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Wide Eyes and Wonder: Classrooms as Communities

Wide Eyes and Wonder: Classrooms as Communities: This post is adapted from a presentation given by myself and my teaching partner Shelagh Saunders in May of 2015 at a Kindergarten Leaders ...

Remembering Mom

Holidays seem a good time for memories. This photo is special to me. Taken by our mom, Evelyn, on the concrete step of our home at 421 Mullin Avenue. We were happy kids, and close for the most part.
This is good to remember. It is coming up to the 10 year anniversary of our mom, Evelyn's death. As it draws close - February 27, 2005, I want to do more to remember her with love and gratefulness.

We were blessed with her ability to create a comfortable, clean home with the good smells of her excellent cooking. She was an amazing seamstress, and knitter, and made most of her own lovely, stylish clothing, and knitted us the most wonderful sweaters, mitts and toques and hats.
She was beautiful on both the inside and outside.

I would not be who I am without having had her in my life. She worked hard, she believed in truth, and being real.

She deeply valued family and children. 

She was funny and fun. She was extremely skilled with a hammer and nails. I took this picture of a fence she built at Mullin Avenue, which was still standing in 2012 in the back lane. It's now removed, so I'm kind of happy I got this picture.

Many years later she built a whole bedroom in the basement of another house, by referring to a how to book.

She was always reading. When we were kids, if we had a question she guided us to the  encyclopedia, and was as curious as us to find the answer.

Because of her I read relentlessly, and believe in being a life long learner.

This song from Youtube by Elton John was the song that came to mind for me when I was a young woman and thinking about Mom, and it still says how I feel about her and my brothers, yes and my sweet son Paul. Mom would be over the top thrilled with his fiancee Bela.

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Thank you Mom, 

With love

Rita MacNeil - Let the Bells Ring

Wishing you joy this Christmas!

Another favourite Christmas song with a new interpretation

I have been listening to this on Sarah's cd Winter, with my daycare children. This is beautiful, and different, so think it's a good one to share.

Another favourite song for this season for me, is Mary, sung by Rita McNeil. Paul, my son gave me her a tape called, When the Bells Ring, by Rita McNeill, but I've misplaced it, and cannot find the song, Mary, on Youtube. Does anyone reading here know the song, I'm referring to. I always loved it, and find myself hearing it in my head every Christmas. Rita was such an amazing voice and person.
As Christmas draws closer, I find myself feeling again the sense of mystery and the beauty of the season I remember from growing up. I'm looking forward to attending Christmas eve mass with my son and his fiance, and hearing the story and music again.
Wishing you a Happy Christmas!
Love- B

Song for a Winter Night

I just have a video here to share.
Happy Winter Solstice!
Happy Christmas!
Love - B

My newest developments :)

 Since my last post here, at Mullin Avenue, I've been more busy than usual. I started working with a new group at the daycare center where I work.

I took this photo on Photo Booth, which since I don't have a cell phone is sort of like my version of a "selfie".

  :)

Thanksgiving weekend, which in Canada falls in October, my son Paul helped me set up the new room I would be working in. We washed all the walls, moved heavy furniture, added some special touches, and it began to feel like my space.

Since then I've made more changes. I had to remove the fabric swag, as it continued to fall down. My sweet and kindly coworker would arrive in the early morning find the scarf on the floor. It just wasn't meant to be, no matter how well I tried to refasten it. :)


I joined Facebook, finally, at the suggestion of my son. He thought I might feel more in touch with family through this medium.  I am enjoying it more than I expected. I had been worried I'd spend too much time on the computer, and that I would feel somehow over exposed. But after the first week or so, of exploring, I'm not on much more than before I joined FB.

It is really special to reconnect with my cousins, and see my other family members news more often.

However, blogging is special, because it's possible to tell one's story, in more length and detail
So, I want to get back to blogging and reading my favourite blogs again.

The latest new developments for Artie are that he has shed his lovely silver mane, again this fall, and that he now has a new friend, in Jason, my renter. Good work Arthur.

Herbert has done a lovely job in capturing the heart of my renter, Jason. He is an excellent ambassador for the feline community.

I've had two developments since writing back in July. One is I have found a renter for the spare room in my apartment. Back in the 2nd week of September, a young guy sent me an email requesting if the room I had was still available. By this time I had given up on finding someone, but due to his circumstances he needed a place right away. So, he actually moved in the day he called me, and things are working out very well. He's a young engineering student, from Calgary, and is an excellent renter.

Herbert and Arthur have been goodwill ambassadors the past few months for the world of cats. My renter, Jason had concerns about living in a household of cats. In his culture pets are not acceptable really, and especially in his family. His mom cautioned him about this. As well, Jason was worried about cat hair on his jeans. He decided to move in despite the cats, after looking at several rental opportunities, and then told his mother there was only 1 cat. (?) :)
After the first day, I returned home from work, wondering how events transpired, and Jason had already befriended the cats, and had been especially been enjoying playing with Arthur with his toy mice.

Jason now says, that when he moves he would be willing to adopt Arthur  :)

The second development is that I've made an appointment to see the writer-in-residence at our public library, to discuss my progress with my childrens' picture book about Bessie. I felt this would motivate me to move ahead in some way, and this writer, Arthur Slade seems nice and personable. As well, he has written a series of successful books for young adults.

Well, this is about it for my most recent developments her at Mullin Avenue. 

As well I want to wish my American friends, a very Happy Thanksgiving!


Love from,
Brenda, Herb and Art