Last Half 2022

Good Morning ALL! It is a gorgeous morning. Another beautiful day, not too hot, just perfect. The sun is shining, there is a cool breeze and the Crows are cawing as they fly around the neighbourhood. My daughter and grand pup Milo are just waking up. My daughter did get up a bit ago to get some food for Milo. Alvin and I were up first about 4:40 and then just after 5:30 (he ate his breakfast then and had some meds). I am so over the moon happy to report that Mr. Alvin seems to have made a full recovery. Definitely close to 100% that is for sure. He has already finished two of the three medicines. Only the probiotics are left. He has a ten day supply of them and just finished day 5. I definitely have found that my thoughts are in fact my future, so I am, I have to change that. Keeping my thoughts focused on my dreams, the way that I want to live my life and away from the opposite. Oh, it is so very easy to say something negative about a situation or about someone but when you put the shoe on the other foot, it seems to be the opposite. Now shouldn’t it be much easier to say nice things, to act in a positive manner all of the time? One would think so, but I have found, not. But I no longer wish to keep dipping into that dark abyss where negativity is the norm. I want to get my JOY back, to speak only kind and happy words, to think only positive thoughts. So here we go. Training my brain to refocus. Please do not think that I have been thinking dark nasty thoughts and running around throwing things, that is not the case. I only want to keep those 60,000 some odd thoughts near to all being positive and good ones.

Today is the 40th birthday of one of my fellow coworkers, Happy Birthday Melanie. Happy Birthday to my great nephew Brandon who turns 18 years today. Wow, I can remember turning 18 and 40. I cannot believe that little boy has graduated High School and is 18 years old. Where does the time go? Happy Birthday to all those celebrating today. Best Wishes.

Last night we girls had a little late supper as Amanda went grocery shopping after work for us both with a quick stop at Value Village. We had black bean burgers on lettuce, oh my, how yummy! The lettuce was from my daughter’s garden which made it all the better. We made an apple crisp for dessert which we ate after 9:00 p.m. There was coffee on the deck in between and she cut my hair. Which I guess is a work in progress as she wants to do more this morning. I want to give Mr. Alvin a trim as now I have the new blade for his electric clipper. Part of my haircut last night was using the new blade, so nice to have a sharp one again. Makes life so much easier. My daughter also would like me to trim her hair in the amount of about two inches. We had so much fun last night with the hair cutting. I almost peed my pants, I laughed so hard. Alvin and Milo just say there – wondering what the heck was going on! It was late when we went to bed but that never stops Mr. Alvin from getting up early to eat. He has an alarm clock sitting in his belly, I think, lol.

I want to take Mr. Alvin for a walk before it gets too late. Temperatures are reasonable all day so I guess we could go later but there is something about the morning air. The smell and the coolness of the breeze. Maybe we will leave the sleepy heads and go ourselves. That would be okay, too. I also need that cup of coffee. I drank coffee minutes before bed and it certainly did not keep me awake.

Well I should get going. There be things to do. Empty the dishwasher. Do some laundry today. Walk. Coffee. Live our life. So happy that my daughter and grand pup are visiting and that they spent the night. I love having them with us.

Have an awesome Saturday.

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

Always coffee.

My favourite beverage.

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: Now only 17 sleeps until my 65th Birthday. I wonder what that will be like? Great, I would think.

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 21st day of April, 2018.

As April winds down and we edge closer to summer, I am reminded that soon we shall be running outside in flip flops and there will be leaves on the trees.

It has seemed as though it would never happen this year but as the temperatures slowly begin to rise in the + double digits, and the snow begins to melt, here is hope.

Yesterday my daughter picked me up from work.

Oh, how I love our conversations on the ride “home.”

We both try to remember the things that we have wanted to share in person.

Sometimes one or both of us “forget” and that is okay.

We have decided that it is not an “old mind” that can forget but that all minds do.

She was feeling a bit “peckish” and had both an apple and orange in her bag.

We were not able to wash the apple in the car so I decided that I could peel the orange for her to eat.

We laughed oh how we laughed.

I somehow managed to get the orange peeled without creating too much mess.

I had my trusty tupperware lunch bag with me which has a washable inside.

All of the peels were tossed inside the bag.

Now breaking the orange into bite sized pieces was a bit more of a challenge.

With only the odd squirt of orange juice.

We just laughed.

As I was handing her a piece of orange at the RED STOP LIGHT a truck stopped alongside us.

I am certain he saw us and I hope that the feeding of the orange brought a smile to his face.

The orange hit the spot.

What fun.

All on the way for a quick stop at COSTCO.

I think that everyone had the same idea as there were a TON of people at COSTCO.

Somehow we managed to zip in and zip out in pretty good time.

Back at the house Alvin was waiting for me.

I had mentioned that we should just park in the garage, as we had all the groceries to carry into the house but my daughter forgot in the moment, and started to pull in by the front of my house.

I could see Mr. Alvin stand up in his chair at the window.

He knows her car.

So cute.

We went around to the garage.

He was happy to see us.

We had our favourite COSTCO – KIRKLAND Black Bean Burgers for supper with a slice of the Lemon cake that I had baked on Monday.

We had a great visit over supper.

Followed by fixing the downspout and then she was on her way.

I so love my daughter.

It is always wonderful when we share a car ride, a meal; time together.

After she left for home, Alvin and I went for a walk.

It was so nice outside.

At bedtime it was still almost 12 degrees celsius.

 

I hope that you all have an awesome Saturday.

Always try to spend time with your children, your family and your friends.

Even a car ride can me most memorable.

 

Special Hello to: my daughter, thank you.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

P.S. so looking forward to our road trip this summer.

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 10th day of October, 2016.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone.

It is snowing here in Edmonton.

Very fine snow.

As soon as I am finished my cup of coffee I am going for a walk with Mr. Alvin.

That fine snow may turn to much heavier snow as the day progresses.

Yesterday with the sunshine it was quite nice and we so enjoyed our walk.

I am so grateful to have had a wonderful long weekend.

We were not able to go and have a Thanksgiving meal with the kids due to my son-in-law having the flu and icy roads.

But we will get together next weekend for a meal.

My ear became unplugged this morning and I can once again hear properly.

I am so grateful for that.

Yesterday I decided to go through my fridge and pantry and use up more things making Carol’s Thanksgiving.

I whipped up a batch of cookies that I fondly named “Carol’s Thanksgiving Peanut Butter Pumpkin Raisin Cookies” and also “Carol’s Quinoa

Thanksgiving Casserole.”

My neighbour tasted the cookies this morning and agreed they were yummy and I gave her some of the Casserole to take home to try.

I am very pleased with the end results.

Considering I just threw them together.

To give you an idea of what was in the main course:  Cooked up in separate pot some Quinoa.  Also some carrots in a separate pot.

I sautéed two large yellow sweet onions, garlic, pepperonis, large tin of diced tomatoes (crushed),

previously made black bean burgers that had been frozen – cut them into small bite sized pieces,

spices: three of my favourite spices:  cumin, turmeric and coriander and chopped dried cranberries.

After all it is not Thanksgiving without the cranberries.

simmered away …..

threw in can of sweet corn niblets.

Once everything had simmered and heated through.

In large bowl threw in the cooked quinoa and then the pot of goodness.

Mixed together.

Now I may have missed something as I was just tossing things together as I went.

My favourite way of cooking.

If I have something that I knew would work I just tossed it in.

The combination of the black bean burgers which fell apart and became this rich amazing backdrop for the sweet onions, corn, spices and tomatoes.

It was so good.

It tasted like Thanksgiving.

Well as I figured the snow has already turned to larger flakes so I should get this show on the road.

I hope that on this day …. this Thanksgiving that you try something new.

Use your imagination.

I should have posted some photos of my dishes.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Special Hello to: all my family and friends all over the world, have a great day.

Always, Carol and Alvin