Friday Five

This week has been a strange one. So here are five things that got me thinking.

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  • I saw, online at the Falmouth Theater Guild‘s Web page this picture. That’s my Dad sitting at the piano, and yes, that is me sitting next to him. A very young, maybe three and a half years old, Maribeth. My brother is right behind us in the light colored shirt, and my sister is sort of cut off, but is on the far left.
  • I found a review of a play I was in as an eight year old child. I played Gretl in The Sound of Music. It was a wonderful experience for me, but i never really knew about the full text of the review. Mom had save a copy, but it was sort of frayed and some was missing. This gave me a good idea about how the show was received.

Sound of Music Reviews 2

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In this picture I am to the right of “Maria“. The thing I remembered most about this production was how wonderful everyone was. The adults were all so kind to the children. I have never forgotten.

  • Today I made lists, and then lists of lists. I think I am getting a little obsessive about packing for our trip!
  • I had my second physical therapy session. It went really well. The therapist made a splint for me last time, and it has made such a difference. I can already straighten out all of the fingers.
  • I’ve been loving the weather this week. Oh, how beautiful it has been. It finally feels like Autumn!

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What have you ‘fallen for’ recently?

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My granddaughter, Savannah, all over again! This past weekend, at the end of my visit, when we were saying good-bye, she said she didn’t want me to go. It’s the first time she expressed in words, that she didn’t want me to leave. That filled my heart!

2. What’s something you’re ‘squirreling away’ for later?

I have a hot pink and orange bag that I got from Clinique a couple of years ago. I decided to make it into my “OMA BAG”. I like to buy little things for Savannah, and then when I go down to visit she gets one of the things (sometimes two) from the “OMA BAG”. It’s always fun to watch her reaction to something I’ve picked up along the way. This past weekend, it was Rapunzel Barbie Doll!

3. How do you like your apples? Sweet? Tart? Crisp? Cooked? Apples are one of the superfoods for fall…how often do you eat an apple either plain or as part of a favorite recipe? What’s your favorite variety? Sept 19 018

  My two favorite apples are not found easily. They are the snow apple (it is believed to be one of the ancestors of a MacIntosh) and the Winter Banana (it was a seedling variety’s discovered in Indiana in the 1870’s). That apple has a sweet taste almost like a banana. Of our apples here at our home, The Mac’s are great as are the Enterprise. Love to make apple pie with Cortland and Jonathans.

4. According to Fodor’s the ten best fall foliage trips in the US of A are-Aspen Colorado, The Catskills New York, The Berkshires Massachusetts, Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Green Mountain Byway Vermont, Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway New Mexico, Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, Upper Peninsula Michigan, Lake of the Ozarks Missouri, and Glacier National Park Montana. Which would you most like to visit this fall and why?  

Well, we live in New Hampshire and I think we have the best foliage, especially in the Mount Washington areas. Around my little lake we have breathtaking foliage. This picture was from a couple of Autumns ago.  

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5. The topic of legalizing marijuana was raised in the most recent televised political debate so let’s wade in too. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Four states have legalize marijuana for recreational use. Your thoughts?

I do not believe in it at all. The man who hit my car and killed my daughter, did so when he was stoned! Legalizing it for medical use only (and we are talking cancer pain control) should be allowed, but tightly controlled. This is a drug. It can and does, impair your judgement!

6. Are you okay to watch a movie already in progress or do you need to always see it from the beginning? How about jumping into a TV series somewhere in the middle? Is that okay?

I like to see everything from the start. But…if I know the movie or show, then tuning in “in progress” doesn’t bother me.

7. Thursday (September 24) is National Punctuation Day. What rule of punctuation trips you up most often? What rule of punctuation, when broken by someone else, bugs you the most?

Comma’s, bug me the most. And I am always thrown by semi-colons.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I went shopping on Monday, and made some nice purchases. Some pretty tops, and one nice sweater jacket. Everything at Talbot’s was on sale, which makes it even better! My girlfriend Laurie, is wonderful to shop with. She is a realist. Not just how things look on me, but also the cost. I had about six items I liked in Talbot’s and she helped me pare it down to three. She also, gently pointed out, that I needed a new supportive unmentionable. She was right. We went to the unmentionable shop, and a lovely young lady helped me to get fitted and then find an unmentionable that not only fit, but was comfortable. I look like a new lady!

Girls Day Out!

This morning I made breakfast and then started to get ready for my shower and the phone rang. It was my friend, Laurie. She wanted to go off for a girls day with me. So I quickly showered and dressed and drove over to pick her up. We drove to the Outlet Stores to enjoy shopping for bargains.

The weather here was perfect, 70 degrees, sunny and with a light breeze. Just right for walking around the open air mall  shopping.

I bought four shirts to wear at the Reunion and a cute knit jacket. All things were 40-70% off the original price. There is nothing better than shopping to lift one’s spirits.

We ate out at Pizzeria Uno. They have a lunch special of soup and a small pizza. We split this and it was okay. Not crazy about the pizza, but, well, it was okay.

We returned to our town, and I dropped her off at her place before returning home.

Hubby was so busy caring for one of the apple trees that lost two large branches. Greta met me in the drive, and the dogs inside the house were really glad to see me.

All in all, it was a perfect day!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I thought Sunday would be my slow day, but it turned into being a crazy, busy day. I planned to do a load or two of laundry, which turned into 5 loads. This included the changing of sheets on the bed, and washing the duvet cover the dackels sleep on.

I was so good, washing, drying, folding up the laundry and…I even put it all away! I had leftover lasagna for dinner, and I thought I might catch my breath at the end of the day.

However, Hubby brought in Concord Grapes and thought we should at least make the juice, which we can freeze, to make jelly with this winter.

So, we cleaned the grapes, mashed them up and cooked them until they were soft. They are now in a jelly bag draining into a large pot until the morning.

The worst part is, I still have a ton of stuff to do this week. Things that can’t be put off. I wish it were all the fun things in life, but unfortunately, more laundry, packing, and grocery shopping for the hounds!

Oh yes, and I start Physical Therapy on my finger and hand. I’d hoped to avoid that, but the finger is not healing and is actually quite painful.

The good news is, I know the Therapist and he is really good. So I know in no time at all, my finger and hand will be all better!

Once again, thanks to Megan for getting the WordPress part of Dackel Princess up and running.

Have a great week everyone!

Dackel Princess-Up & Running

Good afternoon one and all. My Web Maven, Megan has now update the WordPress basics for me. As I said, it has been 6 years. I opened the writing part up and “WOW” everything looks so different. I stumbled around, and found my way into the writing part of the program. Actually, this is pretty good. Give me a week, and I think I will have it all memorized.

Now I want to take a week or so and work on a new face for Dackel Princess. Something pretty, that incorporates all my pups.

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I think this new program might really be interesting to use! Thanks again, Megan, and I will be in touch after our trip with ideas for the new Dackel Princess look!

Ballerina Savannah

Yesterday I drove down to watch Savannah in her ballet/tap dance class. First, look at this adorable picture. Cute, right?

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She was so adorable, as she participated in the class. I know a lot of people do not believe in pre-school for children, but Savannah has been going for a couple of years now, and it has taught her so much. Probably the number one thing, is to be patient, when dealing with groups of other children, and not to be afraid of trying new things. One poor child, had an absolute melt-down sobbing, and what was even worse, was that her mother (stage mother) was not kind to her at all. This is not the best shot, but they kept Mommy’s and grandmothers in a room with a little TV. This was the best I could do from the little TV. Savi is in the black leotard and black skirt!

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Now here is a terrible story, of a terrible grandmother. While we were waiting for class, the door was open and a mosquito flew in and landed on Savannah’s arm. I saw it, and not thinking hit the mosquito, not hard, but enough to squish the mosquito. Savannah looked at me so shocked! Oh I felt like a terrible person. I immediately apologized and then showed her the mosquito in my hand. (She is terribly allergic to them and really swells up.) So I told her she had a free one. She could hit my arm. So she did. Then Mommy explained that it isn’t right to hit people. Like I said…Oma fail!

We went to breakfast, and talked and talked. Savannah’s vocabulary is expanding every day and she is quite amazing.

Soon it was time to say goodbye and head home. We hugged and kissed, and yesterday was the first time Savannah didn’t want me to leave. That made me smile all day long and even this morning, as I write.

Friday Five

I’ve been thinking a lot about life recently. How good it is, how wonderful the people in my life are, and how, despite life’s difficulties, well, life is really good. So, this week’s Friday Five are the wonderful things happening in my life.

  1. I am going to be a grandmother again. Yes, my daughter is safely 15 week pregnant with her second child. A BOY! She is feeling well, the baby is growing inside her and I am thrilled. Not so much for myself, as for my daughter. Those of you who have more than one child can attest that your second baby (or third, or fourth…) brings more love into your family. Baby Boy is due in March and I can hardly wait to hold this bundle of sheer joy in my arms!
  2. My sweet Savannah Rose continues to amaze and delight me. I never expected, I never knew, that being a grandmother would be as wonderful as it is. Sometimes I watch Savi and my heart swells and catches in my throat. She is so amazing! And Mandy and Matt are such wonderful parents to her.

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  3. My niece Jinny and her husband Ian, welcomed their much wanted and loved daughter this past week. April is gorgeous, and sweet and adored.

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    Jinny and Ian are wonderful parents and my sister is reveling in her job as baby/daughter nurse. She has been over each day to help Jinny, and cook and make sure that Jinny is rested. I know my sister, and I can safely say, she is the best “baby nurse” I can even think of!

  4. My dogs. OK, you all stood by me when Lili was a wild child, baby pup. But she is getting to be so much better, and she is such a sweetheart! She is getting better playing with the dackels, and finally, I feel she is fitting in. The dackels, as usual, thrill me beyond words.
  5. Hubby and I have been planning our trip to Ohio. We have a graduate student moving in here, and the best part is, she will actually live here while we are gone. I always hate the thought of the animals being alone, even for a moment, and our sitter works on her Doctorate online. This is a perfect arrangement!

TBT: Baby Arnie

Here are a few pictures of Arnie when he was a newborn puppy. My dearest friend, Emily, always loved him the best and she lamented over, and over , that we should not sell Arnie.

Arnie was the only male in Greta’s first litter of five pups. From the very start, Arnie was low key and easy to get along with.

Arnie was, in fact, sold, but on the day his new owner was going to pick him up, she changed her mind. Hubby and I always intended to sell him, but less than a week later, we decided that Arnie, was home for good! With us!

Baby Arnie

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Emily and Arnie
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Arnie at about 7 weeks

Feb. 4 Arnie

Arnie at 12 weeks

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Arnie now. We have never regretted keeping him. He is, quite simply, the best little guy around!