Dackel Princess

Throw Back Thursday

When I was 13 years old I went into the Hospital and had my Wisdom Teeth removed. They were impacted and a real bear to get out, thus the dental surgeon insisted that I go in for a few days. (I’m sure in this day and age, the Insurance Companies would not have allowed it, but…)

Anyway, I remember when I came to after the surgery and my face had already swollen, I could hardly open my mouth and forget about eating. Even the promises of ice cream couldn’t make me attempt it.

I was in for three days, heavily and happily medicated, and once I could at least swallow I was allowed to go home. I have a lot of sympathy for anyone going through four extractions at one time!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. American Idol is back for a 14th season. Are you watching? Have you ever watched? If you were to audition for the show (or were made to audition), what song would you sing?

I’ve never watched, and I won’t be. However, I’d sing, “Only Yesterday” by the Carpenters. It’s tremendously sad, that Karen Carpenter, never saw her own worth and beauty. Her voice was totally like no other.

2. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

So when did you last have to ‘eat a frog’? Or two? How’d that work out?

Years ago, I had frogs legs. Didn’t really care for them, which is probably why I haven’t had them since.

3. If you were going on safari, what is the number one animal you’d want to see?

Elephants. I love elephants. They are my favorite at the Zoo. There is something so sweet and lovable about them.

4. January 21st is National Granola Bar Day. I know. Do you like granola bars? Chewy or crunchy? Your favorite flavor? How about regular granola? Let’s exhaust this topic in honor of the holiday okay?

Like granola. Not so much the bars as the real thing. I like Nature Valley High Protein Granola!

5. If only:

Chocolate wasn’t fattening! LOL!

6. You can add one item to your bedroom. What will it be? Keep it family friendly please.

A new mattress and box spring. I think it’s time, but I keep putting it off because of expenditures like, a new gas stove, new dishwasher, new fridge! But sometime soon, it will be time!

7. What is one thing you’ve enjoyed about winter thus far? If it’s not winter in your corner of the globe, what season is it, and what is something you’ve enjoyed about whatever season it happens to be?

I love the first snow fall. You know, the one where you go out and stand in the silence as the snow falls around you. Now the snow, ice and slush, is just a pain. I’m ready for spring! But that first snow fall, is truly magical!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I was going to go in to my doctor’s today, but as I have come down with the flu, I was going to call and reschedule. Then I got a phone call from his office, rescheduling me as my doctor has the flu. Apparently the flu shot did not work this year as they did not know the flu germs were mutating. Hubby is terribly sick with the flu and all he does is sleep, cough and repeat!

Lili Age 10 Months

After months of trying to crate train Lili, she has finally decided that her crate is a nice place to be, and frequently just goes in and takes a nap! It sort of shocked me when she started to do this, but it is nice too.

Actually a lot of things have changed about Lili the last few weeks. She is walking much better on her leash and no longer pulls me over. (Thank goodness for that! My back was giving out!)

Lili age 10 months old.

She is being kinder to the dackels, and best of all, she is being kinder to me! You know, don’t bite the hands that feed you? Or don’t tick off the mother who takes care of you!

Lili is now on normal dog food. Whatever it was that made her so sick when she came to us, is over. Her breeder used a true raw diet and I am wondering if Lili got some sort of food poisoning from it, that held on and on.

Anyway, she is now a normal dog, eating normal food and pooping like a normal pup! Yay!! And best of all, after months of having a hyper dog, she is starting to relax.

I admit there were times I was near my wits end. I feel that both Lili and I got ripped off, as far as enjoying her puppyhood. She was never your sleepy, sweet, sluggish, puppy, filled with love and kisses. At times it was really hard to love her. (That being said, you must understand I love animals and this was very hard on me!)

Now we are getting our bearings, and establishing a relationship and I am really starting to like/love this dog. She is sweet (in a weird sort of way), and loving (also in a strange way), but we’re getting there.

All that said, she is also beautiful! Pure white with just a tiny dollop of apricot on the tip of her tail!

Windows 8.1

I’ve been trying to adapt to Windows 8.1. There is quite the learning curve, after knowing Windows XP, backwards, forward, and upside down! However, I love having a laptop that is fast, uses logical settings, and makes filing this so much easier.

I started backing up my files weekly, because I am still making mistakes and I don’t want to lose my work. Fortunately I have a new plug and play device with 1 Tera Byte of space on it and I am using that to place all my files.

My new laptop. The Asus.

I think that this would actually be fairly easy for Hubby to use. I wasn’t sure at first, as he likes Windows XP, but we all know that his laptops days are numbered and eventually he will need a new machine. I think he will be surprised at how well 8.1 works.

Meanwhile, I’m just enjoying the Asus machine, and I am happy with it. There is only one thing I would change. I would have a full size keyboard, and not a smaller one with numbers on the right side.

American Sniper

Hubby and I went out to the movies on Friday. We both were interested in seeing American Sniper. I think Clint Eastwood is a great and rare type of director, and Bradley Cooper has been one of my favorite actors since I saw him in Silver Linings Playbook.

This movie was hard to watch. As it was a true story and was set during the first 10 years after 9/11, it deals with war. There is nothing pretty or gallant about war, and yet, here was a man who believed in God, Country and Family.

The acting, the direction and the cinematography were amazing! It isn’t an easy film to watch, but one that everyone should see.

The Love/Hate Relationship With My Cable Company

I hate my cable company. All they do is raise rates and the service is abysmal! It actually wasn’t bad when we first moved in. We had basic cable, and our Internet with them. However, since the advent of “Digital” service it has very quickly gone to hell.

It started a couple of years ago, now. They announced that all channels would be broadcasting in digital. But if you had cable you would be fine. The cable company would unscramble the signal.

This year it was announced that if you had an “old” TV you would need a box to open the signal. For the first year or so the boxes will be free of charge and then…well, I imagine they will want to charge for them, as they charge for the Internet modem.

Of course if you have a new flat screen TV with a Qam tuner, you can simply unlock the signal that way.

Our bill used to be (15 years ago) $60.00 for both TV and Internet service. Now it is $120.00 and that is just with basic cable and the Internet.

I’m thinking we should go satellite for all the TV, both local and movies, etc. Then we would only have to use our cable company for the Internet. I wish we had alternatives, but being so far in the country, we have very few options!

At least I can watch movies and old TV shows on the TV in our bedroom on the Wifi. I sure have been enjoying that.

TBT: My First Trip To Germany Spring 1989

I first went to Germany in the spring of 1989. Hubby was a pilot for Pan Am, and he was temporarily assigned to West Berlin. This was before the Wall came down, and nothing I experienced then, comes close to the reunified city now.

This was the Airbus Hubby flew over from New York with a 3 man crew, and me. They showed me how to warm up meals and make coffee and I was able to experience a take off and landing on this flight in the cockpit, as well as see St Elmo’s Fire. There were no passengers on this flight. They had to fill up to the brim with jet fuel in order to make the flight from JFK to Berlin, Tegel Airport.

There we are, at Checkpoint Charlie, when it really was a crossing from West into East Berlin. I went through several times with the US Military (a special privilege they gave to Pan Am families).

Here I am in East Berlin at Alexander Platz. I recall the gardens there were so beautiful. I spent a lot of time walking around East Berlin, and I brought back many wonderful things to remind me of my trip. The items we have used the most over the years are the cotton Decke (comforter type blanket). I love the two I bought, but they are slowly falling to pieces now.

I also learned to love Dackels! Friends of Hubby’s, had a wonderful male, Wirehaired Dackel, named Shubi. He spoke no English, and I spoke no German, but it was love at first sight for us both.

In the years to come each time we visited, Shubi was at my feet, in my arms, and in my bed! Oh, I loved that little man!

Years later, during the fall of 1995 Shubi got out of their yard and was hit by a lorry. My first visit back did not feel the same. I mourned the loss of my little friend. I saw how quiet their house was and said, “You know, we should get puppies together!”

And we did! In February of 1996 we brought home a three month old female Wirehaired Dackel, that we named Shubi-2. Our friends got her brother and named him Toni!

She was the best souvenir that I ever got!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What’s your best piece of advice for a newly married couple? I’m asking for a friend.

Live, learn, love and remember, we are all human and fallible. So be kind to each other and do not judge your spouse harshly.

2. Before we’re too far into the new year I wanted to post a question Teresa submitted during the December giveaway. Teresa blogs over at Being Refined As Silver, so everyone go say hi.

Teresa asks, “What were you doing on December 31st, 1999?”and “Did you or your family make preparations for Y2K?”

We got a couple of bottles of champagne, and some appetizers and held down the fort, hoping for a good outcome.

3. According to Global Language Monitor, the most used word of 2014 isn’t a word. It’s the heart emoji. Huh? How can something that’s not a word be the most used word, but I digress. What do you think was your most used word in 2014?

I digress. That’s the word, digress. This year I am going to attempt to stay on track. And not “digress” so much!

4. Speaking of words, it’s that time again. Time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words they’d like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, and general uselessness) in 2015. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year’s top vote getters are-

bae (before anyone else), polar vortex, hack, skill set, swag, foodie, curate/curated, friend-raising, enhanced interrogation, cra-cra (as in crazy), takeaway, and -nation (a suffering sports suffix).

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you’d like to add?

bae. I hate abbreviations like that.

5. January is National Hot Tea month? Are you a fan? Do you like flavored teas? How do you take your tea? Have a favorite cup or teapot? How many cups of tea do you consume in a given day?

I love tea. I drink Twinnings English Breakfast Tea. With a little cream and a little Splenda. I drink 2-3 china mugs of tea a day.

6. Whatever happened to:

People being respectful of each other, their religions and basic human rights? This whole Terrorist act in Paris has shook me to the core!

7. What is one book on your must-read list this winter?

Crash: A Mother, A Son, And The Journey From Grief To..

By, Carolyn Roy-Bornstein

8. Insert your own random thought here

I am sick of below zero temperatures. I am so cold and finding it difficult to get warm!

Low, Low, Low

Something weird happened today. We were shopping and it was a little late for lunch. I felt almost like I was having a hot flash.

Then, I got:

Confused, double vision, heart palpitations, shakiness, anxiety, sweating, and somehow I knew I needed protein and sugar.

Since I was in a grocery store I grabbed an orange juice, cheese, cookie, and then Reece’s peanut-butter cup. Then I could feel my blood sugar coming up.

However, I was totally wiped out and feeling very shaky and tired. I need to get my blood-work done on Wednesday, and then see my doctor.

The weird thing was that this is the worst episode I have had. And it took me a long time to feel better. I think I need to keep protein products close by so that I don’t crash like this again. I certainly need to speak to my doctor about it.

Canning

Another cold day dawned, far too early, and I watched as the dawn broke and the clouds moved in. I can take snow, but not this below zero temperatures. That just takes all the life out of me.

I started doing something different with my oatmeal. What’s that, you ask? Well, when I get up I measure the water and oats, and set it in the pan on the stove, and leave it there. Then when Hubby gets up and I make him his 2 eggs, with bacon and toast, I cook my oatmeal. There is something about this soaking process that makes the oatmeal creamier.

A friend of mine is moving (just a few streets away) but she is getting rid of all her junk. Yes, that’s where I come in. She hit the mother-load of all jelly jars and called me to see if I wanted them! Yahoo! We brought them all home, ran them through the dishwasher, and they are now all set and stored and ready for canning season. I think I may make some strawberry this year!

I still have dinner to make tonight. I’m thinking Mexican. Hubby loves it and it is so easy to put together!

Have a great Monday, Everyone!