TWO WEEKS and counting down!

The count down has begun!

Which means the holidays are over for this year.

It's time to leave the forest for the city.

But it's not all sad ...

for I will get to meet a lot of new you's

and a whole bunch of familiar ones.

I have already started and I want to 

welcome all of you brave persons to 

the Centre communautaire Laurent-Venne.

I met most of you this past Monday evening.

I really enjoyed sharing with you my views 

on the teaching of ESL.

I also want to thank you for answering all my questions

and being so candid about your personal experiences

with the English language.

I want to wish you all a great fall session!

I had a good feeling about our first meeting

and a great big THANK YOU for listening so attentively.

SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS!

Monday, September 26 for some of you

and

Tuesday, September 27 for all you members of UTA!

Suzanne

THREE CATS ... What's next ??!!

WHAT A HAPPY SCENE!

I wish !!!

I am surrounded by cats!

As most of you know, whenever my friend Sylvie 

goes on holidays (on vacation), I am the designated 'cat-sitter'.

But this time around I have also become a cat owner.

You have all met LuLu, Lucien, my very cute furry friend!

Well, not so cute as I soon found out.

The moment I introduced him to my friend's two cats,

'all Hell broke loose'! (idiom)

I'm not kidding, my friendly and cudly kitty cat 

became this ferocious wild animal!!

A screaming and screeching very territorial 'lion'.

WOW! 

I wasn't expecting such conflict

nor animal behaviour.

Class management with 32 adolescents 

in full hormonal change and in defiance of authority mode

ARE EASIER TO MANAGE!!!

So there's my cool and calm Sunday morning 'shot to bits' (idiom)

 or 

as we often say in French: Gone to Hell (idiom)

or

Gone to the dogs (idiom) How ironic when talking about CATS ;) 

This adventure has not yet a happy ending

as I am here for a few more days.

In the meantime I thought that a cat joke 

or cat humour would be appropriate ...

Have a great day!

S:)zanne

*** NOTE:  check idioms that use the word HELL

HERE I AM ...

I am deeply sorry that I haven't communicated for quite a while!

I want to apologize to all of you who worried 

and got upset not having heard from me.

Sooooo Sorry! Didn't mean to cause worry.

Now ... having said that, 

here is the latest that I wote a few days ago

before descending on Montréal.

Hi! To all of you out there … Well maybe not today!

Is is raining wherever you are?

It’s raining here at the cottage. It doesn’t really matter today after a succession of beautiful sunny days. My plants and flower boxes needed a good soaking!

I’m doing fine here in the mountains! I have spent a lot of time outdoors since I arrived at the beginning of May. I just can’t believe how time is flying by!!! I’ve been very active mostly gardening. I started by raking the last of the leaves left last fall on the grounds. I’m trying to create a compost pile for next year. I also prepared a lot of spaces for most of the annuals that I will be planting, like lupins, rudbekias and a lot of wild flowers. I started them all from seeds.

I have also garnished the balcony railing with some very colourful flower boxes filled mostly with impatients and some vines. There’s not as much sun on the deck so I have to plant accordingly.

After organizing the outdoors, I then stated on the inside. A lot of work there too!! I’m trying to create my own decoration with terribly decorated 1970’s style flooring and wall panelling! Very dark and depressing, you know the one that imitates wood, yuk!!! That has kept me busy over the last two weeks. I’m trying to convince the owners to let me paint it all white to brighten up the space, that will be the last step and a major one at that!

Now that everything is pretty well settled, I have to mention Lucien of course. He is the cutest Siamese! He follows me around keeping me company and letting me know of his presence. He has settled in here very well. He has his own little routine, but most of the time he is busy watching the birds and the squirrels and the chipmunks. I installed some bird-feeders, so there’s a lot of action out there! He is quite content moving from the deck to indoors.

He is fun to have around and I have taught him a few tricks for treats!! He now shakes his paw to say ‘Hello!’ Very smart cats, Siamese!

Tomorrow I will be heading to the City for the weekend.  I’m going to run away from all the noisy neighbours that think that because they are in the country that nobody can hear them … Naha!! Dealing with stupidity is a bit too much for me after all these weeks of peace and quiet and the song birds!

Have a great St-Jean Baptiste holiday with your friends and your loved ones.

Still thinking of you!

Suzanne 

SHAKING and MOVING !

What a sad Monday !!

Is it really spring ?

Of course Murphy's Law got to me this morning! 

I could have packed the car up yesterday, 

moving all my plants up North for the summer ... but I didn't! 

Procrastination got the best of me 

and I opted for leaving it till today  :(

So this morning I'm restling with the North-Eastern wind 

and the rain and the cool weather.

I never seem to make things easy for myself 

when it comes to practical and common chores.

I guess that I have a more artistic personality.

So I'm taking a few minutes to write this and 

to let you know that I'm still writing and posting on my blog. 

Things have slowed down for the moment and 

I want to assure you that I'll be writing all summer. 

Once I am settled down and using my intellect 

instead of my muscles, which is not bad in itself, 

but you understand!!

I'm here and keeping in touch!

Happy sunny times are ahead!

Suzanne

BRING ME SUNSHINE ...

This song I dedicate to all the mothers in our lives.

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY to all you great MOMS!!!

Click on the title of this post, the one above and

it will link you to the music video.

Below you will also find the HAPPY lyrics to this song.

BRING ME SUNSHINE ….

Bring me Sunshine, in your smile,

Bring me Laughter, all the while,

In this world where we live, there should be more happiness,

So much joy you can give, to each brand new bright tomorrow,

Make me happy, through the years,

Never bring me, any tears,

Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above,

Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love.

Bring me Sunshine, in your eyes,

Bring me rainbows, from the skies,

Life's too short to be spent having anything but fun,

We can be so content, if we gather little sunbeams,

Be light-hearted, all day long,

Keep me singing, happy songs,

Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above,

Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love.

HAVE FUN!
Suzanne

MOTHER'S DAY

Here is a very short POEM 

that I thought would 'hit the spot'.

Whether you are a 'mom' or not,

we are all mother's at heart.

   

There are ...

Hundreds of stars in the pretty sky,
Hundreds of shells on the shore together,
Hundreds of birds that go singing by,
Hundreds of lambs in the sunny weather.
Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But ...

THERE IS only one mother the wide world over. 

--By George Cooper

Today of all days, loads and loads of love!

If like me, your mother is no longer with you,

may she be as present as she was 

in your heart and in your memories.

Suzanne 

A QUESTION OF IDENTITY?

A CASE of MISTAKEN IDENTITY or MISINTERPRETATION 

 A 'quid pro quo' always makes for a fun story! Here it is.

Dylan is in line waiting (in a queue) at his local supermarket when all of a sudden, he notices that the very good-looking (dishy) redhead behind him in the queue has just raised her hand and is giving him a big 'Hello'.

He is rather taken aback that such a ‘looker’ would be waving to him, and although her face is vaguely familiar, Dylan can't place where he might know her from, so he says, ‘Sorry, do you know me?’

She replies, ‘I could be mistaken, but I think that you might be the father of one of my children.’

Dylan's mind shoots back to the one and only time he had been unfaithful, ‘Good Grief!’ he says, 'Did we meet at Frank’s bachelor party in Toronto?’ Dylan continues, 'When I was released from the police station that night and got back to the hotel room, you had left!'

‘No!' she replies smiling … ‘I'm your son's English teacher.'