2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you this Thursday morning? The sky is partially overcast and the trees line my horizon in all glorious colours of the fall palette. I have to announce in my most loudest happiest voices ever. We went to bed last night at 10:00 p.m. and the next time Mr. Alvin woke up was 5:00 a.m. (I woke up to go to the bathroom at 3:00 a.m. but that does not count). The boy slept through seven hours. We got up at 5:00, he had breakfast and we went out to the backyard to do you know what. The boy did you know what!! Then back to the sofa and the next thing I know it is after 8:30 a.m.. I guess all of this fresh air we have been getting lately is catching up with us! I am so happy that he finally had a good sleep and me, as well. The technicians from Modern PURAIR came out yesterday to clean the furnace and vents. They were awesome. Of course, they fell in love with Alvin. I have photos to share but will have to post them later. We are running late and I need to take Alvin for a walk before I leave the house at 10:00 a.m. My friend Gillian invited me over for a morning coffee. Yes, not working today. I feel relieved to have the vents and furnace cleaned. The filter in their “giant vacuum” was not as dirty as I thought it would have been after not having the process done in over five years. The price was under my budget amount which made me even happier. Now I can go to the Vet and pick up both Alvin’s wet and dry food before payday which is great and some money leftover. There appears to be a bit of a breeze so I will check the temperature before we go – just in case Alvin needs to wear his sweater.

On this day and every day, I wish a wonderful, respectful, kind and loving time for everyone and every creature. If we could only learn to treat all life with the deep respect, kindness and compassion that “they” deserve then our todays and tomorrows would be glorious. There is work to be done of course. We all live on planet Earth together and together it is our responsibility to make it the best place to live and to be that we can. This is all we have. I look to today as I learned from yesterday to make tomorrow the best it can be for myself and for all others.

Lovingly and with hope for better tomorrows, I remain …

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

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Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 9th day of October, 2018.

I almost typed/keyed Monday ….. it is funny how habitual we are ….. first day of the work week for me is almost always Monday.

Mr. Alvin is curled up on his blue blanket on the floor beside me.

It is funny how the little things make you happy, make you feel content.

I feel that all is right with the world when Alvin is content, when he appears to be happy.

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Life is filled with lightness and of dark.

Whether you see the light or feel the darkness.

We all pass the same way.

We are born, we eat and drink, we die.

So why is it that we feel the urge to label everyone.

Does it matter what colour your skin is?

Does it matter if you are woman or man?

Does it matter what your sexual preference is?

Does it matter if you believe in something greater than yourself?

Absolutely not.

We all are born onto this earth and we will all die on this earth.

We have to rethink our in between time on this earth.

So on this Tuesday …. just be a human being.

If you live in Canada, you are still a human being.

If you live in the U.S.A., you are still a human being.

If you live in Mexico, you are still a human being.

If you live in China or Russia, you are still a human being.

Nothing changes.

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Tuesday is grow day ….. learn something new.

Mr. Alvin moved from his blue blanket to sitting under my legs on the little piece of rug under my desk.

He likes to be close to me when I am at home.

 

So on this Tuesday, I hope that you are inspired to be a better human being.

I am.

 

Special Hello to: my friend “V” who inspires me daily.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

 

 

COUNTDOWN: 60 Days to 60

Today is Monday, June 12, 2017 and it is the 59 day until my 60th Birthday.

I guess at some point one may ask these questions:

1.  What does it mean to be 60?
2. How are you supposed to be feeling as you turn 60?

To me it means that I have lived through six decades.

60 years – some good – some great – others less so.

It means that I have lived through major changes in technology.

It also means that even though the years and decades have come and gone – basically the human race has not changed.

We have not evolved past centuries of torturing and killing one another, and the world around us including other life forms.

The one thing that has changed dramatically over my sixty years on this planet is our less than stellar care and protection of this planet, we call Earth, our home.

Greed and Power remain two of man’s largest downfalls.

It is likely not to change anytime soon.

I think what makes me feel so sad, is, I am about to turn sixty years old, and I can clearly see that things have not changed much at all.

Now I am a pretty positive person and I am not about to spend these next fifty-nine days reflecting on things negative.

Just an observation from my vantage point as I near sixty years living on this amazing planet.

It is never too late to change and one person does make a difference.

 

Always, Carol

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 4th day of April, 2017.

Appears to be a good day weather wise.

The snow from yesterday did not last.

Good to have the moisture but it would be nice to have a good rain.

Tomorrow marks the 7th Anniversary of my very FIRST Blog ….. I just could not wait until tomorrow so thought I would share the first one all over again.

Mainly I wanted to see if this blog was going in the original direction or if I changed my focus.

You can be the judge.

Thank you to everyone for their support and comments over the years.

This is my life and I wanted to share some of it with you.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

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Hi Everyone,

I want to share my “world” with you.  Writing has always played a major role in my life in one way, shape or form.  My dream is to be a published writer, a creator of works to share with the world.  This is my beginning.  My New Life @ 51 will start going back almost two years.  It was just after I turned “51” that I decided to retire after near thirty years with the same company, and  move to a new city in a new province.  Lots of surprises and gifts along the way.  Being “50” something is a bit different from “30” something especially in this day and age.

My life has always been near chaos to some degree.  I decided it was time while I was still young enough to make some monumental changes, to just go for it.  Needless to say my decisions caused much speculation amongst my family and friends. Playing a major role in my motivation was having my only child, my daughter living hundreds of miles away.  We only saw each other a couple of times each year.  She moved in August of 2002 to further her education, and this was the summer of 2008.  We missed each other terribly,  and I missed so many birthdays and just days.  Well, it was time to make some changes!

They say that timing is everything but I think you make your own.  Timing that is. Staying positive, and being optimistic are important tools to living your life.  They certainly have helped me during the past year and a half.

I hope that you will enjoy my “BLOG” and that perhaps I can help to inspire you to make changes, and try something new.  It doesn’t matter how big or how small a change is but spreading your wings is a good thing.  Learning something new keeps your brain alive and functioning. Keeps you young.   Also I want to share some of the things that I have learned during my almost “53” years on this good old planet Earth.  Maybe a recipe for my favourite cookies (everyone rants and raves over) or how to entertain a two year old.  Just the stuff of life.

If you follow my adventure on this BLOG, I promise to entertain you, educate and inspire and above all, make you LAUGH. Laughter is so important in our lives, and we should all laugh more often.  Belly laugh…… till your eyes fill with “water” !!

Anyway, here goes …………  🙂

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Special Hello: to all those who have read my blogs and continue to do so, thank you.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 31st day of January, 2017.

Wow, the last day of the month.

I am back …. was down with a “bug” yesterday but am feeling AWESOME today.

Sure was windy yesterday.

Woke up this morning to a nice thick layer of snow.

It was still snowing at 5:00 and at 5:30 when I was out shovelling.

Had to shovel a path for Mr. Alvin ….. so he would go “poop.”

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Today feels like the day to see how I started this BLOG …. my very first blog.

How have things changed …. well that will be tomorrow.

This is written on April 5, 2010 ….. wow.

I managed to write most days since that time.

Which is a huge accomplishment.

Here is how it all began:

 

Hi Everyone,

I want to share my “world” with you.  Writing has always played a major role in my life in one way, shape or form.  My dream is to be a published writer, a creator of works to share with the world.  This is my beginning.  My New Life @ 51 will start going back almost two years.  It was just after I turned “51” that I decided to retire after near thirty years with the same company, and  move to a new city in a new province.  Lots of surprises and gifts along the way.  Being “50” something is a bit different from “30” something especially in this day and age.

My life has always been near chaos to some degree.  I decided it was time while I was still young enough to make some monumental changes, to just go for it.  Needless to say my decisions caused much speculation amongst my family and friends. Playing a major role in my motivation was having my only child, my daughter living hundreds of miles away.  We only saw each other a couple of times each year.  She moved in August of 2002 to further her education, and this was the summer of 2008.  We missed each other terribly,  and I missed so many birthdays and just days.  Well, it was time to make some changes!

They say that timing is everything but I think you make your own.  Timing that is. Staying positive, and being optimistic are important tools to living your life.  They certainly have helped me during the past year and a half.

I hope that you will enjoy my “BLOG” and that perhaps I can help to inspire you to make changes, and try something new.  It doesn’t matter how big or how small a change is but spreading your wings is a good thing.  Learning something new keeps your brain alive and functioning. Keeps you young.   Also I want to share some of the things that I have learned during my almost “53” years on this good old planet Earth.  Maybe a recipe for my favourite cookies (everyone rants and raves over) or how to entertain a two year old.  Just the stuff of life.

If you follow my adventure on this BLOG, I promise to entertain you, educate and inspire and above all, make you LAUGH. Laughter is so important in our lives, and we should all laugh more often.  Belly laugh…… till your eyes fill with “water” !!

Anyway, here goes …………  🙂

 

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Special Hello to: all those folks who took the time out of their busy schedules to read my works.  I am so thankful for your time.

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

 

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 12th day of December, 2015.

Alvin and I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to a fresh blanket of snow covering the deck and ground outside.

Last night when I arrived home from work to find that after snowing almost all day the sidewalks had been CLEANED.

I saw two young boys with shovels standing proudly by my neighbour’s house.

I found out later that they have been going from door to door to see if anyone would like their sidewalks shovelled for wait for it ….. “$3.00.”

Cannot imagine any children these days doing manual labour and only asking for $3.00.

I was duly impressed to say the least.

After chatting about them with my neighbour who invited them to shovel our walks after each snowfall; Mr. Alvin and I came across them on our walk .. they were just down the street.

I thanked them for shovelling and we spoke for a few minutes …. they even wished me a “Merry Christmas.” (first, before I had a chance)

Where did these boys come from?

Surely it could not be from the planet Earth.

I have not seen boys of that age so well mannered in decades.

They have brought back my sense of hope that we have a chance to fix all that is wrong with the world.

Now that might seem like a lot from two young boys that shovelled my sidewalk but I think we are on the right track.

We have hope ….

Hope is always a good thing for the future.

Without hope there is no future.

Now I forgot to ask them what they were going to spend their hard earned dollars on but that is a conversation for the next snowfall.

I will still have shovelling to do ….. the deck …. the driveway out back.

In fact, guess who was shovelling in her p.j.’s early this morning about 5:00 a.m. …… yes, it was ME.

Nothing like throwing on your winter coat and boots and mitts and shovelling at 5:00 a.m. while the Mr. Alvin does his business.

Okay time to get this show on the road.  It is 8:14 a.m.

We were up at 7:30 a.m. and I have gathered the laundry; stripped the bedding to be laundry …. put on fresh sheets and blankets.

Paid some bills on-line and worked out my budget for December and have now almost completed my blog post for today.

Then get dressed and make coffee to be delivered to my neighbour.

She is on her own like me so we do things for each other …. neighbourly ….. right.

The neighbours in the other half of my duplex have been away as his Mother passed away out of town.

Then it will be laundry and stuff while I wait for the call from my daughter.

She will call from her Doctor’s office just when she gets there and then I will don the coat and boots and grab my purse and head on over to the grocery store.

Grab some butter, potatoes and fruit … my daughter will pick me up and then we will stop at the Vet’s for food and toothpaste for Mr. Alvin.

WHEW breathe …..

Then HOME to make JEWELLERY for the afternoon……

and visit with my darling daughter so excited …..

Have an awesome day ……

Special Hello to: my sister ….yes tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 21st day of October, 2015.

Another gorgeous morning …. no rain, which is good.

Only a handful of days left until Halloween.

The house is decorated inside and out.

Bought “treats.”

Likely not the best decision I have ever made …. just have to keep those hands out of the candy bowl ……

Well here we are in the middle of autumn.

Sadly most of the leaves have fallen or were BLOWN off of the trees.

I must say that the ones remaining I am thoroughly enjoying …. love those rich warm colours.

Most people have been taking advantage of this great weather and getting their yards prepared for the next season.

I did mine a few weeks ago now …. only had to rake about 4 times …. but it is good exercise.

Our fall has been so gorgeous ….. some wind and the odd rainy day but overall beautiful.

Walks with Alvin at night … all I can say is that I could just keep on walking.

I want this to last forever.

But sadly I know it will not.

I do worry / think about global warming and hope that governments and citizens will start to be more accountable.

Well here it is almost time to leave for that old bus …. actually most of the buses seem relatively new …. so that is good.

The construction carries on in our surrounding neighbourhood and throughout the city ….. everyone taking advantage of this weather.

Good for business, I guess.

Okay …. enough thinking and time to get this show on the road.

I hope that you have a great day.

Take advantage of this day and go for a walk.

Take your puppy or a friend …. just go outside.

Enjoy.

Special Hello to: all my fellow inhabitants of the planet Earth – let us be better citizens, please.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day……

Good Morning and Welcome to Friday the 2nd day of January, 2015.

Yes, I even remembered it is 2015 at 6:24 this morning.

WOW, so early.

It was so nice to sleep in for a week and now back to reality.

Work both jobs today.

ARGH …. not really …..

It is only because of the time of day.

I prefer a bit later start to the day.

Well it is the New Year.

It was warm yesterday and today starts the dip for the next couple of days.

Also we got about a foot of snow.

So out comes the higher winter boots and my longer warmer coat.

Thank goodness for that earlier purchase.

Well almost time to go and start donning the winter apparel.

It always takes extra time to get that stuff all on.

I hope that you are having a great New Year thus far.

Have a great Friday.

Remember DREAM BIG.

I am ……

Special Hello to: fellow inhabitants of this planet Earth.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day……

Good Morning and Welcome to Friday the 12th day of December, 2014.

Twelve sleeps until Christmas Eve.

WOW …..

We are officially in countdown mode.

I have a couple of things to do and then I am ready for the big day.

Besides cooking of course.

We are experiencing amazing weather here in Edmonton …

Yesterday was plus 8 ….

Everyone is beginning to think we are in the tropics……going without coats and wearing short pants.

Not likely the best idea but I totally understand.

Quite a lot of our snow has subsequently melted and that is good.

Just can be a bit icy when walking especially home from work at night.

I just take baby steps and my time, of course.

I hope that you are in the throes of “kindness” and “generosity” this holiday season.

There is and will always be someone less fortunate than ourselves ….. just the way of the world.

We are so blessed to have abundance all around us …..

A roof over our heads, good food in our bellies and surrounded by love and laughter.

Make sure that you take the time to help someone less fortunate than yourself this holiday season.

You will feel amazing and it is better than any gift you might open on Christmas.

Helping a fellow human being or an animal in need.

Both need our help today and always.

Have a great Friday.

I will be back tomorrow.

Special Hello to: every living being on the planet Earth – on this Friday I wish you comfort and joy.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day….

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 10th day of April, 2014.

How are you this fine morning?

I am doing great.

Alvin even sat on my lap as I wrote in my “gratitude” journal.

He hasn’t done that in awhile.

Was nice.

How did you do yesterday at remaining positive and upbeat?

Did you take a misstep?

I did …. and I apologized.

Was a bit stressed and didn’t take into account that my co-worker might have been too.

Wasn’t serious but I felt bad.

Always learning.

Every word that comes out of your mouth you have to take responsibility.

Every thought that comes into your mind you have to take responsibility.

It would seem that if we all took more responsibility for our words and actions that perhaps the earth would be a much better place to live.

A place we would be proud to leave to the next generations.

A place we would proudly call “Planet Earth, Our Home.”

Just thinking ….. you know ….. on a Thursday morning.

I just want to be a better person.

Not just for others but for me.

If I am that better person then I will give that to others.

They will see that and perhaps it will give them the push they need to be better people.

Just thoughts on a Thursday morning.

It is all you can do and all you should do.

To strive to be better in that moment.

This moment.

To live in the Now ….. not behind or ahead.

Food for thought.

I hope that you are energized and have the most spectacular day.

Thank you for reading.

Special Hello to: my fellow inhabitants of planet Earth …..

Always, Carol and Alvin