Last Half 2022 – December

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? Did you sleep well? I had a pretty decent sleep. Since Alvin’s departure to this sister’s house, I find myself taking longer to actually fall asleep. I suppose when the body next to you is clearly relaxed and “lightly snoring” – it cues you to do the same. I miss the little guy so much but on the other hand it has been great being “single.” I have made that reference a few times in the last couple of days because being alone feels like being single again. He kept me in a routine of sorts, his but still a routine. Tomorrow is one week since he went to stay with his sister and in two weeks he will be back home. My daughter shared that the night before last he slept through the night. No middle of the night getting up to go outside. Wow, he almost never does that. I am happy that he is settling in with them and is comfortable and not anxiety ridden as I felt/feel guilty enough with him not being at home.

I am glad that today marks the end of the week. We are having a Secret Santa and little Christmas party with our group which takes in three small departments totalling 17 staff including a Manager and Supervisor. It will be a nice break on a Friday. I made up individual packages for each person of chocolate chip cookies. That way everyone can just take a package and we do not have to put our fingers on them. With all of the “bugs” going around – better to be safe than sorry.

Countdown to Christmas Eve: with today being December 9th there are only 15 sleeps remaining.

I love the photos that come up on my computer screen each morning. What a wonderful reminder of where I have been and where I am now with thoughts of where I may be in the future. I absolutely love the photos of me and my siblings. They seem to rotate a lot so I take that as a reminder from the Universe that I should reach out to them. It can be a simple text or a phone call or even an email. Just reaching out. They are the ones outside of your parents that know you the longest and usually the best. Siblings. There are only four of us now – we started out with five. We have an angel watching over us each and everyday. I can feel him around him. He was so charming and loveable. I just spoke to my youngest brother a few days ago which reminds me to reach out to my other brother and my darling sister. Oh, when I see those photos, I think of way back then. A simpler time not always easier. To my sister, if you are reading this, I love you and miss you so much. To my brothers, well I love you both very much and miss you as much. Family.

Well looks like the clock is counting down and I still have to pack the Secret Santa gift, a small gift for my Manager (and friend) and the big container of cookies.

Have an awesome day, it is Friday. YAY.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: Grateful for the reprieve from winter temperatures.

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 3rd day of February, 2018.

Oh, how I have missed my regular routine of writing.

It has been the longest week of my life.

Even today with only making breakfast, and a couple times up the stairs I still feel a bit on the ill side.

I did not go to work at all this week.

Cannot believe that I missed a whole week.

Thankfully I have had a couple of messages to let me know that a co-worker is helping out with the mail.

Nothing worse than going back to work after being sick to mountains of work.

That would be enough to push the clock back.

 

Perhaps even Alvin is tiring of me being at home.

It almost seems that way.

 

Last night I did push a bit of snow around on the deck and out front.

Likely not the best idea.

But I did the back first and then rested (not really shovelled well).

When I shovelled the front it was not a job well done for sure but it was all that I could muster up the energy to do.

I can see the garage roof tops covered in a thick blanket of snow.

I can only imagine what is on the roof of the house.

Hopefully our roofs can handle the weight.

 

Well today I am going to venture out and go to the Doctor.

One of my friends is going to drop me off on her way out but I am on my own to come home.

The walk in all of this snow considering that I am not at full strength kind of frightens me but I will see how I feel when I go to leave the Doctors.

If I feel at all weak, I will call a friend.

Making certain to have phone numbers with me or failing the phone a friend, I will call a TAXI.

There is so much snow and the walk ways will not be shovelled.

 

Well almost time to go and have a shower, to try and feel myself once again.

Giving myself lots of time this morning.

Over two hours until my friend arrives to pick me up.

I am sorry that I was out of commission this week.

Hard to write when you are not feeling well.

I hope that this finds you all well and that you do not get this flu.

It hangs on with a grip that I have not remembered seeing in past experiences.

Take care and if you are not feeling well – stay home.

Our health care providers are telling everyone with the flu to stay home and away from people.

But I need to go for a couple of reasons.

One to ensure that I do not have a bladder infection although I only have/had one symptom and the other for work.

Funny how even sitting typing is tiring.

ARGH.

I want to be healthy again.

Well I should go as it may take awhile to take a shower.

The neighbours just got home and had “fun” walking from their car to the house.

They do not have a garage so it piles up from the garage pad to the house.

Their back yard also has lots of steps which ware hard to navigate in white blinding snow.

Okay time to go.

Have a great day.

Stay warm, dry and healthy.

 

Special Hello to: all my family, friends and fellow bloggers.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 10th day of October, 2016.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone.

It is snowing here in Edmonton.

Very fine snow.

As soon as I am finished my cup of coffee I am going for a walk with Mr. Alvin.

That fine snow may turn to much heavier snow as the day progresses.

Yesterday with the sunshine it was quite nice and we so enjoyed our walk.

I am so grateful to have had a wonderful long weekend.

We were not able to go and have a Thanksgiving meal with the kids due to my son-in-law having the flu and icy roads.

But we will get together next weekend for a meal.

My ear became unplugged this morning and I can once again hear properly.

I am so grateful for that.

Yesterday I decided to go through my fridge and pantry and use up more things making Carol’s Thanksgiving.

I whipped up a batch of cookies that I fondly named “Carol’s Thanksgiving Peanut Butter Pumpkin Raisin Cookies” and also “Carol’s Quinoa

Thanksgiving Casserole.”

My neighbour tasted the cookies this morning and agreed they were yummy and I gave her some of the Casserole to take home to try.

I am very pleased with the end results.

Considering I just threw them together.

To give you an idea of what was in the main course:  Cooked up in separate pot some Quinoa.  Also some carrots in a separate pot.

I sautéed two large yellow sweet onions, garlic, pepperonis, large tin of diced tomatoes (crushed),

previously made black bean burgers that had been frozen – cut them into small bite sized pieces,

spices: three of my favourite spices:  cumin, turmeric and coriander and chopped dried cranberries.

After all it is not Thanksgiving without the cranberries.

simmered away …..

threw in can of sweet corn niblets.

Once everything had simmered and heated through.

In large bowl threw in the cooked quinoa and then the pot of goodness.

Mixed together.

Now I may have missed something as I was just tossing things together as I went.

My favourite way of cooking.

If I have something that I knew would work I just tossed it in.

The combination of the black bean burgers which fell apart and became this rich amazing backdrop for the sweet onions, corn, spices and tomatoes.

It was so good.

It tasted like Thanksgiving.

Well as I figured the snow has already turned to larger flakes so I should get this show on the road.

I hope that on this day …. this Thanksgiving that you try something new.

Use your imagination.

I should have posted some photos of my dishes.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Special Hello to: all my family and friends all over the world, have a great day.

Always, Carol and Alvin