RDP – Musical

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting RDP https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2025/04/11/rdp-friday-musical/

Are we musical? Well we certainly love music and over the years my whole family has taken up learning to play an instrument or two.

I started singing in choirs in elementary school and as an adult I sang regularly in a German choir for 27 years and as a guest chorister in a church choir for special services. I learned to play the recorder as a child and taught my own students the melodic joys of this humble instrument. I dabble with the ukulele and have attempted to play the piano.

Two of my children learned to play the piano and they all took up instruments in school. Their choices were the cello and saxophone. Their father and my husband of almost 50 years is an avid collector and player of guitars and other stringed instruments.

Now our grandchildren are starting to show an interest in music. The cycle continues.

*My father at his 90th birthday party being serenaded by two of his choir friends. He sang wth his choirs for more than 60 years.*

When I Grow Up

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Mama Cormier

…thanks today RDP for today’s prompthttps://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2025/01/14/rdp-tuesday-when-i-grow-up/

When I was 12 years old I knew that I wanted to become a Family Studies (formerly known as Home Economics) teacher. I had been asked to attend an open house at the school and demonstrate what I had learned on the sewing machine. From that moment on I was hooked.

That’s not say that I didn’t have other options. There were moments when I thought I might study medicine but I always came back to teaching. For over 40 years I was a teacher. First as a Family Studies teacher and then a guidance counsellor in Middle school and then a grade 5 classroom teacher. At the end of my career I became the teacher librarian and art teacher for the entire school from JK to grade 5.

*In my last 5 years I taught art and library*

*Coaching soccer and basketball, teacher librarian, Hallowe’en parades, tea parties, book fairs, field trips and Fun Fairs*

My secret fantasy growing up was to become a famous rock or folk singer. Instead I sang with a choir for 27 years.

RDP Friday – Triangles from Nature and Man-made

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to the Ragtag Community for hosting RDP https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/09/15/rdp-friday-unclear/

Today’s prompt is triangle.

DF4-E23-A0-C17-A-4-AFA-ACC5-817424-A1-DB7-C

B3826-E14-6-BA5-43-C2-8-B75-5-D1889-AA773-E

821-B7-F89-4-D58-492-E-9-AB9-BDCE161-AEE12

3-E2-D052-E-DDEE-4850-AA88-1-D71-CEFC0395

C65-B9-F6-B-F9-E6-4556-8936-EAC5-DC2-AB93-E-1-201-a

DE978-E8-C-F9-CE-41-B9-A12-B-199254288-BA8

2-DAD8729-E351-45-D2-8-CE5-378-CCA396876-1-201-a

440-C924-F-72-B4-4-F85-B76-C-B91-B3-DFE4-B1-D

5025388-E-2303-41-E8-974-E-D590-C5-AEF18-E

RDP – Spellbound

Posted on February 21, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting RDP https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/02/21/rdp-tuesday-spellbound/

Children are spellbound with carnivals and fairs. At the CNE last summer our granddaughter was ‘spellbound’ by the sights and smells of last year’s Exhibition in Toronto.

C06-A485-A-880-F-4536-AEED-2-E0-B72-DF3-BBC

33080-B4-E-5-D32-4122-B85-B-6-E52-BA0-C0-F2-B

04-AB00-EF-B4-EE-45-F1-9200-BF4-A9-F332781

578-DAF7-E-4879-4577-93-BA-AE50-D5-CA8-DDB

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I appear to be spellbound by the dessert in front of me. I think I was more gobsmacked by the price of this classic cake.

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Eccles Cake with a wedge of Cheddar

RDP – Quest for the Perfect Shot

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting RDP https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/02/17/rdp-friday-quest/

I’m always searching for the perfect or at least somewhat interesting photo when I’m out walking. On days like today when the temperatures have dipped below freezing and there’s a brisk wind in your face it’s uncomfortable taking off your gloves to shoot that perfect shot. I have come up with ways to warm up my hands when I put the gloves back on but I am definitely fussier as to what I want to photograph.

Today on my walk in the park I managed to get a shot of the beach closest to the park entrance. After taking my first photo a flock of geese took off in the sky and I managed to grab another shot. I wanted to get a photo of the bullrushes that were shaking off their fluffy seeds but the wind prevented me from getting a perfectly focused shot. In the end I decided that the shots that I had managed to get were fine for today and because I was in danger of slipping into the pond if I got any closer to the bullrushes the consequences could have been very bad for my health and longevity.

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4-C6-EA338-20-E2-4111-B253-0-F439540-B77-F

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RDP – Esculent

Posted on December 29, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Bushboy for todays Ragtag Daily Prompt of ‘esculent’ https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2022/12/29/ragtag-daily-prompt-thursday-esculent/

es·cu·lent

FORMAL – adjective – fit to be eaten

noun – a thing, especially a vegetable, which is fit to be eaten

The fruit of the tomato plant is esculent but the plant is not. With potatoes the roots are esculent but the plant itself is poisonous.

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241-A91-CF-AB8-C-4028-B879-AC0-B041-A603-C

95-A39-FD1-292-D-4074-BF5-F-CD2-F826377-B9 — *Gourds are not esculent – just decorative*

085-A2-BDD-4-CC6-4172-89-D1-806-D10-E41-E6-A — …..even though they look like their cousins, pumpkin and squash

DF163-E05-295-D-453-B-9-B51-54-A672-C2-B6-FF — *Pumpkins are definitely esculent and not just for Hallowe’en*

77807725-A2-A4-4029-AC25-BF27-DC9-D265-E — *Beware of fungi – some are esculent but others can be deadly when consumed*

99-E586-BA-5-AEF-4468-8-A3-D-3-C70-D575451-E — *My Christmas Trifle was very esculent*

606-B8-AFB-C659-4307-9-D01-EC2892154-BDC — *…as was our Christmas dinner*

RDP – Solstice

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Ragtag Daily Prompts for today’s word ‘Solstice’ https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2022/12/20/rdp-tuesday-solstice/

Winter solstice 2022 in the Northern Hemisphere will be at 4:47 p.m. on Wednesday, December 21, Eastern Standard Time. It is also the first official day of Winter. Many parts of Canada have experienced winter weather since October and back in mid-November we had a blast of snow but for the most part winter hasn’t really started here. The temperatures are, however, finally starting to drop and any precipitation we get in the next week should be in the form of snow.

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5-EAC66-DF-7-C28-45-A2-B4-EE-0-D0-C9-EF121-FC — *London in the UK has already experienced more winter than we have here in Toronto* – *view from our son’s flat*

RDP – Finish

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to RDP for today’s prompthttps://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2022/10/16/rdp-sunday-finish-2/

Last year I was working on Christmas presents that I didn’t show on my blog because I didn’t want the recipients of these to see them. They have long been received so I can now share them with you.

A58-A2380-22-A8-4-C5-F-BAEB-B0645539-C054 — *My rooster tea cozy*

DoBoy – grandson’s creation. I designed the pattern and sewed him up.

E821-F8-F0-9-E14-41-C3-9184-0-FCCDC8-D75-F4 — *Christmas baking with Winnie*

DA659-CAA-B8-CE-4041-9-D90-482030-C05681 — *Finished creations*

RDP – Starburst

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….today’s daily prompt is Starburst https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2022/10/14/rdp-friday-starburst/

I’ve found starbursts in three different forms. I came across some doodle art I had done earlier this year that reminds me of starbursts. The sun of course is the ultimate star and in the photo below it is bursting through the clouds as it rises above the horizon. Many flowers remind me of starbursts as well.