Last Half 2022 – November

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? We are doing great. Up at 5:15, (well up at 3:00 as both of us had to “go”) for the day. Alvin has had his breakfast and I have made our bed and had a shower. Now time to be creative! I love having the opportunity to write this post every day or most days. This post, this blog is meant to be light and fun although there are days when it can be very dark. Everyone has days where it is difficult to keep that bright light and positive energy and mindset shining. Today is a bright light kind of day. I hope that it is for you as well. There is a full moon. I am not sure how many folks out there have the belief that a full moon can play with people’s behaviors but I tend to lend toward “yes.” When you work with the public – you can definitely see it. The sky was beautiful clear with the moon up front and centre and stars scattered about. Happy Wednesday!

Last night I made the “Hamburger Quiche” for supper minus the ground beef and using the YVES Mexican blend “meatless meat.” It was a nice reminder of home, I mean Regina. Edmonton is home but Saskatchewan will always be my “home, home.” I was born and raised there until my early teenage years and spent most of my adult life in Saskatchewan, so it is home. Back to supper. The Quiche was good and I had peas for a vegetable. I usually do not have ketchup in the house or even use it but I bought the smallest bottle that I could as you just have to have it with this dish. Not sure why.

I was nervous when I opened the front door last night and Alvin was not there. Two second later he bounded down the up stairs. My heart deflated as I realized that I had not put up the baby gate to keep him downstairs when I am not at home. I had forgot. I think that our bed is one of his happy places as he can look out of the window as he no longer can get up on the chairs in the living room. A few years ago I would not have thought twice about preventing him from going upstairs but now in his golden years, I do not want him to slip and or fall and injury himself. Whew. Thank goodness he is okay. I will remember today. I will.

We had a good evening after supper and dishes were done. It was close to 7:30 when I sat down with a cup of tea. That is one thing about working at the office – the commute. Honestly I do not like it. We lose two hours each day commuting. That is two hours that I missing with my Alvin. I do enjoy the conversation with Michelle, my coworker and carpool driver. But I would much rather be at home. I can tell you when we were outside at 3:00 a.m. and I went to take a breath of air and my lungs hurt from the extremely cold air this morning, I just wanted to go back into the house and curl up under the blanket with Alvin. Which we did because it was 3:00 a.m., lol. You know what I mean.

Today and tomorrow at the office and then the long weekend. Remembrance Day, November 11th.

Have a wonderful day everyone! I hope that you are able to “shine brightly” on this day!

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

PS: couple of things to do and we will even have some cuddle time before I leave at 7:00. We are leaving earlier because of the snow and ice on some of the streets.

Last Half 2022 – August

Good Morning ALL! What a beautiful morning it is! Alvin and I left the house at 8:10 this morning and arrived back home at 9:30. We saw our friend Lucy out working in her garden. She is a neighbour of our friends Pauline and Al. Lucy has such a beautiful garden. She keeps it immaculate, there is not one weed in her lawn. I wished that I could say the same. Her roses are still blooming although they have slowed down. Her tomato plants are huge and are bearing lots of that delicious red fruit. We had such a lovely chat, I always love stopping when she is out in the yard and catching up. Alvin say patiently while we chatted. We must have been talking for over 30 minutes when he decided it was time to go. So we said our goodbyes and were on our way. We walked to Pauline’s before turning around to head for home. Pauline’s garden as I have mentioned on several occasions is my “happy place” and it was nice that when Lucy and I were speaking about gardens she mentioned about how beautiful Pauline’s garden is and that it makes her feel so relaxed and healthy when she is standing there. I told her that I felt the same and that always refer to it as my “happy place” and we had a giggle. Well today is my second last day of vacation so despite the temperature today, I have to get busy and get some things done. According to the forecast it is not going to be as hot. Lucky for us and for all our furry friends everywhere.

Birthday at the lake

Leftovers from Birthday supper

Backyard at lake

Looking for stars

Pretty plant

Alvin

Aspen

Milo

Milo & Aspen

Campfire

Fire pit out front

Pauline

Caught a fish

Al

Well it is taking forever to upload photos from computer to this post. I noticed that it does not appear that any of the photos from my photo uploaded/downloaded with me catching the fish. Honestly I did catch four.

Pelican

Bedspread – Bday gift

Birthday Flowers

Okay, I have been working on this post for over two hours now. Some photos from my birthday week. How can you tell I love flowers?

Back to getting some work done.

I need another cup of coffee. I am going to work up the front flower bed. There needs to be another plan for what to plant next year or buy some shrubs for the bed.

Have an awesome rest of the day.

I had the best birthday. 65 is off to a great start.

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

PS: Some new neighbours that moved to Canada from Germany lost their cat. It escaped through the A/C in the window. Prayers that they find it soon.

The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? It is light out but not bright. The sky is a grey blue color. Does not appear to be windy this morning what a nice change. We are doing great. Today is the first day of my vacation so we happily slept in. Of course, as per usual we were up at 4:00 so that Alvin could have his glucosamine chew and go outside for a pee and then back to sleep on the sofa until about 5:00 when we were up and he had breakfast. I happily laid back down and then we fell asleep until 7:30 but that is not the end of the sleep story, we dozed until getting up at 8:30 a.m. The family will arrive around 10:30 ish so I figured that we had better get mobile. Not that I have much to do other than write this post and have a shower and bring up the larger round doggie bed from the family room in the basement for Miss Aspen to sleep on in our bedroom. I have not made any plans for my time off other than being here for the grand pups and one having Easter dinner with my friends down the street on Friday. The plan is to walk daily and just relax with the pups. I truly am exhausted, my job just pulls the stuffing out of me. I do like my job and sometimes even love it but it is a demanding job not physically but mentally. End of story as I am on vacation. Yes, I am. So excited.

The forecast for the next couple of days is cool but then it is starting to warm up which will be great for us to walk. I will be spending lots of time walking as we usually go twice for per day and then I need to take Aspen separately from Alvin and Milo. Four walks. We shall see. Definitely Aspen will get two and the little ones even one will suffice. At the end of it all it will depend on the weather. Aspen is okay when it is cooler – she just likes to be outside. Oh, I just took a peek out of the office window and noticed that the trees are moving a bit. I sure hope that it remains calm as it gets chilly with the minus temperatures and gale force winds. We did not even walk yesterday. Even just going outside into the backyard gave me the chills and took what seemed like forever to warm up. I am glad that I did not give Mr. Alvin a haircut last weekend. He will be okay for a little while longer. If it jumps in temperatures, I will give him a trim. I wonder if having the pups here when he had a haircut would calm him down or not?

It is so quiet here in the house with just the click clack of my nails hitting the keys. Alvin is laying on the floor in the hallway. I took his other bed downstairs as I am not working upstairs now. He likes laying on the carpet in the hallway anyway so that is okay. I can hear him breathing in between hitting the keys. So quiet in our house. I love it. Much easier to calm one’s mind when it is quiet to begin with.

There is not much else new with us. I am thinking that I will work on making some jewelry while the pups are here as I have my supplies in the kitchen. I rearranged my ikea shelves and put the beads and things there and have some items on the counter. Because that is what you do when you are by yourself in the house except for the Alvin. I have room and can do what I like. There are definitely perks to living with no other humans. I also have my workstation in the kitchen. The good old kitchen table. Now it is packed up and put away out of sight.

Well time to head for a shower and then enjoy a mug or twoo of coffee. I hope that you have a wonderful Wednesday.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. my office looks so empty without the work laptop, monitor and stuff. Makes me feel less cluttered and more creative.

2021

Good Morning All! How are you this Saturday morning? We are doing well. My first time in weeks using the computer to write this post and it feels a bit strange. Mr. Alvin is patiently waiting downstairs for my return. I have been upstairs for a bit as I had a shower, put on makeup (yes, I did), got dressed, made the bed (yup) and a few other little things (okay brushing teeth). I am so happy that we had our first sleep upstairs in five weeks. It did not go quite as I had planned or hoped. There was a glimmer of hope that he would be so happy to be in the bed again that he would not react to the harness and leash although he has been wearing it the previous couple of nights on the sofa. I had washed his harness and dried in the dryer. Usually I let it air dry and I think that perhaps it may have shrunk a bit. Anyway, it just looked uncomfortable. So I put him in the main bathroom while I ran back downstairs to get the one dog collar that I have and put that on him. Now he has only ever wore a collar a couple of times since he came to live with me so he was freaked out by the whole thing. Perhaps it was more that we were upstairs, I don’t know and will never really know. We will see what happens tonight. He/We slept until just before 5:00 a.m. which was good considering we went to bed at 10:00 p.m. I gave him his breakfast and we went outside in the cool morning air. Once done I thought we would have a bit more sleep on the sofa. This time I was going to try and just keep my arm over him but he kept jumping up. I honestly think that those metal gate things are giving him anxiety. So I got his bed out of the kitchen and put in the living room. I laid back down on the sofa and although it took him a couple of minutes he did lay down on the bed. So that will be our future routine when we get up in the morning. If we keep doing it he will get used to it and not get so freaked out. When we got up the second time it was 7:22 a.m. and just now a huge ROAR of THUNDER. The once clear skies are overcast and perhaps we are going to have some rain. That would be nice. Although I did plan to take him for a walk in the next few minutes and almost my friends are having my birthday party here at 10:00 a.m. It was supposed to be at Gillian’s house but with Alvin, I cannot leave him for that long or at least not yet. It is one thing being upstairs. Back to getting up…. I gave him a pain pill and anti-anxiety pill and some food. He has actually been quite good since I came upstairs. Only a few barks.

Perhaps he will finally get used to the new routine. I have to start getting ready upstairs and it would be great to do this post on the computer. I am still figuring things out on the phone. The set up is a bit different. I was not able to change the category and it has been saving as miscellaneous and things like that.

Well I had better get going. I have a few things to do before the party starts. I guess there will be no walk. Don’t need to get rained on or to be struck by lightning. Good thing that Mr. Alvin is not scared of storms.

So this is our life. Living with a senior dog and being a senior, Yes, I will be 64 on Monday. That just seems not right. My mind is still in the 1970’s most days.

I hope that you are doing well. Thank you for continuing to read my posts, I so appreciate it.

Time to go back downstairs. I am going to make coffee early ….. need some.

Feels strange to have makeup on ….. I have not even been putting my “eyebrows” on lately.

I think it is raining. Good thing that I did not have the chance to water the flowers. HAIL. It seemed like hail as coming down so hard. The party may be delayed if the rain does not stop. ARGH.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

2021

Good Morning ALL! I thought that I would share what my life was like on this day one year ago on July 11th, 2020. By all accounts it was definitely more active. I hope that this finds you well and enjoying your weekend. Perhaps you are watching the rerun of some of the STAR WARS movies. Always enjoy re-watching them.

From July 11th, 2020:

Good Morning All,

We just arrived home from a nice walk a little while ago.

There is ever so slight of a breeze as the temperature is already begin to climb.

Supposed to be +26 degrees celsius today.

Which is warm considering the temperatures that we have been experiencing this summer.

In the some of our Canadian provinces east of Alberta the temperatures have been ugly hot.

With the humidex it has been almost too much.

I cannot imagine being a dog or cat or any animal including human in +40 temperatures.

Not for me.

While out and about we bumped into Humphrey and his Mom.

They were also out for some fresh air and sniffing.

Mom for the fresh air and Humphrey for the sniffing.

He likes to go into everyone’s front yard and sniff the trees and plants.

In a little bit after a late breakfast for me and a cup of coffee, I have decided to move up Mr. Alvin’s haircut.

Might as well get it cut before the heat of the day.

Last night after work Humphrey visited.

After supper and clean up I went over and picked up Bogart to introduce him to Alvin.

Alvin wanted to say hi but was a bit reluctant but the kitten just hissed and did a baby kind of growl.

We did go into the backyard and I placed the kitten down at one point but he was scared so I picked him up.

We spent a few hours just chilling on the sofa.

The kitten draped loosely around my neck, Humphrey dozing on Alvin’s doggie bed and Alvin stretched out on the sofa beside us.

By the time that I took the boys home, Bogart was hissing a bit less.

Alvin was panting so he clearly had some anxiety over the whole thing although he wanted to get close to the kitten.

I don’t think he has seen a kitten before in his life.

Not so easy taking photos with a kitten in your arms.

I snapped these photos earlier in the day from my office window.

The deck was still wet from that wicked storm the night before …

I love my backyard.

Flowers have survived.

******************

Unfortunately the only photo that copies over from the above post was the one of Alvin. I do love that one of him.

He almost always takes a great photo unlike someone I know.

So in contrast, we are not out for an enjoyable walk enjoying the sights and the smells.

We did spend some time on the deck as I was retrieving the flower pots from the garage.

By the way, the storm did not amount to much here in my neighbourhood.

I just brought the laundry upstairs, got washed and dressed and writing this post.

Alvin is downstairs and is making it know that he is not happy.

Such is my life.

Looking ahead, I am thinking that this is going to be a good memory compared to after his surgery.

Trying to keep him from moving and being able to go upstairs, do laundry, make meals, water flowers, even go to the bathroom will be an undertaking until we figure it out. I hope that the surgery goes well. Still two weeks away. Which is good and bad. Good for us and bad for him, I think.

Well he is barking and I do not wish to make him more anxious, he is the boss, so downstairs I shall go. Time to have a cup of coffee, anyway.

Thank you for sticking with us on this journey we call our lives. Not too exciting but never a dull moment.

Have a wonderful Sunday. Remember to check out the STAR WARS movies on television.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

2021

Good Morning All! Well my boy sure has had some challenges in the last six months or the first half of 2021. Let’s hope that the second half of 2021 is more kind to my little guy.

it has been interesting adjusting to this new norm. I feel like we are living in a two room apartment with access to another floor to get dressed and do my blog. I am grateful that we have a main floor bathroom. Alvin does not like staying in his little gated area by the front door while I go into hyperdrive doing whatever I need to do upstairs.

He is semi adjusting to my lifting him up from the sofa to the floor and visa versa and up and down the steps to the grass area. The grass was beginning to be green again after the rain but after one hot day it is looking a bit brown.

We definitely have to work on his staying on the main floor while I slip upstairs as he is in his gated area while I am getting ready and typing this post and he is BARKING. OMG, I pray that he calms down over the next few months.

My flowers appear to be peaking and are so pretty. I hope they last till September.

I guess lifting him up snd down will build up my arm strength and maybe more muscle, lol.

I feel so bad for Alvin. Cannot imagine the pain ge is experiencing. Thank goodness for pain meds. Poor guy has bouts of gas and poor Momma when downwind to that smell. I shall miss the fragrance of the roses near the park as it Will beautiful long time before we are walking again.

For the next two and a half months we are housebound. I’m going to have to incorporate some exercise into my days as I find myself sitting more than usual. Mainly to keep the boy still and to make sure he doesn’t jump up or off the sofa. He did get away once this morning and I grabbed him at the third stair as he realized that it wasn’t as easy as usual. So carried him up and back down. Very carefully.

I am grateful that I booked an appointment to have a/c serviced on the 14th as temperatures are warming up but thankfully not the high 30’s.

Well time to go.

I hope you have a great Thursday.

Remembering to live each day with kindness, respect, compassion, patience, understanding, love and gratitude.

Always, we are Carol&Alvin

2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? It is Tuesday, July 6th, 2021 and it is RAINING here in Edmonton. The grass has changed a few shades of green already since the rain started.

Unfortunately this post will be short. On our noon walk yesterday, Mr. Alvin began to limp (his right hind leg). We stopped right away so that I could check and see if he had stepped on a stone or something. Nothing.

We got home and when I attempted to help him onto the sofa, he cried. He has cried about four times since noon yesterday. Limping along he has managed to take the short jump off the deck or else go up or down the three steps to the grass area to go to the bathroom. We had an okay sleep on the sofa but he really wanted to come upstairs and it took me quite some time to convince him to sleep on the sofa. But we did. He happily ate his breakfast this morning and even managed to get down to the grass to pee and back up. I helped him onto the sofa got him comfy and gave him instructions to stay while I ran upstairs to wash and quickly get dressed. All of a sudden I saw him, the little guy had managed to get all the way upstairs with a sore hind leg. I guess mind over matter.

Today was/is his regular appointment to get his nails trimmed, anal glands and ears checked. So timing for sure. I am going to call the vet this morning and see if he should come sooner or if they even can get him in sooner. He does not appear to be in constant pain (I am sure that he is) but dogs are good at masking their pain.

I always make sure that the boy is okay and well looked after.

Time to head back downstairs. He is becoming restless.

I will keep you posted.

Could be a sprained or pulled muscle, he had a neck one last summer. I know how easy it is for that to happen.

Have a great day.

Continuing to live with respect, kindness, compassion, patience, understanding, love and gratitude.

Always, Carol & Alvin

It is a NEW YEAR.

Wow, so excited for another bright sunny morning.

There is not much of a breeze this morning so the temperature will feel warmer (fingers crossed).

Always makes me feel great when the sun is shining.

Mr. Alvin actually slept right through until 4:52 this morning.

Which was great.

 

This morning at 9:00 a.m., Alvin’s BF Teddy and his little sister Kobi are coming to spend the day.

First time Kobi has spent the day with us since the week at the end of January.

She has grown and hopefully a bit more calm but time will tell.

Kobi really is still a puppy so cannot expect her to sit in a corner with paws crossed not moving.

I tried to puppy proof the main floor and upstairs.

It was a difficult decision to make about blocking off the stairs so that Teddy and Kobi would remain on the main floor.

Alvin would not stay downstairs without me (especially if he knows I am upstairs).

Last time Kobi was here my attempts at keeping her downstairs failed miserably.

So this time I am going to live dangerously and leave the entrance to upstairs unbarricaded.

I have closed the doors to the bedrooms up here.

Placed the water dish in the bathroom.

A couple of pee pads just in case (hopefully if need them they get used).

Downstairs I moved things around just a bit.

A plant over there and also placed a couple of pee pads in stragetic spots.

So we are ready for the gang to arrive.

I made up another little bed in the office just in case someone wants to lay down.

I will take photos of the pups when I can.

We should manage okay as I pretty much have a break every couple of hours.

At that time everyone will go outside for a pee break and some sunshine.

 

We enjoyed 1.5 walks yesterday.

At noon we got our full walk in and under our belts.

After work we spotted our friend P in her yard working and amazingly enough she was just about to take a break.

She invited us in and we had a visit on our patio.

My friend P celebrates a birthday on Saturday.

I always love sitting in her yard admiring all of her beautiful flowers.

This year she put different flowers together in pots.

She also has a full on flower garden with shrubs and trees.

A bird bath where the little songsters come to hang out.

They love watching them from their windows or from the patio.

Great way to start the day my friend told me.

 

Well I can feel a sneeze coming on.

Achoo Achoo.

Kleenex …. yes, please.

Time of the year for allergies.

 

I hope that this finds you in good health.

Wishing you a Wednesday full of love and laughter.

If you are working from home I hope that you take some breaks.

I know it is hard sometimes ….. I am busy in my job.

If it was not for Alvin, I would like work a great many more hours than I already do.

Yup, I am guilty of putting in extra time.

I do it for my clients and for my well being.

As oddly as it sounds.

Perhaps my idea of well being is mixed up, I do not know.

Oh well.

I feel great and that is important.

 

Time to fly.

Just like a bird.

High in the sky.

Not this bird.

I will slide over.

Time to work.

 

Have an awesome day.

Filled with kindness and respect.

I/We, shall remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

It is a NEW YEAR.

Good Morning and Welcome to a Rainy THURSDAY morning.

The sky is gray and it has been raining since before 2:30 a.m.

Likely the thought crossed your mind, how did I know that?

Well because Mr. Alvin was up at 12:17, 2:30, 4:22, 4:52 and then up to stay at 6:19 a.m.

He has breakfast at 4:22 a.m.

Alvin does not like going out in the rain so going to the bathroom for him is always interesting when it is raining.

I have been taking my heavy family size umbrella out each time we go outside so that he feels he has some protection from the rain.

It does help him and also that I am out there, as well.

The boy has not pooped since Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

So safe to say that the pills are working but when is he going to poop.

He is trying to tell me something so perhaps he wants to go out yet again.

We were just out but I had better go and see.

Will return.

Back again.

I am quite certain that if any of our neighbours were outside and saw this huge umbrella moving about on my deck and then on the grass just above the fenceline, they would laugh.

They would most certainly have a giggle if they could heard my words of encouragement to Alvin “please go poop, Alvin.”

So not again.

I think that he wants to go but his bum is sore and he is reluctant.

If he does not go by this afternoon, I might call the vet to check.

I am glad for both of our sakes that the diarrhea has ended.

Life is so funny.

Never did I think that on May 20, 2020 that I would be working from home and able to be with Alvin 24/7.

So happy that I am with him when he truly needs me.

Last time he was sick, which was last September one week after I returned to work after three weeks of vacation only to be gone another week.

This time I am here already so have only had to take small amount of time …. last Friday a couple of hours and Monday morning.

He is laying on his little bed that I made for him in the office.

He usually stays put there while I write my post and then when I am working he lays on the rug in the hallway.

Yesterday he actually left me and laid on his favourite chair in the living room.

Oh, my boy.

I think today will be up and down while he figures out when / how to go.

He is likely nervous.

 

My neighbour fertilized the lawn so perhaps it will be a nice lush green for a change.

Although I am not a fan of putting something on the lawn to kill the weeds, I may have to this year.

My neighbour longs for green grass and mine has some weeds.

Even though it is kept cut it does not look very nice.

I am hoping that can get something that is not harmful to the environment but will rid the lawn of the unwanted weeds.

Our back area by the garage is filled with yellow flowers …. dandelions.

At least it is some colour and most of all, good for bees.

Not everyone in the back lane area looks after that space so it is difficult to do so.

 

Well the clock says I need to get signed on for work.

I got my coffee when we were coming back upstairs.

So ready to go.

 

I hope that you have a lovely Thursday.

Keep Mr. Alvin with positive thoughts.

I hope he is better soon.

So we can walk again and live our regular ordinary wonderful lives.

 

Remember with Kindness and Respect is the only way to live our lives.

I/We remain,

As Always, Carol & Alvin

Living … One day at a time.

Good Morning and today is Sunday, December 22, 2019.

Only a few more sleeps now.

A busy next few days lay in store for me and Mr. Alvin.

Humphrey has already joined us for the day and will return home only to sleep.

When I went to pick him up …. and mentioned “Would you like to go and see Alvin?”

He ran to the door and to me so that I could pick him up to carry him to my house.

Alvin is laying on his blue blanket next to me, moaning and groaning as he wants to be downstairs.

Plans changed and Teddy and Kobi only came with their Mom for a short visit last night.

There had been lots of snow so they did not go out of town.

But they are going today for the day.

So Kobi and Teddy will be arriving in less than one hour.

Also coffee with the girls changed venue and will be at my house.

So Alvin has his friends and I have mine.

I have to cut this short as I want to have some breakfast and perhaps make a couple of couple of coffee before the girls arrive.

Some laundry to take to the basement to be done later.

I just realized that I have not downloaded photos from my phone to the computer in quite some time, so I will share some of those photos now.

Sorry change of plans.

The puppies came 40 minutes early.

Kobi is with me and Alvin has been barking non stop since we came upstairs.

Only able to share these photos from last night.

 

Have an awesome day.

 

Always, Carol, Alvin, Humphrey, Teddy and Kobi