Dackel Princess

This & That Tuesday

Good Morning Everyone.

As I sit here writing, I am reflecting on a rather beautiful day weather-wise. The sun was bright, there were no clouds and the temperatures were close to 50 degrees! Needless to say, we had a lot of melting and some of our snowbanks are not nearly as big as they were.

I needed to run errands today and I was getting ready and Jack volunteered to drive me all around. We eventually got to the grocery store, and found a nice piece of brisket and a beautiful cabbage, for St. Patrick’s Day. I always make Jack this meal. It’s one of his favorites but we don’t eat it often due to the high sodium levels!

I’m thinking that Anneliese’s eye does look better. I could be wrong, but I hope when she returns to the Ophthalmologist in April, he will tell us that there has been healing!

Our darling Lili will be turning 5 years old on Sunday! Yes, she is a St.Patrick’s Day baby!

I simply cannot believe that we have had Lili for nearly 5 years! In so many ways she is still a pup. She runs and leaps and acts like a much younger dog. And since we discovered her inability to digest grains and switched her food to all grain free, she is a happy and healthy girl!

And of course, I still refer to her as my savior after our house was broken into during the day, when I was home alone, back in January. Yes, Lili alerted me and then fiercely protected me! What a girl!

Maribeth

The Weekend Wrap

Saturday was Quinn’s Birthday Party. It was so much fun! The kids raced around playing, we ate copious amounts of pizza, and then watched Quinn open his gifts!
He got some really cute items which you will see in a moment, but as soon as he opened gifts he wanted cake!

He could hardly wait until the cake was cut, and you can see how he helped himself!

Yep, the kid loves his cake!

Now back to the toys. He got the chicken toy from Moana, called Heihei! Silly chicken, but he LOVED it!

This is Quinn and his cousin in the fire truck that was also a gift. Madi loved that fire engine and she played with it all afternoon!

But then things settled down a little bit and the kids all played with the Magnatiles. I got down on the floor with them too. Those magnetized building tiles are so much fun!

It was a great group of close friends and family, and it was wonderful to see our little guy have such a great day! This was such a fun, yet relaxing party! I had a great time.

After a beautiful sunrise on Sunday morning,

we had more snow! Yes, you read that right 4+ more inches of that flakey white stuff!

Ah well, in the end, it was fine. While Jack worked his snow blower, I made us a nice rotisserie chicken!

And yes, we remembered to change our clocks.

The Oilman Cometh

Bright and early on Saturday morning, the Oilman and his big truck arrived at our house! It was not the driver who had refused to deliver here, instead, it was our neighbor’s son who works in the winter delivering oil! We’re not on his usual route, but he saw our name for a Saturday delivery and knew right where we were and we were his first stop!

He delivered 248 gallons of oil to a 250-gallon tank. To say we were dangerously close to running out is pretty accurate. But Eric got here and got us all taken care of.

Eric has helped me out before with other things. He has his own business doing yard maintenance and when Jack was in the hospital or at times when Jack cannot take care of the yard, Eric steps right in! He is a good friend and gets all my thanks!

Oh, It’s Annoying!

I think sometimes you are going along, everything seems well and then there is frustration. My day began on Friday at 5:00 AM. I woke to feel a tad cold, so got up, made the coffee and checked the outside air temp. It was six degrees below zero!

I sipped my coffee, but then I had the thought that we had not had a fuel delivery in a while, so I went down to check the fuel level. Just a smidgen above Empty!

I came back up and alerted Jack to call for a delivery. Which he did. Explaining our plight.

The morning passed with my friends from the Jehovah Witnesses stopping by for a visit. They drove in with a normal car. No four wheel or all wheel drive. But it seems the driveway was fine for them. Jack and I went to get the mail, and I noted the driveway was so much better at the top then it had been. Good, I thought. The oil truck won’t have any trouble.

Then later in the afternoon, I went out to get some Mozzarella Cheese and I went right up the drive, no problem. So, imagine my confusion and disbelief when I got back home and Jack told me that the Oil Company had called and the driver had refused to deliver because our driveway was unsafe!

Now we usually catch the tank before it is this low, but heck we have had below zero temps all week and it just sucked up the oil! However, that being said, really, today the driveway was good. Not only could I get up the top of the drive with no problem at all, but the lower 3/4 of the drive where it is paved is completely clear!

Between Jack and I, we were able to relate our anger at this outright lie. At first, we were told that for an additional fee they could deliver tomorrow. Ha! We have used this company for 20 years. We told them if they tried to pull a fast one like that with us, we would bring our business to another company. We must have gotten the point across because they will deliver on Saturday morning, with no additional charge.

However, I am really annoyed. I have seen our driveway much worse in the winter and the driver never had a problem. So this is not sitting well with me at all.

As a child I recall the Oil Trucks having chains around their tires making deliveries in the snow. So, come on. This is 2019, not 1960 and people here in New England should know how to drive in snowy roads. And in the case of our drive on a small portion has snow on it! The rest is dry and clear!

Yes, yes. I am truly annoyed by this.

It is my hope they actually get here tomorrow and deliver fuel before we run out!

The Friday Five

Here we are, the first weekend in March and tomorrow night we will turn the clocks ahead one hour and “Spring Forward”! Ah yes, the first signs that Spring is on its way even if the weather isn’t cooperating.

So, here is this week’s Friday Five!

I found out my hairstylist had a cancellation on Thursday morning. I immediately sent a text to secure the appointment! It’s funny because I had stopped in to see her on Wednesday so we could plan what we were going to do with my hair.
I had gotten up on Wednesday and decided to go to WW. My hair was a wild bedhead mass of curls, and I was not feeling ‘the pretty’, so to speak. However, so many people commented about my lovely long locks, I began to doubt my decision to go short.
So, I came home and talked to Jack about it and he told me he likes my long hair. Maybe it’s the shape?
I decided to wash my hair on Wednesday night to get all of the product out of it. Then it was all set for my Thursday appointment.
And here we are! The new hairstyle! So what do you think?

Happy Birthday, Darling Quinn!

My sweet grandson turns three years old today. It’s amazing how quickly time has gone. I certainly remember before Quinn was born, but somehow it feels like he has always been with us.

Quinn is quite the little man now. So grown up and interested in everything. He is also amazingly interesting. At three he carries on long conversations that make perfect sense.

He loves life, building things, making noises for his cars and airplanes and is so very much a boy! I smile just watching him!

So here is a short montage of the best pictures of Quinn from birth, until last week. Oh yes, and the song? Well, who knew back in 1968 when I first heard this song, that one day I would have a grandson with the same name!

Happy Birthday, Quinni!

The Wednesday Medley!

We’re joining Terri at Your Friend From Florida

NATIONAL OREO COOKIE DAY
Be ready to observe by having your glass of milk handy as it is National Oreo Cookie Day. This day is recognized across the nation each year on March 6th.
The Oreo sandwich cookie is made up of two chocolate disks containing a sweet cream filling and is loved by millions. Since the introduction, the Oreo cookie has become the best-selling cookie in the United States.
The National Biscuit Company (today known as Nabisco) first developed and produced the “Oreo Biscuit” in 1912 at its Chelsea factory in New York City. Today, the block on which the factory was located is known as “Oreo Way”.
The name “Oreo” was first trademarked on March 14, 1912.
The first Oreo cookies in the United States sold for 25 cents a pound in clear glass topped novelty cans.
In 1912, the Oreo Biscuit was renamed to “Oreo Sandwich”.
In 1948, the Oreo Sandwich was renamed to “Oreo Creme Sandwich”.
William A. Turnier developed the modern-day Oreo design in 1952 to include the Nabisco logo.
Nabisco’s principal food scientist, Sam Porcello, developed the modern Oreo cookie filling.
HOW TO OBSERVE:
Grab a glass of milk and a handful of Oreos to enjoy and use #NationalOreoCookieDay to post on social media.

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1. Are you able to pass by a plate of cookies and not take one or are you a bit of a ‘Cookie Monster’?

Oh my, I am an oreo cookie monster, for sure! In fact, here is a true story.

My sister is 5 1/2 years older than me. She babysat and had money of her own and would buy herself a package of Oreo’s and keep them hidden in her dresser. Well, there is not much you can keep hidden from a little sister!

The Cookie Monster age 7!

I discovered them, and I’m afraid my little girl mind just can’t have one, and this caused me to raid them too much! I was discovered and I do not even recall what happened to me back then, but my punishment has been incredible teasing over the years!

2. Tell us about your favorite cookie. Have your tastes changed since you were a kid?

My favorite cookie is the Snickerdoodle. It’s a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked. OMG! The best cookie ever!

Snickerdoodle Recipe.

3. Enquiring minds want to know if you are a dunker and, if so, do you dunk in milk, coffee, or tea?

I am not a dunker! Why ruin a perfect cookie!

4. It is that time of year and they are selling them on every corner and in front of every store! Do you buy Girl Scout cookies and if you do, which is your favorite?

I used to buy Thin Mints. But I stopped. It’s just like the Oreo’s and a serving size to me is an entire sleeve!

5. Raw cookie dough. Yay or Nay?

Not really. I so enjoy the cooked cookie!

6. Please tell us something random about your week!!

Funny this is all about cookies. I was thinking about making oatmeal cookies. I still might. Tomorrow is Quinn’s third birthday and Saturday is his party. I must get wrapping paper for his present and a little card. Maybe I will make a card for him. There’s an idea!

Victoria

Before I start, there are **spoilers** from the last episode of Season 3 of Masterpiece Theater’s “Victoria“. So, if you are watching it on your DVR stop reading and come back later.

Okay. There was so much going on with the International Expedition, Victoria’s rotten sister, and of course the Long-Suffering Duchess Sophie, who was locked up by her vicious husband and threatened with an Insane Asylum because he discovered her having an affair with a lowly footman.

How would they wrap it all up for Season 3?

As for the rotten sister, looks like Feodora will be hitting the road, now that Albert finally saw through her, and in many ways I am glad. The actress is too good at her part and had me totally disliking her! Ha!

Duchess Sophie knew the Queen would come to her rescue. Their conversation where the Queen basically told Sophie she knew that Sophie’s husband did not appreciate her, made her rescue of Sophie expected. I loved it when the Queen put it to Sophie’s husband and demanded Sophie appear at the Expedition.

What we do not know, is will Sophie run off with her handsome footman, or will she stay in service to the Queen who rescued her, and be available to her own young son.

Albert and Victoria are getting along so much better than they did in Season 2, and I am thinking that they have rekindled their love. What does this mean? Well, probably more children. Had Albert lived, they more than likely would have had a dozen children!

I am enjoying the costumes, the scenery and the rather soap-opera-ish telling of Queen Victoria’s life.

The acting is marvelous, and the casting is quite good. In Season 1, I wasn’t sure that Albert was well cast, but he has grown on me.

Jenna Coleman is perhaps too beautiful to be playing Queen Victoria, but she is a wonderful actress and has made Victoria her own.

Tom Hughes as Albert does a good job. As I said above, he has grown on me.

So now Season 3 has ended. Hopefully, there will be a Season 4! But for now, you can watch Season 1-3 on Amazon Prime. If you are into Historical Shows, this is a good one to get into.

A New Hairstyle!

I’ve become a bit unhappy with growing out my hair. Call it the 60-ness, but honestly, I dislike having to work hard to style my hair every day, or risk looking like a mad-woman!

I love the color, and my hair is actually is fairly good shape, but after 14 years of having curly-curls hair, I’m ready for a style that I can blowdry quickly and go!

I’ve narrowed it down to four styles that I like. The only thing I will ask my stylist to do is to leave as much length in the back as she can to help hide my scar.

(By the way, Quinn saw my scar the other day and said it was railroad tracks! Then he asked if he had them too! I mean, so sweet and beyond cute!)

Here are the four styles and I ask that you please leave your vote in the comment section.

So there we are. Four styles that are soft and easy. What do you think? Please leave your vote in the comment section.

This & That on a Sunday Morning

Do any of you have Amazon Prime? Not just for deliveries of your packages from Amazon, but for watching videos?

Well, we do and I seem to go for long periods where I don’t watch any content at all, and then there are times, like this weekend, where I have used it a lot.

Not only is great for binge-watching some shows, but it also has documentaries, biographies, and both old and new movies. I can also plug in Youtube and watch music videos.

Yesterday was one of those days. I was bored to tears in the afternoon with nothing on the tube. I watched an Amazon Prime video on The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, a comedy routine by Jeanne Robertson, a very funny lady from North Carolina, and then while preparing dinner I put on Youtube and watched/listened to Queen at Wembley Stadium. I love it!

I have a few other things bookmarked to watch later, including more of “Victoria” from PBS, which is also available.

I did watch one series on the satellite. “The Disappearance of Maura Murray ” was on the Oxygen TV Station, and it was extremely well done.

For those not from this area, Maura Murray disappeared in 2004 after a car accident on a back road here in New Hampshire. She has never been found. This show presented all the theories behind her disappearance. The linked website will have clips and episodes of this show.

Not too much else happening today. We are expecting more snow, (UGH!) and I told Jack I would make him another pizza. Pictures to follow.