Category: My Life

1. What is the most amazing weather you’ve ever seen?

I’ve seen a lot. From blizzards with a couple of feet of snow, that dropped in 24 hours; to rain so heavy that the skies shed 18 inches in less than 24 hours (when I lived in FL); to rain that fell so quickly here in New Hampshire, 4 1/2 inches in 35 minutes, thus washing out roads, dropping hail (which ruined our fruit crop) and took out the railroad tracks as well!

2. What is a sound or noise you love?

The tapping of dackel feet on the floor above, when I get out of my car in the garage below, when I come home.

3. Do you like seafood? What’s your favorite seafood dish?

Oh yeah! LOBSTER!!! MAINE LOBSTER!!! I‘ll be cooking up a couple tonight for my birthday dinner!

4. What part of your day requires the most patience?

The morning, when I need to walk dogs, make breakfast, do dishes and find a few minutes to actually shower.

5. What’s your favorite shade of blue?

To my eyes, sky blue. To wear, a nice navy.

6. Do people underestimate you?

I don’t know, do you?

7. When was the last time you had butterflies in your stomach?

At Candidates Night, last March, when I was in a position that people could have asked me questions. I was running for Library Trustee. Oh I was so nervous! Luckily, no one asked and I won the town wide election!

8. Insert your own random thought here, and remember…I have a wooden spoon and I’m not afraid to use it.

Today is my 52nd birthday! All I can saw is WOW! I’m quite lucky to be loved by family, friends and doggies alike. So there is my random thought!

So…here we go!

1. When pigs fly, will I ever get a tattoo. I am a real chicken about needles and pain.

2. Life without chocolate, seriously?!

3. Call me when you need a friend. I’m here.

4. I love the warmth of a fire, if you know what I mean.

5. The most entertaining person in my life is not a person at all, but my dogs, because they never leave my side, or let me down and are always happy to see me.

6. I’m back on the Weight Watcher Wagon, who’s next?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to playing with my grand-puppy, Bogart, tomorrow my plans include playing with Bogart and all the dogs and Sunday, I want to Read the paper, drink my coffee and play dackel games!

Now that the Random Dozen has closed down, I’ve been looking for something to fill my Wednesdays, which, as you know are my Weight Watcher mornings. I’m up bright and early on Wednesday and have no time for writing or thinking about a post.

Joyce, From This Side Of The Pond,  has taken up the challenge and has put together Wednesday Hodgepodge. A list of 7 questions, plus an eighth of our choice, just to keep us on our toes. So, without further introduction, here we go!

1. Do you think you’re more like your mom or your dad?

Neither one, I hope.

2. Do you like roller coasters?

No. I figure why pay to be scared out of my mind!

3. How did you name your blog and do you now wish you’d thought about it maybe another five minutes before you hit publish?

We came up with 4 names and then I sent them to my Web-Maven, and she sent me back her thoughts and then PRESTO “Dackel Princess” was born.

Would you change your blog title if it were not a huge pain in the derriere? (French makes everything sound a little nicer doesn’t it?)

Nope. It fits.

4. What is the best wedding gift you received?

A set of fabulous heavy beer mugs. We still have them and still use them!

Not married? Didn’t get any gifts? Then what is the best wedding gift you’ve given?

I like to go to the local Artisans and get things like hand made pottery chip and dip sets, or coffee sets.

5. What is the one bill you most hate to pay?

Fuel Oil!

6. Is the glass half full or half empty?

Tough one for me. It really depends on the day. I strive for half full!

7. What is your favorite word? Okay okay. Calm down. How about one of your favorite words?

Puppies!

8. Now, this is where you insert one random thought of your own… Don’t make me get out my wooden spoon.

We have a small Rosewood coffee table that Hubby bought in Hong Kong. It is round and beautifully carved. All our puppies enjoyed going under the table, even Fritz, when he was a mere babe of 8 weeks old! Now Arnie has set up shop. He drags his toys, bones, blankets, etc, under the table and we have started to call this, “The Man Cave”!

Here is Mr. Arnie Man, in his “Man Cave”!

Thanks Joyce and Happy Wednesday to All!!!

So…here we go!

1. Sometimes, I ponder the meaning of life!

2. I always worry, about the whole thing. (I am the original worrier!)

3. Small wonders.

4. Every day that I live, is very enlightening.

5. I keep meaning to get my Christmas cards down from the attic, so I can start to address them.

6. No weight loss …yet.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching a new “What Not To Wear”, tomorrow my plans include finishing up the laundry and Sunday, I want to read the Sunday paper, sip my coffee and enjoy some down time.

Friday Fill-Ins are sponsored by my cousin Janet. Come on and join the fun!

1. What does my daughter, Mandy do?

She is in Oncology Research. I am so proud of her, as I know how hard she works, and how difficult her job is.

2. Does she live far away from you?

She lives about 55 miles from here, and so we do not get to see each other as often as I’d like. She has a really nice condo of her own, and has decorated it so nicely.

3. How often do you bath your dogs?

About every six to twelve weeks, unless they get all smelly, which happens. After all, they are low to the ground, so sometimes it is hard for them to stay clean.

4. My cousin asks, “What do you like most about me?”

Physically? Janet’s eyes are so beautiful and a real window to her soul. Her best trait is that she is the most loyal person I know and one of the most loving!

5. What did Hubby do for his work before he retired?

Hubby was a pilot for the military, Pan American World Airlines and Delta, before he retired in 1998.

6. Do you enjoy crafts?

Oh I do enjoy crafts, I just am not terribly crafty!

7. How often do you show your dogs?

Usually once per year, but this year Anneliese was expecting and it did not work out. I would love to breed Arnie, but I am afraid that none of the girls think he is cute enough.

8. When will you have another litter of puppies?

I am hoping to have puppies again next fall. Anneliese should be ready to breed in the summer and so I will be breeding her then for a litter that would be due in the Autumn.

9. Am I still going to Weight Watchers?

Yes, although, quite honestly, I have been having a tough time lately. I will not give up. I truly believe that WW is the best plan for me, and so I will persevere.

10. Favorite “diet” meal?

I think my favorite “diet meal is baked chicken, baked potato and asparagus, with a small side salad.

11. Janet wants to know, “Who was my favorite of her boyfriends?

That’s easy! DAVE!!!!

12. What’s the best meal that I cook?

Herb Crusted Standing Rib Roast, roasted potatoes and butternut squash. I love to make either apple pie or pumpkin pie for dessert.


13. What’s my favorite flower?

Lilacs!!!

I’ve always been totally honest with you, regarding the fact that really, I am a freak of nature. There is simply no other way to put it. Ever since I was a little kid, I have defied being classified as an “average” person.

Most people will develop appendicitis at approximately 20 years of age. Men have a slightly higher incidence of developing appendicitis than women.

I was three and a half years old when my appendix blew and yes, I am a girl.

I’ve never really been able to read music, I can certainly follow it along, but I couldn’t tell you instantly what note that is. However, once I have heard a piece I can sing it again and again, and when I played the flute, it was the same.

Also when I reproduce, I have longer pregnancies than most women. In fact, I am more like an elephant. With my first pregnancy, I went three weeks over my due date! The second time it was two weeks over the expected time of arrival!

Perhaps that explains why elephants are my favorite Zoo animal.

Now in the last few years I have developed terrible leg cramps at night. These were the worst cramps ever, usually requiring me to jump out of bed, walk around and use a heating pad to release the cramps in my calves. I started to eat bananas, as I heard that this meant my body needed more potassium.

Wrong!

Well, apparently while potassium is good for some people, it isn’t good for me. You see, I have really high potassium levels all on my own! No one knows why, but they tell me it can be a real problem. So eating high potassium foods or taking a supplement is actually dangerous.

So I suffered, believing that there was nothing I could do. Then about 6 weeks ago I went to see my doctor and I mentioned the leg cramp problems. She said I should try taking magnesium. She said that there was a supplement that contained zinc, calcium, vitamin D and magnesium and that this would stop the leg cramps.

Yeah, like I believed that!

Well, I went to the Pharmacy and got a bottle of this stuff and started to take it every day. The first few days were nothing to write home about. I still had the cramps, and I felt a bit discouraged. Would I spend the rest of my years wrapping a heating pad around my leg each night?

Then, suddenly, the cramps stopped! I sleep through the the night without being awoken by the incredibly painful cramps, and all without potassium!

So I am once again faced with the fact that I am not average, but at least I have finally found something that has stopped the night time leg cramps and I swear by it.

If any of you out there have this problem (really, am I the only one?), go to your local pharmacy, or even a health food store and get a bottle of Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc & Vitamin D!

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all you never know when you might need an alibi!

Saturday found me doing laundry! Ugh! On the bright side here, is the fact that after a week of not having a washing machine and having to really limit clothing changes, and laundry, I was finally able to catch up and do…8 loads of laundry!!!

I suspect that the machine hasn’t been working well for a while, because I notice that the clothes seem almost cleaner than they were getting before. It is either true, or I’m so overly happy about having the machine back in use, that I am imagining it!

When I wasn’t in the laundry room, I was at the kitchen table with the new sewing machine! Yes, after almost 30 years, I have a nice new machine and it works like a charm. It even threads it’s on needle, which is wonderful for me, with my vision problems.

Sew so, what did I make? Dog toys. I’d gotten two different types of fabric at Wal-Mart and my idea was to make various shape toys, and then stuff them with old socks. I figured that Arnie wouldn’t be able to shred them that way (and so far, so good).

The lovely Anneliese decided to pose for me while I snapped a few pictures of the toys. However, it’s Arnie who really loves them. I just wish I could get that stinky toy away from Fritz. Perhaps I will have to steal it and trash it!