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By Ms. G, March 10, 2019 5:03 pm

Almost exactly three years ago we rescued Richard from an impending blizzard at the cottage. He’s a lot calmer now – he even sleeps at times other than nighttime – though I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s more mature.

Richard is a character. He has a tonne of it. He employs it at almost all times, such as when he stares into the sink even when there’s absolutely nothing happening in it. He loves boxes, but he also eats boxes. He finds the corner of the kitchen counter the most exciting place in the world even though there’s not much there except a bowl of bananas. He loves socks, blankets, bathrobes, and all things fuzzy. He gets so obsessed with them that we have to take them away. Okay, so he has OCD and ADHD. We love him the way he is.

Like all good cats, he can lounge anywhere. In piles of laundry, in the laundry basket, beside the phone, on the ottoman on top of my paper work, on the sofa, in the sink…

Last year at this time I wrote about him turning two. Check out how adorable he was (and still is).

We love you Richard! Thanks for picking us.

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By Ms. G, February 18, 2019 3:31 pm

I couldn’t be any luckier to have such an amazing husband. On this, our 13th wedding anniversary, I wish to share his qualities.

Amongst many other attributes, Val is:

• a cat whisperer
• a tech genius
• a selfless guy
• a generous volunteer
• my best friend

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By Ms. G, February 18, 2019 10:45 am

While students were off on Friday, we were at the SWSH/THHSSSC/TGTA pd conference at Bloor CI. It was an amazing day. Our group of volunteer teachers brought it together so well.

We started planning in  September. We meaning THHSSSC – Toronto History Humanities Social Science Subject Council! That’s a mouthful. I’m a proud exec – VP and Treasurer (okay, treasurer is not the most fun job in the world!).

Registration ran smoothly thanks to Kathryn, Aaron, Sue, Alicia, Byron and all the other THHSSCers who helped out!

photo courtesy of Ben Gross

I was proud to be the emcee again this year. I’m so short!

Keynote speaker Desmond Cole really challenged teachers with his talk on why TDSB must stop suspending and expelling Black students. Here he is talking to a group of student volunteers from Bloor CI who had A LOT of questions.

photo courtesy of Ben Gross

Our post-lunch subject association session was really well-attended. We had four amazing books to give away. Hopefully the recipients will come to our next meeting.

Thank you a million times to Luis Felipe, THHSSSC president, and his incredibly helpful teachers and student volunteers at Bloor CI. Thank you to the entire school for putting up with us, especially all that furniture moving. Thank you to my student teacher, Karen See, for helping out at much needed times!

We hope to be at York Mills next year for SWSHpd20!

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By Ms. G, February 17, 2019 8:30 pm

For a belated birthday present (and, is it turns out, an early 13th anniversary present), Val took me to Haute Goat near our cottage!

The visit began with the goats going for a walk and munching on cedar trees while the 15 or so humans watched and took pictures.

At one point they got a bit far ahead of us so the owner had us call them back. And back they came.

After this the goats led us back into their play area where we got more up close and personal with them.

The 250-acre farm also has horses – a few Icelandic ponies included.

A beautiful mane and tail. Well insulated, too!

This lad, Yoda, was one of the highlights of the visit. He was very sweet.

Thanks Val for such an awesome treat! I can’t wait to visit the goats again.

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By Ms. G, January 31, 2019 8:45 pm

Hello everyone! Welcome to my CHY4U class, whether you’re a new student, or familiar with me. I’m really looking forward to a good semester; this will be my third time around with my revised version of grade 12 World History. It’s very different from grade 11 – be prepared for a very different style. If you’re new, the course will hopefully make you realize the incredible horizons of history!

First Activity

If you scroll through my blog you’ll notice that I like to write book reviews. I would like you to write either a book review, a movie review, a documentary review, a YouTube review, a website review, or a tv show review. The one catch is that it has to have something to do with HISTORY! Any time period, not necessarily just 1450-present (the time frame for CHY4U).

Also, please reveal something of yourself in your review: what do you like when it comes to history and reading/viewing? What does this review say about you? Your preferences? Tastes? Personality traits? Interests? Curiosities?

Or, If You Don’t Like That Idea

If a review is not to your liking, write me a blurb telling me which historical time period (and place) you think you would have liked to live in.  My answer is below.

Length: a good paragraph at least – it doesn’t have to be as long as some of my reviews or my sample below.

Send It To Me

My email risa.gluskin@tdsb.on.ca. Please send your review by Monday Feb. 4. As a courtesy, always put a message in your email, not just an attachment. Thank you.

Ms. G: My Historical Time and Place (slightly adapted from a 2016 blog post)

Believe it or not, I have given a great deal of thought to this question: if I had to live in another time period, which would it be? The catch is that I’d have to be of the time period, I couldn’t be presentist about it and say that I wouldn’t have liked to live in Tudor England because the technology was so low. I wouldn’t have known about Netflix and email at that time. So I couldn’t have missed it.

Though the technology would be different, another catch is that my personality would be similar to the way it is now. I’m not a very social person, I think a lot, I am rather moderate with the occasional radical thought. These things matter when I’m thinking about time periods. I would have been okay in the first phase of the French Revolution, expectant with change! However, in the Terror I wouldn’t have liked the extremism and would definitely have feared the guillotine.

Though I absolutely love studying ancient Egypt, I’m not sure I would have survived in that civilization; I’m an atheist and wouldn’t have had the personality for joining into the state religion. However, if I were an ordinary farmer I might have been just fine doing my thing and living my relatively good life along the banks of the Nile, especially as a woman. Perhaps I would not even have had a concept of atheism.

I don’t think I’d have made a good Roman or Greek either. As a woman in ancient Greece, I probably would have had some complaints about how much I contributed to my society yet how little I was valued for it.  The Roman blood lust just wouldn’t have been acceptable to me. I’d have winced at gladiator shows, drawing the ire of my fellow Romans.

A few years ago my final decision was this: Being who I am, I probably would have done best in the 1960s somewhere like Berkeley or San Francisco. It was a time of change and freedom. Young people were standing up for their beliefs, challenging society to become more progressive. Though I wouldn’t have liked the drug scene, and I for sure would have been VERY anti-war (Vietnam), I would have felt like I belonged in the forward motion of history.

Now, I don’t think so anymore. This time, I’m going with the Renaissance. A very appealing possibility is living in Florence or Venice in the late 1400s to late 1500s. There was so much creative license and artistic expression. Even though I’m not a creative person, I think I would have enjoyed the climate of exploration and self-expression. I would have made a good humanist, I think, because I believe education can change people’s lives. Still, there was a lot of emphasis on religion. But it was getting safer and safer to express more secular ideas. As a woman I would have had to be quite extraordinary to make my voice heard. Maybe I could have been a writer.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, a Renaissance masterpiece.

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By Ms. G, January 27, 2019 1:02 pm

Photos courtesy of Val Dodge

From the dining room window at our cottage Val spotted this Common (or Eastern) Screech Owl. He’s doing what he’s supposed to do: sleeping against a tree trunk. Poor little guy; it’s super cold and blowing snow.

I have never seen an owl live in the wild before, though, like most people, I hear them often. This is very exciting.

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By Ms. G, January 19, 2019 3:29 pm

Thanks everyone. We had some ups and downs but you were a fun bunch.

Thanks for putting giraffe in the photo!

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By Ms. G, January 4, 2019 8:28 pm

Watch this video to see what all the fun is about!

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By Ms. G, January 4, 2019 1:30 pm

What do we do in grade 12 history? Check out this video. And see you at Course Fair in February.

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By Ms. G, January 2, 2019 8:18 pm

Other than things I have already posted about – such as our amazing trip to BC – here are a few other memorable events from 2018.

Summer with Val – Bike Trip

Val planned an entire Risa-friendly bike trip in August around Lake Simcoe, from Barrie to East Gwillimbury. Other than the hills near Keswick it was desirably flat.

Even when there was no vegan restaurant around Val cooked for me on his camp stove at Lagoon City.

A great, if obvious, sign from Orillia.

Lindsay and Ian

Lindsay kept the surprise for Ian’s grad party in the spring. Even better, they are now engaged to be married. Looking forward.

Cats

I’m not a big fan of Halloween. Judging by this look, neither is Richard.

Cottage Time

Sunset at Rice Lake.

Out and About in Summer

During the school year I don’t see much of life because I’m at school so long each day. I really tried to get out and about this summer, mostly on my bike.

A heron fishing in the Don River on the trail north from Pottery Road.

An art installation on the Lower Don Trail south of Pottery Road. I love the viaduct in the background. By the way, the Prince Edward Viaduct celebrated its 100th birthday this year. I’m proud to say our street begins at the foot of the bridge.

Mike, our leafy greens guy, at the Peterborough Farmers’ Market. We visited his Tiny Farm some years back. He is such a lovely, positive guy.

Val on the waterfront trail in front of Redpath Sugar. That was my longest ride in the city – 43 km.

Sculptures of three ladies at Zim Art on Rice Lake, an outdoor gallery specializing in Zimbabwean art. The work is incredibly beautiful and diverse.

This graffiti on the trail near Davisville subway station was my inspiration for the cover of Rapport. I’m not usually a positive person but I liked its message for these troubled times.

The young artist Lacey Todd took inspiration from the photo and came up with this cover for November’s Rapport. I am now happily retired from editing Rapport. I met Lacey in December and she’s a lovely girl.

Everything else that I enjoyed I already posted about. No need for repetition. Happy 2019.