Author: Dackel Princess

Fevers Gone

Sunday found Hubby and I doing better. Our fevers were gone and although we felt tired, we agreed that the germs are finally departing.

Not that either one of us was out dancing, but at least neither one of us was coughing our brains out. This is progress.

One good thing about being sick was that I have done a lot of Christmas shopping on line! The best part of this is, as an Amazon Prime Member, I don’t pay for shipping on most items. Also I went on the German Amazon site and was able to order gifts there and will not pay for shipping just a small fee to convert the dollars into Euros.

I took a nap later in the morning and before I knew it Greta and Arnie were in bed with me. But here is the funny part, Greta went over to Arnie where he was cuddled up next to me, and growled at him until he moved! Then she climbed under the covers and snuggled close to me! What a girl!

Starting on Monday I want to slowly start to do house work in a few rooms. Nothing dramatic, but I need to clean my top junk drawer in my bedroom, and get together the travel size items for our trip. Just a month to go!

By the end of the week I want to finish the organizing of my office filing. Regular readers will know that I have been trying to get the office under control for years. Well, I am actually getting there!

I’m not planning to put candles in the window this year. In fact I am only putting up a small tree. We leave so soon after the New Year that it just does not make sense. So a small tree (artificial) that was my Mom’s will do the trick. I sure don’t want my house/dog sitter to have to deal with the tree coming down and making a mess.

What are you all doing for Christmas? A big tree? Real or artificial? (I do artificial as I’m allergic) Lights in the window or outside?

A Box Of Slippers

I was in my kitchen today and as I crossed the floor to the mud room something caught my eye. Under my china closet is a box. In this box are various sizes of slippers.

It brought me back to a time, about 4 years ago when this house was alive with children! I had a young teenager named Em who had found me a few years before when she was eleven. She all but lived here. She loved the animals, loved being taught to cook and we had a great relationship.

Every afternoon I’d hear the middle school bus stop out front and a few moments the door would slide open and Em would arrive from school, carrying her book bag. She’d take off her boots, and get her slippers out of the box and get a drink and snack.

The rules were always the same. She had to do her homework, and then we worked making dinner together. During that time, she talked and talked and talked! And I loved it.

There was another young girl, Jacqui who often came with her. She had slippers here as well, and loved the doggies.

Later twin girls moved into our area. They were in kindergarten when they first got here and were tiny. Sarah and Kimmy had been preemies at birth and at 6 years old were still catching up with the height and weight. They also lived under stressful conditions, and often came here with out coats or even boots in the winter.

Yes, they had their slippers and sweaters to wear as well. During that time, with all four girls, the house was alive with laughter, projects and for me, a lot of happiness.

They are all gone now. The two older girls have moved far away. One is in Florida and the other Wyoming. The twins, well I do not know. Suddenly they were gone. I know DYS was watching over them, they may be in foster care.

I wish I lived closer to Savannah so I could do things like I did with the other girls. Maybe someday.

I left the box with the slippers under the china closet. In hopes that maybe someday, some neighborhood girls will find me. I love mentoring kids.

SPENDA & Spice Cookies

SPLENDA® and Spice Cookies
6 tbsp. vegetable shortening
6 tbsp. margariner
1 cup SPLENDA® Granular
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Mix together shortening, margarine, SPLENDA®, egg and molasses.
Sift together and stir in dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly.
Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
Form into 16 balls. Place on cookie sheet and pat down gently with fork.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350° F. Do not over bake. Cookies will look chewy when they come out but they become crisp.

Friday Five

Friday Five

Since this week has been a long one, I opted to go with a Friday Five, short list.

  1. Sunday was a bad day. A temperature of 103.6 will just knock the heck out of you!
  2. All I did was lie under a mound of covers and shake, and drift in and out of a troubled sleep.
  3. I have not had much of an appetite. But my thirst has been shocking. I suppose it’s from the coughing, and breathing out of my mouth so much.
  4. I saw my doctor for the second time, and he switched the antibiotics and said if I am not worlds better by Monday, He’ll be referring me to another doctor.
  5. So over the next few days I plan to rest, watch my Christmas movie and sleep a lot.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. According to Oxford Dictionaries, the 2013 word of the year is ‘selfie’. Your thoughts? When did you last take a selfie? Do you post them online somewhere? Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind the lens?

I was taking ‘selfies’ all year long as my facial reconstruction went on. I think sometimes you have to taken them to reassure yourself you are getting where you want to be.

2. Will you send out Christmas cards this year? If so, are they ready to go? If not, are you glad or sad about leaving that tradition behind?

Yes, I will. Just today I brought them out to begin addressing. It’s not as big a deal as it used to be. So many people left our world this year. Quit sadly!

3. Do you trust easily?

Not really. I think I have always had trust issues.

4. Pine-cinnamon-peppermint-vanilla (as in sugar cookie)…of those listed, which one is your favorite December scent?

Cinnamon. As in Snickerdoodles. As in my favorite holiday cookie ever!

5. Did you do more talking or more listening yesterday? Was that by choice or necessity?

Yesterday, Neither. I just lay in bed and slept.

6. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head? Sorry if it’s back there now : )

7. Which world explorer (in the whole history of the world) would you most like to have traveled with, and why?

Columbus. Must have been exciting to find the new world!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The fever broke and I am starting to feel a little better. This trip into illness has been worse than the last. I guess I need to talk to my doctor about building up my immune system.

Progress

I woke up today with a normal temperature. Well, actually subnormal, but since I m able to walk around, I’m not dead!

I stayed in bed for two full days (something I never do) and did nothing. I had the TV on some in the evening, but quite honestly, my brain hurt!

Hubby tried to get me to eat, he even made me scrambled eggs, but I couldn’t get them to stay down. Today I still do not have much of an appetite, but I do feel thirsty and more awake then I have been.

Hubby started coughing last night. I sure hope he has not gotten this. If he has a fever today, I will send him straight in to the VA to get his prescriptions for antibiotics and cough syrup.

Arnie has been the most faithful of the doggies. He has only left my side for meals and to go out and take care of his business. What a wonderful boy!

Sick Again

Yes, I am sick again. I have now outdone my highest fever ever, (this one was 103.6) and actually did go to bed where I slept all afternoon, all evening and all night. The pain I felt when I turned over was acute, but I told myself I had to do it.

This morning my temperature is down to 101 degrees. I still feel weak, can hardly walk and have chills. My question is, how can I build up my immune system so I stop getting pneumonia?

Happy December First!

Okay, so where has this year gone? Suddenly it’s December first and I know from years of experience, that this month is going to fly by. It always does.

I need to finish my Christmas shopping in the next two weeks, as I hate being a last minute shopper.

My Dad was a last minute shopper. Literally! He would go out to a convenience store on Christmas morning and buy these odd little gifts for us. Puzzle books, silly toys or magazines, and boxes of life savers. Mom did the heavy pulling of gift giving from them, but Dad always gave each of us his gifts, and looking back now, I smile at the memory!

My daughter, Mandy is born this month too. She kind of got ripped off by being born December 20th. But for me, it was one of the happiest days of my life!

It’s also Arnie & Anneliese’s 7th birthday. Can you believe that! My babies are so special to me. And now they are all grown up!

Today also starts my cruise countdown. Thirty-nine days until my cruise departs! Yahoo!!!