Good Morning! There be a “pup” in the house. Cookie has arrived. She came after my shopping trip last night. This will likely be a short post. She is all over the place and I must keep an eye on her. She is sniffing and checking things out. I think she still misses Alvin.
Poor Cookie spent most of last night jumping off and onto the bed crying. I know that she misses her family. Without Alvin here to keep her mind off of them. She will be okay tonight.
The shopping trip was a success. I found a dress, a sweater and a night shirt and a purse. Not just a regular purse but a “fanny pack” kind of deal. Apparently the new deal is to wear them across your body not around your waist. I am good with that. I got everything on great sales. So am very happy. Did not spend a ton of money.
On the weekend, I will take more time and write longer stories. There will be more for sure. Cookie….
Have an awesome day. Sure hope today is more warm than yesterday. We froze out on site. I was chilled to the bone for the rest of the day.
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) and Miss Cookie
Good Morning! I hope on this first full day of spring that you find yourself feeling more renewed, joyful and at peace with the world. I am feeling pretty great this morning. I have Alvin in my thoughts and with me. Grateful for all the love and support that has surrounded me most of my life and most especially during this time. Soon we shall see rabbits with coats of brown. The trees will start to bud. The snow will melt and the streets and sidewalks and yards will be dry. I still find it hard to believe that today is Tuesday, March 21st, 2023. This has been quite the year thus far. Hopefully I will be able to get my bearings. I look forward to planting flowers and figuring out what to do with the front flower bed. I know that Alvin always loved to be outside with me while I was puttering in the garden and with my flower pots on the deck. When I would be out front working in the flower bed, I would let him sit on the step and he would watch me or sometimes I would clip his leash to the anchor in the ground for just this purpose. He would sit on the grass and just be so happy. On the deck he would follow me everywhere. I always had water outside for him and if it were warm, I made sure he would be in the shade. This is going to be a different spring and summer for sure. Missing my little buddy.
Last night after work, I decided to deliver some thank you cards to friends and neighbours who had shown their love of Alvin and support for me with cards, flowers, gifts and themselves. We were/are so blessed to be surrounded by some of the nicest people on the planet. While out delivering we bumped into Allie and Bailey. As soon as Bailey spots me, she lets out this wail, so cute. She loves her Auntie Carol. We walked together and they waited while I dropped off cards. I walked them home and then gave them their cards and on the way home dropped off other cards and had a visit with one of my neighbours Dave. He is so nice. They have four children and have been here since I moved in, back in March of 2009. Actually at the end of this month it would be 14 years since I moved into this house. Then I went home. Popped leftovers into the oven and then wrote up a card for my neighbours Sonja and Steve. She has lived next door since I moved here and is like a daughter to me.
Last night was quiet as it had been another busy day at work. Yesterday we spent the morning going to all of our sites picking up garbage as our CEO is visiting the office today. I am not sure why that was so important although the garbage is another story. I honestly never thought my job would include picking up other people’s garbage. My back is a bit stiff this morning, always is whenever I use muscles that I don’t use on a regular basis. I woke up this morning at 4:19 and never quite got back to sleep, next thing the alarm was going off. Whoops time to fly. I did not realize the time.
Have a wonderful day. Be well.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities, coffee and forgiveness.
Good Morning! How are you this morning? I am okay. Had a much better sleep last night. I have been going for walks after work and I am finding that this enables me to clear the “crap” from my brain and then settle down for the evening. Did you ever see that when you slow down and concentrate on one task or one thought at a time, that you feel more positive and just feel more relaxed? I have noticed that with me. Yesterday when I was feeling better and then last night after work. Just refocused to one thing at a time.
Starting to feel like spring during the day as the sun rises higher in the daytime sky. Yesterday there was a lot of water that had melted so it begins to get sloppy. I noticed when I was outside that the storm drain is plugged again. People driving over it pushing the snow onto the grates and eventually plugging it. So tonight if it is melting and the ice has softened I will chip away and try to open it up so that the water does not pool on the street. Our streets are always a pain. Either icy or full of massive ruts. Most of the time in the winter it is massive ruts. When the street was “plowed” a few weeks ago, they basically went down the middle of the street so the middle is clear but they pushed the snow up. Anyway, it is always fun when you are driving. Of course, cars line both sides of the street so down to one lane driving. I am grateful that spring is close.
I am going to try something different today and have breakfast before I leave home. Finding eating at the new office is a pain. Everyone is so busy – no one takes a coffee break. Lunch, I usually don’t eat anyway so unless I go for a walk, it is hard to actually take a break. So have to work out some things. Anyway, I will see what my body likes. I used to always eat in the morning and then eat at supper and sometimes have a snack at noon. I like breakfast and supper, not so much lunch. But have to have something during the day (including morning) otherwise I get a headache. Experiment, I guess.
I hope that life is treating you kindly. May your day be filled with possibilities of all good things and that your dreams are coming true.
Have a wonderful day.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities, coffee and forgiveness.
Good Morning. Nothing feels real this morning as I had set the alarm to get up at a certain time so that I could have a shower and get ready for work. Yes, back to the office. I am a little nervous and I am not sure why. So much has been changing over the last two weeks including my personal circumstances with the loss of my beloved Alvin. My life has been turned upside down the past couple of months. Where does one go from here/from there? I am trying to take one day at a time. Alvin has always been in here in the morning except when he visited at his sister’s house or for those handful of times that I was away. He wasn’t sitting on the mat in the bathroom with his back to me while I showered. I did not wake up on the sofa. I no longer have middle of the night trips outside with him. I miss him and everything little thing about him. I ate a banana yesterday morning and I felt guilty as that was his most favourite food ever. Everything in the house reminds me of him. I never want to forget him and what he brought to my life. The joy, laughter and most of all the love. In the early days of going back to work when he was much younger, I remember having to leave him. Making sure he went outside for a pee and maybe even a poop at the last minute before heading out. Ensuring his water dish was filled with clean cool water. Leaving the television on for company until it went into sleep mode. Telling him that I loved him and would see him later after work. The best thing to come out of the Pandemic for me was that for 2.5 years I was able to work from home almost everyday and be with him. I think we would both admit that sometimes we did get on each other’s nerves (trying to smile here). I always said that we were just like an old married couple. But all in all, it was the best time of my life as I was here for him. If he needed to go to the vet right away, I was able to take him. He would lay on one of his beds in the kitchen not far away from my “workspace.” When I had a late breakfast, he would sit beside me on the sofa and I would give him a treat and if I had a banana, we shared that precious fruit. Walks, oh how we loved out walks. Most days if the weather was favourable, we would head out at my lunch break and then again after work. On those days when the weather was hot, we would head out before I started work and then sometimes again after supper if it had cooled down. I loved how he would be with me wherever I was in the house. Since his last surgery on his knee in July of 2021, I seldom allowed him to follow me into the basement, just too many stairs. Sometimes I would just carry him when I was going down for longer than a couple of minutes. When I carried the laundry basket downstairs, he knew what I was doing and would wait patiently near the basement door. Oh, what a guy he was!
Well I suppose I should head downstairs and finish getting ready to leave for work. I am grateful that I have a ride with my coworker to the office. I am also grateful that she will be joining me when we move to the site office. She is changing jobs. There will be a few days, perhaps one week where she will be in training so I will catch the bus. Get this a Senior’s bus pass is $35.00 for one month which is cheaper than buying bus tickets for the week.
My daughter has a dental appointment after work nearby so she will be spending the night. I look forward to seeing her.
Trying to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities, coffee and forgiveness.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? We are doing great. So happy that the sun is shining and that the temperatures are on the mild side. I am also very grateful to be on vacation now for TWO WEEKS. There is lots to do but today will be scaled back as it is the first day. We were up a couple of times during the night so we slept in and got up when our bodies told us that we were ready to begin the day. I have changing my bedding and some banking and now writing this post which will be followed by a quick shower. After that I will put on some coffee and start the laundry. This afternoon I plan to work on the photos. I kind of fell down on the promise to do some every day this past week. They need to get done as soon as possible. Hopefully it goes quickly.
I have been going through my head, my mind about all of the things that I want to do over my vacation time and when I retire. Oddly enough, the list is similar except with retirement there are not as many hard fast deadlines. I cannot wait to retirement.
Alvin is patiently waiting for me. Last night at supper he decided to pick up out the chicken pieces from his supper leaving some of his wet food and rice and pumpkin. I decided to order pizza to celebrate vacation. You know that you order pizza much too often when the delivery guy comes to the door and calls your dog by his first name and says “How are you doing Alvin?” Makes me feel good. He is such a nice young man. I asked how he was doing. He is taking schooling to work for Immigration Canada. Also he has a new “tire” business and he delivers pizza. Very enterprising you man. I must remember next time to ask his first name. Seems only right as he knows my name and Alvin’s. When I went to eat my supper, I brought to the sofa the rest of Alvin’s supper and very quietly he ate it with no fuss. That was a relief. This morning he did the same thing so I put the rest of his breakfast into the fridge and will bring it out when I have my breakfast. Fingers cross that it will work once again.
Well keeping this short. I need coffee and am excited to get this day going. YAY, clear blue skies and bright yellow sun shining. There is a breeze. The snow is melting.
Have an awesome Saturday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! I am so happy to report that we slept from say about 9:30 till 1:20 a.m. when downstairs we went and Alvin had the most perfect poop. We then retreated to the sofa and set the alarm for 6:00 a.m. I am so thankful that our sofa is comfy. When the alarm went off, well of course, I hit the SNOOZE button for a few more zzz’s. Why not? Then we were up and I was preparing Mr. Alvin his breakfast. I gave him the “medication” last night and only took about 6 minutes to get it into him. So that was good. After his breakfast, we headed outside where again Mr. Alvin had a really good poop(s). I am over the moon happy about these recent events. How happy can one be over poop? Just ask me! It is a most important bodily function and when it is bad, that means that inside things are not going well. So this morning, I am encouraged to believe that he is “better.” I know it does not change the liver disease and other ailments. We are good now. He is on his last day of 1/4 of rice/chicken/wet food/dry food mix before back to 100% his regular food tomorrow. The weather is also continuing to be nice so I am going to see if we can go for a walk after work. Just to give him some exercise to build up his stamina as he is a bit wobbly when out on the deck. I am so happy that things are looking up.
I have decided to get busy now that I have the “word software” and get putting together the book about me and Alvin. Now is definitely the time. I have lots of previously written stories to draw from and use. Sometimes you never know where life is going to take you. But when it does you are know that all will be well and all of that …..
Hopefully sooner than later, the sunrise happens at an earlier time. I know Mother Nature’s schedule. Does she know mine? I suppose not.
This Saturday I was invited to my friend Lucy’s house for supper. Saturday, January 21st is Chinese New’s Year’s Eve. I decided to read up on the celebration and found out that it is tradition to give certain types of gifts and just so happens that I have two or three items that would be perfect to give. So happy. I also made arrangements for my friend’s daughter to come and stay with Mr. Alvin so that he is not alone. YAY. Works great for everyone. She makes a bit of money, I get to go out and Alvin has company.
I am feeling pretty happy with life at the moment. So happy about Mr. Alvin. He is waiting for me downstairs and I am grateful that with the hall light on and the baby gate up that he patiently waits for me. I have been carrying him up and down the stairs each time. When it is not necessary for him to be upstairs – he remains downstairs.
The aroma of the freshly perked coffee is wafting upstairs. So I will sign off shortly.
Wishing you a great Tuesday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! How are you this Thursday morning? We are doing well. I/We were so happy to spend some time with our girl. The time we spend together is always great. I am very grateful to have her in our lives. We miss our boy and the pups and cannot wait until Christmas to see them.
Amanda picked up a floral/plant arrangement for me to take with a card and a special Angel pin to our friends Norbert & Irene who recently lost their youngest son. One of the hardest face to face conversations. Broke my heart into a million pieces. I feel so badly for them. To lose a child of any age makes no sense. We always as parents believe that we will go first and when tragedy strikes and changes the “natural order” we are beyond disbelief and heart broken.
We, me and Alvin got to see little Betty Ann who belongs to friends of Amanda & Steven’s. Her parents dropped her off as she will be spending a week or so with the kids while they are away on business. I truly have the best kids, they have the biggest hearts and always have an extra pup or two in the household. I do not know how they do it because I always think I have my hands full with Mr. Alvin, lol. We all had a short visit before Amanda and Betty Ann were on their way to Alberta Beach.
Overnight the temperature dropped into the high double-digits. It was chilly outside when we were out earlier. Last day to the office for this week. I am very grateful that I can spend tomorrow working from home with Alvin by my side.
Last night was a blur with one minute driving with Amanda to cooking supper to eating supper with her, to going to see my friends, to Betty Ann being dropped off to them being gone. It seemed to happen so quickly. Almost makes me wonder, did it really happen? Of course, it did but it was an emotionally charged evening from happiness to sadness.
Well it be time to head downstairs and finish getting ready to leave for work. I am very grateful that I have a ride to and from work with a coworker. She is awesome and we have really got to know each other over the past couple of months. Carpool will do that!
Have an awesome Thursday!
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Always, Carol & Alvin
PS: Amanda brought the tree lights and the toilet handle, so I have a couple of projects ahead of me. I think I shall wait until Friday after work. Should be fun.
Good Morning ALL! A bit cooler in the mornings now as the sun rises later with each passing day and dips later as well. The trees are swaying from side to side again that the beautiful glow of the sunrise. So pretty.
Well it is Thursday and I am going to the office today. My daughter came after work yesterday, we had a nice supper together and a lovely evening. My neighbour Sonja is coming over to check on Mr. Alvin. I am proud to report that he has had about four good, no great poops in a row now. Poop as I mention on a fairly regular basis, is oh so important. YAY. Keep up the good work Mr. Alvin. I guess the probiotics and the antibiotics are working, thank goodness. Mr. Alvin is laying on the hallway floor keeping an eye on both his Momma and his Sister. What a guy! I shall miss him and it will be a long day without being here for him. He will be okay, I know but hard when you are used to being here everyday. We have also discussed the upcoming “return to the office” and we will have some major changes but it will be okay. Perhaps it is time to return to fulfilling my dream of being an author. Never been a better time. So I will be working on that very soon. Perhaps the gray skies are not so gray and have more sunshine and rainbows that I once thought. I am feeling better about things. I know that lots of my family and friends were a bit concerned as of late but things are looking up. So happy for that. I appreciate the concern and all of the ideas for our future. I so appreciate and love everyone for thinking of us. I am truly surrounded by the family and friends on the planet. I really am.
Well almost time to head downstairs as I need to make sure that Mr. Alvin has a good drink before we leave and go pee again. We have twenty minutes until we leave.
Wishing you a great Thursday.
Take Care.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus and possibilities and COFFEE.
Good Morning ALL! I hope that you are doing great. See we made it to the weekend. I am excited as tonight I am hosting a get together with a couple of friends. We are doing potluck so it will be interesting to see what the girls bring. I am contributing egg salad, salmon, buns, carrot sticks, dill pickles, fruit sangria iced tea, peach pie and vanilla ice cream. I was going to “cook” some things and then thought against it with the heat in the house. Who wants to be sweating while they are making food. Not me. So that is what I am putting out. Truly it would be a meal in itself. But I am hosting so I wanted it to be extra nice.
We are heading out for a walk in a few minutes. I can feel the sweet coolness of the breeze wafting in through the open office window and the quick strong coolness coming from the fan blowing in the hall.
I think because it is Friday and almost the end of August, that I will share some flower pictures. Flowers of mine and of friends from this summer. We all need more beauty in our lives and what better than from nature herself.
from Lucy’s gardenOur Happy PlaceAnd a Pelican on the water
Happy Friday.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus, possibilities and coffee.
Good Morning ALL! I trust that you are well and enjoying the weekend. The sky is a brilliant blue, the sun is shining and there is the most refreshing breeze wafting through my office window as I type these words. Alvin is laying on his belly on the hallway carpet, waiting for me. Another glorious weekend. Everything from walks to visits to video chat and in between some work got done. Yesterday morning we started out the day with a walk and I was happy that we were able to do what I refer to as a full one / normal one, then there was some laundry, coffee, breakfast, more laundry, cleaning and laundry. Our friend sent us an email inviting us for a visit as she missed us in the morning. We were just in process of getting Alvin’s harness ready to put on when there was a loud knock at the door, I was not expecting anyone so I carefully opened the door, to our surprise on the other side of the door was Pauline and Georgie. They had decided to walk over and pick us up so we could walk together. She also gave me a very thoughtful thank you card with the most beautiful floral design on the front. I thanked her and set it on the counter and continued getting us ready to go. A few minutes later we were out the door, I picked up Alvin and carried him down the steps as I have been doing as of late. Helping to keep him from injuring his knees. We walked and chatted and even saw neighbours outside along the way. When we arrived at the park Pauline suggested that we go the back way through the grass (which recently had been cut) the opposite side of the park which does not have a sidewalk. It was nice as the grass was wet and cool. We took a shortcut through the trees between the second and third pond which had us walking on some stones to come out near her house. My flip flops were wet and I was almost going to take them off to cross the stones as I thought more safe in bare feet but decided to go slow and most of the stones had more flat tops and rounded. It only took us a minute or so to cross. The pups got a bit wet as there was water up near the stones/rocks. Next thing we were through their gate and in the backyard where I removed Alvin’s leash and a minute later decided to take off his harness as it was warm outside. He was happy. Pauline grabbed a couple of cushions for the chairs that sit under the deck on the patio out of the sun. Then she was in the house to get our refreshments. While she was in the house Georgie jumped up on my lap while Alvin paced the patio sniffing and what not. We had iced tea and banana bread. She also brought out some photos of their Ontario trip to show me. Sometime during the visit I had lifted Mr. Alvin up on a third empty chair which was in between us, and he relaxed while we chatted. Georgie on Pauline’s lap. It was about 5:00 p.m. when Pauline noticed that the sky to the west was beginning to get some very ominous clouds developing and suggested that we may want to go home before the rain. I took a quick look and decided that we best be going and grabbed Alvin’s harness and his water bottle and put on his leash and said our goodbyes and were on our way. We were coming by Lucy’s house and she was outside doing yard work, we quickly said hello and pointed to the sky and advised that we had to get home before the storm hit. A little while later we saw a neighbour walking her two yellow labs and pointed out the storm. We hightailed it home. Just about home and saw our neighbour who recently had surgery out front speaking with her neighbour. We stopped briefly to say hello before going the last couple of minutes to our house. I think we were home not even 10 minutes when it began to rain. The storm was not like Thursday night and I was very happy about that. After that I fed Mr. Alvin his supper, turned on the last load of laundry and the dryer. I got my supper in the oven and then texted my sister. We ended up having a video chat via messenger as my cell phone cuts in and out and one cannot have a very good conversation that way. I am chalking it up to dead zones in the house which appear to be increasing over time. I plan to call Telus who is our provider in the area and see what can be done. Just seems like there has not been time to do so. If it were a matter of calling and speaking to someone right away that would be one thing but it is always a long wait and then I would be cutting in and out. I will perhaps try and contact them on-line. I had a great chat with my sister and had a late supper at 7:30 p.m. I cannot remember the last time that I ate that late but it happens. We were out and about and enjoying life. Who cares, right. Most important things we had great walks, good exercise, good company and visits with family and friends! Last night was quiet. I watched a movie followed by bed. That was our Saturday.
Today my daughter Amanda and one of my grandpups, the little one named Mi-Mi or Milo is coming for a visit and will spend the night. She will go to the office from here and then pick up Mi-Mi after work. We have lots to do this afternoon and evening.
Time to fly and have a shower. I brought up all of the laundry that had been drying and put it all away. I dry most of my clothes on racks. They last longer that way.
Have a wonderful Sunday. Enjoy the morning, maybe even get out for a walk.
We might get out after my shower or wait for the others.
Continuing to live this life with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, love, laughter, understanding, gratitude, focus and possibilities.
Always, Carol & Alvin
PS: now 30 days till turn 65. The card was beautiful with a gift inside for looking after her garden while they were away. I called her to thank her for her generosity and that it was not necessary but she insisted. Smells like weed outside, not the garden variety – coming in through my open window. Smells like skunk ….. lol
My New Life @ 51 