Dackel Princess

Time…

Where did the day go? I was doing laundry, feeding dogs, getting the mail (in the pouring rain!) and cooking trout for dinner. Then before I knew it, the day was over!

Last night, I opened the door to get Lili back in and all I could smell was SKUNK! My heart sank as I envisioned having to bathe my pup to rid her of skunk smell. But I am so thankful that apparently, Lili is faster than a skunk! She is smelling sweet, even if the outside air smells like Pepe LaPew!

Years ago I had a Great Dane, She got totally skunked. My Vet told me to use Massengill Douche Powder diluted in warm water and then wash her with a nice soap. Well, I trotted down to Rite Aid Pharmacy and was standing there looking at the Douche Powder, trying to figure out how much I would need. Great Danes are big!!! Just then the Pharmacist came up and asked if I needed help? “Why yes”, I replied, “I’m just trying to figure out how much douche powder I will need!” After he got over the shock of my statement and I explained, we figured a few boxes would do it. By the way, it was a really funny way to meet our town’s new Pharmacist!

We are just about a month away from our cruise trip! I am so excited. Our house sitters came by for dinner earlier in the week and everything is set for them to move in and live here while we are away. I’m glad. Lili is still so young and needs to be cared for.

QAM

So, I’m having trouble programming my TV. What’s that, you say? It cannot be so hard. Well apparently my cable provider doesn’t get along with my QAM tuner. and I’m just having a devil of a time getting the TV to pick up the newly digitized stations.

The thing that angers me the most is that when my cable provider went all digital a few years ago, they told us that as long as we hooked up to their service we would be fine.

First lie. Here we are two years later and they are twisting the signal again. Only this time you need a QAM tune (which I have) or converter boxes. When I mentioned this I was told that it was all government mandated. Not quite sure I believe that one.

So tomorrow I have one more thing to try with my TV before I tell my cable company to take a flying leap and go over totally to satellite!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What’s your favorite time of day? Why?

9:30 at night. When I get my nightie on, and settle in with the dackels for the night. It is quiet and sweet and relaxing.

2. Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender…which small appliance would you say most needs replacing in your house?

If one more thing dies I will have a fit! Currently we have the new stove/oven, new dishwasher, new fawcet in the kitchen and new fawcet in the bath. Oh yes, and add to that new innards in our toilet tank.

3. It’s National Grouch Day (October 15)…what’s something that makes you feel grouchy?

Well back before Lili was on her medication and each day started with horrible diarrhea for my baby, with it all over her and her room. Well, that sure made me grouchy!

4. Ever been to Canada? Is that a country you’d like to visit? According to Trip Advisor, the top ten best destinations in Canada are-Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Whistler, and Halifax. Which city would you most like to see?

Much of Hubby’s family are Canadian. In fact both of Jack’s parents were from Canada. Hubby has cousins far and wide across the country. Luckily, we have traveled a lot and seen so much of it. I love Amhert Shore Nova Scotia. Hubby’s Aunt had a cottage there, that I could have lived in forever.

5. What was your favorite food (or one of your favorites) when you were a child? Is that still a favorite?

Dairy Queen, Soft Serve Ice Cream! And yes, still a favorite!

6. Do you cry easily?

Yes. It does not take much to choke me and and have me crying. I can even be reading to Hubby and break down in choked tears.

7. Have you started your (gasp!) Christmas shopping? If so when, and how much? If not, when will you even begin thinking about it?

Yes. I have purchased to gifts. I want to do some more before we leave on our trip.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Our house sitters came by tonight for dinner. I made a lasagna. I wasn’t thrilled with the results. I just don’t make it often enough. And I know why. My old tummy just doesn’t do tomatoes any more, very well.

Holiday Weekend

My holiday weekend went splendidly! It started with me having breakfast with Mandy and Savannah at The Cracker Barrel. I will tell you this. If you have never had breakfast at one, go! Oh my goodness we had a really delicious breakfast.

Savannah was truly a sweetheart. I worry sometimes she will forget me, but when she saw me and Mandy pointed me out, she called my name! OMA!

Savannah has become a real chatterbox! I love it. She talked and talked and talked all through breakfast and then we went back to Mandy’s house and Savi had her bath. She talked even more in there. It was great!

Sunday I went to the Sandwich Fair with my cousins, Janet and Dave and their grandson, Isaiah. It was probably one of the nicest Country Fairs I have been to in a long while. I loved all the animals, Fair Food, and the time spent talking with my cousin Janet, while the guys did guy stuff!

Monday was a home day, and that was okay too. I caught up on laundry, cooked Hubby a nice meatloaf and planned on making a lasagna Tuesday when our house sitters come for dinner.

All in all, a happy, fun and pleasant weekend!

My Loves

Thursday I decided to make a collage for my fridge. The last time I did this, Greta was a mere pup herself! So we’re talking almost 10 years ago, maybe?

Since then, Mandy has a handsome fiancee, a beautiful daughter, Greta has had two litters, (one of which produced Arnie & Anneliese) and my sister’s grandchildren have all grown, plus two more were added a year ago…identical twin boys!

So it was time. Walgreens was having a sale on posters of various sizes, so I got to work and a couple of hours later I ordered this!

You could call this, a poster “all my loves!”

Soon I will need to gather pictures for my yearly wall calendar. Mostly those are pictures of Savannah. It was so much fun to do the collage, imagine how great it will be to do the calendar!

Have a happy Holiday Weekend!

TBT:Old Friends

This is a picture of me, walking with my first wirehaired dackel, Shubi, and my friend, Otto in the forest near Otto’s home in Bavaria. He was such a wonderful man and I enjoyed the years that I knew him. He was a close friend of Jack’s and I met him shortly after we married. I was amazed at how much he knew, how many languages he spoke and yet, he made everyone he knew feel special.

He’s been gone a while now, having died from cancer, but I think of him often with love and admiration.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Do you manage your own money or do you have a financial planner who helps in some way? Do those kinds of conversations stress you out? A lot or a little?

Stress. Hubby has a degree in Economics, so we have always handled our money. The one time we put it with someone, we lost money!

2. The second week of October is Pet Peeve Week. Off the top of your head, share TWO of your current pet peeves.

People who cut you off in traffic…and people who speed off to cut you off, when you are trying to pull out in traffic.

3. What is one thing you’d like to learn right now, this very week if you could?

I would love to learn how to fix and program computers.

4. How concerned are you about the recent health related news concerning Ebola? How about Enterovirus D68?

Very. I do not think our government or health officials are handling this very well!

5. Garfield, Nemo, or Tigger-your favorite orange cartoon character?

Garfield!

6. I’m going to see Gone Girl with my neighborhood book club this week. So often books made into film are disappointing. What’s a book turned film you thought was well done, in that the casting was ‘like you pictured’ when you read the book, and the film plot remained mostly true to the book plot?

Be ready for a lot of sex, bordering on rape. Also graphic violence! I saw the movie and I did not like it.

7. What is one story your family always tells about you?

When I was three years old I was in The King and I at our community playhouse. One night we were just slightly off mark while sitting on the stage in front of the king. I was the smallest and right on the end of a row. The curtain closed and I was shut out of back stage and was sitting there in front of the audience! I simply stood up, bowed and walked into the wings!

There I am in the first row. My friend, Nancy was sitting next to me looking at the audience.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

This is the best apple crop we have ever had! I am making tons of apple sauce! I hope also to make a pie! I love the Autumn!

Easy Boneless Country Pork Ribs

I didn’t think it could get any easier than this, but since I was making fresh applesauce, I decided to give this recipe a try. Hubby and I looked at each other over our plates and smiled! Wow! These are so good!

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. boneless pork country-style ribs

1/2 large onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup apple sauce

1-1/2 cups barbecue sauce

salt and pepper

Directions: Lightly salt and pepper your boneless pork ribs on both sides. Add all ingredients to your slow cooker. Gently mix it all up. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker.Serve.

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You can also mix all items, place them in a freezer bag and then take out later on to cook in your crock pot.

Lili Update

The weekend seemed to fly by. Luckily, and happily, I was so busy cooking, cleaning and Lili training. So here is the latest Lili news.

She is doing amazingly well. Not just with her illness, but with her actual dog training. After much thought and consideration I decided that Lili was such a sensitive doggy, that she needs special, gentle training. She also needs a lot of time where she can run. She is such a high energy dog and loves to run.

We are fortunate to have a large field in our back yard, so Lili can run and run and run! Best of all, while she is outside doing this, Hubby can pick apples and polish them for market and she just hangs out with him. (Much like her grand Uncle Fritz did!)

She is a pretty girl and is not as thin as she was. Our neighbor stopped by and was amazed at how much she had grown. She still has a long way to grow, as she is just about 7 months old now.

She’ll be having blood work done this week and I am thinking about getting her spayed too. I don’t want to take a chance that she will go into heat while we are gone. Lili should never have pups. Her health is far more important to me.

Well, Happy Monday Everyone!

Chicken Pot Pie Stew

All the ingredients for chicken pot pie — the chunky chicken and vegetables and the savory broth — are in this stew . A crisp crouton stands in for the pie crust. I made this last night and it was fabulous!
Ingredients:
Serves:
Makes 8 (1-cup) servings.

1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Rosemary Leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Thyme Leaves
1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Powder
4 teaspoons butter, divided
1 package (8 ounces) mushrooms, sliced
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup flour
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
8 thin bread slices
1 teaspoon oil

Directions

Mix rosemary, thyme and garlic powder in small bowl.
Reserve 1/2 teaspoon.
Heat 1 teaspoon of the butter in large saucepan on medium heat.
Add mushrooms, carrots and remaining seasoning mixture; cook and stir 3 minutes.
Remove from saucepan. Set aside.
Melt remaining 3 teaspoons butter in saucepan on medium heat, stirring to release browned bits from bottom of skillet.
Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until flour is lightly browned.

Gradually stir in broth until well blended.
Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
Add vegetable mixture, chicken, pearl onions and peas; simmer 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Cut bread into rounds with 3-inch cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. Brush bread with oil and sprinkle with reserved seasoning mixture. Bake 10 minutes or until toasted. To serve soup, ladle into soup bowls and top each with 1 crouton.