Friday Two Cents: If Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade
March 17, 2017 Leave a comment
My innermost thoughts I wish to share. These things Inspire me, maybe they will inspire you.
March 17, 2017 Leave a comment
September 3, 2016 2 Comments
July 4, 2015 Leave a comment
Yet I cannot help think about a few of the students in my classrooms and what they asked me. I usually teach kindergarten and this year an early primary class. In the classroom I used a puppet to help me teach the lesson. It is a purple monster with green horns that I named George. Now George sounds like Goofy and is a little silly but the students love him. He doesn’t teach the lesson, I usually have him introduce it to get their attention. I also use him as a reminder about manners and how to act in the classroom.
Every day I am with the students they always ask where is George or if he can come out and play with them. They ask me questions such as, “Are you George’s daddy? What does he like to eat? Why is he so silly?” you get the picture. But there is one question they do ask from time to time. “Do you take George on vacation with you?” I am bit surprised by this question but I guess that if they take their stuffed animals on vacation with them they may think I do too, so I say yes. But then they ask if I have any pictures of George on vacation and I have to admit to them that I do not.
As they where asking me this question it made me think; maybe wherever I go this summer I should bring George and take some pictures of where he goes. Therefore this year as I go around Ontario I will bring George with me and document where he goes on vacation. This way if they ask again if I take him on vacation I can show them that he does get around. You are all probably thinking I’m crazy and acting like a kid, but I guess I am just a kid at heart. (Or I’m just in touch with my inner child.)
Well a good place to start is in my hometown of Toronto. This past week they held their annual Ribfest. For those of you who have not been to a ribfest before, you do not know what you are missing. They have rides for the kids, live shows and other entertainment. They also have food vendors that sell things like funnel cakes (deep-fried pancakes), ice cream and Bloomin’ Onions, a whole onion dipped in batter and deep-fried. It may not sound healthy but it tastes like onion rings and it is sooo good.
The best part is the rib trailers. They have these people who compete at other ribfests all over North America to see if their ribs are the best. There are vendors/competitors from across Canada of course but also from places in the United States such as Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Texas and New Mexico. There are no shortage of ribs places, the biggest problem is choosing which one you want to try. Or you can do what some told me while waiting in line. Many people buy a small amount of ribs from different venders to see which one has the best ribs.
They sell different amounts of ribs from a full rack (about 12 ribs) to half racks and a 1/3 rack. They also sell roast chicken and pulled pork, some places by the pound. I for one can eat about a half rack at best, especially if I get beans, coleslaw and cornbread with it. Even if you have a 1/3 of a rack from each vender, that is still a lot of ribs.
If you ever get a chance to go to a ribfest somewhere, I strongly recommend it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some ribs to finish off. Oh and so does George.
July 25, 2014 2 Comments
Many people have asked me what I will be doing over the summer when school is out. They would ask, “Are you going away on vacation?” I would answer mostly resting, working on some home renovations and traveling around Ontario. They would say, “What you are not going away on vacation?” I say yes, camping, visiting local communities in Ontario such as Stratford, Niagara on the Lake, Wine country, and other places on overnight trips. But many of the responses I got were, “Oh that’s not going away.”
But I would beg to differ. Going to different places around your home like Niagara or camping in a campground is going away on vacation. If going away means leaving your home for a day or more to visit a different community than your own, then what is the difference between going to Florida, Europe or just an hour and a half drive out-of-town?
There is so much to see and experience within driving distance from home (Toronto), many people fail to see it. This past week I went with friends to their trailer up north near Lafontaine, that is near the Midland area. The scenery and experience are very different from camping in a tent, yet it was very enjoyable. We still got to cook outside, go for walks and enjoy each other’s company around the fire. But we also went on an excursion to Port McNicoll outside of Midland Ontario. There we went for a tour of a grand old ship called the S.S. Keewatin. It is a steamship built-in Scotland in 1907 and then sailed the great lakes from 1907 until 1965. She was build 5 years before the launch of the Titanic yet she has the same design style as many passenger ships of her day similar to the Titanic. She carried passengers and freight during this time and she is now the last steam ship float and a great piece of Canadian history.
Today she is a floating testament to those days a century ago. Volunteers are slowly restoring Keewatin to her former glory and I have to admit they are doing a great job. They are restoring the passenger accommodations to the time periods the ship would have sailed. They have the turn of the century, World War One, the 1920s, 30s, World War II, post war, 1950s and 60s. Many may recognize the Keewatin in a Murdock Mysteries episode where she played herself. They still have a lot of work ahead of them but what they have done so far is truly inspirational.
I took quite a number of photos of the Keewatin and there is a website http://www.sskeewatin.com/home/ , where you can get further information.
just a place to share some thoughts
Never get lost in the Sauce
Music, education, and philosophy
My innermost thoughts I wish to share. These things Inspire me, maybe they will inspire you.
the body politic: musings and meanderings
Official Website of Luciana Cavallaro
Writer & Editor
Where Imagination Becomes Realality
Monsters, Jokes, Analogies
The journeying of a literary hopeful
Thinking deeply about education
I made the impossible easy in both worlds!
Indulge- Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences
Spreading the Power of Belief
Stories, Dreams, Imagination, Soul
The writer gives life to a story, the reader keeps it alive.
.... my journey to a healthy life, making new memories and so much more