Getting Back to Normal

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….with fitness and eating

We did an incredible amount of walking when we were in Ireland but my eating patterns were out of whack for me. I rarely drink beer so when we went to pubs I would have a pint of cider. I would rarely drink more than one glass and half way into the trip I realized that I could order half pints. With most meals I ordered mineral water but occasionally I enjoyed a glass of wine and one evening my husband and I shared a bottle of wine that came with the meal.

We were hoping we would be able to have a few light meals in our hotel room and only eat out once a day. We quickly discovered, however, that our rooms did not come with bar fridges and we couldn’t keep anything cool. One evening in Westport we went into the local grocery store to buy some vegetables and fruit. We also bought a small bottle of salad dressing and some ham to put into our salad.

Earlier in the evening we stopped at a small cafe and enjoyed a platter of cheese and a few crackers and a glass of wine. After we brought our selection of veggies and fruit back to our room we discovered we weren’t as hungry as we thought we would be. We ate the raw vegetables and hummus.

What were we to do with the salad, ham and dressing that we purchased? I think I’ve mentioned this before but Ireland was going through a heat wave while we were there and the hotels don’t have air conditioning. Well it was a few degrees cooler outside the hotel than in the room so I opened the window on the second story and placed the perishable foods on the window ledge.

The next morning the ham was gone. When I looked down to the street I saw the ’empty’ ham container lying on the sidewalk. We’re not sure what got on the ledge but there were a lot of very large blackbirds in the area. Do they eat meat?

Today, before breakfast, my husband, Frances and I started up our usual 5 k walks again. Frances was in a bit of slump since coming home yesterday. I think she was missing her buddy, Lucy. Going for a walk to the lake was just what the doctor ordered. Frances was in a better mood after she had her swim and K and I were energized for the rest of the day.

From Winter Straight into Summer

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Mama Cormier

….we’ve bypassed spring

I love the spring green that pops from the trees as the leaves start to unfold. It was a glorious day. Sunny and hot….well it feels hot after the freezing temperatures we had earlier in the week. The cherry blossoms should be in full bloom in the next day or so and I’m looking forward to making a trip to High Park to snap a few pictures.

Philosopher’s Walk between Koerner Hall and the ROM (museum)

As you can see from the photo above people are walking around in short sleeves and shorts. The photo was taken from the balcony on the south side of Koerner Hall. If the concert I went to wasn’t so fantastic I would have regretted being indoors on such a beautiful day. I’ll post about the concert after my pottery class tonight. I’m off!

Cheers!

Three Days of Summer Left

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. and I’m already starting to feel the stress of returning to work

I’ve been at school for 4 out of 5 days this week, anywhere from a couple of hours to 6 hours, trying to remove or organize my belongings in one room and find a place for these belongings in my new room (the library office to be exact). Today I found out that the superintendent is coming to the school to observe our opening day. Even though the library won’t be used the first day I felt the pressure to tidy it up in case she decided to visit my space.

I haven’t been getting enough sleep this week. I’m slipping back into my old pattern of staying up late and getting up early. I know this plays havoc with my weight and with the added stress I’m looking at double jeopardy.

When K and I woke up this morning neither of us had the energy to drive to the cottage. We decided to leave tomorrow morning. I wish I was there now. I would already be in bed getting at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep.

The beach is calling me.

The heat was oppressive today. I put off my bike ride because it was just too hot. Our house is not air conditioned and sleeping in this weather is difficult. Thank goodness that I got out for one of our long walks this morning.

I feel like I’m coming off a ‘high’ after celebrating my birthday and visiting with old friends two days later. What a difference a couple of days can make. I seem to be in a daze and can’t make the simplest of decisions. This post makes me sound like I’m depressed. I probably am.

I started to write about other things that are weighing heavily on my mind right now but I’ve deleted most of it. It’s just too much of a downer. I know that all these feelings will pass in a day or so or after a good night’s sleep. No point in making my readers feel bad. I’m not looking for sympathy.

Things that were positive today:

I bought a brand new pair of sandals that were on sale and I had an additional $15.00 off coupon to use.

I bought 2 new flowering plants to brighten up my garden

I discovered that the cabbage that I thought had bolted is actually a brussels sprout plant and is still producing little brussels sprouts.

The main part of my library is tidy and ready for visitors.

I had a good food day today and am back on track with my eating.

I’m getting to bed before midnight so that I can enjoy my trip to the cottage tomorrow.

On that note I’m bidding you all a good night. Sleep well!

Feels Like a Cottage Morning

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…even though I’m still in the city

I woke up early this morning to the sound of rain hitting the pavement. After all the heat and drought we’ve experienced this summer the rain is welcome relief. It’s one of those mornings where you want to stay in bed, read and write and contemplate life.

But alas I have company here and I need to get up and start the coffee and make breakfast.

My cousin and his girlfriend arrived last night after being on a bus for over 50 hours. It was our first encounter. What a lovely couple! We enjoyed a simple supper together here at the house and to our surprise they stayed up till midnight and shared stories of their adventures here in Canada. They’ve been here since last October but mostly out West.

I was hoping to get out for a run today with Frances. Even though it’s still raining I might brave it anyway. K left for the cottage early this morning (5:30) so that he could build the staircase. He’s usually my motivation for getting out to run.

My weight loss journey has slowed down considerably but I am down another 11/2 pounds for a total of 26 1/2 pounds. I’m not discouraged but I do feel that I have to re-exam my food intake. I love cheese and I think that’s my biggest downfall. Even though it’s acceptable on a low GI diet I think adding the gluten free crackers slows my metabolism and interferes with how fast I lose weight.

Obviously I’m burning more calories than I’m eating and that’s the main thing. I keep moving forward in a positive direction and there’s no looking back.

As I lie here and ‘contemplate life’ I feel that this weight loss journey is different from any I’ve ever been on and I’ve been on many. The difference this time is that I’m not thinking about when this diet will be over. I’m developing habits that will last me a lifetime and I honestly don’t feel deprived. I’m not thinking about going back to my old ways and looking forward to my next piece of cake.

Unlike this little chipmunk from the cottage I’m not constantly thinking about my next meal and scavenging for food 24/7.

Back From Paradise

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. so why would I come back you ask???

I love it at the cottage but occasionally I have commitments back in the city that bring me home for a few days. This time I have a cousin from Germany, who’ve I’ve never met, and his girlfriend coming to visit me. They’ve been in Canada since last October, doing odd jobs in Vancouver and the interior of B.C. and travelling up and down the west coast. They are now on their way back to the east coast to catch a flight back to Germany so that they can return to school. On their way here they made a stop in Calgary and stayed with my baby sister for about 5 days before boarding a bus for Toronto. They should be arriving tomorrow evening.

I’ve been at the cottage for almost a week. The Saturday of the long weekend had to be the hottest day I’ve experienced at the cottage this summer. It was also the busiest. I had 10 guests arrive around noon, 6 adults and 4 very busy boys (ages 5 to 9). My daughter A, and her partner, J invited J’s sisters and brothers-in-law and their children for a day at the beach. They couldn’t believe that they were in Canada when they saw the beach and their apprehensions about going to a cottage without electricity soon vanished. I love guests that pitch in and do most of the cooking and cleaning. They’re welcome back anytime.

J and A with the 4 boys. As you can see they have a hard time sitting still even for a picture.

My husband K and Frances after our company left. Enough said.

The Heat, the News, my Classroom

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Mama Cormier

.…. it’s all getting me down

I’m not used to being in the city this long at the beginning of the summer. I forgot how much the heat keeps me from moving. That depresses me. My classroom is taking much longer to clean than I planned on. That depresses me. The news about teachers is all bad and once again the ‘hate on’ for teachers has begun. That depresses me.

I worked in my classroom for about 4 hours today. We’ve hit record breaking temperatures again and my classroom is situated on the south side of the school and we don’t have air conditioning. I need to clear away as much as I can so that the caretakers can come in and clean the room. I’m feeling the pressure and I couldn’t get it all done today. I need to go back. Sigh!

When I got home today I was so exhausted from the heat that I fell asleep. I need to exercise and I can’t find the motivation or the energy to do it. A few degrees cooler would help.

Our teacher’s contract is up at the end of the summer and for months we’ve been hearing the word “strike”. The provincial government has basically come in and told us that there would be a pay freeze for two years. Most teachers are not upset about that. It’s all the other things that they want to take away that took years to negotiate that upsets teachers. What’s the point of collective bargaining if the government can step in and do whatever they want without any consultation or ratification? The school board hasn’t even gotten involved yet and they’re typically who we bargain with.

Of course the media makes the teachers look bad and all the teacher haters come out of the woodwork. It’s always the same old arguments. Teachers get 3 months paid vacation (we get paid for 10 months of the year), they have a great pension (which we pay heavily into) and they only work 6 hours a day (too bad they don’t see the hours after school and on the weekend that most of us put in).

Retirement is looking better all the time but I love teaching and I’m not ready to let it go.

Ahhhhhh…………Relief!

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Mama Cormier

………. the rain came and the heat finally broke.

The heat has been unbearable. It makes you want to do nothing but sit quietly. So much for exercising.

The heat makes me retain water and I’ve shown a gain on the scale. It’s also partly due to the stress I’ve been under which also has a negative impact on my weight loss.

After today no more excuses. The heat wave has lifted, the report cards are done, and the activities for next week have been organized and are pretty much ready to go.

I went to see my aunt tonight. She’s still in the hospital but her spirits are good. Tomorrow is her 86th birthday and unfortunately she’ll be spending it in the hospital. I’m away for the weekend but K will probably pay her another visit and I’ll pop in Sunday evening when I get home. It looks like it’ll be Tuesday at the earliest before they release her. The problem is they don’t know what is causing the congestive heart failure in the first place and her lungs aren’t completely cleared.

It’s crazy hair day at school tomorrow. I’ve been pretty bad at remembering some of these spirit days. I’m hoping that writing it down here will help me remember. If I do I’ll post a picture.

Cheers for now!

We’re Having a Heat Wave!

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Mama Cormier

…. and no AC in our classrooms.

The second day of record breaking temperatures in Toronto and summer hasn’t even officially begun.

This time last year it didn’t even feel like June because the temperatures were so cool. It was great in our rooms but when the last day of school arrived it almost came as a shock because it still felt like spring.

The media is talking about keeping children inside because of the humidity. It’s going to feel like 40 degrees celsius. The only cool place in the school is the computer lab. I’m pretty sure we can’t fit 380 children in there.

Any suggestions out there for keeping this many children cool???