2021

Good Morning ALL. I hope that this post finds you well and enjoying your Saturday whether you are doing things around the house, in the yard, at your job or maybe even at school. Saturdays are my day to get laundry and housework done. With only having Alvin (my dog) and myself in our home – there really isn’t too much to do. I have always made a point of putting things away after I have used them. Quite often I go through drawers and cupboards and the pantry to see what is what. The pantry is so important to go through on a regular basis. I would say once a month or two. Then you know exactly what you have and do not over buy/purchase. My pantry is like actually a cupboard that was once a piece of office furniture from prior to the renovations at my place of employment. It had shelves and has doors and fit perfectly in the back cubby area by the back door. I also keep small appliances, supplies of garbage bags as we have for kitchen, recycling and black heavy duty ones. I buy them at COSTCO as I have found that to be the most economical for me. I keep my canned goods, a small wooden crate of sorts for onions and sweet potatoes and miscellaneous food/dry goods. I like things in order within the pantry and that is likely why I clean it on a regular basis which is likely due for a clean/rearrange now. Also I decide if between what is in the pantry and freezer of the fridge what can be used for meals and then I stop buying groceries other than fresh produce for as long as I can. Might as well use up what you have before you have so much on hand that you lose track of best before / expiry dates. That has happened to me in the past and I do not like to be frivolous with that kind of thing. Also I vacuum and wash the floors on Saturday. Clean the kitchen and the bathrooms. Sundays are for less labor intensive chores. This Sunday, tomorrow I am going to video chat with my one of my girl friends from the neighbourhood. Our other pal’s husband is coming home from working in another province so she wants to spend time with him. We totally understand. Looks like Mr. Alvin is starting to lose his patience with his Momma. Also tomorrow is continue to work on Income Tax. We were issued our T4’s from our employer so I now have everything to complete my taxes.

The bright sunny blue morning sky with wisps of white clouds awaits us this day. The temperatures are rising so walking can happen once again for me and Alvin. We went for a walk at my lunch break yesterday but only went half way as it was snowing and raining. Always fun. I don’t like Alvin to get his ears wet as he can end up with an infection which he has had in the past. Looks like there is a breeze out there. The snow will be melting.

Well time to go and start the laundry and put on some coffee. I always look forward to coffee on the weekends.

We wish you a wonderful Saturday.

Continuing to live with kindness, respect, compassion and patience. Both Alvin and I are working on patience.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 7th day of May, 2016.

The sun is shining and the sky is blue.

You can smell smoke in the air which keeps us in constant thought of our neighbours to the north.

This is my story.

 

THE CAKE

This past Thursday night as Alvin and I were out on our nightly walk we happened to see our friend “P” outside in her backyard.

Alvin loves her and begged to come into the yard.

We immediately began to chat about the fires burning up north in Fort McMurray.

She told me that she had family living up there and how they had been evacuated and how her niece rescued neighbours beloved pets and others along the way.

My heart soared as she told me their story.

My friend also said that they are on their way to stay with them while things get sorted out.

As she was speaking my mind raced to “what can I do” mode.

I knew that the foodstuffs and extra bits of things in my pantry were at an all time low so I did not readily volunteer to cook something.

With no money until payday to start refilling the shelves.

There had to be something else.

Now I am not saying that I do not have anything to eat …. I am okay.

But to make something worthy of these folks it had to be special and that,I could not do at this time.

So I did volunteer my spare bedroom and my air mattress but my friend said they should be okay (they have a HUGE house).

On our way out of the yard we chatted about her flowers which by the way are amazing.

She is English, and truly has an English garden, no matter the time of year, so beautiful.

P offered me a fern as she has many ….. I accepted but we decided to dig it out on the weekend.

She gave me some bulbs last fall and I am proud to say that they are growing.

On our way home I was thinking that I did have a cake mix, yes a store bought one in my cupboard.

Usually I make from scratch but always good to have one on hand.

I knew that I had plenty of eggs and just enough vegetable oil and of course, lots of water.

So I knew that I could bake a cake and take it over on the weekend.

The only fly in my ointment was the “icing.”

I had only a small amount of icing sugar (clearly not enough to cover a 9×13 cake).

No vanilla, lots of butter, no canned milk and some condensed milk.

What to do?

I needed to borrow some type of milk.

So I went to one of my neighbours and borrowed a can of coconut milk.

That was all she had.

It would work I thought …. would not be quite the same, but okay.

So I baked the cake which turned out proper.

Then I went to work on the icing …..

Earlier I had taken the butter out of the fridge so it could soften before I made the icing.

I placed the icing sugar into my mixer bowl, followed by some cocoa, and butter which was not clearly soft enough but in my need to get this done, I went ahead.

I added some condensed milk and some of the coconut milk.

Started to blend.

The butter was not mixing so I turn off the mixer and went about some other business.

Returning a while later …. mixed some more.

Still not perfect.

Returned a while later.

This went on for over three hours …… that butter just did not want to break down.

Finally I mixed and squashed the butter by hand.

The consistency is not the same as usual as there was not enough icing sugar, no vanilla and no canned milk.

But it tastes good …. so just after 11:30 last night I put the icing on the cake.

It spread well as it was not thick.

I covered it with some sprinkles of coconut as I thought with the coconut milk it might add to it.

Also threw on some of our Steeped Tea raspberry sugar …..

The point of this story is not really about the cake but to my need to immediately help out.

I have learned that it is better to wait for some time than to rush in and not be prepared.

The cake is baked and I had my neighbour check out the icing and she said thumbs up.

So I am relieved.

Later today I will take over the cake for the heroes visiting our city.

It is not much but it is from my heart and that is what truly counts.

I have heard of so many stories of how people have given so much when they have little themselves.

It is “our way” ….. to reach out and help those in need.

We have an office up north that my place of employment is affiliated with that was destroyed in the fires.

Some of the employees at that office have lost their homes as well.

I volunteered to go up if they need a hand knowing that Alvin can easily go and stay with my daughter and son-in-law.

We continue to hear stories of bravery and heroism and they will continue for a long time to come.

We all want to help.

No matter what you give as long as you give it from your heart – it is enough.

Time to go and give Mr. Alvin a much needed hair cut.

I am thinking that I could foster a doggie if needed.

Special Hello to: all those people from Fort McMurray you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day ……

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 28th day of July, 2015.

It is a beautiful morning here in Edmonton …. sun coming up and casting those glorious beams everywhere.

Oh how lucky we are ….. there is a breeze to ensure a cool comfortable walk to the bus.

YAY …… for Tuesday.

Last night as I was eating supper and watching a morning show that I taped I came across some information that I did not know.

Did you know that “4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of sugar?”

Let me tell you that gave me a whole new perspective on the grams of sugar on foodstuffs.

Now I try not to eat a lot of foods that have added sugar.

If the manufacturers would put the amount in teaspoons instead of grams ….. we likely would not eat as many of them.

It also gives you a better handle on portion size.

My Grandmother always used to say that you could eat anything as long as you exercise portion control.

This many years later she was so right.

Anyway just wanted to share that information.

If it makes a difference that is good.

I know it was a light bulb moment for me.

The portion size I know ….. I also have a healthy appetite ….. lots of times I eat too much …..

So going forward it will be doing the math on added sugar …. converting from grams to teaspoons and

now I will exercise better portion control.

Happy Tuesday.

I hope that you have a productive happy day.

Special hello to: my sister …. three sleeps now.  (Thanks S for the birthday wishes to “J” …. I will pass them on).

Always, Carol and Alvin