Last Half 2022 – December

Good Morning ALL! How are you this cold Monday morning? I am doing well. Up and dressed and all of that. Today is an office today. Although I am not looking forward to going outside and would rather be tucked under the warm blankets still in bed, it is okay. I am always grateful for the days that I work from home. With a 5 second commute from upstairs to downstairs, more in bed under the covers keeping toasty warm time, lunch break in my own home, drinking my own perked coffee, after work turn off the computer at the end of my work day and I am home. More time at home doing the things I love especially in the evenings. The work/life balance is perfection. We spend so much time over our lifetimes working and away from home. I get it, I understand, we need to work to earn a living to live our lives. Money does not grow on trees, well it kind of does, or at least paper comes from trees although perhaps our money is not made totally from paper anymore. Anyway you get the picture. So I am grateful, grateful that when Mr. Alvin comes home, I will be home. Thankfully I am on Christmas break until January 3, 2023. Perhaps the New Year will have me working from home more, I love being at home. Home is my happy place with the lime green painted office walls to the plants in the kitchen window, I love my house, my home.

Countdown to Christmas: today is Monday, December 19th, 2022 and that brings us to “5” more sleeps till Christmas Eve. 5 more sleeps until I have my family under the same roof for a time. 5 more sleeps until Alvin comes home. 5 more sleeps until we open our gifts. 5 more sleeps until we continue to eat lots more goodies. 5 more sleeps!

Oh, we are almost at the shortest day of the year which is Wednesday, December 21st. We will go to work and come home in darkness. Then the days will start to get longer once again. I hope that the sun will start to shine more. We all need that brightness to fill our daytime.

Well it looks like I have to finish this post and head downstairs to finish getting ready for work. Throw my snack/breakfast/lunch into my backpack.

I hope that you have a wonderful day. Yesterday was a nice day. I did a bit of work and I almost forgot that I had a little furry visitor. Cookie’s Dad reached out to see if she could stay with me while they went to a movie as they were celebrating their son’s birthday. Of course, I said “absolutely.” Miss Cookie came to stay with me. She was looking for Alvin and for her family as she kept jumping up on the chair and looking out of the window. We had some play time, she ate a bit of Alvin’s food and we just hung out. Cookie is an energetic little dog. Her Mom picked her up about 8:15 and we had a little visit. My friend has been working at her new job a lot as of late. An unexpected delight! I had a great Sunday. Bit of work, company and some downtime. Perfection!

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. Definitely need coffee at the office this morning. Something HOT.

It is a NEW YEAR.

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday.

Welcome Wednesday.

Yesterday seemed more like a Monday than a Tuesday.

At work our connection to the INTERNET was down for most of the morning.

We are so independent on the WORLD WIDE WEB.

Not just my office but everyone – everywhere.

The world almost comes to a crashing halt when the connection is lost.

Very sad.

To be so dependant on ONE thing.

Anyway.

 

Last night was cold so I opted for us to stay home after work instead of walking.

Alvin is starting to feel the cold and when it is a certain temperature – we sometimes just stay put.

Otherwise we walk.

Exercise helps to keep us agile and breathing in the fresh air so so good for our lungs.

Walking is good for our bodies, minds and souls.

So we do love to walk whenever possible.

 

I had almost forgot but my friend that sells FIFTH AVENUE JEWELRY or FAC (Fifth Avenue Collection) reminded me that I am hosting a party on February 29th.

Luckily “technology” came to the rescue.

She set up a FACEBOOK party and I invited my friends and family.

I did make a couple of phone calls, okay TEXTS to invite a few more folks.

As someone who is not really a lover of speaking on the telephone, I do like texting.

Keeping in mind ….. to keep them relatively short.

 

Update on baby KOBI, the diarrhea is dissipating and hopefully she is on the mend.

This has been hard on her, Teddy and Aunt J.

Aunt J has scrubbed, wiped and disinfected the house every day to keep the bacteria from growing and spreading.

Fingers crossed and a little prayer or THREE.

 

Well it is getting close to the time for us to head downstairs.

Time to go out and pick up Alvin’s little bundles of good health.

Grab my lunch.

Grab my coat, scarf, boots and mitts.

Purse at the end.

I am grateful to my daughter who gave me this purse that makes into a backpack.

It is very roomy and I use it most especially in the wintertime so that I only have to carry one bag.

 

Happy Wednesday.

Be safe and warm.

Keep each other with kindness and respect.

Have an awesome day.

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

I love these photos …. angling the camera down and looking up …. well I like this look.

My hair has grown quite a lot since the photo was taken.

AL his handsome self.

Living … One day at a time.

Good Morning and Welcome to another Thursday morning.

This one being the 14th day of November 2019.

Can you believe it?

Time feels as though it is passing in hyperdrive.

Super fast.

 

Well this has been sort of an odd morning.

Alvin was up at first about 3:30 a.m. although he did attempt to make me get up prior to that time.

Downstairs we went.

I gave him his glucosamine chew as per usual.

Perhaps that is my problem.

He is taking that as a treat.

But I give him the benefit of the doubt and usually he has to go outside.

I know that if I have to “pee,” there is no holding on for more time.

Bathroom here I come.

So I give him that same consideration, respect, if you will.

After the outdoors and his medicine we went to sleep on the sofa for another 1.5 hours.

It was broken a bit but I managed to get him to lay down until just before 5:00 a.m.

Then it was breakfast and he was in a hurry.

I could not give him his food fast enough.

Then drink of water and outside.

He was in and out several times over the next while as I wrote in my Gratitude Journal and ate my breakfast.

Oh, I share my banana with him ….. he started to get excited as I cut up the banana but I managed to quiet him with only one word.

What the word was now …. perhaps “softly STOP.”

I think it was “STOP” but before even 5:30 a.m. ….. it may very well have been another word.

Anyway, I am babbling.

Can you babble with words?

Of course, you can.

I write as I speak.

Once we came upstairs he seems to have settled down.

I know that last night when he was outside before bed there were a couple of dogs barking in the near distance.

There was also a FULL MOON (or close to it).

Was it the moon causing Alvin’s anxiety last night and earlier this morning?

He is snoozing on his blue blanket so that is good.

All has returned to normal in our house.

Or as close to it as it can be.

 

I am not certain what effect if any, the FULL MOON has on us living creatures.

However, despite being told that the FULL MOON does not have any effect on human’s state of being.

I still think that the FULL MOON has an effect on all living creatures.

The pull of the moon is powerful.

 

Well here we are almost time to go back downstairs and finish getting things together.

Throw the lunch into my backpack purse/bag.

Go outside with Mr. Alvin and clean up any little presents from earlier and see if he needs to go again.

I do not want to bother him as he looks so darn cute laying on his little blue blanket.

Oh my darling boy.

 

I hope that you have a dreamy Thursday filled with only goodness.

Remember it is the duty of each one of us to treat all living creatures with kindness and respect.

Just because a creature cannot speak/communicate like you and me does not mean that they should be dismissed as lesser than.

No, it does not.

We all need each other.

 

Always, Carol & Mr. Alvin

 

One of my favourite photos of me and Mr. Alvin.

I shall treasure forever ….

Thought for the day…..

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 25th day of April, 2015.

Well guess what happened overnight?

Can you guess?

Coloured rain?

IT SNOWED.

OH no!

Well on the good news front it pretty much melted as it reached the ground.

Just a light layer on the patio furniture, windshields on the neighbouring vehicles and on the grass.

I am so happy and grateful that the young man arrived at my door last night from Canadian Property STARS and aerated both the front and the back lawn.

Perfect timing.

It was kind of funny that two days ago I tossed around the idea of having another company come and possibly do the aeration and maybe power rake.

Last spring CPS did our lawn and it did not really do much but then again I did not water much as I was depending on the rain.

The young man who aerated the lawn last night did a much better job so I think we are going to have beautiful lush grass.

YAY.

Well the weekends are now my favourite days of the week.

I am at HOME.

I love being at HOME.

I am happiest at HOME.

Cleaning ….. writing ….. visiting …… WALKING with ALVIN……making jewellery……cooking and all of the things that I can do at home.

Home is my most favourite place on this EARTH.

I am happy to be at home with a long to do list for this Saturday.

But I can take my time ….. no rushing ….. I can stop for a coffee break …… stop and go for a walk ….. do things in whatever order I wish.

Oh how I am loving this Saturday.

Alvin is loving having me at home now – I can just tell.

I am loving being at home with him.

Tomorrow my beautiful daughter and grand-puppies are coming for brunch/breakfast which will be “pancakes” …. her favourite and then a trip to COSTCO.

YAY …. what a grand weekend.

Well time to go and grab that coffee and perhaps start the laundry.

I think that sounds fine.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that I was in the throes of making banana muffins when the young man arrived on my doorstep to do the lawn ….. he went home with some muffins.  He was so excited.  I was excited that he would want them.

It was funny ,I put four in a plastic container and when I saw all of the guys climbing into the van (with the trailer hauling the equipment), I asked if he would like more to share as he unzipped his backpack, and placed the container inside, he said “just for me” and smiled.

Nice young man.

GREAT NIGHT had by ALL.

Today is a great day and I hope that you are enjoying this Saturday as well.

No matter what the weather …. just do your thing.

Happy Saturday.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Special Hello to: my daughter and family ….. we miss you guys.  Still seems strange to wake up and no one else in the house except Alvin…..

Always, Carol and Alvin

My thought for the day……

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 21st of February, 2015.

The sky is partially overcast.

ODE TO THE FALL – THAT ICE

The ground is covered with a crusty blanket of snow.

Underneath is a sheet of ice covering most sidewalks.

I found this out last night when I walked home from the bus stop.

Falling twice and by the grace of my backpack I remained unscathed.

Thankfully only my pride and ego were harmed and only briefly.

It is funny how you can be walking so carefully and those tiny snowflakes so gracefully covering the gleaming patches of ice and then WHOA you are down.

You look around and there is no one there.

You want to cry for a moment and then you do not when you realize that you are unharmed.

Then you breathe a sigh of relief that your body is undamaged.

Then you continue taking those careful steps ….

Almost home I can see the light on my porch ……

Getting a big cocky and then down again….

So not once but twice.

So grateful for the backpack and the extra padding on my body at this time of year.

I decide to walk on the street for the rest of the way and then finally I take those safe steps down my walk ….

I know there is no ice as we removed it the night before …..

I arrive at home ….

I am safe ….

The pups greet me at the door …..

Time for tea and to relax.

I am home ……

 

Special Hello to: all those folks who must walk home from the bus on icy streets – take care.

Always, Carol and Alvin