Author: Dackel Princess

The Mail, The Fair & Parking Places

Another day spent making jam, and spaghetti sauce. It kept me busy, but once again, in a very good way!

I also left here about 11:00 in the morning to go to the Post Office. Usually it’s a five minute round trip. Today, they were having a Street Fair and Main Street was closed to through Traffic.

So I drove the back roads to park near the Post Office, but not on Main Street. I thought I was good to go, except the Police had closed that street off to parking! And there was a police cruiser with a policeman in it, so leaving my car for even a second, was not an option.

I drove all around, and finally, after finding the entire town parked up, I found an empty space. Well, not empty, exactly, but the car was just about to pull out and I waited.

Still it was a good 1/2 mile to the Post Office, and all of it was up hill! I didn’t care because Saturday was a really beautiful day! Sunny, warm (not hot), and dry.

The walk was pleasant and on my way back to the car, I walked through the fair and checked it out. Tomorrow, my cousins are coming so we can go to the fair.

Oh yes, this great journey to get the mail produced one add from Princess Cruises. Worst of all, it was for cruises I am not really interested in.

Oh well, at least I got out on a lovely day!

Greta The Badger Dog!

Poor Lili lost her red ball last week. After a heavy rain, the ball went into the gully and down the drain pipe. Every day Lili went out and looked into the pipe for her ball.

Sadly she had not found it. Until….Greta was outside with Hubby and she was over by the drain and she climbed into the drain and found the ball!!! She came running out with the ball firmly in her teeth!

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Big little dog

Ah yes, my little badger-dog, Greta!

The Friday Five

It’s been a busy week for me. Now that my hand has healed I can once again do housework, wash dishes and cook without gloves. Oh joy! Here are five things happening in my life.

  1. I had a disaster batch of Heavenly Peach Jam. I mean this stuff is so thick, it breaks your toast. At first Hubby wanted to throw it away, but I went online (from whence cometh all intrinsic answers to every problem), and discovered that if you open the jar, put the jelly into a heavy pot. Add a small amount of water and bring to a boil, the jam will become more pliable, and then put the jam in a clean jar, cover and put into the fridge. I tried this, and it worked. Still giving my cousin some, as she likes to use this as a glaze on her pork roast.
  2. I went through the entire week installing all my information on Internet Explorer. I have used Firefox forever, but recently, it started to freeze up, a lot. After 5 days of using IE, I am back to Firefox. Neither one is perfect, but Firefox has most of what I need.
  3. I think I have found a couple of house sitters for the dogs. One lives on our street and he will be great for the short times, like when we go to Mandy’s house for the day. The other is a graduate student, who will be good for all day and overnights, you know, the longer trips. This is so important, as I want to travel a bit more with Hubby this year!
  4. I finally got the ladder in and while Hubby steadied it, climbed up and cleaned all around the skylight. It was a good thing to do, as after a while, it really needed a good scrubbing!
  5. I’m babysitting for Savannah on Monday! Yay! Call me one thrilled Oma!

The Sadness

I was watching TV this morning, when there was a news alert: Two reporters in Roanoke, Virginia, had been shot and killed while doing a live interview on the early morning news. A reporter, Alison Parker, 24, and a cameraman, Adam Ward, 27, were the victims.

They were not sure who could have done such a heinous thing, at first, but then a somewhat blurry picture was released of the gunman.

I said to Hubby, that the picture was good enough, that people would be able to make his face out, and know who he was.

In less than an hour, they knew who it was. A former, disgruntled employee, that had been fired nearly two years ago. From all accounts, he was difficult to get along with and was a disruptive presence at the TV station, which led to his dismissal.

And then, for two years he waited. He waited and he planned and obtained a gun and illegal bullets, and planned again. The biggest question now is, how did he know they were doing the live interview at this shopping area at 6:45 AM on Wednesday?

I guess it doesn’t really matter now. We cannot bring back those two wonderful, young, lives. And the shooter is dead, having taken his own life, once he felt that he had finally been the center of attention on the TV and the Internet.

Yes, this very sick man, filmed himself shooting these innocent people and then posted it to Facebook. They got it down pretty quickly, but the segment is out there.

I told Hubby that what bothers me, is that this man was criminally insane, and should have been in a mental health facility long ago. However, the USA, in all their progressiveness, no longer does anything for the truly mentally ill.

Men and women like this man, are out these and will commit terrible crimes against humanity just because our country is failing to protect our communities from criminally insane people.

What Hubby wants to know is, how this TV station could have hired such a troubled man, who had been released from 6 other stations before being let go by this one.

My heart aches for the family and friends of Alison and Adam. Their lives should not have ended doing a live interview at 6:45 in the morning.

My 4000th Post

Today is my 4000th posting on Dackel Princess! In 15 years it has been a joy for me to write each day and share my world with all of you! Thank you for reading and commenting!

1. It’s hard to believe, but next week’s Hodgepodge will find us in the month of September. What’s one thing you want, need, or hope to do still before summer officially ends?

Have our Lobster Bake with my cousins, Janet & Dave. They are coming up on Sunday and we will share a wonderful New England Lobster meal!

2. When were you last at ‘your wit’s end’?

Yesterday. It seemed no matter what I was doing, nothing was coming out right. Frustration mounted, and at one point I just broke down into tears!

3. Describe a time you were figuratively thrown into ‘the deep end’?

I think with the cancer surgery and repair afterward. I do not think anything could have prepared me for that. I felt like I was tossed into the deep end of the pool, and it was sink or swim. Fortunately, I am a strong swimmer!

4. Does the end always, ever, or never justify the means? Explain.

No. I believe in following the rules and doing things honestly. It may take longer, it may be harder, but in the end, I will be proud of my efforts.

5. What makes your hair stand on end?

A serious thunder and lightening storm. Not a fan. My cousin, Janet loves them, but they make me nervous. Imagine my scare when lightening hit the transformer outside my home in Florida! I was lying on the sofa one moment and on the floor the next!

6. I read an article on the website Eat This! Health, that listed 11 foods we can eat to help end bad moods. Basically it’s a feed your brain so you’re less anxious, grouchy and lethargic. The foods are-mussels, swiss chard, blue potatoes, grass fed beef, dark chocolate, greek yogurt, asparagus, honey, cherry tomatoes, eggs, and coconut. Which of those do you think would most help end your own bad mood? Which do you fear, if forced to eat, would put you into a bad mood?

All of the above would put me in a good mood, and since I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers I will tell you that since I am a food-a-holic there is not much that makes me get into a bad mood. Maybe collard greens, but that is about it!

7. What project around your home, office, or life in general feels like there is ‘no end in sight’?

Painting. I need to repaint the entire interior of the house, as well as the trim on the outside. I’m thinking I will hire someone for the outside, but the inside I think I can handle!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Me 15 years ago with my Shubi, when I started Dackel Princess.

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greta

Greta.

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Arnie..

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Anneliese

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Lili

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And me, 15 years later.

This & That

On Monday I harvested 22 Ichiban Eggplant and made a second eggplant lasagna. It came out really well, but even I get a little tired of it after a few meals!

So, I am cutting it into individual servings and putting it in the freezer for a quick mid-winter meal. I do the same when I break down and make regular lasagna.

Hubby and I watched the Stock Market open and crash this morning, making us very happy that we are in simple Money Markets right now. I feel pretty sad for people whose retirement savings has been affected.

Greta continues to be a little snuggle bug. Imagine that at the age of 11 years old! She sure has mellowed in her golden years!

Arnie and Anneliese, at the age of 8, are both at that perfect age. They love to be out, running around, and their behavior is really good. Most of all, they just adore each other. I guess that is the way it is with Litter-Mates.

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It’s been a joy to watch them grow up together!

El Jimador

I have lived in this area for 16 years, and we have yet to find a local Mexican Restaurant that was any good. That was, until last night.

When we arrived at El Jimador, the parking lot was full and as we were shown to our seat, I glanced at what people were eating. It all looked good!

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Four of us went and each of us ordered a wonderful meal. My husband started off his meal with Sopa De Pollo, a wonderful chicken soup! We all tasted it and declared it marvelous!

Between us we ordered a Taco Salad, Steak Fajitas, Chile Relleno, a Tamale, Enchilada and a Beef Burrito. The portions were more than generous, and we brought home what was leftover for our lunch tomorrow.

The décor was nice, the staff was friendly and efficient, and we can hardly wait to go back. It is so nice when you find these places right in your back yard!

Crazy Saturday

Life can sometimes be a little crazy. Today was one of those days. It wasn’t that it was bad, it was more that I was really busy from the moment my feet hit the floor until, well, I sat down to write this post.

I made the third (and thankfully better) batch of Heavenly Jam. It took quite a bit of cooking time, which meant standing over a hot stove. But this batch seemed to come out better.

After that I began the rather arduous task of peeling and cutting up the cucumbers, onions and peppers for a half batch of Moon Glow Pickles. Tomorrow I will can it.

I then pronounced that dinner would be leftovers, as I simply couldn’t face preparing another meal tonight.

Yesterday I tried a new recipe for Wiener Schnitzel and it was less than great. It was edible, but that was about all you could say about it.

I have also been trying to get the house whipped into shape, and I am failing miserably. I need about three days of doing nothing but making trips to the recycling center with JUNK! Maybe that should be a week! But I think sometimes, just getting started is the hardest part.

Although the garden did not live up to my expectations, it has produced a fair number of cukes and beans. Oh yes, and also eggplant. The tomatoes are starting to come in, and spaghetti sauces will be made.

Eggplant Lasagna

I love eggplant, and currently have six plants in my garden. They have grown long thin eggplants, and this year, it seemed that many of their long fingers ripened at once. Yesterday I harvested 24 Ichiban Eggplants. I thought about what I could do and it came to me…Eggplant lasagna!

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  1. So I peeled the Eggplant, sliced them in half, and tossed them in Italian bread crumbs. Then I put them on a PAM sprayed cookie sheet, gave them a little pray on their upper side, and roasted in the oven at 425 degree for 20 minutes, turn and cook for another 15 minutes or until they are nicely browned on both sides.
  2. Once roasted, I set them on wire racks to cool.
  3. Meanwhile, I had my own Spaghetti Sauce, made with Italian Sausage, that I thawed and had standing by.
  4. I used 8 ounces of Ricotta Cheese mixed with 1 egg. (Or 1/4 cup of egg whites) Whip it thoroughly.
  5. Cook 6 lasagna noodles.
  6. Get a 9X11 inch glass pan. Spray with PAM or other nonstick spray.
  7. Layer:
  • Spread a small amount of spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan.
  • Lay one layer of lasagna noodles in pan. (mine hold three across.)
  • Spread spaghetti sauce on noodles.
  • Place a layer of Eggplant in the same direction of the noodles.
  • Take some shredded Mozzarella cheese and place over eggplant lightly.
  • Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of that.
  • Then place dollops of Ricotta mixture on top of that, and then spread all over the top of the eggplants.
  • Then place the second layer of noodles across this.
  • Cover with spaghetti sauce.
  • Then place the second layer off eggplant on top of this.
  • Then sprinkle a fair amount of Mozzarella cheese.
  • Lastly, take some Parmesan cheese and sprinkle on the top.
  1. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. Make sure cheese is melted and bubbly.
  2. Take out of oven and set on the top of stove, turning off the heat.
  3. Let sit for about 10 minutes so it will “jell” and be easier to cut.

If you have any questions, let me know. I will be trying this with regular eggplant this winter, when my garden stops producing.

Mom

It’s been two years since my Mom passed away.  Ours was a difficult relationship, while she lived, but there were those moments, the good memories, that seem to be coming in and taking over, and the sad and bitter memories fade away.

Rosamond Ruth

June 28, 1929 – August 21, 2013

Mom in April

I hope you are happy, and resting peacefully

with all of our loved ones, who went before.