…thanks to Xingfu Mama for hosting Whatsoever is Lovely https://xingfumama.blog/2022/03/06/whatsoever-is-lovely-challenge-2022-week-9/
The temperatures are rising, the snow is melting and the sun is shining. Sure signs that spring is around the corner. I know that there is still a chance of more snow to come, especially since March came in like a lamb.
….this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge is wish
I wish I could see my son and daughter-in-law in London, England.
I wish I was feeling better so I could spend some time with my granddaughter this week.
I wish my husband would get over his cold so we can spend some quality time together and have the family over.
I wish for a smooth transition when my 90 year old father moves in with us in May.
I wish to travel back to Europe, maybe even with my Dad. It would be nice for him to see his brother one more time. I would love to go back to Venice.
I wish I could stop procrastinating and do some more art. I miss it.
Finally I wish it were warmer and I was on the beach at the cottage.
…..thanks Cee for this week’s questions
What are your favorite spices?
I think I answered this question this time last year and my answer is the same: cinnamon. I love cinnamon ice-cream, cinnamon buns (I never eat them because they’re too high in calories), cinnamon on top of my cappuccino, cinnamon in apple pie and apple crisp and cinnamon in my mulled wine.
What object do you always have with you when traveling and why?
I would be lost without a camera of some kind. I love taking pictures and experimenting with different angles and shots. Taking photos is a great way to share your experiences with family and friends. A trip without a camera is like fries without ketchup. It just adds an extra little zing to the experience.
What is one thing you love about being an adult?
I love being able to go to bed when I want. I’m a bit of a night owl and tend to become most creative in the wee hours of the morning. This doesn’t bode well when you’re working and I’ve been trying to get a least 8 hours of sleep a night. I’ve been averaging 6 1/2 hours but yesterday I was so tired that I was in bed before 10:30.
I also love being able to do things without asking permission. That doesn’t mean that I’m inconsiderate of others. I always discuss what I want to do with my husband but I don’t have to ask permission. My husband has always let me explore my own path, as I do his but we both make sure that there isn’t a conflict of interest with the dates we’ve chosen. We still love to do things together but we don’t do everything together.
What item, that you don’t have already, would you most like to own?
I would love to own a really good camera that isn’t my iPhone. I love the convenience of my camera phone but there are times when I wish I could zoom in closer on some things far away.
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 the two days of warm sunny weather that we experienced last week. It was wonderful getting outside without having to wear a jacket, mitts and a hat. Unfortunately the last few days have been cold, rainy and windy. I even brought some plants, that I bought earlier in the week, indoors last night because the temperatures were suppose to go below freezing.
This week I’m looking forward to some more warmer weather on the weekend. I’m hoping to get together with my children for a meal and on Sunday I’m going to another concert with my friend DM.
….I haven’t posted in days
My lows include not posting for a number of days. I had over 500 emails that I hadn’t opened and I tried to read as many as possible. I deleted many of them without reading them so I apologize if I missed an important message or one of your better posts. If I made a comment or ‘liked’ your post you know that I read it. I actually do read your posts and I feel unusually guilty if I have to pass them over. I’m trying to read my emails daily but there are over a hundred in my inbox again.
It’s been a tough week with the kids at school. I’m sure that it’s partly due to the time change. Everyone was tired and a bit cranky and with March Break in front of them many found it difficult to focus. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation for this holiday.
I also haven’t done any art for myself. Every day this week I planned to spend some time on my art and it didn’t happen. I’m planning on fixing that during my time off.
Now that March Break is here, I’ve come down with a head cold. Wouldn’t you know it! I’m not sick all year and on the first day of the break I have a scratchy throat and runny nose. Oh well, I have 9 days to rest.
On the high side I managed to get more of the books in the library labelled and shelved and I finally put in an order for supplies and more books. I know that may not seem like a high for some of you but I always feel good when I can get something accomplished.
Last Sunday I took my family to see Ray Cattell’s art show at the Arts and Letters Club. I’ve know Ray for over 25 years. His daughter, L and I work together and have been best friends for all those years. Ray is now in his 90s and it was nice to see the range of work that he has produced from the 1960s to the present day.
The temperatures have finally warmed up and the snow has started to melt. In fact so much of the snow has melted that I’ve finally been able to go outside without my winter boots on. A few crazy people have also been seen wearing shorts in Toronto. Plus 4 is hardly warm enough to go outside without a coat never mind wearing a t-shirt and shorts.
I also went to a concert this week. It was part of the Music in the Afternoon concert series put on by the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto. The concert featured Jens Lindemann on trumpet. I had no idea what to expect but it ended up being one my most favourite concerts to date. I’ll write more about this in my next post.
I also spent time with my friend CL who I hadn’t seen since Christmas. We had lunch together and then headed downtown for the concert. Afterwards we stopped for coffee and continued to catch up on what we’ve been doing for the last three months. As with most of my friends she asked about my retirement and gave me some food for thought as to what I might want to do when I finally take that step.
On Wednesday a group of us from school decided to have a bit of a staff social and we went bowling and then out for dinner. Most of us are not very good bowlers but it was a lot of fun and we vowed that we would plan another outing after March Break.
Last night my daughter and her husband came over for an impromptu dinner of homemade pizza and salad. My husband and I are very spontaneous and we love it when things like this just come together.
To top off my highs for the week my husband bought me another fresh bouquet of flowers.
…..even though this is a PA day without pay it couldn’t come soon enough
The sun is shining, the temperature is warmer, I didn’t have to get up at 6:30, my husband made me a perfect omelet and I got out for a long walk with the dog and K this morning. Heavenly!
I leave for Calgary next week so I was hoping to get my hair cut before I go but when I phoned to make an appointment my regular hairdresser, who I haven’t seen in months, was booked solid until next Friday. Boo hoo! I’ve been going to a young woman just up the street and even though she does a pretty good job, the last time I went I wasn’t 100% satisfied. Well it must be my lucky day because the salon called back and told me that D had a cancellation. Yahoo!
Driving into town in the middle of the afternoon wasn’t bad and finding a place to park was relatively easy. I think a lot of people have already left town for March Break vacations. It was great to see D again. She was off for awhile planning her wedding and going on her honeymoon and that’s why I went elsewhere for a couple of cuts. The salon by the way is Brennan DeMelo on Adelaide St., if you’re interested.
As soon as D saw me see she knew exactly what I needed and could see why I wasn’t that happy with the last cut. The big news in her life is that soon after her wedding she got pregnant. She planned it that way just in case it took awhile to get pregnant. Well I guess it didn’t and she looks like she’s having twins, although the ultrasound showed only one baby. Her baby is due on August 28th which just so happens to be my birthday.
I’m happy for her but I was wondering if I was going to have to look for a new hairdresser when the baby is born but she assured me that she was coming back, even if it is only a few hours a week. I’ll really have to book in advance. I love my new haircut. It’s a bit shorter than the last cut. To fix the problem D had to cut more away but I don’t mind. I think the new cut looks great.
What’s next on the agenda. I’m not sure. We’re thinking about going to the movies tonight and tomorrow we’re hoping to go to the museum (ROM) and Sunday looks like a good day to check out the AGO (art gallery). The one thing I am sure about, though is going for long walks every morning as long as this nice weather holds out.
Mama Cormier 