My Life – Page 105 – The Dackel Princess

Wednesday Hodgepodge

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!

Feeding the wire.

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.

Friday Fill-Ins

☆☆☆ Happy New Year ☆☆☆

Happy New Year to all! So…here we go!

1. I feel peaceful as the year ends.

2. I love dance and song.

3. It’s the start of an all new year.

4. Life is a great adventure, and how.

5. On New Year’s Eve it’s me and my little family ringing in 2011.

6. It takes practice to make perfect.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to celebrating the New Year with Hubby, tomorrow my plans include starting to take down the Christmas decorations and Sunday, I want to finish packing away of things from the holidays, and do the laundry!

Happy New Year

Yesterday’s post was my wacky thoughts about life in general. Today’s Post is about my New Years Resolutions. Most people will make them, or have made them in the past, including yours truly. Of all the resolutions I have made, my quitting smoking 11 years ago, and my joining Weight Watchers, which you can read about here, are the ones I am most proud of.

I did reach my weight loss goal three years ago, I was so proud that day. I went to class and I had reached my goal. I was on cloud nine and jumped around like a little kid!

Of course, I found staying at my goal weight a bit more of a challenge than I had thought it would be, especially after the last egg dropped and I was in the throws of menopause. Then my metabolism totally betrayed me, and I put on some of the weight.

I kept going to class though. There were weeks I gained weight, and weeks I have lost only two tenths of a pound, but I kept going, and I still do.

Weight Watchers has started a new program. I don’t know enough about it yet to know if this will be the answer to my dietary prayers, but I certainly hope it will be. I’m learning about it, and I hope that I can once again be successful

So, that’s my New Years Resolution. To once again work on my health, my weight and get myself back in shape. I have not given myself a deadline. Oh, didn’t we all do that as a teenager? I want to be thin by bikini season? I just want to work the weight off, and then LEARN to keep it off!

So, what’s your New Years Resolution?

(Remember, you can do it, if you really want to!)

Thursday 13

Here we are, the end of another year. This one seemed to race by, although I am noticing that the older I get the faster they go by! Today’s Thursday 13 are my end of the year thoughts.

1. Life is good.

2. Mostly people are also good.

3. Dogs are great! (Cats too!)

4. I love traveling.

5. I love Christmas lights & decorations.

6. Seeing people happy always makes me feel good!

7. I can’t wait to see what 2011 will be like!

8. I’m hoping it will be full of many happy and wonderful things!

9. I need to start planning my 2011 vegetable garden.

10. This year I would like to try and grow European cucumbers.

11. I would like to learn to cook low-fat, lo-cal gourmet!

12. I’m looking forward to learning the new WW plan.

13. I would like to get back to my goal weight and also in shape by this summer.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. These are a few moments in time I will always cherish!.

2. I’m cooking a hopefully delicious holiday dinner.

3. What’s that I hear the sound of church bells ringing.

4. The peace of the season makes me feel grounded in the quiet, quiet.

5. Some of my favorite holiday memories include time spent with my Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Janet in particular. We always were together. Like Frick and Frack. Lucky me.

6. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to sipping champagne, tomorrow my plans include enjoying the peace of the day with Hubby, Mandy and M. and Sunday, I want to enjoy some time with Janet and Dave!

I Skied

On Thursday Hubby and I got up early and headed to the County Ski Area. I’d never been to this one before, but I had decided that this year I would buy my season pass there, as we are County Residents, and get a break with the cost. I’ve also heard that this area has some nice, easy, skiing and beautiful views. Today I discovered this Mountain, so very close to my home.

It was cold and snowing when we arrived, but it didn’t last too long. About half an hour after we started to ski, the sun broke out and we were able to get these pictures.

Hubby took this on the lift up to the mid way point. The top of the mountain is still not open due to the fact that this is all man made snow!

In the back ground is Lake Winnipesaukee. It’s New Hampshire’s grand lake. It is starting to freeze over now. In February, they will have the Annual Fishing Derby out there!

I did pretty well with my return to skiing. I was doing so well on my last run down when I caught an edge on my ski and went down, face first, into the snow! All my dignity was lost!

I am feeling a tad sore tonight (Thursday), but not too bad. It’s really just a matter of slowly getting myself back into the skiing habit and back into shape!

Thursday Thirteen

The Skiing Edition

1. I have not been skiing in two years. Today I go for the first time. Call me nervous!

2. I decided that this year I would get a season ticket at our county ski area.

3. It’s known for the most beautiful views in the area.

4. It also has lovely Intermediate trails. Just my speed, next to the Bunny slopes!

5. My skis are quite old. 9 or 10 years. I never worry that anyone will steal them.

6. My ski poles are 24 years old! Ha! No one will take those either.

7. I have a fabulously beautiful ski parka that I bought about three years ago. It’s a soft lilac color and I feel very pretty in it.

8. I have conned Hubby into taking me out for lunch after, as we have grocery shopping to do in the afternoon.

9. I love my boots. I got them at a ski swap and they were all broken in. Perfect for me!

10. I was so reluctant to go skiing again, but Hubby would not let me say no.

11. I had a ski accident 4 years ago and hurt myself. That really scared me.

12. I hope to overcome my fears this year.

13. Wish me luck!

Engage Brain!

Friday I raced around, trying to get a lot of things done, and by 4 o’clock in the afternoon when I sat down to catch my breath I realized two things.

I have to slow down and engage my brain.

Hubby came in from his eighth day of skiing, at noon and we sat and ate lunch together. Hubby is very good at calming me down.

I’ve been under this imaginary deadline to get reports written and filed, rooms cleaned and laundry done, when the fact of the matter is…none of it has to be done this very second.

So I stopped. I fixed myself a cup of tea. Grandma always said that there wasn’t anything that a cup of tea couldn’t fix, and perhaps she was right. After all, while sitting there sipping my tea, I was finally able to relax for the first time in a couple of days.

During my tea time, we talked a little about the holidays and he helped me realize that I was being far too hard on myself. Gotta love that man!

So I finished up the paperwork slowly, made dinner, slowly, and then walked the dogs one by one, slowly! Hubby made me a wonderful fire in the hearth, and I’m sitting here enjoying the dogs, and Hubby and the fact that I’m just about done for the night.

“Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas”!