Author: Dackel Princess

Come Saturday Morning

I woke on Saturday morning feeling drowsy and as though all I really wanted was to climb back into bed and sleep. But, I have four wonderful dogs, all of whom were wide awake, so I threw on my robe and brought them out to go outside, and then I turned the coffee maker on, let them in, and then raced to the shower, which was wonderfully hot!

After showering, I watched playbacks of the Olympics, and drank that all important first cup of coffee! Ahhhh, a great way to start the day!

I pulled out my crocheting and started working on that again, and actually got quite a bit done before Jack got up, and I made our breakfast.

I had a chance to Face-Time with Savannah, and she showed me her cast. Now a regular plaster cast is pretty heavy. But Savi was swinging that thing around like it was made of paper.

I could really relate because in 5th grade I fell down a sand dune on Cape Cod and broke a couple of metatarsal bones in my right foot. I was in a plaster cast like Savannah’s, only mine was a boring shade of white.

I really love being able to Face-Time with Amanda, Quinn and Savannah (oh yes, and Savi and Quinn’s cousin, Hannah was there too!). Seeing there faces and listening to them talk is so special.

After a light lunch, I told Jack I was going to bed for a nap. Greta and Arnie came with me, but only Greta stayed for the entire nap. She is always very happy when someone goes to bed for a nap!

Now, I just have to make something good for dinner (I have no clue what!) and then I can settle in and crochet and watch the Olympics tonight.

The Friday Five

This has been a crazy busy week for me, and on top of the crazy business, my laptop once again, needs to be cleaned and updated. I start to type and the computer takes a moment or two before it shows me the letters. It’s been driving me mad, so I backed everything up, called my computer friend, Brad, and he is picking the laptop up on Thursday to clean her up. So, I am writing this on Wednesday night, so it will automatically post on Friday. Anyway, here goes…

  1. I finished up Mandy’s afghan and went about finding a new pattern so that I could work on my next one. I found a pattern I liked, and bought all the yarn for that.
  2. Now I had to decide what colors to use and what order to place them. There is a lot of thought that goes into making an afghan. Especially when it is for someone that you love.
  3. We went out for Valentine’s Day to one of our favorite places. They were offering Mussels in garlic, white wine and a cream sauce. Oh my goodness, they were wonderful! In fact the entire meal was, and I was so full, that I couldn’t eat dinner that night.
  4. On Wednesday we bought Lili a toy. Now you probably don’t think this is a big deal, but Lili is sort of the low man on the totem pole in our house, as far as dogs go. The dackels aren’t always kind, and they never share their toys. So, we bought her a new tug of war toy, and gave it to her. Well, you would think we had given her a million dollars. Not only does she love the toy, but I could see how happy it made her. It was so sweet!
  5. This weekend I plan to do laundry and crochet. And watch more of the Olympics. What’s happening in your world?

TBT: Baby Greta

These pictures are from the first year of Greta’s life in the USA. In many ways I was like a little kid and I dressed her up in funny costumes. Here she is in her raincoat! (She didn’t like it!)

Oct 16 001

Her sun visor for those sunny days! This one she actually did like and allowed me not only to put it on, but she actually wore it a while!

Aug 2 002

And the last picture is of her at about 10 months old. She had a beautiful full beard and wonderful eye brows. It was very funny, we were at a camp ground and I was walking her and a little girl came riding up on her bike, and she stopped to pat Greta. Then she smiled and looked up at me and said, “I like your dogs bangs!” Even all these years later, that makes me smile and laugh.

Greta oct 13

Wednesday Hodgepodge

From this Side of the Pond

1. When’s the last time you had a heart to heart talk with someone? A change of heart? Experienced figurative ‘heart failure?’

Recently I had to have a heart to heart, when someone I love very much was being pushed down by all the sadness in life. I can’t go into details, but I tried to remind them that life is full of the happiness that you make.

2. Champagne, chocolates, flowers…what’s your Valentine pleasure? Any special plans for the day?

Yes, I love them all. But this year, I think Valentine’s Day may be a quiet one. Jack is sick with a cold and neither one of us feels much like celebrating.

3. Are you a hopeless romantic or do you fall more in the category of practical and pragmatic? What’s a gesture you find romantic?

Oh goodness, I am a hopeless romantic, married to someone who is not. Flowers for no reason, a funny loving card make me feel loved.

4. Do you ask a lot of questions in life or are you pretty content with what you already know?

Oh no. I am always asking questions and have been since I was a little girl.  I always want to understand why things happen (sometimes there is no “why”). At 59, the questions continue, but I am better at accepting that many times there is no rhyme or reason.

5. Your favorite power ballad?

“And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make”

From the Beatles song, “The End”. One of my favorites.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Olympic coverage. How is yours? We found a great way to see the events. We watch on Amazon Prime, and can see all the events in their entirety. Of course it is not in real time, but rather in playback, but that is okay. Every athlete has earned the right to be there and it’s nice to see them all. We have found that the NBC coverage to be horrid this year. So we simply watch Amazon. (We have Direct TV and since we subscribe to NBC and NBC Sports we are eligible to watch all the sports on Prime, by linking our account.)

Yearly Exams

Monday found me bringing the dackels out to our Vets for their yearly exams. All in all, things went very well. The three had their shots and did fairly well with their physicals.

Of course, Greta is almost 14 (three more weeks!) and she is slower than she once was, doesn’t see as well as she once did, and has become more and more dependent on me. But at her age, I guess that is to be expected. She weighed in at 23 pounds, which is a little heavy but heck, it is just 1 pound off.

I have never had a dog that has lived as long as Greta has. Every day I share with her, is a very good one and I feel blessed to still have my darling companion.

Arnie did well too. He weighed in at 22.5 pounds and is one long, lean dog! He has a little growth on his chest, that is probably just a fatty tumor, but it was a little harder than she liked to see, so we are watching it for now and if it changes in any way, we will have it removed.

Surprisingly, Anneliese passed her exam with flying colors. She was at a perfect weight for her 19 pounds, had no problems to speak of and she continues to be my little cuddle bug in bed.

Interestingly, both Arnie and Anneliese are 11 right now and they are in the category of Senior Dogs, along with their mother, Greta.

If I had one wish it would be that my pups would live as long as I do.

The One About The Grocery Cart

The weekend flew by for us. I wasn’t planning on making The Chicken, Escarole and Meatball Soup, but heck, after writing it and reading it, it just sounded so good, that first thing on Sunday morning I went out to get all that I needed to make the soup.

I was in the grocery store, which was jammed with Ice Fishing Derby grocery buyers, and I stopped and placed my carriage to the side so I could access the Escarole. I got two beautiful bunches, went back and got my carriage, and off I went.

I did not want this to become a marathon shopping trip. Just in and out, and go home and have breakfast. I had made it clear to the other side of the store when this strange man came running up to me yelling, “You stole my cart!”

I looked at the cart which was filled with my groceries and said, “Excuse me, are you sure?”

“Yes, see that is my grocery bag! You stole it!”

“Oh, I am so sorry. It was just an honest mistake. I thought this was my cart.”

I felt pretty bad about it but this man was being rather of a jerk about it. His grocery bag was quite old, filthy and obviously had seen better days! Why would I want to steal his bag?

A neighbor of mine overheard this man chastising me, and said in a loud, yet light voice, “Hey man, lighten up. It’s Sunday!”

Anyway after switching carts, and sorting out the groceries, I went on to finish my shopping. But I thought this was weird. I honestly didn’t steal his grocery cart!

The soup came out very well, and as the evening winds down, I am now planning my next afghan. I ordered the yarn for it. Everything should be here by Friday and then I will be working on yet another afghan!

Probably a good thing, as it will keep me out of grocery stores where I might take someones cart!

Have a great week everyone!

Happiness Is…

It was a big day for me on Saturday. Just after Christmas I started an afghan for my daughter, Mandy. Today I finished it!

It is a full size throw afghan. One she can pull up over herself and both the kids, and snuggle under!

received_10156115360416499

I cannot tell you how much fun I had doing it. I think with each loop of my crochet hook, I melted in a little love. I hope this afghan lasts her for a very long time, and I hope she spends many hours cuddling her babies under it!

received_10156115594306499

Chicken, Escarole and Meatball Soup

Chicken, Escarole and Meatball Soup

Soup Base:
In large soup pot cook one  3-4 pound chicken in water, with an onion, celery stalk and a carrot. Simmer for an hour or so until chicken is done and is falling off the bones.

While chicken is cooking slice:
5 carrots
5 stalks celery
2 large onions
1 shallot
2 heads escarole
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbs parsley
2-3 Bay Leaves

 

Remove chicken from pot retaining all the wonderful broth. While chicken cools, make the mini meatballs.

Meatballs:
1 lb hamburger or ground turkey
1 egg
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 tbs parsley
1/3 cup grated cheese (I do 1/2 & 1/2 Parmesan and Romano)
1 tsp garlic salt

Mix meat into small mini meatballs. Toss into boiling broth along with the above chopped ingredients. Then simmer slowly until veggies are done. De-bone the chicken and add the meat to the soup. Add more chicken broth if needed to make soup desired thickness.

Enjoy!

The Friday Five

The week just flew by. I was sort of down and out with a cold, and so the fact that from Monday until today I have pretty much kept in my pajamas and done nothing but sleep, crochet and marathon watched The Incredible Dr. Pol.

So, as the week closes out, these are the things I’ve been thinking about.

  1. Winter colds! Oh how I hate them. It wasn’t that I was particularly sick, but I was sneezing and coughing and was generally miserable. Thank goodness for good tissues and Hall’s Cough drops!
  2. This week we had two episodes of This is Us. Oh my goodness I cried almost the entire way through the Sunday night episode, and then again on Tuesday night. I still think this is one of the best shows on the TV right now. Probably because it evokes such emotions in me.
  3. We had another 10 inches of snow yesterday. Jack took the snow blower out Wednesday night and then again on Thursday afternoon. The snow is pretty, but really, I am so over winter!
  4. I am making great progress with Mandy’s afghan! It really is beautiful and is gets bigger and bigger I love how the variegated yarn has created it’s own color pattern through the afghan. I think maybe another month and it will be done. Possibly sooner.
  5. I’ll be going down to see my sister and attend her mother in-laws Memorial Service in two weeks. It will be so nice for us to be together during this time. We don’t get to see each other too often. Thank goodness for cell phones and unlimited calling!