37/52 weeks

52 weeks of daily life in pictures:
trials and celebrations,
the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.

Join me if you like.

** Ice hockey season fast approaches, and woe (YIKES!) to the parent whose son has outgrown almost all of his hockey gear! 

Off to a few hockey swaps and the only reward of the moments was the purchase of a new hockey bag on wheels. Everything at the swaps has been too small for this grown up and giant son of ours. :) 

We've already completed several ice hockey skate tryouts, now awaiting contact for this year's assigned coach and team. Here we go.....

** After the humidity and bug weeks, it's definitely time for more bonfires before sunset. 

We had a new-to-us moment last weekend when the entire family gathered after dinner to recite the rosary around the fire, both dogs laying ever quietly nearby, taking in the rhythm of voices in prayer and likely mesmerized by the flames of the bonfire before them. 

That was a highlight for all, a special Sunday evening, and one to most definitely be repeated soon....because the bugs are disappearing and don't surround us so easily when attempting to enjoy the flames and falling sunset at the day's end.

A few crummy photos to follow snapped on my iphone, nevertheless they too tell a story of the tapestry of our days.

** The photo above shows the organization of this year's schooling, and this week our children are becoming more familiar with early morning rising to hit the books for this new school year, as opposed to reveling in those allowable lazier summer mornings. They are truly not great fans of such change. I'm hoping (and so are they) it won't take too long to get rolling on a new discipline because these two used to be early risers, yes, they used to be. Now, they have discovered the novelty of laying in bed a while before plunging feet to floor.

 

** One of the summer goals we had hoped to accomplish was taking one or two rooms a week, and spending a selected amount of time to perform a deep cleaning and organization of all items resting within. 

It was a reason to celebrate last week when we completed a two day break down of the kitchen, chosen dead last to check off the list. Everyone I know dreads the big kitchen cleaning duties several times each year. We were no exception. As mouse season is almost upon us with cooler nights in our midst, all crumbs and a good scrubbing were highly required. No temptations should lay there to invite rodents inside.

I happily brought this task to the bottom of the list at first. Happily... and now, with bottom cupboards and counters cleaned out one day, followed by upper cupboards another, we are done! 

Check!

** Come September, the days grow cooler, but in no way have we been prepared for frost appearing so early.

Thoughts of seeking those more cool autumn comforting morning moments reappear, and hubby and I have revisited our weekly cuppa dates. Conversation carries easily, sharing hearts belong there in our purposeful times together. 

** Slowly rolling into September, we were able to attend our Canoe Club's family corn roast. 

Sitting by the water, it was a lovely evening and a great opportunity to catch up with those we've paddled and took courses with throughout the summer months. 

Our son was famished and couldn't wait, found here standing at the front of the line with my hubby down a bit behind him.

I love this club, it's so family and people friendly and I'm pleased it doesn't end here. Monthly indoor meetings will begin again next month, complete with guest speakers and more opportunities which will soon present for autumn paddling sessions.

** My husband studied his lines from the script formulated after an intensive interview from the media bunch at his respiratory physiotherapy hospital. 

He only required six takes this week and was teased when being proclaimed as a TIFF natural after being filmed for an upcoming movie, which will be used in part as a fundraising promotional tool towards the building of a new wing on the hospital. 

After two photo shoots to obtain stills for the precursor medical journey story, we await and are eager to see the edited version featuring his highly personalized bit of filming content. It's been a brutal and horrible week respiratory wise for him, so this filming was a welcomed distraction in between several sudden required emergent tests in the attempt to try to determine what seems to be going on internally.

As a gift for his part in the fundraiser film, he was presented "prezzies"; a tshirt, lunch bag and pen. It was the lunch bag that really resonated with me (wink), insulated and so handy. :)

** When the local children return to school, we have a list of desirable outings which are perfect for less crowded enjoyment. 

First up last week (besides the beach) was a great visit to the zoo of course, and the weather was just perfect! 

Our children have grown up visiting zoos often in their childhood, and love to spend long lingering moments near the animals any time.

** A new adventure awaits our youngest son this year as he has registered to become a "Sea Cadet". 

Among having to be fast tracked into the program to learn commands, marching and other assorted knowledge bits, formal sailing practice and shooting marksmanship begins over the next two weeks. He is found smiling often over the thought of joining this group. 

Before the first meeting, a haircut and shopping expedition was required to buy him a white golf shirt and black pants. This week he said his hair is still too long (it's short) and he wants another cut soon. Gotta love that.

This is just an introductory photo above, the older newbie cadets were only observing when I snapped the photo and a few other groups were marching outdoors before "colors" began.

** I won this color palette this week during a fun interior guest speaker hour at my local Newcomer group. In case some of you never knew this (I didn't), "Benjamin Moore" has teamed up with "The Pottery Barn" for seasonal color choice encouragement. 

I have high hopes of painting our kitchen/family room this fall, so I'm shopping for colors. Maybe one will be in here? Not sure yet.

** History abounds from the "War of 1812" and is prevalent all over the province of Ontario. 

We are continuing our study using real life field trip outings for getting to know more and appreciating this time period. Next week we are off to "Fort Willow" and the "Nine Mile Portage" for a live time period representation.

This boy is loving this...and so is his mother. (Oh, and photo was snapped before the Cadet required hair cut day.)  

** Did someone say "beach time"? 

The air was cooler and less humid here last week, and moments along this water's edge are always welcomed.

I have been overcome by the beauty and richness of our life together, those early mornings setting out, those evenings gleaming with rivers and lakes below us, still holding the last light.

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh 

Head on over to Barbara's to check out the invitation to join the

52 week photography link-up party.

33 / 52 weeks

52 weeks of daily life in pictures:
trials and celebrations,
the extraordinary and mundane --
whatever is unique to the week.

Join me if you like.

Our many scenes of summer will again be most of the focus of this week's 52 weeks blog post.

We're taking advantage of this great season upon us as best we can; exploring, hanging around the canoe club dock, taking courses, road tripping for business and pleasure, meeting up with old friends, learning new games to play around the kitchen table, and so much more. 

Onward to the photo blitz below...

** It was their turn to take their basic canoe safety course, a three hour morning with theory and practical application. 

With original course postponed to this date for uncertainty of ability, all went well with myself standing by and our son volunteering to be on deck with the instructor. 

** Hanging around at the canoe club dock, there is always so much to see! Between the kayak course in progress, the dragonboat and rowing clubs were also on the water during the early morning of this day. 

 

Lapping it all up of course, yep, that would be me! But then, so were these two while watching our son in progress below;

The instructor was most pleased with our son, for he not only volunteered to be a canoe partner with a student without one, he was also beaming at the fact he would be able to perform the water rescue display of the day. 

 

** After happily tipping over his canoe, followed by the demonstration of a wet water rescue by two others, he was in his element soaking wet back inside his vessel. 

** Visiting with friends, we enjoyed a lovely dinner and good old fashioned round of table games.

** New to us was a wild and competitive game of dominoes, and wow was that ever fun! There are many versions out there, and we had a simple one we've played at home before. This version however took the cake! I lost badly with the most points overall, a rematch is on for another time.

** Great friends from our former area were extremely happy to gather with our younger ones when we visited with them again. The boys shown above had great fun together, such a wonderful time was had by all.

** The girls were all about the animals; the sheep, the new kittens, the chickens, the dogs, the budgie that escaped and flew all over, the hamster and all around good old fashioned barnyard play.

**These older gals gathered with even more friends over the course of several days visiting, (I don't have photos of them all though), and I have no doubt in my mind that they will always be BFFs from now until forever. Love this girl! She's like a daughter to me.

** What better thing to celebrate the day than to purchase a new coffee blend made specially for the area. I miss this coffee shop, with its classical music in the early morning and my latte and laptop before me. 

With a name not so common such as my own, it is always the sweetest of pleasures to visit with my dear friend. Between her and I was share private little funnies, especially when chatting on the telephone and having to say; Hello Renee, this is Renee....I so look forward to visiting when able, sharing stolen moments together with my itty bitty friend, always finding ways to bring joy and laughter to our visits. Hugs friend!

** Road tripping about we found the quaintest French Canadian towns where all signage was labeled in French, and no English was to be found.

I was smitten having grown up myself in a small French Canadian community, and stumbling upon the unexpected little credit union find above.

It sure did bring back memories aplenty as I had once belonged to one of the same branches in western Canada, in a small French Canadian town where the language is still respected today just as we could tell it is in this one.

All this and its in Ontario, not Quebec! 

** A historical outing to learn more about the War of 1812. Visiting this fort at "Discovery Harbor" in Penetanguishene, Ontario , we learned much at this historic site, how it once used to serve as both a navy and military base.

Spending the better part of an entire day here learning about the original vessels, the buildings, and the effects of the war up in Georgian Bay. 

Of course there were interactive activities for all, this large checkerboard serving well for those who wished to take the time for having a game.

And learning penmanship using a quill pen after having to carefully dip it in ink. 

** History abounds in the east, and I am certain we will continue to find new golden nuggets for our history lessons both near and far. None of these outings we've been so priveleged to have will ever be taken for granted.

I can hardly wait until our next trip to Kingston and Ottawa where we will visit our nation's capital and parliamentary systems, plus the Fort in Kingston.

See you next week....

Head on over to Barbara's to check out the invitation to join the

52 week photography link-up party.

Historical paper dolls - Natives & Viking

Here are a few more of our historical paper dolls, those featured in our early native and early explorer's group. I'll feature a few each week as we press on with more of our fun paper crafting history lesson reviews.

Below is a Native Inuit;

The first Native Indian Christopher Columbus encountered;

And, another famous Viking; Leif the Lucky...

 

 Stay tuned for more...

Adventuring through the Muskokas

An iconic group, friends by chance in the early 1900s, eventually these men became a historical artistic focus for having created some of the best Canadian geographically inspired and well known impressionistic paintings.

Flashing names; some think the "Group of Seven" included "Tom Thomson", and some even also include "Emily Carr" into the numbered bunch.

The latter two were not part of that formally named group; Tom Thomson was closely associated, and Emily Carr, was merely influenced by the his style of painting, a small tidbit of historical trivia to be sure.

Last weekend our family enjoyed a "family day" where the focal point of was a road trip to the Muskokas.


Cell phones were turned off, watches tossed aside, we were on "our time" and no one else's. We told our children;

"We'll eat when we are hungry, and go home when we are all done, that is - when we feel like actually going home".

There was going to be absolutely no hurry to our day, all were in dire need of distraction for our upcoming week's serious issues ahead.

With only one stop along the way for a pit stop and coffee stock-up, the day began to get more glorious as time ticked by.

Sunshine blared through threatening clouds, and rain became a distant concern.


Beautiful for adventuring, it turned out to be the perfect day, for whatever it would hold for us by its clearly unknown end.

Clearly freedom reigned without time borders, as we plummeted in search of yet - another geographical adventure.


Three towns to explore along our way were;

Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Huntsville.

Of interest was following possible footsteps of artists Tom Thomson and The Group of Seven, those who were inspired to use their artistic talents to paint these wilderness areas of Canada.


A self taught man, Tom Thomson was actually a graphic designer before he became inspired to become a guide in the Algonquin Mountains, and become one of the most famous Canadian painters of all time for his rendition of "impressionism".

The Group of Seven were formed later after Thomson's mysterious death when he didn't return from a canoe trip. A blow to the head was found to be the cause of his death, perhaps an accident or not?


The mystery of it all still reigns in the particular areas where he is well known, in painter's circles and in history books.

Speculations abound for how he died, body was retrieved and a post mortem carried out. Still though, there is much unresolved to this day.


The town of Huntsville is just over two hours north of Toronto.

Known as "cottage country", anchored on the rugged Canadian Shield and a major gateway into the world renowned Algonquin Park.


Huntsville will also be home to the 2010 G 8 Summit of world leaders. We thought we'd visit before we weren't able, with security growing tighter by the week as the countdown to this size-able event continues.


The first thing we noticed when in the central downtown area of Huntsville was the statue dedicated in honor of Tom Thomson, a figure sitting and observing visual distances before him, an overturned canoe nearby, and painting in progress.

Haunting!

One can't possibly view this scene and not ponder more about his life.


Reminders of the Muskokas are visible everywhere, small towns in the mountainous regions known to have many resorts and cottages in full swing in summer, Adirondack chairs visible everywhere in town, and around the many lakes comprising the areas waterways for outdoor adventures still partaken in today.


The roads north to the areas of choice this day all seemed to remind us of B.C. in many ways, our former home; trees of fir, cedar and pine lined the roads, rocky geographic landscape formations flickered by us in our peripherals as we continued to climb upward.


It felt a long way from civilization along those highways, and chances for wildlife sightings were hopeful, though none were seen.


Once we arrived in Huntsville, my husband and son quickly recalled the three ice hockey games played here last year, right after we moved to our new home, and they had no clue how to get here.

It was winter, the roads slick with ice and landscape offering only white mounds of fresh snow.


Little was visible at times during two of those trips due to sudden snow squalls whipping up, and dropped messages from our GPS's computer womanly voice that kept announcing;

"Recalculating"...

This vastly different seasonal time of year definitely provided a different sort of scenery and views not noticed before.

Eager to explore the town area, everyone decided we should park and just stroll around at our leisure to experience what it had to offer.


Setting out on foot, we first decided to head to the water's edge where many people were gathered for a fishing derby.

Small rental boating vessels were located in the main waterway and small alcoves nearby.


So many kayaks.

So many canoes, preferred modes of transportation in this exact spot at times by Tom Thomson.

Water smooth like glass.

Blue skies and white fluffy clouds.


Tranquil and gorgeous are two words one could use to describe the scene before us.


Next up, back to the main drag filled with quaint shops and stops for all to browse for a time, that is until things began to close earlier than we anticipated, around 4pm.


Slowly, we began to notice how many colorful art murals were dotted on the town's buildings.


One small shopkeeper explained about them and gave us a map so we could hunt around for all of them, so many, about 75 in all, and more currently in progress.

Were they originals? No.


Influences were great from Tom Thomson and the eventual group formed identifying themselves as "The Group of Seven", though not formally named so until after the death of Mr. Thomson in 1917.


Strongly influenced by the European Impressionists of the late nineteenth century, those from Montmontre and Paris, this group all became famous for being the "Canadian landscape painters" of the 1920s.


Some equate Tom Thomson's work to those of Van Gogh and Cezanne, and rightly so. His best creative period was during the years of 1914-1917.

His works of art during this time period are revered long after his death.

He was a direct influence of Emily Carr, another very famous Canadian painter.


Together they traveled throughout Ontario, particularly through the Muskokas and the Algona regions, sketching the rugged landscape and developing techniques using wide brush strokes and others, to represent their art.

The group received some funding towards their work, and met often to discuss their goals and geographical travel desires.


Disbanding for a time after the untimely death of Tom Thomson and during World War 1 , the original seven regrouped together when the war ended, formally naming themselves "The Group of Seven".


By 1920, these seven artists introduced the world to their work in their first exhibition. Prior to their work, many believed the Canadian landscape not worthy of being painted, or not accessible for that option.

They obviously proved all were wrong.


The following year, one of the painters left the group, another replaced him and all continued their work as before, only they began to travel throughout Canada in wilderness regions of British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

These artists were the first European descendants to depict the Arctic.

By 1931 and now with ten members, the group disbanded and became known as the "Canadian Artists", known far and wide for their pioneer efforts.

The rest as they say - is history. Welcome to Huntsville then, the place where there is adventures in the ART of LIVING.

A local group have continued the legacy by featuring the "Group of Seven's Outdoor Murals" for tourists, passersby, or local residents.

Replicated by modern day artists, framed murals are located around town for all to pay homage to honor these famous painters and the celebration of their work from these parts of the country.

We happened upon these, and off we went in search of as many as we might discover lingering nearby.


My husband, an artist himself has always had a fond affection for Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven's artwork and has attempted to mimic their "style" in the past.

Being a person who can appreciate the rugged wilderness of this country, he appreciates the color bringing alive the true landscape he has viewed and witnessed as he too has traveled through parts of our country where no man has gone before on foot.


He wanted to be sure I captured as many of the murals too, but with my camera in hand and eagle eyes by all to find them in the first place.

The map we were given helped. Our adventurous spirit allowed for the perfect time together, especially when someone declared;

"There's another mural!".



"Scored again!"



....part two coming....