A New YEAR 2023

Good Morning ALL! How are you this Thursday morning? We are okay here in windy Edmonton or at least it is breezy here in our neighbourhood. We were in bed by 9:30 and I read for a few minutes. I am rereading THE SECRET. At this point, I need some positive reinforcement in my life. Our office is filled with negativity and not by choice. Sometimes when choices are made – how it is reflected by the staff is not joined with the same enthusiasm. This is the case. But I have noticed over last decade that change happens on a regular basis with this employer, almost daily. So after a time, people are just deflated and tired. It always irritates me when we get told about “change is good” and blah blah, well change can be good but sometimes it is difficult to embrace. Anyway, I am going to stop there. I am grateful everyday by all the goodness in my life. I am grateful to be surrounded by loving, supportive family and friends. I may have mentioned that once or twice. I am so over the moon grateful that I had the opportunity to buy and live in this house and hope to continue to be here for many many years to come. Gratitude for the wind, for the snow, for the birds and the bees. Grateful for life, for the good health that I am blessed to have and grateful that Mr. Alvin is my trusty companion through this stage of my life. I am grateful that retirement is just around the corner, that will be the next step in my life. I look forward to that time where I can snuggle with Alvin, it won’t matter if he is up during the night because we can sleep in, walks whenever we choose, I can write more and perhaps get that book done, go through my photos and learn some technical stuff.

I wanted to share this with you. Are you older like me or just not tech savvy. Somedays I feel like life is just changing at a pace that I can not keep up with ….. who knew that watching hours of my beloved “Disney + channel” would result in an extra $55.00 on my cable/internet bill. Well it did. I was shocked when I saw how much my bill was and immediately contacted my provider to find out why. I learned a valuable lesson …… “streaming” …… well I guess streaming has nothing to do with water and more about extra money. Anyway, my provider gave me for six months free “unlimited” something or other, I just forget what it is called at the moment and I want to say this before I have to sign off. Oh, “unlimited data” that is the term. I guess to have unlimited data there is a $20.00 charge or at least with Telus. The young man on the phone explained everything and was very patient and kind. Lesson learned. So I need to get all of these terms figured out and make sure that I know what is going on. I had no idea that watching a day of Disney or many days of Disney would end up costing me $55.00 extra when I had already paid $125.00 for Disney. They find a way to take your money – all of these billion dollar companies. It is sometimes over the top frustrating.

Time to fly. I hope that you have a great day. Keep the positive thoughts coming in. Thoughts become things. That is my mantra once again. I kind of got away from it. It is so true. Keep positive.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. it was raining last night after supper and it is plus 4 or so here in Edmonton this morning. WOW.

2021

Good Morning All. How are you on this 2nd day of January, 2021? I am doing well. Again, up a bit later than I would have liked but I have to stop feeling guilty as when the body and mind are in tune and want to do something that is when it gets done. What can you do? The morning sky is now bright and sunlit. Seems to go from darkness to light quickly as the days begin to lengthen. Alvin and I are enjoying our time at home on my “work break” and will enjoy our time at home when “works begins.” I am still in disbelief that I have now been working from home for nine months and come March 19th, it will be a whole year. WOW. I am so grateful that this is my new norm.

Everyday you wake up is an opportunity for change, to be better, to learn more, in essence to grow, to take chances, to dream, to live. Food for thought.

Something that I must learn and fair quickly as it has been a bit of time since the changes were made to WordPress is to learn all those changes. I realized that I should have written down how to find the photo gallery as yesterday I looked and could not find it. Sometimes I wonder when things change if it is for the better. Sometimes I think that people change things firstly because they can and for the sake of change. Trust me it is not always necessary to change things. Keeping things simple is always important especially when you have a broad range of technically savvy folks using your programs. Just saying. Putting it out there to the Universe. Am I alone in this? I am 63 and I know for a fact that I am not the most tech savvy person on the planet nor am I the least tech savvy person either. I have learned so many things this past year working from home thanks in large part to my daughter, to my friend Signe, and to our systems staff, most especially “M” at “work.” All have tremendous patience with me and that is what I need in order to learn. Once I know something – generally I am good. I like to take notes to refer to for those days when instant recall is not working. Besides our brains are overloaded with information and sometimes those tidbits cannot be located in amongst the massive amount of other tidbits lodged in there. My thought anyway. I also know that we only use a small amount of our brain power but is it in connection with memory? That I am not certain. Anyway, I will figure things out, I usually do. Sometimes it takes me longer as I get frustrated and give up. How did I get on this topic. I seldom plan what I can going to write about and just go with whatever comes to my mind. Sometimes it may seem frivolous and other times it may be worthy of writing about. It is what it is. I also like to make people laugh. So perhaps along the way you giggle at my “frivolity” of thoughts.

Well today is Saturday – good old laundry day in this household. I love doing laundry actually – it is the carrying up and down of said laundry two flights of stairs that I am not fond about. Every time I feel less than impressed about the up and down, I think back to the days when I was a child and did laundry for seven people using a wringer washing machine and then hung the clothing, sheets, towels (everything) on the clothesline outside. Later in my youth we did get a dryer but still used the wringer washing machine.

P.S. how many know used a wringer washing machine?

I managed to give Mr. Alvin a haircut and bath yesterday although looking at his front paws and the back of his front legs, I wonder. What a guy. I spent over two hours trying to calmly, gently and reassuringly give him a haircut. He does not like it and I guess it is not going to get any easier over time as he ages. Oh well, I did my best at the time. Over the next days I will grab the scissors and trim a piece here and there until it is better.

Well I suppose it is time to get dressed and go check on the first load of laundry. Yes, I put on the first load after I hauled my butt up off the sofa about an hour ago. Wow, it is now 9:42 a.m., time just seems to fly. I think because work is now only today and tomorrow away. But perhaps getting back to “norm” will be okay. What is normal anyway? Different for most people, I suppose.

Enjoy your Saturday. If you have an opportunity to go for a walk, go and enjoy nature. It is true to take the “time to stop and smell the roses.” Alvin does every time we are out – except he is not exactly smelling roses, lol. Although in the summer he does stop and smell them. Gotta love my boy.

Continuing to live with kindness, respect and compassion for all. We all deserve to be treated with kindness, respect and compassion, ALL creatures big and small.

Always, Carol & Alvin