The Dackel Princess

Whines~day Wednesday

Tuesday was my first dental exam in a year. I’d been putting it off due to my own Covid Fears. However, I finally gathered up my courage, and off I went.

I was a little worried I might have cavities, and I know my jaw clenching isn’t a good thing.

All that being said, I came through my exam with flying colors, with the exception of tooth #5. It has had a small crack for a few years, but I’m afraid my jaw clenching caused the crack to get worse. Ugh!

So, I must have the tooth prepped and have a crown placed on it. Double Ugh!!!

I go back in one week to start the process and I will be footing the bill for half of this crown! That is $800.00 I will watch fly out the window. But I have made the commitment to keep as many teeth as possible, so I will cough up the money. The insurance company pays the other half. That is one very expensive tooth!

On the weather side of things, we had zero degrees Fahrenheit with 45-50 MPH winds and all the light snow that fell overnight was blown around, causing whiteouts! It sure was fun! Not!

I am sure looking forward to Springtime!

Have a great day everyone!

Bacon, Onion & Brussel Sprouts

1 pound of Brussel sprouts
3-4 slices of bacon
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper
1 small onion chopped

In a saucepan boil, Brussel Sprouts for about 5-8 minutes or until sprouts are tender but still crisp.
Drain and set aside to cool.
In nonstick skillet cook bacon until crisp.
Remove and set on a paper towel to cool.
In the frying pan add onion and cook until the onion is cooked.
Add garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Stir well.
Add Brussel sprouts and cook until the Brussel sprouts brown.
Place in a serving bowl and crumble bacon over the top.
Serve hot! Enjoy!

This is one of our favorite recipes. One way to cook and really enjoy Brussel Sprouts!

The Weekend Wrap ~ March 1st

After writing my Friday Five, I was off to spend a little quality time with my two grandchildren. I left early on Friday morning and drove quite happily down the highway to Mandy and Matt’s home.

I was feeling rather lighthearted as I drove along. I have not driven this route since Christmas Day, and it was so nice seeing all the spots that I know so well.

I arrived early, and as this was school vacation, both Savi and Quinn were home and ready to greet me!

I’d brought a craft project for us to work on (which was not a big hit) and I also brought with me stories I’d written some time ago about my first dachshund called “The Shubi Tales”.

Those they liked and I ended up reading to them for a while. (Note to self: Go through these stories now and correct punctuation and grammar!)

We had lunch, played a new game I’d gotten called “Memory Chess”, which was quite fun. My little darlings ganged up on poor Oma and beat me! But this game is a good one and we enjoyed it.

Late in the afternoon, we all got ready, and off we went for our first restaurant meal since this Covid Nightmare began.

We went to “The Tuscan Village” where they had these marvelous Igloos outside, where you could have your meal. The Igloos are disinfected between customers and are also lit with Christmas lights that change color and are also heated.

I had this marvelous cocktail, an Espresso Martini. It is deceptively delicious and one does not quite realize it packs quite a punch. I had two! And I will say, standing up found me feeling a little light-headed. Thank goodness I was not driving!

Mandy and I shared an appetizer of Calamari, and we each had a wonderful haddock with risotto. Also, Matt had gotten Asparagus on his plate and I took that as he cannot eat Asparagus.

Now I should have stopped there, but I splurged and ate cannolis! They were delicious, but I am sure I will burn in WW hell for this meal! However, that being said, it was so spectacular to be out, in such a festive environment eating such delicious food!

Afterward, Savi’s friend arrived and we were watching the new “Tom & Jerry” cartoon when Mandy asked if this green plastic cup was mine? Yes, yes it was. I opened it, only to find my dental retainer gone!

We looked around and there was Mandy’s dog, Winter, with my retainer in her mouth! The funny thing was it almost looked like she was wearing false teeth!

Do not let this innocent face fool you!

We jumped up and Mandy went one way and I went the other in hopes of capturing the dog! That little American Eskimo puppy was so fast that she outran us both! Fortunately, Savi’s friend, Kinsley, grabbed the dog and we got the retainer back, completely unharmed.

I did not put it back into my mouth, however, until I had brought it home and completely sanitized it!

The next morning, I woke early and looked outside. It was snowing! In fifteen minutes the road was covered, so I jumped into my clothes and loaded my car (remembering all the stuff I had forgotten at Christmas), and began my trip home.

The roads were not good. I’d expected the back roads to be messy but hoped the main highway would be easily drivable. This was not the case. As I traveled further north the roads became worse and worse. I never drove over 45 miles an hour. There were crazy drivers who sped by going 65-75 MPH, and I am sure that one or two of them were the ones I saw off the road in a ditch. Why do people do this?

I stopped and shopped, for groceries and gasoline and then proceeded home. I’d departed Mandy’s at 7 AM and after shopping and the drive, I did not get home until 11:30. But I did it! And not a skid or slip along the way!

The rest of the weekend I watched mindless TV and cooked meals. Oh yes, and the inevitable laundry, that seems to multiply overnight!

The week will be filled with doctors and dental appointments. The usual when one is advancing into their later years!

My hope is that New Hampshire will get enough vaccines so that people over the age of 60 will be eligible sooner. (currently, my group will be in May or June) Right now our neighboring State of Maine considers 60+-year-olds being in a high-risk group, while New Hampshire sees us being just as hearty as a 55-year-old. Trust me, this is not the case for most people I know.

So that is it for my Weekend Wrap! Have a good week everyone!

The Friday Five ~ February 26th

I think the slightly longer hours of daylight are helping my wintertime depression and the skies remind me that soon Spring will be here. Instead of recounting my week, I thought I would give you five pictures of days gone by.

This first one is me. I am thinking I was about 5 years old. I was a real ham even back then. Point a camera at me and I pose.
Mandy says she can always tell my fake smiles from the real ones. That makes me laugh. Surprisingly, I think that Quinn looks a lot like me.
Here is a picture taken when I was ten. My sister is on the left, my cousin Rikki on the right holding her beautiful baby daughter, Dawn.

This is the first baby I remember being born and I simply fell in love with her! Dawn has grown into an amazing woman. And she is just as lovely on the outside as she is on the inside!
The next picture is of me holding my sister’s first son, Michael. He was such a beautiful baby and I was instantly smitten.
In fact, I have always loved babies! Fortunately, my family always allowed me unlimited rocking baby times! I think I was 13 years old.
When I was just 14, my parents went to Bermuda to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They took me with them. They went in November and it was chilly. But I loved Bermuda.
An interesting note here. It was also my first airplane ride. And the airline was Pan Am. Little did I know that years later, I would marry a Pan Am pilot.
The last old picture for today was of me at 16. My Mom made this gown for me as I was a Rainbow Girl. The picture is not the best as it is an old polaroid snap.I loved this gown and it made me feel like a million dollars when I wore it. I wish I knew what happened to that gown. It would be lovely to have it now.

So that’s it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend wherever you may be!

TBT: Shubi & Me

This is Shubi and me as we sat on a little bench overlooking our lake at sunset. This was taken the summer we built our house. Shubi was my little sunshine and one of the sweetest dogs ever!

Shubi and I traveled all over Europe. She had her own little Doggy Passport and she was simply a wonderful flier and so polite at restaurants and hotels!

We had a motorcoach for a while and drove all over the USA and Canada. Shubi was amazing and spent most of her time riding right in my lap!

She really was the light in my life. She gave me more than I could ever have given her. She was greatly loved.

Shubi was born on December 1, 1995, in Landshut, Germany. She was my first wirehaired dackel! She lived just ten years and died young due to illness. But I can look back and smile at our wonderful ten years, because of what a great time we had together!

This & That ~ February 24th

Yesterday was a pretty busy day for me. It was the first time I’d been out to shop at Walmart and Shaws in nearly a year. I have really stayed very close to home, instead of driving the 8 miles to the next town to shop there.

Since I had an 11:30 eye appointment, I decided to go early and do the shopping I needed to do.

Our driveway was still unplowed and we had about 4-5 inches of snow there. So, I hit the snow button on the highlander dash and that car moved right up the driveway, no problem at all! I love that car!

First I went to Walmart expecting to buy a few items on my list. I had not been there since March of 2020 and what I saw shocked me. A terrible selection of items and the prices were awful!

I did get a few things, and then I was off to Shaws Supermarket hoping to find some items that I have not seen locally. Once again, terrible selection, and high prices!

Next, I went to my Optometrist to have an exam and get a new prescription for glasses. I sat waiting for 45 minutes (past my appointment time!) and finally he came in. The exam was a good one but left me feeling distressed.

My eye pressures have gone up (which explains my headaches) and I have actually lost vision in my left eye. He wants me to call my Glaucoma doctor tomorrow and leave a message.

He worked to adjust my prescription, and then I toddled off to see if there were any glasses I liked. The young optician had the nicest glasses I’ve seen in a while! I asked if they had them in gold, and they do, so he has placed my order. Yay! New glasses with a stronger prescription.

Upon coming home, I fixed myself some lunch at 2 PM! Crazy. I really had expected to be home by noon or 1:00 at the latest! So, this was really not good.

Dinner was easy. I made Jack stuffed peppers, and I made haddock for me. Quick and easy.

This is probably the busiest day I have had since last year. The really nice part was driving around and seeing places I love (Lake Winnepesaukee) and have not seen since mid-March of 2020!

A Winter Wonderland

It has been another snowy day here in New Hampshire. It seems that we just get cleaned up from one storm when another comes rushing in. It’s pretty and when I lived in Florida I missed the four seasons. That being said, I love snow for Christmas in December and after that I want Springtime!

I went out with Lili and Arnie to take a short video, which is below. As I write on Monday night, it is still snowing! Thank goodness this year I finally replaced my winter boots (My last pair died several years ago), and have a good down parka with faux fur!

Lili loves the snow, but poor old boy Arnie is not a fan!

Tomorrow I go in for an eye exam and I think I will look for new frames for my glasses. The ones I have are three years old and as much as I love them, I feel like a change.

I hope your Monday was a nice one and that your weather is better than ours!

New England Humor

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about New Englanders…

Forget Rednecks ….

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t work there, you live in New England.

If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in New England.

If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in New England.

If Vacation means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend, you live in New England.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in New England.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in New England.

If you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ on the same day and back again, you live in New England.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England.

If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked, you live in New England.

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in New England.

If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in New England.

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph you’re going 80 and everybody is passing you, you live in New England.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in New England.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in New England.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England.

If you find 10 degrees ‘a little chilly’, you live in New England.

If there’s a Dunkin Donuts on every corner, you live in New England.

If you think everyone else has a funny accent, you live in New England.

If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your New England friends, you live or have lived in New England.

Life Goes On

I wasn’t very sure I was going to get all my errands done on Saturday before the bank and the Post Office closed, but somehow leaving early and hitting the grocery store first and then getting the banking and the mail, worked out splendidly. I was done well before noon!

I’ve been wanted to go to Plymouth, NH to shop. However, this morning on the news they announced a Covid outbreak at the college there and 166 new cases overnight. They warned people to stay away from Plymouth if they could.

Since we are finally down to single digits of Covid cases here in Meredith, I decided to forgo the trip and shop locally.

One thing I must say about our little grocery store here in town is that our Grocery Store Manager has worked day and night all through the Pandemic to keep our store clean, and safe. The manager is named Joe. I count him as my friend now and always speak to him when I am in the store.

Arnie is settling down. He likes the new little bed I fixed for him in the family room and feels comfortable snuggling in it. He is eating well and also sleeping well. I am hoping the worst is over for my little guy.

So, life is going on. This week I get my eyes checked for new glasses, then next week I go to the dentist. And one day soon, I will be eligible to get my vaccination. Yes, life goes on.

The Friday Five ~ February 19th

Time is flying by. This is just what I hoped would happen in the year 2021. I think the sooner we get through this year, the better. I believe that 2022 will find life returning to a more normal time for us all. Until the virus abates and vaccines are given, we will be in this sort of suspended animation. As life goes on, here is this week’s Friday Five.

Fifteen years ago, my very first wire-haired dackel, Shubi left this world for the next. But this little dog left me with something so very special, and I wanted to share it with you today.
You may recognize the sweater as being the one that Arnie now wears.

Shubi taught me all about unconditional love. During a terrible depression I suffered, Shubi was with me each and every day. She was my sunshine and helped me in ways that no one could ever imagine. So, although she has been gone for 15 years, her memory, her love lingers in my mind and in my heart.
I made the most delicious Quiche today. It had onions and garlic, bacon bits, and cheese. It came out very well, and we both enjoyed it. But…my whole house smells like onions and garlic! Eeek! So I got my larger Scentsy burner out and things are getting better. Love to cook with garlic, hate the smell afterward!
Tonight is leftover night here at Casa Dackel Princess. I have a fridge full of meals to rerun. So, for me, this means light duty at dinnertime. I really enjoy those days.
Arnie is doing better. I washed a new doggy bed and dried it with Downy fabric softener sheets, and he seems to be happier in this one. I also started to walk him outside when he begins to fuss, and then when we come in I give him all kinds of love and snuggles. I’m trying to teach him to expect the cuddling after walks, not after crying. It’s a challenge.
I ordered a new mattress pad for my bed. Made in the USA, and quilted, it is like the pads you find in hotels like the Marriott. I picked the box up at the Post Office and it was HUGE! I got it to my car, and then home and currently it is on my bed ready for Arnie and me to jump in for a great night of sleep. I may even take a nice hot bath tonight for relaxation before hitting my little cloud of perfection in bed!

As I close out this entry I want to let you know how wonderful a dog or cat can be in your life. A rescue animal or one like the dackels that are purely and kindly bred can add so very much to your life. Each and every one of my pets has given me far more than I could ever give to them.

Maribeth