Thursday 13~Snow

I finally got my much wished for snow!

January Snow 2011 from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

Here are the 13 things I love about fresh snow.

1.   The clean bright surface it gives my otherwise plain yard in the winter.

2.   How pretty it is to watch during the day, when it is falling.

3.   The way it can swirl and blow around looking so full of energy and yet so easily falling to the ground.

4.   Snowmen.

5.   The quiet of fresh snow. Before the plows get out, when the ground is completely covered, there is a quiet that is describable. I love that silence.

6.   Rides in the Jeep after the roads have been cleared to see the beauty of the snowfall.

7.   The birds that come out looking for a morsel of food.

8.   The way the dogs run, hither and yon, through the snow like little kids!

9.   Seeing only the heartiest of souls out at the Post Office picking up their mail today. It’s funny, but there were more than you might think.

10. Seeing neighbors help neighbors.

11. Pink cheeks after shoveling snow.

12. Watching the radar on my computer to track the storm.

13. The way Hubby and the dogs come in and curl up for naps after being outside in the snow.

Yes, I’ve now had a nice big snow fall, and all is right in my world. I’m a happy little New Englander. It’s quite funny, but my sister, who lives in an area not known for large amounts of snow, got the most snow in all of the New England area! We got considerably less, but I am still quite happy!

Happy Tenth Anniversary, Uschi

Today is the tenth anniversary of my friendship with Uschi. You can go HERE to learn how we met each other. Over the years, we have written to each other almost every day. We aren’t able to speak on the phone like many people, but then, sometimes I think we know each other better because we can write all of our thoughts down and send them off.

When we get together and start talking, it is as if we just saw each other yesterday and we chatter along like two little parakeets!

It still amazes me, that when I least expected to find a friend and sister of my soul, I found one in Uschi!

Happy 10 years to us!

Celebrating Friendship from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

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1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they’d like to see banished from the Queen’s English. Words may be banished due to mis-use, over-use or just general uselessness and they receive over 1000 nominations. Here are the fourteen words/phrases they’d like to see banished in 2011-viral, epic, fail, wow factor, a-ha moment, back story, BFF, man up, refudiate, Mama Grizzlies, The American People, facebook/google when used as verbs, I’m just sayin’, and Live life to the fullest.

What word or phrase would you like to see banished from our everyday vocabulary in 2011? You can choose one from the ‘official list’ or you can get creative and come up with your own.

Those words don’t bother me so much as the number of times people say, “huh” or “ya know?” or “eh?”

2. Do you consider opportunity something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?

I think some people have to go looking for it, while others are lucky enough to just sort of have it happen. So both.

3. Since we’re all eating healthy this month, ahem, what’s included in your favorite salad? Is there dressing?

My salads are like this: mixed greens, cucumber, and grape tomatoes, 2 ounces of low fat cheese and and ounce of two of chicken. Then I take two ounces of southwestern tortilla strips on top with a zesty low fat orange dressing on the side.

4. The fourth Monday in January is said to be Blue Monday…aka the most depressing day of the year. The date was calculated using many factors including weather, debt level, time since Christmas, time since we’ve failed at our new year resolutions, low motivation and feeling a need to take action. Do you get the blues this time of year and if so what is something you do to lift your spirits?

No, I don’t usually get the blues in January. Usually my blues happen in June.

5. Do you wear a watch? Any other everyday jewelry essentials?

I never wear a watch. I kill all watches. Don’t ask me why. My cell phone is the way I tell time. My essential jewelry consist of, stud earrings, wedding ring, and the cross my friend Gail gave me for my 50th birthday.

6. What is something useful you learned in high school?

It wasn’t anything I learned while “in” High School, but 35 years later, the men and women I shared that time with have grown, developed into amazing people. Through facebook and email, I have learned so much about life through what they have been through. High School is so unrealistic. There are clicks and when people are 16, a person’s looks matter so much, and no one is looking past that to see what is inside of people. There is such beauty inside of a person. High Schoolers don’t get that!

So aside from the basics, I can’t really say I learned a whole lot. The important things, I learned afterward in life.

7. Do you use an accountant when completing and filing your income tax returns or do you attempt to muddle through all by yourself?

Nope, Hubby is my accountant!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

As I sit here filling this out it is Tuesday 1/11/11. (weird) The weathermen are forecasting snow for 1/12/11. Let us hope that they are right!

Recovering Over-Eater

I decided today to make a lovely meal for Hubby. He’s a good guy, and he really enjoys my cooking, so since I had gotten a small roast beef recently, I would roast that up especially for him.

Now you know, I can eat 3 ounces of this roast beef, which is really great, because it smells simply heavenly as it is cooking! How did I prime the roast? I frosted it with Poupon Mustard, sprinkled it with Thyme and Rosemary, and then sliced up an onion and using toothpicks, I attached these slices to the roast. They will brown up and get a bit crunchy, but they will be totally yummy, on the plate next to the slices of beef.

As I was sitting here thinking about this, I suddenly burst into great laughter! Why? Well, I may be a member of Weight Watchers now, but the truth of it is…I will always be a member!

You see, I love food. I love to cook it. I love to eat it. I love writing about it and talking about it! Oh yes, I will always be a member of Weight Watchers or I fear I will end up right back where I started three years ago.

I think when I reached goal before and was celebrated as “Lifetime” I somehow thought I’d recovered from having a weight problem. The truth of it is, I will always be a recovering over-eater. I’m just lucky that we have Weight Watchers and that this program works for me.

I guess it’s all about balance, isn’t it?

Friday Fill-Ins

Friday Fill-Ins

1. It’s 2011; I am starting a new year feeling happy and positive.

2. My Moonglow pickles. YUM!

3. Thankfully I have my trusty snuggy to keep me warm.

4. Love is the best thing in life.

5. I am so blessed in my life.

6. A bowl of fruit is a good thing these days.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to cooking a roast beef for Hubby and me, and a fire in the hearth, tomorrow my plans include watching it snow (hope, hope) and Sunday, I want to make a list for grocery shopping, get ready for skiing on Monday and enjoy my little human and fur family!

Whining

I still have this silly old cold and it is not showing any sign that it is on it’s way out of town. In fact today, I actually fell asleep, under two blankets in my chair, with a dackel on top! I slept like that for two hours and when I woke to find Arnie sitting on me, I almost had to laugh. You know, I’m not sure if he was trying to heal me or hatch me!

I poured juices and teas down my aching throat and managed to make my meals during the day. Hubby was off skiing, and in some ways this was better. It was quiet and I was able to just relax.

Cartoon-of-Cold-and-Flu1

Besides the usual aches, and pains and stuffiness of the cold, I have had the added bonus of feeling really exhausted. My legs feel like jello and ears keep popping.

Oh I know, I am totally whining here, and I promise today is the last day I will do that! I can honestly say I haven’t had a really tough cold like this in a couple of years. So I guess that’s why it’s getting me down!

Thursday Thirteen

This and That

dackie

1.  My most exciting tidbit this week was the loss of 4.2 pounds at Weight Watchers! I love the new plan and I hope I can continue to shed the pounds and get back to my goal quickly!

2.  My sore throat came back on Wednesday. I also found I was really not feeling well at all. My blanket, and dackels have been keeping me warm and I’ve been sipping tea.

3.  2011 is a big year. We found out that we will be going to at least 2 weddings this year, and both Hubby and I have reunions. Hubby has his 50th college reunion and I have my 35th high school reunion!

4.  I have been thinking that this year I will also work on painting several rooms in my house. As well as the trim on the house over the summer.

5.  It’s cold tonight. And I can feel it in my fingers, toes and on the tip of my nose!

6.  Arnie just got up next to me to snuggle. How lucky am I?

7.  I plan to make a nice Norwegian Haddock meal for our dinner tonight.

8.  We’re supposed to have some snow this weekend! Yay!!!

9.  Hubby has been pruning the fruit trees. They look better!

10. I need to work on laundry today.

11. I have one last box of Christmas items to pack. Then I will be done!

12. I’m so thankful for the good health and happiness in my family and with my friends right now!

13. Okay. How many of you have heard about the man who was driving his  pregnant wife to the hospital, when her water broke in the car, and he sped up to get her to the hospital in time, telling police that he was afraid of what would happen. He drove over 100 miles per hour, and got her there, and a mere six minutes after they arrived, their son was born. A policeman had followed them and waited to give the new dad a speeding ticket.

Here is the question. Should the cop have had a heart and just given him a warning or was he justified to give him a hefty ticket, one that could cost him his license?

Wednesday Hodgepodge

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1. What three words would you use to describe 2010?

Health, Happiness, Home
2. If fear were not an issue what is something you’d like to try?

Flying a plane. Since Hubby was an Airline Pilot, I was lucky to help ferry an airplane, and see what goes on in a cockpit. (This was years ago.) It was so interesting. However, I also went with him when he went to his recurrent training sessions, and I saw all that he had to know and study and I decided it was better to be a passenger than a pilot!

3. What do you add to your coffee or tea?

I add 2 tablespoons of fat free creamer, and 2 teaspoons of Splenda. The same for my regular tea. I only take Splenda in my herbal tea.

4. What historical sporting event would you like to witness?

I would love to be there when Peggy Flemming or Dorothy Hammil won their Gold Medals. Or perhaps when Torvil and Dean skated to Bolero and won the Gold Medal. I love ice skating and those performers made me want to skate too.

5. What is one piece of advice you would like to give your sixteen year old self?

Slow down and enjoy your youth. Have you ever seen the movie “Peggy Sue Got Married”? Well I can so relate to that. I was always in such a hurry and I missed out on most of my youth.

6. Are you a planner or do you prefer to fly by the seat of your pants?

Oh goodness, I am a planner. My lists have lists. I hate to fly with no reservations, or have no idea where I am going. I love my GPS, maps, and my self made grocery list. Anyone who has Microsoft Publisher can email me for a copy of this helpful list.

7. What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2011?

As of today I am really looking forward to my nephews wedding, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. I am thinking only good and wonderful things!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’m happy with the New Year. (So far!)  I have a good feeling about the year 2011. Don’t ask me why, I just do. Perhaps I am getting good vibrations. It seems that there is a lot of love, a lot of happiness, all around me. That can only mean one thing a good year.

Hubby and I will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary in April, Hubby has his 50th College Reunion in June at Middlebury College and I celebrate my 35th High School Reunion in August, in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

And in between all of this, perhaps a litter of puppies? Who knows. Life if good!

The Holidays

I live up here in the mountains of New Hampshire. Usually, at this time of year, we are buried deeply in cold white snow. Now this is good, as Hubby is a real ski enthusiast and me, well I enjoy skiing to an extent. However, this year it’s been really weird. We’ve only had one storm, which came in and dropped a foot of snow, and then as quickly as it came, the rain started, the air warmed and the snow was gone.

So, it seemed only right that I start putting the Christmas decorations away for another year. Sadly, I might add. I really enjoyed the holidays this year, especially the lights and all those wonderful Angels and Santa Claus figures, but it’s time to start a New Year. One filled with joy and happiness and hopefully the loss of those last 10 pounds!

Of course, here we are in January, and I know we will more than likely have another snow storm or two before we get to spring, but I am sitting here thinking about my vegetable garden and what I will grow this spring!

For now, I can smile and look back on the holidays as being one of the nicest I’ve spent in a while.

Furniture & Dishes

I have to tell you all that my husband is a great guy. Not only was he able to fix my chair, but he actually did it in a very timely fashion.

You see, my chair is one of those wide recliner types of chairs called “snugglers”. I got this chair 10 years ago, when I only had one dackel named Shubi. Despite only having the one little dog, she seemed to enjoy taking up all of my chair, thus when it was time to replace my old recliner, I bought this one.

Flash forward four years and I was watching the Super Bowl and I pulled the handle too hard (I am guessing) and the handle came off in my hand. Well, it is a Lane chair and I called the furniture store where I bought it, and they told me it was under manufacturers warranty. They ordered the part,  when it came  they called and came over to install it.

Six years pass and a few weeks ago, I pull the handle and once again, it pulled off. Well, the chair is out of warranty as far as installation goes, but they ordered the part, and called us when it came in. Hubby picked it up and after flipping the chair over and feeding the wire and screwing it in, well, the chair is once again fixed!

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Feeding the wire.

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I would love a new chair. Actually, I would like a new set of furniture, but with 4 dogs, and a poor economy it just doesn’t seem like a practical thing to do. So until I either win the lottery or the economy changes, I’m just stuck with the furniture that I have.

Meanwhile, as we worked, Greta waddled off into the kitchen and returned with her favorite bowl. She is hilarious, and tends to do this often.

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