Dackel Princess

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree…..

Oh Christmas tree of Christmas tree…ooooops you all don’t need to hear me singing!

I got our tree up, lights on, including a flashing string, (Hubby loves blinking lights, I’m not a fan) and bubble lights, (also a Hubby favorite) and then decorated with all my ornaments, garlands and tinsel. I spent the entire afternoon doing it while listening to XM radios Holly station, presenting Christmas carols.
Shubi and Greta watched, and poor things, listened to my terrible singing. Usually I have a good voice, but with this lingering throat thing, I sound more like a frog croaking than an true singer.
I put candles in our windows, white bulbs, and today I’ll get the wreath on our door. Things are shaping up. Sometimes I feel like I will just get everything set up and it’ll be time to take it down. I love Christmastime, but it seems to just fly by.
This week, cookie making for my neighbor’s who are shut-ins, and skiing.

Wardrobe Malfunction

This morning we went skiing. I didn’t think that I had too much to write about regarding the skiing, until the wardrobe malfunction!
As I previously wrote, my ski pants were just a little snug since I’ve put on just a little bit of weight. I’m still on the diet and although it looks like this week I will have only lost 1 pound, I’ve been feeling like I was a little thinner and that maybe next week I’ll have another good weight loss. Anyway, I digress.
This morning we were up at 6, dressed, made a thermos of coffee, grabbed the picnic breakfast out of the fridge and jumped in the Jeep. Once we reached the highway, heading to Waterville Valley, I bent forward in my seat to grab the bag with the picnic breakfast in it. When all of a sudden I heard “RRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIPPPPPPPPPPPPP, POP!” The suspender that is on the bib overall ripped right off the back!
Hubby burst out laughing and the words, “When you put that much strain on a little strap like that…” to which I shot a dark menacing glare in his direction!
I tried to play it calmly. Not a big deal. I can fix it later. But Hubby was having fun making rude remarks and teasing the heck out of me.
Then it dawned on me. These bib overalls are 18 years old. The chances are good that the thread just wore away. I looked over at Hubby again, and found that he was enjoying this waaaaaay too much!
We skied. We did 7 runs. The first 4 we literally flew down the mountain hardly stopping to catch our breath.

We did stop for some sugar free hot chocolate and to rest a bit, and then did three more runs before we stopped. By then, I was literally dragging. Why was this? I skied the other day and felt fine. Today I was totally exhausted. (still am!) Then I remembered. The other day we skied only intermediate trails. Today we skied almost all expert trails!
Once we got home I filled the jacuzzi and hopped in. Once I’d warmed up I stumbled out of the tub and dressed in my sweatshirt and pants.
Now I’m watching TV waiting for Hubby to bring the Christmas tree up so I can decorate it. If he waits much longer, the tree decorating may have to wait until tomorrow.

A Dream about Janet

I had this dream about my cousin Janet. It’s a strange dream, but one she will probably get. Okay here goes…

I was at home when in walks my cousin Janet. She is wearing a woman’s suit! Now this is quit odd in itself because I can name the times I have seen her in a dress, let alone a suit! Anyway, I went over to see her suit and I immediately noticed that the material had the most interesting print. The entire suit was made out of this:

Yes, it’s the Revolver album by the Beatles.
She laughed and we stood there as my eyes traveled over the most amazing women’s suit that a Beatles fan can own.

Then Greta kissed my face and I woke up!

So What Did We Do?

We went grocery shopping. Of course. Isn’t that what people do in a blizzard?
Hubby figured that no one would be out driving around and shopping. This was somewhat true. The grocery store was empty, but Walmart was packed!
Hubby is a great driver in snow. We went to the market first and got our groceries. Since I had Hubby with me to ‘help’, he pushed the wagon out to the car.

I stopped and looked the wreaths, but I just didn’t want all the wet in the car. It was bad enough that Hubby and I got the floor of the car all wet.

Then we were on to Walmart. It was snowing so heavily then and yet, I was amazed at the number of people out shopping. Doesn’t anyone stay home in a blizzard anymore??

Driving home was a trip. It was snowing hard, people were driving crazy and I was a tad nervous. As I said, Hubby is an excellent driver in the snow, but some of those other maniacs really scared the heck out of me!
When we got home I had the thrill of watching Greta out in the snow. She just loves it there!

Snow

It’s snowing her already. It’s 5:45 AM and Shubi had me up twice in the night. I’m supposed to go skiing this morning before it gets too bad out there, but we will just have to see what Hubby says when he gets up in about an hour.
I want to go skiing, but I hate to leave Shubi if she isn’t feeling well.
Procrastination is my middle name!

Shopping

Oh I just love to shop. Today was a good day too! I got to visit, “The LL Bean Outlet“!!! Now you are probably wondering what I could possibly need from there, but today I found great deals, and some pretty, new, clothes to add to my closet.

First was this cute, practical, blue wind breaker. It’s a summer jacket, I know, but at $4.99 I couldn’t say no. I don’t happen to own one like this, so I did in fact need it.
Next,

I’d seen breed specific baseball hats and I wanted the dachshund one! They had it today at 1/2 price! So I got that.
Lastly,

This is the Kingfield sweater, all wool, and it was also 1/2 price! I loved this color and thought it looked good and bright and cheery on me.
So it was a really fun day, doing something I love! Shopping!!!

How I met Hubby # 2

Many years ago when Mandy was 6, and Katie was 4, my ex-husband and I took the girls to a pizza place for kids called, “Chuck E Cheeses“. They had this play area for the kids, pizza and beer for the adults. While my ex and I were finishing up the pizza, the girls went off to play on the equipment. A while later they came back to the table and had a little blonde girl with them. Her name was Jessica and she was 4 1/2. But Jessica was very grown up and quite precocious! She wanted to exchange phone numbers so the kids could have play dates. We knew where she lived, as her parents had a local apple orchard where we’d actually gone to pick apples and get cider. (They had the best cider!) I went over and met Jessica’s mother, we exchanged phone numbers and as promised, a few days later Jessica came to our house to play.
The kids had a few more play dates. Mostly it was Mandy that went to Jessica’s. Jess, really was older for her age and got along better with Mandy. But when they were all with me, the three played very well.
One snowy day, shortly after that, I got a call. Jessica’s father was taking her to The Boston Museum of Science and could Mandy go? It was snowing and I was a little nervous about that. I asked to speak to Jess’s father. He assured me that the snow was due to stop and he was fine to drive the kids. I decided that it was okay.
A while later a car drove up to our place and Jessica and a very tall man ( 6 feet 4 inches!) got out and came to our door. He was blonde too and it wasn’t difficult to see who Jessica looked like. She was the spitting image of her Dad. He smiled and I guess I must have smiled too. He seemed very nice. Mandy got her coat on and I watched from the door as they drove off in the snow.
Hubby recalls, that I was tall, (I’m 5 feet 8 inches) and thin, (at 24 I weighed about 115! Man those days are long gone!) and my waist length hair was a pretty, natural light brown. He said I looked like a hippy, which back when I was 24 was probably true.
So, we were both married to other people. Had no interest in each other, except our kids, and from that we grew to know each other as friends.
It’s funny how when you look back and think about the very first time you met someone, the one person that you will eventually find is your soul mate, you can have absolutely no idea. Hubby and I didn’t “fall in love” for many years after that. But, that is another story.

Skiing at Waterville Valley

Today dawned, bright, beautiful and extremely cold (16 degrees here and 5 at the top of the mountain!) and windy! “Of course”, I told Hubby, “because today is the first day on the ski slopes for me!”
So I got out the super-dooper long underwear, turtleneck, insulated ski pants, sweater and the new down LL Bean ski parka I bought over the summer that was guaranteed to keep me warm. Which it did! The ski pants were just a tad snug. (Can you say Hold Your Breath?) So I brought a bag with ’emergency pants’ with me “just in case” I split the seams! A few more pounds down and these pants will fit just fine. Meanwhile, I live on the edge!
I made a picnic breakfast to eat on the way to Waterville Valley. Coffee, juice, boiled eggs, cheese and a steak sandwich for Hubby. The roads were clear and when we arrived at the resort I think there were 5 other cars there. We got all bundled up, adjusted our goggles and gloves and headed out.

I’m always a little nervous my first run of the season, but it’s sort of like riding a bicycle. You don’t forget how. So down we came. Back on the ski lift and I swear the wind had picked up. it was a mere 5 degrees on top of the mountain with 30 mile an hour gusts of wind!
At one point we were coming through an area where they are making snow, while on the lift and both of us had our goggles iced! This required a moment in the Schwendi Hutte to defrost them. Then we were back out on the slopes.

After a few more runs we stopped for a HOT cup of coffee at the Schwendi Hutte. I kicked off my ski boots, sat by the window in the sun and soaked up the warmth. I felt like a cat who wanted nothing more then to curl up on the little sofa there and go to sleep!
Alas, that was not to be. I was up and dressed and out we went after the coffee for two more runs before we quit for the day.
Now to answer some questions.
Did I fall? No. I didn’t fall. I actually felt relaxed and good on the skis.
Am I completely exhausted and sore? No. I feel a little tired, but not bad. I imagine tomorrow I will be a little sore.
Did I freeze? Just a little. The new jacket was great, but my toes, fingers and cheeks all felt the nip of the wind chill.

LL Bean

What did I ever do before LL Bean? I was getting out my ski gear this morning, and I noticed one thing. Nearly everything I have as far as casual wear is LL Bean. My ski jacket, new this year, is from LL Bean. My after ski boots, LL Bean. Socks, hat, Turtlenecks, etc. Yep. LL Bean.
Now how did I get into this LL Bean rut? 18 years ago I needed clothes. I was newly divorced, and hadn’t gotten a new piece of clothing since High School. Suddenly, I was out there in the working world, and needed clothes for that and well, after 10 years, lets face it, my clothes were falling apart.
A Friend, (and as it turned out, Hubby #2) took me to Freeport Maine to “The Mother Store“! I had a little money in my pocket, my first credit card, and a way to pay the bill when it came, and walking into LL Bean was like a “Country Girl’s Heaven“!!
I tried on one thing after another and tossed things into a cart. Sweaters, skirts, pants, jackets, etc. And at the end of the day Friend (Hubby) said, “So what are you buying and what are you putting back?” I bought it all. I spent a couple hundred dollars. He was shocked and teased me like crazy. But you know what? 18 years later, I have all the stuff I bought and the timelessness of the styles means I still wear it all the time, and the quality means it still looks brand new!
I still shop LL Bean. Online, at the Outlet stores, wherever, and whenever I can. There are days I am literally a walking advertisement for them.
I like to call it New England Chic.

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