The Dackel Princess

My Hurt Paw!

Day two of my dealing with De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis found me feeling almost a bit worse. Although I do well in the splint, if I move just wrong, the pain is terrible.

Jack seems to think that a good night’s sleep, along with a large tumbler of scotch will magically heal this. I do not have the heart to tell him that this may be a long-term problem and not something that will heal overnight.

Many years ago, during my physical exam, my doctor commented that I was fortunate to have Jack by my side. I laughed. Then I told him, “You and I had better hope that I never become seriously ill!”

And so it goes.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I had to do laundry today. And although I asked I got very little help. Ah well. I suppose he feels at his age, he needs to be taken care of more than I do.

Ah, enough of feeling sorry for myself. If I am lucky, I will see my daughter and grandchildren on Friday after my visit with my Glaucoma doctor. I pray for good eye pressure and lunch with the kids!

My Hand

In recent weeks I have been having problems with my left wrist/thumb/hand. back in the day, my Mom warned me that sucking my thumb would be my downfall. Today I believed her!

In recent weeks I have been suffering from pain in my left hand/thumb/wrist. Today, in extreme pain I went to the doctor and they verified that I have:

I suspected this but needed someone to verify my diagnosis. I got it! I also got a personalized hard splint, and a game plan to fix me up!

Now I must type with one hand while resting my left hand. I think it is rather hilarious that my left wrist/hand is affected when I am right-handed! Apparently, I am ambidextrous!

So, that’s the news from New Hampshire! Have a great day and a splendid week!

The Friday Five ~ July 23rd

Today is my sister’s birthday. I wish we were together, but sadly, traveling is still an issue for me. I wanted to tell you all what a wonderful sister Melodie is.

She is five and a half years older than me, and I was her “first baby”. She cared for me like a little mother and was always more like a mother to me, than a sister.
Mel is one of the kindest women that I know. She always has a smile and a warm greeting for those around her. She loves her family with her whole heart and rejoices in their successes and comforts them in their sorrows. If you are lucky enough to be loved by my sister, you will know that her love is a constant and she will always be there for you.

Ron and Melodie

3. She has been married to her husband, Ron for almost 50 years. They met at the age of 13 at summer camp and wrote to each other for many years before their wedding in November of 1971.

4. They raised a great family and have six grandchildren. They always tried to put the kids first and over the years did many fun things with all of them.

5. So today, on her sixty-eighth birthday I want to wish my beloved sister, Melodie a very Happy Birthday!

TBT: Mom & Dad

This week’s Throw Back Thursday are pictures of my Mom and Dad in their teens. They were 13 and 14 years old when they met. Dad played the piano and organ at recitals and my Mom was a dancer.

Fourteen-year-old Dad. James Alfred, also known as Jimmy to Mom and Jim to everyone else. He was a handsome teenager back then, and he swept my mother off her feet. He became a music teacher in the schools in my hometown and at one point everyone had had Dad as their teacher. He loved music. He loved sharing it with others.

And here is Mom. Rosamond Ruth also called Rosa. She was really a quiet woman, and I think she was probably a shy child. She was very close to her cousin George and her parents. She adored her brother, but often he didn’t want his kid sister hanging around. Still, she loved him deeply.

If there was one thing that they shared with me growing up, it was their love of animals. All through my childhood, we had at least one dog, mostly two, and always a Siamese cat! A house wasn’t a home for us without a pet or two or three.

They were married for over 60 years! Their marriage wasn’t perfect, but they remained close all through their life together….

It’s Craziness, I Tell You! Craziness!

Monday found me questioning why I had even bothered to get up!

Arnie was still no better, so I got up, and in the rain went outside to do a clean catch of his urine. Folks, if you have a boy dog that needs to have his urine caught and put in a Ziploc for the Vet to examine, I’m your girl!

I turned on our oven to preheat it before making my WW Banana Breakfast bread. After half an hour it wasn’t even warm. So I used my air fryer oven to cook the bread, and all was well there. However I had to call our repairman, Barry to get him to come and take a look.

Meanwhile, I called our Veterinarian and made an appointment for Arnie to be seen.

The traffic around town was terrible. Just like summer on Cape Cod. Bumper to bumper and no one getting anywhere very fast.

Arnie is actually doing better than he has been. He does have a UTI, but it is not as bad as the last one. He is also holding his weight, and his health overall is pretty good for an old man!

Eventually, Arnie and I got home, just in time for Barry to arrive. He took the oven apart and it is the igniter! How weird that both the dryer and the oven igniters went within a week or so of each other. We called the supply house and the part will be delivered on Friday and Barry will come and do the installation.

So right now, if I can’t cook things on the stovetop, air fryer, or microwave we won’t be eating it. Thankfully we do have plenty of, what I call, quickie meals.

Jack is really hard on his bathrobes. He goes through the sleeves all the time. I’ve ordered a new one, but it is on backorder until August. So, today I took the pockets off an old one and proceeded to use that as a patch. I was able to fix two old robes. They may not be pretty, but at least his elbow isn’t poking out. It’s not perfect, but so much better.

Ah, well, tomorrow is another day, and hopefully, it will be a lot less crazy.

The Weekend Wrap ~ July 19th

As you all know from yesterday’s post, I spent a large portion of my weekend cooking. Jack was happy with the meals and I now have 8 meals for him in the freezer! My only problem today was the smell (strong) of garlic in the house. So I changed all my Scentsy wax holders and now everything smells like cookies. Much better!

Aside from cooking, I spent time watching movies again. It helps me to keep my personal Zen Place going.

On Sunday I watched two movies that truly prove that I am a hopeless romantic at heart!

First I watched “Lost In Translation“. I love this movie, as it is a story about two lost souls who find each other in Japan. Neither one is really looking for it, and yet there they are.

The ending always gets me. Does she meet up with him again in the States? I’d like to believe that they do. Anyway, Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray do a fabulous job and the director, Sofia Coppola‎, did a splendid job bringing this story to life.

The next movie is a classic. One almost everyone has seen. “An Affair to Remember “ with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

The acting, the story, and the music are all so beautiful. And yes, I cried like a baby at the end!

Arnie started to fuss over the weekend. So I am thinking that I need to call our Veterinarian Monday morning and bring him in. I say drats! He has been doing so well! I will keep you all posted!

So that’s it! The Weekend Wrap for July 19th, 2021!

Rain & Chopping

Ah yes, because we have not had enough rain (hahaha!) I woke to downpours on Sunday morning. Lili is brave enough to run out and commune with nature, but dear Arnie must be coaxed.

So I put on my raincoat, got the umbrella out, and headed toward the grass. No one, not even me was happy about this rainstorm and quite honestly, I am not thrilled that the rest of this week we are due to get even more of the wet stuff!

Yesterday was a “chopping” day for me. I knew I was going to make beef stew, and a meat and vegetable spaghetti sauce, So I sat at the kitchen table chopping onions, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, and celery. Then I asked which meal Jack wanted? He chose the beef stew, so, I got that in the dutch oven and set it to slowly simmer. Today I will be making the spaghetti sauce.

The strangest part about these two meals is that I’m not eating either one.

After not following my healthy living lifestyle in recent months, I stepped on the scale and nearly fainted. So last week, I started eating correctly again.

But it is so hard!

I know I am not alone in fighting to control my weight. I know that after menopause, you might as well get used to eating like a bunny rabbit. Anything else goes straight to the hips.

So the rest of the day today will be cooking the sauce and I want to take everything out of my closet and clean it. I do this about once every two years. How this disaster happens in there I do not know. It’s like my own private earthquake comes and suddenly everything is a jumbled mess! Ugh!

Have a great day everyone!

The Friday Five ~ July 16th

I know I did a long list on Thursday, but those were more general types of thoughts. This is now my Friday Five for the week ending on July 16th.

1. 1. 1. 1. The biggest story here in most of New Hampshire is the rain! Day after day, rain. However that being said, Thursday found things so hot and humid, it may as well have rained, as I chose to stay in with the air conditioners.
      2. I simply cannot tell you how much better Arnie is doing! When I sent away for the Cranberry/Pumpkin Extract, I admit being skeptical that this would work. It took about 2-3 weeks, but it is working and Arnie is doing so well.
      3. Today’s movie was a 1985 film called “White Nights”.
        It stars Mikail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Helen Mirren, and Isabella Rossellini. The movie was pretty good. The music was super, but the dancing was the best.
      4. We’re starting the search for a nearly New Highlander XLE. I love my Highlander and was a new one, but things like leather seats, a backup camera, and automatic Bluetooth. I will keep you posted.
      5. And last but not least, this is Race Weekend here in the Lakes Region. It means a large influx of tourists filling our hotels and campground and grocery stores and of course the races down at the Loudon Racetrack!
    So that’s it for the week. I hope your weekend will be a nice one, wherever you are!

Thursday Thirteen ~ July 15th

Since I have been pondering a lot this week, I thought I would compose a Thursday Thirteen. They are simply random thoughts, in no particular order.

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the negativity right now. I know that we are all allowed to have our own feelings and thoughts on things, but when these devolve into adults being a poor example to kids by bullying others, that’s where I simply cease to be involved.
I was at my local grocery store buying food. I choose to wear a mask for a number of reasons, but I heard a little girl ask her young mother why was I wearing a mask, and the mother replied, “Well, because she is crazy” I kid you not.
I’ve had such vivid dreams lately. I was walking through a beautiful forest and I felt something down by my feet.
Me with Shubi and Otto in Bavaria.

I looked down and there was Shubi walking right next to me, the way she always did.
We have had so much rain you simply would not believe it! Usually, we have some rain in the summer, but this year we have been having rain, heavy rain, nearly every day.
Now heavy rain brings with it lush green grass and fully leafed out trees. It’s been rather beautiful. Just wet and neither Arnie or Lili like it one bit.
Currently, I am really fighting being down. Several people I know are having serious health problems and one of my sister’s dear friends passed away. In the last year and a half, there has been so much illness and death.
Since I have not wanted to watch the news on TV, I have been watching a lot of movies, and reruns of shows I’ve enjoyed. Several of the shows are on Brit Box and they’re wonderful. I especially love “As Time Goes By” with Dame Judi Dench. She is an actress who can do almost everything.
Several people have asked me what if…type of questions recently. The big what if, goes like this. What if I learned that I had a rather bad Cancer. The type where I only could perhaps buy a little time, but actually there was no cure for. That was easy. I would tell my doctor to keep me comfortable, and then I would spend my last “good” days with the people I love.
I’ve lived a very full life. It’s been difficult, that’s for sure, but I made it through and I hope in some small way I will leave this world a slightly better place. I know that I have loved deeply and I have been loved, but I am not afraid. You are born, you live your life and then you die. Simple as that. One just hopes for a good healthy life.
Do you realize that July is halfway over? I’m quite amazed at how quickly the days are passing. I have a feeling this summer will fly by and before we know it, Autumn will come and then Winter and Snow!
My old boy, Arnie is doing pretty well right now. He is now the longest-lived dog I have ever had.
I am so glad that his health has returned. And that the cranberry/pumpkin extract has been working on his UTI problems! This old boy sure knows how to live.
We had thunderstorms on Wednesday afternoon. Lili did better with the noise. Mostly the storms went just south of us and all that happened was that we lost our satellite signal for a few minutes.
Lastly, I think I will begin the summer of 2021 de-cluttering. It’s a little crazy here and time for me to get ruthless. Junk must go!

So, here is my somewhat jumbled list. No real theme and in no particular order.

The Weekend Wrap ~ July 12th

What a lovely weekend I had. I watched my favorite sport, Tennis, and got to see the Wimbledon Finals. Ashleigh Barty from Australia and Novak Djokovic, from Serbia, won the Women’s and Men’s Titles respectively, and for Ash Barty, it was wonderful seeing this young woman’s dreams come true. I admit I cried just a little with happiness for her.

Next on my list of things that made me happy, is the fact that when my new Router arrived, I was able to install it and set up my home network! No small feat, I will tell you.

I keep telling people that I know just enough about computers to be dangerous, but I keep living by what my friend and computer guru has always told me. “Sit down, think, and try.” The worst that can happen is that I need to call him for a service call.

Let me back up a little with the Router. My old one was dying and kept disconnecting from our modem. I read all that I could find about Routers, and then I went in search of what I needed and could afford on Amazon.

I found a Router that would be compatible with my older devices, as well as one with the new Wifi 6. (My new Cell Phone has this capability and I imagine as time goes on and I replace more electronics, I will need this.)

Anyway, on Saturday afternoon, I sat down with written instructions and began setting up my new Router.

Since I am still learning, it took me two hours to get it all up and running and in the end, I was so happy, but quite clearly, I needed some lunch!

Mission Accomplished!

On Sunday I prepared my Herb Crusted Prime Rib Roast. That also came out well, and I served it with a side of roasted potatoes and peas. All I can say is, I sure wish I didn’t cook so well!

Sheets were changed, the laundry got done and the dogs were fed, cuddled, and cared for.

One thing to note here, since our neighbor’s fireworks on July 3rd, Lili has really had trouble with her startle reflex. We have looked into our local laws and ordinances and our neighbor was clearly in the wrong. Although there is not much I can do at this point, I plan to make a written complaint to file with both the Fire Cheif and the Police Cheif, as well as the Town. Our small neighborhood simply is not the place to fire off those types of fireworks.

In any case, this weekend was a good one and I am so thankful for that! Have a great week everyone and if you are living in the Northeast, try to stay dry!