Dackel Princess

2301 Posts & Counting…

And What I Did This Weekend!

I’ve been blogging for over 5 years now and have finally reached 2300 plus one posts! When I saw the stats this morning, when I logged in, I smiled. There have been good times and bad times and everything in between, and you all have been here. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart!

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend!

Today was a beautiful fall day here in New England. It was also the end of the season, Craft Fair and Chowder Festival. There was so much to do and see that I walked around, took a bunch of pictures, just so I could share them with all of you. The man at the very beginning of the montage is here twice a year every year, and has been since I came to my town nearly 11 years ago. He and I have a thing going, and I always get his pepper jelly! The best around. This year he had a lobster/crab dip spice packet and that was so good, so I got one of those.

This year doggies were invited (I did not bring any of mine because then I wouldn’t have been able to take pictures), and so you will see some of the very cutest and nicest ones that I met! I hope you enjoy the montage.

Craft Fair & Chowderfest from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

I also had Hubby take this picture for Michelle. She wanted to see what my feet look like in ankle socks and my girlie-girl sandals! Well here they are!

I have the worlds worst legs and ankles, but there isn’t much I can do about that!

Have a good week everyone!

Ugh!

This always happens. I am preparing to pack for a trip for Hubby and myself. I always have packed for him, and so I feel responsible for his cases being packed correctly.

At dinner tonight he mentioned the photo album that he put together of his days in Vietnam, the faces and places that he had known. As hubby was there in the early days of the Vietnam war, the pictures are mostly of the places he saw and the men he served with. It’s a great album.

My problem? I cannot find the bloody thing! I have looked in almost every nook and cranny in our house and discovered that besides my house needing a drastic cleaning, I cannot find this album!

So where is it? We bring it to each reunion that we go to, but we have not been in a while. I have stored the album at the base of the stairs in our house for years. So, why isn’t it there now?

It’s driving me slightly insane and I keep getting up and walking around looking for this album, like it will instantly appear. As you can guess, it hasn’t.

A few minutes ago, while I was sitting here trying to relax, I started thinking. When had we seen this last? What were we doing? In the last year was there a time we had it out?

I got up. I walked through the house again, and then something began pulling me to a cupboard in our family room. I opened the doors (I had been there before too) and looked and my eyes caught the corner of the album!

THERE IT WAS!!!!!

So I can sleep in peace tonight, with no worries about the album and best of all…I found my black sandals, which I will now wear with my black and magenta skirt!

All’s well that ends well!

The Count Down Begins

Saturday is a busy day for me. I’m going to visit Margarita so she can dip my hair in the fountain of youth and give me a good hair cut. I really need to work on the hair, as lately I cannot seem to style it at all.

I’ll get back here just after lunch, and I will do some housework to prepare for my guests tomorrow late in the afternoon.

My neighbors are all coming over to have a big spaghetti dinner with us, and to go over the last of my seemingly endless lists and instructions for caring for my pooches.

I realized this morning (again) just how much I love these fury creatures and how must they add to my life.

In the morning I wake to the gentle kisses of Anneliese. Arnie stretches and snuggles against my back, and Greta is always cuddled by my tummy. Fritz is always waiting next to my side of the bed for my feet to hit the floor, then I get kisses from him.

If I have to leave the house, they run to the door and either want to go with me, or they want me to stay. When I return, they dance with delight and I smile as I listen to their toe nails click on the floor.

I am so lucky, to be so loved!

Sunday is laundry, ironing and packing day. I want to have that all done by the end of the day so that on Monday I can attend my meeting and Tuesday we can do to a fly-in close by at a local airport. Then Wednesday we are off!

Hubby and I will have 5 days all to ourselves going to his Army Reunion. Our neighbors are moving in to care for the dogs and we will sleep late, walk hand and hand along sunshiny pathways, and I will not have to cook, clean, wash a dish or walk my beloved dogs.

You know me, I will be bringing along my computer, and will be reporting in with pictures and updates from the road.

Here is my one question. This is the dress for the banquet. It has these shiny (fake) stones around the collar. It would be easy to remove them, should I, or should I leave them?

We will be in a very hot area, so the sleeveless dress will be a good thing. It’s very light and flows nicely when I move. Think Hubby will dance with me?

What Not To Wear!

On Wednesday, after Weight Watchers Class (don’t ask), I went out to shop for a skirt and top to wear to Hubby’s Army Reunion. I wanted something light and pretty and yes, girlie. Living in a colder state, I am more inclined to wear, jeans a t-shirt and a sweater than almost anything else. But today, I thought, what the heck, I want to be a woman!

Oh I tried a few places and was very discouraged by what I found. Crap. Then I called my best friend, and resident fashionista, Gail, for some real help.

She has such a sense of good taste and style, something that I lack, living in the back woods of New Hampshire. Gail is my “What Not To Wear” girl and she is a great help. She also works for major fashion company, and as I entered their store, I got her on the phone for some help.

Gail lives in Delaware, so shopping is done via Verizon Cell phone, and since she knows the lines of clothes that are carried there she could guide me.

I tried on a few things and just hated them. I was feeling lost and alone until the little voice in my ear started talking to me.

Try this skirt, not that. Go for this top, not that. No dark solid colors, go for some prints and color! (She knows that color to me is navy blue)

I finally found two outfits. Two skirts and two tops that made me look pretty, finished and yes, like a girlie-girl!

Here is the first one.

And the second one.

What to do, what to do! I knew I shouldn’t get both outfits. I really could just afford one, and then I discovered that everything was 40% off!

You guessed it. Both outfits are now hanging on the door to my bedroom.

However, I will need to wear “girlie shoes” with these outfits. Oh sweet mother of God! Heels!

I actually own shoes that will go with these outfits, but neither one of the shoes are broken in, which shows you how often I actually wear dress-up shoes! So, I am now wearing them with ankle socks to stretch them out a little and prepare them and my feet for next week!

If only one could wear these gorgeous creations with sneakers!

Saturday finds me getting my hair done and then Sunday I hope to get everyone together to prepare them for our departure. My neighbors are all moving in to house sit and care for the pups. We’re so lucky to have people close by that actually move in to care for my little fur family!

Friday Fill-Ins

I know I can’t spell! It’s Fill-Ins!

1. My back _is hurting_.

2. _Born to be_ wild_.

3. Leaves are falling all around, _red and orange twirl around_.

4. _As I get older I see the_ forgetfulness_getting to me_.

5. Healing is _easier said than done_

6. _Cooking_ is what I’ve been up to lately!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to _hanging out with Hubby and the dogs_, tomorrow my plans include _getting my hair done, and having friends over for a spaghetti dinner_ and Sunday, I want to _walk around the local Craft Fair_!

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

Happy Birthday, Uschi!

Today is the birthday of my best friend, Uschi! Oh how I wish she lived just down the street and I could bake her a special cake and bring it over, with a bottle of champagne, and celebrate the day of her birth!

Friendship

There’s a miracle of Friendship
that dwells within the heart,
And you don’t know how it happens
or where it gets its start…
But the happiness it brings you
always gives a special lift,
And you realize that Friendship
Is God’s most perfect gift.
-Jean Kyler McManus-

Happy Birthday Uschi from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

So Happy Birthday, my dearest friend and sister!

Random Dozen

1. Do you believe, somewhere deep inside, that blonds do indeed have more fun? That they are “dumber” than brunettes or redheads? Be honest!

Nope. I used to work in a beauty salon. I’ve seen what many “blonds” go through each month and guess what? No fun. I think it matters not what color hair you have, but the person you are inside!

2. Which animal would you most like to observe in its wild habitat?

Owls. I’ve been watching the Owlets online, but would love to be able to watch them up close.

3. This week the U.N. announced that Dr. Mazlan Othman has been appointed the official “Alien Ambassador,” should any extraterrestrials contact us. Have you, or has anyone you know, ever seen a UFO?

Nope. And my husband was a pilot in the military, and then an airline pilot, so he was in the sky a lot. Wait! Maybe “he” is the alien! lol!

4. Name your favorite Hitchcock film.

“North By Northwest”

5. Would you rather spend time at the library, the mall, a craft store or home?

Home.

6. Which Disney princess is your favorite? (Or Disney character, if you are a guy)

Cinderella

7. What kind of art is your favorite?

Impressionist. I love Monet! In fact I have several Monet poster prints framed around my home. I find impressionism relaxing.

8. How do you feel about viral videos, that is, videos made by amateurs that end up on Youtube receiving thousands of hits?

Some are funny, but they really don’t do much for me.

9. Where do you buy your jeans?

It depends. Usually LLBean or Liz Claibourne.

10. Tell me about your first automobile accident.

It was a very tragic accident. I was hit by an impaired (stoned) drive as I was stopped at a red light. My 6 year old daughter was killed. It wasn’t my fault, but this accident, changed my life forever.

11. Have you ever been honest when you knew you would benefit more if you would be dishonest?

Not really. A year ago I discovered that a local store had sold me two kiddie pools instead of one and I went back and paid for the second one. So I guess I’m kind of honest that way. It’s all about Karma.

12. If you were appointed “Ambassador to Aliens,” what would you show and tell first about life on Earth? What would be the most difficult thing to explain?

I would show them the beauty of our planet. Since they have the fancy space ship I would zoom them all over the planet so they could see it.

The hardest to explain? The EVIL on our planet, because there is so much.

Rain, Cold & Turkey Broth!

There are days that you wake up, go through your entire day and find you have absolutely nothing to write about. Monday was that day for me!

It rained off and on all day. It was cold and the most interesting thing happening here was that I had a pot of turkey bones simmering for the second day. After nearly 24 hours of simmering, and the fact that my whole house smelled like Thanksgiving, the broth that I will use tomorrow to make our turkey soup simmered to perfection.

I did work grooming Arnie for over an hour. At first he fought this, but eventually he just curled up and slept while I stripped his fur.

Fritz had his nails clipped, and Greta struggled against me, while I tried to groom her. Anneliese is, of course, perfect and just needed a light brushing.

I scanned some pictures of Hubby when he was a kid for him, and then heated up the leftover Sauerbraten for our dinner.

Well I think that today I need to go off and have an adventure so I can write something interesting tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

What I did This Weekend!!!

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend!

COOK

I really wanted to relax and rest and catch up on my sleep, and down time. However, it was not to be. In some ways I feel like a Pioneer Woman. I know that winter is coming, and I am putting up as much food as possible.

In some ways this endeavor is quite satisfying. Seeing our freezer full of sauces and soups and stuffed zucchini boats and zucchini bread is a wonderful thing. I know that on those cold days when I long for the warmth of summer, I can open my freezer, thaw out something wonderful from my garden and enjoy!

On Sunday I was making a complete turkey dinner. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, butternut squash, mashed potatoes and I made an apple pie for dessert! Best of all, we got to sit down and share this meal with my cousin Janet and Dave, and Emily and Ben. Janet is finally feeling better and today was the last time I will see Emily until March as her family leaves on Tuesday for the Midwest. Their new home.

The cold front moved in and our temperatures dropped a great deal. I’ve actually got a sweater on! The weekend is nearly over and finally, finally, I am sitting down!

Cooking Again (or the story of my life lately!)

Okay, I know that Saturday was supposed to be my busy cooking day, but I needed to make a run to the big city and then I got a bit frustrated because all the plans Hubby and I made for the big city seemed to get thwarted.

We arrived back at home at 3 PM and we changed clothes and Hubby went out to mow the lawn and I went into the kitchen to cook.

Now, before we left I put a roast I had been marinating, in my crock pot on the lowest setting to make my favorite German meal, Sauerbraten! I have the old family recipe that came with my Great-grandparents from Germany and was passed down through the generations until it came to me. I love it, and of course my Hubby loves it too. In fact Hubby LOVES German food and I think he believes he was lucky to marry someone who enjoys cooking German delicacies!

While the Sauerbraten cooked I made the spaghetti sauce. A triple batch this time! I’m just waiting for it to cool so I can put it in containers to freeze. This is the last batch I will make. After this I think I may try to make salsa.

The Sauerbraten came out even better than usual! Even Hubby was amazed at how good it tasted! There is enough for one more meal.

For now, I am sitting with Anneliese as I wait for the spaghetti sauce to cool.She tells me I should mention that all four dogs thought the Sauerbraten was good too! Yes, they all got a little taste, because I am a soft touch!

Tomorrow? Oh I do hope I can have a quiet day. Aren’t Sundays supposed to be quiet days? Oh wait…I’m cooking the turkey tomorrow! Not so quiet after all.