A New YEAR 2023

Good Morning ALL! Another busy day ahead. My daughter slept over last night and she is still sleeping. We are having my cousins over for a visit and supper today. So I have lots to do. Cooking and cleaning. Alvin has taken the corner in major improvement. He had a good poop or poops yesterday so that is such a relief. I will continue with his regiment and hopefully by next week he is back to his old self. Next Thursday is his 14th Birthday. We will celebrate not next Saturday but the following Saturday with our family and perhaps even a friend or two. I am grateful for all of the many blessings in my life. Family and Friends.

Speaking of friends, just a special shout out to my dear friend Gillian who helped me out in a major way yesterday. After work, I had to go to the vet to pick up something (treats, yes I know – not like Alvin can have them now but they are a hard commodity to secure), my eyeglasses and some groceries. She picked me up shortly after 4:00 p.m. and we had all three stops done and back home by 5:00 p.m. How is that for getting things done. I am so grateful for her friendship, love and support. She saved me time and walking and carrying.

Another dear friend received good news about her pathology report and we are forever grateful.

Just good news all way round.

Freezing rain earlier ….. yes ….. raining in Edmonton ….. in January. Go figure. The next days and virtually all week are to be mild. Perhaps Alvin and I may get out for a walk yet before the temperatures change.

I will post a few photos tomorrow but need to get this show on the road.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to read my posts, it is so appreciated. I love to write and to share my life with you. Maybe some of the pooping stories are a bit much but they are part of my life, unfortunately or perhaps fortunately! Take some time for yourself on this weekend and have a good one. Be safe and take care.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee. I have already enjoyed a mug of that good stuff, lol.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Last Days 2022 – December 28th

Good Morning ALL! Well Mr. Alvin was up and down all last night. So we slept in until just a few minutes ago. The phone rang at 9:00 and it was my Optometrist’s Office. They left a message as I did not get to the phone fast enough. Jennifer was calling to let me know that they processed my insurance towards my new glasses and that the balance was XXX amount. Two years ago when I went for my eye checkup I had gone on the 11th of December but for some reason had gone back again on the 28th therefore my insurance used the 28th as the date for payment of insurance. Anyway, does not matter but at this appointment they were not able to process my insurance benefits until today which they did and were calling me to give me the news and the final balance. In the message Jennifer said “cute message” which was my Christmas message. A reminder to change that sooner than later. I called and spoke to Jennifer and mentioned that the balance did not seem like it included my sunglass clips, she checked and said you are correct, it did not. She recalculated the total and gave me the amount less the insurance. I said that I would be over this morning to pay the balance owing. After this post, I will be walking over to their office which is a few blocks away. Not too far.

Well yesterday I decided to take down the Christmas Tree and most of our decorations. I left up a few things so it still looks like Christmas. Feels better to have the chair back where it belongs opposite the other chair by the window. Opens it up inside. I love Christmas and all the decorations but it was time for me to put things away. It took the better part of the day to do so. Bye, Christmas 2022 was great.

In the background I was playing Disney+ ….. Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, 101 Dalmations and other classics. I love those movies. One day I will sit down and watch each one from beginning to end. Last night I watch the Taylor Swift conversation about the album that she put out in 2020. I do not remember the name of it but it was made remote during Covid. Really enjoyed it. Quite the departure from her usual albums which I love. I am a fan of Taylor.

Mr. Alvin needs a haircut and bath. The plan is to do it when I get home from paying for my new glasses. Looks like the sky is brightening so perhaps the sky will clear and it will stop snowing. I called the Vet office to make an appointment for Alvin but no one was there or maybe busy. They may be closed a few extra days, will try again. Alvin needs his nails trimmed and the usual.

I am waiting until I get home to make coffee so I need to go as I NEED some coffee.

Have an awesome day. Wednesday.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. looks like we are back to our normal, lol.

2021

Good Morning ALL. How are you today? Wednesday. Midweek once again. Surely seems like the weeks fly by. Sometimes during the day we may not think so but when you look at the day of the week it certainly does. Funny story, yesterday after work I had just put on my winter boots and was going to put on my winter coat, mitts etc. to go out and shovel Sonja’s front sidewalk (neighbors in other half had done mine earlier) when I noticed the name and phone number of my Optometrist’s office flash across my SMART TV. I thought that is odd as I had given them my cell number and told them that that number was no longer in service. With boots on I ran quickly to grab my cell phone and call them. The receptionist asked me if I could hold and I of course said yes. While I patiently waited to see if my new glasses were in. A few minutes later she came back on the line and I explained about the phone number and got them all updated including my work number which I had forgotten about. These days an appointment is required to do anything so I set one up for this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. with the knowledge that the temperature is supposed to be warmer or at least that is what the weather guy said. In the morning I am hosting a birthday party for one of my neighbours and friend – there will be three of us in attendance. The three of us. We are going to have the party in my garage. I don’t have a car so I have lots of room for social distancing and I have comfortable furniture that I can set out and a table. I will be doing some rearranging on Friday night. So Saturday will be exciting. Friends over and we have not had a visit in person for a long time. Also new glasses. YAY. Oh, after the phone call – I went out and shovelled my neighbours sidewalk. What goes around comes around, I always say.

Well as Mr. Alvin is very anxious to go back downstairs and perhaps he has to go outside, I will repost a poem that I wrote many years ago, actually almost ten. I am feeling very grateful, very thankful this morning. There is so much more I could add to this poem but it does say what is in my heart. Thank you.

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THE THANK YOU POEM

Thank you for the sunshine

Thank you for the rain

Thank you for the laughter

Thank you for the pain

Thank you for the cool nights

Thank you for the warm days

Thank you for the love

Thank you for the way it fills my heart

Thank you for each buzzing bee

Thank you for all the trees

Thank you for the roses

Thank you for their sweet smell

Thank you for my family

Thank you for the way

Thank you for my dog, Alvin

Thank you for this heaven

Thank you for the abundance

Filling my day – keeping me full

Thank you for the sun, the moon and the stars

Thank you for old ladies, young men

Thank you for music played on guitars

And then !!!

Thank you

Written by Carol Yvonne Lewis

March 2011 in Edmonton, Alberta

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

Welcome December 2020

Good Morning ALL. How are you doing this fine Friday morning? Some of my work colleagues are going to enjoy this as their last day before vacation returning to work after the NEW YEAR. I wonder how many folks out there that are employed did not take any or much of their 2020 earned vacation? Our immediate area found several staff with vacation days that must be taken before the end of 2020. I will admit that I am a bit envious. By take two weeks starting on Monday the return date is January 4, 2021 and with our office shut down time you end up with three weeks off. How lovely. Oh well, maybe next year. I did enjoy a couple of weeks vacation in August around my birthday and it was great. I am not really “upset.” Just wondering what other things we did in excess during this crazy year of 2020.

1. Many folks started eating to find comfort hence the term “COVID-15” was penned.
2. While others baked banana bread, cinnamon buns and bread like there was never going to be flour and sugar on this earth again. So evident by the bare shelves in the grocery stores.
3. We (not me) hoarded bathroom tissue as if it was more important than food and water. Making it difficult to find any if you ran out. Which I ran into that situation. Luckily I had family and friends that came to the rescue. Definitely something you don’t want to run out of but not necessary to buy in huge bulk.
4. Folks started ordering from online venues such as AMAZON in record high numbers. Really, how much of that stuff did you really need?
5. We saw the increase of businesses delivering food that had been prepped and only required to be cooked such GOOD FOOD and CHEF’s PLATE and others.
6. We saw the increase of online communication platforms (is that the correct language, I’m old so I am guessing here, lol) such as ZOOM and I have forgot the others now. OMG. There are a few.
7. Increase in pet adoption. My hope is that when this is over that these pets remain in the homes and that they are all being well provided for ….
8. Diamond Paintings. I hadn’t realized that this was even a thing before my friends told me. There are a great many websites where you can purchase pictures of anything. They are pre stamped with the picture, and a sticky covering and you match the coloured beads and with this pen like apparatus you pluck the matching coloured bead on the matching number and in the end you have a beautiful picture. I finished one and they finished tons. I started a fall one in late summer and it has been placed in the basement. Somehow I lost interest. Fun but not really my thing. Maybe it is old eyes. Okay that was poor wording.

Well time to go. I did come up with 8 things how about you?

I wish you a great Friday and I look forward to picking out new glasses later today. Not exactly sure how this is going to work but I will let you know tomorrow.

Remember together living with kindness and respect and compassion it will be a better world.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Countdown we are at “13” sleeps until Christmas EVE DAY.

Welcome to December 2020

Good Morning ALL. How are you doing on this fine Thursday? I just had a refreshing, relaxing wonderful shower and am so ready for the day. Countdown to CHRISTMAS EVE DAY brings us to “15” days. WOW. I must have miscounted! Oh well, we got this. Right. Christmas and the Holiday Season will be a bit different, okay a lot different for most of us this year but different is so much better than the alternative. If we can open our eyes and take in that first breath of the new day, if we have food to eat, technology to reach out to family and friends and are in good health – no complaints. We have so much more than so many others. I recognize the fact that I am more than truly blessed at this point in my life. I have a beautiful home to live in and to call my own with a yard and deck and a tree. Mr. Alvin has been my trusty companion for almost 11 years now which I will say the longest period of time that I have lived with a “guy.” I am employed by a employer who was actually prepared for a situation that would call for us to work remotely. Yes, there have been a few hiccups but very, very few. I am so grateful that I am able to work from home with no commute to and from the office, and be with Mr. Alvin who is fast approaching 12 in January of this coming New Year. This gives us the opportunity to go for walks at noon and have more time together. I have more time to read and so much more. More time to sleep as well which has been wonderful. Yes, it is true that there has been much less contact with friends and family. But we have figured it out. There is Facetime, Skype, Zoom and texting and more. So we are good. Right, we are.

Tomorrow after work I am going to have my two year eye checkup and get new glasses. So stoked to get some new shades. I wished that I would be able to have my daughter with me to help me pick them out but that is okay, I got this. New glasses for the upcoming new year. Might have to really whack off my hair and be a really new me for the New Year. Time will tell. I was thinking that tomorrow night might be wrapping the gift night. This is the gifts for my daughter and her husband. I will be stopping at the Bone & Biscuit to pick up gifts for Mr. Alvin, Aspen and Milo after my eye appointment. My daughter has the gifts for the other pups on our list which I realized could have been much longer had I remembered them all. I have the gifts here for Humphrey and Bogart so will get them wrapped and over to them shortly. There may be more baking on the weekend, I have not decided.

Well Mr. Alvin is giving me that look – that look – get the heck off that thing and come downstairs. Okay, I need some coffee anyway.

I hope that you have an awesome Thursday. Remember we shall live our lives with kindness, respect and compassion for all. We will get through this, together!!

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 11th day of December, 2018.

Yesterday with the mild temperatures we had freezing rain.

Making life miserable to pedestrians and drivers alike.

My daughter told me of her experience.

Yesterday was her day off from work and she had an appointment to attend out here in my neighbourhood.

She wasn’t far from home and the roads were icy.

In order not to slip into another car – she took the snowbank and then was stuck.

Luckily some men were out working and came to her rescue pushing her out.

ROADS WERE ICY AND WILL BE THIS MORNING.

Be care out there.

I also had an appointment and caught the bus from downtown to my neighbourhood.

Eye check-up.

The parking lot at work was slippery as was the one that is next to ours.

I was so careful.

Took baby steps all the way to the bus stop.

Luckily I had lots of time and could take my time, walking along.

I made it to my appointment and back home safe and sound.

Poor Mr. Alvin did not have a walk last night.

It was so icy and I just could not take a chance of him or me going down.

By the way, my Optometrist said that I have “very healthy eyes and the change was very small.”

I can wear my current glasses and I have sun glass clips for the main ones.

I do have a second pair – which seem to have disappeared.

Have to find them.

I picked out a new pair because I need to spend the money in my insurance.

Otherwise it is gone.

So two appointments checked off the list.

One more on Friday and that is it for 2018.

YAY.

 

I checked my posts from last year and remembered it was about this time when I took a tumble off the City Bus on my way home from work.

A passenger was coming on and I tried to get around her and flew through the air.

Landing face down.

I scratched my glasses, scrapped my hand and my pride.

The sidewalk was dry – no ice.

On December 11th, 2017 – my post said “appears to be another nice day on the way.”

 

The cookie packages and cards (enclosed a photo of me and Alvin) were a big hit with my coworkers.

Just a few more cookie packages to deliver.

 

Well I should go as I have to put on my ice picks as the sidewalk will definitely be icy.

Drive and walk carefully ……

 

Special Hello to: all those folks who are busy with it all at this time of year …. remember to slow down and breathe.  It will get done.

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 7th day of January, 2017.

Well here we are one full week into the New Year.

I hope that you are having a good one thus far.

My year I would say has been okay.

Perhaps not fireworks great.

I would say a couple of disappointing things happened but not life threatening so that is okay.

I always try to see life with the glass half full.

There are moments when I would like to scream and then once that is over I just take a deep breathe.

I am reminded sometimes by the news and sometimes by situations occurring about me that my life is pretty darn good.

I am in good health and although I am not “rich” by any means I have enough abundance in my life that I can always find a way to get through.

There is always a way.

Sometimes one would like for things to become more easy, I would like that.

I read about “Thoughts becoming Things” and I believe it, although it is hard to think abundant thoughts when things happen to the contrary.

So on this Saturday life goes on.

A week into the New Year.

Alvin and I are happy.

I am surrounded by good people.

I am surrounded by lots of friends and a good family.

I have my own house and I am OVER the moon thankful for my home.

I have two new cool pair of glasses (yay).

Alvin and I are in good health.

This morning my daughter and one of my grand-pups are coming for a visit and pancakes.

Grand-pup Aspen has a Doctor appointment this morning.

Checking on her eyes.

My children are good parents.

So time to go and have that shower (do not want to be a stinking Grandma!!).

Then get those pancakes made and COFFEE.

Always have to have coffee on the weekends.

Have a great day.

Be safe and warm.

Happy Saturday.

Special Hello to: All those people who are feeling down – take a deep breathe – find something in your life that is good/great and focus on that – it will get better.  If you cannot get out of the dumps – seek help.

Everyone needs help sometime.

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Friday the 6th day of January, 2016.

Today is the birthday of one of my dear friends back in Regina.

Alvin and I would like to take this opportunity to WISH her an awesome Birthday.

Happy Birthday “L.”

 

On the home front, I picked up my second pair of new glasses last night and I love them.

Now I have two new pairs of glasses that I can alternate.

One of them has custom sunglass clips so that I no longer require to carry around a separate pair of sunglasses.

So much easier.

 

Alvin helped me shovel the deck and driveway last night.

I shovelled the snow from the front by myself.

It was starting to get cold or at least with the wind so the back was enough for Mr. Alvin.

We shovelled our neighbours front and back not obviously not her backyard.

Nice to get some extra exercise.

 

Well for some reason I tossed and turned and was feeling nauseated so did not sleep well.

I feel great this morning but unfortunately I am running a tad late.

How does that happen?

 

Fridays are a great day to show some extra kindness to someone.

Pick up a coffee for someone.

Shovel the walks for a elder neighbour.

Take a friend/neighbour’s dog for a walk.

Have a wonderful Friday and thank you for helping out.

 

Special Hello to: my friend in Regina as she celebrates a birthday today.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day…..

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 3rd day of December, 2014.

Another day closer to Christmas.

I am so excited to do some Christmas baking this Saturday.

The plan is to make sugar cookies, macaroons and fudge.

Those are the main ones and if something else sneaks in there that would be fine as well.

I love to bake.

I am going to try and be a bit fancy decorating the sugar cookies this year.

Will have to figure something out …. no ideas at the moment …. just know that I want to make them different and pretty.

I hope that you have your list made and that you are zipping along with each task on it.

Just take one day at a time.

That is what I try to do.

If you look at the number of days left you might just feel overwhelmed.

Also even if you do happen to run out of time …… Christmas always turns out.

It is more the feelings that you have and are surrounded by than actual physical things.

More than a feeling …….

Well almost time to go to work.

Today I work at the office and then tonight at the store.

I love helping people find just the right gift.

Thanks again for reading my blog.

Have a fantastic day.

Oh, by the way I went to have my eyes checked yesterday afternoon and they are actually better distance wise and a bit less so close up.

No surprise.

I ordered some new specs and sunglasses and then there will be a new me.

It is like dressing up in a costume …. I always feel like a new person when I get new glasses.

The same applies to hair cuts.

Which reminds me …. almost time for me to trim my hair.

Yes, I cut my own hair.

Just basic but it works.

Happy Wednesday.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Special Hello to: anyone with a Birthday this month ….. Happy Birthday …..