The Next Chapter

Good Morning! Well the sun is shining brightly and there remains smoke in the air. I opened the window and then closed it as the smell of smoke was too much. I certainly do not want the inside of the house to smell like smoke. My heart goes out to all those families affected by the wildfires. I heard that our Prime Minister is visiting Alberta. Likely there are a lot of mixed feelings about his visit. But you know what that is his job to see the people of Canada in good times and in bad. When he visits he can well better make decisions that affect the people who need assistance and help.

There is some wind this morning but no where near the wind of this time yesterday. So that is a good thing.

Last night after supper I walked with my friends. Bruno is having a hard time. His Momma comes home late this evening. His Dad says another trip to the Hospital. Poor boy. I hope that he will be okay. One of his legs seems to be swollen. I am not sure how Eddie will do without Bruno should something happen to him. It was smoky last night but there was enough of a breeze that it was okay. Still not my favourite time to be walking with or without pups.

This morning we are going to the last two of our sites to check things and pick up trash. I am not looking forward to be outside for hours in the smoke but I guess there are others like the firefighters that are out outside in this day in and day out. So I will not complain.

Well I kept hitting the snooze button on my phone this morning so I have to head downstairs so that I can have breakfast and coffee before I leave for work. Luckily my ride is coming a few minutes later than our normal time.

Have a wonderful day. Keep safe.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin, My Forever Angel.

The Next Chapter

Good Morning! Wow, sure has been windy the past couple of days. Waking up to another windy day. My daughter let me know that they are not being evacuated due to the wildfires. The fires turned direction so they are safe at home. You know I never thought of them being affected by wildfires until they moved to the country. I guess we all have a false sense of security living in the big city. Now when the wind blows, I feel panicked. They only have one car. The person that is working or is at home does not have a vehicle to get them and the pups to safety. An EXIT plan is a necessity. One never knows what could happen. Even sometimes it could be the smoke, too. Anyway, I let her know if there is every a time where they need to get out – come here. I suppose she already knew this! Also if one has an item or three that are irreplaceable, they should be ready to go at a moment’s notice. I believe in being preparing. Never hurts to have a plan or two in place.

Well, I decided to go to work and see what time that I can get into the dentist as it may not even be until tomorrow. Who knows? Hopefully this afternoon or tomorrow morning. If I can get in after lunch, I can leave work at noon and make my way there. I may even be able to catch a ride with my carpool as she goes home at noon to drive her son to school. He turned six last week and will be in grade one in September. I am grateful that I am pain free with the broken tooth, so I will just go to the office.

Yesterday, I vacuumed and wash all of the floors on the main and upstairs. I cleaned the top of the landing rug as well with my bissell cleaner. Looks good. I had the windows open as well to air the house out. Sure was quiet with Cookie gone home.

Time to go downstairs and put the coffee on. According to the weather channel there are some warm warm days on the way for this week. Pups come tomorrow. I guess time to break out the fans. I will open the windows on those days early to cool off the house for them.

Wishing you a great day!

Fingers crossed that everything goes well at the dentist. I am certain that the tooth will need to be pulled and then what? I think bridge but not sure about the surrounding teeth.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin (My Forever Angel)

The Next Chapter

Good Morning. Nothing feels real this morning as I had set the alarm to get up at a certain time so that I could have a shower and get ready for work. Yes, back to the office. I am a little nervous and I am not sure why. So much has been changing over the last two weeks including my personal circumstances with the loss of my beloved Alvin. My life has been turned upside down the past couple of months. Where does one go from here/from there? I am trying to take one day at a time. Alvin has always been in here in the morning except when he visited at his sister’s house or for those handful of times that I was away. He wasn’t sitting on the mat in the bathroom with his back to me while I showered. I did not wake up on the sofa. I no longer have middle of the night trips outside with him. I miss him and everything little thing about him. I ate a banana yesterday morning and I felt guilty as that was his most favourite food ever. Everything in the house reminds me of him. I never want to forget him and what he brought to my life. The joy, laughter and most of all the love. In the early days of going back to work when he was much younger, I remember having to leave him. Making sure he went outside for a pee and maybe even a poop at the last minute before heading out. Ensuring his water dish was filled with clean cool water. Leaving the television on for company until it went into sleep mode. Telling him that I loved him and would see him later after work. The best thing to come out of the Pandemic for me was that for 2.5 years I was able to work from home almost everyday and be with him. I think we would both admit that sometimes we did get on each other’s nerves (trying to smile here). I always said that we were just like an old married couple. But all in all, it was the best time of my life as I was here for him. If he needed to go to the vet right away, I was able to take him. He would lay on one of his beds in the kitchen not far away from my “workspace.” When I had a late breakfast, he would sit beside me on the sofa and I would give him a treat and if I had a banana, we shared that precious fruit. Walks, oh how we loved out walks. Most days if the weather was favourable, we would head out at my lunch break and then again after work. On those days when the weather was hot, we would head out before I started work and then sometimes again after supper if it had cooled down. I loved how he would be with me wherever I was in the house. Since his last surgery on his knee in July of 2021, I seldom allowed him to follow me into the basement, just too many stairs. Sometimes I would just carry him when I was going down for longer than a couple of minutes. When I carried the laundry basket downstairs, he knew what I was doing and would wait patiently near the basement door. Oh, what a guy he was!

Well I suppose I should head downstairs and finish getting ready to leave for work. I am grateful that I have a ride with my coworker to the office. I am also grateful that she will be joining me when we move to the site office. She is changing jobs. There will be a few days, perhaps one week where she will be in training so I will catch the bus. Get this a Senior’s bus pass is $35.00 for one month which is cheaper than buying bus tickets for the week.

My daughter has a dental appointment after work nearby so she will be spending the night. I look forward to seeing her.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin, my forever Angel.

Last Half 2022 – December

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? We are well. Perhaps a bit sleep deprived but otherwise ready to get this day going. I was surprised when I started this new post that the words “What are your favourite things to wear?” come up under my header of this post. I did not type them. Not sure what is going on? But definitely creepy. Does that mean that I was hacked? Yikes. Anyway, moving on and I am not going to worry about that. I will take it as a fluke, perhaps I accidentally had something to be pasted, not that I remember saying “what are your favourite things to wear.” Never a dull moment.

I am excited because my daughter, Alvin’s sister is coming for a sleepover tonight. She said that she would stay tomorrow and help me with the baking. That would be great. I do not often have help with the Christmas baking so I would appreciate her assistance. Amanda also mentioned about perhaps taking Alvin home with her tomorrow to Alberta Beach. That would be basically three weeks away from home. I am not sure. I know that I will miss him terribly and I think that he may think that I am not coming back. He has been very clingy as of my three day each week return to the office. But maybe it would be good for him. I worry about him with him approaching 14 years and do not wish to cause him additional anxiety. He knows them and the pups very well so that is not it but it is not home. I guess we will see what tomorrow brings. I will speak to my daughter and see what she thinks.

One of our friends lost their pup this week, he was 14 years old, I believe. Always incredibly sad when a doggie passes on. Truly they are family and the hole they leave in your heart stays forever. We just learn to live without them.

I will need to shovel the driveway as there was a slight skiff of snow a day ago and I did not go back out to clean it up. My daughter will park her car in the garage. It is very cold outside this morning. I decided to remake the dish that I came up with two nights ago and then apple crisp for dessert.

We are down to 23 sleeps till Christmas EVE!!

Have a great day.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: even was texting with two friends from Regina last night individually at the same time. Great to have friends near and far. I am so blessed.

Last Half 2022 – November

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? We are doing great. Up at 5:15, (well up at 3:00 as both of us had to “go”) for the day. Alvin has had his breakfast and I have made our bed and had a shower. Now time to be creative! I love having the opportunity to write this post every day or most days. This post, this blog is meant to be light and fun although there are days when it can be very dark. Everyone has days where it is difficult to keep that bright light and positive energy and mindset shining. Today is a bright light kind of day. I hope that it is for you as well. There is a full moon. I am not sure how many folks out there have the belief that a full moon can play with people’s behaviors but I tend to lend toward “yes.” When you work with the public – you can definitely see it. The sky was beautiful clear with the moon up front and centre and stars scattered about. Happy Wednesday!

Last night I made the “Hamburger Quiche” for supper minus the ground beef and using the YVES Mexican blend “meatless meat.” It was a nice reminder of home, I mean Regina. Edmonton is home but Saskatchewan will always be my “home, home.” I was born and raised there until my early teenage years and spent most of my adult life in Saskatchewan, so it is home. Back to supper. The Quiche was good and I had peas for a vegetable. I usually do not have ketchup in the house or even use it but I bought the smallest bottle that I could as you just have to have it with this dish. Not sure why.

I was nervous when I opened the front door last night and Alvin was not there. Two second later he bounded down the up stairs. My heart deflated as I realized that I had not put up the baby gate to keep him downstairs when I am not at home. I had forgot. I think that our bed is one of his happy places as he can look out of the window as he no longer can get up on the chairs in the living room. A few years ago I would not have thought twice about preventing him from going upstairs but now in his golden years, I do not want him to slip and or fall and injury himself. Whew. Thank goodness he is okay. I will remember today. I will.

We had a good evening after supper and dishes were done. It was close to 7:30 when I sat down with a cup of tea. That is one thing about working at the office – the commute. Honestly I do not like it. We lose two hours each day commuting. That is two hours that I missing with my Alvin. I do enjoy the conversation with Michelle, my coworker and carpool driver. But I would much rather be at home. I can tell you when we were outside at 3:00 a.m. and I went to take a breath of air and my lungs hurt from the extremely cold air this morning, I just wanted to go back into the house and curl up under the blanket with Alvin. Which we did because it was 3:00 a.m., lol. You know what I mean.

Today and tomorrow at the office and then the long weekend. Remembrance Day, November 11th.

Have a wonderful day everyone! I hope that you are able to “shine brightly” on this day!

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: couple of things to do and we will even have some cuddle time before I leave at 7:00. We are leaving earlier because of the snow and ice on some of the streets.

It is a NEW YEAR.

Good Morning ALL,

As I sit here in my office with the window opened enjoying the sounds of the outdoors.

I hear a little bird.

Just one.

Sounds like he or she is asking a question?

Calling out to perhaps its’ mate.

Now there is silence.

Except for Alvin is sort of whining.

What does the boy want now?

We were up early and then to the sofa.

I guess that getting up at 6:30 does not quite give me enough time to do things properly before work.

I did manage however to get this far and still have 20 minutes before I officially begin work.

Just am so caught up in starting early.

It is in my bones.

I have always been the early bird when it comes to arriving at work or to a function of any kind.

Now I will say in the last few years, there have been a few times when, I was a few minutes late to our girls coffee dates.

Not by much and it does bug me.

But when it comes to work.

In all of my years of working only a handful of times in over 40 years have I been late.

Due to bus getting stuck in a snowstorm, carpool, and other reasons mainly beyond my control.

 

I think some photos would be perfect on this morning.

My geranium when it was indoors, not quite the same after being transplanted but perhaps it will just take awhile after the trauma of being transplanted.

I am in love with these potted flowers that my daughter gave me last weekend.

The colours are some of my favourite combinations.

I love this billowous cloud formation.

Feeling like I need this haircut once again.

Broccoli days for Mr. Alvin are now past.

 

Well time to head out to work.

I have oh so far to travel.

Less than one foot.

Isn’t that crazy.

 

Wishing you a wonderful Tuesday.

Happy Day.

 

With kindness and respect,

I/We shall remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin

It is a NEW YEAR.

Good Morning and Welcome to the DEEP FREEZE.

ARGH, cold temperatures for the next week.

On the plus side our winter has been relatively mild until this cold snap.

Should we be complaining?

Likely not.

But will we?

Likely yes.

 

My carpool decided to take today off from work.

Usually this would mean that I would be taking the bus.

Lucky for me, my neighbour is giving me a ride to work.

I am on my own going home.

One way is okay.

 

Well this has placed a damper on our walks for the next days.

Usually Alvin likes to mull around outside when he is out doing his business or just hanging out.

Not now.

He does his business and runs back to the house.

Not much coaxing which is fine by me.

No offer of a treat to come inside.

Likely best for the waistline.

So we are playing more ….. Alvin is playing more if truth be told.

 

Tonight down comes the Christmas tree and then I will spend part/most of the weekend taking down the decorations.

Thankfully I only have a couple of items outside.

The wreath on the door and a small tree on the porch.

The wreath I can quickly grab despite the cold but the tree can remain on the porch until the temperature warms up.

It will be good to get back to the normal decorations although it does seem bare in the house for a few days.

But sometimes BARE is good.

Actually I have so  much Christmas ….. it looks like a store.

The rest of the year is much more low-key.

So that is good.

 

I was thinking of something as I was going to bed and of course, did not write it down.

A topic to write about this morning.

Note to self: when a great idea comes to your mind – WRITE IT DOWN, you silly girl.

 

I am also going back and forth between glasses this morning.

I have two pair.

One is older but as my prescription did not change, I can continue to wear them.

One pair has plastic frames, and the other are wire/metal.

The metal/wire frames sometimes bother by my ears.

But they have a slightly bigger lens and I like that.

I have to decide before wearing them for more than a minute or two otherwise will have a headache.

Small decision.

Will check out in the mirror and then decide.

 

What is new with you?

Did you set out with New Year Resolutions?

I did not, really.

I just try to do better than I did the year before in all aspects of my life.

Body, mind and soul.

 

Well almost time to head off downstairs.

On poop patrol.

Now those brown packages freeze before they hit the ground.

Easy to pick up.

 

I hope that on this cold Friday that you are warm and safe.

I wish that rain would extinguish ALL of the fires in Australia without massive flooding.

I wish that there would be PEACE in the Middle East and around the world.

I hope that everyone has a good day.

Yes, everyone.

Remember to breathe.

Go to the bathroom and fake yell if you need that release.

Shake it off.

Put one foot in front of the other!

Soon you will be walking out the door or opening doors to better things.

 

Happy Friday.

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

Living … One day at a time

Good Morning …. Tuesday it is.

Dark out and that will be our reality for the next few months as we enter winter.

Yesterday was a crazy day.

Started out with my carpool not going in to work.

Grateful that I was able to catch a ride to work with Humphrey’s Mom.

So grateful.

I was prepared as I had a winter coat and boots out and ready to wear.

When catching the bus you have to be prepared for anything weatherwise.

When I got to work I was pleasantly surprised just outside the office building by the approach of a man.

The man turned out to be my brother from another mother.

He feels like my younger brother.

In fact, I quite often refer to him as such.

We used to work together and he is such a nice guy.

It was wonderful to see him and catch up.

Throughout the day it was busy.

 

At 3:45 p.m. the fire alarm went off in our building.

The alarm is deafening.

I grabbed my phone, purse and coat (not in that order).

Not realizing until I was outside that my house keys were in my big bag.

Four fire trucks came out to the call.

We waited semi patiently outside in the freezing cold and wind for the all clear to go back inside.

I did think to text Humphrey’s Mom and thankfully she was able to come over and let Alvin outside and feed him.

I had no idea of how long it was going to take before we could go back in.

It was almost twenty minutes later before we got the call.

The other half of the building is under construction / renovations.

This is not the first time the alarm has gone off and was not a test.

Once given the go ahead I rushed back into the building and up the stairs.

Got to my desk.

Turned off the computer.

Put on my boots, grabbed the big bag (checked for house keys), threw my purse inside the bag and ran to the bathroom.

Cause everyone knows when you get cold you have to pee.

Yup, I said that word.

Once done, I made a hasty exit of the building and walked as fast as I could for the bus stop.

I was pretty certain that I was going to be late but held out hope that I would make it.

At least at the end of it all – Alvin was fed and let outside.

So I did not have to worry about him.

Luckily I managed to get not the first bus but the next one.

We passed the first one at some point and I only had to wait at the bus terminal for a few moments.

Even got home near the same time as usual when I catch the bus.

Whew.

So grateful …..

 

Well almost time to head downstairs.

That was my Monday.

Today will be quiet and easy.

Let us hope.

 

With kindness and respect, I shall get through each day.

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

Living … One day at a time.

Hello,

Well Monday morning is here.

It is windy and snowing.

My ride texted earlier and of course, I did not see that message.

But as I was going to head into the shower I had a thought that I should check my phone regarding ride.

Sure enough.

Now that is intuition.

Anyway, was running as tad late.

Somehow the body just wants to sleep …. windy and snow might be part of the reason.

 

I am ready now.

But will have to cut this short as Mr. Alvin would like to go outside and I am going to catch the bus.

Was made at myself for not going out and picking up bus tickets as I have to give the driver a $5.00 bill for one ride this morning.

Luckily I have enough money to go out on break from work and pick up bus tickets.

ARGH.

Oh well, life is learning and always throwing little curveballs.

 

I hope that you have a great Monday.

Wishing you peace, joy and good health.

Love and Laughter.

 

Fill your days with kindness and respect.

 

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

Living … One day at a time

Hello,

Good Morning.

YAY, today is Friday.

So am looking forward to the weekend.

House needs to be cleaned and I need to cuddle with my boy.

What a week we have had.

Sometimes you get “bad news” but it works out in the end.

Gotta love that.

So it goes to show that there is no point in getting upset / stressed / riled up / angry / mad / sad or whatever the negative emotion.

Until the final word has been spoken or the final ink to paper.

One never knows where things will go.

I am a firm believer in the positive and even though I may feel a tad bit upset initially that is mostly due to the shock of the news.

Right?

Just to remain positive, calm, kind and respectful in all situation.

Most people are shocked when they hear “bad news” or “major change to their norm” and that is understandable.

I am sorry to be cryptic but because it involves my work, I won’t give any details.

Suffice to say for now the wave has subsided.

 

So weatherwise we have moisture.

It rained off and on yesterday and last night.

HOWEVER we managed to get a short walk in and a visit with our friend who was out in her garden.

I love our chats.

She even temporarily transplanted a GERANIUM and brought it over for me.

I have to transplant it into a pot to winter.

So I will have pink flowers all winter long and then can transplant into my garden in the spring.

Lucky me.

So excited.

Just have to find the right pot.

 

Tomorrow is to be cooler and cloudy so hopefully I can finish off my outdoor work.

Teddy may come for a visit tomorrow.

We love to have him over and then Humphrey may join us in the afternoon.

 

Well looks like getting close to the time that I have to leave.

I have to change purses as I am catching the bus home tonight and stopping at the vet.

Alvin needs to eat.

My neighbour is giving me a ride this morning as my carpool took the day off.

Also you know, I am going to type that FOUR LETTER word …… P-O-O-P.

Have to clean the morning stuff up from the back yard.

 

Well I hope that you have an awesome Friday.

I am thinking today is going to be AMAZING.

I see only GREAT NEWS in my future.

GREAT GREAT NEWS.

I hope that it is the same for you.

 

Happy Friday.

 

 

Always, Carol & Alvin