In My World

The Good Lovelies are a Canadian folk/country harmony trio, consisting of Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough and Sue Passmore. At their core they can be described as a country/folk trio, with tinges of pop, roots, jazz and sometimes hip-hop mixed in. The group's three members, Brooks from Whitby, Ough from Port Hope and Passmore from Cobourg, were all performing as solo artists in the Toronto area when they came together in 2006 to perform at a Christmas concert at Toronto's Gladstone Hotel. The three subsequently decided to continue working together, releasing their debut EP, Oh My, in 2007. They released their first full-length album, Good Lovelies, in 2009, and followed up with the Christmas-themed EP Under the Mistletoe later the same year. Their album Good Lovelies won the Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year – Group at the 2010 Juno Awards. Good Lovelies performed at the Australian National Folk Festival in 2011, playing songs from their 2011 album Let the Ra...

Today's Writing Prompt: Awkward I had a really awkward moment with someone this week.  Tell me about any awkward encounters of your own. My biggest social faux pas is that I cannot remember names.  I remember faces . . . usually.  But not names.   The dumbest flub is that I have several friends with similar names -- Krystel, Krista, Kristle -- and I am always calling them by the wrong names.  What is wrong with my brain? Hubby and I have a deal.  If we are in public and I stop and chat with someone but don't introduce the person to him then chances are I can't remember the name.  Later we will put our heads together and invariably remember the name . . . too late. This can cause some very awkward moments.

Warsaw Caves Conservation Area is nestled in the Indian River valley. It offers a range of recreational opportunities for the entire family to enjoy. It takes its name from a series of seven caves found in the park. For the best experience, bring along a headlamp or flashlight and be sure to wear sturdy shoes – no ropes or climbing gear required!

One Word: Full What can I say about full?  My days are full of things that need to be done, that I want to be done, that I hope to get done.  My pantry is full and that makes me happy.  My heart is full.  I have a wonderful family who fills my heart.

Today's Prompt: Laughter List as many things as you can that make you laugh . . . in one minute. Hal Greg Tim Cameron Austin Taylor old movies dumb jokes prat falls Lucille Ball Sheldon Cooper Wow one minute really goes by quickly.

The Dark Knight I am not a fan of superhero movies.  In fact, I really don't like them much at all.  I was "forced" to watch some Batman movies when the kids were younger and hated them; which probably has a lot to do with my dislike.  So when I saw that The Dark Knight was on my list I can't say I was really excited to watch it.   I have to admit that I thought it was okay.  The story was actually complex, dramatic and interesting.  I didn't like Batman's voice though.  Would I watch it again?  Probably not.  But if I HAD to watch it I probably could do it.  Sorry, that's as excited as I can get about it.

Describe your life or current situation using exactly six words. working my dreaded to do list

I really must ask what's up with the Internets I figured it out and it went and changed again is it personal or what

Today's Writing Prompt: Name Change Indulge me for a moment and imagine that the government is forcing you to change your name, the way some websites force you to regularly change your password. What new name would you choose? Why is it that the questions that seem easy are often the ones most difficult to answer?   Need help?  Here's a name generator . . .  https://www.name-generator.org.uk/ I would change my name in a minute.  I don't like my name and I constantly torment my mother for giving me the handle she did.  And in case you are wondering, it is not the name I use online . . . LOL. If I could change my name . . . hmmmmmmmmm . . .  Cora . . . but it would make me hungry because I love Cora's restaurant Rose . . . but that would probably upset my sister  Joy . . . part of my "made up" name when I was a kid July . . . ooooo . . . I kinda like that one Ruby . . . is nice too What do you think I should choose? ...

I just tried to read The Lost Peace:  Leadership in a Time of Horror and Hope, 1945-1953 by Robert Dallek.  I usually love reading history non-fiction, especially about the war years.  I'm putting this book on my exception to the rule list.  While the information was very interesting in itself, reading it was a slow process.  Dallek is writing about an exciting and confusing time in our recent history in a very unexciting way.  I like to read at night because it relaxes me.  I was only able to read a few pages each night because it relaxed me too much.  After a week I was only at page 113 of 372.  It is time to close the book and move on to something else.  Perhaps I will save this book for the next time I have insomnia. On a positive note, Dallek's attention to detail and his perceptions about the world leaders of the time make this an excellent reference book if you are writing an essay.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor was formed in 1994 in Montreal, Quebec, by Efrim Menuck (guitar), Mike Moya (guitar), and Mauro Pezzente (bass). The band took its name from God Speed You! Black Emperor, a 1976 Japanese black-and-white documentary by director Mitsuo Yanagimachi, which follows the exploits of a Japanese biker gang, the Black Emperors. The band initially assembled after being offered a supporting act for another local band named Steak 72. Thereafter, the trio performed live on a few separate occasions. Previously, the name "God Speed You Black Emperor!" had been used by Menuck on a limited cassette entitled All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling that had been recorded the year prior, with limited contributions by Pezzente on bass, although it would not be until 1994 that the actual band formed. The band has gained a dedicated cult following and remains very influential in the post-rock genre. Their music, mainly instrumental in nature, has been noted f...

What is a life lesson that you wish you had learned a few years earlier than you actually did? Oh believe me . . . I have a list of things I wish I'd learned earlier.  Knowing how to handle money would be a biggie on that list. I can only imagine how much easier my life would have been.  I comfort myself that by learning things the hard way taught me lessons I will hopefully never forget.  I believe that learning the hard way taught be to be resourceful and strong.  But yeah . . . I still wish I'd learned earlier . . . 

Today's Writing Prompt: Wrong Class! So, in an effort to find some school-time humour, I have to wonder if you ever mistakenly wound up in the wrong class? Or maybe missed an important class or test for a very unusual reason? I don't remember ever being in the wrong classroom.  I went to the wrong school once when I was trying to pick up my daughter-in-law from work.  I went to pick up my middle grandson once and accidentally nearly left him behind.  And I did miss a mid-term exam in university when my car caught on fire .  

  If you like big rocks, I got just the place for you! Roughly half an hour north from Peterborough you can visit the town of Buckhorn in the Kawartha region of Ontario which has three easily accessible glacial erratics. What are glacial erratics? Glacial erratics are large boulders that have been carried by ice sheets, often smoothing, and scouring them in the process as they are carried underneath the ice sheets along with other eroded materials. They can then be deposited a distance away their source region making them a great example of the erosive power of ice sheets which have defined the landscapes of southern Ontario during past glaciations. Ontario is littered with glacial erratics originating from when ice sheets scoured the Canadian Shield and transported their igneous or metamorphic rocks southward. These boulders can be massive in size, with the largest known erratic in southern Ontario being the  Bleasdell Boulder (search site 32)  which is 8 meters tall and...

Singin' in the Rain  (1952) I can't even begin to list my favourite parts of this movie but I'll definitely share a few. 1.  Gene Kelly 2.  Donald O'Connor 3.  Debbie Reynolds 4.    5.    6.    7.    8.  Jean Hagen as Lena Lamont Academy Awards, USA  1953 Nominated Oscar Best Actress in a Supporting Role Jean Hagen   Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture Lennie Hayton  

What's on my mind? Only one thing . . . how the heck am I going to get through today's to do list. It is epic. I guess I shouldn't complain since that means my businesses are growing. I just have to adjust and I'm finding I have so much to learn. My favourite moment yesterday . . . my middle grandson Taylor invited his mom and I out to Red Lobster for lunch. And guess what? It was all you can eat shrimp day. Our server was so awesome that he sent us home with a bag of warm biscuits. So . . . what's on your mind today?

Today's Writing Prompt: To-Do What's on your To-Do list? Many of you have probably heard me talk about my Dreaded To Do List.  I often mention this list in Facebook statuses and here on my blog.  This post may be the very first time I've explained my list. Right now in the real world it is November 10, 2023 (I had to look that up on my computer calendar).  In My World, according to my to do list, it is September 19, 2023.  I am working away at a mad pace to catch back up but some days it just doesn't happen.  I keep striving.

Tanka Tuesday: Spring Tanka is a form of Japanese poetry thousands of years old, very similar to haiku. The 5 unrhymed lines go in syllables of 5/7/5/7/7. new buds on the trees brave sprouts search out the sun new life has returned to proclaim the new season welcomes us out into light

 What themes would you incorporate into your music if you were a song writer? I think I would want my songs to include themes of joy and power.  I know this sounds like a weird mix but I think we should create and find our own joy rather that sit around waiting for it or hoping someone else will provide it.

Mao's Last Dancer is a really good read in my opinion.  It was very fascinating to peek into the Chinese culture and into the development of Li as a ballet dancer.  His rags-to-riches story is incredibly uplifting. I had great pause to consider the reality of nationalism.  We are indoctrinated early in life to see our own nation as The Best Nation in the world.  Of course, we all know that Canada IS the best nation in the world, right?  But in countries we see as not-so-great like China (pollution, overpopulation, poverty and so on), the people like Li who are born and raised in them feel the same way about their nation as we feel about Canada.  It is very startling to realize the whole world doesn't revolve around us (Canadacentrism?).  I found this also in Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. Grab Mao's Last Dancer for a quick and inspiring read.

Gob is a Canadian punk rock band from Langley, British Columbia, formed in 1993. The band consists of Tom Thacker, Theo Goutzinakis, Gabe Mantle and Steven Fairweather. They were nominated for a Juno Award for best new group in 2000, and received another Juno nomination for best video in 2002. Gob's most successful album is World According to Gob. Their best-selling songs to date are "I Hear You Calling", "Soda", and "Banshee Song". They have been featured in movies, TV shows, and many sporting video games such as NHL 2002, NHL 2003, NHL 2004 and Madden NFL 2003 with songs such as "Oh! Ellin", "I've Been Up These Steps", "Sick With You" (both re-mixed for the game), "I Hear You Calling" and "Give Up the Grudge". The band has appeared at several music festivals, the most well-known being the Vans Warped Tour. Thacker is also a lead and rhythm guitarist for fellow Canadian rock band Sum 41.   https://...

What games do you remember playing as a kid, especially as a group in your neighborhood? These are so specific to each time and location, they are a fun identifier. Red Rover game . . . although we didn't play the game as nicely as this . . . LOL . . . We played Mother May I and Simon Says. We played all kinds of sports . . . tennis, baseball, touch football, street hockey . . .  We played tag and hide & seek.  I don't think we were ever bored.

The historic Kirkfield Lift Lock is located a few kilometres north of the Village of Kirkfield. The Kirkfield Lift Lock is the second highest hydraulic lift lock in the world with a lift of 15 metres (49 ft). The lock is situated at the highest point along the Waterway at 256.20 meters (840.5 ft) above sea level. Most boaters prefer to stay on the lower reach to avoid the stairs and gain easy access to the washrooms. On September 2, 2022, the Kirkfield Lift Lock site was closed due to a mechanical failure. Since then, construction crews have been on-site working to restore the asset to full operation. While repairs are progressing well, Parks Canada wishes to advise boaters that expedited single-chamber lockages will be in place for the beginning of the 2023 season. Parks Canada is leading this important infrastructure work to ensure safe, high-quality experiences for visitors by improving heritage, visitor, waterway, and highway assets located within national historic sites, national ...

Describe a difficult time or event in your life and how you overcame it. ,  The boys were 5 & 10, hubby was recovering from a back injury, we'd pretty much lost everything, we were broke and had almost no food left in the house.  I think this was probably one of the lowest points in my life. Two hungry kids to feed and no idea what to feed them.  I had some oatmeal (you know the real oatmeal that you cook on the stove) but no sugar.  I did have jam.  Supper that night was oatmeal with milk and jam.  We drew amazing designs into our bowls with that jam and had so much fun. The next day was pay day. When I went to look for a photo for this blog post I was kinda surprised to actually find photos of oatmeal and jam . . . I guess it is a real thing.

What items do you consider to be the best inventions ever? In my humble opinion the microwave oven and the debit card are the best inventions ever.  I couldn't live without either of them . . . 

I love this movie.  I don't even know how many times I've seen it now. Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn are awesome in their parts. Harrison plays a snobbish professor who accepts a wager that he can turn a flower girl, Hepburn, into a lady who would fit in to high society. Academy Awards, USA  1965 Won Oscar Best Picture Jack L. Warner   Best Actor in a Leading Role Rex Harrison Rex Harrison  dedicated his Oscar to "two fair ladies":  Julie Andrews  and Audrey Hepburn . Best Director George Cukor   Best Cinematography, Color Harry Stradling Sr.   Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color Gene Allen Cecil Beaton George James Hopkins   Best Costume Design, Color Cecil Beaton   Best Sound George Groves   (Warner Bros. SSD)   Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment André Previn   Nominated Oscar Best Actor in a Supporting Role Stanley Holloway   Best Actress in a Supporting Role Gladys Coop...

What's on my mind? Lunch with friends in Port Stanley. Priorities? 1. clean kitchen 2. laundry 3. prep some upcoming classes 4. put in Watkins order 5. put in Close to my Heart order 6. relax What's up in your world today?

First I would like to say that I don't know all that much about Sarah Palin.  If she were to stand beside Tina Fey (dressed as Sarah Palin) I am sure I would be hard pressed to tell them apart.  What I do know is that when she was running for Vice-President of the United States she seemed to stir up a lot of positive and even more negative articles in the media.  I don't know whether this was because the press was hounding her and focusing on her occasional faux pas or if she really did put her foot in her mouth a few too many times. In The Quotable Rogue:  The Ideals of Sarah Palin in Her Own Words by Matt Lewis, I found a really interesting read.  Her quotes were put into an interesting and sensible order with notes explaining the context of the quotes.  Is Matt Lewis a Palin fan who only collected quotes that made Mrs. Palin look good or is she just a sensible, conservative kind of gal we can all relate to?  I would love to know the answ...

Today's Writing Prompt: Trapped Write about a time you felt trapped. When we were living on Moore Street there was a closet built in under the front hall stairs that we used for storage.  One day I was putting something away and bashed my head, knocking myself silly.  I landed on the floor and was really stunned for quite a while.  All I could think about was if the door closed no one would ever find me if I did lose consciousness.  It was really scary.   After sitting quietly for a while I was able to get up and get out of there.

Glennon Ricketts Jr. (born March 13, 1975), professionally known as Glenn Lewis, is a Canadian neo soul singer–songwriter. Lewis earned a Grammy Award nomination in 2004 and has also won a Juno Award out of a total of six nominations. Lewis was born in Kitchener, Ontario and raised in Toronto by a Trinidadian mother and Jamaican father, Glennon "Glen" Ricketts Sr. Both of his parents were musicians; his father was the lead singer of Crack of Dawn in the 1970s, was a protege of the late Donny Hathaway, and had a solo career under the stage name "Glen Ricks". From the age of eight to fourteen, Lewis lived in Trinidad before moving back to Toronto. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. After moving back to the city, he attended high school at East York Collegiate Institute, where he won a talent contest by covering Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You". Lewis has cited Wonde...

  What's on my mind? Not much. I'm having a pyjama and to do list day. Absolutely nothing exciting . . . sigh. If anything exciting is going on in your world I would love to hear all about it.

Go look if you need to.... What's something unusual that's in your closet right now? Okay, I'm feeling rather boring right now.  I just looked in all of my closets and couldn't find anything that one might consider weird.  Sigh . . .  What weird thing do you have in your closets?

I slowly read through Angel Witness by Gail McNaughton  for a couple of months to fully enjoy it and just wanted to say a few words.  This is not a book you will read through quickly.  This is a book that you can enjoy and savour.  Artist and author Gail McNaughton has compiled a wonderful collection of photos, art, poetry and prose into an inspirational book which has been a pleasure to read. I am honoured to have one of my Alma College fire photos featured in Angel Witness .  I have to say that my favourite poem is "Come Out of the Box". If you love art and poetry and angels, you are going to love this book.  

The Canadian Canoe Museum is a unique national heritage centre that explores the canoe’s enduring significance to the peoples of Canada, through an exceptional collection of canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft. We’re an engaging, family-friendly museum with more than 100 canoes and kayaks on display. Visitors will enjoy interactive, hands-on galleries, a scavenger hunt, model canoe building and puppet theatre for children. Through inclusive, memorable and engaging exhibits and programs we share the art, culture, heritage and spirit of paddled watercraft with our communities. Founded on a collection of the late Professor Kirk Wipper, and established in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1997, the museum’s holdings now number more than 600 canoes, kayaks and paddled watercraft. Together they span the country from coast to coast to coast and represent many of the major watercraft traditions of Canada. The museum’s artifacts range from the great dugouts of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwe...

Describe your life or current situation using exactly six words. A good day accomplishing many tasks

These movies are exciting and romantic and violent (but not real graphic violence or I would have had to turn it off) and a story of heroes and evil and the good guy gets to win.  What more can you ask for?  The scenery was STUNNING.  The costumes were incredibly imaginative.  I just can't praise this trilogy enough.   Stuck inside on a rainy summer day?  This may be the answer. Academy Awards, USA  2004 Won Oscar Best Picture Barrie M. Osborne Peter Jackson Fran Walsh   Best Director Peter Jackson   Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Fran Walsh Philippa Boyens Peter Jackson   Best Film Editing Jamie Selkirk   Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Grant Major   (art director) Dan Hennah   (set decorator) Alan Lee   (set decorator)   Best Costume Design Ngila Dickson Richard Taylor   Best Makeup Richard Taylor Peter King   Best Music, Original Score Howard Shore   Best Mu...

  the lists never end they just seem to get longer and longer for sure my errand list my grocery list my to do list goes on

Today's Writing Prompt: Enough with the Celebrities If you could rid the world of just one overexposed celebrity, who would you move out of the spotlight permanently? That is all for the moment . . . 

I love the Food Network.  I watch several favourite shows even when they are repeats.  Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is one of them. My oldest son is also a fan of the show and he loaned me this book to read.  I had a riot reading it.  I loved all the stops on his All-American Road Trip and even recognized some of them from the show.  There were recipes for each diner after their story but I have to say there aren't too many I would actually make.  Not that they don't sound great, but they tend to have a ton of ingredients and be fried.  Great for a diner, not so great for my waistline. I am definitely going to make the Chunky Monkey Pancakes on page 108 . . . how can anyone resist pancakes full of chocolate chips and walnuts, wrapped around bananas, and covered in whipped cream.  

Glass Tiger is a Canadian rock band from Newmarket, Ontario that formed in 1983. The band has released five studio albums. Its 1986 debut album, The Thin Red Line, went quadruple platinum in Canada and gold in the United States. Two singles from that album, "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" and "Someday", reached the U.S. Top 10. History In Newmarket, Ontario, vocalist Alan Frew and bassist Wayne Parker (both from local band Onyx), along with keyboardist Sam Reid (from River Drive Park band The End), along with then drummer Michael Hanson formed a new band called Tokyo. Guitarist Al Connelly joined the band in 1983. In 1986, Glass Tiger released its first album, The Thin Red Line; it was produced by Jim Vallance (who co-wrote two songs) and Bryan Adams made a memorable vocal cameo on the lead single "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)". This album went quadruple platinum in Canada and gold in the United States.6] Two of its songs, "Don...

What's on my mind? Have you ever noticed that time goes faster than you can? I'm aiming to meet my priorities every day but at least one is always left undone. This week it is the toga that I haven't even started. The material is still in the bag waiting to see the light of day. Hopefully today will be the day. My priorities today: 1. make 2 togas 2. work my to do list 3. plan next week's menu and get groceries and 4. enjoy the weekend. Have you any exciting plans for the long weekend?