Dackel Princess

Life Notes

I had to drive across the State of New Hampshire today for a doctor’s appointment. It was a beautiful sunny day, with all the bright colorful Autumn leaves sparking against the sky. Why this New England scene was so perfect that I drove past a farm with cows and horses and a flock of wild turkeys crossed the road in front of my car.

I reveled in the beauty around me, and fell in love with my state all over again. Summer is nice, spring is pretty (but it is also known as mud season) and winter can be tough, sloppy, but beautiful when the white snow flakes are falling into silence.

This made me recall about a time I lived in Florida. I was driving back from Miami to Punta Gorda, on the West Coast. We were driving along the Tamiami Trail (Rt 41).

The road take you through the Everglades. And at various times during the year the road would be lined with large and small gators. I remember one time telling Hubby, that if we got a flat tire, We were driving on it!

Florida was an okay place to live. Very tropical. Palm trees, pelicans, dolphins and more. Ours news reports were just about the rain and sun, but how many dog disappeared from peoples back yards, and how many giant alligators they had found in the local neighborhood.

Given the hurricanes, the tropical storms, the wildfires and tornadoes, I felt pretty confident when I told Hubby we had to move back home.

I told him this, and about 6 weeks later, our home in Florida, that we had owned for 6 years, sold, and we packed up and moved back home!

Yes, no matter where I go, or where I live, New Hampshire will always be home!

One More Thought

As I approach my twilight years, I am struck by the inevitability that the party must end. And one clear, cold morning after I’m gone, my spouse will awaken in the warmth of our bedroom and be struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn’t “anymore.”
No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more “just one minute.”
Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, or say “I love you.”
So while we have it, its best we love it, care for it, fix it when it’s broken and heal it when it’s sick.
This is true for marriage. And old cars, children with bad report cards, dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep — like a best friend who moved away or a son-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.
Life is important, like people we know who are special. And so, we keep them close!
Suppose one morning you never wake up. Do all your friends know how you really feel?
The important thing is to let every one of your friends know your true feelings, even if you think they won’t love you back.

Author Unknown

Wednesaday Hodgepodge

1. Are the leaves turning color where you live? Have they begun to fall? Will you have to rake when it’s all said and done? Is that a chore you love or loathe?

Yes, they are turning color. I love Autumn. It’s so beautiful. But no big raking because the trees line the edges of our property and tend to blow into the next yard.

2. When did you last shake like a leaf?

Last 103 fever that I had. My whole body shook and shook.

3. After 20 seasons with the NY Yankees, Derek Jeter played his last official game Sunday afternoon. Jeter has been described even by opponents as a ‘class act’, both on and off the field. The NFL is back in action this month too, with several players in that sport also making headlines. What are your thoughts on athletes as role models? Should a professional athlete be expected to act as role model or is that going beyond their job description? What responsibility do the organizations these athletes work for have when it comes to dealing with off the field behavior? Discuss.

I would like it if our athletes behaved so that we could hold them up and admire them. Unfortunately many of today’s athletes act like total morons. Sadly!

4. What season of the year is toughest for you in terms of your health? Why?

Winter. I tend to get sick easily them.

5. The top six healthy food trends of 2014 according to Eating Well are-

clean eating (more veg, less meat, less sodium, limit alcohol and processed foods) trash fish (you know those fish that get caught in fishermen nets and are thrown back? It seems chefs are finding creative ways to make them more appetizing)cauliflower (this year’s IT vegetable, kaniwa (essentially baby quinoa, so like quinoa only smaller) fermentation (think pickling except with twists on flavor we’re not accustomed to) community supported food (farms operating with community support/membership). Okay-so how many of the hot healthy food trends for 2014 have you experienced, encountered, enjoyed? Any you’ve tried and said ewwww? Any on the list you’d like to try before year’s end?

I do not follow trends, although I did finally try Quinoa. It was okay, but not a big fan!

6. In seven words or less, bid September adieu.

Lili is better, hope it continues!

7. What’s something on your October calendar that makes you happy just thinking about it?

Spending time with Savannah!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Getting along!

Happy Birthday, Uschi!

Today is the birthday of my dearest, sister and friend, Uschi. Although we have spent most of our lives separated by an ocean, in our hearts and our souls we are sisters.

So Happy Birthday, and may the year ahead be the best one yet!

Happy Birthday Uschi from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

Lili’s Progress

You know, when Lili arrived at 8 weeks old, I was full of love and anticipation of a wonderful life together. Almost immediately, the poor baby started with her digestive problems and it made things very hard to deal with.

But we’ve made it through the last four months, fought for Lili’s health, worked on getting her food that didn’t make her sick, and house trained her.

We have spent every day working to train her to be polite and sociable, and she is doing remarkably well. She is growing, gaining weight, and best of all, we are becoming close friends.

Oh, she has her moments of wild puppy, craziness, but she is learning to listen, responds to our commands, and is starting to be much more gentle with the dackels.

I am praying that the rest of Lili’s story will be a healthful and happy one for her. She has a heart of gold and truly wants to be loved by us and by the dackels.

This & That

I’m thrilled to announce that I now have a new faucet in the kitchen, a new shower handle in my bathroom, and new toilet innards in my bathroom! I’m am high with the glory of these things!

And then I turned on my dishwasher and guess what? If you guessed that it is acting funky, then you would be correct. How long I can baby it and keep it going I do not know, but since I just went broke today I am not in any hurry to get another expensive device. Although I did see a dishwasher at Lowes for $299.00.

The new kitchen faucet is nice. I need to be careful though because it seems like the hot water is hotter than the old faucet. It must be something in the mixer valves.

Making a nice dinner tonight of butternut squash, baked potatoes and slowly simmered chicken and mushrooms!

A nice way to end the day!

Throw Back Thursday

This was taken the first day of eighth grade. I vaguely remember that dress. The hair? Oh yeah, I wanted to be Karen Carpenter so bad! That is why you can see the long hair and heavy bangs!

I loved eighth grade. We were the oldest class in the school. Mostly, we had great teachers with the exception of just a couple.

My Dad taught at this school. So for the three years I was in the Intermediate school, I not only had Dad as my music teacher, but I also rode to school with him every day and he made my lunch. Two slices of white bread, spread with margarine, two slices of American cheese. An apple and money for a carton of milk. God bless Dad. He had no imagination for packing our lunches, but every day, when we came down to the breakfast he made, there was our bag lunch.

At one time, everyone in town had our Dad for their music teacher. His teaching of square dancing is still legendary!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. It’s fall. Y’all. My favorite season of the year! What’s something you love to do this time of year that makes you feel it’s officially fall? And unrelated to that, do you ever say-‘y’all’?

I do say Y’all! LOL! I think the thing I do every year that makes me feel like it is officiaally fall is bake an apple pie. The smell, the taste! Oh my, apple pie!

2. When did you last have a falling out with someone? Has it been resolved?

Quite recently. And yes, I guess it is resolved, in that I do not with to pursue the situation further.

3. A song you love with the word ‘fall’ in it’s title?

4. What’s something you’ve recently let ‘fall by the wayside?’

Quite a bit actually. A new puppy tends to take up a lot of your time. A sick puppy, even more.

5. When did you last attend an event, read a book, watch a movie, try a new recipe, or visit a shop-town-tourist attraction that fell short of your expectations? In what way?

I was so excited to watch “Saving Mr. Banks” on HBO. It was all about the author who wrote Mary Poppins. The movie was okay, but when I looked up PL Travers I discovered she was actually quite an awful person who hurt many people in her life. I love Mary Poppins, but it’s too bad that her creator was such a crabby apple!

6. Describe a time you said or thought, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

So often when I see my granddaughter with her mother. Savannah is so much like Mandy. It’s quite wonderful!

7. Was today better than yesterday? Why or why not?

For me personally. Not really. Had a migraine. In the grand sceme of things, yes. I’m a grandmother and it doesn’t get any better than this!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I think that I will be making my first apple pie of the season. I love the way they smell and the way they taste. Mmmmmmm!

Weekend Catch-Up

Hubby and I had a busy weekend. Between my doing laundry, cooking, finishing up the Concord Grape Jelly, and his apple picking and delivering, our days were filled.

After dinner, Hubby would fall asleep in his chair and come 9:30 PM, i was in bed and asleep! I wanted to nap, but with four dogs, that simply never happens.

Lili is doing okay. I almost have her weaned over to Wolf Cub Puppy food. She seems to like it and be doing well on it. Still, her EPI symptoms are still there, just not so severe.

I plan to take her in to the Vet again for a weight check, and I would also like to get more of the medication that stops her diarrhea problem. It does not cure it, but it helps her to be more comfortable.

She is growing, and gaining weight, and for that I am eternally grateful!

Throw Back Thursday

A former classmate of mine posted this picture of my second grade class last week on Facebook! I hadn’t seen this picture in years.

I am in the back row the fourth from the right. Head band, curly hair and big smile.

I loved my second grade teacher, Miss Norris. She was young and interested, and had a great way of taking the mundane and making it fun and exciting!

I look at these sweet innocent faces and I think how wonderful life was for these kids. This was, of course, before life happens and you find yourself challenged. One of my classmates, Rae-Ann (third from the left, top row) died of cancer. She was such a terrific person.

Ah yes. Life. Like John Lennon wrote “Before you cross the street, take my hand. Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.