Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? Another blast of winter this morning before starts to slowly warm up. I just hope that the weather is good and the highways for travel over the Christmas weekend and holidays. Fingers crossed. If you are travelling long distances this holiday season, please ensure that you have an emergency bag in the car filled with warm clothes and boots, waterproof blankets or even a tarp, flares, batteries, chocolate, water, first aid kit and booster cables for the vehicle. Also make sure that someone always knows which road you are taking and your projected time of arrival to your destination. If you should stray from that schedule/route, please let someone know. When living in Canada or any other country on the planet where the weather gets bitterly cold at this time of year it is always important to be prepared. Check your local weather station for updates on the weather before and during your trip. Ask questions. Do not take anything for granted. Keep your gas tank on full. Check your tires before leaving and make sure that you have a spare in the trunk along with the tools.
I am so grateful that I am able to work from home today and tomorrow. So great being able to sleep in for a little while. After work I will have time to get some things done around the house preparing for Christmas. Last night I hung up another string of Christmas cards. The house looks so Christmasy.
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS: Just t-w-o sleeps until Christmas Eve. I am so excited. Cannot wait. The pups: Alvin, Aspen and Milo will spend Christmas Eve afternoon/early evening with me while Mom & Dad go to St. Albert to see the other side of the family. They will come back later in the evening and then we will open Christmas gifts. I am looking forward to cuddling with the pups.
I hope that you have a wonderful Thursday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin
P.S. I get to have perked COFFEE this morning ……….
Good Morning ALL! Happy Wednesday. I am so excited.
Countdown to Christmas: THREE sleeps until Christmas Eve. THREE sleeps until my Alvin comes home. THREE sleeps until my family are here for Christmas. So excited.
Christmas photos from current over the years since I moved to Edmonton. Random shots.
Christmas presentsWrapping xmas 2020Close up of our treeand moreChristmas at my housePosting this just because “ALVIN” is so cute here….
I am word poor this morning so I shall leave you with the photos.
This Christmas, may your day be Merry & Bright and may this Christmas be wonderful. I was going to say “be white” but if you are living in most areas in Canada, there is no chance of this not be true. I cannot speak for the rest of the world. I just hope that everyone has a good, no a great Christmas this year.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? Well still bitterly cold here in Edmonton, I don’t even want to check to see what the windchill is this morning. I am sending out gratitude to the Universe for my furnace who is working overtime to keep the house warm and for my coat, boots, scarf and mitts that keep me warm when I am outside. Gratitudes for meltdowns and quick pick me back ups and back to business. Gratitude to my body at the cellular level that keeps me healthy. Gratitude that I am able to smell all the scents of the Holiday season. Gratitude for my hands and feet and body that I can feel the warmth and the cold when it surrounds me. Gratitude for my eyes that they can see my family, my friends and all the beauty that surrounds me. Gratitude that I can taste all of the good food and the treats that enter my mouth. Gratitude that I can hear the sounds of music, of the voices of family and friends and the world that surrounds me.
Sometimes during the holidays we tend to overreact to situations and yes, at other times of the year. There is something about the holidays that makes us emotional. I think it is due in large part to the high expectation that we put on ourselves for perfection. We want the gifts to be magical, the food to be the best ever, the company to be kind and the house to stay clean with no unpleasant surprises along the way. Of course, does this happen? Sometimes but not always. So this Christmas be easy on yourself. Let the perfection stand aside. “Let it go.” Your guests will love whatever you make and if they do not, well that is okay. If there is one thing that I have learned over my 65 years on this planet is “that you cannot please all of the people all of the time.” If they are not tickled pink by the gift that you spent hours selecting – smile and walk away. DO NOT ENGAGE. It is always in how we react to a situation. We cannot change people – no matter how hard we try. This Christmas do things that make you HAPPY and in turn all around you will be okay. I do not want to promise that they will be as happy as you because “their happiness depends on them.” Okay, you got this! WE got this!
Time for me to head downstairs and get ready to leave the house for work.
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS EVE: OMG, only four sleeps, I am so excited to see Alvin, Aspen and Milo, Amanda and Steven. This is going to be a great Christmas. I am ready!
Have a wonderful Tuesday. Take some time for you!
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this cold Monday morning? I am doing well. Up and dressed and all of that. Today is an office today. Although I am not looking forward to going outside and would rather be tucked under the warm blankets still in bed, it is okay. I am always grateful for the days that I work from home. With a 5 second commute from upstairs to downstairs, more in bed under the covers keeping toasty warm time, lunch break in my own home, drinking my own perked coffee, after work turn off the computer at the end of my work day and I am home. More time at home doing the things I love especially in the evenings. The work/life balance is perfection. We spend so much time over our lifetimes working and away from home. I get it, I understand, we need to work to earn a living to live our lives. Money does not grow on trees, well it kind of does, or at least paper comes from trees although perhaps our money is not made totally from paper anymore. Anyway you get the picture. So I am grateful, grateful that when Mr. Alvin comes home, I will be home. Thankfully I am on Christmas break until January 3, 2023. Perhaps the New Year will have me working from home more, I love being at home. Home is my happy place with the lime green painted office walls to the plants in the kitchen window, I love my house, my home.
Countdown to Christmas: today is Monday, December 19th, 2022 and that brings us to “5” more sleeps till Christmas Eve. 5 more sleeps until I have my family under the same roof for a time. 5 more sleeps until Alvin comes home. 5 more sleeps until we open our gifts. 5 more sleeps until we continue to eat lots more goodies. 5 more sleeps!
Oh, we are almost at the shortest day of the year which is Wednesday, December 21st. We will go to work and come home in darkness. Then the days will start to get longer once again. I hope that the sun will start to shine more. We all need that brightness to fill our daytime.
Well it looks like I have to finish this post and head downstairs to finish getting ready for work. Throw my snack/breakfast/lunch into my backpack.
I hope that you have a wonderful day. Yesterday was a nice day. I did a bit of work and I almost forgot that I had a little furry visitor. Cookie’s Dad reached out to see if she could stay with me while they went to a movie as they were celebrating their son’s birthday. Of course, I said “absolutely.” Miss Cookie came to stay with me. She was looking for Alvin and for her family as she kept jumping up on the chair and looking out of the window. We had some play time, she ate a bit of Alvin’s food and we just hung out. Cookie is an energetic little dog. Her Mom picked her up about 8:15 and we had a little visit. My friend has been working at her new job a lot as of late. An unexpected delight! I had a great Sunday. Bit of work, company and some downtime. Perfection!
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin
P.S. Definitely need coffee at the office this morning. Something HOT.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? I am doing great. Up early so that I do not need to rush to finish the preparations for the second Christmas party that I am hosting tonight. Still really dark outside and I feel like it is still night. Not many lights on in the neighborhood but that is okay. I have lots to do and I would like to have some downtime before the guests start to arrive around 6ots to do and I would like to have some downtime before the guests start to arrive around 6:30 p.m. There are seven of my coworkers who have said that they are coming for sure. I guess time will tell. That number includes me. So a good number. We will have fun.
Countdown to Christmas: Saturday, December 17, 2022 which is exactly 7 sleeps till Christmas Eve Day. That is when my Alvin is coming home as well. Aspen and Milo will stay with us while Mom & Dad go to the Hobb’s side of the family for their Christmas celebration. I cannot wait. Alvin continues to surprise me with the updates from my daughter. He sure seems to have settled in – oh, dear, maybe he has forgotten me, possible?
I have changed my bedding, dusted the wall pictures/paintings upstairs, sprayed the toilets to clean when I am finished this post, and a couple of other little things. Might as well clean upstairs first and then it is done. Not much to do – a quick vacuum after cleaning the bathroom toilets and sinks and a bit of dusting and upstairs is done. Helps to keep on top of things for sure. Last night after work I took all of my winter coats out of the front closet and brought them upstairs to the office closet and moved my winter boots to the far right side leaving lots of room for all the coats and boots. I don’t like having a lot of boots sitting at the entranceway. I am shuffling and putting away all of my gadgets from the top of the kitchen counter (most of them, not all) so that we have room for food and refreshments and dishes and glasses. Garbage already emptied last night. I did quite a lot after work last night as I worked until almost 8:00 p.m. Whew!
We had some snow last night so I went out to shovel the deck and out front. Once back in the house, I was just taking a minute before going to shovel the driveway when the wind got up and the visibility was very low. It all happened so quickly. So I left the driveway until today. When I shovelled the deck I was just in a long cardigan and was not cold. The air felt so warm. It was strange. Weather!
Time to go and finish up here and then I can go and put on some coffee and have a little coffee break once the coffee has perked.
Have an awesome day.
I may not be posting early tomorrow! Depends on how late my guests stay!
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? I could hear the wind howling earlier and all I wanted to do was to curl up and stay in bed. I did reset the alarm for a bit and hit the snooze button on my phone for one more bit of sleep. Now I am up and “ready” to get on with the day. Working from home today which is great as I have to go into full party mode preparedness after work. I just realized that I will need to move my winter coats out of the front entrance closet so that the partygoers/guests have a place to put their coats and of course, foot wear. There is definitely going to be “cleanup” on Sunday.
Last night after work, I gave the oven some love with my steamer. Kind of disappointed that it did not clean it as easily as I first thought but it is still looking pretty good. Oven cleaning is not my favourite thing to do. After that, I brought up my step ladder with thoughts of cleaning the area which is a shelf above the start of the upstairs. I am not sure why the builders thought that was a good idea, because it is not. You cannot put the step ladder there to clean because there is no room on the landing. If you are short – no way in ever you can reach it. Even with a long handled duster you cannot reach it. When I moved into this house, sometime during the first year I purchased a vase with some pretty artificial plants and the letters spelling out P-E-A-C-E. It looks beautiful. But sadly the last few years it has not received much love. Mainly due to me forgetting about it and then when I do, I am frustrated because I cannot reach it. So I had a plan but sadly the plan backfired. I did however, with my new SHARK cordless vacuum clean some of the ledge and lightly go over the vase and lettering. So it is not so bad but I cringe at the thought of it not being “dusted.” I am going to find someone tall that can easily reach OR a one step stool that is taller (maybe not a great idea) and take the vase and lettering down to give a good cleaning. Please do not get me wrong, my house is clean and neat. I just have this space. Oh well, the story is out. Perhaps someone out there may have an idea for me. I must remember to ask my neighbours as they all have this space in their homes. How do they clean it? Maybe they do not. You are likely asking how did I get that stuff up there to begin with? I honestly do not remember. I think my old neighbour helped me. Wishing I was taller now. Lots to do after work. I want things to be perfect or at least as close as possible.
I definitely need some coffee this morning. Just noticing my poor Begonia plant that is on the other desk here in my office is bending over. Oh no, now not enough water. Not sure why in the summer, I had the watering down perfectly and now I am either over watering or under. I am sorry “Begonia.” Just had to run and get her some water.
Countdown to Christmas: Wow, today is Friday, December 16, 2022 and “8” sleeps till Christmas Eve.
I hope that you have a great Friday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin
P.S. Oh, I forgot to tell you about Mr. Alvin. He is having such great fun with Aspen and Milo. Alvin has this toy ice cream float and I guess that is everyone’s fav right now. They were playing with the toy and then Miss Aspen “took it outside.” I cannot wait to have all three of them here on Christmas Eve. Oh my sweet babes.
Good Morning ALL! How are you on this Thursday? I am well. Receiving great report about my boy. Missing him but glad he is doing well. Still dark as night outside. We are nearing the shortest day of the year.
Are you ready for Christmas? Do you bake? Do you entertain? Do you wrap gifts in paper, bags or something else? What special dishes do you make during the holidays? Are you having a big crowd for Christmas? Do you put up an artificial tree or a real tree?
I am ready for Christmas. Shopping done and most wrapping done except for a few items that have yet to be delivered, Christmas cards mailed and still have a few to hand deliver and that will be on Sunday, house and tree are decorated (I keep fussing with the tree, looking for perfection, lol. Yes, I bake every year. This year I made Sugar Cookies and iced them, Chocolate Fudge and Chocolate Chip Cookies. I will make some Mincemeat Tarts for Christmas, as well. Yes, a bit although this year I am hosting more (which is lovely). My daughter, son-in-law and pups mostly come here for Christmas although I have gone to their home a few times over the year. Sometimes good for a change. I wrap gifts in paper, bags and sometimes use brown paper, Christmas towels, and sometimes put a gift within a gift. I started making this Hot Cheese Dip for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as an appetizer. I like to make some different twists on the traditional Christmas Dinner meal. Like chicken instead of turkey and one year we had tofurkey. Homemade cranberries instead of out of a can. Garlic whipped potatoes instead of just whipped potatoes. This year we are having Chinese Food instead of the usual. My friend Lucy gave me some Chinese Dumplings that she made so I froze them to have at Christmas. Christmas is usually me, Amanda, Steven and the pups, Alvin, Aspen and MiMi. This year we may have a couple of friends. We also leave an open invitation to anyone who does not have a place to go to for Christmas. The thought of someone alone makes me sad. I am having what I call a big crowd this weekend for a Christmas party, the second weekend in a row for parties. YAY, me. I have been putting up an artificial tree as I had a tree lose all of its’ needles. But I used to put up real trees. I love the smell of a real tree.
So there are my answers to my questions. I hope that you have fun thinking about your answers.
Countdown to Christmas: OMG only “9” sleeps until Christmas Eve.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! It is bitterly outside here in Edmonton and surrounding areas this Tuesday morning. Without the windchill minus 30 degrees celsius. Thankfully it will warm up tonight and be single digit minus temperatures tomorrow. I hope this finds you doing well. I am good. Feels so strange being alone in the house without Alvin. He is doing well at my daughter’s house.
Today December 6th is the birthday of my cousin Janice. Happy Birthday dear cousin. Wishing you a wonderful day.
Countdown to Christmas Eve is “18” sleeps – under the three week timeframe.
I am pretty much ready for Christmas as far as Christmas tree up, house decorated, baking done and gifts wrapped. Most of the gifts that is – couple things to arrive. All in all, ready. I will need to go to the grocery store a couple of time before Christmas for those last minute items. Anything that I could store for a long period of time – has already been purchased.
Back to work this morning. Working from home today and tomorrow and then to the office for Thursday and Friday.
I sure could have stayed under the blankets this morning. Might have something to do with the frigid temperatures outside. So grateful to be able to work from home today.
Tomorrow I have an appointment to get my eyes tested and pick out new glasses. I always look forward to getting a new pair of frames. Would be nice if they had a sale and I could pick up two pair. I have to decide about what to do about “sunglasses.” Clips or sunglasses or transitions. Will see tomorrow.
Well time to head downstairs and put on the coffee. I am ahead of schedule this morning but if I had to go to the office I would be running a tad late. Will have to get up a bit earlier on Thursday and Friday. Just because Alvin is not here – I do not need to be lazy, lol. Sure miss the little guy.
Continuing to live with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? We, I am doing well. So used to saying “we”……. I will say that I thought that I would sleep better if not getting up at all hours of the night but that has not been the case. Likely will improve in a few days. Report from my daughter that Alvin is doing well and adjusting to the new surroundings. They do not have an upstairs which is great for him. Will give him a reprieve from climbing up and down the stairs. I do miss my partner in crime and all things called “life.”
I do not remember if I reported the countdown to Christmas yesterday or not but today is Monday, December 5th and that leaves “19” sleeps until Christmas Eve.
My hands are cracked from all of the hand washing done over the past couple of days when I was baking. Baking done. 10 dozen or 120 chocolate chip cookies, 155 pieces of fudge and 215 iced sugar cookies for a total of 490 pieces of baking. That should do it. I actually ended up with more than I originally thought. So grateful that it is all done and ready to be packaged and delivered to some families and then rest is for Christmas parties and home.
Last night after the sugar cookies were iced, the fudge was cut into pieces and I had cleaned up my mess, I hauled up the wrapping paper and bags and tissue paper from the basement, brought down from upstairs all of the gifts that I had bought. Including were all of the items from my gift drawers. The things that I purchase extra when on sale – just to ensure that I have something for all of the people on my list. So the table is filled with items awaiting to be reviewed and wrapped if needed. Once I am finished this post, I am going to have a shower, get dressed and head downstairs. I will make some coffee and then start wrapping. I am excited to see Mr. Alvin open his gifts. He does such an amazing job of opening presents and he loves it so much. I have enough time today to do all of my wrapping.
This afternoon at 2:00 p.m. I will be attending the online streaming of my neighbour’s son. Hopefully most of the wrapping will be completed before the funeral. I have a few other things on my TO DO LIST for the rest of the day. Tomorrow is back to work and I am working from home for Tuesday and Wednesday and then to the office for Thursday and Friday. Lots going on this week.
Well time to head to the shower, I need some coffee this morning. Hopefully tonight is a better sleep as I get into a routine without my boy. I miss him but I do believe that it is good for both of us. Amanda said that they are loving having him with them. That does help.
Happy Monday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin (he is with me in spirit and I when I close my eyes I can see him lying on the carpet outside the office door)…..
Good Morning ALL! Well here we are with Christmas fast approaching. How are things with you? Do you celebrate Christmas with all the bell & gifts or do you have a more faith based traditions. Perhaps somewhere in between. We all have our own way of celebrating the holidays – this season. I do like giving gifts, I love the decorations, the smells, baking and most of all spending time with friends and family. Oh and the tree, of course. I must admit that I spoiled Mr. Alvin this year, I don’t remember if I mentioned this perhaps I did, but here we go again. I bought him a Christmas sweater, an actual Christmas sweater, his first one. I also got him a new colourful fancy harness and a cute toy. I figure going into his 14th year that we should do it up big. I cannot wait for him to open his gifts. He loves opening presents, so this will be fun.
I guess we are in official countdown – 23 sleeps till Christmas Eve and 24 sleeps till Christmas Day.
This weekend is baking time. I am most excited to get into that rhythm …. hauling out the supplies, the recipes. Mixing and scooping and cutting out shapes (I do round for my sugar cookies). The smell of cookies wafting throughout the house. We are going to have fun. Alvin will not be too happy as I will be busy running around the kitchen but I will be home with him and that is what matters most.
Yesterday is was stormy. The roads were icy and the visibility was down. We were sent home about 3:00 p.m. so that we would miss the rush hour traffic and to ensure that we got home okay. I called my daughter as she has a long drive to let her know about the status of the roads and she was able to leave work early as well. Our drive was okay but my daughter reported that the roads were not good. I am so happy that we all got home safe and sound. After I got home, I hooked up my laptop and worked for awhile longer before feeding Mr. Alvin who was ready for supper when I opened the door. After he ate, I went shovelling. Shovelled the front including the neighbours, then part of the deck and the driveway before starting my supper. I threw together an odd combo that turned out to be yummy. I roasted/baked chickpeas with frozen brussel sprouts, caramelized an onion, chopped up some fresh celery, a red bell pepper, some grape tomatoes and then mixed all together. It was very yummy. I added some chili jelly on top. Supper was most enjoyable considering I had no idea what to eat when I got home.
Well the clock is ticking away and I must get back downstairs and finish getting things ready to go to the office. The storm died down and it stopped snowing. Thank goodness.
Happy Thursday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin
P.S. hey Val, you were correct, I found a little poopette on top of the bed this morning. Pretty sure something else did not put it there. I am most relieved. Must be an age thing, lol. My poor boy.
My New Life @ 51 