Last Half 2022 – November

Good Morning ALL! I hope that you are feeling and doing GREAT this Wednesday morning. Today I work from the office so I am trying to keep my energy levels high and positive. To be honest I love working from home and being with Alvin and going to the office well it is okay but there is no comparison. The air is warm outside this morning. Hard to believe it is going into the last week of November. Although I did hear on the weather channel last night something about “our temperatures being close to normal,” I guess they should know as they keep track of these things and I do not. Alvin and I went for a lovely walk during my lunch break. So nice outside. I love my ice tracks.

I made my list, well sort of all how much baking I need to do to cover Christmas 2022. There are three parties of various sizes, friends and neighbours and family on the list and of course some for Christmas. Trying to keep it down to a dull roar this year. We really do not need that much “sugar.”

I learned that a fellow coworker from my SGI days passed away and her funeral was yesterday. She was the age of my sister. How incredibly sad! Always a reminder when someone passes away – that we need to live and love our lives each and every day. You never know. Be kind and have fun.

Still pretty dark outside at 6:09 a.m. – we are running ahead of time this morning. We will have time to do some cuddling before my ride arrives.

Well I suppose we will head back downstairs. I do want to ensure that Mr. Alvin goes outside again before I leave and that he drinks some water.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: just a tad over one month until Christmas Eve!

2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? Great, I hope! Wow, only SIX more sleeps until Christmas EVE 2021. WOW. I am feeling like I missed a day here and there. Six sleeps. One more sleep till little Cookie joins our household for two weeks. We will have the most beings for Christmas ever, I think and it makes me so happy. I mean since I moved to Edmonton. Generally it has been myself, Alvin, my daughter and son-in-law and their two pups. Which is great, please do not get me wrong, I love my family so much and time spent with them is priceless. I do however, like to entertain and it will be great to have some extra people and pups in the house this Christmas.

I thought that I would share some random photos this morning as I need to shower and get this show on the road as this is a huge day – one more trip out to pick up last minute items and something for Alvin, Aspen, Milo and Cookie for Christmas, also laundry, cleaning which includes bathrooms, floors, vacuum, dusting and ensuring that the house is in order for our company’s arrival tomorrow and for next weekend. Lots to do. So one last big clean (although seriously my house is not really dirty, perhaps a bit of dust here and there, lol) to do so that I feel as though we are ready to greet our company whether four-legged or two-legged.

The temperature has warmed up quite a bit which is nice but still not warm enough for Mr. Alvin to go for any length of walk. Perhaps later, I might bundle him up and even if we only go a few doors down the sidewalk – it will be a walk. He misses those walks as do I. They are good for body, mind and soul.

ROSE AKA BETTY WHITE

GOLDEN GIRLS

Kobi

Teddy & His Momma

Kobi checking things out!

Kobi

Our Company

My Alvin

Love the Green

Christmas cookies for Dr. Karen & team

Alvin & Kobi from another visit

Teddy

Kobi & Alvin

I apologize right straight away for the photos that are not quite in focus, I hadn’t noticed until I was downloading them, I was so excited to see the pups and my friend a couple of nights ago that I wasn’t watching the camera / phone. Just a few photos. I love the Betty White “ROSE” mug that my friend gave me, I love giving treats and we love our friends.

Happy Saturday.

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

Always, Carol & Alvlin

P.S. oh, I order pizza from Royal Pizza in our neighbourhood last night as I just figured that I needed to have a treat. Honestly it was still hot when I ate it and was the best one ever. I was wondering if they changed owners or cooks? Anyway, I called Royal Pizza to thank them for the pizza being hot and so good. The person that took my order about one hour earlier was the same one that answered the phone, I truly think he was stunned and shocked. Don’t people ever call when something is extra good and it was genuinely HOT. It was still quite warm when I was removing it from the box to put in the fridge. That is my pizza story. Perhaps it is something to remember that we all need to give thanks to others so that when we do – it does not come as so much of a shock.

2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? Well it is pretty chilly out there. I haven’t dared check out the temperature but I could see my breath for sure. The sun is starting to rise slowly as it becomes light outside. Yesterday was a productive Saturday. I did several loads of laundry, chipped and cleaned all of the ice from the public sidewalk out front of our house, washed all of the containers for Christmas baking, made three batches of fudge, watched a Fifth Avenue Jewelry LIVE, had a nice chat with a friend on the phone, did some cleaning and feels like I am missing something as I was busy from the time that I got up until bedtime. Anyway, lots to do at this time of year. What were you doing yesterday?

I am going to pop into the shower to get refreshed after this post and then put on the coffee and pull out all of the baking supplies to make the SUGAR COOKIES. I have already put away all of the laundry that was drying in the basement and brought up the towels out of the dryer. I made the bed. Do you make your bed everyday? That always seems to be something that people differ on along with the toilet paper roll up or down. But if we agreed on everything it would be a pretty boring world. I plan to bake all of the sugar cookies today and then ice them tomorrow. Likely make 3 or 4 batches which translates to about 216 – 288 cookies. If time allows, I may make more. I have decided this year to make individual packages for the people on my baking distribution list. Oh, that sounds pretty formal. I mean the folks that I give Christmas baking to each year. I usually add people to the list. I have some of the food wrap you know the cello stuff, and ribbon so just have to figure out how large the square has to be. That will likely be the hardest part, lol. I will wrap as I give them away. Not sure if it is feasible to do them all at once. Will see how time allows.

The Fifth Avenue Jewelry LIVES on FB have been fun. Who would have thought two years ago that we would not be having home parties and that everything could be more easily done on the computer on FACEBOOK, of all places. You never know where life is going to take us!

Oh, we had some snow sometime between bed and 3:00 a.m. – just enough to give things a nice little blanket and help cover any ice that was left. Grateful for that bit of snow.

Well time to fly and get some things done. Sometimes I am very good at procrastinating. Very good at it. When it is cold outside – I like to snuggle with Mr. Alvin under our favourite red blanket on the sofa sipping on a mug of coffee and watching “our” favourite Christmas show or movie. Maybe tonight, if I get those cookies all baked in time. We have the last Fifth Avenue Jewelry Live this afternoon at 4 p.m. Mountain time or 5 p.m. for you my sister in Saskatchewan.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding and gratitude. So much gratitude for this life and each and every day of it.

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. last night we were or rather I was waiting for the LIVE to begin when I heard a crash. I was temporarily frozen on the sofa. Finally after a few seconds, I got up to investigate. Guess what I found? The broom and dustpan had fallen over onto the floor from his spot in between the pantry and wall by the back door. OMG, scared the hair right off my head. It did. Even Alvin jumped.

2021

Good Morning ALL! Welcome to Saturday, December 4, 2021. OMG, not many days now less than three full weeks until Christmas EVE. Can you believe it? Time flies. The sky is clear as the sun rises this morning. Mr. Alvin is patiently, impatiently waiting in the hallway for me. Every so often he stands up and looks at me as if to say “Are you done yet?” Just like a small child travelling on vacation or to Grandma’s house. I will say that PATIENCE is not something that either Alvin and I have a lot of but I am working on that, daily.

At my lunch break yesterday at noon, the arm was quite warm so we happily set out for our walk. So excited until we we reached the public sidewalk in front of our house to find that the once crunchy layer of snow had now become a sheet of ice with patches that were safe for walking. I took the smallest steps that I have taken since first learning to walk while Alvin boldy rushed along slipping and sliding as we went. He did slow down when I pulled on the leash a bit and said “Slow down Buddy.” We walked past one of our neighbours on the other side of the street who was out putting down salt on his driveway. They live on the corner so he has a long piece of sidewalk that he has to maintain. Not everyone around is as meticulous as he is about looking after the snow and ice removal during the winter. I am grateful for him. They also have the most beautiful yard in the summer. His wife has a super green thumb and is always working outside during the summer days, weeks and months. Anyway, we stopped momentarily to chat with him and then carefully carried on with hopes to reach the park and then turn back once again for home BUT after a few houses, I decided it was not worth the risk of Alvin slipping or pulling something or me falling and breaking something. So we turned around and carefully made our way back home. We said hello again to our friend who was then pouring salt on the long piece of public sidewalk and continued homeward bound. I am happy to report that we made it safe and sound although I had one frightful moment. Oh, the joys of winter. I must get out my “grips” to put onto the bottom of my winter boots. Most of the time they work but when there is only a layer of thin black ice – they do not. Anyway, we are home safe and luckily other than going for walks we have no need to leave the house and I am grateful to have a backyard for Mr. Alvin to access should he need to go “you know what.”

Last night was the first of three LIVES on Facebook for the Fifth Avenue Jewelry Collection that I am hosting with three others and they are called MEGAPARTIES. New words all the time. It was fun. I missed the first couple of minutes again and not because I was not there but because apparently “I did not refresh FB” which I am pretty sure that I did, anyway, let us not go there. Yesterday was not my best day on planet earth. I found myself impatient with people that I work with (not my direct coworkers) and then to miss the first couple of minutes of the LIVE when I was there, did not help my anxiety. Yes, we all have a bit of anxiety from time to time. Anxiety – impatience, call it what you will, it happens to each and every one of us from time to time. Anyway, I believe I ended it on a high note. My lotto ticket was not a winner so that was disappointing – I guess deep down or even on the surface did I think that I would actually win a large sum of money. I have to work on that for sure. There were so many pieces of beautiful jewelry. I guess my favorite was this long silver chain with this huge round kelly green crystal bead and two clear crystal beads and a FAC charm. It totally reminds me of Christmas and I have admired it for a long time. It is a bit more money than I can afford but a girl can dream. At the end of the day it is nice to sit and admire the beautiful jewelry. I have several pieces that I have acquired over the last thirty years since I started to buy Fifth Avenue Jewelry. I have so much jewelry period that I have accumulated in my 64 years. Most of what I acquire these days is for gifts. Once in awhile I pick up something for myself. Not too often. Tonight at 7:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) is the second FB LIVE for the weekend and then tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. (Mountain Time), I believe is the last one. So I had better get going.

This is my Christmas baking / Fifth Avenue Jewelry weekend plus I have laundry and some cleaning to do. I have reduced the different things that I am baking to Sugar Cookies and Fudge and a batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies for my son-in-law. Also I had a great idea last night when I could not sleep because silly me thought it was a good idea to drink coffee all evening. My beautiful daughter stopped by after work and brought us MacD’s for supper (usually I am not a huge fan of fast food but once in awhile I enjoy it and I had a craving for those salty fries). This was the second time in as many months. I am turning into a FF junkie (fast food junkie). Anyway, that is okay. Alvin and I loved having her here for a visit. We quickly caught up on the latest before she was on her way to COSTCO. Did I mention that she brought me some small donuts from MacD’s, who knew that they sold donuts now. I had a couple last night after she was gone. They were yummy. Anyway.

Time to get going. I have some FB messages to send to some friends regarding the Fifth Avenue Jewelry party and then laundry and COFFEE.

Have the most wonderful Saturday. Be safe and enjoy!

Continuing on this path, in this life to live each day with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, understanding, laughter with gratitude.

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS, one of the splurges I made at the grocery store was a small bag of the ground StarBucks Christmas Blend Coffee, the one in the red bag. I had that last night. My daughter had about 1/2 a cup but me, I drank the rest of the pot. I enjoyed it but I was up all night thinking about everything that happened yesterday and things that I will be doing this weekend and even came up with a great idea to package the Christmas baking. YAY, me.

Welcome to December 2020

Good Morning ALL. How are you this Monday morning. Wow, it is December 14, 2020. Almost there. Officially it is “10 sleeps/days” until Christmas Eve Day. Yesterday was an exciting day in our household. First thing in the morning my friend Amber dropped off my Fifth Avenue Collection (FAC) party order which included the orders from my friends and my daughter and mine of course. I love, love my new ELEPHANT necklace so pretty. We chatted masked and distancing for a few minutes before they were on their way to COSTCO for groceries. I almost forgot to send with her the boxes of Christmas treats (baking) that I had prepared on Saturday. Luckily she had said something unrelated about baking and it tweaked my memory banks. Thank goodness. That would have been incredibly sad.

My daughter came for a visit, we had chocolate gingerbread pancakes ( I am always experimenting and most times they turned out, they were good but different texture), she brought us their 58 inch television and most of groceries required for Christmas Dinner/ Supper. When she arrived I helped her bring the television into the house as well as the groceries and after putting the food away we sat down to enjoy the pancakes. Alvin was happy to have “banana” again as we had run out a few days ago. After our breakfast we started the process of taking down the old television (which required me to go to the garage and bring in some tools), down came the old one but putting up the new one required further assistance. We called on our masked friend to come and help as we needed another tool (SHE came with a full on handy dandy tool kit) and in a few minutes we had the new television up. My friend left and we then realized when plugging in the cords that there was no room to plug in one of the cords on the back of the t.v. (honestly I am not very technical so I just don’t remember the name) due to the wall frame thingy BUT my intelligent daughter figured it out and then we had this glorious picture on the screen. It felt as though I was watching a movie on the big screen. Now I had planned to bake another batch of sugar cookies and wrap Christmas presents but somehow my get and go got up and left. My daughter left shortly after the television was up and running. I decided that we needed to just veg and watch CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS complete with a bowl of popcorn. Felt like I was in someone else’s house with this huge television. I think Alvin even took notice. Well we snuggled and enjoyed the movie. Once over I started wrapping Christmas presents. Starting with my son-in-law. I had brought the wrapping paper and bags up from the basement and the gifts down from upstairs. Tape was in a kitchen drawer. I had all Steven’s gifts wrapped and then placed under the tree when I decided why not fill his stocking. There was nothing edible in it so I wrapped his stocking stuffers and placed the stocking carefully under the tree and back to the kitchen and back to wrapping all Alvin’s friends gifts and he has lots of friends. While I was wrapping Alvin was “laying on the sofa” or so I thought when I heard this odd sound followed by what sounded like “tissue paper being torn” so I RAN to the living room and found that Mr. Alvin had dragged the stocking across the floor and had carefully removed the first gift out of the stocking and was just in the process of opening it up. OMG, I quickly rescued the stocking and Steven’s gift from the mouth of his four-legged brother-in-law. I guess that I should have thought something was up when I placed the gifts under the tree and he had gone over and was sniffing at them but then again, he is always curious but this is the first time he has actually tried to open something. Needless to say the stocking has been placed elsewhere and all of the gifts that have anything “puppy wise” whether a toy and or treats are sitting wrapped on my the kitchen counter. I had an open space and it is out of the way of food preparation and stuff. I should have checked to see if I could upload my photos and forgot again. Most of the gifts are wrapped except for some of my daughter’s so I am good to go. All of the gifts that have to go elsewhere are wrapped. Thankfully.

I was done wrapping, had supper and had taken a couple of sweet treats from one of the many containers in the fridge when I decided to see if I could downsize some of the containers. One beings EGGS. I had two dozen in regular cartons and part of a flat carton so I thought I would move a dozen to the flat carton. Well I had forgot just how flimsy the carton bed was and before you know it I had several eggs on the floor, all over the fridge. Mr. Alvin was coming to investigate and I warned him “not to” and he actually kept his distance. I lost several eggs and some had fallen on the ledge and had not broken. YAY, I thought for a quick minute before the door closed and I heard egg shells crushing. I did manage to retrieve three eggs that the shell was broken only and were still on the fridge ledge so I made eggs for breakfast today. ARGH. It was sad, funny and frustrating. Mostly funny. I ended up steam mopping the floor – just in case.

What a day. I also forgot that one of my best pals dropped off my Christmas present and Christmas baking. We are not able to get together for our annual Christmas dinner and party so we are dropping off the gifts and baking and then we will be zooming on Saturday. My fridge has officially exploded with baking some of which is waiting to be delivered tonight and others that are ALL MINE to ENJOY.

Well it looks like it is time to get this show on the road. What a Sunday we had. Mostly great. I still cannot believe that I have this gigantic beautiful television in my living room and in fact, I had to adjust my eyes this morning to ensure that I was not dreaming.

Living this life with kindness, respect and compassion for all – is what we all need to do.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Welcome to December 2020

Good Morning All. How are you doing today? Well we are in the countdown mode now. Can you believe “19” sleeps until Christmas EVE Day. WOW. I guess that means that I better get cracking with my Christmas Baking to ensure it is done and delivered before the big day. My list is bigger than I initially had decided upon. So I will be baking several batches of the following: Sugar Cookies with my special icing, Fudge, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Unbaked Chocolate Macaroons, and Raisin Cookies. So countless of dozens of delectable treats to be enjoyed by my kids, neighbours and friends and Alvin’s Dr. and her staff. I am so excited. I think that I am ahead of my usual curve than other years. Now that is a phrase we have heard this year but in reverse. Anyway, today, tomorrow and Monday are baking days. I even took Monday off as a vacation day so that I would have lots of time. In between the baking, I am hosting a online Fifth Avenue Collection jewelry party for which I only have to show up to the LIVES (whew), laundry, cleaning, my daughter is stopping by today with groceries and for a visit and a friend from work is stopping by to pick up her tea order. The baking and jewelry party is all weekend. My Jeweler Friend does lives at different times over the weekend. There was one last night, two today and one tomorrow. Looking out the office window the sunrise is beautiful once again. Last night after work Alvin and I joined my friend Pauline and her grandpup Georgie for a walk. The sun was setting already when we left the house at 4:30 and was gorgeous. Someone had even pulled their car over to the side of the road and was taking photos. It was very pretty. Alvin and I had two good walks yesterday one at noon which was about 25-30 and then a 45 minute one after work. So if we do not make it out today we will not be behind, thank goodness. The battle of the midsection has definitely been HUGE this year but in all honesty I think it has been a carryover from last year and the year before. I cannot blame it on COVID19. Okay, perhaps just a little.

What are your plans for the weekend? Do you bake goodies for your family and friends? One thing I am excited about is that this year I have nice boxes made just for cookies and other treats and I am so grateful to my friend for picking them up. You know my personal shopper friend, as I like to call her. She is amazing. Not just because of that – she is a kind, loving, generous person and we love her.

Okay, I guess I had better get this train back on the tracks. Throw on a Christmas movie, put on the coffee, go to the basement and put on a load of laundry and change the furnace filter (very important to keep that changed) and then have some toast and coffee and then START BAKING. I would like to have some things done before my daughter arrives. I am excited to have company. Only one at a time.

I wish you a wonderful Saturday. Remember to do something nice for someone other than yourself. It is easy to treat yourself but hey so much more rewarding to treat others. You won’t regret it. Be nice. Shovel a walk, bake a pie for your elderly neighbours, bake something and give it away. The vacuuming can wait. Maybe you have neighbours who cannot leave the house and have a dog …. take the dog for a walk? That would be nice.

Happy Saturday ALL.

See you tomorrow.

Living with kindness, respect and compassion for all.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Second Half of the NEW YEAR – last quarter

Good Morning ALL. OH my goodness! we were up at 4:13 and yes, the boy had an early breakfast and then back to the sofa for some more sleep. I woke up just before 7:00 and decided as it was still dark and I wasn’t ready to get up for the day, we laid down and then it was 7:30 and we came upstairs, then we laid down on the bed and I just looked out the window thinking about things and looking at the street lamp. All of a sudden it was much lighter out and I came into the office where I had turned on the computer when we first came upstairs and it was 8:48 a.m. WOW, time flies. Guess I should have stayed up at 7:30 as this post would have been done, a load of laundry would be washed and in the dryer and a second load would have been in the washer, I would have had the coffee on, the bedding would have been changed and I would be starting to eat breakfast. WOW, how can that happen. There is something about it being dark and the weekend that keeps me from wanting to get up and at it. I don’t have this problem during the work week but then again I know that I must get up and work. I guess that is the difference. Likely I am not alone in this but I wished that I would have stayed up. Oh well, it is done. Now to get this day cracking.

Another gorgeous sunrise. I do love when the horizon seems to be filled with hues of pink and orange. So pretty.

Alvin is sitting in the hallway just looking at me and likely wondering why?

We had a great Friday. Alvin’s bestie Teddy and his little sister Kobi spent the day with us from 8 to 5. Kobi is such a little character. Still very much a puppy and so full of energy. Alvin and Teddy well they do have their moments but mostly they are happy to just hang out. Thankfully it was nice outside as she wanted to go outside and just investigate the snowbanks in the backyard. So cute. Despite the interruptions I managed to get lots of work down. Also our parcel came from our good friend in Regina. Chalked full of delicious treats and this very cool cookbook, actually more than a cookbook. I am going to give you all the name as the author and chef is going to give a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book to help support the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation. How wonderful is that. The book is “One Loaf at a Time” by CJ KATZ and on the other side “One Bowl at a Time” ….. virtually two books in one. There are stories of the Pandemic and how it affected CJ and her family, the province of Saskatchewan and Canada and the world Photos of the folks who graciously gave their recipes for this worthy cause. She even mentioned the “toilet paper” hoarding, the shortages of flour and sugar and other baking ingredients as those of us who were at home started baking and cooking. Some people had nothing much to do with having to stay at home, so they learned to cook and to bake. Have you heard the term “the COVID 15” which relates to the weight gain over the past few months which I think may have been early on and is likely more more. I heard that phrase somewhere and not note that I have not read that in the book thus far. She mentions how retail placed arrows on the store floors to try and move people in the same direction and keeping them 6 feet or 2 metres apart. This is a great book. The photos of the food are so good that they make you want to start grabbing the ingredients from your cupboard/pantry and start baking/cooking. I am so proud of my friend as she has a recipe in the book as well. They are friends, how cool. In addition to this great book I received a “cinnamon bun loaf”, some little muffins for Alvin which he shared some of which Teddy and Kobi, butter tarts, apple tarts, shortbread, moonpies (I think they are called), and more. There are packages of different kind of cookies and other sweet treats and some goldfish crackers that I have never seen before and more. Totally spoiled we are. One quick story. You know that Mr. Alvin is a master gift opener. If not, he is. I placed his wrapped gift (which was the muffins) on the floor. Of course, Teddy and Kobi, most especially Kobi circled nearby as he very deftly with his nose and mouth and holding the gift with his paw opened it. I took the video and once he got it mostly open, I grabbed it quickly before he accidentally ate the plastic that the muffins were in. So cute. I am so grateful to be blessed with the most generous friend(s) on the planet.

Well I guess it is getting way late here and Mr. Alvin is not changing the bedding nor is he gathering the towels for the laundry nor is he putting on the coffee for his Momma. He is leaving it all up to me. What a great guy!

I hope that you are doing great. We are getting close to DECEMBER now. Only couple more days now. YAY. Next weekend I will start and finish the Christmas baking. Pretty sure I have all of the ingredients that I require as the pantry and cupboards are jammed packed full of items.

Have a great Saturday.

Enjoy your morning coffee, tea or juice. Go for a nice walk. Don’t forget to do something nice for someone. There is not a better feeling than to help someone in need. That way you will have more energy and feel so much better about things. Show some gratitude. It works. Believe me, it works.

Alvin and I will continue to live our lives showing kindness and respect and compassion for all. We might be having a “sidewalk” visit today with our friends Ali and Bailey down the street. Bailey is no longer that little puppy. She is getting big. We see her sometimes out walking with her Grandpa.

Happy Saturday.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 11th day of December, 2017.

Appears to be another nice day on the way.

My hand is still sore depending on what I am trying to do.

Should be interesting at work as I have some things to do that require writing and that is something that is not easy to do.

I have been writing with my right hand which is not my dominant one.

Will have to power through and write with my left as most of the writing is numbers.

I am grateful to my daughter who came over yesterday and helped me finish the Christmas baking.

Showers and getting dressed take time.

Found that putting on “stretch” – legging type of pants, I cannot do without pain.

No jewellery, hardly any make-up.

Fun and games.

I feel naked.

Watch on opposite hand.

ARGH.

But at the end of it all I am most grateful that I can key without too much discomfort which helps and that I am feeling pretty good.

Although I have not really stopped since it happened.

Good or bad, I do not know.

Alvin has been at my side as I figure he knows something is up.

Oh, my darling boy.

Well almost time to go as it will take me a few minutes to don the coat, boots and slide into my back pack……

No complaints as I know it could have been much much worse.

I am grateful for that and for the girls and work and for my daughter for the help.

So happy Monday everyone.

Special Hello: to my sister and fellow blogger for their concern and comments.  I have learned that I can only trust me to make sure that I look after me ….. if someone is coming on the bus, I will

just get out of the way until I have 100% exit.  Better to be safe than sorry.

Thank you everyone.

P.S. update on Telus and the data exceeded …. guy called me at 6:50 instead of 6:00 as promised…..then spent another 50 minutes on the phone with him ….. on the computer ….. only to tell me that I would need a technician to come out……argh.  Kept saying there is another device on my … whatever it is called.  I told him what I had…. I also said I am 60, why would I lie??  Anyway.

 

Thought for the day ……

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 17th day of December, 2016.

Only 7 sleeps until Christmas Eve.

A bitterly frosty cold morning here in Edmonton with a windchill of minus 30 degrees celsius.

Guess what they are forecasting minus 9 degrees celsius by tomorrow morning with a high of minus 3 degrees celsius for Sunday and guess what for Monday?

PLUS ONE …… with snow flurries and possible freezing rain.

How crazy within twenty-four hours we go from minus 30 to minus 3.

Oh well ….. next week is supposed to be relatively nice with single digit temperatures except for Friday when it dips to minus eleven.

The sky is so pretty this morning with hues of pinks and yellows.

The chimney smoke wrapping itself into the colour and disappearing into the sky.

 

Last night Mr. Alvin decided to wake up before 3:00 a.m. – I think perhaps his poor front paws are bothering him.

More than likely arthritis ….. he has started to lick them a lot.

He is now on some chewy glucosamine.

Will give it another week and then see where we are at.

Could also just be in part to the fact that we really have not walked for two weeks other than down the street to my friend’s which took all of three minutes.

I think he also has been sleeping too much as a result.

Perhaps his jumping off the bed days are numbered.

So am going to spend time training him to jump off on the cushioned stool that is at the foot of our bed.

He uses it to jump up but not to jump down.

My poor boy.

 

Last night one of my neighbour’s had invited me over for a visit.

I dared not tell him where I was going or he would have been upset that he was not going.

They have a family member who has allergies so he cannot visit inside the house.

However they love him and in the summer we visit outside with them all the time.

All I have to do is to mention their names and he gets very excited.

If they are outside working in their garden and we are walking by he makes a bee-line to cross the street to see them.

We had a nice visit.

 

Today I have laundry and some baking to do.

Also I have to return a call from my great nephew … he heard my voice message and was giggling when he left his message.

He said “Grandma, er I mean Anta, this is “A”, can you call me back.” …… with little laughs and giggles, so cute.

Get my Christmas gifts ready for the kids.

We are doing the reuse items idea.

Find something from around your house that you do not need and that they might want.

I know what I am giving my son-in-law but have too many ideas for my daughter.

It is a good way to stay within a budget and also to reuse things that are sitting idle.

Tonight I am going out for supper to a nearby restaurant with two of my younger girl friends.

So excited …

We decided not to exchange gifts and instead to go out for supper and visit.

This year is full of changes.

Just thinking wonder who won the Lotto MAX, if there was a winner ….. oh maybe it was me.

Can you imagine?

OH my that would be crazy to have $55 million dollars.

Happy days ahead …..for sure.

 

Tomorrow to end the weekend I am baking sugar cookies for one of my young friends who I promised if she bought the ingredients I would make them.

So I will be mixing, rolling, baking and icing cookies tomorrow.

 

Well time to get the laundry started so that my under wear is dry for tonight.

Yes, I did say that.

It is the truth and it is funny.

 

Well as the bright sunshine streams through my office window, I shall say good-bye for today.

With gladness of warming temperatures so that Alvin and I can walk.

Actually tomorrow will be baking cookies and WALKING WITH me ALVIN.

 

Happy Saturday ….

Be safe, keep warm and enjoy the weekend.

 

Special Hello to: ALL ….. Merry Christmas.

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

 

Thought for the day….

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 7th day of December, 2014.

What a great weekend.

I did all of my baking.

Over 12 dozen sugar cookies – baked and iced.

Over 9.5 dozen unbaked chocolate macaroons – that is about 114 mounds of pure heaven.

2 – 9 x 13 pans of chocolate fudge and then a pie plate which translate to about 100 pieces of melt in your mouth – joy.

Over a grand total of 350 pieces of Christmas Baking …… that should go a long way.

I have a couple of cookies exchanges – family and friends visiting – some to give away …..

Check

Another item off of my list.

Just a few more cards to write up, some to mail and others to hand deliver.

GUESS WHAT the sun is coming up and shining brightly.

It will be a great day.

Alvin is looking out our bedroom/office window and barking at something …. I better scoot over and see what all of the hub bub is about.

Well almost time to go to work at the store.

Should be a fun day with holiday shoppers.

I hope that you had a great weekend whether checking off things on your to do lists or just plain taking it easy.

I did have a chance to watch/listen to some holiday shows yesterday while I was baking.

Have a great Sunday.

Special Hello to: all those holiday shoppers ….. remember to be patient and kind …… it goes a long way and in the end everyone is much happier.

Always, Carol and Alvin