Last Half 2022 – September

Good Morning ALL! What a first few days of FALL we are having here in Edmonton on our street. I hope that you are doing great on this bright sunny Saturday morning. Yesterday at the office, I was there. I caught a ride with one of my coworkers and we have a plan to carpool for our future rides to the office. After work my daughter picked me up, we stopped at the store and then home. Mr. Alvin was well looked after as my neighbor Sonja had popped in several times during the day ensuring he was fed, watered and went outside. She even gave him supper so that I could go to the store on my way home from work. I am beyond grateful to her for always helping us. She takes such good care of Mr. Alvin. Oh, and a pleasant surprise from my daughter when she announced that she may sleepover and she did! So great waking up with that human in the house.

When we arrived home from the store and as we were bringing the groceries and things in from the car one of our friends Ali and her pup Bailey were walking by on the opposite side of the street. Bailey spotted us and immediately started to squeal. I motioned for them to come over and as we brought things into the house – we had a visit. We love our Bailey and she gives some of the best kisses. Another gal was walking her dogs Eddy and Bruno who are labs and big but friendly. Bailey got excited again. She has just got to know them and loves the boys. Then they were all gone and we started to put things away.

We decided to pick up something from the store for supper, something already cooked from the deli. So supper was sushi and potato wedges and for dessert, Saskatoon ice-cream. A very unlikely combination I will admit but good all the same. That is what happens when you pick up food from the grocery stores.

After supper we got ready to go for a walk. Other neighbours were out walking and had just picked up their mail so we chatted with them as we walked. We did not even get to their house and Mr. Alvin stopped and turned around heading for home. I tried to change his mind but he wanted to go home. We were not home very long and it started to rain. There had been some clouds in the sky but nothing in the forecast. Perhaps he could tell something was coming. Oh, our weather forecaster Mr. Alvin.

For the evening we decided to watch a movie and watched “LIGHTYEAR” and oh my goodness, if you have not seen it, you must. It had a bit of everything, good storyline, great characters, love story, heroes, sad, happy, incredibly funny and more. Highly recommend it.

Well time to get the coffee on as we both are coffee drinkers.

Amanda is going to stay and help me with a few tasks before heading out. She is planning to go to COSTCO, yup, COSTCO on a Saturday. She needs gas so she will decide when she gets there whether it is worth going into the store, too.

I hope that you have a great day. I am over the moon happy ……

So great to have my girl here. Mr. Alvin opened the door to her room this morning at 3:00 a.m., I guess just checking to make sure she was still here. He loves her so much. They love each other.

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

Always, Carol, Alvin and Amanda.

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! How are you on this rainy Saturday morning? Perhaps the sun is beaming down upon you? Not at the moment here. It was raining when we were up earlier and we were up early. I decided to go to bed a bit early and read so when the lights went out it was likely about 10:00. Mr. Alvin was up at Midnight and I took him outside. We settled on the sofa and he was up on the hour after that starting about 2:00 a.m., very restless. Last night before bed, he seemed like his old self. Not quite as anxious and not whiny. Perhaps this cooler weather is playing havoc with his paws. I can imagine arthritis is not much fun. He seems to be okay this morning. I was wide awake at 6:00 so stayed up for a bit doing a few things and then decided to come back upstairs and just rest on the bed. We both fell asleep until a little while ago. Okay not such good sleep routine, our patterns are definitely bordering on the “off” side but it is what it is. If we don’t get 8 hours or close to it, we lay back down. Sometimes it is funny how a couple of solid hours of sleep can make or break the day. Anyway, all is well.

The trees are really coming out. Th leaves I mean, so green and beautiful. The grass with this added moisture is starting to turn green. Our poor grass/lawn out front has finally got some patches that are alive and not dead/dormant. Looks like the sun may shine after all. The clouds are breaking up and I see some clear patches.

Well you are likely wondering how we did yesterday with me going to the office. In addition to Gillian coming over at noon, our neighbour Sonja popped by about 3:00 p.m.. He ate, drank water and went outside at noon and did the same at 3:00 p.m. The girls did notice that he was a bit more anxious than usual. I can see that. Going into work is against our routine and as we get older, as dogs get older, routine plays a very important role. So I get that. He was having an off week. Hopefully he will continue to feel his old self. Oh my gosh, I pray for his old self. Anxiety and all. So the office. One of our group had hurt her knee and is unable to do much walking so we were down another body and our Manager was ill and did not attend the office. So no meeting. We did our mailouts as per schedule and then worked on mail etc. Our cubicles and desks are set up in squares with two desks and staff facing each other with dividers in between. The group that are the most vocal are all together, the gal that I came to work with faces one of them and then I am in another group where there is no one at present. My back faces them. So two of us found it very distracting. But I get that they wanted to catch up and some are more chatty than others of us. Not to say that I do not like to talk because that is so far from the truth. But at work, I like to do my job and not “visit.” With these low rise dividers and open air, it can get loud. We are not the only ones on this floor and it can get very loud and distracting at times. So I just tried to tune out the noise and get some work done. I did manage to get a few days worth of mail completed which was great. I still have more to do but getting closer to being current. Although where I am at is acceptable in our job. I am one of those old school bodies that just needs to have everything done and I do not like having things undone. Anyway, it was nice to see the team in person but other than that, I would have liked to have been at home at my kitchen table. I did notice that my chair did not feel comfortable and the lights were annoying. I am very grateful that for the most part I can continue to work from home. I am very grateful for that.

So today, I am thinking of working on the basement. I started going through things during the last two weekends and need to finish before the garage sale in June. It would appear that the forecast is not looking great for planting my flowers, tomatoes and oregano. So will keep inside for another week. My kitchen table looks amazing.

My girl friends are coming for coffee tomorrow morning. So I will pull the leaves out on each end and push the plants to the far end so we have room for our coffee. It will look like we are in a flower garden. How lovely! Today I want to bake something. I am thinking of a banana loaf with pumpkin? Not sure.

So a few things to do. Working on that book in my head. I do have lots of notes and stories already written down so really it would be just a matter of putting them together. So I am getting my mind wrapped about that. I think we need some good stories. We have stories about dogs and people but how many about an older woman and a dog. Not many. I have often joked that there should be a movie about Mr. Alvin as he is just so charming, sociable and magnetic. He has had that effect on people since I brought him home. Just something about him and his name always brings a smile to people’s faces. No one forgets his name. I am and will all remains Alvin’s Mum and I am good with that.

Okay, time for coffee and I definitely need that this morning.

Have an awesome day. Hug your family and pets if you have them. If you are on your own, look in the mirror and say “hello you awesome human being.” Be kind to yourself and to all living creatures.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. sometimes a mirror is a good friend …… look at your reflection ….. you are your own best friend. We need to treat ourselves like we are our own best friend. Start with you and see what a difference your other relationships will be. Love thyself and then you will love others.

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! How are you this Sunday morning? Alvin and I are doing great. We had a good sleep including an early start, but that is okay. The sky is that glorious hue of blue and the sun is casting its’ beams off any objects it touches. What a beautiful morning. Al and I have had a glorious weekend despite the rather late start to the day yesterday. I only had one load of laundry to do as I had done laundry on my last day of vacation. Bonus points. After coffee and breakfast and the laundry was washed and dried, Mr. Alvin and I headed out for a walk. I only needed a sweater as it was so beautiful and I took Alvin’s water bottle/dish as well. It was so nice. We saw friends Norbert and Irene out giving some TLC to their lawn and stopped to have a little visit. Alvin loves their yard. While we were visiting another person and her pup walked by, we said hello. Sunny, her pup immediately rolled about on the freshly mowed grass. He was covered in dry grass but looked so happy. His Mom just smiled. There was also a brief conversation with a couple of men, who were having a conversation out front of a house on our way to the park. Everyone was outside and everyone was happy to chat and say hello.

We took our time as we continued walking to the park and once inside, I just let Alvin take the lead and allowed him time to sniff to his heart’s content. I just breathed in the fresh air which actually spelled like spring. We continued on our walk until we spotted a friend out in her yard raking the grass. She noticed us and walked toward us remaining in her yard as we walked to her. We had a long conversation over the fence. I had not seen her for awhile. I always love speaking to Lucy. Alvin sat on the grass and watched other people and their dogs going by, he didn’t flinch, just sat like the good boy that he is. Lucy and I spoke about so many things. Work, her homeland China, the environment, pollution, weather, gardening, people, and more. We had been chatting for likely well over thirty minutes when I happened to turn my head to see another friend out for a walk. I was surprised to see her. It was time for us to keep walking so I said good-bye to Lucy and joined my friend Gillian on her walk. Alvin really had a long walk but I figured with the break in walking he should be okay. We had a good chat on our walk and Gillian walked us home and then was going to head out for another lap. When I got home I saw that we had been gone for almost two hours. WOW. I felt like a million dollars. Refreshed and energized. What a time we had! Once home, I did a few things which included sweeping the floor, moving the IKEA shelves to a different angle in the kitchen, watered plants, finished a necklace that I had been working on, almost finished it anyway. At supper instead of cooking a pasta dish I decided to just have pizza again with a bunch of raw veggies. In between it all I gave Mr. Alvin his supper. What a great day even though we had such a late start. I think being outside was just what the Doctor ordered. After supper I watched an interview on NETFLIX with Oprah and Viola Davis. I was surprised and enthralled by her story. There were several things that we have in common and not her Tony or Academy award wins. She has a beautiful smile and I was sad to hear that people had told her that she was ugly. She is not. It was a great interview. Perfect timing. Then I decided to rent a movie from TELUS ON DEMAND. I couldn’t decide which one and then saw a new movie with Liam Neeson. I love him and decided that from the preview it looked good, so I paid the $7.00 and continued. The movie was called “BLACKLIGHT” and it was really good. A good story. Aidan Quinn was also in the movie and I have also liked him. A good night.

Now for today. My friend Gillian will be here in about one hour for coffee and instructions for looking after Mr. Alvin as I have to go to the office on Tuesday. This afternoon my daughter is coming for a visit. So much company and visiting this weekend and clearly just what was needed. I will be making the pasta dish for supper tonight and setting up my workspace in the kitchen after supper cleanup.

I hope that you have a great Sunday. If you have the opportunity or perhaps make the time to GO OUTSIDE. Say hello to people. Enjoy the sunshine. I hope that the sun is shining wherever you are and that you are well.

I am grateful for the sunshine, warm temperatures and family and friends and for good health and for Mr. Alvin. Grateful for life and for spring. Renewal.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. life is good!

2021

Good Morning ALL! Happy Sunday and I hope that you are all doing great? We are doing well and will be going for a walk after I write this post and wash off the charcoal mask from my face and get dressed. I guess going for a walk in my pj’s would not likely be a good idea. Someone might think that there is something wrong with me and report me to the authorities, lol. The sky was overcast earlier, it rained overnight and then sun was shining brightly and there are now clouds moving in. I think it is supposed to be another “rainy” day. We need the moisture well actually the ground needs the moisture so that the plants, grass and trees can grow and thrive. Always better when we have rain as opposed to watering them from the tap. I love sitting on my back deck taking in the beauty of the flowers and marvel at how much they grow. They seem to have grown overnight. Actually I think that they prefer the “rain” than water from the tap.

I hope that you had a great Saturday. Ours was quiet. We walked in the morning, did some laundry, I actually did some work with photos on my phone and computer. Trying to delete the duplicates and get both cleaned up. I do not need to have so many of the same shots and also need to delete the bad shots. Will get there. Today after our walk and coffee and breakfast, will work on the photos for a few hours again. One thing about working on the computer the time flies and what feels like ten minutes has been three hours. It is a “good” way to lose time but necessary in this case. I also did some writing ….. just a little….. some ideas ….. oh, that was yesterday. Will have to bring up the laundry from the basement that has been drying since being washed yesterday. Oh, yesterday on our second walk, we stopped at Alvin’s best friend’s house. He always wants to go in and I have to say “not today” as we cannot stop everyday. We had a nice visit and I had tea. When we arrived it was starting to thunder which would have lightning involved so Teddy’s Mom said she would drive us home and she did.

Dreaming, man have I been doing a lot of that lately. Strange dreams. I remembered a bit when I first got up and now have forgotten. I know that Alvin was in them and some folks that I have not seen for many years.

Last night I watched another David Attenborough movie on Netflix. This was about the past, current and future of this planet. Very interesting. I just wished that everyone was on the same page with respect to our planet. Clearly we are not. I am with him.

Here are some statistics from his movie that were interesting and downright scary:

1937 – World Population: 2.3 billion, Carbon in atmosphere: 280 parts per million and remaining wilderness: 66%

1954 – World Population: 2.7 billion, Carbon in atmosphere: 310 parts per million and remaining wilderness: 64%

1960 – World Population: 3.0 billion, Carbon in atmosphere: 315 parts per million and remaining wilderness: 62% –

1978 – World Population: 4.3 billion, Carbon in atmosphere: 335 parts per million and remaining wilderness: 55%

1997 – World Population: 5.9 billion, Carbon in atmosphere: 360 parts per million and remaining wilderness: 46%

2020 – World Population: 7.8 billion, Carbon in atmosphere: 415 parts per million and remaining wilderness: 35%

You should watch these movies they are so interesting and informative. We cannot survive without the biodiversity of the wilderness. Something to think about.

David was 93 years old when he made the movie.

I do hope that you will watch them. We all need to watch them and step up.

Time to wash off this mask and get out for that walk before we have some more rain.

Wishing you a great Sunday.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love and gratitude.

Always, Love Carol & Alvin

2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you doing this morning? We are doing well. Up in good time for my late shift start for work today. There is a bit of a breeze coming in through the windows but not much. The plan is to have a quick shower after I write this post and go for a nice morning walk before the heat of the day sets in. My “lunch break” due to the late start is not until 3:00 p.m. which will be near the high for today. I love morning walks. There is something about the air, fresh and calm. Perhaps the goslings will be out in sight with their parents. They grow so quickly.

Happy Happy Birthday to my friend Gillian ….. wishing you the most wonderful day. May you be surrounded with love, laughter, great joy, good health and abundance. Happy Birthday my friend.

I cannot remember if I mentioned this to you or not but I noticed on the weekend that NETFLIX has in its’ new releases “SAHARA.” One of my most favourite movies of all time. It stars, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn (love him), Penelope Cruz, Rainn Wilson, William H Macy, Delroy Lindo, Lennie James and Lambert Wilson. The story follows a treasure hunter who partners with a WHO doctor to find a lost Civil War Ironclad Warship in the Sahara Desert with lots of turns and twists. Great Movie. Little bit of everything. I watched it twice over the weekend.

Today Canada Roofers come out to give us our quote. I cannot wait until the shingles are replaced and will be relieved. Especially with summer coming and the possibility of rain storms. We will remain safe and dry with our rubber shingles.

We had a somewhat quite day yesterday. I looked after Humphrey, Bogart and Cynder, went to COSTCO in the morning with one of my girl friends, gave Mr. Alvin a haircut and bath not long after I returned home from COSTCO, did a load of laundry, had supper and we went for a nice walk after supper. My neighbour came home from her weekend getaway to Jasper with her boyfriend. They mowed the grass out front and it looks great. Best it has looked in many years. I guess the fertilizer helped/worked. They sprayed for weeds as well. Trying to get the unruly weeds begone. Watered the flowers as well last night and they continue to look beautiful and my pepper plant is growing.

I can hear the birds singing in the distance. Quiet except for the birds.

The sky appears to be overcast a bit to the south.

Time to hit the shower and get out for our walk. If it is hot at my lunch break at 3 p.m. we cannot walk. Better to get out now.

Wishing you a wonderful day.

Continuing to live this life with as much kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love and gratitude as is possible.

I am blessed and I know that ….. with good health, amazing family and friends, a beautiful home, to be employed, and for a great companion Alvin. Each day I am filled with gratitude for my life, it is a good one.

Always, Love Carol & Alvin

I

2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you this Thursday morning? Alvin and I are doing well. We had a reasonably good sleep last night which was awesome. There is a breeze this morning and the skies are filled with rain clouds. The ground outside is wet. We definitely could use some rain at this point. No complaints from this gal. I love that word. “Gal.” Please note that I have no idea if there is a deeper meaning other than when referring to a girl. Oh, the wind is getting up as I watch the trees sway back and forth. Yesterday we had a lovely walk around our “ponds” over the noon hour. We saw some of our neighbours out and about. After work I thought after our long day “at work” that perhaps a walk would loosen me, us up. So off we went. We were only a few doors down when we came across our friend Crystal just parking her car after arriving home from somewhere. She had the youngest son with her “Zane.” He is the sweetest little guy and loves Alvin with a quiet passion. As soon as he saw us, he was over like a rocket. Giving Alvin some kisses and hugs. He wanted so badly to come for a walk with us and hold onto Alvin’s leash. Well Alvin could easily pull the little guy over but I was there for support. I asked Crystal if okay and she said of course as she had to go and pick up the mail from the community mailbox. I said that we would just walk to the park and back which would only be a few minutes. Well Mr. Alvin was definitely not certain of what was going on. He kept looking for me even though I was right there. I had to jump in once in awhile as Zane was definitely not he pack leader between him and Alvin. But we managed and Zane was happy and Alvin was just confused and not really happy that I was not holding the leash. We got to the park and back to their house with no boo boos, thank goodness. Alvin does not like anyone other than me holding the leash. He will tolerate his sister and brother-in-law but that is it. He is a one human …. dog. For sure. Anyway it was cute and a fun way to start my evening.

Yesterday my place of employment officially changed their name from Capital Region Housing Corporation to CIVIDA. It did provide some issues yesterday with all things computer, if you know what I mean. But those issues will get fixed and life will go on. I like the name, it is shorter for one thing. I am certain that I will mess up the name or say the old name from time to time. Change always takes a bit of time for adjustment. That is okay. I have been through so much change with this company over the past ten year.

Last night I watched a movie that I had recorded. It was amazing. Malika the Lion Queen narrated by Angela Bassett. She was the perfect choice to narrate this movie. The story of a lioness from Africa. If you have an opportunity to watch it …. please do. It is happy, sad and really runs all one’s emotions. Not only was the story interesting but I learned so much about lions. I will never forget Malika.

Well it is time to hop off of the computer, get the coffee perking and hop onto a different computer for work. I wish you a wonderful Thursday.

Living this life with kindness, respect, compassion and patience. Always working on the patience. Some days it is easier than others.

Always, Love Carol & Alvin

2021

Good Morning ALL. How are you today? Alvin and I are doing well. I am in the mood for composing a poem just for you. Here goes.

WINTER

The sky blending into the white topped garage roofs fills my sight.

On this weekend morning as I write.

There is no denying it.

Winter is upon us.

From morning until night.

The lawns are covered with snow, the streets and the decks.

No pavement or wood is showing.

Frigid temperatures take away our daily walks.

Stories of cold in years gone by, fill our talks.

When we do creep out of our home to shovel the snow from the sidewalks.

The warmest of coats, boots, mitts and scarves cover our bodies.

Our natural inclination, our feeling is the longing to snuggle on the sofa.

With the heat turned up.

With a toasty warm blanket and sip on a warm beverage, perhaps hot chocolate.

And mindlessly watch a favourite movie.

We don our warmest sweaters, sometimes even “long underwear” beneath our pants.

Thick, warm socks cover our feet.

Our energy level is low.

To get our chores done is slow.

This I know.

Our life is simple during this time.

We do what we need to do.

Usually nothing more.

Except for those who do not seem to be affected.

By these more than deep freezer temperatures.

We call winter in Canada.

Written by CY Lewis, February 6, 2021

Wishing you a great day. No matter the temperature, be safe, take care.

Continuing to live with kindness, respect, compassion and patience.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Second Half of the NEW YEAR – last quarter.

Good Morning All. As we are winding down and fast approaching November with then one month until 2021 …. what are your thoughts? What a year this has been! There have been so many changes and for some people those changes have not been great. For others of us those changes have turned out to be blessings in disguise. I am so grateful that I have a job and that I am working from home. I have said this before and I will say it again, I am ever grateful to my employer. I have found out that I do thoroughly enjoy those rare occasions when I go outside of my house other than our walks. I don’t mind going to the office once every month or so. I don’t mind going to the grocery store once in awhile. Lately as statements come in from my benefit provider, it is giving me cause to get my poop in a group and make some medical appointments ….. like eye checkup and dentist. The dentist and staff were wearing masks even before COVID19 hit the Western World. I would think that they are taking even more precautions like limiting the no of patients at one time. Lots to think about. Do you find that you procrastinate some things and even more during these uncertain times? You are not alone, you are not alone. So much to consider and to think about ……

Well it is five sleeps until Halloween and six sleeps until my Christmas Tree goes up and the house transforms into “Christmas.” I have contacted all the folks in the neighbourhood that I know with children and they all were happy with my idea to drop off bags of treats for their children. I am working on decorating the treat bags for the kids. Then Sunday the TREE goes up. I am so excited. My daughter as agreed to come over and I have a backup to help me erect the tree just in case. Always good to have a plan B. I thought that I would before bed on Friday night, I would take down all of the fall/Halloween decorations and other ornaments and put them in the basement. Maybe even bring up the rubbermaid containers of Christmas decorations and be ready to decorate. I could do some of the decorating before the tree goes up. Those are my thoughts for now – time will tell.

Yesterday my girl friends were over for coffee in the morning. We always have a great time. One of the girls brought over muffins and the other gave me my own little Halloween treat bag. They spoil me. Love these girls, they are the best. I am so blessed to have great friends, truly.

Alvin and I went for a walk in the afternoon before I watched the LIVE Open House for my friend Amber’s Fifth Avenue Jewelry Collection. I enjoy seeing all of the new jewelry. GUESS WHAT? Mr. Alvin hardly fussed at all in his new sweater and in fact, we did the whole walk without any unnecessary stopping. It was great.

I also watch “THEN CAME YOU” twice yesterday. Really loving that movie.

I am so excited that our weather is going to be all plus temperatures for the next two weeks with multiple days in the high single digits and even going into the double digits. The bunnies will be able to forage for food easier and longer.

Well time to go and put on the coffee. I hit the snooze and then the time on the microwave a couple of times this morning. ARGH. Oh well, there is time to make coffee and get ready to start work before my 8:00 a.m. start time.

Have an awesome Monday. If we all live our lives with kindness and respect for ALL, what a wonderful world this would be and can be.

I/We shall remain, As Always Carol & Alvin

Second Half of the NEW YEAR – last quarter

Good Morning All. A much more quiet morning than yesterday’s. We had Teddy and his little sister Kobie here overnight on Friday as you know, and they went home about 5 p.m. yesterday. I always enjoy when the pups arrive at the house. Iris can put Teddy down on the sidewalk and he makes a beeline for our house and Kobie she has to hold securely and carry to the house. There is a feeling of excitement when they arrive. Alvin comes to life and well me, I love seeing them. Kobie wanted up. I picked her up and she just gazed into my eyes. She has the most gorgeous dark eyes with long lashes. As she looked in my eyes she put her nose right up to mine. Makes you feel liked you are the most special human in the world. Teddy was so excited to see his buddy Alvin and Alvin in return. Their Mum stayed for a visit before leaving as it was getting late (actually past our bedtime but it was a Friday night so that was okay).

We slept on the sofa Friday night. I was drenched in furbabies. Teddy curled up behind my knees, Alvin beside me on the pillow and Kobie basically on my head (she curled up on top of the pillow). I sure wished that I could have had taken a photo of that night time set up. Now it did not remain that way and there were lots of movement over the course of the night mostly from Alvin. I forgot to take the chew treat away from him, the ones that Teddy’s Mom had given them upon their arrival. Argh, it was up and down and down and up. Anyway we survived and with no defined time to get up we did sleep in a bit later, thank goodness. I do enjoy having the pups here. Alvin loves having them here although I will say this when we were having a sit down on the sofa yesterday afternoon both Kobie and Teddy were someone sitting on my lap and started to wrestle/play and at times would go back and forth on the sofa running on or over Alvin ….. that Mr. Alvin did not even flinch if it was Teddy who walked/jumped over him but when it was Teddy ….. he growled. Funny. The pups usually have a hard core play/wrestle match for about twenty minutes each day. Good exercise for sure. Most times the playing takes place on the floor.

Meal time is always interesting. Alvin is what I have deemed the “FOOD MONSTER” as he will eat almost anything, anywhere at anytime. Teddy could care less. He is a bit on the fussy side and seldom eats breakfast although he does like to chew on Alvin’s hard food and will usually eat some supper. Kobie is sort of like Alvin but not as hard core. She ate some breakfast and will eat supper. Last night I had just set up the feeding arrangement for supper when Iris arrived to picked them up. Alvin of course, gobbled his food down just as she got to the door and the other two ….. we decided to pack it up and they would have it at home. Like I said ….. food time in this house ….. with Alvin …. is you cannot get his food out fast enough. He does chew his food but eats so fast. Sometimes I like to feed him by hand to slow that process somewhat.

After the pups left for home …. our normal quiet takes over. I decided that I was going to check the ON DEMAND movie schedule to see if the new Kathie Lee Gifford movie “Then Came You” with Craig Ferguson was there yet. I was so pleased to see it on the listing. I have been waiting forever and hopeful it would come to Canada. Of course, after supper and clean up ….. we, well I watched her movie. It was so well done. Not often the lead characters are over 55. Elizabeth Hurley and Ford Kiernan were also in the movie. I really enjoyed Ford’s character. The movie ran the gamut of emotions but mostly it was funny. The chemistry between Kathie Lee and Craig is so evident and makes for a great movie. The music was great as well as was written by KLG and her writing partner Brett James. They even had a scene where they sang in the movie. Well done KLG, well done.

Well now it is Sunday morning. Today is the birthday of the gal that I used to carpool with so I must send her birthday wishes. Happy Birthday Candie. Hard to believe that I used to see her almost everyday and now have not seen her for months. Funny how life can change so quickly.

The girls are coming for coffee …. cannot wait. Have to jump into the shower first …..

I hope that you are doing great. Living with kindness and respect, that is the best. The sun is rising and the sky is that most beautiful pink orange at the horizon gradually turning to blue. Today is Sunday. YAY.

Happy Sunday.

I/We shall remain, As Alway, Carol & Alvin

P.S. Six sleeps until Halloween and seven sleeps until CHRISTMAS TREE GOES UP ….. I am shouting that in my mind ….. cannot wait. I will have to check and see if my daughter can help me erect the tree. I do need help setting it up …..

Second Half of the NEW YEAR – last quarter

Good Morning All. The sky is that weird mix of grey and white. I woke up with runny, stuffy nose, bit of sore throat and sneezing. This was to be coffee morning with my friends but now we had to postpone until next weekend. Feels like the start of a cold but then again yesterday I was going through winter stuff in the basement and closets and likely just allergies from that but have to be careful. So we cancelled. I was really looking forward to seeing the girls but they both have children and I know this is the best decision. It used to be okay to be around someone who might have had a cold but not now. So I will remain indoors with Alvin. This will be a week where I stay away from people. Just to make sure. If anything changes I will go and get tested, don’t worry. I am a cautious person and would never put anyone in any kind of danger.

So I guess this will be a quiet day. Will finish up the last load of laundry and straighten out my clothes closet. I did most of it yesterday but will finish today. Maybe watch a movie this afternoon. Thank goodness that I have Mr. Alvin to keep me company.

Last night I facetimed with my sister from Saskatchewan. I miss her so much. We usually get together every summer and were not able to this year. Thank goodness for technology and I could see her beautiful face. Better than not.

Well I am filled with disappointment and might as well get this show on the road. What can you do? Coffee may help.

I hope that you have a great day.

Continuing to live with kindness and respect for all.

I/We shall remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin