A Month of Celebration

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Mama Cormier

…August 2025

August started with my sister’s birthday and a family celebrating 50 years in Canada. The Heideckers became very close friends with my Mom and Dad soon after they arrived. Sadly they are no longer with us so my sister and I were there to represent the Winklers.

In the middle of the month Kevin and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. Where did the years go? We invited our friends and family to share a meal at a wonderful Italian restaurant, Pulcinella.

Twelve days later we had a quiet dinner on my birthday and two days later at our lawn bowling end of summer event the club sang Happy Birthday to me and another Carol. That was quite unexpected.

Today I attended the 50th wedding anniversary of a couple I knew in high school and when our children went to school together we became good friends. This party was held at the Rogers Centre during a baseball game with the Blue Jays and the Brewers. It was a great game and the Jays won 8 to 4. Congratulations to Diane and Don. Thanks for a fantastic day!

The Numbers Game – #17

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…today’s number is 138

Thanks to Judy for hosting the numbers game. When going to your photos you just have to type 138 into the search box and wait and see what pops up. Here are some of the photos that popped up today. https://judydykstrabrown.com/2024/04/15/the-numbers-game-18-apr-15-2024/

A Look Back on 2023 – April to July

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Mama Cormier

…a busy part of the year as I get ready for my solo art show, open the cottage and prepare to fly to Calgary

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307-F668-F-EFDB-46-AA-8912-3045837-E23-DD — *Adding Stitching to my art and experimenting with rock weaving*

7-EA9817-E-C682-452-C-80-AC-4-EB356-B028-D5 — *Trip to the Guelph Arboretum*

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9358269-A-1-C8-F-4-EFD-A6-D1-23-C8-B6679-DB3 — *Daughter running at the High Park Spring Runoff and my friend’s daughter’s wedding*

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237-D5-F03-9615-46-B6-81-C8-0-FF311-B3-E912 — *Poster for my solo show and curating the collection at home before installation*

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167-FE230-1368-4-DE1-946-E-1308-D726446-A — *Show is installed and ready for opening day*

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6-A426-BD3-04-AF-424-B-BA4-E-9207-B0377107 — *After three long years we’re back to bread baking at Montgomery’s Inn*

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9587-ECB5-9916-43-DF-8-CA2-9-BAEB98-DF3-A1 — *Opening of the Lawn Bowling Season*

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D34-B4-F68-E0-CB-48-E0-9-A5-B-7-E4981813-BCC-1-201-a — *Trip to the Aberfoyle Market and the Elora Gorge*

DF958-B84-75-F9-4092-873-D-23-C4819-F693-B — *Beginning of our cat sitting experience with Tober*

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05-BE84-E0-9-F21-427-F-BD08-2-E13574-BDB8-E — *Another art installation at WAAC*

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4-D5-A2-A20-8159-41-EE-935-B-A7-BD01-F0-A3-DF — *Opening Reception for “Artists Choice” at WAAC*

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45-FBAFEA-A448-4803-8822-C2-FB9-B2-DE885 — *The Lakeshore Cheese festival and my friend* *Peter’s retirement party*

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B82-A4-DB4-10-B0-45-E1-9-F92-07-EC224-D250-F — *Opening the Cottage with my friend Liz*

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698-E94-F6-CCF9-4516-8526-6-C8-E9-A234518 — *Trip to the Cheltenham Badlands*

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52-E1-B8-F5-C3-F0-4-FE0-92-FF-FB89-BBBB5104 — *Long Branch Garden Tour….congratulations Mary*

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9-A0626-DC-FF2-D-4-EB8-995-B-D23211-B37-C60 — *Dog sitting Olive while her Mommies are on the East Coast visiting Winnie and her family*

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4-F709181-EE1-D-45-B1-A1-B4-734-D0283508-B — *A trip to the cottage with Andrea…put down the new floor in the kitchen*

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370013-A7-B337-4-FEE-847-C-00-D601-F1-C4-C6 — *Flying to Calgary to visit family and friends….took a side trip to Banff*

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EE137-AD4-5-B25-4103-88-C6-263-C81-BD8-DE9-1-201-a — *Fun times with my sister and her husband until……*

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16-B57-C3-E-933-D-47-DD-AA52-1-BBAADED2-CFB — *…Kevin ended up in the hospital for the next five days with pneumonia …kept himself busy with drawing*

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AACA7-C87-9-C9-D-4-B6-D-A884-19-ED175-F2978 — *In the meantime my sister and brother-in-law took me on many excursions in between hospital visits and I did get to spend time with our friends Lance and Lois*

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To be continued…..

Happy Easter From Our Family to Your’s

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…this Easter weekend has involved painting, drawing, getting together with family and eating…lots of eating

Every family celebrates this time of year differently but it almost always includes food. In our house it also includes drawing and painting and getting outside to walk and take photos.

Food with Family

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Walking and Taking Photos

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Making Art….to be continued

Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Belonging

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/02/01/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-belonging/

Before COVID I belonged to a group of bakers. Every week, twice a week, we got together to make dough and bake bread in the wood burning oven at Montgomery’s Inn, one of Toronto’s Historical Museums. When COVID hit in March 2020 all volunteer jobs were eliminated and bread baking ceased to exist for almost three years. I loved belonging to this group of men and women who came together every week and I look forward to the day that we can once again get together to make bread.

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I also belong to an organization of mostly women artists but also some men and that too has reduced it’s in person activities considerably since COVID hit. I love belonging to such a creative group that shares knowledge and ideas so freely and openly. It’s given me the confidence to pursue my art journey and I even hosted my first solo art show in 2022.

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I also belong to a lawn bowling club and this past year we’ve been able to get together in person to play ‘normal’ games where we can have three people per side and use all the lanes at the same time. We were also able to celebrate Canada Day and we had a year end dinner. A great group of people that I’m happy to call friends.

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The most precious of groups that I belong to is that of my family and friends. COVID has been difficult but thanks to ZOOM and WhatsApp, I’ve been able to stay connected. In the past year we’ve been able to travel again to visit family overseas and on the east coast and we’ve even gotten together for celebrations to acknowledge milestone birthdays.

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Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Home

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/01/25/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-home/

Home is where the heart is and my home and heart have lived at the same address for over 44 years. My favourite part of my home is my backyard where we’ve entertained over the years with family gatherings, memorials and milestone birthdays.

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Seventy Years and Counting

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…I can’t believe that I turned 70 yesterday

I don’t feel a day over 50, until I put out my back lifting a towel out of the laundry basket or wrenching my wrist trying to collapse some cardboard packing materials. That said, I’ve recovered relatively quickly and had a great day at my special birthday party in the garden yesterday. I’m always happiest when I’m surrounded by friends and family and 35 of them showed up.

The weather was absolutely beautiful, if not a tad too warm but when the shade came over the deck and patio, sitting outside was very comfortable. I was showered with love, cards, wine and flowers. There was lots of food and drink and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

For the rest of the week I’m spending time with my daughter and granddaughter before they return to New Brunswick and to get my birthday present from them I have to visit them in Moncton to use my gift ( a day at a Nordic Spa). I see a flight in the near future.

Thanks to my husband for my new patio furniture and thanks to Andrea for helping me put it together so that we could enjoy it at the party.

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National Bowtie Day, National Red Wine Day and My Birthday

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….last Saturday was all those things and Saturday Sloth was a little more animated than normal

It was a wonderful birthday that ended up spreading over three days with family and friends dropping by for wine and food. Thanks for all the lovely flowers and gifts but most of all your company.

My Birthday Week

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to all my well wishers on Facebook and Instagram

Last Friday I celebrated my birthday with my husband. My kids live all over the place so we planned to celebrate on different days. The day before my birthday my son called me from London, England and we had a fun conversation with Sevin in the forefront. I love video calls because we were actually able to interact with our granddaughter, who is already seven months old. She was so engaged with what she saw on the phone. I remember Winnie was the same way at that age.

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She also surprised everyone that same day because she started crawling.

On my birthday, my husband took me out for dinner. We tried to get into Snug Harbour again but once again the wait was over an hour. We walked up the street to Posta and enjoyed a lovely meal outside on the patio.

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The next day on Saturday we planned to get together with Andrea, Josie, my Dad and my dear friend Arlene. Arlene and I have know each other since 1976. She was my first teacher friend but she’s more like family. She’s godmother to my children and she loves being called Aunt Beanie. This was the first time since February that we’ve seen each other. We’re all at that vulnerable age and some of us have compromised immune systems. COVID has kept us apart all this time. We feasted on a Japanese lunch in the backyard. Later in the afternoon another friend from across the road came over to share a glass of wine with us.

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When it was time for birthday cake, it was extremely windy but then my daughter reminded us that during COVID it probably wasn’t a good idea to blow out candles over the cake. Instead she lit one candle and held it up to me to blow it out. Ah the things we do in the name of safety.

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Our youngest daughter is still up at the children’s camp at Sparrow Lake (no children this year, just maintenance workers). I did get a phone call from her and also one from my sister in Calgary. Hopefully sometime next week we’ll be able to get together with daughter number two and her family and the celebration will continue. I love birthdays that continue for days and sometimes weeks.