Christmas Morning 2020

Good Morning ALL. Happy Christmas one and all. The air is warm outside. The house is quiet as my fingers clack away on the keyboard. Alvin is stretched out on the carpet in the hallway just outside the office door. My daughter, son-in-law and pups are snoozing in “the master suite” (okay perhaps not what you would consider to be a master suite but for me a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom, is pretty master, lol). What a glorious Christmas we are having. The family arrived in the later part of the afternoon on Christmas Eve, that would have been yesterday. We make some snacks, ate some snacks and ate more snacks and more snacks and then decided to open gifts. We always have enough food to feed about 20 people and there are three of us. Likely we should have gone for a walk but it is Christmas and who thinks of exercise when there are presents under the tree and food all over the place. Even before we sat down to open gifts, actually not long after the kids and grandpups arrived – we heard some rustling in the living room. We were busy snacking in the kitchen. Amanda went into the living room and there was the Alvin getting a headstart opening his gifts. He had found one of his gifts that was way back under the tree, without causing disarray to the other gifts or knocking over the tree – he pulled the gift back out onto the middle of the living room and was beginning to tear apart the tissue paper that covered his gift. How he knew that was his gift we will never know. My son-in-law joked that perhaps he knew how to read. What a guy. After we had some goodies, we settled in to watch the Christmas movie “ELF” which is another little story. Steven wanted to watch the movie which I happen to have on DVD in my massive Christmas movie collection. When the kids gave me the new television just before Christmas – we decided to disconnect the DVD player and put it in the basement. We would have had to hook it up which is not a big deal when the light bulb came on and I checked my PVR recordings and voile, I had recorded it. So no need to bring up the DVD player. We chatted and watched the movie. Drank coffee and eggnog. Throughout the movie, someone was whining so much. Not loud but clearly not happy. When the movie was over and we started preparing to open gifts, guess who was the first one to the tree? Three guesses and the first two don’t count. Mr. Alvin. He was so excited. I think with all of the gift opening that we have been doing and the parcels from our friend Val, he is beginning to put two and two together. He definitely understood about the gifts. I will note that he has been going to tree over the past few weeks once I wrapped gifts and we remember when he pulled my son-in-law’s stocking from under the tree and started to open his gifts. Note to self for next year. I made sure that I safely tucked all gifts with food related items and the stockings in a basket in the basement landing until time to open. We certainly were entertained by Alvin. He was frustrated with me at times. What can you do? He, me, we were all super spoiled. The perfect year to be spoiled. I received clothes, books, special pens, several items from my favourite store “Bath & Bodyworks”, chocolates and more chocolates and more chocolates, a hand held blender with more gadgets than I know what to do with and more. Definitely crazy spoiled. My son-in-law received from my daughter one of those projectors for indoors so we did some star gazing for part of the evening. A great night. Merry Christmas.

Well time to head back downstairs and have some coffee. I am going to call my sister and chat. It is beginning to get light outside. Hopefully the sun will shine. We definitely need a walk or two, today.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope that Santa was good to you. Not sure that me and Alvin deserved all the lovely gifts that we received but we are grateful to all those folks who showered us with them this year. We are grateful to have all of you in our lives. Truly, we are blessed.

Have an awesome day. Be safe, go for a walk. We will continue to live our lives with kindness, respect and compassion for all.

Merry Christmas 2020.

Love, Always from Carol & Alvin

Second Half of the NEW YEAR

Good Morning,

Wow did we ever sleep in this morning.

We went to bed in good time and I read for a bit but could not settle down.

Not too long after we hit the hay it did begin to rain.

I am not sure what time I finally drifted off to sleep but then Alvin was stirring and we were up.

That was almost 4:30 a.m.

So he ate his breakfast and had his glucosamine chew and went outside.

Then back into the house …… I know we woke up again at 8:00 but I just could not get my butt off the sofa…. next time it was 9:39 a.m.

WOW, latest that we have slept.

The sun was shining bright at 8:00 a.m. but the sky has now clouded over and the wind is getting up.

I also realized that although the food is very tasty with the Good Food package ….. there is a lot of “pan frying.”

Also I had not chosen the meats and am not used to eating much pork.  If I do eat meat it is chicken.

Mostly I eat a vegetarian diet with a bit of chicken.

So my tummy was just a bit upset at bedtime as well.

I have one more meal to cook tonight and I think it is pork meatballs which I am going to bake in the oven.

Will increase the cook time but I can do not another “pan fry” meal.

There was a rice dish and coleslaw with the pork chops last night and corn on the cob.

I definitely had learned a few different cooking methods.

I have found that I am a pretty plain cook.

Using spices for sure.

I guess long weekends are for sleeping in…..

We did accomplish several things from our TO DO LIST.

 

Outside I can hear the geese honking as they fly overhead.

Today.

Yesterday, we were so happy to have our girl here for a good chunk of the day.

We had pancakes for “brunch.”

Then we girls gave Mr. Alvin a haircut and I gave him a bath.

Following she asked if I would like to go to GOODWILL and check things out.

We have a fairly new one about a 10 or so minute drive away so I thought why not.

This was my fifth, yes 5th time out in public since March 19th, 2020.

So basically once per month if you spread them over the time since I have been at home.

But actually five times since August.

I will say that people were wearing masks but the social distancing and following arrows in the store.

Not so much.

Every few minutes an announcement would be made to please keep 2 metres apart and follow the arrows.

No one listened.

I am pretty sure that only my daughter and me were actually paying attention.

Sunday afternoons are not a good time to go checking out GOODWILL.

Not at all.

I was checking out some tealights from Partylite and commenting to my daughter on what a great deal for those who burn candles.

They were new ( I checked to make sure ) and a box of tealights was $5.50 and the price from Partylite would be over $15.00 now for sure.

Anyway this girl was right beside me …. as I was going through them.

She did not give me a chance to finish.

I was not happy.

If there is one thing that I cannot stand is people that do not listen to the rules especially in the middle of a pandemic.

I was thinking sure okay you have a mask on but you are not even six inches away from me ….

So I moved.

Rude people.

We kept away and followed the rules.

Some of the older children that were accompanying their parents had their masks slipped down not covering their faces.

I can only imagine what school will be like.

Unfortunately I have a bad feeling about this fall once all the children have been back in school for about a week or two.

Even though there was some difficult moments or lots of them in the store ….. I thoroughly enjoyed the time with my girl.

We found some great things and then had good choices on what to actually buy.

I bought one package of tealights …. cranberry to burn at Christmas.

I love the cranberry scent.

The other was found at the last minute and it was a Kitchenaid roasting pan with a rack in the bottom.

No lid but had good handles.

It was brand new or looked to be new.

Definitely not used.

I figured that I could use it from time to time.

I use my Princess House Lasagne pan to cook the turkey at Christmas so this would be better.

It was a good price so I decided it was a good find.

 

Well I guess I should get this show on the road.

Yesterday at this time we were out for a walk.

Thinking we will not be walking now ….. maybe later.

Oh, goodness my stomach is making horrible sounds.

I have to take it easy on what I put into it.

Definitely toast for breakfast.

Definitely I will be baking the meatballs tonight.

 

This afternoon I want to continue on my quest to delete emails and photos, more photos than emails at this point.

Also I am going to work on my book this afternoon.

But before we get to that point ….. get dressed, bring up the laundry that was air drying, make coffee and have breakfast.

I have a couple of loads of laundry left to do.

So will do them as well.

 

I hope that you had a great weekend thus far.

Perhaps you are as blessed as I am and are able have an extra day off.

 

Take Care.

Remember when you are out and about …..

Wear the mask…..

Keep your distance……

We are not given these instructions for no reason……

If we want to keep lessen the COVID19 cases …. this is what we have to do.

Also sanitize your hands when going into stores and coming out.

Wash your hands when you come home.

Wash your hands at home.

Wash your hands before you handle food.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Enjoy your life.

 

Well Mr. Alvin is giving me that look and I see it is already 10:15 a.m.

I need some coffee.

Perhaps I will make that first.

 

Take Care.

Be safe.

Living with Kindness and respect….

I/We shall remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

Second Half of the NEW YEAR.

Good Morning and today is the beginning of my second week of vacation.

Yesterday I celebrated my 63rd Birthday with some girlfriends in the morning.

We had so many treats along with coffee and I share my birthday “cakes.”

Throughout the day I chatted with my sister and brothers via telephone.

Another girl friend dropped by the house.

I shared my birthday cake and cupcakes with neighbours and friends throughout the day.

I had calls, texts and messages and birthday cards from coast to Canadian coast and everywhere in between.

What a lucky girl I am.

My birthday celebrations began on Friday with my daughter and family.

So many gifts and treats.

I am so grateful for each person who took the time out to send me birthday wishes.

 

Alvin and I slept in this morning after first getting up so that Alvin could eat and go outside.

Finally dragging our butts off the sofa – we went for a walk.

I can smell the coffee which is likely now brewed.

Today is going to be a lazy day for us.

I still have the blinds to clean but I think that will be tomorrow.

Birthday 2020 Photos.

Family, friends, so much cake and so many wonderfully thoughtful gifts.

Truly life is better with a dog (s).

 

 

Time to go and have coffee before Alvin jumps ship.

Have a great day.

Happy Birthday Cousin J ….. so many August birthdays.

 

To our Angel – Happy Birthday Penny.

We know that you are playing tag with Elton and Casey.

 

Miss Penny

 

Wishing you all the best Monday ever.

May you be surrounded by family and friends.

Love and Laughter.

 

Continuing to live with Kindness and Respect.

I/We shall remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 25th day of May, 2017.

It is a BREEZY one here in Edmonton with clear blue skies.

The sun is SHINING.

Makes me happy.

 

Yesterday it rained all day and was so WINDY.

I was soaked through and through by the time I arrived home to find my summer door wreath laying face down on the porch.

Thankfully it did not blow away but it was soaked through and through.

Have you ever seen silk/artificial flowers WET?

Not me.

But this morning they are dry again …..

Also when I arrived home I found that the electricity was out.

Not certain how long it had been out and I could tell that Alvin was a bit “freaked.”

So outside he went quickly to do his thing.

I gave him his supper while I ran upstairs to get out of my wet clothes and into something WARM.

When I got back downstairs, Mr. Alvin had not eaten as yet.

STRANGE (he loves to eat).

I ended up hand feeding him his supper.

But at that point I had nothing to do ….. because it was raining and overcast it was actually quite dark in the house.

So we just cuddled on the sofa debating what to do.

I decided to get things ready for today just in case the power did not come on before it was totally dark in the house.

So had clothes ready and stuff.

Also not knowing how long it would take the power to come on I decided that I would only open the fridge twice.

Once to grab my leftover quinoa dish that I had made on the weekend and decided it was better to have something cold than nothing at all.

The second time I opened the fridge was to grab the Black Cherry Greek Yogurt (which by the way I am in love with).

I do not remember the brand but it was so good.

It was thankfully on sale as it is the most expensive one in the store (of course).

Poor Alvin ….. I caved and gave him a treat of a bit of yogurt off my finger.

Just a little.

We just sat and looked out the window.

We were lucky the only things damaged in the wind were some of my flowers from the front flower bed and the wreath which has fully recovered.

Finally I lit a candle ( had one left from my Bath & Body Works Days ).

It gave off a warm glow or at least felt like it.

Just as we were getting settled I heard a noise …. the power was finally on.

It was just over 1.5 hours.

Which seemed like an eternity but a good one.

It was refreshing to just sit there with only Alvin and my thoughts for company.

No sounds other than the wind blowing outside and our breathing inside.

Well time to get this show on the road.

I was grateful when the power came on so that I could have a cup of hot tea.

I did drink some hot water from the kitchen tap but it was not really the same.

 

Happy Thursday.

Be safe.

Be kind.

Have fun.

 

Special Hello to: all those lovers of life …. rock on.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 29th day of March, 2017.

It is SO foggy here in Edmonton this morning.

I can hardly see across the street.

Drive carefully anyone reading this in the area.

 

Last night after work my daughter picked me up and we went to COSTCO before heading home to Alvin.

We had a wonderful conversation and visit along the way.

I love our time together.

She is the absolute best daughter in the world.

 

Something that happened to Baby Milo has us all thinking about “SCENTS.”

Most of us want our homes and bodies to smell good, right?

We buy plug-ins with all sorts of scents, burn candles and even make our own using natural products including essential oils.

Have you ever even for one minute considered what these are doing to our babies, our four-legged ones?

For that matter to us.

We often times are driven by our sense of smell.

The idea that everything has to have a scent that is appealing to us.

Can you imagine how strong some of these scents are to our pups who have a sense of smell that is more highly-evolved than our own?

Something to consider.

Has your dog or cat sneezed?

You thought “how cute” or that perhaps they have a cold.

Maybe not.

If they become lethargic or “seem to be zoned out” or throwing up …… you should take them to the VET.

My daughter mentioned “that Alvin smells like my house.”

I never thought about that.

We become so used to the scents that they do not seem to be strong at all.

I was struck by her comment.

We were just in conversation about the adverse effects of all of these scent bearing products and others on our babies.

Well it is time to leave for work.

Please keep this all in mind if you have a dog or cat or any creature in your household.

 

Have a wonderful day.

Special Hello to: my kids and grand-pups ….. love you so much.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday December 31st, 2015.

Happy New Year’s Eve.

Normally Alvin wakes me up around 5:00 a.m. to have his breakfast.

Not this morning ….

I was laying awake when just after 7:00 a.m. the sound of sirens came closer to my house.

Jumping out of bed, I saw the first fire truck stop just on the other side of our duplex and then a second one stopped right in front of my house.

SCARED ME.

We went running downstairs ….. I could not see a fire anywhere ….

I opened the front door and did not see anyone out front.

We could hear the neighbour (not in the other half) but next door’s dog HOWLING.

I quickly fed Mr. Alvin his breakfast.

I put on my boots and we went out onto the deck and all of their lights were on …. Capone, their dog was pacing on the deck.

Something was wrong.

Alvin howled alongside for support.

There did not seem to be flames and no one from inside the house including the firemen were outside.

So that was a good sign.

I did not want to go out while the firemen were there so I just kept an eye out.

They were there for almost one hour ….. then they were gone.

So I decided to go to D & K’s and see if there was anything that I could do.

D & K and all four of their children and Capone were in the living room ….. reeling from what had just happened.

K said that the alarm detected smoke and went off but they were unable to find the source.

The fireman diligently checked every electrical outlet and the walls and could not find any fire.

While I was there …. we determined that the smell which the firemen said smelled like burnt wax was coming from the furnace register/vent by the front door.

We surmised that perhaps one of the young ones put a plastic figure or wax crayon down the register/vent.

The furnace had not kicked in so they turned up the thermostat and that smell definitely came from the front register/vent.

*********************

I decided it was time for me to go home and offered my home for them if they needed to have the vents cleaned or whatever.

So home I came …. figured I had better get my blog wrote and have breakfast just in case they come over.

What a morning …. thank goodness everyone is okay.

This is a reminder to folks with small children to make sure that toys do not get put down the registers/vents.

We can breathe again.

Mr.  Alvin was worried for sure when he heard Capone howling he had howled in return.

So glad that all is well.

 

I was going to blog highlights from this year …. or perhaps plans for this next one but instead the Universe decided differently.

So I shall take this opportunity to put the word out:

A reminder for all …… be sure that you have smoke detectors and that they are in working order.

A fire extinguisher …. they have one … I do not, and I will be purchasing one right away.

Make sure that you have a plan in case of an emergency.

DO NOT LEAVE CANDLES BURNING UNATTENDED.

Your life can change so quickly …. make certain that your house is safe on this New Year’s Eve and every night.

 

Take care.

 

Special Hello to: EVERYONE …. Happy New Year’s Eve.

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

Thought for the day……

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 24th day of January, 2015.

It is a glorious morning here in my bedroom in the city of Edmonton in the province of Alberta in the country of Canada.

The sky is a beautiful clear blue and the sun is SHINING.

I have something very cool to tell you.

Last night I worked at the store.

I had the best time as usual.

So much fun.

Even saw a couple of our regular customers (after awhile you get to know some people).

The nicest couple on the planet.

It was a great night.

So when I left the store about 9:20 to go and catch the bus …

what do you think happened as I left the mall?

You might think that January in Alberta it might be snowing.

You might think that January in Alberta it might be blowing and snowing.

You might think that January in Alberta the temperature might have taken a quick nose dive and be very COLD.

But you never and I mean pretty much never would go outside to …..

POURING RAIN ……YES, IT WAS POURING RAIN ….

Like the rain we get in the summer time.

It was warm and raining …..

So on my walk home from the bus stop to my house was a bit tricky.

I walked very slowly and carefully.

The streets were a mess.

SNOW …. ICE AND POOLS OF WATER.

Some from the warm temperature and it has been melting and from the rain.

There were spots that looked dried but was “black ice” and a few times I almost took a fall but manager to arrive safe and sound.

What a great place to live.

Supposed to be warm today so more will melt.

I think we need the streets scraped.

Well time to get this Saturday rolling ….

Big plans: LAUNDRY, Alvin needs a hair cut and bath (he is looking like the SHAGGY D.A. from the Disney movie) and miscellaneous other things.

So I hope that you have a great Saturday.

Always remember to take some time to relax and have that cup of coffee or tea or lemonade.

Be kind.

Pass out compliments and be polite.

We need to be better “neighbours” to each other on this planet.

Also big one: be kind and respectful to all of the other inhabitants on this planet.

Our dogs, our cats, our wildlife …… how would you like to be kicked or thrown about all for being you.

 

Special Hello to: everyone who is respectful and kind …. let us show everyone how it is done.  Shine your light.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 12th day of December, 2013.

The second last Thursday before Christmas.

In two weeks it will be Boxing Day here in Canada, and we will have opened all the presents and ate way too much.

P.S. Boxing Day is another day …  SET OUT FOR SHOPPING ….. as if there isn’t enough commercialism going on in the world today.

I want to enjoy the next two weeks so let’s just leave it at that for now.

How are you holding up thus far?

I hope that you are feeling festive and enjoying this time.

Always remember to take some time for YOU.

You are worthy and deserving.

Perhaps a nice warm bath would be in order.

Light some candles and place them around the bathroom.

A few bubbles might be good.

Grab your favourite most fluffiest bathrobe.

The best and softest towel.

Perhaps a glass of wine or a cup of warm tea.

Maybe some music ….. something soft and sweet.

Doesn’t that sound great.

I think I might do that this weekend.

Me, the tub, maybe some bubbles and tea.

A winning combination.

Well time to fly.

I hope that this Thursday finds you wonderful and don’t forget the ME time.

Happy Thursday.

Special Hello to: my friends all over the world …..

Always, Carol and Alvin