Author: Dackel Princess

Three Pounds!

I was up before the day dawned. I needed to go to the hospital for more blood work, and I knew that I needed to be there early to beat the crowds. I have been there when I have had to wait for two hours to get my blood drawn. So, today I was prepared.

I left my house at 6:45 and arrived at the hospital just after 7. I walked in, expecting the large crowd, and found the lobby strangely empty! I mean really empty!

I checked in with a nice young lady who was ready to help one and all, but had nothing to do because of the lack of patients. She has the cutest dachshund, and we talked dogs while she did my paperwork.

Then before I knew it, my name was called, blood drawn and off I went. It was 7:30!

I had planned on there being crowds, and this would occupy my time until Weight Watchers and I would breeze in and enjoy that meeting, but here I was two hours before the meeting was due to start!

I filled up the car with gas ($2.69 a gallon!) and then drove to the meeting hall. I decided to just sit and wait in the parking lot. I had the morning news paper and that would give me something to do.

However, when I arrived there was a woman there who does our weigh-ins. Her name is Tami and I have known her since my very first meeting when she weighed me in. She was doing a few bits of paper work, but welcomed the company.

She offered to weigh me in early so I could eat, and I quickly stripped down to my shorts and tank top to do this.

I LOST 3 POUNDS!!!!!

I was so happy, that the last three week plateau had been broken and I was on my way in the right direction!

Tami and I talked and talked until other people began to arrive for the meeting. Eventually the meeting began, and although it wasn’t the best meeting (in that some are both fun, funny and exciting) it was a good pep talk and got me ready for the week ahead.

I left and came back home and sort of had a sinking spell. I know I am getting old because I really need my sleep and I suffer when I don’t get it! LOL!

I was having a nice quiet afternoon when Greta went outside with Hubby for about half an hour. When she came in she smelled so bad I could not believe it!

Why do dogs have to go out, find the worst smelling pile of crap and then roll in it?

She is now bathed, AGAIN and smelling nice! At least I think she is, she may have other ideas!

A Carrot Anyone?

The dackels have been watching me.

Why, you might ask? Well, I decided after the German Judge criticized Anneliese that perhaps all three of my dackels were a bit over weight. So I weighed them. Ah, well, let’s just say, I’m a good doggy cook.

So their diet immediately started. I got them some special diet canned food, and then I cut back on how much they are allowed to eat of the crunchies. Greta and Anneliese are not big crunchy fans, so they have been doing very well. I also stopped all plate scraps for them. Fritz, the lucky devil, gets it all. Slowly, they are both losing weight. Even Arnie is starting to look a little better.

I want to get Greta back to 18-19 pounds, Arnie at 18 and Anneliese down to 16-16 1/2 pounds. Fritz? Well let’s just say that the boy needs to maintain the weight he has and even put on a bit as he is very slender. But the boy runs and runs and runs and I can hardly keep the weight on him.

The dackels? Well, as I said they are following me everywhere. Watching, hoping, for a little cookie or treat. What do they get? Carrots! Luckily they love the baby carrots and are happy for those.

Oh I can truly relate to them. Today is my Weight Watchers meeting and I am really hoping for a good weight loss. I sure have been working hard and measuring every little thing that has gone into my mouth.

What can I say? Food is food, be it people food or doggy food, and we are all subject to putting on a little spare tire, aren’t we?

Dogs, Frost & New Things

It was one of those days that began with a hard frost and ended with dropping temperatures. Another frost is coming! The mid part of the day was mild, but not warm, thus reminding me that it is Autumn and winter is on it’s way.

The dogs were in their glory, especially Fritz who just lives for the cooler temperatures. He was outside all day basking in the glory of the pristine day.

Yesterday the three dachshunds were all outside playing when they found the same mound of smelly crap to roll in. They came in stinking to high, high heaven!

This required me to give all three of them baths. So into the sink they went, with warm water and shampoo. By the time we went to bed, they were dry and smelling like flowers!

Hubby spent the day painting the trim of the house and getting the outside ready for winter. He is doing a great job!

I changed my side bar picture today. The new picture was taken by my sister while she was here.

Tonight our friend and house sitter came over for dinner. We finalized our plans for the cruise and had a nice steak dinner. She visited with her favorite babies and we chatted until we were both ready to hit the hay!

I’m lucky to have Dori as she really loves my four babies and takes very good care of them.

Have a good day everyone!

The Hobo Railroad Ride!!!

On Saturday we got up and headed down to catch the foliage train on the Hobo Railroad! It left from Meredith, New Hampshire, and went along the Pemigewassett River. We chugged through mile after mile of beautiful bright leaves, until we reached a deer farm.

Now I have always been a sucker for a cute deer, and so I set up and kept snapping! All the pictures taken were taken while the train was going between 15 and 20 miles an hour.

I think the deer must be used to the train noise because they didn’t run off and a few came right up to the fence and smiled for us.

The train took us slowly to Plymouth, New Hampshire where we stopped at The Common Man Inn & Spa. They had a hot buffet luncheon for all those aboard the train. They served Turkey, stuffing, butternut squash, mashed potatoes, rolls and hot broccoli & apple soup, which was surprisingly good. I admit to eating what was served and I felt guilty for about 5 minutes, and then I reminded myself that it was okay and that on Sunday morning I would get back on the diet.

Then we all climbed back on the train and went up to Livermore Falls, where we took a few pictures before heading back. In Plymouth, the engine unhooked, came around on a side track and hooked up again so that it could pull us back to Meredith, instead of push us!

The ride back was pretty and we  were chatting about the colors, when I thought I saw someone I knew. I stopped the man and asked if he was in fact Wes D. and he was! I’ve known him for over 20 years, but hadn’t seen him an a few. We were talking and I asked if he had seen a mutual friend named Sally recently. He laughed and told me that she was on the other end of the train! So at the next stop we actually got to see Sally and her new husband. Hubby has known Sally since he was in college, as Sally’s late husband was his fraternity brother, and I met her just after Hubby and I married.

So here is a short montage of our trip. I hope you like it.

Here is a picture of Me, with Sally and my Hubby!
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As you could see, it was a beautiful day, followed by a wonderful evening with Mel, Ron, M. and Mandy at Canoe.

Wonderful Family!

My sister is up visiting, along with her husband, and tonight Mandy and M. came up to join us for dinner. We went to Canoe for our meal. My favorite restaurant. Hubby and M. had Prime Rib, Mandy had the Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, Mel’s husband, Ron had the Seafood Stir fry and Mel and I had the tossed greens salad with Shrimp, goat cheese and spiced walnuts! And I shall burn in hell for eating 1/2 of the apple strudel, but it was very, very good!

We took pictures before and during the dinner. It was so nice as it is not often that we are all together.

Mandy, Me and Mel.

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Me and Melodie.

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Mandy and Me.

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Jack and M. talking.

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Ron and Mandy.

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We arrived back home, all feeling full and a bit sleepy after eating such a big meal. However, we were happy! Yes, Canoe does that to you!

Now we’re watching the Red Sox play, hoping they can win and stay alive in the playoffs one more day.

Tomorrow I’ll write about our trip aboard the Hobo Railroad. It was beautiful and brought back so many happy memories of train rides in the past.

31 Days

I got this message this morning when I woke up and logged onto my email.

31 days until your next cruise!
7-day Southern Caribbean Explorer
Ship: Caribbean Princess
Embarkation Port: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Number of Days: 7

CSE070lg

I am really looking forward to this cruise and to getting away from it all. It’s been a really busy Autumn for us. A lot of running around, a lot of catch up work around the house, and some stress.

Mostly I get stressed about the little things. Isn’t that silly? I really shouldn’t, but I do. I need to learn to just let it roll off of my back, but I find it very difficult to do that.

I also need to not take things so personally and allow people’s words to hurt me so much. Yes, it’s been a tough fall.

Now I am looking forward to my 50th Birthday Cruise. That will be fun, relaxing and we will see several new Island Countries that we have not been to before.

Yes, I’ll be sending reports and pictures along the way. How could I leave you all behind? Oh yes! One month and counting!!!

I can hardly wait!!!

It Was A Thrill!

On a beautiful October day Hubby and I went to the Weirs Beach Boardwalk to hear Governor Sarah Palin speak. She is a breath of fresh air in a campaign that is filled with career politicians. Gov. Palin was speaking and a woman near me turned to me and said, “You know, she is one of us. She knows how hard it is to put food on the table for your family, she knows what it means to be humble”.

Quite true. Unlike the other candidates, Gov. Palin grew up normally. She was your average girl next door, worked hard to get herself through college in Idaho and then went back to the state that she loved (Alaska) and married her High School sweetheart. She worked with him to feed their family, by working on her husband’s fishing boat, as well as taking care of their children.

I know that there are many of you who do not like this woman, but there is one thing you cannot deny, and that is that Gov. Palin has spent all of her life working very hard, for her family, for her state and for her country.

As I listened to her today I had hope. Hope that there is really someone out there in politics that believes in us, the United States Citizens!

She does not believe we need more government. She doesn’t believe that we need to raise taxes. And she certainly doesn’t believe that the government should be telling you how to spend your money.

We already pay too much in taxes!!!

Is she qualified to be president? Well first she isn’t running for president, but if she were I would say this, she actually has more experience in the political world than Barack Obama does, and I’d like to see just how well Sen. Obama would do getting through a winter in a place as challenging as Alaska.

Alaska is one of the most beautiful places I have been to! But it’s beauty is tempered with the vastness of the countryside, and the ruggedness of the glaciers. Winters are long, cold and the snow is deep. Summers are short. You learn early on how to take care of yourself and your family.

So I watched her, I listened to her and to those around me and I felt good. Here are a few photo’s of the event.

I do not write about politics on Dackel Princess nor do I make comments on other blogs because I have felt such a terrible hateful intolerance from so many people. However, when I listen to people make statements against a woman such as Sarah Palin, who is a strong, intelligent, decent, and capable woman, I felt that I had to share with you how I feel. She may not belong to the political party you belong to, but she is one heck of a person.

I wish we had more people like her getting involved in politics today. We need more real people going into that, not professional hacks that are being turned out by Ivy League Colleges and ACORN.

The New Me!

I was off to my hair stylist’s Tuesday afternoon and when I arrived I sat down in her chair with a frown and showed her this:

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Flat hair on the top, wild sides and a style that was nearly impossible for me to do. Add to that the fact that it was making my face look fat and it all ads up to one unhappy lady!

Margarita went to work. I explained that I wanted layers and lots of them, while keeping my length. She cut and measured and cut some more. I glanced at the floor and was amazed at the amount of hair she had trimmed off. Apparently my hair had really gotten quite long and full.

Once she was done with the snipping, she gently fingered my hair while she blew it dry and these small curls formed.

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Margarita styled it a bit fancier than I will, but she showed me how to encourage the curls and then to style my hair so that it actually is pulled back away from my face naturally.

I know from previous cuts that having this style will be easy for me. The really funny thing is that when I was a little girl, I had tight blond curls. Then one day in a fit of pique my mother cut them all off. After that my hair never grew back curly. Wavy, yes, but no curls.

Now, as I enter my 50’s I suddenly have found that my curls returned with a vengeance. I suppose I could cut them off again, but let’s face it, I can’t afford another 50 years for them to return!

I’ll be playing with the new style now and seeing what I can do.

What do you think?

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PS: I opened the door at the end of the evening to walk Greta and found Fritz doing a frantic dance. The smell that hit me was so overwhelming that I knew he’d been hit by a skunk! While Hubby made an emergency run to the grocery store for tomato juice, I washed Fritz down with brown soap and rinsed him well. All this was done outside in the 54 degree weather!

Hubby returned from the grocery store and we started to wash Fritz with the tomato juice. Sponging it into his fur until he was completely covered. Then we got out the hose and started to rinse him off.

We now own a Pink German Shepherd!

He is now drying off in the basement where he will spend the night. I sure hope we got it all and that tomorrow Fritz will be back to normal. Well, besides the pink hue to his fur, that is!

LOL!!!