Author: Dackel Princess

This & That Friday

  1. The other day when I was driving down to meet up with my cousin and her sister’s in-law, I drove passed an obviously dead, and frozen creature on the side of the road. It was fierce looking and rather large. It haunted me all day, and once I was home I looked it up and this is what I found.

  2. This is a Fisher.fishcat1

  3. Fishers (locally called fisher-cat, although they’re not related to cats nor do they eat a lot of cats) have long, slender bodies with muscular, short legs similar to their cousins — weasel, mink, marten, and otter. Their thick, grayish-brown to brownish-black glossy fur tends to be darker on females. White-tipped hairs on older fisher give a grizzled appearance. Fisher have strong claws for climbing and a long, bushy, black, tapered tail. Males average 4-12 pounds, about twice the size of females.

    Don’t let their furry body fool you. Don’t let the cute fur fool you, these suckers have very sharp teeth and long toe nails and can kill an animal quickly by eviscerating it.

    fisher-cat

    Occasionally they will go after a human, and have been known to seriously injure men, women and children!

  4. We have ice jams in our gutters. Hubby has started to break it up, but it is a tough job. Now I know what an ice pick is for!
  5. While driving home in a heavy snow storm I was driving slowly on the highway, when I witnessed another car go airborne and land on its roof! I later read that the driver was treated at a local hospital and released.
  6. I’ve become a “Blue Bloods” TV show fan! Hubby has watched it since day one, but it is on at 10 PM, and I am usually in bed.
  7. My mouth is doing well since the root canal. The discomfort I have is from the jaw being open for so long, and the gum tissue is also a little sore. But, I am doing well.
  8. I ordered earlobe cell phone hands free headsets. I ordered 4, and today they arrived. They were all broken! So, back they go. And yes, they were all made in China! Beware!
  9. I’ve been making lime gelatin, with pear halves and maraschino cherries. It makes a great low calorie dessert. It also makes me think of my youth, when at every Christmas, Mom would make this.
  10. Quiet weekend planned for us. I need to go out and look for a new washing machine. I know what I would like, I just have to find the right ($$$) one.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Throw Back Thursday: Baby MB

This weeks TBT are pictures of me at one and a half years old. I cannot believe that I am sitting still, as I have heard stories about me being a very active, climbing baby! In any case, here I am, in the front yard of our house on Clipper Lane in Falmouth.

img702

And this one Dad took. I can see my hands are moving, so I know this picture was a real challenge for him!

img083

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Did you watch The Oscars? How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash)

Only saw American Sniper. I thought it was a great movie and I wish two things. 1. More people will go out to see it. and 2. That it would have won.

Do you think actors should use their acceptance speeches as an opportunity to promote their political and/or social agenda? Does that sort of speech make you more or less inclined to change the channel?

No. They certainly have the time and status to call a press conference later, but I really resent my time being “used” by them during, what is supposed to be a fun award show. (At least it supposed to be fun!)

2. Speaking of the movies… are you comfortable going to a movie alone? How about dinner in a restaurant (not fast food, but an actual restaurant)? The second half of this question was posed by Carrie who blogs over at It’s Not Easy Being Queen. Thanks Carrie!

I can go out to eat alone, but I prefer a partner. I don’t like going to the movies alone. I’d rather stay home and watch a movie there.

3. What’s the last home repair or home improvement project you had to pay someone to complete? In hindsight was this a project you could have done yourself?

Our leaky pipes int he kitchen and master bath. After 15 years they both needed to be repaired and faucets replaced.

4. Have you ever had Indian food? Like it or no? If you’re a fan, what’s your favorite dish? Have you ever prepared this yourself at home? Is there an Indian restaurant in your current hometown?

Yes, and I love it. I tend to go for the sweet and savory dishes. Nan bread, Coconut Soup, Chicken Tikka Saag! I also love saffron rice.

5. A song that reminds you of your parents?

That is a tough one. You see, Dad was a music teacher and church organist, so there are literally hundreds of songs that make me think of him and them. Mom loved his playing so much and it was his gift at the piano that brought them together. Mom was, I think 13 and Dad 14, when she was to dance in a recital. Dad was playing the piano to accompany her and that was how they met. So music was always in our home.

6. The 26th of February is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day. What’s your favorite, or one of your favorite, fairy tales? Do you have any childhood memories associated with a particular fairy tale?

I always have enjoyed Fairy Tales. Do I have a favorite? No. In fact I gave Savannah a book of Fairy Tales because you know, you can never have just one!

7. What’s a problem you solved yesterday?

I got all three dackels to the Vets for their yearly shots. I thought Anneliese was having a bladder infection, but it turns out she has a a high alkaline ph to her urine and it’s causing crystals to form. Thus making it painful for her to urinate. My Vet prescribed Vitamin C daily to help break up the crystals.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Tuesday I had my root canal done on my right, back, upper, molar. It was a tough job as I have more canals than most people and it took the young doctor, two and a half hours to complete. He said that on a scale of 1-10, ten being the worst ever, my tooth was a 15! ***GROAN***

Teeth, Dogs, & Winter

Big day today. I’m off to have a root canal and then after, go see my regular doctor. Usually I would not make an appointment like this. You know, back to back, but both are important.

Usually my mornings start with the dogs going crazy, but for some reason all the dogs have gone back to sleep! It’s probably the freezing temperature here…-17 degrees…and they probably figure that sleeping in is a better bet.

The three dackels did great at the Vet’s yesterday. The only two things was, Greta must be on a bit of a diet, as she has gained 3 pounds this year! Anneliese has high alkaline urine, so she is on Vitamin C to help her urine become more acidic and break up the crystals that have formed.

Driving to our Vets office and back I was able to see all the snow that had fallen over the winter. Her office is in the foothills of the White Mountains, and strangely, they have not gotten as much snow as we have.

Ah winter! I am so over you!!!

And So It Goes…

It’s been two years since the surgery that removed the cancer from my nose. Back then I thought I would go in, have a small incision and a little plastic surgery to put me back together.

But that was not what happened. A large part of my nose was removed and skin taken from my forehead, to cover my nose with skin.

March 19 007

I feel the first plastic surgeon botched the job and left me quite disfigured. I was lucky to find a wonderful Australian Doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who worked very hard for over 6 months to repair what was left of my face.

I cannot tell you how it felt to wake up and see myself after the surgery. From late February until July of that year, I simply thought I would forever look like I went through the windshield of my car.

April 06 13 006

Then I found Dr. P. in Boston and he told me honestly that he couldn’t make me exactly as God had, but he could certainly do his best to repair my face.

Which he did. From July 2013 until the end of November of that year I saw him every few weeks for additional surgery.

July 08 13 002

Then it was over, and I knew that I needed time to recover, and for the scars to heal.  I remember looking in the mirror and hoping that the bright red scars would fade away.

Sept. 02 13 008

It seemed every day all I could see was the scars. I could not see anything positive in my appearance and I started to fall into a pretty deep depression.

It was like, one day waking up only to find that your face has been hacked and no longer belongs to you.

People said nice things, like, I looked great and they didn’t even notice the scars. But deep down, I knew they did. I just couldn’t see anything positive on my face.

On Saturday my cousin took a picture of me and for the first time in two years, I thought I actually looked pretty.

IMG_1021

I think it was then I realized just how I had been seeing myself. And I knew I needed to snap out of it, and stop looking in the mirror, and perhaps start looking inside of myself, instead.

Snow Tumbles

Yesterday I noticed the water pressure in our house was down. (We have a well.) I was a bit nervous, but since we still had water, I knew it wasn’t the pump, but rather suspected the tank in the basement.

I went down and while I talked to Hubby on the phone (he was at the doctor’s office in southern New Hampshire), we determined that one of the cell cocks outside was probably failing.

I went to go look at them all, and when I opened the door, Lili escaped!

She is not good at coming back to us, and she loves to run in the deep snow. I grabbed her leash, hiding it in my pocket, and went out to catch her.

She actually came much faster then I thought she would, and I snapped the leash to her collar. Then we started walking along the dog path to come in.

That’s when it happened. She pulled me hard, and I started to slip. I tried hard not to, but eventually this very strong puppy, pulled me down into the deep snow. I had snow up my nose, in my face and even under my glasses. My hands were covered in snow, and had even gone up my sleeves.

Once I could crawl down the slight incline and get to my feet, I was able to get her and myself into the house.

I took off my jacket and hat and hung them to dry. Then I came to the sink and washed my hands, and saw they were bruised.

This morning I feel like I got hit by a truck. My arms, legs and neck all hurt like heck. Fall down like that is not what I would call fun!

Please pass the Motrin!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. When did you last have to interact, either by phone or in person, with someone in a government run agency? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the experience? (10 being fabulous and 1 being pass the Tylenol)

I always pay my taxes tot he town in person. That was back in December. Our Tax Collectors are not appointed, but voted into office. I have to say, they are all a pleasure to work with.

2. The current governor of Wisconsin is considering a run for President next time around. Walker attended Marquette University, but never graduated. In terms of any candidate running for the office of President (not asking here if you agree or disagree with Scott Walker’s politics) would the lack of a college degree influence your vote or no? Would that be a factor in your support of any candidate running for public office, even a role less weighty than President?

I admire those who have degrees, however, that being said, I also believe that there are those people who are so “smart” that they couldn’t find their way out of a paper bag. Many very intelligent people have not been lucky enough to have a college education, and yet, they have learned more than many who have gone, do. Would I vote for a candidate without a 4 year college degree? Yes.

3. When did you last visit a place or site named for George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, and what was that place or site?

Mount Washington, here in New Hampshire is a wonderful place to hike or to take the Cog Railway to the top.

summit_steam

You can also drive on the tote road. We also have the Mount Washington Cruise Ship.

July 28 028

The ship cruises around Lake Winnipesaukee. It is a relaxing and fun time in the summers.

4. February 16th was President’s Day in the US, but did you know it was also National Almond Day? I didn’t think so : ) Do you like almonds? If so, what’s a food/dish/recipe you enjoy that contains almonds?

I love almonds! And I like them raw, cooked, candied, any old way at all!!!

5.The television program Saturday Night Live celebrated it’s 40th anniversary this past weekend. Were/are you a fan of the show? If so what has been your favorite (or one of your favorite) skits, sayings, or characters that came out of the program?

I was way back when. I’m afraid I lost interest when so many of their cast members got involved with drugs, and either died or moved on and were replaced with others.

6. Anything purple within ten feet of you? What is it?

Purple, eh? Well there is a picture of Savannah sitting on Santa’s knee wearing a purple shirt!

Santa

7. Back in December I asked you to submit a question for a future HP as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I grabbed this one from those entries, submitted by Zoanna who blogs over at Penchant for Pens. Thanks Zoanna!

She asks, “How often do you make your bed, and how do you like to make it-pull the covers all the way up over the pillows, tuck the covers in around the pillows, or place all the pillows on top of the covers?”

I make my bed so the covers go all the way up and under the pillows. I tend to sleep all curled up under the covers.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I am so tired of all the snow. Everywhere we go, the snow has been piled high, simply because there is no place to put it. We are due for more tonight and tomorrow!

Yellow Roses

Valentine’s Day, I woke up, came out of my bedroom, walked to the coffee maker, turned it on, went over and walked the dogs, came in, went over to the coffee maker to get myself a cup, and started to walk to the family room, when I stopped dead in my tracks! There was a vase full of beautiful yellow roses! And a lovely card, from Hubby. I had to laugh because in my sleepiness, I had passed the flowers three times before I saw them!

IMG_6954

What is even funnier is that after 27 years of marriage, Hubby had no idea that he had purchased my favorite color of Rose. Many years ago, when I was eight or nine years old, my sister got the most beautiful roses and they were yellow. Right then I became fixated on the beauty of a yellow rose!

IMG_6950

I have spent the day, going over and smelling them, and unlike my sister, who currently has a very bad cold, I can smell their sweet perfume!

Since we are once again having a heavy snow storm, we decided to go out for lunch instead of dinner. We shared, Mussels cooked in white wine and cream, Escargot cooked with garlic and butter, then we each had salads, and soups. Everything was great, and we had such a nice time.

We came home and watched as the snow fell. This really made me laugh because the weather forecasters said that our snow wouldn’t start until the middle of the night tonight and into tomorrow. It has been falling ever since I got up this morning!

IMG_6951

That’s okay. I have my beautiful roses, and they sure help to perk me up! Winter will be over soon, right?

A Day With Mr. Cardinal

P1030005

We have a couple of Cardinals that live between our house and our neighbors. Their nest is in a tree on the edge of our driveway, but our neighbors have tasty snacks and our shrubs are concord grapes and even in the winter provide the birds nibbles and a place to rest. Mrs. Cardinal is a bit shy, but Mr. Cardinal loves to strut his stuff and I see him an awful lot. They really are beautiful birds!