Dackel Princess

Koru

My life changed a few months ago. I was in the grocery store and I saw an Apple called “Koru”. Now I love apples anyway, so I decided to get a couple and try them.

I am over the moon in love with this apple. I probably eat two a day and they taste that good each time and for every bite! Yum!

Since Jack (AKA Apple Jack) knew nothing about this apple I decided to find out what I could about it. What type of apple was it related to? It certainly didn’t taste like anything I’d ever eaten.

So here we go. A little bit about my favorite Apple.

“Bringing KORU Apple to you is a story beginning with pure chance. From a little seedling, we have established an international commercial production over two decades. We hope you enjoy the journey…

Geoff Plunkett discovered Koru as a chance seedling in 1998 near Nelson, New Zealand. Plunkett and his family believed the seedling grew from an apple his wife’s mother threw into the garden. They began to be commercially available in 2013. Today, about 85% of the Koru apples in the US are imported from New Zealand. However, they also grow in the Northwest and Northeast of the United States. The number of Koru apples available to market has steadily grown over the past few years, as more people have discovered them. Some growers think it has the potential to have a larger presence on grocery shelves, much like the modern variety Honeycrisp.”

This week our local grocery store had a sale on Koru apples. I bought 10 pounds! (Remember, apples are heavy!)

So, give them a try. Their juicy, sweetness will win you over. At WW many of my Classmates have been convinced and were also going shopping to take advantage of the sale.

Disney Kids

Mandy and Matt took the kids to Disney for February Vacation. I love it! So many parents never take the time or opportunity to play with their kids. Mandy and Matt really like their kids, as well as love them. They enjoy spending family time together, just having fun. It’s just wonderful to see.

Matt & Savi

Mandy and Quinn.

Mandy has been sending me pictures and videos and I wait each day for her texts and pictures to arrive. It makes me so happy to see them having such a good time.

Quinn and Savi. How did they grow up so fast? It was just yesterday that they were little babies!

Aren’t they the sweetest?

I am just loving Savannah’s purple sandals. They look so comfortable! And just love those scary faces!

They’ll be back soon and I can hardly wait to hear all about their adventures!

Mandy and Matt are such good parents and I am really proud of them. Not because they go to Disney with the kids, but that they both have the ability to play with their kids, and their kids both know how loved they are.

Thoughts

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I am doing with my desire to lose weight on the new WW Plan.

I chose the Green Plan to follow, which in short means I am counting my points and really working at preparing filling, yet low point meals.

I was so dishearted at Christmas when I was weighing way too much. I saw the pictures and I looked like the Pillsbury Dough Girl! I was so unhappy.

My New Year’s Resolution was to cut it out and just do it.

I went back to class and began, again, the long process of losing weight.

One thing I can say about being 61 is that this time on WW I am facing all this with reality. I know I cannot have “cheat” days. I know I cannot drink alcohol and expect to lose. And I know, deep in my heart, that I will be following WW for the rest of my life. I am not naturally thin, and never will be. Even when I get to my goal weight, my body will always want to take Pasta and make big hips! This is me and this is my life.

Strangely, I feel okay with all of this. I am not on the brink of cheating or stopping the diet, and I am content.

This is totally a new feeling. I was always great at sabotaging myself. But, no more! I will do this. I know I can!

The Weekend Wrap A Little About New Hampshire

On Sunday we watched one of my favorite reality shows, “Northwoods Law” which features the Conservation Officers of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department who work tirelessly to preserve and protect the natural resources of the Granite State. They also aid hikers who are injured or stranded.

New Hampshire has 48 mountain peaks that are over 4000 feet, here is a list of them. Pretty amazing for a State that is only 9,349 square miles!

1 Washington 6288

2 Adams 5774

3 Jefferson 5712

4 Monroe 5384

5 Madison 5367

6 Lafayette 5260

7 Lincoln 5089

8 South Twin 4902

9 Carter Dome 4832

10 Moosilauke 4802

11 Eisenhower 4780

12 North Twin 4761

13 Carrigain 4700

14 Bond 4698

15 Middle Carter 4610

16 West Bond 4540

17 Garfield 4500

18 Liberty 4459

19 South Carter 4430

20 Wildcat, A peak 4422

21 Hancock 4420

22 South Kinsman 4358

23 Field 4340

24 Osceola 4340

25 Flume 4328

26 South Hancock 4319

27 Pierce 4310

28 North Kinsman 4293

29 Willey 4285

30 Bondcliff 4265

31 Zealand 4260

32 North Tripyramid 4180

33 Cabot 4170

34 East Osceola 4156

35 Middle Tripyramid 4140

36 Cannon 4100

37 Hale 4054

38 Jackson 4052

39 Tom 4051

40 Wildcat, D Peak 4050

41 Moriah 4049

42 Passaconaway 4043

43 Owl’s Head 4025

44 Galehead 4024

45 Whiteface 4020

46Waumbek 4006

47 Isolation 4004

48 Tecumseh 4003

You get bragging rights if you can say you have hiked at least 5 of these.

There are nearly 1,000 lakes and ponds greater than 10 acres in the state with a total surface area of almost 165,000 acres. With the exception of Lake Umbagog and Lake Sunapee, the largest lakes are in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. Lake Winnipesaukee (Winni-Pes-Aw-key) and Lake Winnisquam (Winni-Squam) are two of the largest.

Squam Lake was where the movie “On Golden Pond” was filmed.

Winnipesaukee is 72 square miles and there are 258 natural islands on Lake Winnipesaukee.

New Hampshire, a U.S. state in New England, is defined by its quaint towns and large expanses of wilderness. In the north, White Mountain National Forest is known for winter sports areas and Mt. Washington, the region’s highest peak, with a cog railway to its summit. Also in the White Mountains are moose, black bears and part of the Appalachian Trail. (From Wikki)

I love our State. It’s beautiful with so much nature to enjoy.

Happy or Sad

Mostly I don’t write about things that make me sad. I try really hard to think positive. It’s a challenge because I tend to be a half-empty glass kind of girl, But I strive to be a half-full kind of girl.

This all was something I struggled with recently, as an acquaintance of mine had seen an article in a newspaper about a horrific traffic accident that made her think of me. So, she wrote to me to remind me about it. Sending me the graphic article.

I’m sure it wasn’t her intention to hurt me like this. I’m sure that many people think that after 35 years you should be “over” the loss of your child?

But it did hit me very hard. You know, most days I get through and I do alright. Then I think of my little girl and the loss washes over me.

Katie

I really don’t need people reminding me of the horror I went through. It is never far from my mind.

I was also thinking of my Mom today. She has been gone quite a while now. Her passing was much easier for me because she was ready, we had wonderful loving words between us and although losing a parent is hard, it is more in the normal scheme of things.

Mom and I watching Siamese kittens being born.

Anyway, Mom was on my mind in a happy way, so I took out a bottle of her favorite perfume “Oleander” by Lily of Bermuda, and I put some on. All-day I have smelled Mom and it has made me smile.

Not all memories of our loved ones make us sad. They can be happy and full of love. Those are the ones I like to concentrate on.

This & That Feb. 22. 2020

I finished de-pilling the Afghan today. I washed the sofa cover and then placed the new Afghan on the back

It’s really beautiful. Especially if you stand at a distance and don’t see all the little mini pills that cannot be pulled out or shaved.

I guess that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for me, this lovely Afghan will be a lesson. Never use yarn that says “Tweed”, as it will have little bits of yarn supposedly “woven” in, but actually causing madness and mayhem!

On the healthcare front, Jack’s finger/hand did not come out as hoped. He still has a few weeks of working with the finger/hand but will need to go back in three weeks if he is no better. He’s pretty disappointed.

The weekend is here! Make it a good one!

The Friday Five

This was a busy week. We had a snowstorm, doctor’s appointments and I got my hair done. Here are the highlights of this crazy week.

1. In December I found some pretty yarn and I thought I would make an afghan for a loved one as a gift. Unfortunately, the yarn had one very big problem. It pilled and shed. So, I bought a de-fuzz and de-pill machine and set off to fix the problem. Here is the before.

Here is the after. Well at least almost after. I still have the last half of the second side to work.

The afghan will not be given away. I will be putting it on the back of my sofa. This sure taught me that sometimes a deal isn’t really such a good deal!

2. We had more snow. Ugh. Yeah, I think we are all over the snow.

3. Jack had his Orthopaedic appointment and we drove through the snow to get there, and then back home in pretty darn slippery conditions.

4. The next morning, I went to WW. This was only interesting because our plowman hadn’t been. I put the Highlander in position and it pulled me right up the drive in about 5-6 inches of snow. What a great car.

5. Today Jack returns to the Orthopaedist to have his finger/hand-manipulated. We hope that the membrane holding the finger stiffly bent, will snap and his finger will work normally.

Here is a picture looking up our long steep driveway. It’s always beautiful, except when you need to be somewhere in the middle of a blizzard!

Weight Loss & Curls

Well, I wish I could say that the weight I am losing is just dropping off, but I’m in a “slow and steady wins the race” kind of game.

This week it was another 1/2 pound loss. But I can see it and feel it in my face and on my body. I know I must be patient.

Meanwhile, I also went and had my hair done today. I just love what Becca is doing with my hair. She has known me for a long time and she understands my wayward curls.

I switched from my previous hairstylist early last Autumn. My hair was breaking and falling out and I was having a hard time doing it myself.

Becca had gotten a job at a local salon and I made an appointment with her and over the last 5 months, we’ve worked together to repair my hair. Today it is healthy and full and I am happy. Well, more than happy! Thanks, Becca!

My plan for the rest of the week and weekend is to eat lots of vegetables and keep doing what I can to stay faithful to myself and this diet.

I know that I can do this, even though right now it’s all going slower than I would like.

Mrs. Cardinal

Tuesday found us being hit once again with a sizable snowstorm. This brought out quite a few birds to the feeders. Today, Mrs. Cardinal hung around posing for me. She doesn’t come by as often as her brilliant red spouse. So today was a great day to snap some pictures of this beautiful lady.

Amazing, isn’t she? I stood inside the door snapping away, and she eyed me with curiosity. But she did not leave and I was very pleased.

Jack had his procedure for his Dupuytren’s Contracture done. This required us to drive through a heavy snowstorm about 10 miles down and back. The roads were really messy as many of them had not been plowed. They had been pretreated and this left the surface like something resembling greased Owl Poop! Luckily, we got home just fine, although I admit to being a nervous wreck the entire time. Ah well, we made it and are safe and sound now.

It’s 4:30 PM on Tuesday and it is still snowing. Who knows how much we will get when this ends.

Too Many Mugs!

I decided over the weekend that it was time to clean out the coffee, tea and mug cabinet. I swear the mugs have multiplied on their own over the years. I simply do not recall having that many.

Lately, I am only using my Tervis Tumbler mugs, as they keep everything nicely hot for an extended period of time. I also wanted to place a variety of teas in the cabinet instead of leaving them on the shelf.

What I found in the cabinet was amazing. Coffee filters from previous coffee makers. Instructions from two coffee machines ago! It was mind-boggling.

True to my word, I began to wash the shelves, and then put aside mugs I have not used in years. I also pulled out any little thing that does not belong there.

The cabinet is now clean, organized and I almost cannot stand the neatness! Haha!

The 8 piece set of Pfaltzgraff mugs is packed carefully away in a labeled box and the odds and ends mugs will go to the recycling center.

I was on a hot streak now, so I opened the cabinet with all the plastic containers in it. Many are without covers now, some were never right, so I went through and moved some to save and others to send to the recycling center.

After that, I finished the laundry and noted that I was a little bit tired (at 4 PM). So, I made a lovely cup of tea and then sat down to enjoy it.

Not too much to do on this Tuesday except getting Jack to the Orthopaedist for a procedure for his Dupuytren’s Contracture. I hope that this will go well and he will get full use back in his hand.