In My World

Make a list of 30 things that make you smile. 1.   Hubby's lame jokes . . . especially the one about the guy on the high diving board 2.   Puns 3.   My oldest grandson and his wry sense of humour 4.   The way my sons, and now all of my grandsons, tower over me.  I never realized how short I am 5.   My middle grandson trying to make us believe we let him walk to school all alone when he was little . . . like that would ever happen 6.   Family dinners.  They are never boring 7.   Knock knock jokes 8.   Grey's Anatomy 9.   Lucille Ball 10. Finding a tricky letterbox 11. Facebook . . . most of the time 12. Oscar (the movie) 13. My youngest grandson when he is telling stories.  He speaks with a lilt at the end of each sentence that is absolutely charming. 14.  Spending time with my friends.  Oh, the stories I could tell . . .  15.  Sushi 16.  Thai food 17.  Going on a roa...

nervously waiting who will April prank me first I hope I don't jump or scream out loud spill my tea it's all fun and games until . . .

  The Stones of Burren Bay is fast-paced YA novel set on Manitoulin Island that combines magical realism, Irish Celtic spiritualism, and the core themes of YA fiction to which readers are drawn: the need to belong, self discovery, and overcoming obstacles.   The story begins with a tragic accident that kills Norie’s father and leaves her mother injured and emotionally fragile, after which Norie vows never to draw again. With the help of a mother/daughter duo in Burren Bay and the spiritual world that’s more easily accessed in such a hallowed place, Norie and her mother rebuild their relationship and Norie learns to deal with her grief and guilt through the power of art.  With powerful female characters and a fascinating look at spiritualism in Canada, The Stones of Burren Bay is YA fiction that’s fresh and compulsively readable.  Praise for De Angelis: The Stones of Burren Bay harkens back to the glorious, endless summers when anything (and everything)  is ...

Today's Prompt ~ Invisibility Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you want.  What are some of the things you would do with your super power? You know all those occasions when you wish you could be a fly on the wall?  Being invisible would be even better because I really hate flies.  Or when you see someone you really don't want to talk to . . . Invisibility would be a great Halloween costume.  It would be an amazing power to have on April Fool's Day.  I think I could have a serious amount of fun with this super power.

  The "sidewalk forest" refers to the trails within Ojibway Park in Windsor, Ontario, which include both paved and unpaved paths. Land Acknowledgement Recognized as one of Canada’s most diverse and multicultural communities, our city was developed on land that is the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg people of the Three Fires Confederacy (Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa). Before Europeans arrived, the land along the Detroit River was referred to as Wawiiatanong by the Indigenous populations. Due to Windsor’s unique location along the Detroit River many different groups have called this area home, including Haudenosaunee, Attawandaron (Neutral), and Huron (Wyandot) peoples. This area is part of McKee Purchase Treaty 2 1790. Today, many indigenous people and Métis across Turtle Island call this area home. We are thankful to be able to share our history in this area. Ojibway Prairie Complex Ojibway Prairie Complex is a collection of six closely situated natural areas within...

Today's Prompt: Cut-throat Have you ever played a simple board game and it turned everyone into cut-throat die-hards? We were at my older son's home for a family evening.  My younger son and my three grandsons decided to play Risk, a favourite game which I haven't played in years and years.  The boys were scheming and making deals with each other.  I said, "This isn't a game . . . THIS IS WAR!!!!!"  LOL!  I didn't win.

The last place in the world you would want to have a romantic picnic is . . .

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) This is a great movie.  Gregory Peck did a fantastic job of portraying Atticus Finch, a southern lawyer, who is raising his children and trying to live an honourable life.  The movie begins sharing the idyllic life in the south of gentility and kindness.  When Atticus must defend an innocent black man who has been accused of raping a white woman, the lawyer and his family begin to feel the ugliness and hate that lay beneath the veneer of southern gentility.  Based on a book by the same name, this movie does a decent job of representing the author's intent.  As my grandson commented, after reluctantly reading the book for school and then watching the movie with me, the book is better than the movie.  But that's pretty normal, isn't it? Academy Awards, USA  1963 Won Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role Gregory Peck   Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Horton Foote Horton Foote was...

  Three pet peeves. https://daringtolivefully.com/journal-prompts

  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Imaginary Cities was a Canadian indie pop duo based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The project consisted of multi-instrumentalist Rusty Matyas, formerly of the Waking Eyes and a sometime collaborator of the Weakerthans, and vocalist Marti Sarbit. Matyas and Sarbit began collaborating in 2010. That year, they played a few live shows and began to record tracks for an album. In 2011, they continued performing, at first serving as the opening band for more established groups. Their debut album, Temporary Resident, was released in 2011 on the Hidden Pony label; it went on to top Canada's campus radio charts. That year, the band won a Western Canada Music Award for Best Pop Album of the Year and was subsequently named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. To support the album, they played several dates in Eastern Canada and the US as an opening act for Pixies. Imaginary Cities performed at a number of pop festivals, including the 2013 N...

  Three favorite TV shows.

Happy Publication Day to Widow Fantasies , the debut short fiction collection by Hollay Ghadery!  Fantasies are places we briefly visit; we can’t live there. The stories in Widow Fantasies deftly explore the subjugation of women through the often subversive act of fantasizing. From a variety of perspectives, through a symphony of voices, Widow Fantasies immerses the reader in the domestic rural gothic, offering up unforgettable stories from the shadowed lives of girls and women.  “In these tight, sharp-witted, and expertly crafted stories, Hollay Ghadery distills the scope of an entire relationship or, in some cases, an entire lifetime into a single scene. Vignette doesn’t quite capture the breadth of these extraordinary flash worlds inflected with wry humour, incisive observation, and heartbreak. While a comedic title, line, or situation is often the hook—whether it’s a woman repelled by the smell of her oblivious husband’s bathroom ritual or a drunk divorcee talking to pat...

Write a list of songs that make you feel happy. Add them to your playlist or use some of the lyrics in your journaling or scrapbooking.

Southwold Earthworks National Historic Site Walk where Canada’s earliest inhabitants did and imagine the Attiwandaron longhouses and palisade walls that once stood proudly at Southwold Earthworks National Historic Site. Close your eyes and imagine a rare fortified village of 800-900 Attiwandaron, also known as the Neutral Iroquois, who inhabited Southwold from 1500 to 1650 AD. Directions . . .  The Southwold Earthworks is the remains of a pre-contact village site of the Neutral people, occupied about AD 1450 to 1550. The entrance to the site is located on Iona Road, approximately three kilometres south of Iona, Ontario, Canada. A double oval ring of raised earthworks surrounds the remains of the village.  Address :  7930 Iona Rd, Fingal, ON N0L 1P0 Phone:  (905) 468-6614

What characters would you most like to play if you were in theatre? Could I be a favourite Broadway actor?  Because I would definitely pick Carol Channing, particularly as Dolly in Hello Dolly, every time.   

I really did enjoy watching 12 Years a Slave.  I found most of it to be dramatic and well-acted.  My only disappointment was the way the ending was done.  It seemed like the director said "well I'm bored now" and really rushed the end.  Is the book like that too?  I've never read it myself. Did you know the original book was written by Solomon Northrup (the main character in the book and movie) who was a farmer and professional violinist in New York until he was tricked, drugged, kidnapped and sold into slavery?  Well, I didn't know that.  I am going to add this book to my to read pile which is so long I will probably by 89 before I actually open the front cover. Did you ever watch the movie?  What did you think? Academy Awards, USA 2014 Winner Best Motion Picture of the Year Brad Pitt Dede Gardner Jeremy Kleiner Steve McQueen Anthony Katagas 12 Years a Slave (2013) became the first film directed and produced by a black filmm...

Today's Writing Prompt: Escape What have you escaped from lately? Every few days I feel the need to escape from all the demands (admittedly, some are self-imposed) on my time and energy.  Usually I do something creative like scrapbooking or art journaling.  I just found out a friend likes to take a book, lawn chair and coffee and hide in Pinafore Park to recharge.  I may be taking a page out of my friend's book.

If I tell people that I am an introvert they often look at me with disbelief.  When I do go out, I like to be the life of the party.  I like seeing people and saying hi.  I hate small talk . . . but love a good conversation. If I tell people I don't do well with illness and hospitals they definitely look at me with disbelief.  I have been a support person to many friends and family over the years when they are facing injury or crisis.  I stand up to people and for people.  I demand answers.  I don't do personal care though . . . mostly because I'm a klutz. If I tell people I'm depressed they often look at me with disbelief.  And yet I am so much of the time and it can be a battle to shower and get dressed, to take care of my responsibilities, to leave the house, to cook healthy food.  And it sucks.  But my smile is well practiced and knows to stay in place when I do appear in public. So don't be surprised if I disappear from time t...

  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. Ian Tyson, CM, AOE was born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1933. In his teens, he decided upon a career as a rodeo rider. Recovering from injuries sustained from a fall during the mid-1950s, he started learning guitar. In the late 1950s, he relocated to Toronto, aspiring to a career as a commercial artist. He also started playing clubs and coffeehouses in Toronto. By 1959 he was performing music as a full-time occupation. Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker, CM, was born in Chatham, Ontario in 1940. While still in her teens, she started frequenting the folk clubs of Toronto. The two started performing together in Toronto in 1959. By 1962, they were living in New York City, where they caught the attention of manager Albert ...

Did you smile or frown more today?

  Happy Publication to Fungal: Foraging in the Urban Forest by Ariel Gordon, published by Wolsak & Wynn!  Fungal is a wide-ranging collection from Ariel Gordon where she explores her fascination with all mushrooms, not just those you can eat.  In these engaging essays she takes the reader through ditches and puddles in search of morels, through the hallways of a mushroom factory, down city sidewalks and beside riverbanks as she considers things found and fungal. Along the way there are entertaining stories of the perils of mushroom identification, including mailed mushrooms that have liquefied, or terrifying thoughts of Canadian geese being fed hallucinogenic mushrooms as well as thoughtful analysis of the ways mushrooms knit our ecosystems together and the ways we knit our lives and communities together. Smart, funny and poetic, Gordon moves seamlessly from the natural world to the personal in these essays, examining the interconnectedness of all things and delighti...

Journal Prompt: Have you ever received a mean comment from someone you don't even know on social media? I have. This link was posted to Facebook and a challenge was made to choose the most trustworthy face . . .  http://www.upworthy.com/a-guy-with-a-twisted-sense-of-humor-explains-how-your-brain-is-quicker-to-judge-than-your-eyes?c=ufb3 I don't usually join in on these conversations but I must have been almost bored for a minute and I joined in.   Pam Matthews Hedden the guy with the resting bitch face . . . A few people commented and more people Liked my answer.  In my world, there is just something smarmy and too happyish about the guy on the left.  Yes, a snap judgement, but that's what they were asking for. Anyway, someone decided to try and be mean to me.  Obviously they don't know that I have survived marriage for 41 years and the raising of two boys and much more.  Not much scares me anymore . . . LOL.  So here is his mean post . . ....

Journal Prompt:  How can I make a difference? Well here's one idea. Keeping clean is an important part of remaining healthy, but families who have fled their homes because of disaster or war often struggle to afford these necessary supplies. Hygiene kits also are given through schools or orphanages to encourage healthy habits for children. There is always a way to help. For more information . . . http://mcccanada.ca/get-involved/kits/hygiene?utm_content=buffer84222&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The Port Stanley Terminal Rail (PSTR) is a heritage railway that passes over the historic tracks of The London and Port Stanley Railway (L&PS) between Port Stanley and St. Thomas, Ontario.   The first passenger train reached Port Stanley on July 5, 1856. Use of the line increased until 1943, when the end of gas rationing and the increased use of automobiles caused a slow decline in passenger traffic. On February 1, 1957, passenger service ended on the L&PS line.  The railway continued to carry freight traffic, especially between St. Thomas and London, Ontario.  The rail section between St. Thomas and Port Stanley fell into disrepair and was finally abandoned in 1982 after a washout. When the line was officially abandoned, a group of railway preservationists created the Port Stanley Terminal Rail Inc. and purchased the rail to be used as a heritage railway. After rebuilding the tracks, the group finally received a Provincial railway charter to operate trains b...

I love cartoon movies that are actually sophisticated enough for adults.  How to Train Your Dragon is one of the those movies. Hiccup (the boy in the photo) lives in a Viking camp who hunt dragons.  Because of his size he isn't taken seriously and trained as a blacksmith and inventor instead of a hunter.  During a dragon attack, Hiccup fires one of his inventions at Toothless the dragon and badly injures him.  I don't want to give away much of the story.  Suffice to say Hiccup learns to be strong, empathetic, and not to judge a book by its cover . . . or a dragon by its teeth.   An excellent movie for the whole family. Academy Awards, USA  2011 Nominee Oscar Best Animated Feature Film of the Year Dean DeBlois   Chris Sanders   Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score John Powell  

Today's Writing Prompt: Good News There have been a heck of a lot of terrible things happening in the news lately. Counteract it, tell me something great that has happened in your world recently!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Hot Hot Heat was a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, formed in 1999. The band was signed to Seattle label Sub Pop in 2001 and Warner Records throughout the majority of their career. The band has released five full-length albums to date, their first and critically acclaimed, Make Up the Breakdown (2002), Elevator (2005), Happiness Ltd. (2007), Future Breeds (2010) and their last before disbanding, Hot Hot Heat (2016). The band's style makes use of electronic and traditional instruments and has variously been categorized as dance-punk, post-punk revival, and art-punk. After five years of scant activity following the touring cycle of Future Breeds in 2011, on March 13, 2016, Hot Hot Heat announced new music with a limited edition 7" record,...

Today's Writing Prompt: Winter Wonderland It is not much of a winter wonderland today. Above zero and heavy rain here this morning. What does your Winter Wonderland look like? (Or summer wonderland, I suppose, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere?) On the bright side, it's scrapbooking season.   I do not like winter.  The worst things about winter are freezing rain and ice.  I can live with just about anything else but those two little items strike fear and loathing in my heart. My winter wonderland involves warm and cosy, in my pyjamas, scrapbooking . . . 

Today's Writing Prompt: Coupons Have you ever purchased a deal online, like via Groupon? What was it for? I've actually used Groupon a few times and have always had a very positive experience with them.  Here are a few of our experiences: http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2012/01/mad-hatter-tea-room-orwell-on.html http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2012/03/we-ran-away-from-home-to-embassy-suites.html http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2012/08/sailing-seven-seas-okay-lake-ontario.html http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2012/09/a-customer-service-rant.html

Happy Publication to Marrow Memory: Essays of Discovery by Dr. Margaret Nowaczyk, published by Wolsak & Wynn! In   Marrow Memory: Essays of Discovery   Margaret Nowaczyk  explores different facets of her life, from listening to the radio dramas of her childhood in Communist Poland to her work now as a paediatric clinical geneticist. These are beautifully crafted essays, full of hard-won truths and insights, generously shared with the reader. Whether struggling with English as a teenaged refugee or documenting the process of permanent hair dye, Nowaczyk moves seamlessly between scientific and personal writing, bridging the gap between these two areas with elegance and humour.   Marrow Memory   is an invitation to the reader to marvel in the unexpected beauties of human experience and the ability of language to capture that. "The essays in  Marrow Memory  dazzled and moved me with their erudition and sensuousness, their humour and their breadth in s...