Saturday Photo Hunt - EMOTION

When my grandson Noah was born, we were all overwhelmed with love and joy. However, I don't think anyone showed as much pure emotion than my younger daughter Jaclyn when she saw her little nephew for the first time. As Noah has grown, they seem to have a special bond of love and I've been able to capture that love on film. Here is a sample of that love.

I'm off to pick Jaclyn up and head over to visit our munchkins this afternoon so I'll visit all the participants later. In the meantime, have a great weekend everyone and go see more contributions to Saturday's Photo Hunt at tnchick's site here.

Insomnia Sucks

It is now 4:49 am and I have not had one wink of sleep. I finally got up around 2:00 am and started playing Scramble on Facebook. After more than 2 hours, I managed to beat my own personal goal and reached 77 points! That's pretty damn good considering no sleep and my brain is pretty much mush now.

Normally, I don't have a problem sleeping, but maybe it's the fact that I was up until 3:00 am last night because I had to take my daughter to the ER with a vicious migraine. I sat by her hospital bed while the IV dripped the drugs into her veins until the pain subsided enough to take her home. I did sleep until 11:00 am and had a busy enough day, got some fresh air and exercise, had a student over, and ordered some bedding from Sears.

I dunno....it's starting to get light now so maybe I'll go make some coffee and wait for the newspaper to arrive. Should be coming any minute now. I have massage therapy at 10:45 am and I'd fall asleep on the table except that it hurts so damn much! I have a student at 4:00 pm and then I have to go out at 5:30 - maybe I better set my alarm for 3:00 pm when I get home from massage just in case I finally fall asleep and miss my tutoring session.

Anyone else have nights like this? *yawn*

EXAM TIME

I've been on both sides of exams in my lifetime. I've been a student and had to write them in classrooms and gymnasiums while teachers sauntered up and down the aisles watching for cheaters. I've actually been one of those teachers who had to walk up and down those aisles, eagle eyes on the lookout for anyone cheating and giving permission - or not - to those saying they needed to use the toilet. I've written exams that others have written and I've written exams for others to write. I've marked exams and given out grades according to government criteria or my own expectations, depending on the grade level.

It's now exam time for all school-age children. I have one more student tomorrow and again Monday morning and then all my current tutoring students will be off for the summer. I don't think I'll ever stop thinking like a teacher and I love working with kids one-on-one. It is invigorating and exhilarating, keeping my brain active so that I can use my skills without having to worry about crowd control or discipline issues.

I have one student lined up for the month of July and the end of August to prepare her for high school. She's a really nice young girl who was in my 4th grade class and she's now a bit anxious about going to high school. I'm really looking forward to having her for 2 hours, once a week through the summer to work on grammar and writing skills.

I've really enjoyed working with these kids one-on-one this year and hope I'll be able to increase my student load next year. Sometimes it takes a while for your name to get around, but I have a friend in a nearby village who tutors, too, so she recommends me for English and French while I recommend her for Math and Sciences. Also, another friend still works at the school where I used to teach and she always recommends me to parents.

I've updated and reprinted my business cards and took some to the school today. Also, when the mother of the boy I was tutoring today arrived to pick him up, I gave her a few. She was very happy about that because she said she'd been telling people about me. Wow! Maybe I'll get some new students through her! That would be great!

In the meantime, I wish all my students the best of luck on their exams and I hope they'll have a fun-filled summer vacation.

ABC Wednesday - U is for UPPER CANADA VILLAGE

ABC Wednesday is up to the letter U already! To see other participants and their offerings, please click here to go to Mrs. Nesbitt's place. I decided to take you to Upper Canada Village today, a historical spot on the St. Lawrence Seaway, that we visited in 1987 and again in 1988. Here are my two girls perched on an old log fence on the grounds of the village in the fall of 1988 with the river behind them. I remember the day as though it were yesterday. This one will open if you click on it.

When we lived in Ottawa for 3 years in the late '80s, we escaped twice to another time and place, amidst the sights and sounds of an 1860s village. A key part of the experience at Upper Canada Village is the authentic buildings that make up the village, the activities that each housed, and of course, the people who lived there. Costumed interpreters tell you what life was like in the 19th century and when you speak to them, they stay in character. For example, when we went to the schoolhouse, the children had to raise their hand and call the teacher "Miss." When we went to the butcher's house, we watched him making sausage with old machines. We went to the newspaper office and saw them setting the old type machines.

Upper Canada Village endeavours to depict life in a rural English Canadian setting during the year 1866. Featured at the site are over 40 historical buildings, including several working mills (woollen mill, grist-mill and sawmill) and trades buildings (blacksmith, tinsmith, cabinetmaker, cooper, bakery, cheese-maker). Farming is demonstrated through the growing, harvesting of processing of heritage vegetables & livestock. Aspects of late 19th-century domestic arts, social life, music, religion and politics are also discussed, interpreted and demonstrated at by staff dressed in clothing of the period. (Wikipedia)

Upper Canada Village is located in Morrisburg, Ontario, set right along the St. Lawrence Seaway. There is so much to see and do there that you must plan to stay for a whole day. It makes a great family outing. We first went in the summer of 1987 and when friends came to stay for a couple of weeks in the fall of 1988, we went again. It was great to see the place at different times of the year and the fall was the best as it was harvest time.

Here are a few photos from our visits to Upper Canada Village. I apologize for the clarity (or lack thereof) of the photos because they had to be scanned. Remember it was 20 years ago that we went there.

First we have the schoolhouse. My daughters learned that the school was heated with an old wood-burning stove and the teacher would come early to get the firewood from the side of the school and start the fire. The girls also had to raise their hand and ask permission to have their photograph taken with the teacher. Of course the teacher said, "You may." The other thing that my daughters found rather horrifying was that the "washroom" was a single outhouse beyond the school in among some trees! Imagine having to go out there in the dead of winter! (reminiscent of Little House on the Prairie. )

These photos will enlarge if you click on them.

Here is Christ Church and we went inside and sat on the hard wooden pews. It seems that each family had their own section in which they'd sit. The box pews were rented by families but the ones at the back and in the gallery were free. The girls had their photos taken at the altar both times we went but this one taken in 1988, although a bit dark, is clearer than the one taken in 1987. (Oh and that's my husband and Jaclyn at the front door.)

For some reason, these ones won't enlarge if you click on them. Oh well.

Jamie climbed up the signal tower here. If you look carefully, you'll see her waving from the top left. These towers were meant to be a system of visual telegraph signal towers for relaying important military messages up and down the St. Lawrence.

It was a gorgeous fall day, just perfect for walking around. When our feet got tired, we just hopped on the wagon to get a view of the St. Lawrence Seaway as we made our way around the outskirts of the village. That's hubby and the girls watching me take their photo.

I believe Upper Canada Village has added more to the park in the past 20 years and if I were to return to the area, I'd definitely go and visit it again. For anyone visiting the area near Ottawa or Montreal, do go. You will love it.

On Being a Winner

I slept in today, but as usual, limped into my office to check email, etc. Then I remembered that the winner of the Telus photo contest would be announced today, so I went over to check it out. As my regular readers will know, I periodically enter a photo or two when the theme is something to which I can relate. This time the theme was "Autumn." I entered a photo that I'd taken last fall when I went for a walk in Deas Park just near the Fraser River. The photo shows the reflection of colourful trees in a tributary of the river and you can just see some rowers practising for an event. If you'd like to see the entries click here.

Much to my stupendous surprise, I tied for first place! There were so many great photos this time that I didn't think I had a chance, even though I felt I had entered a pretty good photo. And because there were so many good shots, the votes were quite spread out. But who cares? I tied for first! (And by the way, I didn't stack the vote by having all my friends and relatives vote for me like I know a lot of people do. No one knew about this but me, myself, and I.)

Even though the colours aren't as brilliant posting it here on the blog, it is with humble pleasure that I share my photo, "Autumn on the River."

Gas Pains

Have you ever had the urge to pass gas at the worst possible moment — during an important meeting, on a crowded elevator or on a date? Although passing gas usually isn't serious, it can be seriously embarrassing!

Have you ever had those sharp, jabbing pains or cramps that happen after eating a large bowl of chili topped off with raw onions and cheddar cheese? You know, the kind that actually doubles you over and you think you're going to have to go to the local ER for some relief. The kind that makes you take to your bed with a hot water bottle and some air freshener and a warning on the door: "Caution: lighting a match in here will cause an explosion." (drag your cursor over the blank spot to reveal the warning.)

Well, I'm feeling like that right now. I just returned from driving my daughter home and I passed my gas station where I always fill up. The sign said $1.42.6/liter! I thought I was going to throw up! Just when my back is so bad I find it difficult to walk to the village and I'm probably going to have to start driving the short distance to get groceries, etc., the price of gas goes through the roof.

My stomache is in knots and my brain is shooting jabbing pains through my forehead from the shock. Oh I know, I know, they warned us. But they said the price would probably hit $1.40 by the summer and it's already passed that mark and summer isn't even here yet!

I think I'm going to have to resort to buying cases of beans for my meals. Oh no! That would give me gas pains! NUTS!

In case you can't read the above, it says:

(Eb) This gas situation has become a real pain.

(Flo) I'll say! I haven't been this bloated since I ate the rancid macadamia nuts!

(Eb) Can't you forget about yourself for once? This is about gasoline prices! The whole economy is in danger!

(Flo)I fail to see how the price of gasoline in any way affects our nut-based economy.

(Eb) So our squirrel wealth literally grows on trees?
(Flo)Precisely! Gas is merely a byproduct of economic activity.

Saturday Photo Hunt - Bad hair

You actually think I'd post a photo of myself with bad hair? Uh...NO! But I will show you when both my daughters volunteered at the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa back when they were only 7 and 11. They thought it was great fun to put their hand on a big ball to get a shock so their hair would stand on end. Since their hair was so long it didn't actually stand on end, but you can see it certainly moved! On the left is Jamie age 11 and on the right is Jaclyn age 7.

To see more "bad hair" photos, check out carver' sight or is that site blog here.

Destination - Horseshoe Bay

Although it wasn't the best of days weather-wise and poor Josie was suffering from a cold, we took a leisurely drive through the UBC endowment lands and Stanley Park with stops at Dundarave Beach and Whytecliff Park before ending up in Horseshoe Bay at the Boathouse for dinner.

Our drive took us from the Kitsilano area of Vancouver along the water, passing Kitsilano Beach, Jericho Beach, Locarno Beach, and Spanish Banks where we stopped to view the city from that vantage point.

From there we wound our way up the hill to the University of British Columbia (my alma mater) and passed the famous Nitobe Gardens (below), Totem Park (where I lived in residence for four years), Thunderbird Stadium, and odds and sods of research buildings. We drove along Marine Drive to the great lookout point where you can look across the water at Vancouver Island.

We stopped for a bite of lunch before heading over the Burrard Street Bridge to wind our way through the downtown area to get to Stanley Park. We took the park drive past Prospect Point where you can see the totem poles.........

and past Brockton Oval ,where men play cricket in the summer, and the famous statue of a girl in a wetsuit. This life-sized statue is posed gracefully on a big boulder with a mask pushed up over head but she has no tank. When the tide is high it looks like she is floating on top of the water. The statue was a gift to Vancouver Park Board by sculptor Elek Imredy and represents Vancouver's dependence on the sea.

We passed Lumberman's Arch,

where we had a fine view of the Lion's Gate Bridge that would take us over to West Vancouver and its beautiful beaches.

We stopped at the Beach House for a drink (well, not me 'cuz I was the D.D.) before continuing along the lower Marine Drive to show off lots of marinas sheltered in little bays along the way. Josie and I were so disappointed that it wasn't a sunny day, but I think the views are still majestic anyway. We went past Horseshoe Bay to Whytecliff Park where I took Geewits up to the lookout. From there you can see across to some of the Gulf islands - this is where the cruise ships travel on their way up to Alaska. I took the following photo last summer on my way up to Whistler.

Our final destination was The Boathouse Restaurant at Horseshoe Bay...

where we dined on seafood, salad, dessert, and accompanying beverages. The view was, as always, magnificent, and as we dined we watched the ferries arriving and departing. A stroll along the pier helped to settle our dinner before we headed home, all three of us weary but full of images of our day together.

ABC Wednesday - T is for "A Taste of Tuscany"

I'm posting early today because I'm going to be out all day tomorrow. Josie and I are taking "Geewits" on a three-hour cruise over to Vancouver Island and back. Then we're taking the lower Marine Drive to give her lots of opportunities to take photos and admire the coastal view. If it's nice enough, we'll go for a walk along the West Vancouver seawall and then go to some fantastic place with a view over a beach for dinner. It's going to be a long but full-of-fun day and I'll check in with everyone when I get back. In the meantime, sit back, relax, and enjoy a taste of Tuscany.

In keeping with last week's S is for Sicily, I thought I'd take you on a little tour of Tuscany. I had seen photographs of the area and thought, "How beautiful!" but little did I know that the photographs hardly did it justice. After driving up the Italian coast to Lerici (see post L is for Lerici) and spending 5 nights there, we drove east to Florence where we had a few hours to wander around and see the statue of David in the Accademia. No photos are allowed in there, but I did manage to get one of the replica in the Piazza della Signoria near the Uffizi. We wanted to go into the Uffizi but the lines were so long that it was impossible. Well, just another reason to go back, right?

From Florence, we drove south halfway to Siena and stayed at a B&B that was a converted farm. My roommate and I had the room that used to be the sheep pen - rather unique, I must say. We spent a few days there, traveling off the beaten track to various small villages, having cappuccino and lunch at "real" Italian restaurants. One day we went to San Gimignano, the city of towers where the movie "Tea With Mussolini" (set in Florence) was filmed.

We spent about half a day in Siena, where I found a couple of gorgeous silk scarves and a pair of leather boots. Then we continued on through Montepulciano to Pitigliano, a city high atop a mountain. We approached the city from a back road, stopping to get some photos where an elderly Italian potter was working in his little shed off the side of the road. He was very pleasant and even though he spoke no English, he invited us inside the shed to see his work. We managed to communicate via our pathetic Italian and lots of hand gestures, leaving him smiling and waving us onward towards the city of Pitigliano. By the time we got up the steep incline and narrow roads to the center of town, it was time for lunch so off we went in search. It seemed as though no one was around, and when we found a restaurant that was open, we were the first to come by that day and the owners had to scramble for us. But they were so kind, and served up one of the best lunches we had on our whole trip. They set up tables out on the sidewalk area complete with umbrellas to shade us from the sun. After eating, we wandered through the narrow streets and found lots of vantage points to take photos of the valley below. It was here that I found an old fire hydrant that completely took me by surprise. And the view from this spot where I found these plant pots was absolutely stunning.

Naturally, we had a tour of a winery in Tuscany! The whole area was surrounded by olive trees and vineyards, a gorgeous setting.

Some of our group even ordered cases of wine and olive oil to be sent home! I enjoyed the tastings but am not that much of a wine afficionado to be bothered. On the left below is Umberto, one of our guides, in the little piazza waiting for our tour, and on the right I am doing a bit of wine tasting - I look VERY happy, don't I? lol

Cypress trees dot the landscape in Tuscany. I'm sure you've all seen calendar photos of them, but believe me they are incredibly striking. From miles away you can see them atop the rolling hills, amidst vineyards galore. Here are a few landscape shots I managed to get. If you ever have an opportunity to visit Italy, especially Tuscany, I highly recommend you go. The country is clean, the food is magnificent, the highways and roads are smooth, and the people go well out of their way to be friendly and helpful.

I hope you enjoyed a taste of Tuscany today. I will be returning one day to see more of this area of Italy, a country renowned for its history, culture, food, and good-natured people.

To see who else is participating this week, see Mrs. Nesbitt's place here.

Child of my child, heart of my heart

Yesterday, my daughter and son-in-law were going to a wedding so I went over to babysit Eden until they got home. Noah spent the night with his other grandparents and his cousin, sleeping in a tent in their living room. So I got to focus just on Eden and it was a lovely special time.

After my daughter gave me all the little details of when she'd have her bottle and how she likes to be prepared for bed, etc. off they went and left us together - alone - for the very first time. Since she's just about 3 months old now (can you believe it?) I thought she might be ready to react to some toys. First, I got a funny-looking bright red with black polka dots cloth rattle that I shook in front of her. She started laughing, cooing, and gurgling over that. So then I went and got a small Winnie the Pooh and showed it to her. I couldn't believe her reaction. She started smiling and waving her pudgy little arms around and I swear she started talking to him. Here she is just starting to react to Winnie.

After a while, she seemed to be a bit bored (or was I?) so I put her in her swing, put Pooh Bear on the tray in front of her and turned it on. She was having such a great time that I had to take their photo, but first had to stop the swing so as not to have a blurry photo. She looks so serious in this photo, as if to say, "Who the heck ARE you, anyway? And why are you on my swing with me?"

Eden started to get a bit fussy, so I put her on the sofa on her back and put Pooh Bear beside her. She turned to look at him, stretching out one arm, but with fist still clenched. I think she's wondering what he feels like.

She was very engrossed in him, I think because he has this huge red smile on his face. Eventually, Eden unclenched her fist and actually started touching him. She seemed so excited to be interacting with this furry little creature and it was fun for me to watch this bit of her development.

When her Mommy and Daddy came home, I was able to show them these photos and how much she liked Winnie the Pooh. My daughter was amazed because she hadn't really used the old Pooh Bear with Eden yet. (It was given to big brother Noah when he was a baby and he hadn't really liked it that much.) Maybe it's a "girl" thing, that they interact with faces more than boys do. I do remember Noah just liked anything that moved, especially on wheels.

It was a wonderful evening for me, and Eden and I got along just fine. She went off to sleep before 8:00 pm, with just a bit of fussing, and slept through the night.

When we're young and have others to look after, we don't have the time to savour every precious moment with each child because of the need to balance work and family life. We love our children dearly, but it's as a grandparent, I believe, that we can enjoy and appreciate those moments with our grandchildren without having to worry about all the other things that intrude upon our life.

There were moments of pure joy last night as I watched my granddaughter reach a new level of her development. I will cherish these photos forever and one day will show them to her and tell her of that evening when my love for her fully bloomed.

For Eden

Child of my child
Heart of my heart
Your smile bridges the years between us
I am young again …
Discovering the world through your eyes
You have the time to listen
And I have the time to spend.
Delighted to gaze at familiar loved features …
Made new in you again
Through you … I’ll see the future
Through me … you’ll know the past
In the present we’ll love one another
As long as these moments last.

~~ Author Unknown ~~