The Next Chapter

Good Morning! Happy 40th Wedding Anniversary to my good friends Val & Howard. Wishing you many more happy, healthy years ahead.

Another morning with skies filled with smoke. No wind. Seems to be even more thick than yesterday. I will have to check to see how far away the wildfires are from the City of Edmonton. We have a forest area to the west of the City – not too far from my neighbourhood. The only break is the road before houses begin. I hope that today is the day that the Province of Alberta receives some much needed rain. I would be happy if we had a good soaking rain that last for two weeks. Just nice steady rain. One that would soak into the ground. Not sure about the two week time period but definitely several days. The ground is so dry. Yesterday my friend G came for a visit and told me that her sister and family are on Evacuation Alert which means be prepared to evacuate if situation worsens. If situation worsens an Evacuation Order will be issued and that means Evacuate now, situation is dangerous. People are gathering pets, important documents and having a place to escape to, ready on a moment’s notice. I pray for rain and that no more loss of life.

Photo day.

Below are the yellow Begonia plant and Lavender plants that I purchased on Thursday night. In the fridge is part of my diet plan for the next few days while my mouth heals from the multiple extractions. I am grateful that I at least love applesauce, yogurt and jello and pudding. Eggs are on the list but honestly lately they do not seem to be agreeing with me. So they will not be an everyday food. I can also have soup and that is in the pantry and potatoes on the counter. Love potatoes. Baked and then mashed with butter. Prepared I am. The red and pink flowers are from some of the many plants that I have and they are called Kalanchoe. I did some reading up on them and they can go outside so I might move some of them outdoors, maybe. After speaking with G and Amanda yesterday, I am thinking that perhaps this is not the year to have a deck, porch and flower beds full of flowers. Water is precious and with all the smoke there will not be much sunlight for growth. I have perennials in my back flower bed which are starting to come back to life and although I thought that I had pulled the plants in the front flower bed, they are about six inches tall now. I am grateful that they grew despite my efforts. The bottom three photos are my grand-pups who spent a few hours with me yesterday while their parents went to visit a friend and to meet her boyfriend. These days, I do not think it is a good idea to leave your pets at home while you are away if you live in the countryside, in any area close to wildfires. I will gladly have them here anytime. They depend on us to keep them safe! You can see the smoke in the last photo of the pups looking out the window.

Yellow Begonia & Lavender

Soft Food Stores

Orange Jello

Eggs

Kalanchoe Plant

Kalanchoe Plant

Miss Aspen

Master Mi-Mi (Milo)

Watching out the window

Hopefully the smoke will dissipate today and the sun will shine. I hear people working outside and honestly breathing in that air is not good for you. If you have to be outside, then be prepared. I could even smell smoke in the basement when I was doing laundry yesterday.

Time to hit the shower and freshen up before going downstairs. Up a bit later this morning. For some reason I could not go to sleep last night. Oh, I broke down and had some coffee. Waited till it was only warm and then had some. When I went over the sheets that the Dental Office gave me and went over in my head the instructions from the Dental Assistant there was no mention of coffee, only smoking and not drinking anything hot. So I am okay, I think. A wise woman who has undergone multiple dental surgeries told me that she had not heard “no coffee” and that all drinks had to be cool-warm not hot. I will not drink too much but I so missed the smell of coffee perking. I am going to transplant the Lavender and Begonias into bigger pots and I have some of the Kalanchoe Plants that need larger pots so will move them as well. I have a few things on my to do list for this day. Time to hit the shower.

Happy Sunday All – be safe and be well.

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

The Next Chapter

Good Morning! The sky is blue and the sun is shining. I got up early for a day off and had a shower already. Last night after work I struggled to change out the new oven element for the new one. The first parts were easy of course, unplug from the electrical receptacle (of course), remove the oven racks and set side, undo the two screens that hold the element in place, done. BUT then it came to remove the element from the wire connectors. Nope they would not budge. I must have watched 20 videos and some of them twice and in all of them, the moderator easily pulled/disconnected the wires. There were some texts to friends and to my daughter. Not for me an easy task, I did not want to pull too hard on the wire connectors and wreck them. I was able to finally to get in touch with my neighbour who came over right away. Steven said that they were really tight (so I did not feel so helpless ). I then found out that I had the wrong replacement element. The one that my daughter had picked up had different way of connecting the wires. So this morning we are off to Home Depot to hopefully exchange. I have the receipt on my phone. Hopefully they can do a straight exchange and I am glad that I did not throw away the bit of light cardboard that was wrapped around part of the element with the brand name and instructions. No one’s fault, I had no idea it was different. My oven story. So instead of something that took supposedly a few minutes ended up being almost two hours ( I had to stop in between and have supper, lucky for me I had leftovers to be warmed in the microwave). My ride just said morning and I know they are early risers so I wanted to make sure that I was up early – just in case he calls and said “ready to go.” I should have asked the time but in all the shambles of the situation, I simply forgot. Oh well, definitely not the end of the world. I could likely do without the use of the oven for awhile but I like to bake or roast things more than anything. I did realize that my oven needed to be cleaned. Not my favourite job that is for sure. I spent part of the evening cleaning the oven and stove. I had to be careful because the wire connectors are exposed and I did not wish to get them covered in anything (the stove remains unplugged). Certainly a lot easier to clean without the element in place. I am so grateful to have such great neighbours. I wish that I was better at fixing things and technology. Cookie baking I got.

The Easter bags with my coworkers were a hit. Our Manager hid some chocolate eggs for us to find. Mostly around our desks. It was a nice early morning distraction from the coming day. Remember I do love the commute.

Well I have lots to do this weekend. This morning an unplanned trip to Home Depot. Then finish with the stove and then start washing walls and baseboards and light fixtures etc. I will start with the upstairs. Big job on my list is the office closet. It needs an overhauling. Also time to redo my wall size bulletin boards. Rearrange and put up some new things ….. cards for Alvin ……. Perhaps one of the boards will be for me and one in memory of him, of me “Alvin.” I sure miss him. Feels quiet and lonely in the house by myself. He is looking out of the bedroom window with his favourite Teddy Bear & Gnome by his side wrapped in his blue blanket. Life is always changing.

I look forward to coffee this morning. Wishing you a wonderful Good Friday and Happy Easter Weekend. Be safe, be well and have fun. Remember to laugh, to smile. Sometimes we forget in all of the stuff we call “life.”

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)

P.S. I hope that the Easter Bunny does not forget me this year. Not sure when the cut off is for home delivery, lol.

A New YEAR 2023

Happy New Year. Well it was an interesting end to the year for me, how was it for you? Did you go out and celebrate with friend(s) or family or both? Did you stay at home? Order in food or cook something special? Watch a movie and New Year’s Eve program? Well on December 31st, I received a phone call late in the morning from one of my friends asking me if I wanted to go for a walk. My friend Lucy. She is a neighbour of another friend Pauline. When she asked I thought she meant in the neighbour and with Alvin but she had other ideas. We finally got it sorted out and what she was really asking was if I wanted to walk near the River Valley. There is an access point less than a 10 minute drive from my house. I had never been there and had no idea what to expect. But I figured, I should get out and let her know that I would take Alvin out first and then I could be ready for 2:00 p.m., if that was okay with her. A plan was set. I went over in my head a list of items that I should wear for my 1-2 hour walk. Winter boots of course, winter coat, scarf, lighter gloves and pair of mitts and a hat. I normally do not wear a hat but this time, I figured that I would wear one and it worked out well. In hindsight, the only item that I could have used was my ice picks for my boots. The trail was not icy but it might have given me a bit more traction climbing up the slopes/hills. Back to the beginning. Lucy picked me up just before 2:00 p.m. and I said goodbye to Mr. Alvin. He had been outside for a pee and had water so he was good for a few hours. I also put up a baby gate to upstairs. The thought of him slipping when I was not at home, was not one that I wanted. We chatted during the course of the drive. Then we were there. Two cars were parked at the entrance so we pulled in behind. Next thing I know we were walking downhill taking in the most exquisite sites of nature. The trees were covered in frost and as the sun was shining but not too brightly they appeared to be almost grey. Such a beautiful sight. We both stopped to take some photos. We did a couple of selfies along the way. There was a bridge along the way over the river, the North Saskatchewan River, I believe. The trees were so thick and with the water being frozen over; it was not easy to see the “actual water” but we could see the bottom. We were walking up and down and down and up and then came the greatest incline and I could feel the breath being sucked out of me. Definitely not in great shape. I can walk on a flat surface for a long time but when you add an incline, man, I could feel it. But I did it and was very proud. Once we came out on the other side, Lucy asked if I would like to keep walking and take in the neighbourhood which was filled with huge brand new homes and some even being in the midst of construction, so we continued. Some of the sidewalks were shovelled and others were not. We both were in awe of Mother Nature. Decorative grasses were heavy with frost and looking more beautiful than during the summertime. The branches of trees were heavy with the frost and in some places, the frost was so heavy on the small branches that the slightest of breezes was making it snow. The air was warm for this time of year. I believe it was about minus 9 celsius which is perfect for walking. When we came to the end – we turned around and went back. There is something about going home that makes it much easier than going. The incline did not seem so high. We stopped along the way out taking photos and admiring Mother Nature’s achievements. I am so grateful to Lucy for calling. She had wanted to take one last walk at the River Valley for 2022. Then I was home. We said our goodbyes and she was on her way. Lucy will be at work and already working for a hour and a bit. Alvin was happy to have me back home.

I let Alvin outside for a pee and then we snuggled for a bit before time to think about supper. I think it was about 3:45 when I arrived home. Suppertime arrived and I feed Mr. Alvin and then prepared my supper. After deciding on roasted vegetables, I prepared them and popped them into the oven. During the time supper was cooking, I decided to see if I would be able to transfer the information/data from my old computer to this one. Well I was able to do so but was sad to find out that my new computer does not have enough memory to hold my 45,000 + photos. They are on the cloud and on another online data storage facility but I no longer have access to them at my fingertips. I will have to figure something out. Clearly I need to go through them and weed out the poor shots and the duplicates. I know that for a time some of the photos were duplicated when uploaded/downloaded whichever it is called. Anyway, I was able to set up the new computer all by myself. In between, I went downstairs and checked on dinner.

I am having company for coffee at 10:00 a.m. and it is almost 9:00 so I need to sign off as the shower is calling me.

The sky is painted pretty oranges and pinks this morning. Oh, we did not stay up until midnight last night. I was too tired. I watched Guardians of the Galaxy before heading to bed about 9:30 and sent off a few texts to family and friends wishing them a Happy New Year. Of course, after I was tucked away in bed, I remembered a few more that I forgot but I just could not drag my body up to send another text. Today I will send messages with wishes for a Happy New Year. Also, if someone calls you out of the blue and wants to do something that is a bit out of your wheelhouse, say “yes.”

I did try to see if I was able to “air drop” my photos from yesterday’s adventure onto this new computer but Miss Siri was not too helpful. I will try again later.

Happy New Year. All the Best for 2023. This year is going to be the best one yet.

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

Happy New Year with Love Carol & Alvin

Last Half 2022 – November

Good Morning ALL! Welcome to WINTER. We are down over ankle deep in snow. Alvin and I were up to stay at 5:15 this morning. After he had his breakfast, I donned my WINTER BOOTS and coat grabbed the keys to unlock the garage and outside we went with first stop to get the snow shovels out of the garage. There is nothing like shovelling snow first thing in the morning. Poor Alvin wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to go down into the grass to do his business but the snow. Actually we were outside at 3:30 and he peed in the snow which was covering the deck by several inches. He kept wanting to go down onto the grass area but did not. I moved some of the snow out of the way so that he was able to jump off the deck and go poop. Oh my Alvin. Honestly, it looks like we are well into December already with the amount of snow that has fallen. The snow is still falling and I think the weather forecast was for continued snow all day today. Oh yay. More shovelling. Anyway, I got the first round done for now. I will be able to find my way safely down the steps and to the car when it is time to go to work. That first drive to work in the snow is always fun. The snow is wet and when I removed it from the sidewalk, it was wet and “crusty” underneath, so may be icy later on.

Last night after work, we went for a walk and it was quite nice out but it was short lived. We managed to get a few houses away from ours when Mr. Alvin stopped and sniffed and then headed for home. There was no coaxing him. We just got inside the door and it started to rain/snow. I wonder if he could smell or sense that it was coming and wanted to get inside? Perhaps. Although he will walk around the grassy area in the rain or in the snow for several minutes before wanting to go into the house. That is my Alvin. I never quite know what to expect from him.

I am kind of wishing that I would have made some coffee to have before leaving for work but too late now. It was a busy first hour after getting up as I managed to feed and look after Alvin, shovel the deck and grassy area of the backyard, the front sidewalk including Sonja’s and have a shower. Feeling accomplished. Good way to start the day.

I hope that you have a safe and wonderful day.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: at least it is warm out.

Last Half 2022 – October

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? We are okay! How are you really? Did you wake up on the good side or the other side of the bed this morning? I will be very honest and tell you that I woke up somewhere in between. Alvin was restless and woke me up at 1:30 but I coaxed him to go back to sleep. Then we were up about 4:45 which was okay. So I gave him his glucosamine chew followed by his breakfast. Then outside and then to the sofa where I reset the alarm to 6:45, that is where I went wrong. We should have stayed up but I just could not. I have to get my poop in a group as for the rest of the week I have to work from the office. So getting up extra early is not an option. I had a shower this morning so at least I am good for a couple of days. But still. Even though I do most of the prep work before bed, everything still takes time in the morning. Plus Alvin likes to dilly dally – like this morning. Outside at 6:45, he was sniffing at the fence (there was no one there) and just walk around and we did not have time. I raised my voice and I feel like crap now. I hope he knows that I love him and just did not have patience this morning but it was not his fault. I so wished that I could retire, I am not an early morning person and as I get older, it is getting more difficult to get mobile. Not that I am not able – just do not have the mindset to do so. Sorry for this negative stuff this morning. But it is the truth. I am sure that I am not alone. I just wish that they could have left me to work from home until I am able to retire. What would it have hurt? Okay that is enough of wa-wa-wa for this day.

I just had to get things off my shoulders. The sun is beginning to rise. It is 7:38 so I need to get this show on the road. The air was somewhere in between warm and cool this morning. The grass was wet with dew. What a lovely October we are having thus far. I am excited to have another long weekend.

So I have some things to work out. The only thing no matter what time I go to bed and set the alarm for, the one factor that I can not count on to be consistent is Mr. Alvin. Sometimes he wakes up at midnight, other times at 1:00 or 2:00 or sometimes he may sleep through until 4-5 a.m. That is definitely the hard part. Now I know that I sometimes get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom but I can do that with my eyes closed (no lights even come on) but when he needs to go – we need to go outside and that requires sweater or jacket and shoes and flashlight. I need to be fully awake when this happens. I am fully awake when we go outside.

Oh well, what can you do. I can apologize to Mr. Alvin. I am off work this afternoon as Mr. Alvin has a vet appointment.

I am glad that we are able to walk to the appointment. Never know how many of them that will be. Between weather and Mr. Alvin.

I hope that you have an awesome day.

I managed to get a few more bags of apples chopped and frozen while waiting for my supper to cook last night.

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

I am very grateful that both Mr. Alvin and I are in good health.

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: loving the colours of autumn. I wonder when the time will change, our clocks go back one hour……… argh.

Last Half 2022 – September

Good Morning ALL! The sun is up and shining brightly, I fogged up my glasses when we were outside just a few minutes ago. The air is crisp and definitely sweater weather at this moment. I am grateful for the reprieve from the hot temperatures. The sky is blue with wisps of white long clouds here and there. It has been since before ten p.m. last night that both Alvin and I had anything to eat or drink. I feel so badly for Mr. Alvin but he has been a real trouper and has not really fussed as yet. Even when I laid back down when typically we would be getting up for him to have his breakfast, he did not fuss and laid down beside me. I will not eat or drink around him. I usually do not eat until after 10:00 a.m., so my tummy is not rumbling. He is likely wondering what is going on. Also, I opted not to take him for a walk as he usually gets thirsty and drinks water and he is not allowed to eat or to drink before his ultrasound. Last night about 12:30 were up and outside. He had to poop. No surprise. Oh, the “Pooping Tales of Mr. Alvin.” So it was back to being very loose and lots of it. OMG. I managed to collect it all so that neither of us would step in it at a later time. It is difficult holding a phone and a poop bag at the same time, lol. Really not funny, but yet it is. Isn’t life wonderful?

Alvin has his ultrasound appointment today. He is to be at the vet clinic for 10:00 a.m. We will be walking over there and will leave the house at 9:40 a.m. Thankfully it won’t be too hot to walk. Our friend Gillian offered us a ride should the need arise but I think we should walk. Normally he would not drink water on the way to the vet and it is not hot out, so we should be good. I have been tossing around whether or not to take his blue blanket and I think that I will. Does not hurt to have something from home for the little guy. I always feel badly leaving him as he suffers from anxiety. He knows the Dr. and her staff very well as we are there a lot but still not home and not with his Momma. Afterwards I will come home and drown my sorrows in a mug of coffee. Then I have some housework to do while I wait for the phone call to come and pick him up. It will likely be later this morning or early afternoon. It all depends when the Ultrasound Technician arrives at the clinic and they do the procedure. He will want to come home as soon as he is able for sure. Other times when he was sedated as soon as he woke up, he was looking around for me and crying to come home. Typically they keep them for a few hours while the anesthesia wears off but not him. Depending on how sedated he is, I am ask Gillian for a ride home.

Well time to head into the shower. I wanted to stay in bed as long as possible to keep his mind from food and water. I guess me having a shower does not help but I need to have one. I am not sure if he would be thinking of that or not. What does a dog think about other than food? Squirrels, cats and birds! Sniffing grass! Alvin thinks about me. I am pretty sure about that.

I hope that you have a great Tuesday. Today and tomorrow and I am at the office for Thursday. I am grateful that Sonia, next door is home and can watch over the boy.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. the trees are sparkling in the morning sunshine. Oh so pretty.

Last Half 2022 – July

Good Morning ALL! We had a good sleep last night. Up at 4:30 with a pee break for a little four legged someone. Followed by up at 6:00 for his breakfast and then up to stay up at 8:00. We were out of the house for a quick walk by 8:14 and much to my surprise we got three doors down and he stopped. He was walking very slowly as it was sniffing and such. I said do you want to go home and he turned around and headed back home. Now that was the quickest walk in history. I am very hot as I am writing this upstairs in my office with no fan as it is downstairs. After the “no go walk” we watered the flowers and then I have Mr. Alvin a haircut and bath followed by a shower for me.

I am afraid this will be very short but I wanted to share the results of Alvin’s bloodwork from yesterday’s appointment to the vet. We had our appointment at 10:00, we waited until after 10:30 before we could see her. Alvin had his nails trimmed as I found one of his dew claws was long considering they were just trimmed not even two weeks ago. Then the bloodwork. We were home by just after 11:00. It wasn’t until after 4:30 that the vet called with the news. Alvin has kidney and liver disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Not we are not counting him out of the game just yet. The bloodwork was not conclusive with the stage and I am going to think it is the beginning and would be considered low grade. So with diet and supplements he would/could live several more happy comfortable years. I am keeping those thoughts in my heart and in my mind.

I am feeling so hot and feels like I did not even have a shower. So I must go. Alvin will be feeling even more hot. Thankfully he is still wet from his bath as I did not completely dry him. In a little bit after I clean up downstairs, I will head out to the grocery store for a few things and then I am done for the day.

The last two weeks or so have been a series of ups and downs. I appreciate the support of our family and friends. This is life.

Have a wonderful day. I will be here tomorrow.

Hopefully earlier or with a fan. I already took it downstairs so the fans were all going when he had his haircut.

Coffee time.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: 10 sleeps until 65. Oh, I forgot he has to go for more testing. Next step is a urine test. So we know where there is going. Yup, I have to score a pee sample from a dog. Now that should be interesting. The sample has to be to the vet within one hour. No problem, lol. Then likely an abdominal ultrasound.

Last Half 2022

Good Morning ALL! What a gorgeous morning. Bright sun shining and mostly blue sky. There are a few deep blue clouds but for now the sun is shining and that is what matters. I of course, am running late as I cannot seem to stop clicking on that darn “snooze button,” why oh why!

Today is the birthday of a friend (co-worker). Wishing you a great day Miss Suzette. She took a few days off for her birthday week. Another huge birthday – Happy 4th of July 2022 to our neighbours to the south and to my friends and cousins who live in the United States. Wishing all a wonderful, safe and fun day.

We had a great Sunday. I veered in a total different direction from my original plans for the day. WE were up in good time. I thought that we should go for a walk while it was still morning so we did. We walked right over to our friend Pauline’s house. The garden did not require any watering between my Friday watering and the rain on Saturday. I let Mr. Alvin off his leash so he could wander around unfettered. We both just enjoyed the sunshine and the beautiful garden, my secret garden, of sorts. Of my favourites, the roses. She has multiple bushes and one of them is right near the house, so it looks like it is running up the house. The bush was just filled with incredible pink blooms. The fragrance is another story. I do not know how long we sat in the garden as I did not wear a watch and that is the best kind of time, not paying attention to the minutes, living in the moment. I gave Alvin a few drinks of water while we hung out in the garden.

I, noticed when we were walking through the entrance to the park that there appeared to be a pink rose bush growing out of a white one??? So I investigated to find that someone had picked a bunch of pink roses and set them on the white rose bush. So on our way home, I picked them up and took them home so that they could be appreciated and not wasted. I was able to take most of them and have a beautiful rose bowl which is filling up the main floor with that incredible fragrance.

Yesterday I finished some laundry and decided that I should go through the odds and ends of jewelry that we have accumulated for our Dear Stella Jewelry business but not jewelry that we made. When my daughter and I had our business, technically we still do. Anyway, on a couple of trips and from around Edmonton, we came across some unique pieces so we kept them thinking that perhaps we would reuse them and never did. So I had this container filled with jewelry of all sorts. I spent several hours going through and had the realization that I have some very cool pieces. So at some point when I am ready, I will gather together and have a sale.

I also decided to make some changes with pictures and managed to get two of them moved and asked Sonja to help with the others and she also changed some light bulbs for me. I have the best neighbours.

Well it is getting very close to work start time, so have to go. Plug in the coffee pot as I always enjoy that first cup of coffee.

Have an awesome Monday – go outside.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: today is 36 days until my 65th birthday. WOW.

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! I hope this finds you doing very well. We are doing well. Another successful night with our visitor. He is a much better sleeper than Mr. Alvin. The boys are patiently waiting for me to finish as I just had a shower and had them contained in the bedroom and now they are waiting near or in the office while I write this post. Georgie is at this very moment sitting on my lap. He is definitely a lap dog. So cute. I downloaded some photos so I will share them with you all. Looks like another beautiful day ahead. We had two walks yesterday in between laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, garage cleaning (yes I did it, almost done) and cleaning out of some kitchen drawers. A good day all in all. Today, in just less than two hours two of our friends and neighbours will be coming for a coffee visit. Oh, how I love these times. So nice to chat with them and catch up. I am so grateful to have friends of all ages. Poor Georgie was to rest on my arm but not while I am typing.

Georgie a mass of curls

Georgie

Alvin and Georgie

Georgie bed

Boys in bed

Supposed to be panorama

I apologize as there are some photos that I was not intending on posting but alas they are there and I cannot find a way of removing them. You used to be able to click on and delete the photo but not any longer.

Time to go and prepare for company.

Happy Sunday.

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

Always, Carol, Alvin and Georgie.

P.S. 58 days until my 65th birthday.

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning! Happy Saturday. Welcome to our never ending SAGA. The house of almost no sleep. That is how I feel at this moment. I had planned to get up earlier but when you are up and up from 1:30 onward getting up and staying up at 7:00 does not look much like a plan. Poor Mr. Alvin is not having a good time of it all. We cannot walk until at least Monday. Whenever he is outside in the backyard he has to wear something on his feet. The only thing that I could come up with is, some of my socks. I found some that had good elastic in the top so that they would not slide off right away. Every time he goes outside I have to go with him no matter the time of day or night. Usually the socks slip down and I am walking behind him hiking them up. At first he was unhappy about the socks but now he is okay. We only started this yesterday morning after I call his Doctor. I spoke with one of the staff and was told he needs to wear something on his front paws to keep them clean so that they can heal. Makes sense to me. I had been between the time we came home on Thursday afternoon and until Friday morning washing and drying them off each time he went outside. This is a bit easier. Both Alvin and I are tired. I am grateful though that his paws will heal soon. So no hair cut or bath this long weekend. That will have to wait until next weekend. I will depending on the weather plant my flowers perhaps on Monday.

We were so happy to have our girl stop by on her way home for a visit. I made us coffee and we had a good visit. So much conversation and catching up. Seems like lots happening. I asked her to hold up Alvin so that I could more clearly see where to place the salve but it was difficult with Mr. Squirmy Pants. But I have a better idea. At the Vet they showed me but somehow I needed to see again at home. Everything is different at home, right?

So busy weekend. I want to wash down the deck, pull out all of my flower pots to plan what will go where, pull out the last bit of the two shrubs from the back flower bed, clean out said flower bed, put in a pile all those items to go to the ECO Station, clean out the office closet, go through Christmas stuff in the basement and the big cupboard with craft supplies etc. which is in the family room. We may have one of my daughter and son-in-law’s friends come to stay with us for a little while while she finds a place on this side of the city. So I need to get prepared. Even if she decides not to, I need to go through things and get ready for the June garage sale. Lots to do. Hopefully the weather will hold. There was frost on the ground this morning. I need to trim the grass in the backyard as it is long. Time to charge the battery pack for the grass trimmer. Sometimes I use it instead of my push lawn mower. Easy peasy.

So as per always plans change. But that is okay, my whole life has been a series of changes. I am sure that most people feel this way. I am accustomed to change but that doesn’t mean that I like things changing constantly. But that is life.

I am so grateful for the bright blue sky and the sun shining this morning.

I am so grateful for the visit with my daughter yesterday after work.

I am so grateful that I live, that we live in our own house.

I am grateful that Alvin will heal and be his old self once again.

I am grateful for summer days and summer nights.

I am grateful for each birthday.

I am grateful for each day on this earth.

Thank you for reading my posts. My life is not exactly exciting but there is always something happening.

Usually a work a round whether in my personal or work life.

I will be happy to see my flowers in pots and smiling at me on the deck and in the gardens.

The leaves are green and the lawns are getting there as well.

The bunnies are brown.

Time to go and have a refreshing shower and then put the coffee on before starting the laundry.

I need to make a list of things to sell, things that need to be done and the timelines.

Oddly enough, I do like making lists. So that will be fun.

Happy Saturday.

Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus and possibilities. There are always possibilities. You just have to keep your eyes open.

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. I need to post some photos. You need to see Mr. Alvin sporting socks. Instant smiles.