Dackel Princess

The Friday Five ~ June 25th

This week flew by and it was a good week. A lot of things were accomplished and I actually had one day where I almost felt like life was close to normal. So, here we go with this week’s Friday Five.

As I wrote before, I wiped my Cell Phone and did a Factory reset. That was not easy, but I did it and I learned so much. And to top it all off, my phone is working very well!
On Wednesday I met up with my lovely ladies. We had voted to go out for lunch once a month during the summer. This past Wednesday was our luncheon. Oh, what fun I had. We joked and laughed and told each other stories from our pasts. I felt so light-hearted and free. It was wonderful!
After weeks of trying to do things to keep the crows and ravens from emptying my suet feeders, I finally figured out what I could do to keep them away. I have now placed the feeders in the tree branches. The crows and ravens do not want to go into a tree to get at the suet, lest they get tangled up. Now my smaller songbirds and woodpeckers are happily back to feed!
I had a kitchen cabinet door where the top coupler that holds the door came apart. I tried just screwing it back together, but that was a no-go. So, I got out the gorilla glue and glued the pieces together. I am waiting two days for the glue to dry and seal, and then the problem should be fixed. This has happened before and this solution is a good one.
And lastly, what a horrible thing to see part of the condo complex in Florida that pancaked and fell. 51 people missing and the rest of the building totally uninhabitable. So much destruction. So many dead. Such a terrible tragedy.

So that is it for the week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

TBT: Baby Arnie

This is our Arnie, way back in February 2006, at the age of 7 weeks old. He was a sweet and handsome boy even then!

At that time he had been sold to a woman in upstate New York. But a series of crazy events lead to her canceling her plans the day she was due to pick him up. Throughout the weekend we talked about putting an ad in the newspaper, but by Sunday night we knew, Arnie was here to stay.

One of the best decisions we ever made. Arnie has been my devoted companion for the last 14 years, our lives filled with joy and laughter. I have never regretted the decision we made. Arnie is a joy!

Old boy Arnie. My love.

Electronics & Me

I missed posting the weekend wrap due to network problems and cell phone problems. Both made me want to curl up in a ball in the corner and weep, but then I recalled what my friend Brad always said, “Give it a try! What’s the worst that could happen?”

So, I plunged in, not to be deterred by the fear of the unknown. The first thing I needed to do was get the Wifi system up and running. After going through an unplug, wait, and then reboot the entire system. It worked. And my 40 minutes of troubleshooting got the internet going.

Next on my list was to do a complete reboot of my cell phone. I like the phone, but it has acted wonky since I got it. The salesperson was so insistent that he speed load the cell phone, that many of the Apps didn’t work well.

So I read and reread how to perform this task and I sat down and wiped and reloaded my cell phone. I have it pretty much set up now but only the next few days will tell me for sure.

Today was hot and humid, much as it was when I lived in Florida. I really had trouble with that. The heat would simply exhaust me. I spent most of the time in the house with the air conditioning going. Such has been the case today!

All else is well, and it is my hope that all the electronics in this house will give me a break for a while. I am grateful, however, for all that I learned today.

The Men In My Life

Here are the five men, who shaped my life. In their own ways, they were my father or a father figure to me. They have all passed from this life to the next, but their memory and the love they gave me, lives on in my heart

My Dad. He was an amazingly talented musician and he passed along his love of music to me. Dad was devoted to our community. He played the organ at both the Congregational Church and the Catholic Church in North Falmouth.

He was the Music Director at Highfield Theater for many years. He also was a summer police officer in our town. And when we went to local parks for cook-outs, Dad was the burger-meister! He has been gone a long time now, but I still think of him often and miss his wry sense of humor.

My Uncle George. He was the father who taught me everything growing up. How to swim, how to dive, how to bowl, how to hike, how to play cards, and how to love unconditionally.

When I was about 7 years old I cut my toe badly at the beach and he carried me all the way home! And helped drive me to the doctor’s office for stitches. He was not a loud man, but in his quiet loving way, I just knew that I was one of his special kids. In fact, when Jack and I married, Uncle George walked me down the aisle. I miss this sweet, loving, wonderful man!

My Uncle Bob. He was fun to be with. But, he required that I act like a mini adult too. That was fine. I adored him and just wanted to spend time, quiet time, with him.

I did a lot of things with him and his wife, Auntie Cynthia. I remember being on his boat, or when they took me to their home in Quincy and to museums. And I recall my Uncle once got a monkey. Cute, but it didn’t last for long.

My Papa Fred. Another quiet man, who was quite old when I lived with him and Grandma. But he showed me something important.

What real love between a man and woman was all about. I would watch Papa and Grandma sitting on their sofa watching Lawrence Welk. Papa would hold Grandma’s feet in his lap and stroke them gently. He simply adored Grandma and had all of his life. When she died, he no longer had the will to live and passed eight months later.

My Papa Sam, my Dad’s Dad. I didn’t know him as well, but I remember him taking me to the Prudential Building in the summer to listen to the Barbershop Quartets sing.

I remember sitting on his lap and listening to him sing along. He had such a beautiful voice.

These 5 men helped to shape the woman I grew up to become. Each special in their own way, and now, each greatly missed.

Happy Father’s Day! I remember you all with love and many memories that make me smile!

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up…

On Friday I was out quite a bit in the morning. This is the last weekend of Motorcycle Week and my little bit of Heaven is jam-packed with people, mostly Bikers.

Since I had to drive Lili out to the Veterinarian and then go back to pick her up after her teeth cleaning, trust me, I saw way more driving than I wanted to be doing.

On my way out and back in the early morning, the Bikers were just up. Restaurant parking lots were packed with isle after isle of motorcycles. Most of these people were middle-aged and were riding their HOGS (Harley Davidson). Some were riding the newer fad for us Senior Citizens, a three-wheel trike so as not to fall over.

The disturbing vision I saw was a younger Biker with no helmet, who had a 5 or 6-year-old boy on the back of his bike. The child did have a helmet on but was wearing shorts and sneakers and a short sleeve shirt. He also did not fit in, tucked next to his Dad, but was positioned so he almost looked like he was flying behind the bike. I just felt like this was a tragedy waiting to happen.

The next bike passenger made me both laugh and shake my head. She was a young woman, with neat French braids. She wore no helmet, but here is a list of her clothing.

One pair of cut-off jeans shorts, that are the shortest I’ve ever seen. She was very thin, so she could get away with them at say, a cookout, but…

Next, she was wearing a tube top. This skinny little top left nothing to the imagination and I think this item might be banned in several states! I would bet one large bump would find her girls displayed for all to see! But here was the ultimate of unsafe bike-wear. On her feet, she was wearing flip-flops! Now there is a girl who would suffer severe road-rash and injury should her boyfriend have an accident driving his bike.

Honest to goodness, you can’t make this stuff up!

Meanwhile, the constant hum of motorcycles continues and tonight there will be live music less than a mile from our home. It is what it is. Once a year, loud, a boatload of cash coming into our area. After a smaller Bike Week last year due to Covid, people are really enjoying this year! And it’s good for our businesses!

PS: Lili made out very well with her dental. Her teeth were all perfect and now her teeth are clean!

The Friday Five ~ June 18th

This week was an incredibly busy one. Each day was full and I covered a lot of ground. So, here are the top things in this week’s Friday Five.

Monday was Jack’s first appointment with his new Primary Care doctor. I’m doing all the driving now, but I also wanted to go in with him for his appointment. Jack has had an infection in the toe next to the one that was amputated and I felt he needed to get on some antibiotics. I should get paid for my diagnosis. Sure enough, he was put on a strong antibiotic. And an appointment to see his Podiatrist was made. On our way home, we stopped and got gas and groceries. What a long day!
Tuesday I was trying to get some housework done and I actually did get some basics gone. But there is still more deep cleaning to do.
Wednesday we were off to the VA again to see Jack’s Podiatrist. The doctor debrided the infected area on the toe until we could see the ulcer. It is not very large, which means I got to it in time (I hope!). Jack now has to allow me to clean and dress the toe daily and finish all the antibiotics.
Thursday was another kind of crazy day. Sheets were washed and beds were made, I went to get some fresh fruit and popcorn at the grocery store which I like. The last time I shopped I got Jollytime Popcorn, and it was terrible. It was very salty and it tasted like crap! I like Orville Redenbacher’s Kettle Corn Mini Bags. It’s the best of the diet popcorns out there. I also went to get the mail at the Post Office, only to find out that I had paid my property taxes and was 5 cents short! Needless to say, I stopped and left the nickel to pay the town what I owed.
And last but not least, today Lili is going in for a dental and her shots. I know the trip out to my Veterinarian will be crazy as Lili is not a good car rider. But I also know the ride home will be nice and quiet as she will still be sleepy. Thus ending another long and busy week!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

TBT: Greta Meets The Lake

Way back, when Greta was a very young pup, we were taking her daily for walks in the forest to a local lake. Each day, our German Shepherd, Fritz would jump in, but Greta would just stand there and watch.

I tried to get her interested, but she just stood there watching Fritz swim. She was so stubborn!

Then one day Jack threw a larger stick out, and Fritz jumped in, along with Greta!

Jack was panicked and began to take off his shoes, and remove his wallet from his shorts, as he feared that Greta would not know how to turn around and come back to shore.

But Greta was far smarter than anyone knew, and when Fritz grabbed the stick and turned to swim in, so did Greta.

And thus began Greta’s love affair with the ponds and lakes in Central New Hampshire.

The Weekend Wrap ~ June 14th

The weekend started in a rather dramatic fashion. And I am sure my neighbors all wondered who was getting killed in my yard. I admit to being very loud, but when you read why, I think you will understand.

There are a few things I worked diligently to teach my pups when they came to me. The first is to “Come” when I call them. The other is to “Leave it”. Both commands could save them in serious situations.

Greta and Anneliese were not particularly good at those commands, but for some reason, Arnie and Lili were star pupils!

On Friday night I was walking Lili and Arnie just before bed. Lili immediately raced up the hill and Arnie followed. I ran as quickly as I could and I could see against the stone wall was a SKUNK waddling away.

LEAVE IT, LEAVE IT, LEAVE IT!

Then I yelled: COME, COME, COME!

Well, I am happy to report that Lili and Arnie stopped, turned around, and came to me! No Skunk spray was emitted! It was amazing. I dodged a bullet! Nothing is sadder than a beautiful White German Shepherd who turns pink after being soaked with tomato juice!

Whew!

The rest of my weekend was mostly quiet. It’s what I wanted. I read, watched a few movies, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Thinking About Katie

11/8/78 – 6/19/85

I had a lovely daughter, named Kathleen “Katie” Alynne. She was my youngest daughter and quite amazing. She was six and a half when she died after a car accident that occurred on June 13th. She lived until June 19th, but she never regained consciousness after the paramedics pulled her from the car. So in my mind and my heart, the 13th is the day that she left us.

People have wondered and actually said to me, that after 36 years I should be over losing her.

What I know is, you never get over losing a child. But you learn to go on and to make a new life for yourself. But on days like today, I like to remind everyone that once long ago, lived a beautiful little girl named Katie!

***************

This is so beautiful. I was crying by the second line, Written by Henry Scott Holland (27 January 1847 – 17 March 1918) was Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford.

A few years ago, an old friend was sorting through his pictures when he found this one of Katie. I’d never seen it before, and it was such a wonderful gift!

Most days I do well. I don’t dwell and I can look at her lovely face in pictures and smile. Then there are days that it hits me all over again and I am overwhelmed by grief. I don’t stay there long. Katie wouldn’t want that.

I miss you each day, Katie.

The Friday Five ~ June 11th

Another week has gone by. Somehow we survived the heat. But as this week ends, thus begins “Motorcycle Week”.

I went with Jack on Wednesday for his hand procedure. It was the non-surgical procedure to “cure” Dupuytren’s Contracture in his left hand. I did not expect what happened, (his skin tore!) and all of the blood. Now Jack has a one-inch cut at the base of his finger. Honest to goodness, if he had done this at home I would have taken him in for stitches. Now I have to dress his hand and clean it until it heals. No stitches involved.
I usually do okay with these things, but watching this done and all the blood, well, I felt a little faint. That is the first time that has ever happened. At least the bleeding has stopped and it looks a tad better.
I keep working, making tweaks on my bird suet feeders. I love feeding the birds, but we have several crows and a raven that like to fly upside down and clean out the feeders. I’m attempting to train Lili to chase them off!
I had a major update on my phone yesterday and suddenly all my pictures disappeared! I was frantic. I headed to the Verizon Store and asked what was going on? Somehow the Google Pictures had been turned on and had taken all my pictures and sent them to the cloud! And worst of all, if I reach my limit there is a fee to store them there! I already use Flickr, so once home, I turned Google pictures off! I have an SD Card in my phone with plenty of backup space.
I have no plans for this weekend. I want to watch tennis, and also maybe a movie or two.

Have a great weekend everyone!