Living … One day at a time.

Good Morning and we are cruising toward November 1, 2019.

Where did the time go?

I cannot believe it is less than two months until Christmas and then the New Year.

2020.

That freaks me out just a little bit.

When I was a child I actually thought of this year and 2025.

What would be going on in the world?

Where would my family be?

Wondering if I fulfilled my dreams of being a Registered Nurse and a Writer.

Where would I be living?

Would I be happy?

The house with the white picket fence was that in my future?

Four children ….. two girls and two boys, of course.

That was my perfection.

Grandchildren possibly.

One never knows where life will take you.

I am perfectly happy with the way that things turned out.

I am okay with the choices that I made.

Perhaps I could / should have done things differently but then I would not have and be where I am today.

It is a package deal.

You cannot have one person, one thing without the other.

So if I zigged instead of zagged …. I could have been living on a farm in southeastern Saskatchewan or perhaps in the big City of Regina or in London or New York.

I may have been married with more than one child.

I may have become a nurse.

Who knows?

But I know that the choices I made at the time were right for me at that time.

I have the most exquisite daughter.

I have my best buddy Mr. Alvin.

I have a job that sometimes drives me crazy.

I have a house which I bought on my own.

I am healthy.

Life is good.

I am surrounded by great friends.

I have the best sister and brothers on the planet.

So that is that.

I have never spent much time worrying or thinking about what may have been …..

I believe in living in the present …..

You cannot change the past but you can change the present which changes the futures.

Now that is a lot of change….

 

Just living my life trying to be kind and respectful.

 

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Friday the 22nd day of March, 2019.

YAY, it is the weekend.

 

I am so excited for this weekend.

Alvin is going to his sister’s house tonight after work, and I am spending some time with my cousins.

No matter who you live with – always a good idea to take a break from each other.

I am so excited to see my cousins.

 

We have so been enjoying this weather.

Walking on a regular basis – every night.

Longer than usual – we need to.

Doing the Happy Spring Dance.

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How about an Alvin story from his first year with me.

 

September 27, 2010 – Alvin slept thru the night !!!

Just when I was almost getting used to getting up at 2:30 or 3:30 in the morning, the PUPPY surprised his Momma this morning and awoke at 6:40 a.m.  YAY.

Isn’t life grand.  Guess cause it was a Monday morning?  Not sure his reasons but I am most happy.  Up until last night or early this morning, Alvin has been waking up and wanting to go outside anywhere from 2:30 – 4:00 in the morning.  I have been getting up and taking him outside.  My reason is:  if the puppy wants to go outside, which he does, I am certain he has a good reason, which he did.

I did lay my foot down and did not “cave” and feed him breakfast when it was that early.  Instead we retreated to the sofa which is what we have been doing for months.  Alvin’s usual time of waking up is between 4:30 – 6:00.  But after over thirty years of having to arise early for work, which years ago included getting Amanda ready for the day …… I really like to sleep in a bit.  After all, I thought 8:00 was a good time to get up.  Oh my Alvin, keeps me on my toes.  Lately he is off schedule. Perhaps he is figuring we should mix things up a bit.  I cannot blame him for that….. after all his Momma is a writer and jewelry maker & designer so I am mixing things up all the time.

I love my Alvin.  As soon as I get ready and pop a load of laundry in the washer we are off on a walk.  We try and go every morning and every night.  We miss the odd one but are pretty faithful.  Good for our minds, bodies and souls.  Today we are going to pick up my grand-puppies, Elton and Miss Penny.  They will be spending the day with us.  So it will be fun and busy.

Have a great day !!

Always, Carol

 

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Alvin and Penny ….. back in the day …..

 

Have an awesome Friday.

I am so excited to spend the weekend visiting with my cousins.

Remember we all have interesting stories to tell.

Your story is just as important as mine.

Happy Friday.

 

Special Hello to: my friend W who has encouraged me for years to write.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 21st day of January, 2018.

The sky is overcast and appears to be one enormous snow bank.

The air is filled with fog.

So when you look outside it appears to be white, white and more white.

WINTER.

 

We have had a great weekend, lots of company which both Alvin and I love.

Yesterday Master Teddy spent the day with us.

The boys get along well which is nice.

Alvin is not so much one to play but they had their moments.

Teddy follows me wherever I go, much like the Alvin.

My daughter, son-in-law and grand-pups stopped by as they had been out and about.

So at one point we had three people and four pups.

They all got along however that being said Baby Milo was not quite sure how to take Teddy.

Teddy likes to cuddle and got the attention of my daughter.

Teddy also happens to remind both my kids of their past boy Elton.

The kids brought some heavy duty chews for Alvin and the pups.

Alvin was on that for hours…. he loved his birthday present.

We drank coffee and ate some Steeped Tea Scones that I baked earlier.

GREAT VISIT.

In between, I did all of my household chores.

This morning the girls are coming for coffee.

Or were.

Just had a call from one of my girls and she has the flu/cold.

Sending her good energy to be well soon.

We will have one of our friends with her daughter and daughter’s friend.

Looking forward to the company.

 

Recently I have had some comments on my blog and thought that I would just say this.

I write about my daily life and to offer positive thoughts about life in general.

I try to keep this blog on the light, humorous side however as life goes, sometimes this is not possible.

I write because I love to write.

I am not a journalist and do not have a degree.

I am just a person like you.

Only wishing to share some of my stories and experiences and perhaps along the way to make you smile, laugh and enjoy.

If we learn from one another, what better gift is there.

 

I wish you all a wonderful day.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 25th day of July, 2015.

It is a beautiful morning here in Edmonton with the sun shining brightly and a cool delicious breeze.

I have the windows open and the coolness gives me goosebumps.

What a wonderful sensation …. to be warm and cool at the same time.

Okay just disappeared into la-la land here.

I am back.

Time for a sip of the nectar meant for the soul …. COFFEE.

There is just something about a good cup of coffee that takes me to another place.

It teases my brain and settles my mind and sets me on a journey.

Really, coffee does all that?

Yes, it does ….

I am a coffee girl and although I love my tea in the evenings and I mean love there is just something about that cup of coffee especially on the weekends that sets the tone to my day.

Without it Saturday is just another day ….. Sunday follows Saturday.

I love the smell of coffee as it brews in my percolator.

I adore the feeling of the warm brew as it dances around in my mouth and disappears down, down, down.

I love a great cup of coffee.

There is no way of knowing just how many cups of coffee I have drank but it would likely be in the thousands.

Just happened to glance out the office window and oh my gosh the roof is now on the garage behind us.

He is a contractor who is building his own HUGE garage.

I swear the roof looks almost as high as the pitch on their house.

By the time it is built and the other neighbour across from them builds theirs we will feel like we are in a cocoon.

Nice and cozy.

I am so grateful for the parks/lakes close by.

At least when a person starts to feel closed in …. you can just go for a walk.

Well I guess it is time to get dressed and get going on this day.

I have relaxed long enough.

The laundry won’t get washed and dried and the tree will not get trimmed if I am sitting here on my “laurels”.

I wish you the best Saturday.

May it be filled with both work and play.

May you be surrounded by love and laughter.

Happy Saturday Everyone.

Special Hello to: all the writers out there ….. it is so wonderful to capture your life and thoughts on-line or on paper.

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day……

Good Morning and Welcome to Saturday the 9th day of August, 2014 and my “57th” BIRTHDAY.

The sun is shining and there is a cool breeze coming in through the office/bedroom window.

Just back from driving my neighbour to the airport as she is going to Saskatchewan to attend a family wedding.

WOW, I AM FIFTY-SEVEN.

CRAZY ….. three years from being sixty.

Now that is crazy.

 

I wanted to impart some words of wisdom or maybe some fun facts about the year I was born.

But instead I shall just say what comes to my mind, as always.

I have not always been such a positive soul but I always wanted good things for others.

I always dreamed of living a life where I helped others.

I thought at one point that I would be a nurse.

I would have the house with the white picket fence and be surrounded by four children, and later grandchildren, and the husband.

Every summer we would host a big family reunion and everyone would come from far away.

We would celebrate our family and we were happy.

 

I always let my imagination guide and protect me when I was younger and quite possibly that is the reason why today I harbour no ill feelings to parts of my childhood.

I always love to write and create.

I always wrote in a journal and wrote poems and stories.

Somewhere on the shelf I was a writer just waiting for that moment.

My time to be that “New York Times” Best Selling Author.

Even though I am a Canadian.

I always dreamed of travelling to Australia, Europe and Hawaii.

Possibly South America.

 

I guess for the most part I have been pretty comfortable and at times things have been easy.

I have been disappointed in my choices.

Sometimes sad along the way.

But when I look back at my life thus far overall I am pretty content.

Content in choices, content in my own skin and content to try even though I may fail.

Success is nothing without failure.

Failure and Success are both opinions.

Like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

We are all beautiful …… I think.

 

So on this day …… a day that I was pretty sure would come along but sometimes scared that it would not …. I am grateful, proud and happy to be alive.

I am grateful to be Carol.

I am grateful to be surrounded by much love and laughter.

I am grateful to have my own house …. bought on my own.

I am grateful that I have one most beautiful and amazing daughter.

I am grateful to have a son-in-law and grand-puppies.

I am grateful to have me “ALVIN” ….. a son like no other.

I am grateful to learn everyday.

I am grateful to meet new people every week.

I am grateful that I took a chance.

I am grateful that I have learned and not been afraid.

I am grateful for my past, grateful for today and grateful that tomorrow will come.

I am grateful for each and every moment.

I am grateful that today at 6:20 a.m. – I turned fifty-seven.

I am grateful for every wrinkle …. for having great genes ….. barely any wrinkles ……

I am grateful that I can see the world, smell the world, taste the world and hear all the world.

I would post a photo of me but the most recent one is from last fall.

So that will be for tomorrow …… possibly photos of birthday celebrations.

 

Happy Birthday to my cousin “M” who turns 47 today ….. he was born on my 10th Birthday.

That was a cool birthday.

 

Special Hello to: all those folks with a birthday on mine ….. or mine on yours ….. Happy Birthday also to one of my favourite television personalities “HODA KOTB,” who turns 50 today.

 

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

 

 

Thought for the day…..

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 26th day of March, 2014.

I had a pleasant surprise this morning when I was writing in my journal (just after 5:00 a.m.).

While writing down the date I realized that yesterday I had written down Monday instead of Tuesday and that would make today WEDNESDAY.

Wow, that is one way to bring the weekend closer.

 

When Mr. Alvin went outside to do his morning ritual ….. I noticed that there is a very thick blanket of fresh WHITE snow on the deck.

Checking out the front window it is everywhere.

Looks like winter again.

They are forecasting plus temperatures in our near future so it will not last.

We always have to have one last storm in March ……

Mother Nature likes to tease.

She lets us wear our shoes for what, I think four days and now back to boots.

Oh well, we had the four, I am grateful.

Spring is just around the corner.

 

I also make a realization this morning …… full of pleasant thoughts and surprises today.

I have an ” iTunes” gift card that I got from the kids at Christmas and I have not used it yet.

So I will get to pick out some of my favourite new songs.

There are so many ….. I just have to remember the artists and the names of the songs or at least one of the two.  LOL.

I am less than perfect when it comes to remembering the names of singers and songs.

Perhaps you can tell me the name of this song:  sung by Miss Christina A and the guy from “GREAT BIG WORLD” …. I hope that I got that name correct.  I love that song so much.

It is truly one of the best duets ever.

Also I love the Happy song by the guy with the hat …. he’s so cute and that tall hat makes me smile ….. He has an unusual name …. I think it starts with a “P” …..

Those are a couple ……. I will have to scroll through the listing ….. YAY …..

 

Well I hope on this Tuesday/Wednesday kind of day …… that you are having the best morning or perhaps it is afternoon or evening where you are ….. but all the same I hope that it is the best day.

I have been reading the “Law of Attraction” as it never hurts to reread books.

Keeps you going forward and to remember.

No matter is going on in your life ….. it is you who truly are the “writer” of your story ….. only you can make things happen or not.

So let us make things happen …. realize those dreams.

We will work on them together …. compare notes and stuff.

Happy Days …..

Special Hello to: all my fellow dreamers ….. WE ROCK …..

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day…..

Good Monday Morning and Welcome to the 29th day of April 2013.

The second last day of this month …..

At this very moment we are having a mix of snow and rain coming down.

I am most grateful for the rain as it cleanses everything it touches.

There was so much snow mould and dirt from the sanders that rain is very welcome right now.

We had a beautiful weekend.

I even got out on Friday and did my very official “trash pick-up” …..

Two big bags full …. where on earth does it all come from ….. yikes.

I hope that you had a great weekend …

Mine was unexpected …. I will say.

Not to dwell on it but just after I returned home on Friday from picking up the trash …. I spotted a piece of paper in my front flower bed.

So I hopped over to pick it up.

I noticed a small patch of ice and did not really give it another thought.

I was not careless but in a split second ….. my left knee twisted and I fell down onto that leg with my right hand somehow under as well.

In a split second.

I felt nauseous ….. not sure why.

It hurt and I was thinking …. what if I cannot get up and there was no one to help me.

Alvin was watching out of the window.

But after a few seconds (always feels longer) … I pulled myself up and wiped away the tears and went into the house.

My knee was hurting but I knew that it was not broken …. perhaps sprained or twisted.

So I called the store as I knew that I would not be able to work that night as I am on my feet for the length of the shift.

They were so gracious and said that they would find someone to replace me for that shift.

I was heartbroken as I love my job at the store.

I also called my daughter as she always takes Alvin for the night.

So out of the blue my whole afternoon and most of the weekend changed.

I am so happy to announce that m knee is feeling about 80% better.

Still twinges once in awhile when I turn it the wrong way but all things considered I am so grateful that my “wipeout” was not serious.

I am grateful to my neighbour Sonja for going out and picking me up some pain relief in both cream and pill form.  Those items helped immensely.

Well it is getting close to the time that I must go off to my other job.

I did work yesterday at the store but had to cut the shift short by one hour ….. 11:30 till 5:00 ( I didn’t want to push it).

So I am truly thankful.

I hope that whenever you are doing things …. do not lose focus …. always be aware …. it was only a small patch of ice and I think the only one left in the whole City of Edmonton.

Have a great day ….

Take Care.

Special Hello: to my great niece Selena …. I saw your Mom’s email but was unable to open the video.  You see my young niece is a writer and performed her first poem.  I am so proud.  Wished that I had been there.  You rock, Miss Selena.

 

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

Thought for the day…..

Welcome to Thursday, August the 9th, 2012 …… almost 6:30 a.m.

Today is my 55th Birthday ….. yikes.

Where did the time go?

I know one thing with absolute certainty …

That is:  my dreams have changed every decade.

In fact, they have changed dramatically over the years.

When I was very young I wanted to have four children, be married, have a house with the white picket fence and be an awesome cook and also do some writing.

As I grew older I had dreams of becoming a nurse as I always loved to help people and write.

I would say that the one constant dream is to be a published WRITER.

So why not?

I am not sure.

This blog is a step in the right direction ….. to see if anyone would enjoy to read things that I have written.

I have started so many stories and have so many ideas …… just have to do it.

Yes, I can….

So on this day ….. I shall continue to dream as I hope you do.

Have an awesome day everyone and thank you so much for helping one of my dreams to come true (people reading what I have written).

Special Hello:  to all those people that share this day with me.  My cousin Michael and my friend Lisa’s son Justin.  Happy Birthday GUYS.

P.S.  a very special thank you to G and the boys for starting my birthday celebration a bit early and making it so special for me.  Love you guys.

I am the luckiest gal on the planet…….

Always, Carol

Whoops, Alvin thank you for laying on my lap this morning as I wrote in my journal….. love your cuddles.

Thought for the day…..

Today, I awoke with a renewed sense of purpose.

I found the notebook with the first chapter of “My New Life @ 51” while looking for a new notebook to write my morning pages.

As I read each page – I had the self-realization as tears came to my eyes that yes, in fact, I was and am a WRITER.

A very good one at that……so after the morning pages were written…..I started right where I had left off……..a new chapter was born.

So my thought for this day is ……… sometimes you can find your purpose or I guess a renewed sense of purpose when just looking for a notebook.

It can be as simple as that ….

I am so blessed and joyful at this very moment.

The sun is shining and in my mind, the birds are singing their joyful songs.

I am on my way to pick up my Alvin from his sleepover.

What a glorious day…… always remember to have FAITH …..

Faith in yourself and faith in a higher power (whoever that might be).

Have the most blessed, amazing, awesome, crazy good, great, fantastic, joyful, loving, fun, abundant day that you have ever celebrated here on this earth.

Always, Carol

 

View from my office window

My WISH

Today I am going through my things preparing for a garage sale.

I decided to take a bit of a break so that I could write on this BLOG.

I saw another beautiful comment from my daughter Amanda.

I wonder,  is she the only one that reads my “stuff”.

My wish is to hear from anyone that takes the time to read what I have written.

My wish has always been to be a PUBLISHED WRITER.

To see my name on the bottom of a book:  Written by Carol Y Lewis.

That does have a ring to it.  If I sound selfish, that is not the case.  🙂

Just wishing BIG.  Anything is possible.

Have a great day.

Thank you.