The Next Chapter

Good Morning. How are you this morning? I am okay. I tossed and turned a lot, thinking of a certain someone. Oh, how I miss my Alvin. Seems like it has been forever since he snuggled beside me on the sofa and in bed and that we walked together. Whenever I walk now it feels like something is missing. Someone is missing. I miss you Buddy.

I am feeling better this morning compared to yesterday morning. Off to work I go today.

The time change always seems to wreak havoc with my sleep patterns and those of so many. I remember it taking Alvin a good couple of weeks to get back in our routine after the time changed. So in time, (lol), I will be back to normal, whatever the heck that may be. At this point, my life is anything but normal. Everything seems to be changing or at least it feels like it. I guess with Alvin passing and the changes at work, that is enough to throw even the most positive feeling person into a tailspin. Spinning is where I am at …… just hope that it stops soon. I am trying.

My daughter launched a book (journal type for writing) on Amazon which is pretty cool. Her artwork as always is beautiful. She is so talented. Wishing her all the best in this endeavour.

Well this is going to be short. I had some technical difficulties. You see with this new computer not only are the mouse and keyboard wireless they are battery “less” as well. You have to charge them. I found that out the hard way.

Have a good day.

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

Forgiveness is my word for the day. It is likely one of the hardest things to do. Especially when it is to yourself.

Always, Carol & Alvin (my forever Angel).

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! How are you this Monday morning? We are up and at it extra early as I am only working two days this week. I tossed and turned last night so not a great sleep but I did catch some zzz’s along the way. Last night I set up my workstation downstairs which I think had Mr. Alvin wondering what the hey was going on! it will be a nice change to be working downstairs one again. As the temperatures start to increase over the upcoming months, it will be much more comfortable working on the main floor where I can have fans blowing on us. We will be closer to outside for Mr. Alvin. If he chooses to lay on the deck for a little while, he can do so. There is a pretty sunrise this morning and the night sky is slowly clearing to make way for clear blue sky for the day. I love this time of day in the spring. After a long winter of darkness and so much of the you know what, I said that I am not going to say that word and I have not and will not, anyway we are grateful that winter has passed once again. I do wonder what this summer will look like. Oh and the wind. It seems like we have much more wind as of late. The howling of the wind last night did not help me to shut down although it was more my thoughts would not subside so that I could sleep. It will be nice to have a few days off but with my job coming back is not pretty. Oh well, I am looking forward to having the grandpups, Miss Aspen and Master Milo here for just over a week. Alvin will enjoy it as well. I am hoping that he will sleep in a bit and not get up so early. Back to the sunrise, I can see slightly mauve hues on the southern rise. Oh, I love the morning sky. I just heard what sounds like a huge dog barking somewhere in the near distance from us. I wonder what is going on at his house. I hope that he is okay. We have had a lot of coyotes in the neighbourhood over the past several months.

I am happy that yesterday I cleaned the upstairs and downstairs including the floors, moved my work computer and monitor and items down stairs, reorganized my desk upstairs, watered plants, raked the backyard, started to clean out the main floor coat closet and went for a walk. Felt good to get things done.

Well the coffee is ready and I want to get an early start on work. I want to have everything done before I leave tomorrow.

I hope that you have a great day and that we all have good weather to go for a walk either once or today on this Monday. Getting outside with Alvin always makes me feel good.

Happy Monday.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! Happy Friday! Happy April Fools Day! How are you this morning? I am a bit sleepy as I could not get those 60,000 thoughts to stop cropping up in my mind. Anyway, with four “clicks on the snooze button” on my phone, I am up, showered and almost ready to work.

This post will be short but I wanted to share a cute story and some interesting information with you.

Cute Story

I heard on a morning talk show that I was listening to on my coffee break the following: a man from Florida had three pet bunnies. He loved his bunnies and wanted to let them outside in the backyard to enjoy the day. So he lets them out into the backyard. Not sure how much time elapsed before he went to check on them but when he went out they were gone. The three bunnies had escaped. He looked everywhere. No bunnies. Man was sad as he loves his cute pet bunnies. One day three months later he happened to look out the window into the backyard and what did he see: bunnies, bunnies and more bunnies, 80 to be exact. How could this happen you say? Well females can get pregnant the same day they give birth. The gestation period of a bunny is 28-35 days. Females can give birth at 10-12 weeks old. Yikes. Truly babies having babies. The part that was interesting to me was not really the number as everyone knows bunnies can multiply quickly (I did not know the exact stats) but the fact that the three bunnies brought their children, their children’s children and so on, back home. How did they know home? Food for thought. True Story.

Information

I was watching the Ellen show yesterday and Brene Brown was on. Such an interesting person. I have heard the name but did not know much about her. She has studied human behavior for over two decades.

There is neuroscience behind: Emotional pain lights up the same area of the brain as the physical pain. Isn’t that interesting. Heart break, loss, shame and so much more can feel as badly as a burn for example.

She said that we want so hard to believe that we are cognitive thinking beings that on occasion get inconvenienced by emotion.

But in truth: we are EMOTIONAL BEINGS who on occasion think.

We are emotional beings that have thoughts.

Food for thought. Explains so much. I felt so much better about being emotional. I guess we are hardwired that way.

Gotta go.

Have a great day. Be safe and don’t worry if you are emotional! You are not alone.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: My daughter comes for supper tonight, yay AND the sun was pretty, the sky is pretty much clear. It is a great day!

It is a NEW YEAR.

Good Morning and Welcome to Friday, May 1st, 2020.

A bright and sunny one with a bit of a breeze happening.

 

Did you ever think in a million years that you would be working from home?

Did you ever think in a million years that you would be laid off from your job because of a VIRUS?

Did you ever think in a million years that your children that school would be cancelled for basically six months?

Did you ever think in a million years that one VIRUS could basically shut down the planet?

Did you ever think in a million years that the skies would be more clear?

Did you ever think that major car manufacturers would shut down?

Did you ever think and this is a big one that we would be told to “stay at home.”

Well there are likely a lot more questions that are floating through our minds at this time.

I never thought with my job that I would be working from home.

Surprisingly the majority of my job can be done from home.

I wonder as result of this virus how many offices will give their employees the choice to work from home?

Perhaps some will return for only one or two days a week and the rest of the time work from home.

For some employers this may cut down on their overhead and be more profitable.

Not everyone can easily work from home.

Now if you have small children at this time it is difficult.

Or any children as they are all at home now.

For some parents they are trying to both work and teach school to their children.

Online schooling only works for those who have computers.

Unfortunately as much as we would like to think that everyone has one, everyone does not.

Most folks no matter their lot in life – has a cell phone.

You see that all of the time.

 

So on the first day of May, this all has me thinking.

For me, this has turned out to be a blessing in many ways.

No commute and this saves me anywhere from  1.25 hour to 2.5 hours.

That was all dependant on whether I was carpooling or catching the bus.

So much more time at home.

I can start my evenings at 4:00 instead of 4:45 (car) or 5:30 (bus).

That has been wonderful.

The most important blessing is that I have so much more time with Alvin.

His waistline does not think so.

We have been walking twice daily.

With Alvin getting older I really appreciate this time with him.

He has my new schedule down pat and when I am running late he just stands in the doorway and stares at me.

Telling me, you are done ….. shut off the computer or get off the phone.

It is my time now.

Despite the many blessings the downfall has been not seeing family and friends more regularly and going out.

I have not left my immediate neighbourhood except for walking since the early part of March.

No shopping have I done.

We are figuring out how to visit with keeping within the social distancing parameters.

Last Sunday was our first coffee date.  Me and my two young girl friends.

That was amazing.

We will have to do that again very soon.

My daughter came over on Wednesday and we worked through that visit as well.

Now that our friend P is out working in her garden, we can stop for a visit on our walk.

So it is getting easier with this warmer weather.

 

Well time to grab coffee and pick up the poop.

I have so  much work to do and need to get a bit of an early start.

Grateful for a nice bright sunny morning.

 

I wish you a wonderful Friday, May 1st.

May you be surrounded by love and support.

May you spread the kindness and respect to all.

 

Happy Friday.

 

I/We Remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin

I cannot get enough of this photo.

Taken only a few weeks ago, I think.

Days running together.

He looks like a puppy not an 11 year old.

Love Me Alvin ……

 

Living … One day at a time.

Hello,

Well what is there to say about the weather.

Really it has been sunshine then overcast ….. overcast then break with bit of sunshine.

Repeat …. repeat and repeat.

On the upside ALL is green but now we do require some of that bright lovely sunshine.

Alvin and I had a glorious long weekend.

Most of it was spent with each other however there was a sprinkling of family and friends at times.

Despite Mother Nature’s many attempts we did manage to walk at least once each day.

 

I must admit that I spent quite a lot of time this weekend thinking about life.

Thinking about where I am at this point in time.

So where is that exactly?

Well I am good in my own skin so to speak.

Comfortable with the day to day decisions.

Comfortable with my voice.

Comfortable knowing that I do the best that I can most days.

 

I feel relatively good.

Sometimes with all of the rain, I feel a bit drained not as energetic.

 

I work full-time.

I write part-time.

I am surrounded by great people.

 

But somehow there seems to be something missing.

Something is not quite right.

Quickly approaching 62, next month.

 

I remind myself not to compare myself to others my age.

Because we do not all have the same stepping off place.

Life is not the same for us all.

Food for thought.

 

So where do I want to be?

What do I want to be doing?

Good, no great questions.

Definitely I need to be doing some hard thinking to uncover that piece of something in my life that seems to be missing.

 

I shall do just that.

 

Well my carpool is on vacation so will be catching the bus today.

As it is cooler, I am wearing long pants, shoes and socks.

Yes and a top, you silly.

Coat and carrying an umbrella.

The house is cool this morning so I feel the need to bundle up.

Temperature to be only 17 degrees today.

 

Happy Tuesday.

I hope that wherever you are and whatever you are doing that you know what you want at this stage of your life.

Life is complicated …

Better to simplify.

That is for sure.

 

I love this planter from outside my office.

Sometimes you just need to see something beautiful…….

 

 

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 16th day of March, 2019.

Now officially more than halfway into the third month of 2019.

The sun is shining brightly to the east and soon it shall fill the entire sky.

Warm temperatures forecasted for the weekend.

I took Monday as a vacation day to have an extra long weekend.

Just sneezing and keeping positive thoughts of feeling well.

My neighbour is feeling so much better and I am grateful.

Last night I shovelled a path across the snowbank from my house to my neighbours.

The sidewalks are a mess of ice and water.

Alvin has his regular vet appointment this morning.

Thankfully we will have a ride this morning.

The streets and sidewalks are so full of icy ruts and in a few hours will be melting and mixed with water.

ARGH.

I love spring but could take less of the ice part.

I also am going to pick up some groceries after Alvin’s appointment.

Making a fruit pizza for my daughter’s birthday party tomorrow.

Love fruit pizza ….. not something one would make every weekend but it is a great treat.

 

A NEW DECADE …..

I was thinking over the past few days about what it has been like to be a single woman in her 60’s.

Crazy that I can say ’60’s” ….. when did that happen?

In August I will turn 62.

The years, the decades have blurred together to bring me to this place.

I am more than grateful to be in good health, to be surrounded by loving family and friends, to have my own home, to be employed.

I am grateful to be learning every day from Mr. Alvin who really has taught me so much.

I am grateful to live in a wonderful community filled with so many wonderful people of all ages.

There is something to be said about being in your sixties.

I have reached a point where I am comfortable in my own skin.

Now there are days when I look at my body and wish that a couple of things were different.

The tummy area for sure.

Those things can change with a bit more exercise.

I look in the mirror and I am happy with the face that smiles back at me.

There is no moaning and groaning about droopy eye lids or wrinkles.

Every decade things change.

Part of getting older is just that …. things change.

Your body changes.

Your mindset changes.

Your sense of worth and desires changes.

You just keep changing.

No longer do I worry on a moment to moment basis about what others think.

I of course, do care about what others think but it no longer defines me.

It no longer is the driving force in my thoughts and actions.

All in all, I love being in my sixties.

 

Well looks like I must hit the shower as Mr. Alvin has his appointment in a little while.

The blue sky and sunshine out of my window makes me happy.

Happy Saturday.

 

Special Hello to: all those folks out there who are in their sixties …. you rock.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 11th day of January, 2018.

Another cold BLAST today and tomorrow and warming up on the weekend.

Yesterday while I was waiting for the bus another bus stopped.

Someone on the bus was waving madly at me.

I could not see the person at first as my glasses were frosted over.

Then I saw her, it was my friend who previously had stopped in her car at the stop or close by and given me a ride home.

She parks away from downtown so catches the bus to her car.

So I was lucky and received a ride home.

Much appreciate in this weather.

We even stopped at the grocery store – we were out of bananas and that is almost a tragedy for this household.

I am most grateful for the ride home from my friend.

The night before I waited in the minus thirty temperatures for just over 15 minutes for the bus.

 

Last night I was thinking after I laid down for bed about my day.

This is when I take a look at my day and if I did well, I am pleased with myself and if not, then there is always room to correct the behaviour.

Sometimes in the moment we are quick to judge.

I have found that life is more grey than black & white.

This is something that I am always working on, and that is not to be too quick to judge.

Not that I judge every single soul that I come across in the course of a day, I am not saying that.

But we all have ideas, preconceived notions in our heads that stay with us.

I am working on those.

Some need working on and others are fine the way that they are ….

 

So that is today.

Be easy on ourselves and be easy on others.

We never know what their last conversation was or last thought before our encounter.

So think hard, long and softly before speaking too quickly.

 

Time to leave to catch the bus.

Time to don the layers.

Have to be warm.

Minus 30 something with the windchill.

 

Special Hello to: my friends

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Friday the 18th day of November, 2016.

Almost the weekend.

Busy and slightly stressful week almost over.

Looking forward to the weekend.

Somedays I feel we are better equipped to handle stress whether personal or professional, home or at work.

There are times I notice when I can shrug a stressful situation off, and just carry on.

Then the next time I feel like my world is crumbling beneath me.

Do you have these times?

Sometimes learning from the situation and other times it was just the way things worked out.

No fault – no blame.

We are all human and even though some may think they are perfect in all that they say and do, it is most times not the case.

I feel horribly when I make a miscalculation or do something wrong, it drives me crazy.

I do not like a person thinking that I am out to get them or to make life difficult for them.

That is never my intention nor will it ever be that way.

There are so many variables at work in the universe when there is stress.

I do however make a point to look for the positiveness in every situation.

So if you are having a stressful day – take a look at the whole picture.

There is always positiveness in any negative situation.

You can always go home and take your puppy for a walk.

If you have no puppy then just take yourself for a walk.

I also write this blog as a means of positive energy and release.

Every morning I also write in a gratitude journal.

All of this helps when you are under stress.

Well I had better get this show on the road.

If you at all wonder why somedays I am a little scattered in my thoughts it is due in part to the time of day, I write this blog just after 6:00 a.m. each

weekday morning and on the weekends a bit later.

Have a great day.

Special Hello to: all those folks who take the time to read my blog, thank you.

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 12th day of September, 2016.

Dark outside but not raining.

That is a good sign these days.

We have had a wet summer and appears to be the same going into fall.

Rain is good but we would really like/need some sunshine.

 

Do you ever sit or lay in bed and wonder what other people are doing at this very moment all over the world.

Are they getting ready for work?

Are they writing a blog and wondering if people are reading their words?

Are they sleeping?

Are they sick and wondering if today will be there last day on this earth?

Are they happy?

Are they mad?

Are they jealous?

Are they bad?

What are people thinking and doing?

It boggles the mind.

Truly …..

Are they suffering?

Are they glad?

What are they thinking and where are they going?

Food for thought?

I wonder if someone else on the other side of the earth has these same thoughts?

 

Have an awesome Monday.

Special Hello to: my sister ….. yes SKYPE soon.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday the 25th day of August, 2016.

This morning the skies are beginning to clear after a night of rain.

Likely safe to say at this point that we need more sunshine than rain.

Farmers need sunshine to finish their harvest or perhaps to start in some cases.

 

Today marks the 78th Birthday of my Mother.

We passed away 23 years ago.

Hard to believe that it has been that long …..

We miss her and think of her all the time.

She was an unique being and loved everyone and was loved by everyone.

No matter what.

She gave third, fourth and one hundred chances to those who just could not seem to get things right.

Always, always welcomed everyone into her home and fed them.

People always had a way of showing up at mealtime and I guess they knew she would never turn them away.

When someone says they would give the shirt off their back to someone in need – she did.

She had a wit and charm and wicked sense of humour.

No one could tell a joke like she did.

So on this day – I would like to raise a glass to my, our Mother and thank her for all her 55 years on this planet and wish her a Happy Birthday for eternity.

Thank you Mom.

 

Elton is coming to spend the day with Alvin.

So that means his Momma is getting a ride to work, yay.

So thank you to all those folks who take the time to read my words.

I hear that sometimes those words bring joy, sometimes laughter, sometimes a smile and sometimes further thought.

Today is a day to give thanks.

I like to give thanks and to show my gratitude each and everyday.

But sometimes it is good to write it for all the world to see or at least my ever faithful followers.

Thank you.

 

Have a wonderful day.

Maybe today is the day that you see your Mother and thank her for all that you do.

Perhaps you send her thanks if she has passed by thinking of her on this day.

Happy Thursday.

 

Special Hello to: all those Mothers out there …… thank you

Always, Carol and Alvin