The Friday Exhale: 5 Thoughts on the Week

I love the shadow play in this picture. It makes me think of time passing, minutes, hours, days and seasons.

The wood was used by my father when he worked on scaffolding. One of my brothers planed it, finished it and installed it in my home. I love having it as a reminder of the hard and creative work that my father was so good at. He was an excellent bricklayer and when he worked on a project he could “see” the finished product in 3D in his head. He understood exactly what steps needed to be done to get to the finish. I think he would have been a very good architect or engineer if he had had the opportunity. He was very good at math and he could see how something needed to be built and how the different aspects of a project came together.

What do you do to expand or develop your creativity? – Cris

I was shocked to come across this. It is hilarious. Once again, my question, “Am I the only one?!” has been answered. Clearly, the answer is, no, I am not the only one whose sentences have a rambling, just be patient and I’ll get to the point in my own way, structure.

Seriously though, I have wondered sometimes if my syntax has to do with English not actually being my first language. Although I was born in Toronto, my first language was Italian because my parents were newly-arrived immigrants and spoke little English. Or . . . is it that I’m impatient to interject the next thought that’s come into my head and often don’t wait for the next sentence to say it? – Maria

Currently, my favourite kitchen appliance, besides my perenially favourite spatulas, is my immersion blender. I’ve only had it for a few years, and very quickly I wondered how I ever did without it. My favourite aspect of it is that when I smush soups, cooked apples, etc. they turn out looking good! Doesn’t often happen with me, so I was so excited when I first made this tomato rice soup and it looked just like the photo that accompanied the recipe! I was thrilled!

There is an old blender in my mother’s kitchen, which she has had for many years. It is similar to the image on the left. It still works reasonably well. She may have used it to smush the beans she often put in soups in order to disguise them. We did not like beans much when we were little.

Do you have a favourite kitchen appliance? I would love to know why you like it. – Maria

I am very grateful to have been an English teacher. Although it was hard work, sometimes a bit overwhelming, especially at this time of year, and I didn’t like a lot of the peripheral but necessary bureaucracy, I loved the core of teaching: helping teenagers learn, not just about words and how to assemble them coherently and thoughtfully, but also challenging them to learn more about themselves.

Also, I found out about so many fabulous writers and thinkers, such as Maya Angelou. I would love to have met her. Her words are a reminder that kindness, enthusiasm and a smile have a far longer and wider ripple effect than we may think. – Maria

If you’re a fan of BBC podcasts like I am, you’ve maybe listened to a podcast episode starring Michael Mosley. I’ve been having a wonderful time listening to his Just One Thing podcast over the past few months and so, I was shocked to learn about his death this past week while he was on vacation in Greece. I learned about his death in the introduction to his Just One Long Thing episode with psychologist Paul Bloom. Sad and shocking. Maybe I’m being selfish, but I feel like his listeners, me included, are losing so much. Michael Mosley was such a warm, funny, enthusiastic and sincere host. His podcasts were informative, interesting and full of small ways to improve your health. Berries, he said, should be a dietary staple and they are for me.

One of my favourite podcasts was his Deep Calm series. 5 episodes, each focusing on one thing you can do to calm your mind and body. “Using Your Breath” and “Using The Power of Nature” were my favourites.

If you’ve not listened yet, I recommend you go to your podcast app and look up Just One Thing. The episodes are short, usually around 15 minutes, and great to listen to on a short drive or while doing the dishes. – Cris