Author: Dackel Princess
Peach Tree Before, After the Split and After the Pruning
Friday Thoughts and Ramblings
News From The UK
Our younger daughter, JC, and her Hubby will be moving from the UK to California. He has a new position out there developing computer gaming programs! I am so pleased. It’s much easier to get flights to LA then to the UK and if I can get her on the Verizon Nationwide Plan then we can talk on our cell phones anytime for free. How good is that? She’s been in the UK for several years and I really have missed her.
So good news from both of our daughters in one week! Yea! I love it when that happens!!
AM’s New Home
I haven’t written much about my daughter, AM. Mostly because I want to respect her privacy. I’m weird and strange and choose to write each day in my blog about everything from my dogs to my air conditioners, but I feel that her life is her own.
However, today I am throwing that rule to the wind as I am so excited, happy and proud of her. AM is buying her first home!
It’s a great condo in a small town in New Hampshire where we raised her and her sister when they were little girls. I love that town, and sometimes think that when I am an old lady I will move back there and buy my own little place.
Anyway, AM is buying a 2 bedroom condo, with an attached garage, a cute patio area and a separate laundry room. The kitchen has a ton of cabinets, and it seems very bright and airy.
I think the thing I am most proud of, is that she has done all the hard work herself. She has saved the money, worked hard at her job and made a good life for herself.
Her life has not been the easiest, but she has not let that stop her. She threw the negativity out the window, and has become one of the most positive people I know.
(Brag, brag, brag!!!!)
So my hat is off to my daughter today! Here’s to you, Sweetie!!!
Happiness Challenge
Vampire’s
I was up bright and early to go and have my blood drawn at the hospital. I will be so happy when I am stabilized on this new medication and only have to have this done every six months! Right now I have to go every 10 days, and I am starting to feel like the victim in a Vampire movie!
I was, in fact, up so early that I did not need my sunglasses, but did need several cups of coffee. No one was out on the roads, except the farmers and a few confused chickens.
I signed into the hospital lab area and sat down to wait. Waiting here can mean anything from a half an hour to a two hour wait. I usually bring a book, but today I just didn’t care and brought nothing but the coffee. Before sitting down, I did mention that this was a 12 hour timed test and that I needed it done by 8 o’clock at the latest. After that, I have to forget it and do it all again the next day. Not something I relish.
So there I sat, dozing, with the coffee firmly gripped in my hand, when the Vampire woman came out and said my name! I was the first patient of the day! I almost fell out of my seat!
She was nervous. A new woman. I met her last time as she was training. I told her not to worry, I am a good stick!
Guess what? I wasn’t. Poor thing. I had to talk her through it. Imagine that.
“OK, Dracula, it’s like this, you just bend me back, and breathe heavily on my neck a few times licking the spot you want and then with a quick crunch, bite”
She got the blood and taped me up and off I went. I hope the little Vampire’s day gets better.
Greta Scared Me
The last 24 hours have been scary. We were sitting watching TV Monday night when Greta, who was lying next to me, started shaking her head back and forth rhythmically. (almost like Parkinson’s disease) I would speak to her, and she looked at me and when I picked her up she would stop. This kept happening over and over again during the evening. I was so worried. Was this a seizure? What was wrong with my baby, Greta?
This morning, she was still doing this, but she seemed listless and tired too. Now I was really worried.
I brought a bag of peaches over to the Vet and talked with them about the problem. No fever, came on suddenly, no other big symptoms besides the head shaking. He said to watch her and see if it got better with a little quiet time.
So I kept her quiet all day and slowly I noticed that the head shaking stopped. Since this happened, I think the Vets best guess, that she must have played too hard and stressed a nerve in her neck is probably what happened.
But for 24 hours I was scared to death about what could be wrong. Tonight, I am happy to report she is right as can be and running around the house as usual again.
Air Flow
For the last few days I have been telling Hubby that the air-conditioner in our bedroom isn’t working correctly. This machine was built by Fred Flintstone, so you understand how long it has been around.
Two nights ago, it started making noises in the night and the dogs woke me up barking. I shut off the machine and went back to bed, but I was pretty sure that it was breathing it’s last breaths.
I mentioned all this to Hubby, who said that it was probably fine.
Our bedroom tends to be hot. We have three hot blooded dogs and two hot blooded people, (one of which is having hot flashes every night lately) all sleeping in this room. The one fault of this room is the lack of air flow. We tend to use an air-conditioner from April until October, just so we can all breath.
Last night I turned on the darn thing when I went to bed. Nothing terribly cold was coming out, but who I am to say anything?
In the early morning hours, Hubby got up because it was “too hot” in the bedroom and came out in the familyroom to sleep. Can we finally get rid of this hunk of junk and get a new air-conditioner? It’s just a cheapo window one I want. $100.00!
I will keep you posted.
Monday’s Happiness
About Last Night
In the late afternoon I cleaned myself up, and took the time to do my make-up. (as seen below) Then I dressed casually in white pants and a white top that I’d gotten in Mexico years ago and is embroidered on the front. Hubby said I looked great and he dressed in khaki’s and an oxford shirt.
Off we went to meet up with Lou and Bobbie at the restaurant. It’s a relatively small place in the area called Canoe, and it was mobbed! We put our name on the list and went down to the bar to wait.
The place was so pretty. Very New Hampshire, woodsy. We chatted about our fruit trees. We of course have the peach tree that has so far produced 120 pounds of peaches, and they have a very large orchard of various apples. They are also the kind people that had us up to pick blueberries a while back.
We waited about 20 minutes before they called us up stairs to the dining room and seated us. The menu was large and varied. Everything from Seared Tuna to Fried Bologna sandwiches.
Bobbie ordered New England Clam Chowder, (The bowl was huge, it could be an entire meal) and Sweet and Sour Calamari, (this was so tender and sweet!) Lou ordered a Mixed salad with Grilled Chicken and for dinner, Seared Tuna, Jack had Gazpacho and then Maple Scallops. I had (and this was not a diet meal) Fried Oysters for the appetizer and a Lobster Salad Roll for my meal. The Lobster Roll came with fries that were great and we all shared those.
We talked about college experiences. Of course I didn’t go to college, so I just listened and laughed at the funny stories. Does anyone go to college and actually study? It seems most of the stories are about parties and drinking and dates?
We talked about the fact that I grew up in what they all thought of as “Paradise” (Cape Cod) but how I really prefer New Hampshire.
And then we spoke about the Airlines, and the current fuel problems that could lead to the bankruptcy of a few of them.
By the end of the meal we all agreed that we enjoyed doing this and will do it again. We’d brought with us some of the Heavenly Jam and Peach Chutney and of course a bunch of peaches for them.
Then we drove home and I breathed. I made it through.