Dackel Princess

Thursday Thirteen

I thought that today would be a great day for a Thursday Thirteen! Yes, folks, that day when I look around me and try to come up with 13 things to put on some sort of list. So, I will make this a random list, of 13 things I am thinking about right now. In no particular order.

Today was a perfect day weather-wise. It was 68 degrees, with almost no breeze at all. The trees are all blossoming, and it’s a real pleasure to drive around and just look at everything. Yes, it was beautiful, and I enjoyed every moment!
Greta’s undercoat no longer exists. She is old now at 14 years old and her fur is thin and matted. So today I set her down, got out my doggy clippers and trimmed her back and sides.
She gets so upset and tired (me too!) that I can only work so long on her before I need to quit. But she is looking so much better!
I got beautiful flowers on Mother’s Day. A lovely bouquet from my daughter and roses from Jack. I’ve been diligently taking care of them, and they look like I just got them still. They are also so fragrant!
My sister’s yard will eventually recover from the Tornado. Who knew that Connecticut has had several Tornados over the years. Certainly not me. I’m so glad that Melodie had a hankering for Chinese food and had gone to get take out. The owner of the restaurant kept her from leaving when the storm approached and when she got home she realized, that had she tried to go home, the trees might have crushed her and her car. I am very thankful to that man for keeping her safe!
Jack had his feet examined today. The doctor is very happy with what he is seeing. He told me I’m doing good work keeping them healthy for Jack!
We wanted to take back roads today from the VA in Manchester up to Sam’s Club in Concord. I got the map out and quickly picked out a route. I smiled. 35 years ago I couldn’t read a map. Now Not only can I read one, but I love maps! I know, call me a little strange!
Savannah’s Birthday is coming up and I have been working on buying her gift. I won’t spoil the surprise, but I have been having so much fun!
Who is going to get up on Saturday and watch the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? I do plan to get up and watch. I’m always fascinated with the other people’s dresses and hats, etc. Should be very interesting since so many of the guests are going to be crazy American’s.
Thursday I am going to slow cook a pork roast that I got for 89¢ a pound! The entire rost was just over $3.50! I plan to slow cook it and then make pulled pork! Yum!
I am caught up on laundry and since dinner will cook itself, I think tomorrow I will spend the morning in the Office dusting and vacuuming.
I’m planning a trip to see my sister in June. Not sure of the exact dates yet, as Savannah also graduates from Kindergarten and I want to be able to go to that.
I’m looking forward to the Preakness Horse Race this weekend. Now I do not follow horse racing year round, but I really enjoy watching the horses run in The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and The Belmont Stakes. It’s so exciting.
Lastly, I made a new recipe for Greek Pasta Salad. It tastes very good and I will post the recipe on Saturday.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What would you say is your biggest day to day challenge?

Thinking up new and exciting recipes so we are not always eating the same meals over and over again.

2. May 16th is National Biographers Day. What’s a biography you really enjoyed reading? Is this a genre you read regularly?

I have always enjoyed biographies about different people. The last I read was about Princess Diana. A whole slew of them came out on the 20th anniversary of her death. Lovely lady and I feel badly she is not here to witness her sons, their wives, and her grandchildren.

3. How important is keeping a clean house? Do you need to de-clutter your life?

I wish I knew someone who was good at decluttering because I would hire them on the spot. I really need to do that this year. Go through the house and declutter!

4. You’re the 8th dwarf. What’s your name?

Cookie! I love to cook and bake and so I think they would nickname me that. At least I’d like them to!

5. What’s surprised you the most about your life or life in general?

Life is not what I expected at all. I believed that if you were a good person, led a good life, and didn’t go looking for trouble, you would be fine. You know, safe. It doesn’ work like that. Life is like the John Lennon Song, “Beautiful Boy”. There is a phrase “Before you cross the treet, take my hand, life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. And such has been my life. Full of moments that I never expected or planned. Both good and bad and Amazing!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

A Tornado touched down in my sister’s town. My sister’s driveway is full of snapped off trees. I am so grateful that both she and her husband are fine, and that their house was not touched!

There’s a driveway under all that.

Cleaning!

Mothers Day was perfect. I was taking a slow day, watching some mindless TV, preparing to cook a nice meal of fresh Scallops, and working on stripping and trimming the dog’s feet, so make it easier to spot and get off unwanted ticks.

All was well until I was standing at the stove cooking the Scallops. Suddenly I felt my lower back just go out! I groaned in pain, and Jack asked what was wrong. I told him and he suggested my back brace. I have a really good one since this has happened before.

After dinner, I tried to get comfortable, but to no avail, so I just went to bed, hoping that this would do the trick. Allow me to relax, and have the slippery disc slip back into place.

Monday morning I woke to the smell of last night’s Scallops! Only the next day, things don’t smell as good, you know? So before I even got my first cup of coffee, I was cleaning the kitchen, again! This time I cleaned not only the stove top, but I threw in the grates to the stove top in the dishwasher. I also took every container near the stove, put the contents into airtight containers, and washed each canister in the dishwasher. All in all, I worked from 6:30 AM until 10 AM, just washing things. All without coffee!

I must have looked a fright as I was cleaning in my nightgown, tennis socks, and my black back brace! Certainly hilarious, I am sure.

I reached the point of having everything clean, but still, the scent was lingering. So I mixed up two pots to absorb the smells and perhaps help it to smell more pleasant in here. The first pot contained the morning used coffee grounds. Just add to water, and simmer away. The second pot contained water, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Again, simmer and hope it helps. To a certain extent it has, but I have a feeling this is going to take time. Ugh!

With my back out, I decided after lunch to just put my feet up and rest it. Oh crikey! I just hate it when the back is out. I will be very glad when the disc slips back in. Meanwhile, I think I will get my crocheting out, as I can do that while I sit.

Being A Mother

Sunday, Mother’s Day, was beautiful! The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. It really was a perfect day.

I got beautiful flowers and cards and well wishes for a happy day and that made me smile, more than you can know.

I feel so blessed to have a wonderful daughter like Mandy, and two happy and healthy grandchildren, like Savannah and Quinn. My heart is so full of love for them.

Savannah, Me and Mandy, and Quinn. My joys!

There will always be that empty place in my heart that belonged to my daughter Katie. My forever six-year-old girl. I miss her more and more as the years go by. She was part of what made me a Mom.

I also have a step-daughter and step-son who I have really gotten close to over the last year or so. It is so nice to be friends with them at this stage of all our lives. For this, I am also blessed.

And of course, I am a Doggy Mommy to my group of hounds. Even though there are times when their care throws out my lower back (don’t ask) I simply adore them all. Greta, Arnie, Lili, and Anneliese. My loving balls of fur!

A Rainy & Cold Saturday Joy!

I left the house pretty early on Saturday. As it turned out I was way too early. I had planned to stop and get more Scallops at Market Basket, and gas up the Highlander, but I ended up with an hour to kill. What’s a girl to do? I went shopping.

I left home where our temperatures were close to 60 degrees and sunny, and as I drove south, the temperatures went down, the skies turned gray and it was rainy!

So, I stopped at Talbots Outlet and picked up three shirts. One I wore right from the shop, a nice long sleeve blouse. And because I am a frequent buyer I had $25.00 bonus points to use up! For three gorgeous tops, I only spent $35.00! Yes, I love a good bargain!

Then it was on to Savannah’s dance recital. As I said, I got there very early, so I stayed in my car playing CD’d and reading Facebook. Then, out of nowhere, I saw Mandy and Savi about to cross the street in front of me. I hollered to them, jumped out of my car and joined them.

Do you know how wonderful it is when your granddaughter throws their arms around you and tells you how much they love you and have missed you? Well, it made my day. Who am I kidding, it made my entire week.

I watched as Mandy helped Savannah get ready for the recital, and then we went out front to meet up with Matt and his parents. We took our seats and watched this amazing dance recital. Oh, they did have the young dance students and they were wonderful. But they imported their dance competition students for some amazing dance numbers.

Savannah was adorable and I loved watching her. It was so much fun! And as I have previously stated, I am so proud of Savannah in all her endeavors!

After the recital, we went for dinner at T-Bones. Nice place. Very casual and the steaks are good. I ordered a T-Bone and it was so huge, that I brought it home and Jack finished it for his dinner.

We all exchanged Mother’s Day gifts and cards, before finishing up our meals and leaving to return to our respective homes.

The drive was a bit long, but not too bad, but I admit to being just a little stiff and sore tonight. No, I didn’t dance, but driving for long periods of time, makes my neck stiff and sore. But, I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Baked French Onion Soup

Okay, here it is. I use the store brand French Onion Soup mix. Here is what I do to dress it up:

Preheat oven 450 degrees

I slice thinly three onions.
Then I take 1-2 tbs. butter and melt that in a soup pot.
I sauté the onions until they are translucent.
Then I add 4 cups of water and cook covered for 15 minutes.
I add the store brand, (I use Best Brand French Onion Soup) mix, cover and cook another 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, I shred about 2 and 1/2 cups Gruyere Cheese and toast a circle of French bread for each bowl.
I spray the french onion soup bowls with Pam for easy cleanup and then when all is ready ladle soup into bowl within a half inch of the top.
Place toast into the bowl, (you may have to trim it to fit), and quickly cover with cheese.
Place in hot oven and cook until golden on top.
OMG, this is so good!!!
Serves 4.

The Friday Five

Our first week of real Spring weather has now gone by us. Finally! Spring! We have had perfect temperatures of 75-80 degrees each day, with bright sunshine and little wind.

The Forsythia is blossoming and the fruit trees are also starting to flower! Perfect. Now here are 5 things from my week to share with you.

I love the company, “Chewy”! I’ve been ordering the dogs food from them now for about ten months, and they are prompt, their prices are good, and they even have a dog food that is 100% Gluten Free for Lili, who really has a problem with Gluten of any kind. They also carry a tinned food for Arnie, who is the pickiest eater ever. I guess he takes after his Daddy Bernie, who was also a finicky eater.
I watched the last Jason Bourne movie today, called “Jason Bourne”. It got pretty bad reviews when it came out a couple of years ago, so I hadn’t gone to see it in the theaters. I did, however, like the other movies, so when I got home today after getting my hair done, I sat down and watched it. Actually, it wasn’t too bad. It was entertaining and held my interest. It’s not Oscar worthy, but it was entertaining.
As our temperatures rise, and the weekends get closer, so does the traffic. It’s funny. I grew up in Falmouth on Cape Cod, and that was a real tourist destination. Now I live in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, which is also a prime tourist destination.
I was driving home from grocery shopping yesterday and a song came on that reminded me of my old White German Shepherd, Fritz.

Fritz

He’s been gone for over four years, and yet, there I was in the car, listening to this song, thinking of him, with tears streaming down my face. I’ve always known that Fritz was a special boy, but it hit me yesterday, Fritz is probably the best and sweetest dog I have ever had. And I still miss him!
I’m off to Savannah’s recital tomorrow. I try to make everything she does, or any event she is in. Not only do I want her to know how much I love her, but I want her to always know that I support everything she does. The same will be true for my darling Quinn. He’s just a little young to have Karate competitions just yet!

PS: I have a new comment section installed. Please, everyone, leave a comment so we can see how it is working! Thanks!

Sea Scallop Bake

I went grocery shopping on Wednesday and found the best deal! Dry Sea Scallops for $9.99 a pound.

Soaked” (also known as “wet” or “treated”) Scallops have been soaked in a bath of phosphates (or more precisely- sodium tripolyphosphate), for the purpose of adding water-weight. When scallops are exposed to a phosphate bath, they absorb it and swell – gaining water-weight. Sort of like women after eating a high sodium meal. These are the yucky kind!

“Dry” is the seafood industry term for natural Scallops, which have not been treated with phosphates. These are the best kind! Natural Scallops have a slightly tan, or “vanilla”-color. Dry Scallops are superior for the following reasons: For searing purposes, dry Scallops caramelize beautifully! Dry scallops taste sweet & natural. You are not paying for added water with dry Scallops.

So, what’s a girl to do? I bought 2 pounds. One to cook tonight and one to freeze. This is really a marvelous deal for those of us who live inland and cannot get fresh dry Scallops at reasonable prices.

I shall be serving this with Pine nut Rice Pilaf and fresh corn on the cob. All in all a great meal! I can hardly wait!

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Place the Scallops in a buttered baking dish, it should be large enough to hold the scallops in a single layer.
Sprinkle the scallops with salt, and pepper and some ritz cracker crumbs.
Bake the sea scallops in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
Spoon melted butter over the ritz cracker crumbs to coat with butter and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the scallops are cooked through but still moist.
Serve with butter and herb sauce from baking dish and hot cooked rice or small pasta.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What are your ingredients for a perfect Saturday?

Sunny, warm weather, either a trail to walk, or a beach to visit, or perhaps if the day is not great weather wise, watching old, much-loved movies! Saturdays tend to be my catch up day. I tend to really chill out on Sundays.

2. What skill do you wish more people took the time to learn?

I think the skill of manners. In this crazy world, I am amazed how many people lack manners and common courtesy.

3. What’s something you ate as a child you can’t stand now as an adult?

Trust me, there isn’t much. This is why I struggle with my weight. There are a few things I am not fond of. Kale is one of them. The Easter treat called PEEPS. My sister loves them, but I am just not a fan. The others I can’t think of right now. But I know there are a few.

4. Something parenting has taught you? If you’re not a parent tell us one important lesson you learned from your own parents.

Oh, now there is a great question. It took me many years to learn. I think that it is so important to live in the moment with your children. Enjoy each and every day. Play with them, laugh with them, and make memories. Time goes by so quickly. My daughter recently went to Disney with Matt and their two children. They spent the time just being with their kids, playing with them, loving them and laughing with them. What a great thing! Those memories will last a lifetime.

5. Share a favorite quote or saying about mothers or motherhood.

This is not a quote or a saying, but rather a way to honor one of the best mother’s I know. Being a mother and watching my daughter in her life, and seeing what a wonderful mother she is, fills me with such joy. Mandy is a self-made woman. She forged her own path in life and is not only an amazing person but one of the best mothers I know.

Motherhood isn’t easy, but My daughter makes it look like it is. Happy Mother’s Day Sweetheart!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This weekend is Savannah’s Dance Recital. I’ll be driving down to go to it. I try not to miss any of the children’s events. Watching them grow and learn new things and gain confidence is a very wonderful thing. Savannah is very secure up on the stage. It’s fun to watch her and she really loves her dancing.

Happy 13th Anniversary Dackel Princess!

Thirteen years ago, I sat down at my computer and began to write this Blog. I’d been writing for nearly 18 years, but never put it into anything, until Janet, my cousin, and Megan, my friend, helped me create Dackel Princess!

I wasn’t sure how this was going to work out. would I like blogging? Would I actually have anything to say? Would anyone, besides my sister, cousin, and daughter read what I was writing?

What I learned early on, back in 2005, was that you needed to be a friendly visitor to other blogs and then people would check you out. For me, if the people weren’t interested in dogs, I lost them early on.

When I started the Blog, my first dackel, Shubi was sick with a condition called GME (Granulomatous Meningo-Encephalitis). She had gone through Chemo (which I administered at home) and was actually doing better in May of 2005. So my early entries centered on her, Fritz (our White German Shepherd), and baby Greta!

Fritz and baby Greta, December 2005

Shubi and me, 2006

Since blogging was new, I did a lot of Meme’s, wrote about things that had happened to me, and as I went forward in life, I wrote about things that were happening.

My health challenges were highlighted, my skiing attempts, and the growing of our fruit, our garden, new recipes and life on the lake.

There were German Dog Shows, and then puppies came along, and Greta’s first litter gave us Arnie and Anneliese.

Greta and her first litter of pups.

We knew Anneliese was staying, but when Arnie’s prospective buyer canceled at the last moment, we ended up keeping him too.

Anneliese and Arnie.

Thus, our life with four dogs began. When Fritz was alive, having four dogs was easy. Lili, on the other hand, has been a challenge. We keep waiting for her to grow up and settle down. Who knows, she may be one of those rare dogs that remain like a puppy their entire life.

Three more litters of puppies came along, 15 total puppies before the two girls retired. It was so much fun having the puppies around. Those were really great days!

Then something marvelous happened in 2012! My daughter, Amanda gave birth to the most wonderful baby Girl, Savannah and my entire world changed, in ways I could never have imagined!

Oma and Savannah May 31, 2012

Suddenly I was writing about my joys of watching my granddaughter grow. You know how some people lose touch with normal life and get all caught up when a baby is born? Well, that is me! She is all things girly and wonderful, and her heart is so soft and full of love. She is such a kind child and she makes my heart sing! Savannah amazed me then and at nearly six years old, she continues to amaze me!

My parent’s both died while I’ve been writing, and the Blog afforded me the opportunity to work through my grief. In fact, I think writing helps me work through so many things in my life.

Grandchild #2 arrived in 2016 and this time the baby was a BOY! I’d never had a son, so I never did do the boy thing.

Quinn and Oma March 7, 2016.

I have to say that having this all boy grandson, has been a real wonder. Quinn was destined to grow as quickly as he could, and I swear the child was born holding onto a truck, as anything with wheels has thrilled him since his eyes could focus and he could grip things! Quinn walked at seven months and he never looked back.

I watch him now and I have to remember that this little boy is just two years old, and not the older kid he resembles!

My Blog has helped me to keep my daughter Katie’s memory alive. When she passed back in 1985 one of the things that bothered me was that people would never know, never understand, how wonderful this little girl was.

And how loved and missed she is. On my Blog, I can write about her, and share my pictures of her, and my readers understand and have consoled me. It’s made the pain of this loss bearable. And I thank all my readers for being there for me.

I’ve shared my joys and my sorrows and each evening when I sit down the write the next day’s entry, I try to find things that will be relevant and will make you smile or even laugh.

Life is really good. When I look around me at all the blessings in my life, I am so glad that I am here to enjoy them. It has made writing this Blog and sharing my life with all of you, such an important part of my world.