Good Morning. So glad today is Friday. The sky is blue and the sun is shining. We had some well needed rain yesterday so the grass and trees all had a nice boost. I hope that the areas affected by wildfires were blessed to have this moisture as well. I hope.
Yesterday was a good day. I walked with Eddie and Jeanette after supper. So different without Bruno but he is no longer in pain or suffering even though he was a master of not displaying the appearances that something was wrong otherwise than the physical changes. What a dear guy he was. Handsome and regal and well behaved. He would even say “thank you” for the treats in his way. I shall miss him always. We had a good walk bumping into friends along the way including our friends Jaime & Sadie. They were walking with two other sets of friends. So many pups so lovely. Eddie enjoyed playing fetch with the ball. He even “laid down.” Something he did not do very much before that moment. During our walk Jeanette had to take a long distance conference call between her Father’s Doctor and her brothers. When I say long distance it truly was: Venezuela, U.S. and Canada. How is that for distance? During this time we walked and I looked after Eddie. We played fetch and enjoyed our time together. We were playing fetch by my friend Pauline’s house and I noticed that her windows were open so I texted her in the off chance she was home and not busy. Her husband Al noticed me and waved and a few minutes later Pauline was outside and we were in the backyard. It felt so strange being back there without Mr. Alvin. Eddie walked around and smelled everything and looked around which reminded me of Alvin. Pauline and I quickly caught up with all of our news. They are going on a small fishing trip in June to B.C., how lovely. Our friend Lucy turns 65 in a few days and is leaving for a three month visit to family and friends in China at the end of June. Pauline turns 70 in June as well. Lots going on. We are planning a little party for her and I volunteered to bring the cake and I was thinking to myself that we can celebrate Pauline’s 70th with Lucy’s 65. We will invite another neighbour and friend of theirs (and mine).
Photo time once again. I seem to have a lot of photos to share and that is nice. My dry eye is bothering me once again, the burning and then I am obviously allergic to something as my nose is running. Will have to get my eyedrops, they help right away. I have included some photos of Pauline’s yard and my plants from Costco. Yesterday morning before work I went to the garage and brought them all inside to sit upon the kitchen table hoping they would get some sunshine but we did not have much of that yesterday but today is another story. I will plant them tonight or tomorrow morning before Gillian’s birthday party. A busy weekend ahead. I still need to wrap the birthday gift and write up a card for Gillian. Where did the week go? LOL. I gave a few plants to Jeanette as I know how much she loves them and now she has something to plant right away and enjoy. Just in case they are not able to get to a nursery.
Flowers to plantEddieEddie & JeanetteEddieVisiting with PaulineEddie checking for lightFlowersBeautiful yardMy Flowers From Pauline
Well time to hustle downstairs and put on the coffee. My eye is better now without the relief of eyedrops, yay. I hope that your Friday is awesome. Whatever happens today I feel good things are in the air. Our office group won $10.00 from Wednesday’s lottery draw so just adding a few more zero’s and we will be there. We are excited. Retirement is closer than we think.
Feeling so very blessed and fortunate this Friday morning. To be surrounded by such loving friends and neighbours is so wonderful.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities, coffee and forgiveness.
Always, Carol & Alvin, My Forever Angel
Thank you Bruno for being my friend ……… I hope that you are out for a stroll with my Alvin!
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.
Good Morning ALL! What a beautiful morning. A bit of a cool breeze wafting in through the open office window. The sun is up. I think it will be a warm one. I heard a weird sound coming from the fireplace (gas) earlier – might have been a bird. Maybe was sitting on the chimney and the sound carried.
Yesterday we had two delightful walks, once before work in the morning and the other at 7:50 p.m. last night. One of my friends had popped by for a few minutes (dropping something off) and as she was leaving and we were chatting at the doorway, I realized how nice it was outside. Not too hot so I quickly got Mr. Alvin ready and we went for an evening stroll. For the second time in one day we went to our “happy place” which is my friend Pauline’s backyard. We did not go in but admired from afar.
OKAY, today is a special day. Today we celebrate two special friends birthdays. One friend I have known since high school and the other for about six years. I met Iris while walking with Alvin. Both incredible women. Happy 65th Birthday to my dear friend Carolyn. I had sent her a Birthday text a few minutes ago and as I was sending a birthday message to Iris, a phone call came in from Carolyn. OMG, so exciting. I am not sure why we do not call but we have been texting. I guess texting is the thing not that either of us “do the thing” per say. It was so good to hear her voice. She made my day, my month, my year. Sometimes we forget how great it is to hear someone’s actual voice. Happy Birthday Ladies. Wishing you both the best day and may the days to follow be filled with continued good health, much love and laughter and abundance. May we continue to stop the smell the roses.
This will be short as I am running late, go figure, lol. We have to get in a walk. Might be a bit shorter but we are going to walk.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin
PS: I forgot to tell Carolyn that I have been wearing the jade ring that she gave me since 1976. She brought it back from a trip she had taken. I am so blessed to have such amazing longtime friends.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? We are doing great. Alvin is laying in front of the fan in the hallway as I type this post. We were up for the first time this morning at 5:45, that was fantastic. I suppose we should have stayed up as it was close to the time that during the week I need to be up so that we can do everything we need to do before I start work but alas after I fed Mr. Alvin, took him outside, we laid down on the sofa again. Next thing I woke up and it as 8:00 a.m., I quickly ran upstairs and got changed, filled his water bottle, slipped his harness on, grabbed the leash, poop bags, my sunglass clips, my flip flops and the keys and we were on our way. It was so nice outside a bit of coolness filled the air. The sky is slightly overcast as I type these words and there is a bit of a breeze. I think that today the temperature is to be a bit cooler. So grateful for that. We walked to our friend Pauline’s house, looked at the flowers from the public sidewalk as I could see people coming with dogs. Turning around we headed home. Of course, there was a poop stop before carrying on. We were almost to the poop bag station at the entrance to the park when the lady and her pup caught up to us. She called out that they were waiting for us. Her dog was large but seemed so sweet. Mary and PopTart. Those were their names. We chatted from a bit of a distance as Mary said that PopTart was afraid of smaller dogs. Alvin was busy sniffing and not paying too much attention to her although he did look at her from a distance and was wagging his tail. PopTart was so well behaved. I am always amazed at how many new people I meet. Are there that many moving into this area? She was nice and her pup was nice. We also mentioned about walking early in the morning or later in the evening (if not dark, no mosquitoes) if cools down as too hot for the pups during the day.
Just as I was typing this post, I realized that I had a voicemail message and it was from Pauline, she had called after we left the house to see if we wanted to meet and go for a walk. I texted her back and she suggested maybe this evening. I hope that the temperature allows for us to walk.
I would like to bake a banana loaf however it will depend on the temperatures. Have to check the weather station.
My brother and his husband made it safely to Regina last night to our sister’s house. She has air conditioning so they would have had a good sleep last night.
I can smell the freshly brewed coffee so it is time to end this post. Looks like more clouds are rolling in. Perhaps we will get some rain. I watered my flowers last night as they can barely go more than one day without being watered. We are also getting closer to the end of their season. I will need to bring in my geraniums and canna lily in likely a couple of weeks so will need to repot the geraniums. Guess I will need to look at getting some more flower pots and dirt.
I hope that you have an awesome Sunday. I have to bring up the clothes that are drying in the basement. Perhaps this afternoon, I will go through some of my crafting items as I promised them to a person that picked up a item that I was selling. No point in having things laying around the house that you will not use.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning All! I hope that this finds you well. The trees are swaying in the breeze, the sky is overcast and it is quiet except for the slow drone of the fan in our bedroom and the loud barking of a dog in the neighbourhood. I am not sure why people leave dogs barking for hours! The dog is definitely outside in the elements. I wonder if it is calling for attention or for help. It does not sound like it is in distress and Alvin does not seem to be bothering by his barking. I sure hope that it is okay. We did not go for a walk this morning even though it is quite cool outside. We were up at 2:45 a.m. this morning. After the bathroom break – Mr. Alvin was sniffing about the backyard. Like he was on sort of important mission. Whenever I tried to break him out of the trance he appeared to be in – he growled. As I was holding the phone flashlight and a poop bag just in case, I figured just to let him be. Some twenty minutes later back into the house, wiping wet paws as it had raining during the night and then laying down on the sofa. We were up at 6:00 for someone’s breakfast and outside. Back in the house we came upstairs and laid on the bed until 6:50. Actually I did not keep hitting the snooze button as I was upstairs, which was a good thing. Into the shower and then ready for first day back at work for the week. I am grateful for the cooler temperatures this week. Hopefully for all those places in British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada – get some much needed rain and cooler temperatures.
I had a lovely chat with my sister yesterday afternoon. One sibling left to call. Always great reaching out to them. Catching up.
Today is the day that we have to collect a “urine sample” from Mr. Alvin. Not really looking forward to doing that but could be worse. My daughter is coming over to help with retrieving the sample and then she will drive it to the vet as there is a one hour time limit between time you take it and time it gets to the vet. Hopefully the results are good. Fingers crossed. Not sure about the abdominal ultrasound but likely that will be round the corner.
My one concern is the long drive to my daughter’s next week. I want to go so badly. It has been a long time since I have been anywhere and quite honestly I need a break. Fingers crossed. Doing a lot of that lately. Positive thinking and thoughts. Alvin is not a great traveller at the best of times. I guess time will tell. Likely a good idea to ask the vet about the travelling.
Well almost time to head downstairs for work. I am grateful that the house has cooled off. May not have to take the third fan downstairs or at least not now.
Have a great Tuesday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities, coffee and Alvin.
Always, Carol & Alvin
PS: 7 days or one week till I turn 65. I am hoping that 65 brings continued good health for me and better health for Mr. Alvin. My wish anyway.
Good Morning ALL! I hope this finds you well and having a great morning thus far. We are up and ready for this day. The sky is overcast but it is warm outside which is a plus. Looks like more snow on the way. I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when we did have some wonderful bright sunshine filling blue skies. So pretty. My daughter came for a visit while she was in the neighbourhood at the Dentist so I took a late lunch break so that we had some time together. Alvin was so happy to see her and very pleased when she sat down on his bed and gave him some rubs. It was great to catch up although we both had so much to say but then forgot at times just what we were going to say. Excitement. It was great spending time with her and I am always grateful for all the time we have with her. She is one of the best people I know.
Teddy did not end up coming for a sleepover so that was disappointing but his Mom said that he was clingy and she just felt that he needed to stay home. But she would bring him over for a visit again before they return to the farm. So that will be nice. I totally understood.
Last night I called one of my friends. We had a lovely chat and caught up on all our news. We miss our walks as usually we walk together over the summer, fall and after the sidewalks clear in the spring. Her husband is celebrating his 69th Birthday today. We wish him a wonderful day.
Yesterday I was watching one of my recorded “talk” shows and they gave some great ideas for trying to lessen the impact of the food ever increasing prices.
Buy staples such as: dried beans, lentils, pasta, rice and quinoa and canned goods. If there is a sale stock up. The shelf life is a long time and you do not have to worry about them going bad in two weeks.
Purchase frozen green vegetables in the winter time when they are not in season. Frozen vegetables are picked at the height of goodness and are flash frozen for maximum freshness.
Do not purchase berries in the winter time as they are not in season and are expensive and do not taste anything like summer berries. Instead purchase tropical fruit like bananas, oranges and pineapple. The oranges and pineapple may seem expensive but they go further than berries and last longer.
Cabbage is another vegetable that is usually cost effective and can be added to many dishes. Filled with Vitamin C.
If you are purchasing meat such as chicken, buy it whole. When it is cut up for convenience you pay so much more. A whole chicken depending on family size will do for at least two meals. You can always make soup out of the bones and little pieces and who doesn’t love chicken soup with vegetables, noodles or whatever you like.
Also if you purchase fresh herbs, clean them, chop in small pieces and freeze in small bags or containers and then you will have for later. Most people use them for one recipe and then into the bottom of the fridge they go never to see the light of day again until they are passed their goodness.
Those are my tips for today. I think if we all work together. We can make things just a bit easier. Maybe it is a time to go back. Less time using electricity. Turn off the lights. Do not leave the television on all day (I am turning mine off).
Have a wonderful Tuesday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus and possibilties.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? Alvin and I are doing great. We were in bed last night before 9:30 and I read for a bit, Alvin woke up at 4:00, we went downstairs for the usual and then to sofa until, wait for it ……. wait for it ……. 6:30 a.m. …… Can you believe it? I could not believe the clock. Of course, I did not add the 2:00 a.m. up for me to run to the bathroom. But all in all we had a great sleep. So grateful.
The wind is howling madly. I can see the orange horizon to the east, which is to my left, and darkness to my right. It won’t take long and the sky will clear of the dark. Even as I type these words the sky is becoming more light. So beautiful. I love the contrast between sunrise and night. I noticed that the water outside did not freeze overnight as I can see the puddles rippling with the wind. I guess this will help melt the snow once the sun begins to shine.
Mr. Alvin is making an odd whining sound as he looks to his water dish from his bed. Is he thirsty? Likely. Not sure why he does not just get up. Now he has stopped.
Most of the snow has melted on the deck and it is so dirty (not sure why) and I will be able to shovel the remaining snow from the grassy area so that he can do his business down there. That is Saturday chore.
I am off from work this afternoon as I am taking Mr. Alvin to the Vet for his appointment. Thankfully I can borrow Sonja’s car so we do not have to walk in these conditions.
I guess he wants his water and of course, he needs me to be right beside him.
Okay, back now.
Last night we played with one of his favourite toys. I threw it and he ran like the wind and grabbed it and brought it back to me so that we could play tug of war. So cute. It was funny after we had been playing for several minutes, I decided to grab my phone and take a video. He immediately stopped and then played a bit so I was able to grab a bit of video and it was not until I put down my phone and stopped recording that he was right back into the action. He knows that he does not get 100% attention when I have that thing in my hand. Smart cookie.
Well time to go. I hope that you have a wonderful day. Almost light now.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus and possibilities.
Oh, one more quick story. Yesterday near the end of my work day, I called the client who had sent me the most thoughtful Thank You card to thank her. Well actually I called her earlier and had to leave a message, she called me back and then I returned her call. YIKES. Anyway, we had a lovely chat. She said that her son helped her pick out the card for me. I loved that she thought that I should be getting a raise for all the hard work that I do and that she was grateful to be living in our housing and have affordable rent. She was so sweet. We had the nicest chat and then it was well past my stopping time.
Good Morning ALL! It is a bright and sunny morning and I am ready to get going on this weekend. No wallowing about – no anxiety, I am getting things done. Next big thing is to do laundry and put away things in the basement. You know. But I will get it done, even if it means that I have to put on my winter boots to go downstairs to the basement. Okay, perhaps I am still a bit anxious but until get down there and get things done without any “issues” that will be the case.
As I look out of the office window I see so much snow on the garage and house roofs. I have so much on the back side of the house that I am actually worried about going out back (Alvin) when the weather starts to warm this week and melts and falls off the roof. Will have to be careful. Anyone living in Edmonton or in Western Canada will have to watch as we have had more snow at this calendar date than usual.
Last night I chatted with a friend back home for over 3.5 hours. It was like we were in the same room catching up although I just had her on speaker phone on my iPhone. Not even video chat. I realize that I have to push myself to reach out and call more family and friends more often. Sometimes that is necessary. I realize that time passes so quickly before you know it. Not that one ever deliberately says “I am not calling my best friend or my sister” until it is her birthday or a special occasion. Do not wait for a special occasion. As well get older – time seems to pass at the speed of light. Reach out often and talk to someone you love often. We have no idea how much of life we miss out on by not keeping caught up. Not just big events but small important moments. In this day and age, we have no idea what tomorrow will bring. Not that we ever knew but with the pandemic we definitely have no idea what is going to happen. So make that call. Don’t just text, that is too easy and not as much fun. Believe me, I know. Let’s show each other how much we care, respect and love those dear people in our lives.
Okay time to head downstairs. Laundry to do. But first coffee in my brand new coffee percolator. Alvin is getting restless so better get going.
I wish you a great day. Sunny days ahead.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus and possibilities.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? Great, I hope! Wow, only SIX more sleeps until Christmas EVE 2021. WOW. I am feeling like I missed a day here and there. Six sleeps. One more sleep till little Cookie joins our household for two weeks. We will have the most beings for Christmas ever, I think and it makes me so happy. I mean since I moved to Edmonton. Generally it has been myself, Alvin, my daughter and son-in-law and their two pups. Which is great, please do not get me wrong, I love my family so much and time spent with them is priceless. I do however, like to entertain and it will be great to have some extra people and pups in the house this Christmas.
I thought that I would share some random photos this morning as I need to shower and get this show on the road as this is a huge day – one more trip out to pick up last minute items and something for Alvin, Aspen, Milo and Cookie for Christmas, also laundry, cleaning which includes bathrooms, floors, vacuum, dusting and ensuring that the house is in order for our company’s arrival tomorrow and for next weekend. Lots to do. So one last big clean (although seriously my house is not really dirty, perhaps a bit of dust here and there, lol) to do so that I feel as though we are ready to greet our company whether four-legged or two-legged.
The temperature has warmed up quite a bit which is nice but still not warm enough for Mr. Alvin to go for any length of walk. Perhaps later, I might bundle him up and even if we only go a few doors down the sidewalk – it will be a walk. He misses those walks as do I. They are good for body, mind and soul.
ROSE AKA BETTY WHITEGOLDEN GIRLSKobiTeddy & His MommaKobi checking things out!KobiOur CompanyMy AlvinLove the GreenChristmas cookies for Dr. Karen & teamAlvin & Kobi from another visitTeddyKobi & Alvin
I apologize right straight away for the photos that are not quite in focus, I hadn’t noticed until I was downloading them, I was so excited to see the pups and my friend a couple of nights ago that I wasn’t watching the camera / phone. Just a few photos. I love the Betty White “ROSE” mug that my friend gave me, I love giving treats and we love our friends.
Happy Saturday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding and gratitude.
Always, Carol & Alvlin
P.S. oh, I order pizza from Royal Pizza in our neighbourhood last night as I just figured that I needed to have a treat. Honestly it was still hot when I ate it and was the best one ever. I was wondering if they changed owners or cooks? Anyway, I called Royal Pizza to thank them for the pizza being hot and so good. The person that took my order about one hour earlier was the same one that answered the phone, I truly think he was stunned and shocked. Don’t people ever call when something is extra good and it was genuinely HOT. It was still quite warm when I was removing it from the box to put in the fridge. That is my pizza story. Perhaps it is something to remember that we all need to give thanks to others so that when we do – it does not come as so much of a shock.
Good Morning ALL! I hope that this Tuesday morning finds you well and rested. We had an okay sleep. I had a great Monday, well actually both Alvin and I had a SUPER Monday. Alvin’s BF Teddy and his little sister Kobi arrived in the late morning and left about 3:30 in the afternoon. Honestly, Alvin was so excited, he skipped. I am so happy that we got to see his Teddy and Kobi. They were equally happy to see us and I cannot wait until the next time they can come for a visit. They spend more time at the farm now so our visits are limited. I snapped some photos and videos. When I took my lunch break Alvin and Kobi were on the chaise part of the sofa and Teddy was snuggled on my lap. I would have snapped a photo but my phone was not nearby. The utter joy these little ones bring to our house makes my heart sing. I was so happy for Alvin. As he gets older having his best bud around is so important. I know that he misses him terribly as whenever we walk by their house he runs up the driveway for the steps. It breaks my heart when they are not home. Anyway, yesterday was a good day for us both.
After work I called our friend Pauline to see if she was able to go for a walk but she was having her granddaughter and her boyfriend over for supper and was not able to go. We chatted for a few minutes but my phone kept going in and out. I am not sure why. Dead air/space without Wifi in the house? I do not know. After our chat we went for a walk. The wind was bitterly cold so we walked close to Pauline’s house which is about halfway and then back home. Garbage day today so we meaning me got it ready and put it out. I must say that I love our new bins. Just wish that we had something for recycling other than blue bags. But it is a start. Then we had supper and after supper my sister called. We had a great chat. Lots of laughter. Catching up. We decided that next summer (hopefully we can get together) we will have Christmas in August. Instead of celebrating some birthday we will have Christmas. I will bake their favourite treats and I will put up my small tree. I would decorate the house but my sister said “too much.” So the little tree it is. Funny thing that my phone did not cut in and out this time, was it because I was on the speaker phone? We chatted for almost two hours. I love my sister. She always makes me laugh so hard and brings joy to my heart. She does for me what Teddy does to Alvin.
Well time to head downstairs. I kept putting on the “SNOOZE” button this morning. I noticed that the frost is quite heavy this morning on the cars so definitely a colder morning. Thankfully when we were putting out the garbage last night, I remembered to put away the new garden house and drain it.
Have a wonderful Tuesday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, understanding, love, laughter and gratitude.
My New Life @ 51 