2021

Good Morning ALL! I hope that you are all well. It is a beautiful bright sunny blue sky morning here in Edmonton. It is the beginning of the long weekend for me. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to all my Canadian Friends and Family and to all Canadians.

We have so much to be thankful for this year and every year.

I am grateful to be alive, to be employed and working from home, to be in good health, to have my own home, to have great family and friends and for everything in my life including a barking Alvin who is not happy that I am upstairs and he is not.

Please enjoy some photos taken just a couple of minutes ago from the front of my house looking out from the porch as the final leaves dropped from our tree and then some from the backyard. A few decorations for fall.

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Enjoy your day.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

Living … One day at a time.

Sunday, November 11, 2019.

Remembrance Day.

 

Today, Canadians and citizens worldwide remember their loved ones who paid the ultimate price of our freedoms with their lives.

Some of those brave souls came home after the war not whole; whether body or mind.

I say brave souls as it was not only the soldiers who gave up their lives but nurses, doctors, horses and dogs.

The loss of life, all life from the World Wars  I and II staggers the imagination.

Have we learned anything from WAR, I wholeheartedly say no.

 

Although I am not a proponent of fighting or war; I will say this that without our citizens leaving our country.

I am afraid the loss of life may have been higher.

I am proud that we as a country have filled the role of peacekeepers throughout the decades since these wars.

 

My wish is that someday soon we, the humans on this planet, shall learn to live peacefully.

That our differences will be our strengths.

That kindness and respect shall prevail.

That death due to wars of any size is a thing of the past.

 

Perhaps if we Remember …. their loss will not be in vain.

That war will be a memory of the past.

 

 

With Respect,

Always, Carol and Alvin Lewis

 

 

On this day, 35 years ago, a baby boy was born.

We were neighbours.

All these years later, I have and always will be known as Auntie Carol.

All these years later, he will always be known as my little boy.

Alvin and  I want to wish him a very Happy Birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living … One day at a time.

Hello, my fellow Canadians.

HAPPY CANADA DAY.

What a glorious bright, sunny, breezy Monday morning.

I am so grateful to have this day off from work and to be at home with “me Alvin.”

He is resting beside me on his blue blanket as I key these words on the keyboard.

 

We have so much to be grateful for in this country.

The list is long but what I am most grateful for are the following:

• peace
• freedom
• clean fresh water
• beauty of our country from coast to coast

 

A day to celebrate the peace that we are honoured to live within our borders.

A day to celebrate the grand beauty of this amazing country.

A day to celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy on a daily basis.

A day to be grateful for the clean water that is easily accessible.

A day to celebrate each other.

Happy Canada Day to all my family and friends.

Happy Canada Day to all CANADIANS.

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Yesterday Alvin and Teddy and I just spent a quiet day together.

We went for a walk.

We played.

We had treats.

We even had a nap.

It was a great day.

 

I did manage to get out for groceries and to see my girl for a visit.

So I guess today that means that I need to get to work.

Well there will always be things to do when you are the only “person” in the household that can clean the house, mow the grass, pull the weeds, cook etc.

But that is okay.

One good reason to keep things clean as you go.

Then it is only light cleaning.

That is my mantra.

Keep things clean as you go.

Put things away …..

 

Okay, time for breakfast and coffee.

Perhaps even two walks today if the weather holds.

That would be lovely.

Great way to spend Canada Day.

 

Happy Happy Canada Day.

Be kind and respectful as you continue on your day.

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

My flowers on the deck from my first summer in Edmonton

2009

I can tell as there is grass peeking out from the end of the deck.

Cannot believe it has been ten years since I moved here.

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 7th day of March, 2018.

According to the weather forecast last night and the opening of the back door this morning; it is safe to say that it is COLD outside this morning.

If yesterday was any indication it will be nice by the end of the day.

We thoroughly enjoyed our walk last night.

Double digits temperatures in our near future?

I am so done with winter.

I am longing for spring.

Winter was as winter is.

Cold, Icy and SNOWY.

But we did have lots of nice days in between, so really cannot complain.

We would not be CANADIANS if we did not talk about, stress about and complain about the WEATHER, most especially our WINTERS.

Anyway, I love spring and it is close at hand.

 

Last night I started the second book from Alexander McCall Smith series “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.”

It is named “Tears of the Giraffe.”

I cannot remember when I bought these books – more than several years ago.

I love them so much that I reread them every so often.

Here we go again.

Mr. Smith’s description of this woman and her life in Africa is warming, funny and makes you feel like you were there.

I have never travelled off the continent of North America so I really enjoy being able to travel through his books.

 

I hope that you are enjoying the last bit of winter wherever you are..

Now I know that the folks in Saskatchewan and Manitoba are not enjoying the crazy amount of snow that has been thrust upon them.

We had quite a lot of snow last weekend but I somehow don’t think as much as Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The photos on FB appear to show more than what we had … meaning Edmonton …. around my home….

Because everyone knows that you could have one inch of snow in your neighbourhood and a few blocks or miles away they may have had a FOOT.

ARGH ……

Gotta start doing the Happy Dance ….. if nothing else.

 

Well time to hit the trail ….. I was going to say  “dusty trail” but that would be VERY WRONG …..

More like snowy, icy in parts trail.

Happy Wednesday.

I hope that no matter what you are smiling just a little or shall I hope that you are laughing.

Thank you.

 

Special Hello to: my family and friends in Saskatchewan and Manitoba ….. it will be end (the snow).

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday. July 1st, 2017.

The sky is overcast on this 150th Birthday of this country known as Canada.

As with most countries on the planet our history has not been without bloodshed.

Our history has had the ENGLISH, FRENCH and SPANISH  coming over from across the ocean, and then laying claim to North America.

The U.S.A. and Canada share that part of history.

Over the past few hundred years people have left the United States and come to Canada.

People have also left Canada and moved to the United States.

There is so much we do not know and will never know.

It would be great on this 150th Birthday of CANADA that we could find a way to live together without debate or causing harm to one another.

We do live in relative peace, and I am so grateful that we do.

We need to find a way to move forward.

More and more people are leaving their homes all over the world for a multitude of reasons and coming to Canada.

It is so important that we find a way to live together in peace and harmony.

So on this 150th year …. this day that we celebrate Canada let us find a way to do the best for one another.

We all need to move on and make sure that all CANADIANS old and new are living good productive healthy lives.

We are all in this together.

We can do this …. we can.

Traditions over the last 150 years shows the peoples of this VAST country to be kind, generous, compassionate, and easy-going.

Please let us continue on this path and beyond.

Happy CANADA Day.

 

Special Hello: to my family and friends all over CANADA and the World.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 9th day of October, 2016.

Most Canadians celebrate our Thanksgiving on Sunday and then have Monday to relax.

We were up extra early once again at 4:35 a.m. (Alvin’s clock is starting to change).

Then back to bed bed until just after 7:30 a.m.

At 4:35 it was not snowing and the second time up it has been clearly snowing since we were first up and about.

Crazy weather.

I guess winter is here.

They are forecasting a long, cold, snowy one for us and it appears to be on the way to fruition.

We are invited to my daughter and son-in-law’s for Thanksgiving Dinner tonight but it might be put on hold due to weather.

We shall see as the day progresses.

On Thursday night after work I raked the leaves out front and Friday night there were more but I did not have another chance to rake them again.

This is what it looks like this morning after two days of snow.

Looks like WINTER.

Alvin has been enjoying running around on the deck and sniffing about in the snow.

I do love the first couple of snowfalls.

Yesterday when I shovelled there was bright green grass under the snow.

Very sad.

Well there is definitely more shovelling in my future.

 

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On this snowy Sunday …. Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians.

Have a great weekend.

Stay safe and drive carefully if you must be out on the roads.

This is a great weekend to try some more Steeped Tea blends.

Happy Sunday.

Special Hello to: my family and friends all over the world.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day…..

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 13th day of October, 2014.

This is Thanksgiving Day for those living in Canada.

Today I am thankful and grateful for:

– being born in Canada and being a Canadian

– that nephew is alive

– family and friends

-clean air to breathe

-my dog Alvin and his great companionship

-my friend “G” and our friendship

-sunshine and warm autumn days

-to be in good health

-that my kids are living with us while their house is being built

-my house/my home

-all living creatures

-the colours of the leaves on the trees

-for coffee …..

I am grateful for my life period.

There are some moments that of course are less than perfect but that is what life is all about …. taking the bad with the good.

Happy Thanksgiving and Warm Wishes to all My Fellow Canadians.

Special Hello to: my family and friends …..

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

 

Thought for the day……

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 6th day of October, 2014.

Day Number Six …… wow ….. one week until Thanksgiving for we Canadians.

Our Neighbours to the south it will be later in November.

I have so much to be thankful for ……

Being grateful ….. being thankful for me is a 365 day routine.

Each and every morning I write in a gratitude journal ….

I realized very early on that we should always be grateful for all that we have ….

Even when I did not have money to buy notebooks to write them down; I always have been a grateful person.

We are so blessed living in this country ….

I am so blessed to be living in this country, Canada.

I am grateful that I wake up in the morning and that my legs carry me down the stairs.

I am grateful that I have eyes to see everything that surrounds me in my life and ears to hear the cooing of babies and Alvin’s “talking.”

I am grateful that I am employed and that I have my very own house.

I am grateful that I had room for my kids to move in with me and Alvin while their home is being built.

I am grateful for Nature and the Seasons.

I am grateful that my sister telephoned me last night to chat.

I am grateful that I will be able to have a cup of coffee when I get to work this morning.

I am grateful that I am surrounded by loving and kind people.

I am grateful that I can create things.

I am grateful to be alive.

I am so grateful that you are reading these words right now.

I hope that you have the most wonderful day ever.

I hope that you have dreams and that they all come true.

I hope that you keep on dreaming.

Special Hello to: my sister whose call last night made the weekend perfection.

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 29th day of September, 2013.

Wow the second last day of September.

Didn’t we just say that about August?

It is raining here in Edmonton but the clouds are breaking to the south so I believe that the sun will shine this afternoon.

I had a great weekend.

I worked out in the yard preparing things for the upcoming season for which I prefer not to mention at this time.

It was a great day.

Alvin and I had a wonderful walk in the evening and met up with another neighbour and her doggy, Jasmine.

So we walked and visited.

I am so blessed and grateful to live in such a wonderful country.

I am so blessed and grateful to have such wonderful neighbours.

I am so blessed and grateful to have the best family and friends.

I am so blessed and grateful to be in good health and have my Alvin.

What are you grateful for?

Make a list and you will feel immediate joy.

We all have things to be grateful for and have many blessings.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Special Hello to: my fellow CANADIANS ….

 

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day……

It was almost 11:30 p.m. when I got to bed last night and up at 7:20 as Alvin had to go outside.

The sun was already up ( OMG ) and the sky a beautiful blue.

I am happy, happy, happy to say the least.

So grateful first off that Alvin slept past his usual 4:20 a.m..

Secondly that the sky is blue and the sun is shining.

Thirdly I just feel GREAT.

Ready to take on the world.

So the thought for this day …..

FEEL GREAT AND TAKE ON THE WORLD.

The World can be within your household, neighbourhood, city, country or global.

We are after all – all connected.

So on this Thanksgiving weekend for us Canadians and for you all everywhere.

Have a safe, happy, healthy, wondrous weekend.

Be thankful for all that you have and all that you are.

You are amazing, always remember that!

Take Care.

Always, Carol

P.S. –  A very special Happy Thanksgiving to my dear family and friends all over the globe.