Dackel Princess

Thursday Thirteen

I went to see the plastic surgeon specialist on Wednesday.
Dr. P. is an extremely well educated and studied Australian.
He came to the USA in 1989 and began working at both Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
I loved his easy mannerisms and smiles.
I really felt relaxed.
He explained he would not have done a forehead flap to cover my nose.
He would have used a graft from another area.
Currently my skin graft has developed a lot of scar tissue.
So, the current plan is to slowly remove the scar tissue little by little, until a normal nose is shaped.
Since I also have nerve damage in my forehead, I will need surgery on that as well.
The nerve there will need to be buried.
If that does not work, then I will join the botox set as they attempt to kill the nerve ending there.
Tonight I feel hopeful, happy and I know, I will sleep well tonight.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What do you think makes a good dad?

A person who listens to their child, spends time with them, teaches them to love and respect other people, and helps them to see the world with new eyes.

2. What’s something you learned from your own father?

It’s kind of a joke. Punctuality. Or being overly punctual. Growing up we all learned to be ready to leave 10 minutes before we were supposed to because Dad was a nervous wreck about leaving on time and arriving on time. Thus, to this day, I must leave early (there might be traffic!) and I am almost always early!

3. It’s your birthday-what kind of cake will we be having?

Okay I love a double fudge chocolate cake with white frosting. I love that! Chocolate is the best isn’t it? But chocolate cake and frosting is almost too much, unless the frosting is chocolate ganache.

4. When you’re faced with a big decision are you more of a go with your gut type of person, or are you someone who reasons it all out, weighing the pros and cons?

I’m a gut girl. Sometimes there is a lot to consider, but you know your gut instinct often is correct.

5. June is National Dairy Month. What’s your favorite dairy item? Most often purchased dairy item?

It’s a tie between Weight Watchers frozen cookies and cream bars and yogurt, which I eat every day.

6. Explorer Jacques Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910….what’s something you’ve recently discovered or something you’d like to explore?

Hubby and I would love to explore Alaska. There are cruise tours that take you around on a train in Alaska to see the back woods beauty, and then the cruise to see the glaciers!

7. Are you typical of your generation?

No, I think I was born about ten years too early.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I decided to try this format of questions and answers this week. The questions are all in color and my answers are in plain black fonts. This way I’m not highlighting and I don’t have to keep changing the color. What do you think?

My Hope…

I’m starting to get nervous about my appointment with the plastic surgical specialist on Wednesday. I know he is a nice man. A friend uses him as her doctor. I know he does good work on fixing faces after cancer surgery. Again, I have seen his work.

I think what worries me the most is that I will get in there and he will look at my face and tell me that there is nothing he can do and I will always look like this.

The stranger I see in the mirror!

It’s an odd feeling when you have something like this happen on your face. Inside you still feel like the same person, but then you catch site of yourself as you pass by a mirror or in a store window, or even when you are backing up your car.

The startling feeling inside causes you to catch your breath. To wonder who that stranger is.

I always thought that I never gave my face much thought. I never wore make-up and always felt that a smile was my best feature. A window to my soul.

Had I lost all my teeth I could always get dentures, but the scars of the surgery have made me more than aware of the fact, (that I am slowly coming to terms with), that my best days (face wise) are behind me.

Oh I hope so much that this doctor looks at me and says he can make me at least pretty. Someone who can walk around in the world, without people staring with a startled look at me.

It happened again today as I shopped. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t. I smiled and kept walking. I wonder, what do these people think? How can they be so cruel?

My one favor to ask of all of you out there, if you see someone like me walking around, smile at them! You will simply make their day!!!

What I Did This Past Weekend

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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The weekend was a strange one. A bit emotional with the departure of our camper (see yesterday’s post) and a lot of work, as I am washing things and either putting them away, storing them, or getting them ready for the recycling center.

The day started early for me on Sunday. I woke up feeling very groggy and stuffed up. My head also was not on a comfy pillow either. It was on…..Greta’s belly! And…she was snoring! It made me start to giggle, so I quietly got up and took the dogs out so Hubby could sleep.

I’ve been getting all my paperwork together for my second opinion with the plastic surgeon specialist on Wednesday. Mandy and I are going together. I’m glad she will be with me.

I saw that The Little River Band was going to be at our local venue “The Flying Monkey”. When I researched it I discovered that none of the original members are with the band. This a licensed band to use their names and sing their songs.

I bought their Greatest Hits album instead!

I tried to make Sunday a bit of a quiet day for me as well. Life has been a bit complicated and also stressful, and I needed the time to regroup. Did I find that? Not really. In fact I’ve been feeling very tired and wrung out!

I guess this tells me I need an early bedtime tonight (Sunday).

Happy Monday Everyone!

Building Memories

On Saturday I started to sort through the last items that came off the camper. I also went out today and walked around the cement pad we had poured for the camper. We’d done it the first year we were here.

We put our hand prints in the wet cement, and our initials.

We had two dogs then. Our old White German Shepherd, Max.

These are his prints.

And the love of our lives, and many others, Shubi.

These are Shubi’s little paw prints.

We loved having their foot prints in the cement. It somehow blessed this land that we had decided to call home.

Shubi and Max.

Today, for the first time in many years, I saw their prints, and our hands and remembered all those years ago. I smiled, I cried a little and then was thankful for all that Hubby and I have now, and the four dogs we are blessed to share our life with, but also thankful for the dogs we have known in the past.

Me with my Shubi in the camper.

“And oh how the years go by
And oh how the love brings tears to my eyes
All through the changes the soul never dies
We fight, we laugh, we cry
As the years go by”

Lyrics by: JENNINGS/CLIMIE

Bye, Bye

Back in 1998 Hubby and I bought a camper to use to see the country. We took many awesome trips across the country, up into the back woods of New Hampshire, and while we built our home, we actually lived in it.

The camper was so comfortable. We outfitted it with blankets and pillows, and dishes and great pots and pans, and a gas oven, and microwave convection oven, Basically, this camper was better equipped than some apartments I have lived in!

So for 15 years we have enjoyed the camper until recently. We had stopped using it, and it was time to sell it.

Hubby was reluctant, but this was the summer I wanted to get things moved around. I wanted our old pick-up sold, the camper sold and gone and then I wanted to organize and lighten our load.

It’s a sad time too, as we look back and recall all the happy times we had in the camper. But, to everything there is a beginning and an end.

So, good bye camper. It was a blast!

The Garden 2013

On Thursday, Hubby and I laid out the garden. My seedlings looked good and we are pretty much past when a frost can happen, so we raked up the hills and planted our vegetables.

For the most part, it was just Fritz out there with us, but later in the day we brought Arnie out too, and he was so good. He just hung out with us, and did not wander off.

The garden looks good. But working so long in the dirt, I felt like a kid who’s been playing in the sandbox all day.

When I came in I felt really grubby and needed nothing more than a nice hot shower! After that…..ahhhhhhh. I felt so great!

Oh, I am a little still, a little sore, but knowing that the garden is in and all I will need to do now is weeding, makes me incredibly happy!

Thursday By The Numbers

I went to Weight Watchers and after a week of weighing and measuring and journaling, I lost three and a half pounds!
I was so psyched about this and was walking on air!
After class I drove down to see my girlfriend, Barbie.
Her female wire-haired dachshund, Veela just had six puppies a month ago.

The father for these puppies is also the Daddy of Arnie and Anneliese.

I climbed right in the puppy box and played with them, and felt their little puppy tongues lick my face!
One thing I love about dogs is that they do not look at my face and see scars. They just shower you with love!
After a few hours I left to come home.
I stopped at the grocery store and picked a few things…
To the tune of $125.00.
Okay I got three meals of meat and some fresh vegetables.
Oh yes, and a rotisserie chicken, so I didn’t have to cook much tonight. Just the corn on the cob!
I got home and my dogs did nothing but sniff me for an hour. They all knew I had been with a bunch of puppies!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Have you learned more from success or failure? Explain.

I have learned more from life. Things I never planned, but just happened to me. My car accident is a good example. That was such a defining moment in my life, that taught me compassion, empathy, and so much more. I learned about appreciating the life we have, and those in it, is the most important thing in life.

2. What did you call your grandparents when you were growing up?

I called mine, Papa Fred, and Grandma Honey. And Papa Sam and Grandma Elsie.

If you have children, what do they call your parents?

They had Mimi and Papa Jim. And Grammie Alice and Papa Bobby.

If you have grandchildren, what do they call you?

My granddaughter is lucky. She has Grammie Alice and Mimi as Great Grandmothers. Crazy Grandma (that’s me) and Papa Jack. Grandpa Bob and Grammie Diane and Nana and Grandpa Arthur.

3. You’re invited to a luau. In keeping with that theme, what dish will you bring to share?

I would try to do something with coconut. You see I’d love to do something with pineapple, but I’m allergic to it.

4. Besides Jesus, what one person’s life story do you think everyone should know about?

I loved Mother Theresa. She was such a good and selfless woman.

5. “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Agree or Disagree? Why?

Trust me. The small stuff is not worth getting upset over. In life, there are so many more things to worry about.

6. June is National Rivers Month. When were you last on a river? What’s the prettiest river you’ve ever seen? What’s a river you’d like to see?

I have taken several cruises on the Rhine River in Germany. Just beautiful. I would love to go along the River Seine. I have heard it is amazing. Not to mention the French cheeses, baguettes and wines!

7. Speaking of rivers-paddling, fishing, swimming, or bird watching safely from the shore? Which activity would you choose? Yes-you have to choose.

Swimming. I grew up on Cape Cod and I love to swim in the ocean. Not so much in lakes.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’ve been thinking about historical men in the military. During the Civil War, General Grant. In World War Two, Patton. What do you think of heroes like this? Were you taught about historical figures like these two men in history? Do you think that Seal Team Six will be remembered for all they have done in our War on Terrorism?

Maribeth’s Potato Salad

4 pound(s) uncooked whole white potatoes
2/3 cup(s) uncooked celery
2/3 cup(s) uncooked red onion(s)
1-2 hard boiled egg(s)
3/4 cup(s) fat free mayonnaise (or as much as needed to make a nice creamy salad)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp table sea salt
Instructions:

Wash Potatoes. Boil California White Potatoes in their skins. When they are tender (you can tell by piercing them with a sharp knife). Carefully place potatoes on a plate to cool. Slip skins off potatoes and place potatoes in a bowl overnight in the fridge.
The next day, cut the potatoes lengthwise in half. Then cut the half lengthwise. Slice potatoes very thinly. It takes a while, but it is worth it.
In a food processor finely chop the onion and then the celery. Also use the food processor to chop the eggs. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, add enough mayonnaise to make a creamy salad. Check the seasonings and add more salt or pepper if desired.
I like to decorate the top of my salad with stuffed eggs.

Note: Be sure to use a red onion. It makes all the difference.