…thanks to Travelling at Wit’s End for hosting the Weekly Photo Challenge
From the family dog, to Albert Birkle’s The Acrobat Schulz V, a golden retriever, a cow and finally our granddaughter, the ‘eyes’ have it.
….it’s sooooo cold
At first it looked like winter would never arrive but then the snow came and the temperatures dropped to -13 degrees Celsius with a wind chill of -20. For my American friends that would be the same as -4 Fahrenheit.
It’s even too cold for my dog, Frances. When nature calls she goes out and comes right back in.
….December 13, 2018
I can’t believe that our dog, Frances is already 12 years old. We got her as a puppy from our daughter when she got a new job that made it impossible for her to properly train a new puppy. Frances immediately became my husband’s dog. It was love at first sight.
Over the years Frances has brought us a lot of joy. She’s a strange mix and whenever people ask about her breed they’re surprised by the answer. To the best of our knowledge she’s a cross between an Australian Sheppard and a Dachshund.
Here are a few photos of her over the last 12 years.
….thanks to Cee for hosting the Black and White Photo Challenge
….if you’d like to participate in the challenge the word is leisure
Children and dogs really know how to relax and enjoy some leisure time.
….thanks Cee for this week’s questions for Share Your World
Which tastes better: black or green olives?
When I first ate olives they had to be the black ones but now I prefer the green ones. My new favourite way of eating them is warmed up in a pan of olive oil.
What’s your favorite room in your home?
My favourite room has to be my art studio/bedroom. Ideally it would be nice if they were two separate rooms but when we built our addition we opted for a large bedroom at the front of the house instead of two smaller ones. The south side of the room was never really utilized properly and became a place to drop things that didn’t have a place to go. Now all the clutter has been cleared and the place is decked out with a desk, an art table and a wall unit for my art supplies. I love it.
Since these photos were taken there’s a new lamp on the drawing table and the wall over my desk it covered with art work.
What fictional family would you be a member of?
The Swiss Family Robinson. As a child I loved that movie and wanted to be part of that adventure, especially living in a treehouse.
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This past week has been very busy. Last Monday I hosted a BBQ to say farewell to my neighbour of 37 years. There were 12 of us and luckily the weather was perfect. I don’t know where everyone would have sat if we had to move inside.
On Tuesday my sister and brother-in-law from Calgary came to visit for five days. On Wednesday we drove to the Danforth for lunch and then to Harbour Front. That evening we had a lovely dinner at a local Italian restaurant and celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary a day early.
On Thursday we took my father to the casino. My birthday is in August so the casino sent me a coupon for $100. to play with at the slots. It’s fun to play with money that’s not your own and I’m happy to say that I ended up returning home with more money than I left with.
On Friday we went to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) where we ate Japanese Street Food, saw the dog show, the lantern show, the robotics show and walked through the midway where we played a few games of chance and came home with two small stuffed toys.
When we got home my sister and I did a little shopping and then picked up pizza for dinner. We had Dad come up and join us for dinner. Since it was our last evening together we stayed up late drinking wine and sharing stories.
On Saturday Cathy and Geoff left for the airport and I walked over to the lawn bowling club where I participated in a tournament and enjoyed a BBQ lunch. The only downside to the week was that it was very hot and we don’t have air conditioning. I’ve put a call into the cooling and heating company and they’re coming this week to give us an estimate on an air conditioning unit. I think it’s time to bite the bullet and just do it.
On Sunday it cooled off a lot and it was a day to relax and do very little. Frances wanted to go for a walk (very unusual these days) so we walked down to the park and around the block. What a busy week but I loved it.
…thanks to Cee for hosting Share Your World
In regards to puzzle what’s your choice: jigsaw, crossword, word search, mazes, logic or numeric puzzles, something else, or nothing?
My favourite puzzle is Sudoku.
List at least five favorite treats and it doesn’t necessarily have to be food.
I like to treat myself to the following:
A premium ice-cream in a cup
A manicure and pedicure
A good movie
An evening out with friends
A nice glass of wine with my husband
A piece of torte with my father (he loves his cake)
A slice of freshly baked bread slathered with butter
What is your favorite type of dog? (can be anything from a specific breed, a stuffed animal or character in a movie)
My favourite dog is hands down a golden retriever. I’ve owned two in my lifetime. We now have a mutt who is definitely my husband’s dog. He’s always said that the goldens were my dogs and Frances is his. (Scully is 15 years old in this photo and Frances is going on 12)
What did you appreciate or what made you smile this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This was a very special week because my son was visiting from London, England. There was a lot of eating and drinking, touring museums and art galleries, visiting his sister in Hamilton and attending a rugby game.
At the AGO
At the ROM
Family
A Week of Food
At the Rugby Game
….thanks to Second Wind Leisure for hosting Sunday Stills
…..thanks to Cee for hosting the Black and White Photo Challenge
….a busy week
Last Friday my good friend, Arlene and I went to the Elmwood Spa for our birthday lunches, water therapy and facials. My birthday isn’t until the end of August but we decided to have our birthday lunches at the same time. We enjoyed salads, a main course and dessert. The only thing we had to pay for was our wine and coffee.
When you have a treatment for more than a $100 you can also do the water therapy at no extra charge. This includes the steam room, the whirlpool tub and the salt water pool. We did it all. After 30 laps of the pool I showered and then proceeded to to the rooms where the facials are done. What a relaxing afternoon. We left the spa feeling renewed and refreshed.
On Saturday my husband and I left for the cottage. This was Kevin’s first trip and my fourth. The weather wasn’t great but it was nice to get out of the city and just chill. Sunday was overcast but for the most part the rain held off and Kevin and the dog were able to go for a long walk through the woods. Frances loved the freedom to run and roll in every mud puddle she could find.
On Monday morning we left but not before Kevin made us a delicious breakfast that we affectionately call hopple popple. It’s a fry up of bacon, vegetables (usually onions, potatoes, mushrooms, etc.) and scrambled eggs.
For the rest of the week I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning and reorganizing some of my art supplies and paintings. Our son and his wife are vacationing in Toronto and will be staying with us for a several days. I spent most of my time cleaning the spare room and framing and hanging some of my art work around the house. It gave me a great deal of satisfaction to see some of my work hanging on the walls.
On Wednesday Kevin and I went out for dinner at Nodo on Dundas St. W.. The meal was so good that I didn’t get a photo of our meal until it was completely gone. 
Our daughter-in-law and daughter were at the baseball game for Josie’s birthday and we agreed to stop by their house to check up on the dog, Olive. After our meal we made the short trip to their house and spent some time playing with the dog and catching the baseball game on their TV. The Blue Jays were behind 2-0 and in the top of the ninth they pulled it off and scored three runs.
Mama Cormier 