The New YEAR 2022

Good Morning ALL! How are you this morning? How was your Wednesday? I hope that you had an awesome day and that wherever you are, the weather is mild and you are safe and in good health. I had a great day at the office and did not have to worry about my boy as he was left in good hands. I know that he was “upset” with me as he reminded me all evening and woke up extra early at midnight. Not so much that he was upset as out of his routine and when you get older “routine” is a big deal – much the same as when you are very young. I don’t think that he drank enough water as he was super thirsty in the evening and at midnight. So I cannot blame him or even be the slightest bit upset with him, which I was/am not.

We did not have our walks yesterday either but will get out there today. I am only working in the morning as Alvin has his regular vet appointment in the afternoon and while he is there, I have an appointment to get the booster vaccine at the nearby Pharmasave so multitasking which is great. I hope that we have clear skies and the same warm temperatures today. It did freeze overnight so at least by afternoon the ice will have melted so it should be safe to walk for our appointment.

It was so wonderful to spend time with my daughter as she drove me to and from work. On the way home from work we made a “quick stop” at Costco. Is a stop there ever quick? But it wasn’t too long as I wanted to get home to Alvin.

This Thursday January 13, 2022 is a very special day as it is the birthday of my youngest brother, Tyler. Happy Birthday Buddy and I will speak to you later (should you be reading this post). He is one of the sweetest human beings that I know. We wish him a great day.

I also wish you a wonderful day.

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

Always, Carol & Alvin

Thought for the day ….

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 20th day of February, 2019.

It has been lightly snowing since about 4:00 a.m. (one of the times that Mr. Alvin had us up).

We were so grateful last night for such a beautiful evening and for our regular walk.

First time in about three weeks that we were able to go for the whole walk.

Alvin decided that we should turn in at Teddy’s house.

Teddy’s Aunt and Teddy were happy to see us and decided to walk us part of the way home.

It was so nice for the boys and we, girls to have company.

It was wonderful.

 

Last night I learned about the passing of a neighbour and friend from back home.

He was my age and we shared the same birth month.

So young.

I am sending my thoughts and prayers to his wife, children and family.

Incredibly sad.

So young.

There are no words.

Just feelings that way too young to leave his family and friends.

Hard to articulate at this moment.

 

I hope that you have a wonderful Wednesday.

Do not sweat the small stuff.

Life needs to be lived to the fullest each and every day.

Love your family and friends and tell them ALL the time.

 

Special Hello to: my family and friends, you are the world to me.

Always, Carol & Alvin

 

 

COUNTDOWN: 60 Days to 60

Well today is Sunday, June 11, 2017 and is the 60th day until my 60th Birthday.

I would say that this has been on my mind, as of late.

Not that I am stressing over this upcoming date.

Just pondering the path behind and the road ahead.

Over my lifetime to this point;  how I envisioned my life is not exactly how it has turned out.

In the early days I wanted the white picket fence, the house, the husband, the four children-two sons and two daughters, summer vacations and to be a nurse and writer.

However that is not exactly the course that my life has taken.

I do not have the white picket fence.

Fences are not all that necessary.

I finally got the house on my own just months before I turned 52.

I do have have a husband, and that is okay.

I was married and have been divorced for several decades.

I do not have four children.

I do however have ONE amazing, wonderful DAUGHTER and a great SON-IN-LAW and GRAND-PUPPIES.

I adopted my four-legged companion, Alvin in 2010.

He brings great joy to my days.

I am not able to take summer vacations.

I am not a nurse.

But I write ….. this I have done since I was 6 years old.

So life changes as the days and years pass.

Our dreams change over time.

I will say that I never thought that I would be single, take early retirement after 30 years with a company and then start another “career” and am now almost 6 years into it.

Time flies.

I kid with folks and say that I am “OLD” but truth is …. I feel young even though somedays my body reminds me otherwise.

I love to laugh and when I find that I am taking life too seriously I change directions and find the laughter once again.

 

I watched a video last night of James Corden doing an interview with Ed Sheeran in a car.

They were driving along ….. singing and talking ….. talking and singing.

Enjoying life.

I must say I love ED SHEERAN and pleasantly surprised by James Corden’s voice (he easily could have been a singer).

You may wonder what Ed and James have to do with 60 days to 60 but in actuality it is partly the choices we make about music and such that keeps us young.

Think young ….. act young ….. be young.

 

Well I guess if I am to write things for 60 days about turning 60, I should stop now.

Safe to say the next 59 days worth of posts will be shorter.

I hope that my journey to 60 will perhaps inspire you, make you laugh, maybe even bring a tear to your eye but most of all I hope that it brings some joy to your day(s).

Now yikes only 59 days till I turn 60……………

 

Always, Carol

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Tuesday the 31st day of January, 2017.

Wow, the last day of the month.

I am back …. was down with a “bug” yesterday but am feeling AWESOME today.

Sure was windy yesterday.

Woke up this morning to a nice thick layer of snow.

It was still snowing at 5:00 and at 5:30 when I was out shovelling.

Had to shovel a path for Mr. Alvin ….. so he would go “poop.”

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Today feels like the day to see how I started this BLOG …. my very first blog.

How have things changed …. well that will be tomorrow.

This is written on April 5, 2010 ….. wow.

I managed to write most days since that time.

Which is a huge accomplishment.

Here is how it all began:

 

Hi Everyone,

I want to share my “world” with you.  Writing has always played a major role in my life in one way, shape or form.  My dream is to be a published writer, a creator of works to share with the world.  This is my beginning.  My New Life @ 51 will start going back almost two years.  It was just after I turned “51” that I decided to retire after near thirty years with the same company, and  move to a new city in a new province.  Lots of surprises and gifts along the way.  Being “50” something is a bit different from “30” something especially in this day and age.

My life has always been near chaos to some degree.  I decided it was time while I was still young enough to make some monumental changes, to just go for it.  Needless to say my decisions caused much speculation amongst my family and friends. Playing a major role in my motivation was having my only child, my daughter living hundreds of miles away.  We only saw each other a couple of times each year.  She moved in August of 2002 to further her education, and this was the summer of 2008.  We missed each other terribly,  and I missed so many birthdays and just days.  Well, it was time to make some changes!

They say that timing is everything but I think you make your own.  Timing that is. Staying positive, and being optimistic are important tools to living your life.  They certainly have helped me during the past year and a half.

I hope that you will enjoy my “BLOG” and that perhaps I can help to inspire you to make changes, and try something new.  It doesn’t matter how big or how small a change is but spreading your wings is a good thing.  Learning something new keeps your brain alive and functioning. Keeps you young.   Also I want to share some of the things that I have learned during my almost “53” years on this good old planet Earth.  Maybe a recipe for my favourite cookies (everyone rants and raves over) or how to entertain a two year old.  Just the stuff of life.

If you follow my adventure on this BLOG, I promise to entertain you, educate and inspire and above all, make you LAUGH. Laughter is so important in our lives, and we should all laugh more often.  Belly laugh…… till your eyes fill with “water” !!

Anyway, here goes …………  🙂

 

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Special Hello to: all those folks who took the time out of their busy schedules to read my works.  I am so thankful for your time.

Always, Carol and Alvin

 

 

Thought for the day …..

Good Morning and Welcome to Sunday the 18th day of October, 2015.

The sun is shining and I am awake after a great Saturday.

The Steeped Tea Open House was a great success and last night out with my young friends for dinner and a movie was AWESOME.

We had dinner at EARLS at West Edmonton Mall ….. three of us had this great salad; I think it was named Santa Fe something ….. SO YUMMY.

After dinner we went to the THEATRE at the mall and saw “THE INTERN” which has to be one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen.

We laughed …. We cried ….. it was so good.

There was even a bit of clapping in parts.

Just like the movie “older person with young people” …… we had a great time.

I think we definitely can learn from each other.

So if you are young then you should start hanging out with someone much older and if you are older try hanging out with someone young.

By the way, WE CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.

The young ones are just as knowledgeable about “stuff” as we are …. just different stuff.

So we can learn from each other.

So my Saturday was definitely EPIC.

Time to go and have some breakfast: the one of champions …. toast with honey …. well maybe not.

I NEED COFFEE.

Did I mention that I actually had a couple of drinks with supper ….. yes, I did.

CAESARS …. so yummy …. I love the tomato and spice part …..

Yes, we had dessert and all felt like we were waddling to the theatre.

Well time to get this show on the road.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Special Hello to: my sister who yes tonight …. SKYPE …. let me know the time….. maybe after supper around 7:30 p.m. ( I will make sure to go for a walk with Alvin before supper).

Always, Carol and Alvin

Thought for the day……

Good Morning and Welcome to Wednesday the 24th day of July, 2013.

Royal baby made his grand entrance with Mom and Dad to the world yesterday.

His sure is cute but then again are not all babies cute?  YES.

Now we are just waiting for his name.

I have some ideas …..

I think “James Henry William Charles Spencer Michael” …. has a nice ring to it.

It takes in names from Kings of days gone by, includes William, Charles, Diana’s maiden name and Kate’s Father.

So we shall see.  Probably with them being ahead of us the name has already been decided and announced.

I love names …

When I was a young girl I would fill books with names …. I would always try to find names that sounded good together.

I always felt that names were important.

I loved putting them together.

Over the years I have had a hand in helping name a few babies…. which was great.

When I was expecting my daughter over thirty-three years ago – I thought, considered, pondered and filled many a page of names.

At the end …. he was a she and then her Dad decided he wanted to name her after a country song so all that preparation went out the window.

I did however manage to select her middle names and that made me proud.

So I hope that they consider this new baby’s name carefully and give him something that is both old and new ….

Well time to go to work ….

Today is a perfectly wonderful day and I have an idea ….

Let me know what you think.

I am going to write “a story one line at a time” ….. starting tomorrow and on this blog.

I figure I have been filling notebooks with beginnings, middles and endings of books for years and that maybe this will be an easier way to do things.

Have a great day.

Special Hello to: all the new babies born …. you are so cute.

 

Always, Carol and Alvin