The Dackel Princess

The Weekend Wrap

I’ve been relatively quiet recently. I had hoped to have answers to all my questions, but so far, there are more questions than answers.

It all began over six weeks ago. I got up in the night, and my head was spinning. I managed to return to bed, but there was a terrible feeling like the world was spinning.

I have had brief episodes of Vertigo before and expected the feeling to disappear. But it did not.

I went to the doctor and we tried several medications, but nothing worked. Later this week, I’ll go to the Physical Therapist for an evaluation, and next week, an MRI.

I’m trying to stay positive, but being as wobbly as I am is a little tricky.

Meanwhile…

My four-year-old laptop started to fall apart—literally. The frame split. The upside was that I had a laptop that just needed the hard drive wiped and reprogrammed. Since I had plenty of time and reprogramming was something I could do sitting down, I went to work.

I never thought I could do the entire thing, but I did. The laptop is programmed, the email is working, and I even got the lighted keyboard working.

Although I am challenged in some ways, I have gotten a lot done, so it’s almost all good.

Oh yes. God bless Heidi. She has taken such good care of me.

The Friday Five ~ April 25th

I was minding my own business, then all of a sudden, 1975 was 50 years ago. I was seventeen then, and now I have entered my golden years!

With this in mind, here is this week’s Friday Five.

1. I had held onto a glass, hand-blown German Shepherd. I inherited it when I married Jack and moved into the farmhouse he had shared with his first wife. I also inherited their White Shepherd, Rex. He was a sweet old boy whom I fell in love with.
2. I had watched over this piece for 35 years. I was talking to my step-son, and he was happily surprised that the glass dog was still around. I told him that it was his. I’ve enjoyed it all this time, but the dog was made for him by this glassblower. I tucked it away to protect it until Jon came for a visit.
3. Yesterday, I started looking for it. I thought I had tucked it into my china closet. It wasn’t there. I tried looking in all the other places I put things to keep them protected. No go. I prayed to Saint Anthony for help, but even my prayers didn’t help me find what I was looking for.
4. So I looked in a place I had never put anything. I opened the drawer and noticed a Ziploc bag that held Katie’s blanket. I opened the bag and carefully felt inside the blanket. Yes, there it was. How it got into that bag wrapped in Katie’s blanket, I will never know.
5. What this proves is that at 66 years of age, I can now hide my own Easter Eggs!

The Friday Five ~ April 11th

It’s been a crazy two weeks. I finally went in to see my Nurse Practitioner, whom I have been seeing for a few years. Here’s what’s going on.

1. I’ve been hit with terrible vertigo. It’s been going on for over two weeks. I’ve tried all my usual remedies, but nothing has worked.
2. She found an awful lot of fluid behind both eardrums. Frankly, it’s been like this for a while; only the vertigo is new and quite debilitating.
3. I’m on all sorts of antihistamines and decongestants. I feel sleepy, but in many ways, I think extra sleep may be what I need.
4. My exciting news is that my A1C level is down to 5.3 from 9.3. Thank you, Ozempic!
5. Another brisk wind and Lake Waukewan will be ice out. A Sure Sign of Spring.

Julia’s Roasted Chicken

Before the snow started, I decided to go to the grocery store and get a chicken. I wondered if my COVID-19-damaged taste buds were causing me a problem.

Then I thought longer and realized I was attempting to make some rather elaborate dishes. I decided to go back to basics.

Several years ago, I learned to make Julia Child’s roasted chicken. After bringing the chicken, I season it and then rub it with butter.

I am cooking it in the oven with a Yukon Gold potato for my dinner. It smells wonderful. I just hope it tastes good when the time comes!

Here is the recipe:

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound or larger. Adjust the timing) chicken
* 1 small yellow onion, quartered
* 1 lemon, thinly sliced
* Salt and black pepper
* Butter
Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash the chicken in water and dry thoroughly. Season the cavity with salt and black pepper and stuff it with onion and lemon. Rub the chicken lightly with softened butter and season with salt and pepper. Tie the drumstick ends together and set the chicken breast side up on an oiled V-shaped rack or an oiled roasting pan in the oven.

Roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, baste the chicken, and roast for 15 minutes. Continue roasting the chicken until the juices run clear, for 45 – 50 minutes, plus an additional 7 minutes for each pound. (In other words, a 3 1/2 pound chicken would take 70 minutes or 1 hour and 10 minutes of cooking time.)

I set my kitchen alarm and basted the bird and the potato every 15 minutes.

Now look and see how pretty this is! Tasted good, too.

Crockpot Fail

I started the weekend looking forward to making my pot roast. Oh, how I was looking forward to that. I sat at the table, cutting vegetables and tossing them all in my crockpot.

I added all the other ingredients and then became distracted. That’s my only defense, and not even a good one.

An hour later, I went to check the pot. I had not plugged in the machine and turned it on.

I turned it all on and reset the timer. I came into the family room just furious with myself.

Six hours later, the meat was done and tender, but the flavor was all wrong.

Since my episodes of Covid, I have lost my taste buds, and they have never returned. Also, things that made my tastebuds sing no longer appeal.

I need to get out my old recipe files and make the simple and appealing ones.

Meanwhile, I’ve been listening to music to ease my soul. Previously, I had put together a playlist with the Beatles and each member separately. Oh yes. I doubt we will ever have another group of men change the landscape of the music world!

Me in Liverpool!

The Boots!

When I first married Jack, I was well aware of our height discrepancies. He was 6 feet 4 inches tall and in shoes, probably a little more. At the time, I was five feet 8 inches if I stretched.

So, at 29 years old, I bought my first pair of spikey leather boots. I had never worn heels, and the first day I wore them, I learned all about real pain!

The heel was 4 – 6 inches high. At first, I did well. We drove from New Hampshire to JFK, where Jack was based. I did not have to stand or walk.

This was before 9/11. On this day in 1988, Jack and I walked from the crew parking area into the Pilot’s Lounge. The lounge was on the lower level, where the suitcases went out to the planes and then went back in.

After showing me the Pilot’s Lounge, he showed me the airport’s underfloor before returning to the gate for our flight. For those who have never seen this, it was fascinating. But done in high heels, it was a challenge.

He showed me some back stairs into the terminal and escorted me to the gate. Then, he went off to do some pilot work.

I walked down the ramp and onto the plane, sticking my head into the cockpit to say hello!

Well, we flew to Atlanta, coming in at Gate A20. Before we took off on the next leg, we walked to the other end of the airport to a restaurant Jack liked for lunch. Then, by golly, we walked back to the plane.

It was then that I became aware that my feet, both of them, were on fire! On the plane, I removed the boots and let the cool air soothe them.

This went on all day, with the new bride me not saying a word but struggling to make it through.

Late in the evening, we returned to JFK, and after Jack finished his pilot work, we walked back to the car. It was cold and icy, and I told Jack I needed to stop.

I leaned against a car and removed those boots. I could feel my nylons tear, but I did not care.

When we got home, I wore soft cotton socks and vowed never to wear high heels again, especially those darn boots!

The boots went to Amanda. I wonder if they worked for her?

And The Wind Blew…

I cannot recall when I had to deal with the heavy winds like we had. As I sit here writing this post, waiting for the delivery of some patio furniture, I am listening to the wind howl! When Heidi goes out, her floppy dackel ears blow back like a flag during a storm.

At least the rain has stopped, and the sun is out. I am very grateful for that!

Tomorrow is a big day. I am going to make a chuck roast. I cooked roasts like this back in the day, but Jack was a snob and refused to eat them, but I found them rich and flavourful. I shall report my results with pictures, including my recipe.

My screened-in porch table arrived, and it goes so well with the chairs I got.

Now, I can sit with my tea or coffee and look out over the lake. That is, when it is warm enough.

The Friday Five ~ March 21st

This was a busy week for me: productive, frustrating, and exhausting.

On Monday, I had a meeting in Concord. I finished my business quickly and then called my Toyota dealer because of two problems. He made an appointment for the next day.
The next day, I was up early to get my hatchback reconditioned. They looked up, and there was a recall for my car—one of the onboard computers needed to be reset.
I have been looking for a table for the screen porch that fits my bar-height chairs. Now I can see the lake. Best of all, the table was on sale!
I also needed a patio set, as the snow shovelers broke my old one. The new one is not only beautiful but weatherproof.
My beautiful yellow roses, which I purchased two weeks ago, are still tight and look brand new. They have lifted my spirits.

Happy Birthday Quinn!

Today my darling grandson turns eight years old! Wow! The last eight years have sped by.

From the moment you were born, Quinn, and I held you in my arms my heart was full of love for you.

I love you to the moon and back!

I am the luckiest Oma in the entire world!

May be an image of 1 person and dog

Heidi & Me

Today was a fun day for Heidi and me. She loves to go for car rides. She has her bed and blanket, and when I enter the Post Office, she will stand there and watch me walk across the street.

We finally had a little warmer weather. And although the skies were milky, they were slightly brighter.

My dental retainer arrived, and I need to start wearing it tonight. It is very tight. I’m a little concerned, but I should be okay.