Living … One day at a time.

Hello, good morning.

It is a beautiful morning here in Edmonton.

The sun is shining and as I look out of my office window at home, I can see the sun shining through the golden leaves of a neighbour’s tree to the south.

So beautiful.

This is our Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend.

I am thankful for all of the things in my life.

Even the “cold sore” that seems to have landed on my upper lip.

I have so much to be thankful for.

Even the messy stuff is all good.

Every bit of life good or bad is to be thankful for.

My life is certainly not perfection and I sometimes might choose to see life through rose coloured glasses but …

It is my life ….

I am surrounded by the best people and while they are fantastic even those relationships are sometimes not 100% rosey.

But that is life.

Right?

Perfection is sloppy.

Perfection is messy.

Perfection is your perfect.

Different for everyone.

We had a great night with Humphrey over for a visit.

I am always amazed at how well they get on.

The first moment he arrives …. Alvin runs to the door and they touch noses.

I guess that is their way of saying hello.

If one goes outside they both go outside.

If one comes in most times they both come in.

Tonight Teddy comes for a sleepover.

He will spend Sunday with us.

Tomorrow my daughter, son-in-law and grand pups comes for our Thanksgiving meal.

Life is good.

 

Well time to get that life is good thing going …. there is laundry to do and coffee to drink.

Time to change from pj’s into day time clothes.

 

With kindness and respect I shall live my life.

Remembering how blessed I am.

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

Happy Thanksgiving …

 

 

 

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 10th day of October, 2018.

Happy Birthday to our friends, the twin boys “R” and “R.”

 

Well mid week today.

Alvin is curled up on his blue blanket as I write this post.

All is well in our world.

 

Life reminds me that these extra pounds that have begun to accumulate around my middle, will not go away without extra work.

So I have to get my butt in gear.

I have been talking about doing “yoga” and “pilates” for awhile now and just have not been able to get into the routine.

But now is the time.

With winter right around the corner – there is no time like the present.

As we age it is so EASY to put on those extra pounds.

Our metabolism slows down or seems to be napping in my case.

Before things get out of hand and my health is affected – I am going to make this pledge to myself.

One form of exercise in addition to walking every night after work.

15-20 minutes.

I have two yoga mats, yoga bricks, yoga strap and yoga & pilates recordings.

I have no excuses.

None.

Not a one.

Plus I have my new yoga outfit that my friend bought me for my birthday which has been collecting dust in the closet.

Well no dust but you know what I mean.

Time to take action.

I would like to have my waist and “flatter stomach” back again.

A bit pouf is okay but not this.

No more muffin top ….. why do we put food related comments to being overweight.

Extra weight adds stress to your back, to your internal organs, to your overall health, to your mind and to your clothes.

No one wants to go and buy a larger size, argh.

NOT this “cookie”, so not appropriate.

NOT this person ….. now that is better.

Time to put down the sweets and cut back on portions.

I love veggies and time to add more to my diet.

We got this …… we got this.

I am also going to do a couple of extra flights of stairs at work today.

Start small and work up.

 

Happy Wednesday everyone.

 

Special Hello to: all those folks like me who just want to be a few pounds, “okay may more than a few” pounds lighter.  We got this. We can.

Always, Carol

 

 

 

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 Thursday the 20th day of April, 2017.

One day closer to summer breezes and flip flops and longer walks with me Alvin.

Yesterday was a total shock as I wore my winter coat and boots and on the way home, I really did not need them.

Last night we went for our walk and I did not even wear a jacket.

Bonus.

So happy for those evenings.

This weather had me wondering what was happening this time last year, and this is what I blogged:

It is overcast but not with rain clouds this morning.

We have wildfires burning to the north and west of our location.

We are in the “area” that could be affected should they not contain them.

Unfortunately with not much snow this winter and although we enjoyed not having to shovel everyday and plough through snow walking and driving …. we pay the price come spring.

It is so dry.

I have started watering my front flower bed that has perennials.

There are a few green leaves on them but I am not sure that they made the winter.

I transplanted them last fall.

I hope so but time will tell.

The lawns are a mixture of brown and green.

I am afraid that without spring showers and summer rains brown will be our reality as it will be too much water to keep them green.

Just a friendly reminder for everyone on the planet ….. please be careful.

Do not throw away that cigarette butt or set off fireworks just because they are pretty.

You might find yourself in the midst of a raging fire.

Let us be careful this spring / summer.

Do your part, please be a good citizen of your neighbourhood and of this planet.

Pick up the trash …… don’t be a misguided inhabitant.

Well it is time to leave for work.

Our office has been cool so it is sweater weather.

Somedays it is warmer outside than in the office.

But on the other hand ….. I would rather don a sweater than the alternative.

Cannot take off clothes.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

 

Special Hello to: my fellow bloggers …..

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to the 2nd day of April, 2017.

Looks like a beautiful morning with a bright blue sky and the sun shining.

We had a bit of excitement this morning.

Alvin had been in the backyard and then barked to come in and raced through the house at lightning speed.

Only to stop at the windows in the living room and start barking loudly.

One our neighbour’s dogs was out.

He is a big big guy.

ALMOST as tall as me…. almost.

I know approximately where he lives.

He was in the yard right across the street from us …. sniffing and then peed.

He continued down the way going in the direction of his home.

I kept careful watch for the next while.

When he did not come back – I thought he had made it home.

Think again.

Alvin and I had come upstairs so that I could write my blog.

Just before sitting down at the computer – I put the decorator pillows back on the bed.

As I walked by the bedroom window I saw a white flash and then my neighbour “S” coming back from across the street.

I waved and she gave me the thumbs up.

So I opened the window and asked if it was the big dog and she said he is now home.

I also made sure that one of the owners was outside.

Apparently the big guy was chasing a rabbit and it was the rabbit that was the white flash that ran by on the street.

YIKES.

Thank goodness it ended well.

First time that I have not just ran out to help.

Feeling guilty and grateful.

Is that possible?

Always some excitement.

Love happy endings.

 

Well just a few things on my TO DO list today.

1.  ENJOY a couple of cups of coffee
2. Pick up a few items at the grocery store
3. WALK with Alvin
4. Bring up clothes that were hanging to dry in the basement
5. Write my Blog – check
6. Call my friend as it was her birthday on Friday
7. SKYPE with my sister tonight @ 7:00 p.m.
8. Prepare breakfast for the next three days – it is the cold oatmeal
9. Make lunch and get clothes ready (like to be done ahead of time)
10. Empty the dishwasher …

If there is time I want to shovel the last bit of snow from the front yard onto the street where it will melt faster.

Oh and sweep the back deck.  Almost all of the snow has melted back there.  Now just to get it looking nice.

The grass by the deck after the snow has melted looks terrible.

Of course, there is a bit of “poop” that somehow was missed during the winter.  How did that happen?

I wonder…..

Well time to go and finish my coffee before hopping into the shower.

I hope that you all have an amazing day.

Remember if you are a dog owner – to always know where they are ……

Special Hello to:  my friend “M” – thank you for being you and for taking the time to read my blog.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 25th day of October, 2016.

Dark outside.

Rained overnight.

I could feel the moisture in the air last night as it cooled off during our walk.

Hopefully the roads are not icy.

Still reasonably mild.

Well almost Halloween.

Do you like Halloween?

Do you dress up?

Do you stay home and greet the “Treaters?”

I love Halloween.

I decorate my house inside and out.

I normally dress up.

We are encouraged to dress up at work.

We also have a Halloween potluck which brings out some truly creative dishes and treats.

Some years are more elaborate than others.

Most times I just pull together something from my “tickle trunk.”

Actually I had a tickle trunk so to speak years ago and when I moved to Alberta, I gave away most of my Halloween costume items and decorations.

So over the passed few years I have slowly amassing some Halloween items.

My favourite costumes have been made from take pieces from my closet and adding some makeup.

Surprising what you can do with little or no money.

Trust me if there is a way – I will find it.

There is no reason to spend a fortune on a costume that you will likely wear for only a few hours.

I have snapped photos of my decorations and will post them closer to Halloween.

Nothing fancy just a few things in my house and outside.

Some of my neighbours clearly enjoy decorating as they have strung  white spider webs all throughout their trees.

I think it might be interesting taking it down.

Well here we go again time to leave for work.

I want to get away on time just in case it is a bit icy.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

Special Hello to: my sister.  Miss you.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 18th day of September, 2016.

Overcast and windy but not raining.

The sky is beginning to clear to the north so hopefully by this afternoon the windy is calm, sunny with cloudy skies for the photo shoot.

I am so excited to be going to the Devonian Gardens, I hear they are beautiful.

Some of the earlier flowers will have gone on but the later ones should be gorgeous.

The colours of the trees and such.

I will take some photos to post ….

So exciting.

I just checked back to my blog from around this date last year and it had been raining as well.

Looks like pretty much the same weather for this weekend.

Alvin and I managed to get our walk in last night before it started to rain.

On our way home we saw one of our neighbours sitting on her doorstep (they had just got home from a walk) so we went to say hello.

Ended up visiting for awhile.

It was nice.

The overhang on her step kept us dry when a couple of times it started to rain (only sprinkled).

I hope that you all had a good weekend.

I am still debating about whether to leave the patio furniture out or not.

I guess the cushions are wet from the rain so it will not happen until they dry.

Will have to consult the blog from last year to see what the upcoming weather was like last year.

I can hear the geese honking as they pass over head.

Still cloudy from the south view (from my office window).

Well I smell coffee in my near future (as soon as I make some).

Grab the laundry from the basement that was hung to dry.

Empty the dishwasher and put away the tupperware that was air drying.

Just a few small things before getting ready for the photo shoot.

So excited for my day trip.

Only wished that Alvin could go but alas he has to stay at home.

Will check and see if my neighbour can pop in to say hi.

Oh well, he will be fine I just do not like to leave him on the weekends for any amount of time.

Fingers crossed that the wind dies down ….. it is very windy right now.

Special Hello to: all those people who are doing something new today.

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

Thought for the day ……

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 22nd day of February, 2016.

This summer the air felt warm as I opened the back door for Mr. Alvin to go outside.

So odd for February but very welcome all the same.

I would like to share a poem I wrote twenty-six years ago…… as I think of spring and summer.

 

Walking to and through the Rain …

As I’m walking along,

Pace, brisk as I have set.

The rain softly falling,

from the sky a tranquil blue.

That yellow beacon peeping thru.

Birds are flying singing their songs.

I’m humming a song in my mind.

Humming and thinking of moments —

Times that were wonderful.

Hoping that I may see them once again.

The sun is covered by dark clouds.

Rain begins to fall with passion,

Hard and heavy.

Drops of rain bead upon my face,

As I hasten my pace toward home,

I’m soaked through but no matter,

Dry clothes await me.

Rounding the corner I’m almost home.

There I will be dry – still thinking of those treasured times.

Wishing you were here – with me.

Written by CY Lewis, August 18, 1990

 

Happy Monday Everyone …..

Always good to think back ….. I was listening to Adele earlier and she made me think of a past love.

Special Hello to: Birthday girls ….. just around the corner ….. there are three.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 2nd day of September, 2015.

It rained a wee bit overnight as the deck has wet splotches here and there.

You can begin to feel the difference in the air that September brings.

It is not so much cold as cool and crisp.

It smells fresh.

You definitely need a wee jacket in the morning while waiting for the bus.

Most especially if there be wind.

I feel the Scots part of me coming out this morning.

Likely soon to be followed by the Irish and English.

What a lovely combination.

Well here it is mid week.

Work has been going well …. busy but that is nothing new.

Somedays I wish that I could be completely caught up when I leave at night.

But alas not likely ….. nature of the beast so to speak.

I am excited we are down to three sleeps before my girl friend arrives from Regina.

I have been patiently waiting since she confirmed her plane ticket.

It will be nice to sip coffee and catch up.

I am also excited to see the photos of her newest grand-baby.

YAY ….. baby photos ……

I wished that they could bottle the smell of a newborn baby.

Well what is on your plate for this fine morning/day?

Going to work?

Staying at home?

Cleaning the house?

Filing papers?

Going for a walk?

Volunteering some time at a local senior’s home or animal shelter?

Cleaning out your closet and bringing your fall/winter clothes to the front?

Lots to do.

Cleaning the yard?

There is always something to do if you wish to do it.

Always start with a list ….. makes life so much easier.

Write down what you have to do ….. even a bit of a timeline if you wish….

Check items off as they are completed.

Trust me you will have such satisfaction when you check an item as done.

YAY ……

I do it all of the time.

Plus, you do not forget anything.

Well here it is time to leave once again.

Happy Wednesday folks.

ENjoy.

Special Hello to: my friend “P” see you soon….

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day ……

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 22nd day of July, 2015.

It is a beautiful sunny morning here in Edmonton.

Last night we had a lovely rain ….. we so do need it.

YAY.

Do you have mornings when you put on your clothes and go OOOH?

You have diligently, and without fail laid out the outfit the night before and all of a sudden it just does not feel right.

I have had one of these mornings.

So grateful that I had a few extra minutes for the several top changes.

The pants are okay but for some reason the top half is not cooperating this morning.

Oh the joys of being a woman.

I wonder do men fuss and stew over what they are going to wear?

I will say one thing …. I am not trying to impress anyone or everyone …. I just want to be comfortable.

For me, if I am comfortable …. I feel good and I think that I look good.

My opinion and I guess that is what counts is our own opinion.

Putting off good energy is the main thing …..

I have a few items that no matter what is going on I feel great wearing them ….. so white top …. ON.

Mr. Alvin just lays on the bed all curled up …. likely thinking “Oh Momma, how come so many trips to the closet?”

I would reply “Mr. Alvin, it is just one of those days.”

So I have now got the “crap” out of my day and it is going to be great.

Check ….. life is great.

I feel wonderful.

It rained last night so the grass looks amazing.

Needs a cut though and all of those tree shoots coming up.

Doesn’t take them long to sprout.

I hope that you have an amazing day and hopefully what you have picked out is just perfect for today.

Special Hello to: my friend “M” …… chocolate pancake recipe will be posted here on the weekend…

Always, Carol and Alvin