Wednesday Hodgepodge

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1. March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’s birthday so I’m wondering…do you like green eggs and ham? Okay-how about this instead…how do you like your eggs? Or don’t you?

I love eggs, any old way at all. I guess my favorite (if you force me to pick one) is fried with a slightly runny yolk.

2. Is March coming in like a lion or something less ferocious where you live?

Lion. So much darn snow! Really. However, they are forecasting some warmer temperatures for this weekend, so perhaps we will have a little bit of melting. Yay!

3. Do you work better or worse under pressure?

Worse. I really like things nice and calm and quiet. Then I can slowly go through things and get my work done.

4. March Madness-are you a fan? It’s college basketball in case you’re wondering. And if you’re outside the USA tell us-is there any sort of ‘madness’ taking place during March in your part of the world?

Hubby will be interested, but I think I will take that time and do some spring cleaning in other rooms in the house, with my MP3 player stuck in my ears! lol!

5. Under what circumstances do you do your best thinking?

When things are quiet and I am alone. I need the solitude, the stillness, to gather my thoughts.

6. What item of clothing from your wardrobe do you wear most often?

My junkie jeans. I love them. They are soft and fit perfectly and yet, if I spill something on them, who cares? Aside from the jeans, I love soft white cotton socks.

7. Do you use sarcasm?

Oh boy, I really try not to, but I am afraid that I allow myself to use it far more often than I should. I think I have learned to curb my tongue more now in my 50’s then I did when I was in my 20’s.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

My regular readers know that since mid January I have used this spot to keep you all posted on the progress of my blog friend, Joanne. I’ve asked for your prayers for her, since she suffered a severe stoke.

The great news is that she is doing incredibly well and hopefully will go to the  long term rehab center sooner rather than later. Currently, she is in a rehab center that is for really acute care, but since she is progressing so well, she will soon be moved.

Joanne is blessed to have a wonderful family and close group of friends, as well as all of us worldwide, who have been praying for her. Joanne still has a long way to go, but Joanne’s recovery is such a testimony in itself to the power of prayer.

Monday, Monday

We woke up on Monday to round three of snow! It seems we just get paths dug for the dackels, when it snows and we have to do it all over again. This has been a bad weekend for snow and then  we started the week with another storm. At least this one didn’t drop as much snow. They were forecasting 4-6 inches, but I think we only got 2 this time.

A short movie that I filmed on Monday morning.

Feb 28 Snow from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

Hubby arrived home after going skiing in the morning and he casually mentioned that the car slid off the road into a snow bank. He was not phased by this, in fact he was rather pleased that several people stopped to help push him out of the snow bank.

While he was off skiing I worked washing cabinets. Definitely not glamor work, but a real necessity. In fact, I found a place on the stove top hood, that was a bit neglected, so I took the time to scrub that out.

Anneliese has just about 5 or 6 days left of her heat and then she will be all over it. I can hardly wait. Last night it was a real challenge to keep Arnie and his sister apart!

I was also thrilled to death with most of the Oscar Awards. I love Colin Firth, The Kings Speech was phenomenal, and Christian Slater Bale, well he may be one of the finest actors of our time. I do like Melissa Leo, but felt, like almost everyone else in the world, that she should not have used the F-bomb during her acceptance speech. I mean, after all, in the top four categories of Best Actors, there wasn’t any surprises now, were there.

Now we, the movie audiences of the world, can go back to our regular viewing, wondering, who might give us a stellar performance next year!

What I Did This Weekend

Miss Marple 2

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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What did we do this weekend? Well, we shoveled! We had over 19 inches of snow in 36 hours and last I checked it was still going. We expect another 4 inches overnight!

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It’s getting to a point where we are starting to feel buried!

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As you can see the trees are just about buried underneath the snow!

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Arnie is dwarfed by the snow mounds!

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So I am hoping for less snow and perhaps a warmer week. No, not yet. Oh well. I will keep daydreaming and eventually it will be so.

Meanwhile, the weekend is past, and another week is ahead. Have a good one!

High School Days

I just found out that in August there will be a Reunion of my High School Graduation Class! We will meet up in the Town where I lived all during my youth, and celebrate the fact that we’ve all survived this long!

Oh, it will be fun to see everyone. It’s especially nice since I have gotten in touch with so many of my school friends, on Facebook.

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This was my High School Picture.I can’t recall why I liked that dress? It was short, so that could be the reason. Actually everything tended to be a tad short on me because I am fairly tall.

I’m wondering what people will think when they see me now? Hopefully, I won’t scare anyone!

Good beer

Looking back, it seemed I knew a lot of people. Our town was small, and at one point or another you sort of had a class with everyone. Especially in High School. There were many times I had music,  (I was in both Chorus and Band, I played the flute) and those classes had all four grades together. I also loved gymnastics, despite my height, so I knew many people from different grades there, too.

So, I’m excited and looking forward to going back to the town where it all began!

Our Driveway & The Snow!

We knew we were due for a fair amount of snow on Friday, but nothing really ever prepares you for a foot of the white stuff, now does it? 12 inches or 30.5 centimeters! Yeah, either way, that’s a lot of snow.

Hubby went out several times to snow blow the drive and keep our driveway clear. His snow blower is good, but after a certain point, it just gets too deep for the blower to handle, so he has to go out often to keep the driveway clean.

Our driveway, as I have written before, is 500 feet downhill. It’s not a problem in the summer months, as we just zip up the drive to get to the main road, and then zip down to get to our home.

But with ice and snow, there isn’t a lot of zipping done by either of us!

A few years ago I had gone out to get the mail. It was raining when I left, even though the temperatures were very low. When I returned I was coming down the hill to our house and the tarred driveway was all BLACK ICE!

The car went into a skid and I looked to see our camper straight ahead of me. I somehow managed to steer toward the ditch on the other side of the drive, where I came to a stop, with a bit of a thud!

I didn’t have my cell phone with me, so I couldn’t call Hubby to help me, but the house was right there so I flung open the door, put my foot out and promptly fell on my backside!

Not my best moment.

Anyway, Hubby works hard to keep the drive clear of snow and ice, and I truly appreciate all of his work.

February 25, 2011 Snow from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

As you can see, he does work hard, and lucky for him, he has a faithful companion to keep him company!

Friday Fill-Ins

Friday Fill Ins

And…here we go!

1. Ooooh, I can hardly wait for spring to come around. Leaves on trees, flowers blooming, and no more snow!.

2.They are forecasting more snow tomorrow and , I can’t stand it!

3. How the heck did I end up with so many dogs! HA! I know. I love them, and just couldn’t say no.

4. Germany is one of my favorite places to visit.

5. I’m not a person who feel comfortable getting into really heavy political discussions, I’m not!

6. Chocolate. The darker the better, it has to be good.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching “Walk The Line” with Hubby, tomorrow my plans include taking the morning to slowly work in the office and Sunday, I want to read the Sunday papers and cook a nice roast for Hubby!

Friday Fill-Ins are sponsored by my cousin Janet. Come on and join the fun!

Thursday Thirteen

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  1. I went to Weight Watchers on Wednesday and lost 2.8 pounds! Yay, me! Let’s see if I can do it again next week!
  2. Anneliese is in week 2 of her heat. Arnie is like “a love-sick puppy”. Wait! He is a love-sick puppy!
  3. I made the best shrimp stir fry the other night, but I am still working out the recipe. Although I loved it, Hubby felt it needed more of a sauce.
  4. I took Arnie to Weight Watchers with me and after class introduced him to everyone. Needless to say, they all fell in love with him!
  5. Have you ever had a computer problem that you really didn’t know how to solve and then after thinking it through a few times, (read that as several hours), you got it? Well, I had that happen twice this week!
  6. I got all my laundry done. I know I mention it here all the time, that I have laundry to do. I am happy to get this done before the weekend, as I would like to kick back and relax this weekend!
  7. I let Greta out today for a “walk in the garden” and when I didn’t see her in the back yard I went out and she had skedaddled up to my neighbors house!
  8. I’ve been really getting into cooking new and interesting things, with a highlight on low fat, and low calorie meals. It’s amazing how you can change the calorie content of some really delicious meals, by just changing a few of the ingredients.
  9. Wednesday was such a beautiful day. Bright blue skies and not a single cloud. Wow, did I really enjoy that!
  10. Wednesday morning when I woke up, Anneliese was cuddled right up to me. She stretched and kissed my nose and I felt so loved!
  11. Tomorrow is bill paying day. Not my favorite day, but one of necessity.
  12. Hubby picked up two movies to watch over the weekend. “Walk The Line” and “Open Range”. I sure hope they are good movies. I have heard good things about “Walk the Line”.
  13. I can hardly wait for the Oscars! I have actually seen a fair number of the nominated films and actors. Fun!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Did you know there is a National Day of pretty much everything in the universe? February 23 happens to be National Inconvenience Yourself Day…when was the last time you were inconvenienced?

I guess I am lucky or maybe I just go with the flow, so I don’t consider myself inconvenienced often. In fact, I have to think back to last summer when I took Anneliese to Germany. I was in New York and I had to get from LaGuadia Airport to JFK and I was in a Taxi driven by a man who for religious reasons hated dogs. He made sure that I was inconvenienced and uncomfortable the entire trip. I don’t often get angry about things, but this just ticked me off!

2. When a room in your house needs painting who does the job?

Me. I am the painter. In fact, this summer, my plan is to repaint our bath, our bedroom, our family room and kitchen. We also need to paint the trim on the house, and I bet I will get stuck doing that. This will be the summer of shorts tank tops and paint stains.

3. Are you friends with your cousins?

We are a very small family and I only have a few cousins, so I try to remain close to them all. One of my cousins, Janet is one of my best and closest friends. She is a year older than me, and we were raised closely. In many ways I feel like she is a sister to me. I know, no matter what, Janet will always be there for me.

4. Do you use an alarm clock? If yes-is it an actual alarm, music, or something else?

If I have to go somewhere then yes, I do use an alarm clock, but….I always wake up before the alarm clock. In fact if I have to go somewhere I usually can’t sleep well the night before, for fear that the alarm will not wake me and I will be late. I have a terrible phobia about being late.

5. What do you put ketchup on?

Scrambled eggs, french fries, hamburgers, and meatloaf.

6. What smells make you nostalgic?

The smell of baking bread or snickerdoodle cookies makes me think of times spent with my children. I love the scent of wood fires burning in the hearth. That just makes me feel nostalgic, and the scent of the ocean makes me think of home, as I was raised on Cape Cod.

7. Have you heard about the high school English teacher recently suspended as a result of some things she wrote in her personal blog? You can read the story here but in a nutshell she vented a lot of frustration onto her blog. She didn’t mention individual students by name but she did make some harsh comments about kids in general and their parents.

What are your thoughts-If you’re a parent is your child’s teacher online and are you ‘friend’ or ‘follower’ there? If you’re a teacher are you on facebook and do you accept or friend students on fb? How about their parents? If you’re a student are you friends with your current or former teachers online? Do any of them have blogs you read? If you’re a teacher or a parent do you ever use your blog as a place to vent your frustrations with our educational system? So much to discuss…

I understand that teachers have personal lives, and that’s what they should be…personal. I do not think it is acceptable for a teacher to speak about her students or her job on Facebook. In fact I would advise her or him not to friend any parent or student. No student should be friended until they are out of the school system (read that: graduated). My Dad was a teacher and he did not speak about individual students (or parents) to us. I would have been disappointed in him, if he had. When he passed away we heard from so many former students, whom he had helped. Perhaps the Facebook Teacher should find a different profession.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

You all know I have been praying and following the recovery of my blog friend, Joanne.

She is making great strides at the rehab facility. Each and every day I check her blog to learn more about her condition. The most wonderful part of her recovery is that they have found that Joanne is there. She is full of good humor. Not that she is thrilled to be in the condition that she is, but bless her, she is fighting back and with the love and prayers and help of her family and friends, I hope her outcome will be a good one.

Her family is so supportive. If you go HERE you can see a post written by Joanne’s sister, Kristen. Take a moment as you can not only see Joanne’s beautiful handwriting, but there is a story there about Joanne’s niece, Ava. It is beautifully written.

Her husband wrote that if just one person can find God because of what Joanne and her family have been though, then it will all have been worth it. You see, Joanne’s condition was so severe, no one really knew if she would live. Then the question, would she come out of the coma? If she did, would she be the Joanne that they all loved and knew?

Prayer, prayer, prayer!

I believe in the power of prayer, and watching Joanne’s progress has truly deepened my faith in God!

Poor Arnie

Monday was shopping day here at the Dackel Princess household. But the big question was what to do with either Arnie or Anneliese? Anneliese is getting close to being in the prime part of her heat. In a day or so I will have to break out the big crate for my poor Arnie, as he won’t be able to contain himself, but right now he’s still pretty good. I just can’t completely trust him. I wouldn’t breed Anneliese until about day 11 or 13, but it is possible to make puppies earlier so…

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Arnie, lusting after his sister.

What fun it was to take Arnie for a ride today in the car while we did our grocery shopping. Since it was cold, we put Arnie in his adorable little sweater. He was an absolute angel! He watched the world go by, enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine, and gave me a ton of kisses.

At one point when we finished the shopping and came out to the car, he was sound asleep on the front seat! I mean, how cute is that, right?

What I Did This Weekend

Miss Marple 2

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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Despite the fact that I was determined to have a quiet weekend, I am here to report in on quite a few activities that you too can do on a lazy day.

As far as going out went, we decided to stay in. It was very cold and VERY windy. The temperatures topped out at perhaps 18 degrees (F) and the winds shook the house and trees at 44-55 miles per hour! A friend of mine lost her windshield when a tree branch smashed it!

So, Hubby and I, along with the dogs, stayed in. We watched various movies and shows on the TV. We watched my new favorite show “From Larkrise to Candleford”, as well as the movie “RED” which I had gotten for Hubby.

Red Movie

Quite often he cannot make out what the actors are saying when they are speaking in hushed voices. So often he misses out on important dialogue. Watching a movie at home, we can turn on closed captioning, and get every bit of the conversations. Heck, at this point in my life, even I miss some of the words being spoken!

Then we watched another movie, one that I gave Hubby for Christmas. This one is called “Hachi”.

A-Dogs-Tale

It is about a professor (Gere) who adopts a lost Akita puppy that grows up to be the most loyal dog ever (even after a tragedy that I will vaguely allude to). Both Hubby and I were so smitten with this movie that we began to read more on the Internet, only to discover that Hachi existed in Japan and the story, was basically a true one.

Both Hubby and I recommend the movie, but you will have to rent it or buy it as it was never released in the USA market. With all the crap in our theaters, it sort of ticks me off, that this gentle love story, was considered beyond American audiences.

Anyone who has ever owned a dog will understand the relationship, and if you are lucky enough, you will have had a Hachi of your own.

We even watched the Daytona 500, with all of the spectacular crashes! I’m so glad that it’s not me driving those cars! I also want to go on record that I am simply not surprised by all the crashes considering they are doing this new thing called drifting, where one car literally is pushing the other. (Or so it seems.) The winner, 20 year old Trevor Bayne!

Fritz was outside on Saturday and apparently slipped on the ice and twisted his bad ankle. He’s been hobbling around and we have spoiled him with extra attention and affection. On Sunday, we managed to keep him very quiet and I hope by Monday he will be back to normal.

The dackels are all fine, and we have now finished week one of Anneliese’s heat. Two more to go! Arnie is just starting to become annoying, I may need to use a little Benedryl to calm his nerves.

To wrap the weekend, even though we didn’t go anywhere, we certainly were well entertained!