GETTING BACK to NORMAL ...

                                  HI! to all of you!

                    How are YOU doing!

NOTE: If you are a NEW visitor /student, don't forget to CLICK on links and don't forget to  READ OUT LOUD. If you have problems pronouncing a word  CICK on this PARROT

 or go to the right column and click on image of Parrot.

 

After two weeks of drama, and I mean DRAMA!!!

my life is getting back to a more normal  NORMAL!

I am very tired and I need to build my energy

back up and running smoothly!

 

I am a very passionate person as you very well know

but for the past two weeks...

 'pressure' has replaced passion,

frustration has replaced patience :(

This is what I am doing right now and I am getting

some very needed help and support from some of you!
 

So I am still an English teacher, but otherwise,

an independent teacher and a new 'entrepreneur',
that's sounds French, doesn't it,  and it is !
We also borrowed this word and use it in English.
Try the 'parrot' again for the English pronunciation.
 Use it (howjsay.com) as often as you want and need to.
But I digress here ... it's the teacher in me!!

 

Being independant has a great advantage:
no more 'bosses', except for my students! 

 

I also needed HELP getting used to

my new WINDOWS 8 interface (no.4 definition)

WOW!! What a patience tester!!

Here I want to thank Diane Plasse.

Remember her? She's the one that accepted

that we all correct her email and 'light her lantern'!!

Diane has spent some time with me and helping

as best she can, through some important difficulties

using my new WORD 2013 program for documents. 
 Update: I also got this contact  from Hélène Parent.
Réseau d'information des Aînés du Québec ,
which helps you with online tutorials for WINDOWS 8
for a small annual fee:  www.riaq.ca,
it mat help some of you soon. THANKS Hélène!

SOOOO ... I'm slowly moving forward,

emotionally, personally and professionally.

NOW here is HOW you CAN help me today!

PLEASE let me know if you are coming back

for the fall ESL session starting in October.

UP TO NOW I have received

some confirmations from your classmates...

a YESSS! from you is very WELCOMED. 

NOTE: For the moment, I don't want to open the groups 
to the general public, only and if it is necessary.

Because I don't want to disturb the class dynamics.
It is EXCELLENT as is! WE are all used to one another

and YOU are used to my way of teaching.

So let me know ASAP what you want to do!

 THANKS for your cooperation and

don't forget that you are most WELCOME BACK!!!

Let's continue working together to reach your goals! 

Have a great weekend!

SUZANNE 

P.S. If you have some more personal questions to ask me, send me an email or your phone number and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

NOTE: Don't worry about your personal work (texts), next week I will get back to publishing and posting them.
NOTE: If you have already signed up for the fall classes, you need not confirm, it has been noted. THANKS!

AFTER MANY LOYAL YEARS...

Good Friday morning to you all!

                                       Today I am  in mourning ...

After many years of loyal service my PC has done its last job ... and has decided to 'retire' without asking me or telling me in advance :( Actually there were a few signs...) Sounds like another recent event in my life as a teacher ...but that is another totally different experience and story that I will not get into today.

Yes ... or should I say:" Oh! NOOOO!", my dear computer has finally expired! I am sooo sad.  My life as a teacher has been upset by this tragedy :(  for I have not been able to communicate with you for a whole week! And as Charlie Brown would say: "Good grief!" (oxymoron). Some of you have already reacted and are in a state of agitation and distress. What is going on? What has happened to my teacher? Something is not right!!

 

   Well here I am!

And this morning I am using my new laptop or notebook as it is called today! It is quite a stressful situation ... to say the least! Of course all the options that I have now at my disposal are all updated but ... GEEEZ! I didn't ask for it! I was quite well off with my 'old' Windows XP! I could actually work with my eyes closed that I was so familiar with every button I used... AHHHH! Now I have this super, dooper Windows 8 and I am pushing a lot of buttons and getting nowhere for the moment!

As we say in American English:" If it ain't broke, why fix it!"

 

So there it is! This is the latest news and

I will be in front of my PC for  a while

trying to find my way home again!!

 (expresson: before I can feel at ease
working with the new one).

Have a great weekend and please come back next week

 to read some new posts from my students.

LOVE TO YOU ALL

SUZANNE

MY LOVE OF GARDENING!

In this post Luce takes her love of flowers 

and gardening to another level. 

This is the real thing, it is PASSION in its purist form. 

This is a perfect activity for Luce because I know 

that she adores being outside and I also know 

of her priority for the environment! Another plus ...

 she can also share this love of flowers with her LOVE!!

The JOY of GARDENING!

       by Luce Goulet

 Plants, flowers and gardening are a passion of mine.

 A few years ago, I took a course in bio-gardening for growing vegetables and flowers. I have also  designed flower beds, footpaths, patios, lawns, ponds and vegetable gardens.  This exercise requires precision and takes time, before I do the outside work.

   I take stock of and list all the living plants.  Also I have to determine where the sun will be from dawn to dusk.  I then decide my favourite colors and harmonize them with their complimentary in colors.  I select trees and  shrubs with special care and check their maturity.  I am always careful about placing and  taking care that the tall plants are  behind the smaller ones.  All this is done on paper and drawing before planting since we do not want to start over. 

   I do the  planning with reference to a gardening botanical guide.  My priority, low maintenance.  I have a lot of perennial flowers and rustic plants with long blooming flowers.  I change the colors and the style of the annuals every year.  I use huge planting pots, grass border, the space under the trees, around the pond also in the vegetable garden because some specific plants to keep away some undesirable  bugs and prowlers.

   My partner who also share my love of gardening, created the pond first with many stones and laid a geo-textile. Water adds a unique sound and brings tranquility to the garden.  It has been my best idea! The sound from the fountain provides serenity and we have spent long periods of time observing the birds drinking and bathing.

   We have the privilege of having a drip hose in the vegetable garden and in the flower beds.  We have installed probes to determine the  humidity and water levels too. The grass doesn’t need as much attention because my garden is my priority. My partner also built a system to collect rain water in four big forty-gallon drums, which in turn fills up the pond.  The huge flower pots have a system of water reservoirs to keep the soil moist and In the flower beds, the compost acts as mulch.

   I have approximately sixty different  kinds of plants but I don’t know the exact quantity because I plant them in bunches to create eye-catching blooms.  In the vegetable garden we plant seventy kinds of vegetables. 

  My partner and I use a lot of compost on the ground and mix it up because we DO believe in bio.  In the kitchen I keep all the table-scraps in two jars: one for worm composting and the other for vegetables. The worm composting is the most suitable, with this system the urine is separated from the feces. We use the worm composting to make a planting mix and the urine to fertilize.

  I’ve just recently started sowing annuals. From these seedlings I will get alyssum, begonias, coleus, verbena and some perennials. My partner has started some heritage seeds like: shallots, radishes, salads, turnips, kale, fennel, basil, Italian parsley, Espelette peppers, ground-cherries and different kinds of tomatoes and beets.

  I spend wonderful times and  magic moments observing all of them grow!  It’s inspiring to see nature grow from such small seeds to beautiful and delicious plants. 

 

It’s my favourite time of the year and 

this way  I always begin my summer earlier.

MY PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

As a teacher and a person that can appreciate 

the experience of life because of our 'advanced' years.

I love listening then reading once again here

about my students' life experiences.

They are all retirees and considered as seniors.

What makes it more interesting is that

their experiences are those of mature, established

 and experienced persons.

Their vues on life have been influenced 

by their personal experiences through the years

 and have attached to them,  a 'touch' of wisdom.

Here is Irène's story!

What I am the most proud of  in my life.

By Irène Mongeon

                                 

                                       

   When I decided to choose the topic, two subjects come to mind: my career and my university studies because during the last thirty-five years I might have given too much but there are no regrets!

 I studied four years at university and obtained a licence and a bachelor’s degree in nursing. I began my career as a paediatric nurse for a few years. Then I had the opportunity to teach during my employment. I worked in different departments at Notre-Dame Hospital. Sometimes, it was a difficult job because there were a lot of unexpected things but the challenge was rewarding. The hospital management often gave me huge tasks and projects; I preferred organizational development.

  One day the nursing director asked me as a head-nurse to restructure a department. I had learned about management and had worked a lot on development and it had become my passion. In the meantime, I completed a master’s degree in education. This period of my life was very demanding and there was no time for leisure. This experience was successful and gave me the confidence to go ahead for a big change.

   I left this hospital where I had worked for eighteen years and began working in the universe of human resources. I loved working for the growth of individuals. Years passed, I worked in small and large health establishments, such as CH, CHSLD, CLSC, CHP. I often had heavy caseloads and my work included various challenges. I was always fulfilled working for the advancement of individuals and organisations.

  In order to help me more, I studied in creativity. This certificate taught me many ways of seeing things and creative methods in teaching or solving problems. At the same moment, for four years, I was president of a Human Resources Group representing six regions of Quebec. This work group’s  mission was to talk to members of organisations with the same objectives of human resources and individual development were present. We offered our services to members including resourcing and networking. It has been a very rich experience in my career!

  Studying was never easy, but I’m a determined woman. I realised that my studies allowed me the  best opportunities in the  work field. When I retired, I created my company in human resources development. I had mandates in organizational development. It was a different challenge than  being an employee. I learned a lot in administration and accounting. These last years were rewarding!

  Then the time for retirement came along. I had to help my mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. I took care of her during four years. And again creativity helped me to keep myself balanced. I started painting and drawing once more. And I won two prizes at exhibitions and I sold three of my works. It’s a great activity!

I am so proud of my work throughout the years! 

As your ESL teacher, Irène, I want to acknowledge the HUGE and I mean huge progress you have made at this your third session. I can see that you have a great work discipline and your years of studying is still on going!! I am sure you will get to where you wish to be !  SUZANNE 

A MOMENT of HAPPINESS

FRANCINE has written about A  Moment  of  Happiness.

This is how she recalls this very special moment

and how one of her dreams came true!

I must add that when she told us about this in class,

her classmates spontaneously reacted to her photos

and wanted to know a lot more.

What was surprising ...she was really fluent while adding

 information that wasn’t included in her text.

I personally think, as a teacher, that her presentation

was also another special moment, right there in class!!

Ever since  I  saw the  movie   «  La  Grenouille  et  la  baleine », I  have had  a  dream … to  go  swimming  with  dolphins. So in  January of 2002  my dream came through! I  went  to  Mexico  on  The  Riviera  Maya  with  my  husband. On  January 9, my birthday,  while we were on holiday,  my  husband  decided  to  give  me  a  special  gift.  We  reserved  a  day  trip  with  a  French  guide  and  the  day  of  my  56  years ,  my  dream  finally  came  true . That  day ,  I  went  swimming  with  dolphins  at  the  Interactive  Aquarium  of  Cancun. It was  a  fantastic  experience!

First,  we  visited  the  Aquarium .  We  saw  starfish , sea  urchins  and  a  lot  of  weird  marine  animals .  I  touched a  baby  shark , a  sting-ray … a  big  and  very  ugly  sting-ray. Then I approached the pool. My  husband  was on  a  small  bridge  above  the  pool  with  camera in hand.   We  were  a  group  of  12  people. The  instructor  explained  what  we  had  to  do while in  the  pool . He  spoke  just  in  English  but  our  French  guide  repeated the   explanations  in  French  to  be  sure  that everything   was  clear  for  everyone.

We then went  into  the  pool .  While  a  group  of  six persons  were  playing  in  the  water  with  two  dolphins ,  the  other  group  of  six stayed  by the  pool  with  the  instructor  and  another  dolphin . I  was  in  this  group . The  instructor  gave us a lot of information about  a dolphin’s   mouth , teeth , tongue , the  hole  on  its  head , its  skin  (very  sensitive)  and more. He  showed  us  how  to  feed  a dolphin . Each  of  us  fed   the  dolphin . I  gave  it  a  fish .  After  that , the  instructor  said to   the  dolphin : « You  eat  too  much . You  are  going  to  be  on  a  diet » and  the  dolphin  answered : «  No  diet…No  diet…No  diet…  » It  sounded  like  that! After the lesson, we played  with  the  dolphin .  We  splashed  water  at  the  dolphin .  It  moved  back  or  it  hid  its  head  under  the  water.  After  three  or  four  times ,  the  dolphin   put  its  head  under water  for  a few seconds  then…it  approached  quickly  and  it  splashed  a  lot  of  water  on  us and  it  laughed  and  it applauded  itself.  It  was  cute.

Finally ,  one  by  one , we  had  to  kneel down  on  the  side  of  the  pool  close  to  the  water :  we  were  ready  for  the  «  kiss ».

 I  got down  and  I  put  my  hands  into  a  «  V ».  The  dolphin   approached… I  gave  it  a  kiss  on  its  nose  and  then  I  turned  my  head. The  dolphin   got closer and  gave  me  a  kiss  on  the cheek . Of  course ,  the  photographer  was  there  to  take  a  photo. After  the  kiss ,  I  went  into  the  water  with  my  group : the six of us formed a  large  circle. We  didn’t   go  toward  the  dolphins . Dolphins  swam  around us, behind  us and in  front  of  us. I  was  very  lucky :  a  dolphin  stopped  in  front  of  me  three  times, it  turned  on  its  back  and  I  touched it then I  stroked  it.  It felt like  rubber. A  very  pleasant  moment!

 I  was  more anxious  for  the  next step : the ‘foot  push’. To experience  a dolphin  ‘foot  push’ ,  we  are  in  the  water , one  by  one . We  lay  flat  on  our  stomachs  with  outstretched  arms .  Our  legs  are  also  stretched  out and we  had to  keep  our  legs  stiff , very  stiff . When  we  were ready , two  dolphins  swam  quickly  and  pushed  our  feet  just  under  the  heels . We  were  propelled  out  of  the  water .               

What a  fantastic  feeling! What a terrific  experience!

I  succeeded and I  loved  it!

To  complete  the  activity ,  we stayed  in  the  water  for some  minutes .  The  three  dolphins  did  a  show  just  for  us . They  jumped , skipped ,  danced ,  one  by  one  or  together  . We  finally  made a ‘Bye , Bye ’ sign and the dolphins reciprocated by  passing in  front  of  us  to also say: « Bye, Bye! » with  their  flippers.

I  believe that  I  was  probably  the  oldest  person  in  the  group but… I  am sure that I  was  the  happiest! As  a souvenir , we  got  a  small  sterling  dolphin charm. As I was leaving the the  Aquarium , I  was  very  emotional. I  was  overwhelmed  with joy I  was  so  happy  that for  a  few  hours  after , I  felt like  crying …

DOESN'T everybody

 just LOVE dolphins!!

I personally think that the emotion that Francine felt that day

is a GIFT from this most amazing creature of the seas!

                                   Suzanne
*** Don't forget to COMMENT,
 I'm sure they will appreciate!                             

                                                               

THE MOST AMAZING TRIP of MY LIFE!

HELLO! It'd Friday and today it is Denise's turn.

Denise joined our conversation group this January.

She is  our NEW RECRUIT!! 

And she has been welcomed ever since.

I must give a 'shout out' to all her classmates, 

a very WELCOMING and SUPPORTIVE group of ladies!!

So with that said, here is Denise's description 

of her trip to Namibia with photos included.

NOTE: You can click on photos to ENLARGE them.

Dear Suzanne,

Yes, my ski vacation a few weeks ago was nice because I was with my family but it is not original because skiing is the same whether it be in France or in Quebec. I really want to write about the trip I made last year. I am sure that it is more interesting for your post and the photo-graphy more spectacular.  But if you prefer that I write about my ski vacation,  I will sent it to you tomorrow.

It was the most amazing trip of my life!

 Last year in May. I went to Namibia, the African Diamond.  This  country is situated west of South Africa and south of Angola, on the Atlantic Ocean.  After having landed in Cape Town,  we visited this beautiful city for four days, then we flew to Windoek, the capital of Namibia.

First of all, I have to say that I didn’t want to go on this trip.   It was my husband’s dream to see in person what he had been shown on Animal Planet or the National Geography channel. He  didn’t want to go without me, so I went along with his plan.  I discovered a great experience,  with no frame of reference, in the heart of the most magnificent place on this globe.  It was a thrilling adventure. 

I had always  thought that a safari was to ride  in a ‘jeep’ to see animals, but it’s really more than that. A safari is to see and observe animals with a guide who knows how to find them, he also knows the place  and the time that they drink or follows the droppings in the paths.  It’s easy to find springbucks , giraffes or zebras but a cheetah, a lion, a leopard, a rhinoceros is by far more difficult. Namibia is not only safari.  We visited a tribe, the Himbas, photo above.  It was a very emotional moment to see their primitive way of living. 

The trip was not over, we then climbed the highest red sand dunes , and we descended to the floor of the deepest canyon of Africa and  we also walked in the driest and the oldest desert in the world,  the Namib desert.

So it was a fantastic trip for the wildlife, the geography, the history, the climate and all of that, off the beaten track without feeling like a tourist and especially,  taking the time to listen to the … silence.

                                                                                                  --- DENISE                                                                      

                                                                                                  April 2013

TWO FAMOUS COOKING PERSONALITIES

HI! THERE ... As mentioned in the last post

 here is another text from one of my most improved

and hard working student, Mare-Denise.

I love the fact that MD decided on her own TOPIC!

I'm sure she worked very hard and at the same time,

 I'm sure that she enjoyed the research and the writing.

In doing so,  she has given us some great historic info 

about these ladies, pioneers and legendary women!...

that we might have otherwise missed. THANKS!

I have added  some images 

SUZANNE

Two Famous Cooking Personalities

By Marie-Denise Lapointe

I love cooking meals and I am also very interested in nutrition and by the history of cooking.   I enjoy reading about famous cooking personalities. Today I’m going to talk about two important ladies who have influenced cooking in North America.

In Québec, Jehane Benoît who was born in Westmount, Montréal, in 1904. And in the United States, Julia Child who was born in Pasadena, California in 1912. In 1920 Jehane Benoît went to study at the cooking school “Le Cordon Bleu” in Paris.  She was sixteen years old.  She was very young for this trip; she went with her mother. 

On the other hand, Julia Child in 1948 discovered Paris with her husband Paul Child.  He was working for the United States Information Agency. Child with her husband discovered French cuisine and it was, for her, a culinary revelation. She also studied at “Le Cordon Bleu”.  She then went on, with her friends, to write  a French cookbook for Americans women.

Jehane Benoît not only studied French “cuisine” in Paris. She also studied chemistry, nutrition, cooking techniques and methods.  At age 20, she came back to Montréal  and she opened a bilingual cooking school.   Later she would open the first vegetarian restaurant, le “Salad Bar”.

In 1951 Julia Child with two of her friends opened a cooking school called  “L’école des trois gourmandes” for American women living in Paris. Jehane Benoît and Julia Child were determined ladies.  For their time, they didn’t follow the rules and what was expected of them.

Jehane Benoît was married at 22 but she didn’t stay  many years  with her husband.  She lived at her school with her daughter, Monique.  In 1940 she fell in love  at first sight with Bernard Benoît who was 13 years younger than her. They lived together and they bought a farm in Sutton.  She got married in 1964 after the death of  her first husband.  

In the sixties Jehane Benoît and Julia Child, both had TV shows on cooking.  Mrs. Benoît was on French and English television. They both wrote an encyclopedia of cooking as well. Mrs. Benoît and Mrs. Child were pioneers in their field. Jehane Benoît died at 83, in 1987 and Julia Child died more recently at 92 years old, in 2004.

I learned about Julia Child in 2010 when I went to the cinema to see the movie “Julie and Julia”.  I loved Julia Child’s enthusiasm, passion and pleasure she had for cooking.  

I got to know Jehane Benoît through my mother who watched her TV cooking shows. She bought her “Encyclopédie de la cuisine canadienne”, which came in sections regularly at the grocery store.

  

Today I have talked to you about two ladies that I admire greatly. Both wanted to  ex-plain cooking so that people learned about nutrition as well as the quality and taste of food.

NOTE: You can watch Julia Child TV shows (1991) 

on PBS (Vermont Public Television) every Saturday, at 1:00 PM

 OR, video-clips at PBS.org Have a look!