A Beautiful Day at the Market

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….warm temperatures, some sun, some clouds, time with family – Bonus!

Today was a special day. Time spent with my husband and youngest daughter are always special but when the weather in late October is pleasant and doesn’t require umbrellas, hats and mittens it becomes extra special. This is especially true when we venture out to one of my favourite places in the city…..the St. Lawrence Market and Farmers’ Market across the street.

Today there were lots of vendors outside the market under canopies, selling paintings, jewellery, clothes and lots of flowers, fruits and vegetables. We met our daughter around 9:00 at the market and decided to eat breakfast before we started our shopping. Normally that means pemeal bacon on a bun but we decided to sit down to for a complete breakfast meal.

Afterwards we headed out in separate directions. I looked for cheese and freshly baked bagels while G and K bought free range chickens and other meat for later in the week. Across the street at the north market we took in the sights and I purchased some beautiful orange sunflowers. Here are a few of things we saw today.

Share Your World – Week 40

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..here we go again…..thanks Cee

You’re given $500,000 dollars tax free (any currency), what do you spend it on?

I think about this every time I play the lottery because in Canada a lottery win is tax free (for now). First I would pay off all my credit cards and then I would give each of my children about $50 000 to pay off school loans and any other debts that they have incurred. This would still leave me with $300 000 so I would probably fix all the unfinished projects around my house and cottage, take a trip or two (Europe and somewhere exotic) and put some money away for our retirement.

What’s the finest education?

The finest education is the school of life. If you don’t or can’t learn from the hard knocks of life all the expensive education from Ivy League Schools schools is worthless.

What kind of art is your favorite? Why?

My favourite art is abstract art. I love colour, line and texture and some of my favourite artists are Ray Cattell, Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Miro and Marc Chagall.

One of Ray’s paintings.

Is there something that you memorized long ago and still remember?

I hated memorizing poems or anything for that matter when I was in school. Having said that I have to admit that I know a lot of nursery rhymes and the national anthem.

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’s surgery went well. He had half his thyroid removed and a very large, unattractive cyst in his neck was also removed. I’m also grateful that my son-in-law’s procedure on his heart also went well and any future problems with his birth defect has been eliminated.

After surgery, the next day

Before Surgery

Looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner with the family this Sunday. The kids are doing the bulk of the cooking. Bonus!

Share Your World – Week 34

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….more great questions from Cee’s Photography

What is your favorite smell? What memory does it remind you of?

My favourite smell has to be cinnamon. I love the smell of Christmas baking. Another smell that I really like, especially in a perfume scent is lemon or a citrusy smell. It reminds me of a perfume my mother always used to wear, 4711 or Tosca.

Name a song or two which are included on the soundtrack to your life?

The songs that come to mind are Let it Be by the Beatles and Your are the Sunshine of my Life by Stevie Wonder. The later was the song that my husband and I danced to when we were dating and on our wedding day.

Do you play video/computer game? Which one(s) or most recent?

The only game I play on-line is Scrabble. I’m addicted. I play with my sisters and a few good friends.

Which of Snow White’s 7 dwarfs describes you best? Plus what would the 8th dwarf’s name be? (Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey)

I think I’d be Doc, the voice of reason. Although not perfect and often mixing up this words, Doc is kind and keeps the other dwarfs in check. If there was an 8th dwarf his name would be Techy because in today’s world the dwarfs would need someone who can tinker with modern technology.

Photo courtesy of: http://statici.behindthevoiceactors.com/behindthevoiceactors/_img/chars/thumbs/char_17116_thumb.jpg

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 nice weekend at the cottage with my husband and daughter, A and her partner, J. We finally had decent weather. I’m also grateful for everyone’s help getting the outhouse properly set over the new hole and that it is no longer sitting on an angle but is perfectly level.

This week I’m looking forward to having lunch with my friend, AB and going to the CNE with my daughters. I’m also looking forward to celebrating my birthday on Thursday with my family.

Back to the Cottage for a Couple of Days

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..hope this fog lifts and the rain stays away

Next week I’ll be returning to school to get ready for the kids who start back on Sept 2. I know I’ll have a lot of work to do so I’m hoping I can get in a couple more days of relaxation up at the cottage. We’re picking up our oldest daughter and her partner and will be heading up in a couple of hours.

While we’re there we’ll have to make the decision as to whether we’ll partially close the cottage or make plans to go up for a few more days before school starts. I don’t traditionally like going up on the last long weekend but I might choose to do that this year, at least for a couple of days. I always like to be back in the city for a day or two before heading back to work.

So I won’t be posting until Sunday. See you then.

Cheers!.

An Unusual Summer

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….instead of lounging on the beach at the cottage I’ve been spending a lot of time in the city

I was really looking forward to my summer holiday this year. I opened the cottage later than I would normally and when I returned to the city I spent 3 days in school cleaning up my office and packing up books so that the new carpet could be laid down this summer.

In the second week of the summer I went to visit my aunt. She lives by herself about 20 minutes from my house. She never calls me but she is always happy to see me. Unfortunately, she stopped answering her door or picking up her phone. Two years ago her daughter found her very ill and admitted her to the hospital where she was diagnosed with congested heart failure.

The day I went to see her, my cousin was already there and she said she had a bad night and she was still in bed (3:00 in the afternoon). After a short conversation we went to check on her and she didn’t look good. To make a long story short we called 911 and she was admitted to emergency. At around midnight, after numerous tests, x-rays and blood work we were told that she has double pneumonia.

For the next six days I was back and forth to the hospital. Five weeks later she’s still in the hospital. Her pneumonia has cleared up but now she has a multitude of other problems. Every time I come back from the cottage I go to see her and when I’m not there my husband drops in.

Last week my husband’s car had to go into the shop so he’s without a car and I’ve been driving him everywhere his bike can’t take him. This week he went in for his routine CAT scan and next week he has two more appointments.

Our dog, Frances is presently at the vet clinic having her teeth fixed. Unfortunately the problem is more complicated than we thought and she has to see a specialist to fix the under lying problem. We pick her up this afternoon and will learn more details as to when her next procedure has to be done.

Next week my son-in-law is going into the hospital for surgery so I will be dog sitting Lucy and keeping my daughter company during the procedure.

I’ve also been helping my friend A organize her basement and garage so that she can get ready to sell her house in the near future. Last weekend I also cleaned out our garage but with lots of help from family and extended family members. Normally I like to be at the cottage but when people offer to help with big jobs you kind of have to work around their schedule.

I did go up to the cottage right after the clean-up and I took our youngest daughter and Lucy with me. We only stayed a couple of days because I had to get back into town to get Frances to the vet.

It turned out to be a beautiful weekend but again my cottage neighbour offered to help dig a new outhouse hole so I spent hours on Sunday digging and then hauling sand out of the hole.

This week when I got back to the city I got a call from my friend G who called to warn me that my classroom was a bigger mess than we anticipated. I went in yesterday to check it out and was blown away by what I saw. Painters had come in July and it was decided that they would tackle one long wall. Of course, not knowing that this was happening, none of the books on that wall had been cleared. All the books were removed from the shelves and stacked on the tables and then the shelves were taken down. Were they put back? No!

Upon arriving to school the caretaker tried to prepare me for what I was about to see. The shelves that were moved to lay down the carpet were not returned to their original space. More shelves behind my desk were emptied because they were too close to the floor and the shelves themselves were dumped in my office.

When I left in July I had cleaned out my office so that nothing was on the floor and the counters and the table were clear so that the surfaces could be properly washed. Yesterday I couldn’t even get into my office because everything was pushed into that room. I took pictures so that my principal could forward them to the powers that be and hopefully someone will come in in the next two weeks before school starts and try to clean up the mess.

I spent a few hours yesterday locating some of the shelves, washing them and putting them back on the wall. I also clean off my library desk moved it back up against the wall so that I at least have a place to sit without looking through a mountain of stuff.

Not everything about being in the city has been bad. I did enjoy spending time with my family and taking in some of the World Cup games, especially the final when Germany won.

I’ve spent more time in my garden and reaping the benefits of time well spent.

I also saw part of the Caribana parade and spent some quality time with my husband walking, running and riding our bikes.

This summer I have produced a lot of art thanks mostly to Carla Sonheim’s on-line Summer Camp. Some of it I worked on at the cottage and the rest here at home. I’ve got lots of great ideas to share with my students when I go back to work in September. I think I’m happiest when I’m creating art.

Acrylic paint on 8 x 18 inch cedar shim.

Happy Father’s Day to my Dear Old Dad

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..87 years old and going strong

Today my husband and I packed a lunch for four and got into the car and drove over an hour to visit with my Dad and his wife, G. Knowing that he would be cheering for Germany during the World Cup I bought him FIFA World Cup shirt.

When we arrived I was surprised to see my Dad sporting a Germany soccer jersey that he had bought for himself earlier in the week. I was glad that I chose a white shirt and one with a slightly different design. We set up the table in the dining room for lunch and enjoyed some cold cuts and salads and for dessert G had baked a lovely apple cake. We ate the later part of the meal outside on the patio. It was nice and warm and we were sheltered from the wind and the sun.

We spent a few hours with my Dad before we had to depart. In a few more hours my sister from Chatham will be knocking on his door and I know that she has plans to take him out for dinner.

My father is in pretty good health for his age. Despite carrying a bit too much weight and not hearing as well as he used to he is remarkably fit. Having a dog has helped as it gets him out of the house two or three times a day for walks. Toby, unfortunately, is also aging and is starting to resist going on walks but despite Toby’s reluctance to walk more than 10 feet, Dad has started leaving the him at home and goes for walks on his own. He also golfs and does about nine holes at least once a week. He still sings in a choir and he gets out and plays cards with his friends at the German Club. His other hobby is gardening and he loves to tend to his flowering shrubs and plants. He keeps his mind sharp by playing a lot of word games on his iPad and filling in the crossword puzzles in his German magazines.

The last couple of times that I’ve spent time with my Dad he’s talked about moving into a senior’s residence. I’m glad that he’s thinking about his options for the future but after today’s discussion I’m not so sure that he’s quite ready for that for at least another year.

Apparently there’s a nice place not too far from where they live and they go there for some social events now. They both highly praise the place but I’m not sure that’s where they’ll end up.

I’m happy that they are managing quite well in their little split level house but sometimes the stairs get to be a little difficult. At the same time the stairs have probably also helped keep them in shape.

In an hour from now K and I will be heading for a pub where we’ll meet up with our daughters to watch the Italy vs England game and celebrate Father’s Day some more. We’ll treat my husband to a some brews and dinner and shhhh…don’t tell him but I’ve also bought him a soccer jersey. Today I’ll be cheering for Italy and on other days……the Netherlands, Germany, Iran and Argentina. I can’t just pick one team. Go World!!!!!!!

Time for a Trip to the Toronto Islands

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..with the temperatures going into summer mode this weekend, there’s no better time

If you haven’t headed up to the cottage this weekend and need a little get away trip, make your way to the ferry docks this weekend.

I would avoid Centre Island, unless you have children and need the amusement park for entertainment. Ward’s Island is a great alternative. It is a residential community where people own their homes but not the land and it’s the largest urban area in North America that has no motorized vehicles other than a few service vans. Most of the homes are tiny and on small lots. It looks very much like a cottage community.

My daughter’s mother-in-law was lucky enough to rent a house for a couple of months when she came back to the city before moving on to her next foreign adventure. On the Mother’s Day weekend we were all invited to her place for a meal. It had always been a dream of hers to own her own house on the island and every year for a number of years she paid a fee to enter a lottery when homes became available for sale. Needless to say she was never chosen so being able to rent for awhile was the next best option.

While we were there we took a walk and enjoyed looking at all the cute homes and emerging gardens. As we continued north we ended on a beach and even though it was still chilly that weekend there were quite a few people walking along the beach and some were sitting on the sand and enjoying a small picnic.

Our hostess loved living on the island. She was there in the middle of the winter and then again in April and May. Her only source of heating was a gas fire place in the shape of an old fashioned wood burning stove. She was toasty and warm all winter and she loved the solitude and quiet of her neighbourhood. The ferry runs every hour and residents can buy a monthly pass so if they have to make more than one run a day to the mainland it doesn’t cost them an arm and a leg. Most of the time if you’ve forgotten to buy something or have run out of something there’s a web bulletin board and your neighbours come to your aid if they have what you need.

Happy Mother’s Day

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Mama Cormier

….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.

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.

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.

Photo courtesy: http://wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/blogs/getreligion/files/2009/01/apples.jpg

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!

A Day of Reading and Quiet Reflection

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..my road to recovery has been painless

After icing my jaw all day long yesterday I was happy not to have to do that today. There was little to no swelling this morning so I guess the ice paid off. I started the morning with a delicious peach mango smoothie that my husband made for me and for lunch I had some creamed soup and leftover mashed cauliflower with an egg mixed in for some protein. Both meals were somewhat satisfying and I wasn’t as hungry today as I was yesterday.

One of the benefits of staying home and having restrictions as to what I’m allowed to do is that I was able to get a lot of reading done. I’m all caught up with my emails and I’ve finally started a new book, Road Ends, by Mary Lawson which I’m about a third of the way into. I’ve also been able to research some great art sites for ideas for upcoming art classes at school.

We also got some good news today. My husband went for his quarterly check-up at the hospital this morning and his blood count is still in the normal range. It’s always a little stressful for my husband on those days coming up to his appointments.

Ese’s Weekly Shoot & Quote Challenge – Pleasure

Knowing that we don’t have to worry about the return of my husband’s cancer for at least another three to six months brings us both a great deal of pleasure.

Pleasure is Nature’s test, her sign of approval. When man is happy, he is in harmony with himself and with his environment…..Oscar Wilde

As we get older we appreciate the simpler things in life. Here are a few things that give us pleasure:

Tonights dinner. Yum!

My sister with ‘my three girls’.

For more quotes and photographs about pleasure check out Ese’s Weekly Shoot & Quote Challenge.

A Good Friday at the Farm

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..visiting my sister and brother-in-law

After checking into the hotel in Chatham, my husband and I drove to the farm. My brother-in-law was excited about showing off his new ‘man cave’. We were greeted by numerous cats, barking dogs and one sheep and the cows that were in the enclosed pen outside the barn. A few seconds later my sister stepped out of the barn and D approached us from the opposite side of the property.

The new ‘man cave’ isn’t finished inside but the structure is up and the water and electricity are hooked up and working. We listened to the plans as to how the space will be used and D hopes that he can have his ‘man cave warming party’ in the fall.

It was a warm, beautiful day so I decided to take a few pictures of the livestock in the yard. When we go back tomorrow we will check out the sheep and horses in the new barn. My sister’s place is a photographer’s delight….lots of old farm equipment, weathered knick knacks and yard ornaments and of course animals.