Good Morning ALL! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I cannot believe that it is already Tuesday and that Christmas Day was Sunday. The days are already passing by so quickly. I am very grateful to be off from work this week. Alvin came home on Christmas Eve. I have a few days to catch up on in my post. Back to Christmas Eve, my daughter and son-in-law arrived late afternoon with all three pups with their SUV full of gifts, pup stuff, Alvin’s stuff, food and their sleepover bags. I was ready. We put things away and then Amanda & Steven were on their way to St. Albert to have Christmas with his side of the family. I was excited to spend the evening with the pups. I guess that I watched way too many movies because when Alvin saw me he just ran, not from me but all over the main floor. Sniffing and looking as if he wasn’t sure where he was at the moment. There was no running to each other with tears streaming down faces. He was anxious but not in a good way. Is there a good way to be anxious. Not sure about that. Anyway, even though I was disappointed that he was not happy to see me, I just carried on with things. It was almost time to give them supper, so I fed the pups, all three. Feeding did not go well. Alvin ate his supper but Aspen and Milo, not. I tried hand feeding them which worked to some degree. In the end some of Aspen’s wet food sprinkled on top of her wet food was agreeable. Milo, seemed to like it as well. I found out later that her wet food is more of a treat but they have had to resort to sprinkling some on top as well or she won’t eat. I have never had a problem with Alvin eating his food, thank goodness. Or I should say only once and he wasn’t feeling good. Once pups were fed, I prepared my supper. Leftovers which were roasted vegetables and chicken breast. Of course, Alvin wanted some of the chicken. ARGH. After supper was over and clean up was done, we settled down on the sofa. I snapped some photos of the pups. Watched a Christmas movie. I had raised one of the blinds and secured it so that Miss Aspen would be able to look out of the window. She likes, no loves to check out things. At one point all three were barking at some dogs that went by and Miss Aspen almost took out my Christmas Tree. Not on purpose – just because there was not much room between the chair, the tree and the windows to turn around. She is a yellow lab shepherd cross so she is long. I forgot. Just a little moment of panic and then all was good. Amanda texted around 8:00 saying they were on their way which was perfect as it had started to rain and no one wants to be driving in freezing rain on highways or anywhere. Such massive relieve when they arrived a short while later. Once they were in the house, we nibbled on food, made drinks and then times for pups to open their gifts. Alvin is such a master gift opener that we always watch in awe and always take a few videos. By the end Miss Aspen had decided that she wanted to open hers, too. We did our stockings next. So much fun. There was a massive amount of gifts to open as we had all gone overboard. I felt like we needed to or at least I planned as I figured with the way things have been for us all, we needed some extra gifts. Everyone was over the moon with their gifts including me. I received a “fire stick” which gives you more apps. I wanted to have Disney+ and now I have it thanks to my kids. YAY. I am so excited to watch all the Disney movies new and old. I have watched “Finding Nemo” and my very favorite “A Bug’s Life.” That was yesterday. Some of my gifts were “Kelly Ripa’s book “Live Wire,” navy cardigan, notebook, package of scratch tickets, candle, relaxation items and I am sure that I missed something but I was spoiled. Christmas Eve was a blur. Christmas Day was quiet. We took the pups for a walk in the early afternoon after a late breakfast. I should say we girls, took the pups out as my son-in-law was so excited that his fav football team was planning so he was watching the game. Slowly Alvin was becoming more comfortable. The walk was awesome. All the pups were happy to be outside. The past week or so was too cold for them. Time for a new paragraph!
The kids went to pick up the Chinese Food which had been ordered a couple of hours earlier by Amanda. They left the house about 4:00 p.m. and I fed the dogs about 4:30 p.m. They were back about 5:00 p.m. and I had the table set and was ready to unpack the food so we could eat. Amanda told me of a close call while they were out. She was driving and making a left turn, the light turned red for the through traffic and she noticed a car coming fast and thought it was not going to stop, so she waited (people behind were not happy). The car ran the light. Had Amanda not waited and just gone without checking they would have been broadsided. I am grateful that she is such a good driver. She said that she was grateful that she took lessons and part of it was defensive driving and her instructor said to always look, even if you have the right of way, always check. Being in the right and being dead. Anyway we had a lovely dinner. I did the clean up as I did not have to cook. I had made an apple crisp for dessert. We girls, had it much later while we were playing a new Christmas game.
We had a great Christmas. So much to be grateful for and about. I am going to head downstairs now as I need some coffee and to start laundry and then start taking down the Christmas tree and ornaments. I think this is the earliest that I have ever taken the tree down but feels like time. I have to call the vet and make an appointment for Alvin. He needs his nails trimmed and stuff.
I will post photos later.
I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. The sky is overcast so we will need to walk sooner than later, I think. Need to check the weather report.
Happy Tuesday.
Continuing to life this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin
P.S. I forgot to mention that I won $24 on lotto tickets that I bought and a freeplay and on the scratch tickets from Christmas another $20. YAY me. When I used the scanning app, and it told me I won, felt like I won a million dollars with the balloons flying and the happy noise. Time for coffee.
Good Morning ALL! I hope that this post finds you doing well. Hard to believe today is Monday, November 28, 2022. Almost the end of November 2022. Where has the time gone? Almost time to start the countdown to Christmas. Do not want to start too early, lol.
Yesterday I borrowed my neighbour’s car and went shopping to the nearby strip mall where I went to Shoppers Drug Mart and Bone & Biscuit and Save-On-Foods. The first place that I went to at Shoppers was the Post Office to mail a small parcel and Christmas Cards, what did I find, CLOSED sign. I was grateful to find out from a clerk who happened to be walking past that the Post Office would open at Noon. This was about 10:45 am, so that was okay. I had some things that I wanted to pick up at Shoppers so I consulted my list on my phone. Sometimes I bring a paper list but this time it was more efficient to have the phone so that I could delete the items that I bought without carrying a pen. After that I headed to the Bone & Biscuit to pick up Christmas gifts, possibly a new sweater and harness for Mr. Alvin, only to find that it was closed until noon. What is this new business, lol? So I took my purchases and placed them in the car and was off to the grocery store which I knew for a fact that it was open. When I arrived inside the store I grabbed a cart and consulted my list. There were a number of customers in the store but it was not too bad. The cashier was young, friendly and I really appreciated the way that he packed my groceries. I almost forgot to drop off the batteries that I had placed in the bags provided (they were in with my bags that I had brought to the store). Old batteries dropped off. Another items off my list but in hindsight I forgot to grab more bags! OH well, next time. I checked over the receipt to ensure that nothing was charged incorrectly as he had initially charged the wrong price for a non-food item that I had picked up for a gift. Who knew that I would find something that was requested on my pick for Secret Santa. Loaded up the car and then back to Shoppers to mail the parcel and Christmas cards including one to Sweden to my longtime “pen pal” Ingrid. No lineup, how wonderful. Then I was off to Bone & Biscuit where I checked my list for the items that I wanted to purchase for Mr. Alvin, Aspen and Milo for Christmas. I found a sweater, new leash and toy for Alvin and then a toy each for my grandpups. Success. I even received 10% off my purchase due to the points that I had accumulated. Then back to the car, loaded up and on my way home.
Once I was home, I unloaded the car with a few trips and then returned the car keys to my friend. She was down with something and had been resting on the sofa. Poor girl. Her boyfriend was relaxing on the sofa, just having a quiet lazy day. He drives long distance trucking. Alvin was enjoying sniffing around the bags. I had to put the bag up that had his Christmas present in it. They must put something inside those items or else just the scent from the store lingering, I do not know because I semi hid the bag in the spare room behind a large rubbermaid which is containing other Christmas presents and he keeps going in and sniffing. He cannot get to the bag with his gifts but he sure knows something is in there. Funny. I unpacked and as I was putting the groceries away, I realized that one item was not there. I looked back over everything and not there. So I texted my friend to see if I could borrow her car once again and before you know it, I was on my way, back to the store. ARGH. Back at the store, a young man who had just come back from bringing cards into the store, came back to Customer Service and asked if “he could help me,” I said yes and explained the situation. He said that he remembered one of the cashiers had a list of the items that were left at cash and had returned them to their places in the store. He just had to find the list. He found the list and then another clerk came to Customer Service. They were able to secure another item for me and then I was on my way. YAY. Normally, I would have not bothered but this item was almost $10.00. Too much money to throw away. After I put everything away, I got Mr. Alvin into his harness and sweater (not new ones, although I did try them on and they fit perfect) and we went for a walk. I was so fast trying them on that I think he will forget what they looked like, lol. We enjoyed a walk. Then back home. I decided to bring up the ladder and change the light bulbs and clean the light fixture by the back door. Could not get it down so I texted another neighbor’s son to see if he could come and help me, he said yes. In the meantime, I replaced a bulb in another fixture. I am so blessed and was happy to get these chores done and for the help. I e transferred him some money for helping me as this was the second weekend in a row, I reached out to him. I cleaned out and rearranged the back cabinet / pantry before starting supper. After supper it was a quiet evening.
Whoops time is slipping away and is almost time to start work. I have the coffee ready to plug in.
Have a great Monday. Stay warm.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! I hope that your Sunday is going well thus far. I am freshly showered and feeling GREAT and Mr. Alvin is resting on the rug outside the office, so I am going to go out on a limb and say that he is doing great as well. Sky is overcast and it is windy.
I would like to wish my nephew in Heaven a belated Happy Birthday and to a friend here on Earth, Kris, a very Happy Birthday.
Today is I am going to do some shopping. I am hoping to pick up any last minute gifts and most of the groceries that I will need for the next while including for the Christmas parties, baking and Christmas. There will be another trip to the store later for those items that were forgotten and fresh produce. I will also mail my Christmas cards inside and outside of Canada. Yesterday I wrote cards and letters most of the day in between doing laundry, going for a walk with Alvin and some cleaning. A very productive day.
They started out in order but somehow the tree photo with only the lights ended up last, lol. Anyway more Christmas decorations photos, my favourite time of year. The bannister turned out great.
Time to head downstairs and make some coffee, then have coffee and then go shopping.
Have a wonderful Sunday.
Continuing to live my life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! Well almost noon. What a morning already! I am grateful that I booked today off. Poor Mr. Alvin. We are just back from the vet where once again he is suffering from ear infections. One ear was way worse than the other. I have a difficult time keeping them clean as he does not like me poking around or touching them. So another round of meds which will keep them okay for a month. I spoke to the vet about our options. There are two different surgeries that can be performed. One is where they remove his eardrums and ear canals and he would not be able to hear but he would no longer suffer from these nasty yeast infections. She does not perform this surgery. The other she can do and it would mean leaving the eardrums intact but opening up the ear canals so that the yeast cannot grow and he would still have hearing. I think the second option is the better of the two, for sure. Cannot imagine having my hearing taken away like that but she also thinks that his hearing is compromised now. The idea of another surgery with him turning 14 in January, scares me but I am not sure that we have an option at this point. I just want him to have a good quality of life. Yesterday he was panting and work was driving me over the edge and I was raising my voice to him. I feel incredibly guilty and overwhelmed. My poor boy. I just hope he has forgiven my bad reaction to the situation. It is difficult when you are alone. Anyway for now, he has medicine in both ears and it will get rid of the yeast infection soon. I think his paws are bothering him as well.
I do have a beautiful story to share. Earlier this morning I noticed a little girl waiting on the sidewalk across the street from our house. Clearly she was waiting for the school bus which never came. It was cold out there earlier. My neighbor (whom I borrowed her car to take Alvin to vet) had popped in to grab a cup of coffee as she had run out. Sonja said that the girl was waiting for the bus which is always late. I decided to check on her so I opened the door and called out to her to check on her, I think that I scared her. She then started walking away from where she was standing which appeared to be toward home, when an older child came out. I should have asked what school she went to and then called them but I did not think of that. I watched them from my window when a dark blue Toyota Rav4 pulled up and a woman got out. Poor kid was scared not because the woman was trying to hurt her but because of the attention and she was cold. The woman talked to her for a few minutes and the older child came back out. The woman walked back to her car and grabbed her cell phone and then after speaking to the older child, she made a call. Likely the school. Nice to see good samaritans. This woman stood outside chatting with the kids for over 30 minutes closer to 45 minutes. At one point she grabbed a kleenex out of her car for the little girl. After awhile, the little girl got into the car while she waited outside with the older child (early teens, I think). The girl must have been frozen. She had a good warm coat on but her face and hands would have been cold and she was carrying a heavy backpack. Near the end, just a few minutes before a school bus showed up, the woman and the older child, a boy got into the car. They must have been cold. My neighbor told me earlier that the bus is always late. So this bus driver for whatever reason makes these children late for school everyday and nothing has been done. This is deplorable. Hopefully now, they will do something about the driver. This kindly woman who was just driving by put my faith back in humanity. She took almost one hour out of her day to help strangers, two children. She had a smile on her face and appeared to be trying to keep the children in good spirits. I am grateful to her for helping. Doing something that I should have done. Not that I did not want to help but I thought that the bus would have showed up sooner than it did.
Well, I made another pot of coffee as I just need one. It has been quite the week. I am beat. We will just relax on the sofa for awhile and then go for a walk. I hope that you are having a good day.
The sun is shining now which is great so it is warming up now.
Thank you Universe for good people in my neighbourhood.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and more COFFEE.
Always, Carol & Alvin
PS: wow, how could I have forgotten this. Yesterday Alvin and I received a package from our friend Val in Regina. So many treats. We are truly spoiled. Alvin was so excited when I went to the mailbox and came back with a box. There were homemade treats for him which he opened. There were three kinds of buns/scones, mini loaves, biscottis and so many other sweet treats. I also had a package of some items that I had ordered from RICKIS. Just needed some clothes. I was happy to see that they all fit. I guess time to do some laundry, too. Coffee first. I think that Alvin just wants to have a nap. Poor boy.
Good Morning ALL! I can smell the coffee perking as I type these words. Oh, how I love the smell of coffee bubbling away. How are you this morning? We were at our normal times but when we got up just before six as Alvin wanted to eat his breakfast, I just could not stay up. I have been having the most unusual dreams as of late. All I remember is that I kept losing my purse and then I lost my phone. I have had the dream where I keep losing my purse. Does that mean “loss of money?” I have no idea and perhaps it is just the insecurity of losing something that I am not quite aware of! After clicking on the snooze button a couple of times, I bounced up from the sofa. I placed Mr. Alvin on my shoulder and carried him upstairs. Earlier when we got out of bed – he let out a cry and I do not know why. It was dark in the room and I could not see what exactly was going on. Upstairs, I brushed my teeth, washed my face, moisturized, put on my eyebrows and got dressed before scooping the boy up once again for the return trip downstairs. Once again on the main floor, I filled his water bottle, grabbed my sunglass clips, his harness (put on his harness), grabbed his leash and my sweater with pockets and my keys. Once outside on the porch, I locked the door while keeping him on a short leash so that I could again carry him down the steps. He did not seem to be limping or in any sort of pain so perhaps he just got scared in the darkness – maybe he thought I was going to step on him – or maybe he twisted the wrong way when he climbed off the bed onto the padded bench at the foot of our bed. Outside we both breathed in the fresh morning air. So refreshing and wonderful. He sniffed and I sniffed as we walked along. Just inside the park, he stopped and looked away and I looked in that direction to see someone coming fast on a bike, thankfully he looked as I had been watching him and did not see the bike. I would have stepped right into the path. After that – he walked for a little bit – stopped – looked around and we headed for home. There was no swaying his decision this time. So off we went. A shorter walk but a walk all the same. Then we were home, I scooped him up and set him on the porch landing before unlocking the front door.
Once again home sweet home. I think the temperatures are on the rise once again. The weekend is supposed to be hot again. Yesterday I booked Friday afternoon off as my brother and his partner are coming for a visit on their way to Manitoba with stops at our sister’s in Regina. It will be great to see them again, seems like forever.
Time.
I received a phone call yesterday from the Vet stating that the new wet food for Mr. Alvin was now in stock. After work, I borrowed my neighbour’s car and went to pick it up. I was not surprised as they had previously mentioned the higher cost. The previous urinary SO diet wet food was almost $65 for a case of 12 cans and now the Liver Care wet food is $98. Quite the difference. His dry food is on backorder and I can only get a large bag of that which is $150.00. So quite the jump in his food costs. But I am so grateful that he did not require surgery or something else. I will consider myself lucky. I guess this is a good time to give up sugar as treats will be just that, a treat for once in awhile.
Well time to head downstairs and have some coffee before starting work.
Have an awesome Wednesday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 27th day of November, 2017.
Well we have a bit of snow ….. the sticky stuff …… now covering the ice.
At least this should make our walking a bit more safe.
Alvin needs to go for a walk tonight.
We will do it.
Update on the clothes dryer saga.
This is the third week without one.
I have been air drying my clothes, which works fine.
Thankfully I have a closet full of towels and bedding so that is okay.
I will have a ton of towels and bedding to wash and dry once the dryer is working again.
I helped my friend with the dryer.
Found out that it was not of the fuses as he had thought.
So we ended up taking the drum out of the dryer and VOILE it was the heating element.
We could tell as you could see that the coil had broke apart in one spot.
Apparently that is what should happen.
My friend is going to find me a heating element.
Luckily this is something he will be able to fix.
I guess if we can take it apart we can put it back together.
Learning lots.
Not that I want to do it by myself next time but I know what to check and what to watch out for ……
Interesting.
I mailed all of my Christmas cards that were to be mailed yesterday but ONE …. it was the ONE that has to go out of the country.
The Post Office did not open until noon and I could not hang around that long so will have to get that done sometime this week.
Also got groceries …. I was surprised to see how busy both stores were ……. drugstore and grocery store.
Done for another week.
Well almost time to get my things on and head out for the bus.
Debating on which coat to wear and am grateful that I am able to have that debate.
Take care if you are in the middle of winter where you live …… drive carefully ….. whether walking or driving or riding a bike …. take your time…… those extra two seconds could save your life and they
will not get you to your destination noticeably sooner.
Happy Monday.
Special Hello: to friends …. we are grateful to have you.
My New Life @ 51 