Last Half 2022 – November

Good Morning ALL! Welcome to Saturday. It is overcast here in Edmonton and it was snowing ever so lightly a little while ago. This morning is give Mr. Alvin a haircut and bath. I am sure that he is over the moon excited, not. Not something that he enjoys but it needs to be done and then he will be good until after Christmas (hopefully). We have laundry on the TO DO LIST and doing up Christmas 2022 lists to include Christmas cards and gifts and baking. I like to write everything on paper so that I can see with my own eyes and that way, I do not miss anyone or anything. Organized is how I always do the Holiday Season. Just makes sense to me. I think that this year I will only bake Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Fudge. That is the plan but it may change once I am in the kitchen. Lists also help when you are baking and cooking to ensure that you are not short one ingredient or more. I am pretty good at swapping but sometimes with certain things it makes a notable difference. How do you do Christmas? Lists or just by memory?

I am trying to set FONT size for my post and it was working for awhile and now every paragraph I have to reset it. OMG. One would think after using this platform for more than ten years that I would have it all figured out but I do not. Actually that is not completely true as WordPress has changed things over the years. Oh well, it works out in the end.

Time to wash the Christmas towels (I almost forgot). Usually it takes me a couple of weekends to make sure that everything Christmas is set out properly. My daughter picked up some new Christmas tree lights for me so next week or weekend, I will be redecorating the tree. Seems like a lot of work but in the olden days, some years ago, I used to sometimes redecorate the tree 5-6 times during the holiday season. Sometimes you just look at it and it needs some tweaking. Sometimes! This time I have a legitimate reason. The new lights. Anyway, now that I am hosting the office Christmas party, I certainly need everything to be picture perfect (or at least my version of picture perfect).

Well I think that I figured out how to change the font and it stay that way – oh no, how did I do it?

Alvin is giving me that look, perhaps he has to go outside. So will have to cut this short.

I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

Forgot to mention that we had a wonderful walk yesterday. Bumped into friends that we have not seen for a long time. Nice. We had an interesting conversation! COVID and politics not good topics of conversations but sometimes it just goes there. Oh well, that is life. We are all entitled to our feelings, thoughts and opinions. That is what makes us human. We are emotional beings and throughout the past almost three years that has been extremely evident.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: oh, coffee………..

Living … One day at a time.

Hello,  good morning to you.

The sky is beginning to lighten as hopefully the sun will rise shortly.

YAY, today is Saturday.

Master Teddy slept over last night as his parents went out to the farm for today.

The boys well Alvin is curled up on the blue blanket beside me and Teddy is just sniffing about at the moment.

After work on our walk we walked or actually Alvin pulled me over to Teddy’s house.

By the time we arrived my shins were aching.

Oh, yes.

We had a little visit and then were on our way.

Me and the boys walked around by the lake in our park to home.

The grass is still very much green amidst the partially turned leaves on the trees.

Some trees are still very green.

The water is flowing.

Oh, how I love this time of year.

We enjoyed our walk home.

The boys spent a bit of time in the backyard but mostly they were right beside me as I cooked my supper.

Alvin is motivated by food …. I think you know.

So even this morning at 5:00 a.m., Alvin, after he ate his food wanted to eat Teddy’s.

Yup, we were up eating well they were eating.

Deep sigh.

What can you do?

Teddy is wanting to get up onto my lap but it is not easy to type/key with a puppy on your lap.

He always slides down.

 

I was just thinking last night and earlier this morning …… about being more proactive when it comes to my job.

Instead of being reactive …..

Hard to explain without getting into details which I cannot.

But I am excited to try these ideas in my work life to see the results.

Perhaps giving folks ideas how to make processes easier instead of reacting to them.

I will get back to you about this.

Life is way too complicated and I want to make it easier.

Life is short so why not make it as easy as possible.

If you have to work why not enjoy it.

Even the most demanding, frustrating of jobs could be made easier and less complex.

Simplify.

We all need to simplify our lives.

Our work  ….. our home.

Life balance.

We have over the years made things way too complicated.

Complicated = Stress

Or at least that is my opinion/my view after being on this earth for 62 years.

I have seen this first hand.

 

If we look to the Animal Kingdom we could learn so much.

Instead of destroying them …. learn from them.

 

Well I have two puppies that are ready to get downstairs.

I need some COFFEE.

Time to get going on the laundry.

I have changed my bedding and gathered the laundry.

And the COFFEE.

Yup, simply a cup of coffee and I am in heaven.

Nothing better than to be sipping on a mug of hot perked coffee surrounded by pups.

Life is good.

My life is great.

 

Happy Saturday.

If we continue to learn and live our lives in kindness and respect, we will live great lives.

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 14th day of April, 2018.

The sun was shining brightly when we got up for the day.

Now it is slightly overcast.

They were forecasting a temperature of +8 celsius for us in Edmonton, today.

We shall see.

Anyway the snow melted considerably yesterday and soon we shall see blades of green grass coming up.

I love those first blades of green grass, so fresh and beautiful.

The buds on the trees are exquisite.

As a child, spring captured my heart and imagination.

The fields full of purple fuzzy flowers named crocuses.

The buds on the willow trees in and around the sloughs (ponds).

Rabbits at that in between shade between white and brown.

Birds returning home to nest.

My favourite being the Robins.

I love ROBINS.

Babies being born on the farm.

Calves were perhaps my favourite but the pigs were also very cute.

We temporarily had the runt of a litter come join us in our house.

That little pig.

I can still seeing him trying to run on my Mother’s waxed living room floor.

I am certain that we gave him a name but some 50 years later, I have forgotten the name.

As we get older it is more important to write the stories of our youth as we might remember the story – just not all of the details.

I also remember the snow melting and water running and the smell.

There was a definite fragrance to spring.

That has long since gone.

I am not certain if it was a farm thing or a young girl thing or a young girl’s imagination.

So on this Saturday at the mid point of April, I am just going to enjoy and appreciate this time, this spring.

 

Alvin has his regular “pedicure” appointment this morning.

He needs more food, imagine that.

Lots to do this Saturday.

Laundry, clean the house and just be ready.

 

Happy Saturday.

Special Hello to: my sister and brothers ….. thinking of the good old days.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 28th day of March, 2017.

Another beautiful morning here in Edmonton.

So nice to be able to wear shoes and a light coat/jacket.

Alvin and I are enjoying our walks in the evenings.

So nice not to have to worry about ICE and COLD.

We are meeting up with folks that we have not seen since last fall.

 

This morning Alvin up early as ever and afterward we hit the sofa for about one hour.

I fall into this dream sleep ….. what an odd dream.

One of my old co-workers was in my dream from Regina.

For some reason in the place that I lived there was no power.

Strangely it was off.

Only one room had lights.

I could not find my purse or anything and the time was passing quickly for me to leave for work.

Only I had no money or fare for the bus.

All of a sudden I was in a restaurant and my old friend “R” was there having lunch with a couple.

Makes no sense.

Finally it was 10 minutes to the time that I was supposed to be at work.

I would be late.

There was a bit more to it ……. but that is the just of it.

Most times when I wake up my dreams are only a feeling; I do not remember details.

This is odd.

 

Well now it is time to go and last up the shoes and don my jacket as it is time for work.

I have lights, I have my purse and bus fare.

Oh, what a strange dream.

 

Have an awesome Tuesday.

Special Hello to: my sister and my daughter ….. two VERY important ladies in my life.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day ……

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 16th day of December, 2015.

Not sure if I was not counting right but this morning when I checked the calendar including day and not including Christmas Day there are “EIGHT” days …..

Really I thought there were like nine or ten….. with Christmas Eve or without …..

I think I lost a day somewhere ….

Oh well …… will have to practice my numbers ….. one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten ….. so far so good.

I guess one just has to have a sense of humour and not be afraid to get the facts/details not quite right.

Sometimes people get so hung up on the facts/details … which I do know are so  important.

But losing sight of what is truly important ….

Why debate with someone over a detail that will not end the world.

Why not let it go …. just move on.

I am a detail person but have found that over the recent years I am slowly letting things go ….

Not getting so hung up that my feelings are hurt if I have to let someone be right even though I know that I am right.

Really what difference does it make.

Something like losing a day when counting.

The fact that it did not snow on this day last year.

Or that Aunt Liz was an avid reader and your cousin thought she was into crafts.

At the end of the day ….. it really is not that important (other than being metrologist and you are really keeping track for historical purposes about the snowfall that is).

I am not sure why … now I remember … I lost count in the days leading up to Christmas.

See 277 words to explain ….

 

Wow, Alvin was just laying down and jumped up and is looking about ….. wonder what that is all about.

I want to keep my house with the only living creatures being Alvin and myself.

 

Well here it is mid week ….

I am always so excited to check the mailbox this time of year to see if I have received any Christmas cards.

I love to receive cards and letters.

Nice to reconnect with family and friends.

Catch up ….. love those letters.

 

Well almost time to get into the bedroom and start to get the “face” on (which is considerably less than in my youth), and dressed for work.

Thank you for reading my blog …. it truly means the world to me.

To be able to connect literally with folks such as yourself from every corner of this planet.

Have a wonderful day.

 

Special Hello to: my friends who always will be my friends….near or far.

Always, Carol and Alvin