Share Your World – Week 39

….I’m a little later than normal in answering this week’s questions

I think I’ve avoided answering Cee’s questions this week because I really had to thnk about the first two.

Did you ever get lost?

I don’t remember getting lost as a child. I remembering losing my little sister once when my cousins came over one day and we all went for a walk and returned without her. I think she was probably two or three at the time and I would have been four or five. It was a different world back then. She eventually came home at the heels of a very large policeman.

In the last 10 years I remembering going for a walk through the neighbourhoods around my school and seriously couldn’t find my way out of the maze of streets north of the school for what seemed like an eternity. Before you think I don’t have any sense of direction the same thing happened to a group of teachers who moved about in the same area for over an hour before they found their back to school.

Who was your best friend in elementary school?

I went to three different elementary schools and I can’t remember who my friends were in the first two. When my family moved back to Toronto when I was ten. I went to Parklawn School and I’d have to say that my best friends, who were also my neighbours were Debbie and Cheryl. Funny how both girls were never in my classes so I’d have to include Laurie, Karen and Marcia, who were in my classes, as my BFs as well. The last three stayed close friends all through high school and Marcia (who just passed away this year) was my room mate at university. Debbie was in my wedding party but we lost touch soon after her mother died. The one friend who I still see on a somewhat regular basis is Laurie.

IMGP0065 IMGP0072Miss you Marcia.

Since the news television season has started in the US, list three favorite TV shows.

I don’t watch as much TV as I used to. Of the new shows, so far, I’m liking Gotham (surprise, surprise), How to Get Away With Murder and Under the Dome (although the season ended when the new shows started). I’m still a fan of The Good Wife, and Elementary and I’m a reality show junkie. The only shows that I can’t miss are Dancing With the Stars, Survivor and The Amazing Race.

If you were a mouse in your house in the evening, what would you see your family doing?

In my house, the mouse would see my husband on the chaise with his computer on his lap going between the TV and his computer screen. I would probably be at the kitchen table or in the living room checking my emails and writing a post or two for my blog. When there’s something on TV that I like I’ll join my husband in the TV room.

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

This week I’m grateful for being able to spend time with my husband. It was his birthday on Thursday and we went to a concert together, sat together over coffee in a bistro, wandered around the ROM (museum) and then went to a restaurant for dinner.

Later today I’m looking forward to having the family over for brunch to continue celebrating my husband’s birthday.

Happy Mother’s Day

….in Canada we’re honouring our Mothers today

My daughters and their significant others treated me to a wonderful day on Ward’s Island yesterday. G made a fantastic meal that included a rabbit and apricot terrine, homemade sour dough bread, cured salmon infused with beet juice and cheese cups with hot pepper jelly and those delights were the appetizers.

photo 2-142 photo 1-136

After a bit of nourishment we went for a long walk and explored the beaches and neighbourhoods of Ward’s Island. I’ll post more about this amazing community in the coming week. When we returned to the little cottage that G’s mother-in-law was renting we enjoyed part two of our Mother’s Day Extravaganza.

For the main course we were treated to chicken legs, a faro salad and green beans and snow peas garnished with chopped hazelnuts. Dessert was a delicious panna cotta topped with rhubarb.

photo 1-129 photo 2-135 photo 3-113

At the end of the meal the table was cleared and we played a family game of Apples to Apples. It was a lot of fun but apparently I’m not very good at it. Either my answers weren’t clever enough or they were too embarrassing.

This morning my husband surprised me with a very special present…..a brand new ukulele. What a nice surprise. I guess I’d better learn to play better than I play now. After a nice breakfast, also prepared by my husband, I connected with my son and his fiancé in the Netherlands via Skype. After some minor glitches with the volume we spent 35 minutes catching up on the news and sharing plans for the future.

All in all it was a perfect way to spend Mother’s Day weekend!

photo-23

 

 

 

 

Reflections on What I’m Thankful For….

…. as the Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close

It’s been a wonderful weekend with family and friends. I have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to.

I’m thankful for:

• the support and love of my 3 adult children and their significant others

My son is coming home for 4 days this month – something else I’m thankful for.

Thanksgiving dinner at our house.

• for being able to celebrate my father’s 86th birthday this weekend

• for my husband’s renewed health and the strength to fight his cancer

Celebrating the end of K’s cancer treatment.

Middle sister, CJ and baby sister, CS

• for the love of my sisters and the open communication we have regardless of the miles that separate us

• for the freedom to spend time with my friends

• for my new healthier body and the commitment I have to keep going on my weight loss journey

• for having a job that I love

• for a roof over my head, food at the table, clothes on my back and the freedom to voice my opinion

• for this new adventure called blogging and all the new people I’m meeting as a result – it’s literally opened the doors to the world for me

…. and finally

I’m thankful for 37 wonderful years with my husband and best friend. We have our ups and downs like many couples but it’s mostly ups and when it’s good it’s great.

My new favourite picture of the two of us.