Last Half 2022 – August

Good Morning ALL (it is just barely morning). What a great last almost 24 hours we have had. There is something about having your brother, his husband and your daughter and your pup in the house at the same time. We laughed and cried as we shared news and talked about “the old days.” Some of us remembered things a bit differently but it was all good. Just after the boys arrived, my brother and I left the house to go to the grocery store. Likely not a great idea for Mr. Alvin as he was left with my brother-in-law who is a lovely human being but Alvin really didn’t know him. Todd said that he tried to get him to go outside with him but did not work instead he sat on one of his beds and looked out the living room window waiting my return. Clearly no separation anxieties here, lol. I get it – for most of the time he sees only me and he had not met Todd before and to be honest, I never really thought about it. Note to self. Do not leave the house right away after bringing someone new inside. It is funny not funny ha-ha that Todd has never been to my house here in Edmonton and I moved here in 2009. My brother has been here several times over the years. My poor Todd is awaiting double hip replacement so it was not easy going up and down stairs but he does not let that get in his way. He is a real trooper. Good mindset about his whole ordeal. He will be 54 in a few days. Hopefully after waiting for over two years, the surgery will happen soon. It breaks my heart when you know someone who has been waiting to have surgery and in constant pain. So it seems to be the standard thought process to give you drugs that you may or may not become addicted to help with the pain instead of doing the surgery right away. Drugs that over time damage and destroy your muscle/joints and whatever else. So why not do the surgery sooner than later. I wonder what the real reason is? We also realized that my brother and Alvin are on the same pain medication – just a different dosage. We had a real giggle over that.

I was so happy that my daughter decided to stay and visit. We had a cold supper if you will which was great. After supper and the sun went lower in the sky we sat outside on the back deck. It was wonderful listening to the laughter coming from my house. It has been awhile since I have had that many people enjoying the deck and each other’s company. I am so grateful that they took the time and came out of their way to come from Calgary to Edmonton before heading to Regina with final destination Winnipeg – then the lake. I remember to a few days ago when we were out at my daughter’s. I love the laid back lifestyle. So much fun.

Well it is almost time to head downstairs and get the laundry going and set up the fans and close all the blinds before it gets too hot in the house.

I am grateful to the Universe for bringing some of my family together for a great evening. I drank a bit and even had a few puffs of a cigarette (my brother-in-law smokes). I was a bad girl but sometimes you just have to be “bad.” We had good food, laughed, cried, shared stories, took pictures and just enjoyed being together. Does not get better than that.

We made a pact that next summer for us to get together again but we will make sure that our sister and other brother will be there, too.

Well I should go. Get things back to normal and do laundry. Always laundry.

Have a wonderful Saturday. Oh, I have to check my lottery ticket from last night -that would be a perfect end to a wonderful time. Especially if it were enough to share with family and friends.

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

I do love to entertain. This morning I made buns with two kinds of toppings, some cut up raw veggies and a container of unbaked chocolate macaroons. That was my gift to the boys – the macaroons. A request made by them. We celebrated my birthday and Todd’s which is coming up last night. Now they will have a good snack to have on their trip.

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. we had some rain earlier this morning.

2021

Good Morning ALL! How are you this Friday, March 26, 2021. It is the weekend, yay. I love the weekends. A chance to do some of the things that you did not have time for during the week. Even though I am working from home, I do the laundry for example of Saturdays and sometimes finishing on Sundays as I have always done. That goes for everything that I have traditionally done on the weekends still is completed on the weekend.

One thing away from the joy of weekends and that I was thinking about earlier this morning is the recent loss of life in the U.S. from shootings in a public place. I will never understand why the Americans keep clinging to the The Second Amendment of their Constitution that reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Why is that a fundamental right of the people? Why has not been amended in 2021. This was ratified on December 15, 1791. I am never quite sure why any country clings to outdated laws. This does not make sense to me in 2021. I know that this is very important to the Americans. We share a border with the U.S. and are similar in so many ways. In fact in the early days many people populated Canada from the U.S. – coming in from other countries. So why did we not have a similar Constitution? I wonder. We do not have a “right to bear arms.” People in Canada can apply for a license to own a gun for hunting and such. But there seems to be a lot more control over guns and a lot less mass shootings. Not to say that we have not had them. When will there be a breaking point where the people just say “enough is enough” or will they ever say this? I wonder? Incredibly sad for unnecessary loss of life. Most especially sad during a pandemic. I have always wondered these questions and perhaps because this is not something I usually write about in a public forum, today seems like the day. I believe that there are always going to be people that are able to obtain guns in some manner or other but why make it so easy for them. Also some of these guns that can spray what seems like a million bullets …. why are people able to purchase them? I wonder how many people are afraid to send their children to school, afraid to go to the mall or go pick up groceries?

Time to head on downstairs and get to work. Excited for my morning coffee. The sun is beginning to rise for a new day.

Always good to think about things that do not make sense to still be an active law, if you will.

Living my life in kindness, respect, compassion and patience.

Always, Carol & Alvin