Dackel Princess

Being An Oma

I am still basking in the afterglo of time spent with my daughter and grandchildren! On Sunday morning before I left, I played Barbies with Savi and dress up with both Savi and Quinn and then we did these selfies! All of this reminds me that I am a very lucky lady.

I spent a lot of time with Savannah as she was growing up from baby-hood to child-hood! But with Quinn, I got sick just before his first birthday, and I feel like I missed a lot of that age 1-2 years. In the last few months I have tried to get down more and the funny thing about Quinn is that he knows exactly who I am, “OMA” and that I am his!

I really am so very lucky to have these two wonderful kids for grandchildren. I not only love them, but I like them too. And like all grandparents that I know, I am just crazy about them!

Savannah The Star!

On Saturday I woke at 4:45 AM. I got up and the dogs looked at me like I was crazy. But I was so excited! Saturday was Savannah’s Play Day! She was one of the cast members in Suessical Kids!

I had no idea what to expect, but being the loving, happy, Oma that I am, I knew that anything Savi was doing would make me very happy and bring tears to my eyes! And such was the case.

After getting myself showered and ready, and realizing that if I left my house when I could have, I would have gotten to my daughter’s home nearly two hours too soon! So, I sat down, had some coffee and something to eat, and killed time.

Soon enough I threw the last of my things in the car and headed down to southern New Hampshire. Arriving just about on time. When I came in I discovered their babysitter had cancelled at the last minute, but they’d figured it all out, so even though it had added some stress, they’d just decided to go with the flow and actually take Quinn to the afternoon show.

By nine o’clock, Mandy, Savannah and I were headed to Milford, NH where the Playhouse is. We got there with plenty of time for Mandy to apply Savannah’s make-up and then off she went.

I really am impressed at Savannah’s independence! Was I so brave and daring when I was her age? Possibly, but that was so long ago…

While Savannah was preparing to go onstage with her fellow actors, Mandy and I went to buy her flowers and I got her a heart shaped stained glass ornament for her window.

Then we raced back to the theater, where we met up with our cousin, Janet, got our seats, and settled in to be divinely entertained by these wonderful, talented children!

I was so delighted to watch Savi, and I will admit to tears flowing at the end. I was not sad, just bursting with happiness, watching this amazing little girl!

We waited to pick her up after her costume change, and Mandy gave her a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She immediately pronounced them…delicious! And they really were!

Then, Janet, Mandy, Savi and I drove to a Hibachi Restaurant, where we met up with Savi’s Daddy, Matt and brother Quinn, her Nana Mary, her grandfather Bob and Uncle Robert. We sat down around the grill and the show began!

Lunch was not only super tasty, but the Hibachi show was so much fun. Somehow, this was the first time I had done this, and it tickled me so much!

Savi helped feed her little brother and they both ate very well. The Chef was funny giving the adults Saki by squirting it in their mouth, and the kids wanted some too! He changed the bottled to plain water and called it “Baby Saki” and the two kids squealed in delight! I have decided that we simply must do Hibachi again!

After lunch we raced back to the theater for the afternoon performance. Once again, Savi scurried off with the other kids, and Mandy and I waited until the doors opened and we got an entire row and a half for seats for the family and friends who were coming to the afternoon show.

One by one, the family showed up and the seats were filled. By chance I was in a seat looking down an empty isle and I was able to take some pictures!

Savi is fourth from the right!

And here she is, in the coveted role of the “Elephant Bird” popping out of her eggshell!

After the play, we brought Savi home, and we all settled in for a relaxing evening. I noticed that Mandy and the two kids were snuggled up under the afghan that I made for her.

My time with them ended the next morning, after a pleasant sleep in the guest room with Savannah. I’d forgotten how sleeping with a five and a half year old is like sleeping with a cat. They stretch, they roll, they stretch again, legs are draped over your body, as are arms and feet! But I wouldn’t have had it any other way!

My last picture is of Mandy, Savi, Janet and me at the restaurant. One of my favorite pictures of the day. My family is everything to me!

And I’m Off……

I am all showered and dressed, and today I even put on some make-up, so as not to scare small children and old people. Where am I going? To Savannah’s play at the Community Theater, and lunch with the gang before watching the play for a second time.

Seeing the same play twice? You might ask. Why yes! I’m the Oma and Oma’s can do that!

So many family members and friends are coming to Savannah’s play to cheer her on, and I think that is so wonderful. I remember when I was in The Sound of Music in the local Community Theater in Falmouth, I was so happy when my grandparent’s came, as well as family and friends. It made me want to do my very best!

Me as Gretl in The Sound of Music!

There will be pictures of this wonderful event, as soon as I can get them up onto Flickr and downloaded to the blog. Ah yes, the ever proud and loving Oma!

I will also be able to spend time with both grandchildren today and early tomorrow, before attending a Memorial Service and then heading home.

I’m so excited about this that I woke even earlier than usual, giving me plenty of time to get ready. In fact, I’m sitting here, knowing it I left right now, I would be at my daughter’s house and hour and a half early! So, here I sit, coffee mug in hand, passing the time.

The Friday Five

This week seemed to go rather slowly for me. I’m not sure why, I was actually pretty busy around the house, but I remember on Wednesday feeling like the week would never end!

It was a great week, and all was going well until Thursday. Then it went down hill for about three hours. Luckily, the craziness did not last, and by the time I sat down on Thursday night to write this, life had resumed at a happy, merry pace.

I can look back and laugh now, so when you read the list below, just laugh. It was a pain at the time, but I lived through it!

Now here we go!

It started when we decided to go out for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant near our home. We’ve eaten there for ten years and have never had a bad meal. They usually have the best tea, and I always order Sesame Shrimp with Chinese Vegetables. I order that every time I go and I love it.
Today when they placed the plate of food in front of me, I knew the Shrimp was bad. I could smell it! I thought I was imagining it, so I took one very small bite, and then spit it into my napkin. (In a very ladylike way!) No, it was spoilt!
I called the waitress over and quietly explained to her what was happening. She didn’t know what to do, but after talking with another waiter, took my plate and offered me another meal. I ordered chicken and vegetables thinking this would be good, but it was horrible. I ate the white rice, finished my tea and set about leaving. The young waitress boxed up the food I hadn’t eaten and handed it to me. I should have left it.
When we got home, I was carrying some groceries up the stairs along with the remains of the Chinese meal, when the container opened and spilled all over my coat, my pants, my shirt, and even got my socks! (The words of exasperation I used were not that of a lady!) I took off all my wet clothes in the laundry room and put them right in the wash! Fortunately I had clean, dry clothes right there that I could put on.
Tonight Jack wanted some dinner, but I just scowled. I feel so over all food! I just want a nice hot mug of my grandmother’s warm milk and honey and a small pat of butter, before I go to bed. But because I am a good wife, I cooked Jack soup and made him up a plate of food to go with it.

So that was my wicked three hours, and in a few minutes I plan to go get my pajamas on, and get that mug of milk. The pups got me up at 5 this morning, and tonight I am one tired girl! But life is good and I am smiling again!

TBT: My Girls At Surf Drive Beach

Here is a picture taken about 1980 at Surf Drive Beach. Those two sweet girls are my daughters, Katie, age 2 and Mandy age 4. I loved taking them there when we visited Falmouth. Whatever the season, Surf Drive Beach holds so may memories for me.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you’re looking forward to in this season of the year.

More walks with Jack and the dogs, More times spent with my two grandchildren, and more sunshine!

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards? Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases? Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

I’d rather wash windows, and clean out closets. I do really not like dusting, but…I always do the patio furniture and actually today I did the light fixtures, which is crazy. I could not believe how dusty they were!

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? Sour cream? Whipped cream?

Cream cheese = cheese cake! Sour cream = dips. Whipped cream = Almost anything. Strawberry Shortcakes, a mug of hot chocolate, a dessert of any kind, or just a shot of whipped cream in my mouth for good measure!

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?

Acai. That gets me every time. In fact I’m not sure I’d get it unless I was looking at the actual sounding out of the word…ah-SIGH-ee

5. What’s a song you love with the word ‘rain’ in the title or lyrics?

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I’ve been walking now each day with Jack and Lili and Arnie. Despite the cold, we’ve been enjoying going out, seeing our neighbors and watching the dogs run and play. Yes, I am ready for Spring!

Spring Cleaning & Long Walks

Monday, Monday….what a day! Actually it was a pretty high energy day for me, as it found me pulling down the living-room curtains to wash, cleaning the insides of windows, dusting, vacuuming, and then doing my gymnastic act climbing around to put the curtains back up after they were washed and dried!

I thought about how things were a year ago. I was so weak, that I could only walk half way up our driveway. Today, I put on my heavy parka, gloves and hat, and off I went with Lili, Arnie and Jack for a short walk around our neighborhood. Despite the 28 degree temperatures, we walked along at a brisk pace.

The most fun was watching Lili. This dog loves to leap through the snow. At one point I was watching her and all four legs were off the ground, as she flew into a mound of snow! She loves life, long walks, and oh my goodness, she loves the snow.

Now Arnie is somewhat different. While we were on our property Arnie was a big guy, acting all tough, but as we got to the top of our drive, he started to walk right next to me, so I slipped on his leash. As we walked, he was right there next to me, until we got back to our property. Then he was pulling, so I bent down removed the lead and he and Lili played running games all down the drive! What fun to watch!

My favorite picture of Arnie!

Since I accomplished so much today, I am planning to continue tomorrow in the office. A little every day and by summer my Spring Cleaning will be done! LOL!

So, as the First Day of Spring comes to us (along with a possible snow storm!) I wish you all, warm weather, tulips and crocuses, and that all the snow will melt as quickly as it falls!

I’m Over Winter!

I want to know, who decided to turn March into the deepest of winters! What I mean by this is, that we had more snow in March than we did in December and January, and our temperatures are well below freezing! I got up on Sunday morning and it was 4 degrees Fahrenheit!

Now, I enjoy winter as much as the next person. In fact, just last week during the heavy snow storm that we had, Jack and I had to drive to Manchester to the VA for physicals. As we drove through the heavy snow, which had clung to all of the trees, it was like driving through a winter wonderland! So beautiful! Of course, Jack, who was driving, was not enjoying the snow as much as I was.

I digress.

Besides the bitter cold, and three Nor’easters in the last two and a half weeks, the temperatures have remained really cold. The forecast for this week is for colder than normal temperatures, with a slight possibility of more snow. Come on Winter…I am so over you!

Yesterday I had to crawl up into our attic to store some things, and I wore a winter coat and gloves, but I really needed a hat too! It was so cold!

Yes, I am over winter and I want Spring to, well, SPRING!!! I want warmer temperatures, bulbs blossoming, and tree’s starting to get their buds. And most of all, I want it to be over 60 degrees for more than two hours on one lonely day!

Corned Beef & Cabbage

I tried a new recipe for cooking corned beef and cabbage this year. I did this after cooking this last year and having my corned beef come out like shoe leather! I’ve been watching many cooking shows on HGTV and I have been learning a lot about how to cook tough cuts of beef. So, here is what I did, and in the end, it came out so very well!

Ingredients:

2-5 pounds corned beef
5 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
10 peppercorns smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
12 ounces good beer
1 carton of beef broth or stock
(Water, if needed for simmering)
4 yellow onions, cut into wedges, plus 1 large yellow or sweet onion, sliced
6 – 8 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 stalks celery cut into large chunks
6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1 inch slices, core removed
4 tablespoons butter
1 tsp salt

Directions

Rinse the corned beef and put it into a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot. Make a bouquet garni with the garlic, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaves and add to the pot. Stir in the beer, beef stock and enough water to cover the beef by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then place in pre-heated 300 degree F oven for 3 hours and 30 minutes.

After 3 hours and 30 minutes, add the onion wedges, celery, carrots, and the potatoes and cook for 1 hour. Then add the cabbage and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender, but not limp, about 20 minutes. Remove the cabbage to a plate and allow the corned beef and other vegetables to continue cooking until the meat is tender. Don’t be afraid you will overcook the corned beef. Cooking it slowly in a low oven will make this so tender. If the meat is tough, you did not cook it long enough!

In a separate large saute pan, heat 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion, and a pinch of salt and saute until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain the cabbage to remove excess water. Add the cabbage to the onion mixture and toss to coat well with the butter. Cook over medium heat until the cabbage begins to brown.

Remove the meat to a cutting board and slice. Serve with spicy mustard, at the table with all the vegetables piled onto a serving tray and the sliced meat onto another tray with some of the broth poured over the meat.

My total cooking time was five and a half hours. I used my cast iron Dutch Oven, and a low oven. Basically you get all the ingredients in and then let then Dutch Oven do all the work!

Happy Birthday, Lili!

Today our Lili is four years young! Hard to believe it! Time has flown! Our little St. Patrick’s Day Pup will get a special dog food molded cake with four mini dog bones for candles! Bless you, Lili, you really are a gem.

We found that Lili would have been great fun in a Circus. She loves to run and jump and run some more. Winter is her favorite time, as she enjoys being able to leap through the snow at full speed. It’s like watching a deer.

Lili is the sweetest girl and has developed a wonderful relationship with our smallest dachshund. The two are devoted to each other and sleep curled up together a great deal of the time at night.

She is amazingly intelligent. She follows commands and has become a retriever. Let me explain. If one of the dachshunds is out and is taking too long, I will say, “Lili, go get Anneliese” and she will run off and herd her back to the door. She seems to love having jobs to do.

Likewise, this year my husband had to have part of his foot amputated, and since he returned home and has begun going outside to exercise and of course do some snow shoveling, Lili will go with him. She never leaves his side and keeps a close watch. She is closely attuned to him.

While I am crocheting in the evenings she is either at my feet or in my loveseat next to me. She follows me everywhere I go and she is so loving, at times it brings tears to my eyes.

She is also the most beautiful White Shepherd we have ever had. No kidding. She is nearly completely white, with a fabulous black nose and nails. Her eyes are perfectly brown and her coat is a full, shorter, with soft fur.

Her best little friend is a three-year-old girl that is our neighbor’s grandniece. She will stand on their balcony and call “Lili” and Lili happily runs to greet her, pulling up just before she gets to her, so as not to knock her over.
She also loves our two grandchildren who wanted Bolt Dogs for Christmas that looked like Lili.

So here we are, our darling Lili is four and all grown up and settled down. Knowing she is the last large dog we will have, makes her all the more special to us.