Author: Dackel Princess

I Am Really Here

You all probably think I dropped of the face of the earth. The truth is, that between appointments before our trip to Savannah and then an incredibly busy schedule driving to Savannah, touring, Savannah and then driving home, I found myself just exhausted. I mean, absolutely, beat!

The journey to Savannah, was all that bad, but I will tell you, I had forgotten what 1000+ miles were like to drive! We did break it in half, but even then I found myself sleeping like the dead.

Savannah was amazingly beautiful, as it was when I was here back in 1988. But, as in all places I return to now, nearly 30 years later, they have grown!

We decided to upgrade our room because of my Hilton Hotel Points, and our room was on an upper floor, with windows on two sides and a small balcony. Our room was a party room, for our friends and for us. The views of Savannah were amazing!

Our room

The arrow points to our room!

I will take time over the next day or so to write about our time there, but I will say that I did cause an International Incident. It was not intentional and actually, not even my fault, let’s just say it’s a good thing I didn’t end up in the brig.

Anyway, more stories to come, but right now, I need to get to bed! Night all!

Friday Five

This has been an incredible week. So many appointments, and so many things to freeze and put up from my garden. So here are five things from the week that was.

  1. My MRI showed a few problems. One I will most likely need surgery on, but the other was good news! It seems the bone graft took and has grown the way they wanted it to.
  2. My garden has been so fruitful this year. So many beans and peas and zucchini and summer squash.  I’ve been blanching and freezing and canning everything I can before we are off on vacation.
  3. I’ve done two full batches of pickles.
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    Bread & Butter

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    Moon Glow Pickles cooking.

    One Bread & Butter and one Moon Glow. They both take a ton of cucumbers and since my pickling cucumbers came in all at once, we were very lucky!
  4. I got my hair cut very short once again. Last time it took me three weeks to get used to it. This time, I am happily enjoying the freedom that short hair allows.
  5. I finally know I am addicted to the Showtime series “Homeland”. Hubby and I were talking about our friend’s Great Dane and I said her name was “Brody”. Hubby burst out laughing. Her name is Bronty, Brody is a character on “Homeland”!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, enjoy the sunshine and the lazy, hazy, crazy, days of summer!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your summer so far? Why?
(1=eh and 10=best summer ever)

Oh, I think I would give it a 7. The garden is growing, the grandchildren are marvelous and healthy and life, in general, is very good.

2. July 26th is National Aunts and Uncles Day. Did you have many aunts and uncles growing up? Were you especially close to any one or maybe all of them? Are you an aunt? (or uncle for the men who join here on Wednesdays) Share a favorite memory relating to one of your own aunts or uncles or relating to a niece or nephew who call you Aunt (or Uncle).

Growing up I had only one real uncle and his wife.  But, there was my mother’s cousin, George and his wife Betty. I always called them Aunt and Uncle, and in the grand scheme of things, Uncle George and Aunt Betty were the Uncle and Aunt of my heart. My favorite memory of Uncle George, was when he walked me down the isle when I married Hubby.

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Uncle George was the finest man I have ever known. And, I was so blessed to be loved by him. He was never too tired, or too busy, to be there for all of us kids. I sure do miss him!

3. What’s your favorite food dipped in chocolate? What’s your favorite food dipped in cheese?

Almost anything dipped in chocolate is good. I cannot pick one. Dipped in cheese? Well a nice crust piece of home made bread!

4. When were you last astonished by something? Explain.

Finding out the plate in my spine has moved! I knew it in my mind, but to actually have xrays confirm it, really astonished me.

5. Surf board, paddle board, ironing board, Pinterest board, score board, clip board, bulletin board…which board have you most recently encountered?

Bulletin board. As I prepare for our trip, I am putting lists all over the house for our dog/house sitter!

6. What’s your favorite story from scripture? Why that story?

Suffering and Faith in God (The book of Job)
Job learned that bad things happen to good people and bad people alike. The question is, will you continue to trust God in the difficult times? Is he worthy of our trust when we don’t know all the answers and our lives are filled with pain?

This has always spoken to me because of the difficulties I have faced in life.

7. If you were to travel from the east coast to the west coast in your own country, which five cities would you most want to see?

I love New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Oregon. Would love to go to Nevada too, as I have not been.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’m off for another MRI today. Thank goodness I am not bothered by being in the tunnel. After the test is done I will see my Neurosurgeon.

This & That & Pickles

I was quite busy yesterday, canning the Bread and Butter Pickles, and then blanching and freezing another 2 pounds of beans. But, last night I was a bit smarter. I started to prepare our dinner before we actually canned the pickles. That way, when we were finally done, we could just sit down and eat! The previous night, I was too tired to even cook our dinner and that led to a quickie spaghetti meal. I was good and only had 1/2 a cup of pasta, but I was so hungry all night.

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I’m in the kitchen, once again, doing the first stage of the prep work for Moon Glow Pickles. They need to be prepped today, and then sit overnight before we cook and can them tomorrow.

As we’re preparing for a little down time next week, I am still getting things ready for our live in Doggy Nanny. We are so lucky to have found her, so when we do slip away from the dogs, we know that they are taken care of, as well as our home.

Today is the day I look forward to each month. I go in, get my hair cut, and dipped into the fountain of youth, and for an hour and a half, I am pampered.

Hubby and I are really enjoying “Homeland”. We didn’t start to watch this great show until a week ago. We’ve been watching one episode a day, and last night finished Season #1. What a great show, with superb acting! My daughter told me that I would like it, and she was right.

The Week Ahead

This week will be slightly crazy for me. I have appointments nearly every day, and aside from getting my hair done, most of the appointments are not for pleasure. Ah well, they’re all necessary,  and at least one of the appointments requires a long drive across the state, along a beautiful route. So, I guess that’s something.

After having short hair now for 2 months, I have decided to keep it this way. I like the ease of styling it, and at this point in my life, I’m sort of done with long curly hair and happy to have it short and cute!

It’s funny, when I was babysitting Savannah, she asked me if I was going to grow my hair out. I told her no, I was going to cut it again. “Oh Oma, you should have your hair long like me!” As much as I would like to please Savi, Oma has reached the point of wanting things to just be easy.

I blanched and froze 10 pounds of zucchini and summer squash, and 5 pounds of green beans. And today, with a little help from Hubby, I will be making Bread and Butter pickles. All of this will taste great in January! But, oh Lord, this is a lot of work.

garden

 

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Happy Birthday, Melodie!!!

Today is my sister, Melodie’s Birthday. I am so lucky, because she is not just my sister, but my best friend too. We love our cell phones because even though we live far apart, we talk every day, at least once but sometimes more.

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She is not only a wonderful sister, but a great wife and mother and grandmother.

 

Melodie Birthday from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

Melodie’s Birthday

 

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Love you so much, Mel! Happy Birthday!!!

Friday Five

Yesterday I was over for a check-up with my neurosurgeon. I’ve been having a few problems, and I was glad for the chance to go in and start the process of discovery.

  1. I’ve had a discomfort, that has slowly turned into pain when I swallow. In seven months I have been unable to wear a turtleneck or anything that fits closely to my neck.
  2. They found that the plate in my neck has moved. Thus accounting for the above symptoms.
  3. I had a thorough neurological evaluation during the exam, and they found a loss of sensation on the left side in my fingers, arms, etc. I’ve been having pain there too.
  4. The x-rays show, a few suspicious areas. And the P.A. I was seeing told me he wanted to talk to my surgeon and get back to me. But I had an odd feeling, as he walked me out, he kept telling me to be very careful, no heavy lifting, no dog walking, just to lay low. He said he would talk to me on Friday.
  5. I was half way home when my cell phone rang. It was the P.A. and he had already spoken to my surgeon, who wants the MRI done quickly and then he wants to see me after. So the P.A. told me the secretary would call on Friday with my appointment.

So I am trying to lay low, and stay calm, but I admit to being frightened by the prospect of more surgery. Oh well, I guess until I know, there is nothing I can do, but wait. I have never been a good wait-er!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Pokemon Go…your thoughts? Are you playing? Do you even know what it is?

I do know what it is, but I simply haven’t got the time. After all, I can hardly keep up with Words With Friends! LOL 🙂

2. What was something you collected as a child? Do you still have that collection? If you’re a parent what’s something your own children collected? Have you ever camped out, stood in a crazy long queue, or paid a ridiculous sum for a ‘collectible’?

I collected Barbie Dolls. I had a little suitcase with all my dolls. I loved Barbie! Then one summer, my sister sponsored a young girl from Ireland. So, I gave them to her. There are times I wish I had kept them, but I still feel what I did was right.

3. “Collect moments, not things”…tell us about a moment you’ve added to your collection this summer.

I am trying to collect as many moments as I can with Quinn and Savannah. They both are growing and changing so much, so quickly. I wish we lived closer and I could see them more often.

4. What’s something collecting dust in your home right now? Any plans to do something about it?

I’m actually doing pretty well on that front. I did a big clothes clean out recently and donated to St. Vincent, and now I need to slowly work through a few more piles of things.

5. A favorite song relating to time?

Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce.

6. What’s been your most frightening or your most interesting encounter with wildlife?

Many years back now, I was walking one of the dackels outside after dark. All of a sudden I heard and saw a small black object running toward us. I grabbed up the dachshund and started to run, and when I reached the lighted portion of the yard I realized it was our neighbors Schipperke Dog! Kodiak. He was a sweet boy and really liked me and the dackels and Fritz. But that night, he scared me to death!

7. On July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong set his foot down on the moon. If you could travel to the moon would you go? Why or why not?

Years ago, I might have, but I am well grounded now with my daughter, my grandchildren and of course my dear Hubby! No, earth is home, happily so!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’m taking my post from yesterday in to my Weight Watchers class to read. I sent it to my leader today and she loved it. So…wish me luck!