2021

Good Morning ALL! Welcome to Tuesday, December 7 and we are “17” sleeps until Christmas Eve. WOW. I missed the boat doing the daily countdown. I would imagine most of you do not need me to tell you how many sleeps it is until Christmas, lol. For sure not. How are you today? I clicked on the SNOOZE twice this morning. Last night was like a Sunday night and I tossed and turned and turned and tossed and then Alvin was up and it was 3:00 a.m. Downstairs we climbed. He had a glucosamine chew and outside to pee. Then back to the sofa for some more sleep. Pretty much right away into a deep sleep. It was about 4:30 when Alvin woke up and wanted his breakfast but I coaxed him back into the sofa and we then slept until almost 5:30. He ate and went outside. Then back to the sofa. I know that I was dreaming but I have absolutely zero recollection on what. I had good feelings when I woke up and wanted to continue to be in that place. But where was it? Do you ever wake up and want to go back to wherever the dream place was? This was the first in a while but I felt so good there, in that place, so relaxed and joyful. I will try and keep in that zone for every minute of this day. When I find myself going to the “dark side” – I will simply close my eyes and feel GREAT.

I sure hope that the temperatures are warmer this week so that Mr. Alvin and I can get out for a walk or three. We haven’t been out since last week. I think that he misses them for sure. My trusty companion is laying on his belly on the hallway floor. He is so darn cute. I noticed that usually once a day he grabs one of his toys and tosses it around and then carries it either to a resting spot on the sofa or onto his dog bed. What a guy! Sometimes I wished that I had been able to have a companion for him. In hindsight, it is always 20/20. I guess I just have to try to be a better companion for him. Play more. I am a good snuggler but playing hasn’t always been my thing. But for his sake – it needs to be. Now that being said if I am in the same room when Alvin grabs his toy, I do play tug with him and then toss the toy if he will give it up. So I guess I do play. Just have to play more. Likely good for me, too. Right. We all need to take life a little bit less serious. I know that I am way too serious. How about in the next 17 days – we have fun. Each day. Laugh more. Toss that doggie toy about. Do some funny dancing. Maybe I could dance with Alvin. We used to dance. Dancing was me holding him in my arms with his head at my shoulder and swaying to the music and there were some good steps in there, too. But he is a solid 30 pounds so makes it a bit more difficult. But I need to bring my core back. Just like in the summer when he had his surgery and I had to carry him outside and everywhere and then carefully bend over and place him on the ground. I found my core but over the last month or so, it has been misplaced. So I am on the hunt to bring my core back. Oh, that CORE!

Well it is time to get back downstairs. Work is calling in a bit and I have to put on the coffee pot. I can smell that STARBUCKS Christmas blend calling my name. It is so yummy. My favourite blend of all time.

Have a wonderful Tuesday! Remember to LAUGH and if you have lost your core, start looking for it.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

P.S. my lips are chapped and I used Burt’s Bees Lip Balm everyday. How can that be?

AND I iced 18 dozen sugar cookies yesterday and wrapped some Christmas presents. Alvin was sniffing around under the tree looking for something for open. Will have to watch the boy.

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Monday the 14th day of December, 2015.

Eleven days until Christmas Eve.

Alvin and I had a great Sunday …. the perfect extension to Saturday.

I put the finishing touches on some things around the house, wrapped gifts for work exchange and gifts for my kids.

We went to deliver Christmas cards and were invited into for a “cup of cheer” at one house.

I love going to this neighbour’s home as she is older and we always and I mean always have great conversations.

Her memory is sharp as a whip and she tells me things that I either did not know or have long since forgotten.

She loves Alvin almost as much as I do and he loves going to her house.

Not having anything to do with the “treats” that she lovingly prepares for him.

We visited for a few minutes at another neighbour and friend’s before heading home through all of the snow.

Upon arriving at home we found two young men likely in their twenties.

Literally standing in front of our house.

One had a cell phone and the other a snow shovel.

Odd combination, I thought as I did not recognize them.

I soon found out what was going on.

They were taking a FB (Facebook) Challenge to see if they could get two people out of five to give them $10.00 for shovelling their walks / driveways.

Well I was feeling in the festive mood having nothing to do with the double my friend had poured me earlier …. oh no.

More to do with the fact that I just figured that the $10.00 I had in my wallet would be money well spent to have all of that shovelling done ….

I do not mind shovelling but we have been shovelling every day…..

So they shovelled the front (including the other half of the duplex), my deck which is big and the driveway.

In the end I met two more of my neighbours ….. heard a bit of their stories …. and the shovelling was done.

Once finished I went into the house and started supper.

I figured things were okay as Mr. Alvin seemed to like them just fine and they liked him, too.

I hope that they found one more house in the time period allotted which was a total of 40 minutes.

Well guess I had better get this show on the road.

I also SKYPED with my sister and my great niece.

It was nice to catch up face to face.

It reminded me of when I was a little girl and dreamed of the days that we could speak and see the person you were talking with ….

I had the idea …. likely not first but I did have it when I was a young girl.  That was a long time ago …….

Happy Monday.

Do something today that you have never done before …… try something new.