….another challenge from Sue Llewellyn
A Word a Week – Round
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Tag Archives: photography
Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge: Week 7
Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument
….the most famous monument in Toronto has to be the CN Tower
Visible across the lake from the west end of the city.
From the Gardiner Expressway.
From inside the Dome at the baseball game.
From the base looking up at night.
For more ‘monumental’ photos check out WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument
Weaving Our Way to Happiness
….even the boys are enjoying this activity
We’re finally all working on the same project. We started with a paper loom so that everyone could experiment with different materials and weaving patterns. Once the paper loom was finished I gave each student a sturdy piece of cardboard and they each made their own loom. Students were encouraged to bring in yarn, fabric, lace and ribbon to create their wall hangings. I also had a lot of fancy yarns, raffia and trims that they were welcome to use.
The kids are really excited about this project. I’ve even taught a fair number of them how to finger knit. I think there are more boys then girls who are incorporating knitted chains into their weaving. A lot of the projects are about half finished but I thought you might like to see how they’re progressing.
Share Your World – Week 14
If you had to describe your day as a traffic sign, what would it be?
I would be yield or proceed with caution. As much as I love teaching I always have to be careful about what I say, how I say it and to whom I say it. I think it is much worse for male teachers. Young children love to hug their teachers and I always hug them back but I know that my male colleagues feel that they would put themselves at risk if they did that.
Is your hair short (total neck and ear showing), medium (covering ears and neck), long (below shoulders), extra long (at least halfway down your back) or bald?
My hair medium in length. When I was younger I had very long hair and in my 30s and 40s I wore it shorter but not really short. For some reason in my 50s my hairdressers convinced me to wear my hair very short. When I look back at those photos I feel that I look older than I am now. The hairdresser that I go to now convinced me a few years ago to start wearing it longer again. I’m much happier with medium length hair.
When you are with your friends, do your interactions include much touching—for example, hugging, kissing, rough housing, rubbing backs? Would you like to have more of this? (Note: the answers may vary depending on where you live on this wonderful planet.)
I greet my friends with hugs but we’re not really into kissing. My daughter’s partner and her family are Italian and they always greet me with kisses on both cheeks. I like it but I find it awkward and I invariably I lean in with the wrong cheek and if the other person wears glasses I’m always smashing my lenses into theirs. It can actually be painful.
What do you feel is the most enjoyable way to spend $100?
I think the best way to spend $100 is with my husband or good friend over a nice meal and a decent bottle of wine.
Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?
I am grateful that the weather is finally starting to warm up. Today I noticed that the grass on my front lawn is actually starting to turn green. This week I’m looking forward to more warm weather, a concert in the afternoon, and reading some of the new books that I picked up for the library at the book fair today.
For more Share Your World posts check out Cee’s Photography.
How Grade 5s Interpret Abstraction With Charcoal
…..after some reluctance on their part and some encouragement on my part they really started to enjoy the process
When I introduced abstract art using charcoal I had a few students who cringed at the thought of using charcoal. They thought they had an option and could choose something else. Not so. I told them I wanted them to experience the versatility that charcoal offered. After some hesitation they started to get into it and when I showed them some techniques, such as smudging the lines and erasing some of the dark areas, they started to enjoy the process.
I have to admit I was never really interested in using charcoal myself never mind teaching children how to use it. After taking the course with Karine Swenson I discovered that I really enjoyed this medium. Here are a some of the samples that students produced.
Broccoli, Cauliflower and Avocado Soup and Hummus
…..I was inspired to cook today
It was sunny today but still a little brisk and even though we did get out for awhile I’m still not into long walks, never mind running at the moment. More about that in another post.
Instead I turned my attention to the food in the refrigerator that needed to be prepped. We’re having small steaks for dinner but I felt like having soup to start so I Googled the three ingredients that I had on hand that I wanted to use in my soup; broccoli, cauliflower and an avocado that wouldn’t last another day. I thought that it might be an unusual combination but lo and behold this recipe showed up over at Family Fresh Cooking.
I had all the ingredients in the recipe and it was pretty close to what I would have done anyway. The only difference is that I used the broccoli stalks and only about half the cauliflower that the recipe called for. I thought the recipe produced a soup that was a little too thick so my version will be thinner.
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- Cut up broccoli stalks to use in the soup and about 1/3 to 1/2 of the cauliflower
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- Saute the broccoli, cauliflower, onion, garlic and seasoning in a small amount of oil
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- Add the broth and cook for about 30 minutes until very soft.
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- Blend all the ingredients and add the avocado and blend some more. Add more liquid if too thick.
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- I added a little cream to thin my soup and then put a dollop of sour cream on top.
I’ll be using the left over broccoli and cauliflower as a snack with hummus at school this week. Here’s my recipe for an easy and quick hummus.
Hummus
2 cans chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, well rinsed and drained
fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
1/2 cup (125 ml) tahini
2 small garlic cloves, minced (more if you like garlic)
1/4 cup (125 ml) olive oil, plus more for serving
1 tsp. (5 ml) salt, depending on taste
1 tsp. (5 ml) ground cumin
4 to 6 tbsp. (125 – 185 ml) water
Dash of ground paprika for serving
Throw everything into the food processor (except the water and paprika) and blend. Add the water while the food processor is running until it reaches the consistency you like. Taste and adjust the seasoning. This is where I take a spoonful and get my husband to sample it. He didn’t think it needed anything added today.
Serve on a platter and drizzle with oil and sprinkle a little paprika on top. So easy to make and so much cheaper than buying store bought. Enjoy!
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- Gather up all your ingredients
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- Blend together in a food processor until smooth
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- Serve with oil drizzled on top and a pinch of paprika
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- Tonights dinner. Yum!
Daily Prompt: Remembering Summer
Theoretically, summer will return to the polar-vortex-battered Northern Hemisphere. What are you looking forward to doing this summer?
Summer Dreams
Mornings at the cottage
sitting on the deck with a good book
and a cup of coffee
Long walks on the beach
soaking up the sun
running through the waves
Puttering in the garden
turning the warm soil
picking fresh herbs
Starting up the barbeque
sharing food with family and friends
warm evenings with a glass of wine
in the backyard
Painting in the great outdoors
Listening to the CBC
Marathon games of scrabble,
Rummikub and euchre
Car trips to the country
farmers’ markets, antique stores
ice-cream parlours
Dreaming of summer
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/04/06/daily-prompt-in-the-summertime/
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Smooth objects
….had to go back into the vault to find these photos
For more fun photos of ‘smooth’ objects go to Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge.
Share Your World 2014 – Week 13
……crayon colours, aliens, transportation and pets I wouldn’t fancy
Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets?
The simple answer is yes. How can one believe that only the planet Earth would have living beings when the universe is so incredibly enormous? I definitely believe that there is a parallel universe somewhere out there with intelligent life.
What type of pet or pets do not want to have?
I’m not a big fan of reptiles of any kind. Lizards and snakes do nothing for me.
If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I would definitely be red. Such a vibrant and warm colour. I love it.
What type of transportation would you be? Why?
I think I would be a luxury train. What a great way to travel. Comfy seats, great views and if you’re travelling business class very good food. Safe and relatively quick without the worries of traffic. Very relaxing.
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 week of artistic expression. I finished my on-line abstract art class and I participated in a 6 hour workshop on Saturday learning how to use indigo dye to create beautiful fabrics.
I’m looking forward to a week of quiet and catching up on my reading. Maybe I’ll sew something with my new fabric. I’m not looking forward to going to the dentist tomorrow. Last night my molar decided to break apart. Luckily it doesn’t hurt.
