Last Half 2022 – December

Good Morning ALL! How are you on this Thursday? I am well. Receiving great report about my boy. Missing him but glad he is doing well. Still dark as night outside. We are nearing the shortest day of the year.

Are you ready for Christmas? Do you bake? Do you entertain? Do you wrap gifts in paper, bags or something else? What special dishes do you make during the holidays? Are you having a big crowd for Christmas? Do you put up an artificial tree or a real tree?

I am ready for Christmas. Shopping done and most wrapping done except for a few items that have yet to be delivered, Christmas cards mailed and still have a few to hand deliver and that will be on Sunday, house and tree are decorated (I keep fussing with the tree, looking for perfection, lol. Yes, I bake every year. This year I made Sugar Cookies and iced them, Chocolate Fudge and Chocolate Chip Cookies. I will make some Mincemeat Tarts for Christmas, as well. Yes, a bit although this year I am hosting more (which is lovely). My daughter, son-in-law and pups mostly come here for Christmas although I have gone to their home a few times over the year. Sometimes good for a change. I wrap gifts in paper, bags and sometimes use brown paper, Christmas towels, and sometimes put a gift within a gift. I started making this Hot Cheese Dip for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as an appetizer. I like to make some different twists on the traditional Christmas Dinner meal. Like chicken instead of turkey and one year we had tofurkey. Homemade cranberries instead of out of a can. Garlic whipped potatoes instead of just whipped potatoes. This year we are having Chinese Food instead of the usual. My friend Lucy gave me some Chinese Dumplings that she made so I froze them to have at Christmas. Christmas is usually me, Amanda, Steven and the pups, Alvin, Aspen and MiMi. This year we may have a couple of friends. We also leave an open invitation to anyone who does not have a place to go to for Christmas. The thought of someone alone makes me sad. I am having what I call a big crowd this weekend for a Christmas party, the second weekend in a row for parties. YAY, me. I have been putting up an artificial tree as I had a tree lose all of its’ needles. But I used to put up real trees. I love the smell of a real tree.

So there are my answers to my questions. I hope that you have fun thinking about your answers.

Countdown to Christmas: OMG only “9” sleeps until Christmas Eve.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

Last Half 2022 – December

Good Morning ALL! How are you on this Tuesday morning? I am doing well. Perhaps a bit tired as I seemed to toss and turn a bit last night. Went to bed a bit later than usual which seems to be a trend as of late. My friends Pauline and Lucy came over for a visit. Pauline brought some of her Christmas baking treats and Lucy made some Chinese Dumplings. I asked if I could freeze everything and they said yes. I thought Lucy’s Chinese Dumplings would fit into our Christmas Menu perfectly. YAY. We drank teas and they tasted some of my Christmas baking. Laughed, oh how we laughed. So much fun, these two wonderful friends. We exchanged gifts as well. Quite unplanned. I am so blessed to have so many wonderful friends. My friend Lucy is Chinese and last night we were talking about language as she learns something about the English language everyday. We decided that we will help each other. She is going to teach us some Chinese. I cannot wait. Always loved the Chinese language(s) and culture. Will be so much fun. Lucy says when she does go home she finds that her “mouth always hurts” and that is the different way we use our mouth in conversation. We are practicing to say her name properly as her name was changed when she came to Canada to make it easier for everyone. I cannot imagine having to change my name. We had a great visit. Thank you ladies.

Looks like another cold day ahead. Not much good for walking. I believe after today, it will warm for a few days before we head into another deep freeze. Hopefully by Christmas the weather is good for people to travel and for everyone to go outside and get some fresh air and walk. That means me.

I am mentally and physically preparing for the office Christmas party at my house this Saturday. By mentally – just wanting to ensure that I do not forget to do anything. Making sure I have enough seating, food and all of that. We will have a great time. Two out of three Christmas “parties” are already out from under the TREE. One more to go and then of course Christmas.

Countdown to Christmas: 11 sleeps till Christmas Eve.

Time to head downstairs. I have to grab something to take for my late coffee break snack as I only eat once before supper. I have leftovers for tonight so that is good. I should likely go and check the mailbox and deliver the last handful of cards tonight.

Have a wonderful day!

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. one of the gifts that I received from Pauline was the card game that we played at the “fish fry.” I cannot wait to play it with the kids. To the office, I go today.

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 27th day of May, 2017.

It is a glorious morning here in Edmonton with the sunny shining full blast and a breeze to keep it all in check.

The birds are singing.

There were an assortment of birds landing and taking off from our deck this morning.

Alvin wanted to catch the magpie.

But I invited him back into the house.

Birds are free to fly …..

Alvin not so much.

 

Excitement ….. we are hosting a Birthday Party for one of my friends who happens to live in the neighbourhood.

I do love a good party.

Nothing better than friends, coffee and CAKE.

Great way to begin a weekend.

After the party Alvin and I will check in with our friends and perhaps take a walk followed by the ZOO.

I am excited to go with my daughter to the ZOO this evening for our OFFICE PARTY.

Two events in one day ……

BUSY and I LOVE IT.

So excited to spend the day with my dear girl friends and my daughter.

Alvin will be happy to have so many girls around …..

 

Well 35 minutes to party time.

Just have to remove the p.j.’s and get some actual clothes on …..

Sipping on coffee ….. putting clothes away from the laundry that I did last night.

The cake was baked last night and I just iced it a few minutes ago.

Decorated last night.

Wrapped the gift and wrote up a card last night.

House clean.

I think we are almost ready except to put on a fresh pot of coffee.

I could not wait till 10:00 a.m. …. so I made a pot earlier for another neighbour and I to share.

She lives next door ….. we share a pot of coffee on the weekends.

 

Beautiful weather …. I am so giddy with excitement for the most PERFECT DAY.

I hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing that you are surrounded by loving, kind and generous of heart people.

I am so blessed.

SO blessed.

 

Have an awesome Saturday.

Back tomorrow with photos of the ZOO ….. so excited …… I hear that they have paddle boats so hoping to try that out.

 

Special Hello to:  YOU, my friend ….. you rock.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 25th day of October, 2015.

We had the first hard frost last night and it certainly cleared the sky which is a brilliant blue this morning.

The sun is shining so bright.

I just downloaded some photos and I thought I would share them with you.

Our life in photos from late summer and now in fall.

In no apparent order ….. sometimes life is all in the photos.

I hope that you enjoy seeing our life in photos.

We have had an awesome past couple of months.

Flowers blooming, my dear friend from Regina visited, then my cousin from Saskatoon dropped by, Elton and Penny came for some visits, Autumn happened and our yard changed, oh and Steven my son-in-law had a birthday, decorated for Halloween, had a few Steeped Tea parties and life.  Have an awesome Sunday.

Flowers still blooming late in the season

Elton, ssh he’s sleeping

Miss Penny

My friend visiting … trying on earrings

Getting ready for a tea party …. A Steeped Tea ParTEA

My flowers …. so proud

More flowers

Cupcakes from Steven’s Birthday in September.

Mr. Alvin’s Haircut – Oct 24th … with thanks to my friend “C” who has great timing …

Shadow looks like a candle

Guarding our house

Love the colour of our tree

Our big pumpkin

Decorations for Halloween

 

 

Special Hello to my family and friends everywhere.

Always, Carol and Alvin