Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 11th day of April, 2019.

Wow, we are having quite the morning.

We were originally up at 3:00 a.m. and then went downstairs.

Alvin had his glucosamine chew and went outside.

Then we hit the sofa for what was supposed to be 99 minutes and apparently the microwave timer went off but I did not hear it.

So I woke up and it appeared to be getting lighter than it should have been.

I jumped up (scared Alvin) and ran to the kitchen.

Where the microwave clock said “5:58 a.m.”.

It took me a few seconds to wrap my head around the time.

Was it two minutes to 5 or what?

Nope it was 6:00 a.m. (or almost).

So I grabbed my pre cooked oatmeal from the fridge.

Threw it into the microwave to heat.

Quickly grabbed Alvin’s food from the pantry and filled his bowl.

Mixed in some coconut melt and clementine matcha and over top some blueberries.

I wrote just a few lines in my “gratitude journal.”

Ate quickly and then upstairs.

Water piked the teeth (as cannot start the day without that and with blueberries, you get the picture).

Brushed teeth,

slapped on some makeup.

Into clothes which thankfully I always lay out including socks and underwear.

Then grabbed rings, earrings, bracelet and watch.

Oh, in between brushed Alvin’s teeth and filled his upstairs water dish.

Laid down his blanket.

Onto the computer.

Here I am ….. just a tad frazzled.

Okay.

Well I have to make this short.

As of course, we are late.

I think Alvin has to go outside because I don’t know if he actually “pooped” or not in all of the commotion.

 

Have an awesome Thursday.

Coffee break??  feel as though I have put in a full day already.

Happy Thursday.

 

Special Hello to: my family …. always in my heart and thoughts….. love you all.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 19th day of February, 2019.

WOW, it is warming up.

So much warmer this morning or at least it feels that way.

I just checked the temperature and it is -16 degrees celsius and -19 with the windchill.

Almost a tropical heatwave compared to the minus -30 to -40 degree temperatures we have had in previous mornings for the past couple of weeks.

YAY, we will be able to go for our regular walk this evening after work.

So excited.

Alvin will be happy.

We have been venturing out for short walks every day or so, lately.

It will be grand to get back into our regular routine.

We both are feeling it.

 

Family Day was great.

I got to hang out with my daughter and my boy, Alvin.

My son-in-law had to work.

How sad!

I made a pancake breakfast for us girls.

Alvin had some blueberries.

We had a great visit.

 

Back to work today.

I am so grateful that we had a long weekend and that I spent most of it with family and friends.

How lucky am I.

Blessed, really blessed.

 

I am so grateful to have such awesome friends and family.

Right, Mr. Alvin?

Yes, he is thinking.

He is snuggled up on this blue blanket beside me as I write this post.

We are fortunate.

We are blessed.

I know this and I feel this.

Every day.

Always take the time to show your gratitude.

I am grateful for our health, for our home, for all of our family and friends and for our life.

 

Happy Tuesday.

Enjoy…..

 

Special Hello to: my sister, Happy Tuesday, you beautiful girl, you.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 3rd day of November, 2018.

The air feels warm this morning and it is later, much later than I usually write but then again it is the weekend, after all.

The sun is already getting high in the sky.

Last night my daughter picked me up after work.

We stopped at the grocery store and picked up some groceries part of which was the fixings to make a chicken stir-fry.

One of our favourite meals.

Surprisingly I cannot remember the last time that I made this for supper.

Oh, during the day it SNOWED and SNOWED and SNOWED some more.

Looking out the window it would appear to be well into winter and not the first BIG snowfall for the season.

We have had a couple of other snowfalls but not quite as much as this one.

So my daughter shovelled the driveway to the garage while I made COFFEE, an absolute must for a Friday evening’s Christmas tree decorating.

Followed by making the stir-fry for our supper.

We picked up a date square for dessert as they were on sale.

Not that we needed it but I thought it would be nice.

After all of the shovelling and supper and dishes were over.

We brought up the tree and ornaments and set to work.

By the time we started it was already 8:00 p.m.

My daughter chose a Christmas Movie from Netflix …. not one that I had seen before.

The movie was filmed in Regina …. my sort of home town ….. I guess I spent a good chunk of my life there.

Was cool to see familiar homes, the shopping mall and other places.

I do not remember the name of the movie at this time.

So by 9:00 p.m. we had the tree up and adjusted the lights.

There appears to be at least one if not two strands of the pre-lit lights burned out.

My daughter brought an extra strand of lights and I had one so we made them work.

I placed a few ornaments on the tree before joining my daughter to watch the remainder of the movie.

Enjoying our coffee before bed.

Those two things do not mix well.

Alvin wanted to have some attention so I made an executive decision to finish the decorating today.

We had a great night.

Putting the tree together and making the lights look nice.

Visiting.

I love having my daughter for a sleepover.

Alvin wasn’t sure at first as he figured this might be a ploy to get him into the car and leave.

He does not like “road trips.”

This morning once again as he has done all week, Mr. Alvin awoke at some super early hour.

I begrudgingly got up and followed him downstairs.

He did go out and went pee so then I only felt a twinge of guilt as I had tried to get him to go back to sleep.

I have to remember he is getting older as well and as I do, sometimes we need to PEE during the wee hours of the morning.

This morning I couldn’t sleep …. decided to just get up.

Emptied the dish washer, did some shovelling, made coffee and made ready the batter for pancakes.

My daughter also decided to get up earlier than we had planned.

While I cooked the pancakes she put some music on the iPod … the newer one that she gave me.

It holds way more music and that is great news.

So the Christmas music is now playing.

We enjoyed pancakes with blueberries and bananas.

A few pieces of banana for Mr. Alvin.

After breakfast she helped bring up (actual most) the rubbermaid containers filled with Christmas decorations.

Then it was time to go.

My son-in-law made a play-date with the pups and forgot about her sleepover.

I went along with her and we stopped at the vet to grab some food for the boy.

Then she dropped me at home.

Such a great night and morning.

One for the gratitude journal and this post and for the memory banks.

I just put on a load of laundry once home from the vet.

Then this post.

The music is playing.

A reminder for me to get going on the decorating.

I wish each and everyone a wonderful Saturday.

Time to start decorating.

I will post photos tomorrow.

 

Have an awesome Saturday.

Live for today and dream about tomorrow.

I try not to get hung up on yesterday as it is over.

We can only change what is ahead of us.

No worries.

Be happy.

 

Special Hello to: my sister, my friend …. thank you for always being there.  Have an awesome day.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 22nd day of July, 2018.

Happy Birthday to my younger brother’s youngest “Z.”

WOW, another beautiful morning with a BREEZE.

Perhaps more than a breeze but it is keeping it cooler.

Hopefully cooler at least until I have a shower and get out for a morning stroll with the boy.

What a busy weekend.

We, rather I cleaned all the blinds in the house (10 sets of them).

How often do you clean out the window wells in your garage?

Likely not often.

Figured good time to vacuum the bugs and then give them a good washing.

WOW, they look amazing.

So when I decided to that, I first had to move some things around so that I could get into the window properly.

The garage got cleaned up, once again and a good sweeping.

GARAGE done.

PULLED WEEDS, with all this rain they are everywhere.

Weeds between the garage and the fence.

Weeds in with my flowers in the front flower bed and the back.

Weeds beside the driveway in the back.

Now this is more than weeds as some of the neighbours chose not to take care of them.

Now there is grass of all sorts.

I do my best to pull them out but they take hold quickly.

We will have to use some WEED/GRASS control agent to ourselves of them.

ARGH

In between LAUNDRY ( always ).

Just as we were about to finish the garage, I saw that these LARGE rain clouds were looming in the sky so I turned down the umbrellas and moved my tomato plant into the protection

of the garage ….. then back inside to put away my cleaning stuff.

Only it started to RAIN, no time, turned off the light and yelled at ALVIN to run just as the HEAVENS opened WIDE.

We were soaked by the time that we reached the HOUSE – which is not far.

In the house we dried off.

 

I made a big pot of what I will call a CHILLI TOMATO SOUP (a mix mash of things but oh, it tastes so good).

USED up all of the bags of tomatoes left in the freezer.

They were from my friend’s garden last year.

Enough to freeze and to eat.

I have red tomatoes on my one lone plant.

The sunflowers are growing as well.

 

Finally after supper we crashed and watched a movie.

THE Agatha Christie movie “MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS” was to rent for $1.00.

Cannot beat that so that is what we watched before retiring at 9:30 p.m.

 

Good old fashioned “cleaning” can sure play one out.

Good exercise and good for the soul.

So today just odds and ends before back to work tomorrow.

I am making PANCAKES for breakfast.

Just have to shower, walk and then EAT.

PANCAKES with MAPLE SYRUP and raspberries & blueberries on top.

MMMMM

Well better get this show on the road.

I hope that you enjoy your Sunday.

Take some time for yourself.

 

Rainclouds are coming back in ……

ARGH, hopefully we get our walk in …..

Otherwise will have to try later.

 

Special Hello to: my siblings ……

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

COUNTDOWN: 60 Days to 60

Today is Saturday, July 8, 2017 and it is the 33rd day until my 60th Birthday.

Okay I was thinking of favourite things so what better time than to share some of those items:

Colours:  Kelly Green, Robin’s Egg Blue and Baby Blue.

Time of Day:  Early morning just as sun is coming up and late at night when the stars are shining.

Books:  “The Harry Potter Series” by JK Rowling, “Shopaholic Series” by Sophie Kinsella and “The Book of Small” by Emily Carr.

Music:  to many to name but I do love listening to:  anything by Adele, Elton John, and Ed Sheeran.

Flowers:  Petunias, Snapdragons and Pansies and Daisies.

Food:  I love to eat.  Anything homemade is always wonderful and if it is made by someone else – that is a huge treat.  I love chocolate so that would top the list.  Avocados, Cucumbers, Blueberries, Raspberries, Potato Salad …. Cinnamon Buns……. this could go on and on……

People:  too many to list but the first two on the list would be my daughter and Alvin, of course ….. I treasure my family and friends.

Sounds:  The rustle of leaves on the trees in a breeze and babies cooing and the ocean.

 

Well time to get going ……

Always, Carol

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 11th day of April, 2017.

Well we were up again with the birds – actually I think it was well before the birds.

4:08 a.m.

ARGH ………..

So Mr. Alvin eats and has a drink of water and of course, then outside.

So while he is outside he decides it is time to go digging by the fence in the mud to retrieve his chew treat.

ARGH, again, I say.

It took me 15 minutes to coax him into the house.

After he barked several times ……

He was not able to get his chew treat during that time but was able to be covered in mud.

So after several minutes of scrubbing him by the back door and feeling sort of comfortable that he was clean, I let him come into the kitchen.

After journalling and eating ….. he wanted to go outside.

I figured that he had not done his business as yet so I let him out.

BIG MISTAKE !!!

BIG !!

So he retrieved the black mud encrusted chew treat and was proudly holding it in his mouth.

Standing at the back door.

ARGH, again.

So I got my trusty wet fibre cloth and towel and carefully let him into the back door area …. even carefully the mud was falling all around him.

Not happy Momma and this was at 5:30.

Finally was able to grab a couple of blueberries from my breakfast and con him into dropping the chew treat and faster than an eagle I grabbed that mud infested chew treat and threw it into the

garbage can outside the back door.

Not happy Alvin.

Anyway long story short as now I am running late …..

He is clean and chew treat less for now.

Not too happy with the Momma, methinks.

Well time to go to work.

I hope that you all have an awesome Tuesday.

Hopefully not as early start as we …. but if you did I hope that you can at least smile ….. like me.

Even though I was not happy with the mud – I love me Alvin – no matter what.

He was just doing his thing.

Happy Tuesday.

 

Special Hello to: my friends and family all over the world including my globetrotting sister …..

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Friday the 20th day of November, 2015.

It is a beautiful morning outside.

Did you see my added note from yesterday?

About 30 minutes after I went out with Alvin it started to snow!!

I have started to go outside with Mr. Alvin now as once there is snow on the ground … always good to pick up the “poop”  …..

So now it is up at 5:00 a.m. and no going back to the sofa.

We have not done that since last Wednesday, Remembrance Day which is the day our “rouge friend” arrived.

I have only seen him when he ran out of the pantry when I opened the door.

Oh, well this is my life for a few more days … hopefully day is the day.

He was not “caught” this morning.

We had breakfast in the office again.

Which I am beginning to enjoy.

Strangely enough.

It is always amazing how change can hit out of the blue.

It is all about how you handle it.

I think in this case I am doing quite well.

So happy to have my partner in crime and protector of Momma, Mr. Alvin.

He does help me feel safe and not alone.

Don’t cry for me, Argentina as I did not mean that I feel “ALL ALONE.”

Just that he is here and is good company and I am not alone.

Some company is always good.

So how is your Friday thus far?

Mine is great.

I cannot believe it is Friday?

Where did the week go?

Where did the month go?

Wasn’t it just Halloween a couple of days ago?

I just put up my tree … yes, almost one month ago.

WOW.

Well time to go and hit the shower.

Doing things in reverse now.

Which is a nice change.

Good for Alvin, too.

We all get into a routine …. a rut.

Make small changes …. ones that you control always feel better.

Although the “visitor” was definitely not my choice …..  sort of laughing out loud.

I hope that you have an awesome, wonderful, amazing Friday filled with a bit of change, lots of laughter, and above all a loving environment.

Special Hello to: Hi Sister …. I am doing well.  We are going to see Johnny tomorrow….

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 25th day of June, 2015.

It is an unusual morning here in Edmonton …. well compared to the past few mornings.

Started out with sunny skies and a few clouds and to the south the sky is clouded over.

Now if I look out the bedroom window that faces north I can see the sun coming up and there are clouds.

The forecast was for sunny skies and 27 degrees celsius today.

We will see.

Well I do know one thing for absolute certainty – Mr. Alvin loves blueberries and bananas.

Actually I knew he liked them a lot but there is no doubt now.

I was running a bit late ….. started to read a book and staying up a bit later reading.

The book is called ” I Am MALALA” written by the young girl that was shot because of her belief.

So interesting and very hard to put down.

Anyway I had to make a bathroom break before breakfast (too much info, sorry) and Mr. Alvin sat there and whined and the odd little bark.  Oh how he loves his routine and especially when blueberries are added to the banana.

Well there is nothing wrong with routine.

He is so cute ….. me Alvin.

There are three sleeps now until I see my beloved (my only) sister.

I miss our talks and our get togethers.

Not quite as easy to see each other regularly when we live in different cities.

Although since the advent of SKYPE – it does make the actual seeing one another easier.

Sunday I get to see her in the flesh ….. that will be great.

My youngest brother will be there, too.  He also lives in another city.

Yes, we are all spread out.  But three out of the four of us will be together on Sunday for a visit.

The brother of the nephew in the hospital might be there too …. family reunion.

We also will be seeing my nephew (he was in an accident last October and was in a coma) and it will be great to see how far he has come since arriving at the Brain Injury Facility in Ponoka.

Well the clock on the wall …. says time to get going …..

I hope that you have an awesome day.

Keep cool and safe today.

Be kind and generous ….. always try to do at least one thing for someone else each day.

It does make you feel like a million dollars when someone is thanking you instead of yelling at you.

Special Hello to: my sister and brother ……

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day…..

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 27th day of August, 2014.

Overcast with forecast for rain this afternoon.

Alvin is sitting on our bed looking out the window.

I think that is his favourite spot in the house.

 

Well I had an interesting morning.

One of my co-workers who happens to be a vegan was telling me about a home remedy to clean your sinuses.

It called for equal parts of cinnamon and honey …. one tablespoon each.

So I decided this morning would be the time to try it.

So I mixed it up which is really hard to do and when it would blend decided to heat up some water (which they said you could do) and added the mixture.

I slowly drank it and at the same time I had my oatmeal, blueberries and banana in front of me with ALVIN and Miss PENNY ….

Of course, they wanted some ….. and I complied.

Without even thinking I had a couple of small pieces of banana and a couple of blueberries …..

Then I started sneezing …..

Then all of a sudden I had a weird sensation and headed to the nearby bathroom…..

Good thing because next thing I know it I emptied my stomach ……

I feel great …… still congested …… and despite the fact that I didn’t eat breakfast I do not feel hungry and my stomach feels flat.

Interesting.

Perhaps I should have just done the cinnamon and honey ….. maybe in boiling water ……

I do not know ……

Will keep you posted and let you know if in fact, it does clear my sinuses ……

What a morning …… I am going for peace and quiet for the rest of the day.

I hope that you all have a wonderful Wednesday.

 

Thank you to all the new people reading my blog ….

I was so excited to reach the “500” mark and now I am over it.

Thank you so much.

 

Special Hello to: all those people out there who are trying to live a better life ….. naturally ……

Always, Carol