray Cattell is having a major art show at the Arts and Letters Club and the opening for the public is this Sunday. I’ve already had a sneak preview and it’s a wonderful show and I can’t wait to share it with my family. I’m also looking forward to a new on-line art assignment from Carla Sonheim this Thursday.
…..I can’t believe it’s already week 15
For your blog do you basically use Windows or Mac, laptop, desktop, pad, or phone?
I’m an Apple user all the way. For my blog I work on my MacBook Pro…
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a very young child I remember wanting to be a nurse but when I was 12, I changed my mind and wanted to be a Family Studies teacher. I was asked to attend an open house at the school and demonstrate how we were using the sewing machines in class. I was hooked. In high school I toyed with the idea of being a doctor but I kept going back to being a teacher. 
Did you grow up in a small or big town? Did you like it?
For most of my childhood I grew up in Toronto. We lived in Oakville for about four years but we moved back to the big city to be closer to my father’s job. I have fond memories of living in Oakville because it was like living in the country at the time. Our house backed onto a field with a creek running through it. We lived in a new housing development and I recall playing in some of the unfinished homes. Pretty crazy when I think of the dangers we encountered daily. We were also allowed to go to the creek without adult supervision and we rode our bicycles through the field and onto busy streets on our way to the plaza. I had one nasty spill onto the gravel road and still have the scars on my knee to this day.
When we moved back to Toronto I was 10 years old and we lived directly across from the school. There was a huge park that surrounded the school and right across the street from us was a skating rink in the winter and a tennis court in the summer. A few years later they also built a public outdoor swimming pool right next to the rink. We lived in an apartment building but I was so close to so many recreational amenities that I never missed not having a backyard. In the summers we went to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) and as I went from being a pre-teen to a teenager I started taking the subway to the downtown area. Basically, I loved living in the city. 
How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
I always think of myself as younger. I work with a wide range of ages but I guess I’m now the oldest person at my school. Our caretaker might be a bit older than me but not by much. If I had to put an age to myself I’d say I feel like I’m only 45. I actually feel better now than when I turned 50.
On my 61st birthday.
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 the the warmer weather we experienced last week and for all the snow melting. Unfortunately we’re suppose to get colder temperatures tonight and tomorrow morning we’re expecting 5 to 10 cm of snow. Yikes!
Later this week I’m looking forward to visiting my sister in Chatham. My new brother-in-law really wants to see my husband who was unable to attend their wedding in January because of his fall. On Monday we’re spending Easter Monday at my daughter’s (A and J) place and will be enjoying a delicious Easter brunch.
Visiting my sister and my brother-in-law, D to check out his new ‘man cave’.
For more Share Your World contributions check out Cee’s Photography.
…..these questions required a bit more thought than normal for me
Would you rather be given $10,000 for your own use or $100,000 to give anonymously to strangers?
At the moment I’d rather be given $10 000. for my own use. I’m trying to pay off some debt and if there was any money left over I’d rather give it to someone I know than to a perfect stranger.
When you’re 90 years old, what will matter most to you?
I guess at ninety my ability to get around and do things for myself will matter the most to me. I don’t want to become a burden to my children. So, therefore I need to stay physically and mentally fit and healthy to achieve this goal.
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 big candy eater but if I had to choose one it would probably be chocolate covered nuts. My husband reminded me of a candy called Bridge Mix that our parents would bring out for special occasions. It contained a variety of chocolate covered nuts, mints,raisins and jellies. My husbands choice is jujubes.
So, you’re on your way out and it’s raining. Do you know where your umbrella is or do you frantically search for it all over your apartment/house?
It’s usually in the back of the car or I’ve left it at work. Luckily I have more than one umbrella but unfortunately most of the time I have to search for it.
Cheers!
http://ceenphotography.com/2014/02/24/share-your-world-2014-week-8/
Mama Cormier 