It is a NEW YEAR

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday.

Just received a text from my daughter who has asked for a pancake breakfast tomorrow.

And of course, I said “YES.”

We love having pancake breakfasts together.

YAY.

 

It was snowing earlier but appears to have stopped now.

We have enough snow, thank you Mother Nature.

Alvin has his regular vet appointment along with a vaccine and exam this morning.

 

Weekends are usually busy for us.

Between laundry and cleaning and projects.

Things have to get done.

Sometimes I procrastinate which is not a good thing.

It is odd but it is a fact and I own up to that fact.

Anyway, lots to do.

 

Perhaps a take away today is “not to procrastinate” as it always comes back to bite you in the butt at the end.

So not today.

I am getting in there and getting things done.

I can smell the coffee brewed and time to get this day going.

Even though we have been up for awhile now.

Feeling refreshed as I had a shower earlier.

 

I wish you all a great Saturday.

In between all of the “madness” – I mean work, take some time for you.

No one else will ……

Look after yourself and you can look after the world.

 

With Kindness and Respect and Love,

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 22nd day of October, 2018.

Well here we are back and Monday once again.

I guess that is a good thing compared to the alternative.

What a beautiful afternoon we had yesterday.  SO wArM.

I had an interesting and not quite as planned yesterday afternoon.

My friend came over to help/assist me in replacing two of the upper boards on my fence.

Upon further inspection (meaning when he went to pull off the boards) …. he found that some of the vertical boards were rotten.

Part of this comes from the way that the fence was built.

They left a opening at the top where all of the moisture could sit and eventually rot the wood.

SO yay.

Decided that as I did not have the boards to replace them right away that it would be a spring project.

My friend secured the boards that had loosened, the ones that we were going to replace with screws.

So Project #1 for next spring.

Then we set to work, well actually he set to work on making a trap door on the deck to access the dryer vent.

He loosened the board closest to the house so that he could find the exact location of the vent.

Voile located it.

Next step was to saw a couple of boards and ended up making a trap door.

So nifty.

The handle is off to the side behind one of the posts that hold up the pergola.

The handle is made with a screw.

When our friend first turned on the saw …. Alvin started to go to him as he thought he was in danger.

I quickly snagged Mr. Alvin as that would not have been a good scene.

I ended up with a cool trap door.

My friend’s wife ended up coming over and we chatted throughout the door making process.

Also found a few screws on the deck and tightened them.

We chatted about the other side of the fence which is leaning in to my side due in part to the stone/dirt garden wall on the other side and because they did not properly anchor the posts.

Project #2.

Project #3 will be replacing most of the deck closet to the house.

Project #4 will be clear staining the deck (suggested by my friend).

Inside of a couple of hours, I have my spring all lined up with projects.

Will have to work hard at petting sitting, selling Steeped Tea and NORWEX to pay for all of these projects.

But they will have to be done.

No doubt about it.

I am so grateful to have such good, no great friends.

 

After that outside, my friend looked at one of my kitchen chairs as one of the legs has loosened.

He will fix it later.

Then up to the bathroom to fix the drain assembly.

He had an extra assembly in the van (imagine that) but it needed one little part that was not included.

So that will be another day.

 

After they left for home, we left for a walk.

Whew what an afternoon.

Some projects finished but most outlined for the fall.

YIKES.

 

Well it is almost time to leave for work.

It was not easy getting up this morning.

Too much dreaming.

 

Have an awesome day.

So grateful for good friends.

Are you?

 

Special Hello to: my little brother who is setting off on new projects…..happy blogging.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 21st day of October, 2018

Well it is another beautiful morning looking out of the office window.

The sky is a glorious powder blue with that big yellow ball shining ever so brightly.

There appears to be no breeze or wind blowing.

 

I wanted to show you photos of my snapdragons.

The first one was a few weeks ago on September 18, 2018  when I was putting away deck furniture and cleaning out flower pots.

The snapdragons were doing so well that I left them out on the deck.

The second photo was taken on September 22, 2018 after the snow had fallen.

Still holding their own with the weight of the wet snow.

Since that time they have been snowed on, rained on, and made it through freezing temperatures.

 

 

 

The photos below were all taken with the last 30 minutes or so this morning.

Despite the snow and the freezing temperatures they are still green and blooming.

Those mighty little flowers.

 

 

Yesterday I raked the leaves that covered our front lawn.

A couple of weeks ago I raked all of the leaves that had fallen from my tree but since that time and with the wind yesterday our front was covered once again.

So I raked and filled another three garbage bags.

As it was still windy there are now more leaves to rake.

Not as many as before but they have managed to find a resting place on the front lawn.

Oh well, as I told my other neighbour …. raking is good exercise.

 

Food for thought ….. it is the little things in life …. those moments …. like the pure enjoyment of the snapdragons that have survived the elements and are blooming away like it never happened.

That in itself gives me strength.

Gives me the notion that perhaps I can do whatever needs to be done.

Why not?

Right.

 

Well I hope that you have an awesome day.

We were up today in good time.

Lots to do as my friend and neighbour “N” is coming to help me fix the two boards on my fence and to help me make a trap door on the deck to reach the dryer vent.

Now it is only accessible by a door on the side of the deck and crawling underneath.

ARGH.

I am so lucky.

Also going to have my friend show me how to fix the leg on one of my kitchen chairs that has loosened.

So it will be a project day.

Finishing up some laundry before he arrives just after lunch.

 

Happy Sunday.

 

Special Hello to: my sister who I am so proud of and who always makes me laugh.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 16th day of December, 2017.

Yay, it is the weekend.

A busy one ahead but it is the weekend, so looking forward to being at home with me Alvin.

We are puppy sitting “Master Teddy” for the day, today.

We are both excited for that lovely energetic ball of fur.

He so so cute and warms our hearts.

Besides doing laundry and the usual suspects like cleaning the bathrooms, I am working on my Christmas projects for my kids.

Time is running out so I must get them done this weekend.

I will get them done.

Both are started and just require me to FOCUS.

Do you ever have times where you know what you need to do and just cannot seem to settle into the task?

Oh my, do I ever.

Procrastination …… yikes.

Well I suppose we all do.

Sometimes snuggling with Alvin is more appealing than working.

Actually most times but that is okay, I am proud to actually be crafting gifts for each of my kids.

It is fun ….. all it takes is an idea.

Big or small and run with it.

Well Teddy will be here (time seems to be going quickly) just before 9:00 am and already it is after 7:30.

Yikes.

Time to start the laundry, have breakfast, make coffee for me and my neighbour, bring my craft projects back downstairs and we should be ready.

I hope that you all have a great day.

Oh, update on my sprained hand – it is feeling much better.

In between all of the madness that surrounds you at this time of year remember to take some time for YOU.

If you do not do this – no one else will.

Happy Saturday.

Last weekend before Christmas …… no actually we have next weekend or at least part of it.

Breathe, crazy woman, just breathe.

Okay we can do this ….. we can.

Happy Saturday.

Whoops, I said that already.

Well, yes, I did.

That is okay.

Long conversation with myself…..

Time to go.

 

Special Hello to: all my fellow bloggers around the world…..

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 22nd day of October, 2017.

The sun is up and there are dark blue clouds covering most of the sky to the south.

The air is crisp, cool and still.

My bathroom fan and light are on awaiting my presence to enjoy a morning shower.

Alvin is relaxing in the hallway waiting for me as he does not like to be in the office.

Perhaps it is because of the floor (laminate).

He prefers to lay on something soft, I cannot blame him for that.

I captured the cutest photos (on my tablet) of him this morning.

We have already been up a couple of times much earlier than now and settled on the sofa as somehow the thought of staying up at 4:30 or 6:20 on Sunday does not interest me much.

So when it was time to get up, I got off the sofa and he continued to lay on our rectangular pillow.

Oh, so cute.  His head on the pillow and his body sprawled out on the sofa.

He stretched and starred at me.

Grabbing the tablet and took some photos.

The camera would have been easier but it was upstairs and the chances of him remaining on the sofa where pretty much NIL.

I will have to figure out how to get those photos off the tablet and onto the computer.

Previously I have posted them to FB.

I will post them on my blog.

These photos will pretty much guarantee a smile to your face.

Well I hear that shower fan telling me I am ready to move around the wet air, the steam.

Light saying you are using unnecessary electricity, yes, I know.

Anyway have the most awesome day.

I am working on projects for Christmas.

Pretty much all the big jobs were done yesterday so today can be a fun day.

Walk and project day …. fun projects …. making stuff.

 

Happy Sunday.

See you tomorrow.

Enjoy your day.

 

Special Hello to: my Friends and Family all over the world.

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day…..

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 12th day of March, 2015.

Today is the 35th Birthday of my darling daughter …..

Wow, I cannot believe that she is thirty-five, where have the years gone?

It really seems like only yesterday she was in high school and now it has been 17 years since she graduated.

There are so many wonderful things to say about this girl of mine.

She is kind-hearted, kind of shy in a way but not, smart and funny and super talented.

As far back as I can remember she excelled in the arts.

Didn’t matter if it was drawing, painting or taking photos …. she was really good.

I could tell at an early age that she had the “eye.”

She just could visualize ….

After taking some courses through the City of Regina in photography and art classes in High School she entered the Arts Program majoring in film at the University of Regina.

Two years later she decided to take a break and regroup.

All this time she worked at least one job sometimes two.

One day she called me at work to “say that she had figured out what she wanted to do.”

I was elated …. she knew.

She applied to NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) in Edmonton for their photography program.

They only took a handful of applicants from all over the country and the likelihood of her getting in would be tough.

But she put together her portfolio with everything they asked for and was ACCEPTED.

The only student from Saskatchewan accepted that year.

Quite the feat.

During the two year program she took photos of “Buzz the Owl” at the Edmonton Zoo, photos at a cemetery, had friends model …. all for projects.

She even set up a cover for a magazine ….

Over the years she has taken photos of pets, children, families, weddings and nature.

In between we started our own “jewellery line” ….. Dear Stella Jewellery.

Now she takes photos of our jewellery ….

I could write for days of her accomplishments.

Today I found out that an art project she was working on with an artist and others will go to China to be displayed in a museum.

I am so very proud.

She has always been my special girl.

So today on her 35th Birthday I celebrate her life thus far.

Happy Birthday my Darling ……

May the next 35 be just as exciting and incredible as the first.

Special Hello to: my daughter on her 35th Birthday.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day….

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 28th day of December, 2013.

Only three days left in December.

Looks like I can see shovelling in my near future.

My get up and go has got up and gone.

But I will get that shovelling down.

I do have a coffee date.

It was supposed to be at one friend’s house but her hubby is sick so now changed to the other friend’s house.

So I can see coffee on my near horizon.

It seems so quiet without Mr. Alvin at home.

Time to get a new project on the go.

Now that my five month long story is complete.

Perhaps get working on some jewellery.

My daughter has been making things like crazy and me, not so much.

I guess sometimes we lose our “energy” temporarily.

That’s okay.

Well time to go and put on my eyebrows, eat a bit, shovel and then go for coffee.

So have a wonderful day.

Special Hello to: all those people who are out and about getting things done.

SPECIAL SPECIAL HELLO: to my neighbour “S” who has a birthday today.

Always, Carol and Alvin

I guess we all