….thanks Cee for this challenge….I’m always taking pictures of my husband’s back because he’s always in front of me
Before you think that this is a cultural thing, it’s not. When we go on our walks I always stop to take pictures and he keeps going.
…..thanks Cee for more great questions
Which way does the toilet paper roll go? Over or under?
I used to think that it didn’t matter but recently I converted to the over method. I found that when I had the roll go under the roll would sometimes unroll itself. Does that make sense?
If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
If I were a crayon I would be red. It’s my favourite colour.
You are comfortable doing nothing? For long stretches of time?
There are stretches of time where I sit for a long time but I’m usually writing or reading on my computer or I’m watching TV. I can’t say that I’m comfortable doing nothing for long stretches of time. I become antsy and need to get out of the house.
Rather: Would you accept $5,000 to shave your head or die it bright lime green and continue your normal activities while not explaining the reason for your haircut or color?
I don’t think I would shave my head but I would colour it bright lime green. It would take a long time for my hair to grow back but I could recolour it soon after I dyed it.
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 successfully participating in the Railpath Run on Saturday with my daughter, A and her partner, J. It’s a timed race where you run for 45 minutes and a device on your number clocks the time you run or walk at 1k intervals. I had planned on only walking this year because I hadn’t run since last year but I started to run right at the beginning and I didn’t stop for the entire run. I managed to ‘run’ 4.5 K in 45 minutes. I’m not fast but I have a steady and consistent pace. I’m also grateful that I didn’t hurt too much in the next few days. My leg muscles were a little sore but it didn’t stop me from my daily walking regime. For the last few weeks I’ve been averaging over 11 000 steps a day and I’ve reached my walking goal 11 days in a row.
I’m also grateful for spending time with friends from high school. Every time we meet someone new joins us. There were only five of us this time when we met for lunch but it was CM’s first visit and we had a lot of catching up to do. It was a lot of fun.
This week I’m looking forward to celebrating my husband’s birthday. We’re all going to my daughter’s house in Hamilton. Her baby is due any day now and she wanted to host the party at her place so that she would be close to her hospital in case the baby decided to make an appearance during the festivities. Most of all I’m looking forward to the birth of our first grandchild. I may be saying this again next week if she decides to be fashionably late.
Cheers!
….thanks Cee for coming up with four more questions
If you could have three wishes granted for you alone, what would they be?
I would wish that my daughter has a safe delivery and healthy baby so that I can enjoy being the best grandmother ever. My second wish would be that I win the lottery so that I could share my good fortune with my family and friends. My third wish would be that I remain healthy for at least another 20 years so that I can enjoy my grandchild(ren) and the money that I won in the lottery.
What is the most incredible natural venue that you’ve ever seen in person?
Long before I started blogging I went to Banff, Alberta on a skiing trip. The sight of the Rocky Mountains blew me away. I also worked in Bavaria one summer as a student and waking up to the Alps every day was also magical.
Is your hair short (total neck and ear showing), medium (covering ears and neck), long (below shoulders) or extra long (at least halfway down your back)?
My hair is medium to long. Currently it is just long enough to pull up into a bun. In this hot weather we’ve been experiencing I like pulling my hair off my neck.
List some of your favorite blogs.
There are too many blogs to mention them all but my current favourites are:
‘wanderings of an Elusive Mind
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 that my husbands tumour wasn’t cancer. It turns out that he has something called BOOP. When the doctor told us this we both asked ‘What is BOOP?’. He laughed and explained that it’s a build up of cartilage in the bronchiole tubes. It stands for Bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia and is a very rare lung disease. After the surgery the lungs looked pretty good in the x-ray so the doctor recommended that we take a wait and see approach rather than prescribing steroids which is the usual treatment for this condition.
I’m also grateful that the first nine days of school have gone pretty smoothly. I’m hopeful that we settle our contract soon so that we don’t have to escalate the conditions of our ‘work to rule’. So far in this new school year the children and parents haven’t been affected by our strike action.
I’m looking forward to getting together with my daughters and my good friend, L, on Saturday. My youngest daughter is only two weeks away from her due date and I’m happy that she is still willing to make the drive to Toronto for a visit. I’m also looking forward to creating more art and finishing some knitting projects for the baby.
…..more great questions from Cee
Was school easy or difficult for you? How so?
School was always pretty easy, especially in elementary school. I did well in school right up to grade 10 and then I was more interested in the social aspect of school. I always managed to miss the honour roll by 1% in the last three years of school. I excelled in math but after grade 10 I started to struggle and in my last year I had an English teacher whose mantra was to make his students sweat and make life as difficult as possible. The grade average in English was 50% and I sat right on the 50% line. I almost had a nervous breakdown that year.
What is your favorite animal?
My favourite animals have to be dogs. I love most of them. In the wild I’m fascinated with Panda bears and the red panda.
If you had to have your vision corrected would you rather: glasses or contacts?
I need glasses for distance and for a long time I wore contact lenses. When I had difficulty reading things close up with my contact lenses I switched to glasses and took them off when I wanted to read a book. It’s only been in the last year that I’ve also needed reading glasses.
List: Name at least five television shows (past or present) you enjoyed?
Survivor, Amazing Race, Friends, CSI (all of them), Grace and Frankie (on Netflix)Grace and Frankie
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 that my husband is recovering nicely from his surgery and that he has continued to can tomatoes. I’m also grateful that my daughter and daughter-in-law finally came up to the cottage last weekend. We had a wonderful time. Every time J comes to the cottage she becomes more and more comfortable with our rustic lifestyle. She announced that next year she wants to come up for a week. Yay!
This week I’m looking forward to getting my own car back (it’s been in the body shop) and celebrating my birthday with the family. My husband is planning a BBQ for Saturday.
…..Saturday, August 22, 2015
Thanks to Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge
Saturday was a great day…..sunny skies, walking/hiking/running through the woods, walking on the beach and experiencing the joy of my daughter-in-law’s first time in a canoe. I also logged in at 12 000 steps.
…..didn’t I just do this
Are you a collector of anything?
About twenty years ago I started to collect teddy bears. I wanted vintage bears or bears with a vintage feel but family and friends bought me all types of bears. It soon got out of hand and I didn’t have the space for more bears. I’ve asked people not to buy me bears anymore and I’ve even given some away.
What is your biggest fear or phobia? (no photos please)
I have two phobias. The first one is standing at great heights. I think the actual fear is the fear of falling. I could never jump from a plane or go bungee jumping. I don’t know where the second fear comes from. I’m terrified of bears. I’ve never had an encounter with bears. My aunt, who recently passed away, did buy me a book many years ago on bear attacks.
Do you prefer reading coffee table books (picture), biographies, fiction, non-fiction, educational?
I like looking through table top books but I love reading fiction.
Complete this sentence: If I Must Be Reincarnated, In the Next Life I Want to Be…
I can’t imagine being any kind of animal so I think I would like to come back as another person and probably as a woman again.
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 to my oldest daughter and her partner for putting on a wonderful shower for our younger daughter, G and her husband. I came back early from the cottage to help with the preparations but the girls did most of the work. I made the lemonade and brought over the china cups and saucers for the coffee and cake and I purchased some nice disposable dishes and cutlery from Costco that we can actually reuse. I’m also grateful that my father and his wife made the trip from Oshawa along with my sister from Chatham. It was a bit of a family reunion and when I dropped my Dad off at the train station he told me that he had a wonderful time and felt like the ‘king of the world’.
The shower was a bit different from a normal baby shower in that we had a ‘taco bar’ that we had catered. We played a few games and people painted onesies with special messages for the new baby. There were about 19 people in attendance and almost the same number of people sent regrets because they were away on holidays. This is the one downside of having a shower of any kind in the summer.
This week my husband is having his surgery on his lungs. I’m looking forward to a full and speedy recovery.
For more Share Your World stories check out Cee’s blog.
…..I’ll try to get this in before Week 32 arrives (tomorrow)
Would you rather take pictures or be in pictures?
I love taking pictures but every once in awhile I’d like to be in them. It seems that the photographer is hardly ever in any shots unless you ask someone to take a picture with you in it.
Where do you like to vacation?
I like to vacation at my cottage but I do like to travel overseas. A couple of my favourite places or countries are the Netherlands and Ireland. I’d also like to see more of Canada and hope to take a trip to the east coast in the near future.
If you had to describe your day as a traffic sign, what would it be?
Yield. I’m always slowing down and doing things for others before I can move on.
List at least five favorite first names.
Girls – Claire, Elizabeth, Michele, Emily (Emma), Abby, Andrea, Gaelan, Kate
Boys – Brendan, Michael, Mark, Christopher, Kevin
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 that my husband and our daughter, G, were able to come to the cottage for three days. It’s the first time all summer that family members have found time to visit.
The week is almost over but I am looking forward to G’s baby shower later today. I told you in an earlier post that I’d reveal the gender of her baby closer to her due date. Here’s a baby hat that I knit when I was up at the cottage. I bought the wool before we were told if the the baby was a boy or a girl. I chose the colour because I knew based on our genetic make-up and regardless of the sex that this would be a complimentary colour. I added a couple strands of another colour so that the public wouldn’t need to ask is it a boy or a girl. Is this enough of a clue?
For more Share Your World posts check out Cee’s blog.
….a whole week without internet and I feel I’ve let you down
When I go to the cottage I like to spend some time at the local library to catch up on my emails and post an article or two and some photos. On my last visit to the cottage I made three visits to the library but was unable to connect to their Wifi. It was frustrating but maybe someone was trying to tell me something.
Now that I’m home I’m overburdened with hundreds of emails and can’t seem to get to them because of other commitments. Has anyone really missed me? Probably not but none the less I still feel somewhat guilty for not replying to comments and writing new posts.
My contribution to this week’s Share Your World is a bit later than I like to post because next week’s questions are only a day away.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Initially I wanted to be a nurse, like most little girls of my generation, but when I was 12 I knew decisively that I wanted to teach Family Studies. My teacher at the time asked me to demonstrate some sewing skills for an open house we were having and from that moment on I was focused on my goal to teach.
What was your favorite food as a child? Do you eat it now?
I loved many foods as a little girl but one food that stands out for me was a meat sauce that my father made with ground beef and peas and the base was made from a roux of flour, butter and beef stock. This is what we served over spaghetti until my mother learned how to make an Italian tomato based meat sauce. I’ve never made the original meat sauce with peas again but have made the Italian sauce numerous times.
If you were invisible, where would you go?
If I were invisible or a fly on the wall I would love to hear and see what goes on in the private chambers of some of the world’s leading politicians. We might be surprised at how much some of them struggle with day to day decisions that they have to make and we might be shocked at some of the corruption that occurs in the name of democracy.
Would you rather forget everyone else’s name all the time or have have everyone for your name all the time?
I’m not sure I understand this question as it is written. I’m assuming you mean ‘or have everyone remember you name all the time’.
I’m not good with names either but I don’t think I want to forget everyone’s name all the time. I’m often surprised how some names come back even after decades but I’m very uncomfortable when someone remembers me and I can’t think of their name. This happens often when students come back to visit me and I can’t for the life of me remember who they are. I can feel their initial disappointment but eventually I remember something about them and we can carry on a conversation. It helps when I explain that I have taught 1000s of students over the last thirty some years. When I taught middle school I used to teach every student in the school. In one school that was over 600 students.
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 wonderful week at the cottage. I wish that my family and friends from the city could visit me up there but I have good friends and neighbours on the island that I spend time with. I’m very grateful to my friend’s son, DM, who helped me transport a bed and a beautiful old oak cabinet from my girlfriend’s house to the cottage. Without his van I would never have been able to get it up there.
This week, which has mostly passed I cleaned up the cottage and had friends from the island over for a wine and cheese party and some supper. I loved gathering flowers for the tables and preparing dips and plates of goodies.
I was also looking forward to yesterday’s final women’s soccer game against Brazil and Colombia. I was a bit disappointed in the overall game. It certainly didn’t feel like a gold medal game. Brazil won easily over the Colombians, 4 to 0. In the first five minutes of the game I couldn’t help but compare this game to the one I watched two weeks ago with the Canadian women. It made me wonder how the Colombians had advanced so far and weren’t able to play a better game. Their shots were wild and they only had 8 shots on goal compared to Brazil’s 120 shots on goal. I don’t know how accurate these stats are but according to my husband that’s what he saw on the scoreboard. Sitting between Brazilian and Colombian fans was quite the experience. They’re loud and exuberant if nothing else.
….. thanks Cee for four more thought provoking questions
What did you or did not like about the first apartment you ever rented?
Our first apartment was a basement apartment in uptown Toronto. We were close to the subway and great shopping and restaurants. I didn’t like being in the basement. Our windows faced the parking lot and driveway so we had to contend with cars rolling past our windows.
What kind of art is your favorite? Why?
My favourite art includes abstract paintings, watercolour or acrylic and collage and mixed media art. I don’t like things that are hyper realistic. I’d rather take a beautiful photograph.
A Ray Cattell painting.
How many siblings do you have? What’s your birth order?
I’m the oldest of three girls. When my son was born he was the first male born on my father’s side of the family in 50 years.
The three Winkler sisters.
Complete this sentence: I’m dreaming of a white …. (and no you can’t use Christmas as your answer)
This one stumped me for a few minutes. In fact, I went for a walk and really thought about this question. I’ve already owned a white car and my husband has one now. It wasn’t by choice for either of us but at the time they were our only options. I’ve really learned to appreciate white flowers and one of my favourite bouquets this year was all white. 
I’m not very fussy about white weddings or white clothes. I don’t like white food, unless it’s vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream and white walls leave me cold. I do, however, like bright white trim. Therefore, I’m dreaming of painting all the trim in the house white. I also love crisp white sheets and big soft white towels.
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 wonderful weekend with the family. We did a double Father’s Day celebration. On Saturday my husband and I hosted a BBQ at our place and our girls and their significant others and two of our best friends joined us. My husband did most of the cooking because it’s what he loves to do. I did all the running around and picked up things that we needed. We also went across the street for a bit to congratulate our neighbour on her retirement.
Our daughter and son-in-law couldn’t keep the gender of their baby secret any longer and they shared the news with us. Unfortunately I promised to keep it a secret for a little bit longer and not share it with the world right now.
On Sunday, we drove to my Dad’s place in Oshawa and celebrated Father’s Day with him. My sister took the train in from Chatham and we all shared a meal at their new apartment. I brought a salad made from the lettuce in our garden and Dad picked up his special treat, KFC.
One other thing that I’m grateful for was a very enjoyable Tea that my friend L and I hosted for four students from school. It really was fun and the kids learned a lot about ‘tea etiquette’ and a little bit more about their teachers.
This week I’m looking forward to the staff party and to the last day of school and the start of our summer break.
….here is the new format for Cee’s Share Your World
It’s pretty much the same but instead of 4 random questions there are now 3 and one list question.
What’s your favorite charitable cause and why?
I think my favourite charity has to be the Heart and Stroke’s Jump Rope for Heart event. I’m probably a little biased because I’ve been running this event for the last 16 years at our school and we’ve raised well over $100 000.00. This year alone we took in almost $10,000.00. I like this charity because it makes children aware of heart healthy activities and how the money they raise is used for research. The best part is the day that the whole school comes outside and jumps rope for an hour. We have music, games and prizes and everyone, including the teachers get involved.
What color do you feel most comfortable wearing?
I love wearing red and royal blue and white.
If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? (guest can be dead, alive, famous or someone you just know)
My first three guests would be Pablo Picasso, my father, and Jon Stewart.
List: What are at least five places you’ve enjoyed visiting?
• Amsterdam and Rotterdam
• Dublin, Westport and Howth
• Munich and Oberaudorf
• San Francisco
• Stowe, Vermont
• Hawaii
• Banff, Alberta
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 resolving some of my iPhone and computer issues on Sunday and for a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon with our daughter and son-in-law in Hamilton. 
Even though my husband’s test results are still inconclusive I’m grateful for the wonderful doctors and technicians who we’ve dealt with in the last few weeks and hopefully we’ll have a better idea which option to choose this coming week.
This week I’m looking forward to our school production which we do on an outdoor stage in front of the school. We’re all hoping for good weather. Last year it started to rain part way through but the parents wanted us to continue. The stage helped keep the children dry but the audience sat under umbrellas and tarps.
I’m also looking forward to getting together with both my daughters and their significant others on Father’s Day. We’re hoping that our friends A and W can also join us and with any luck we may be able to visit with my Dad as well.
Mama Cormier 