This & That Friday

Poor Hubby came in today carrying some of the baby apples he had culled from our trees. On June 22nd we had a terrible hail storm and in his hands he carried the results of the hail on his fruit trees. Although they are not all lost to this damage, a fair portion of the baby apples look like this:

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I feel so sad about it and I know that Hubby does too, but what can you do. The storm was out of anyone’s control, and there was nothing we could do to protect the trees. I guess we will be making a lot of applesauce this year!

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I had a wonderful surprise today as my two Viking’s called me to say hello from the land of the midnight sun! Renny and Tor are together at Tor’s summerhouse and they wanted to share a hello with me and with Hubby! Here is a picture that they sent to me taken at about 11 PM!

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It is wonderful when blogging helps you to connect with other people in the world who share your interests. Thank you again for calling!!!

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This is the day I will be having my Glucose Tolerance test. I think that is a poorly named test. You see, you have this test because your body is intolerant of sugar (glucose). The test takes three hours and requires you to fast before you go. Then they take your blood, make you drink some hideous sugar syrup and take more blood at timed intervals, over a three hour period.

Oh this should be fun! (NOT!)

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Now that I have been growing my hair for two and a half years I wanted to give you a shot of it from behind. Remember, two and a half years ago I looked like this:

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And now here is the back of my head. You can see how much it has grown.

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It sure makes me happy, as I have wanted to grow out my hair for a long time and lacked the patience. It wasn’t until my old hairdresser butchered me, that I was able to get the steely determination for growing it out.

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So TGIF everyone and have an excellent weekend!

Pups & Pounds!

I started to do a Thursday Thirteen and I realized that I was tired of that, so you have just me sitting here writing about a few little things.

Like Anneliese. Isn’t she just the cutest little thing?

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She is so sweet too. Hubby and I were talking about this the other day and we are quite amazed at how truly wonderful the two pups are. I imagine we are incredibly partial having had them since the very moment that they were born, but to us, Anneliese and her brother Arnie are just the best! We have watched them grow, and learn to play with each other, and to become part of our little dog pack.

Here is Arnie with me.

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He is my little snuggler and at night he sleeps down by my feet happily wound around them. Anneliese now sleeps by my tummy and Greta is now sleeping between our pillows. Yes, we have a full bed each night when we settle in. Only Fritz sleeps on the floor, and all I can say to that is, Thank God!!!

When my cousin, Janet was up visiting for her birthday she took this picture of me in a new outfit, showing off my weight loss. Yes, showing off, because after losing 40 pounds, I am enjoying showing off just a little!

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I have about 8 more pounds to go to get to my goal weight and then the real work starts ~ maintenance! I think that will be the real challenge.

Meanwhile I’ll keep working on Weight Watchers day by day, a little at a time.

By A Nose

I went to the doctor’s today to have him look at my nose. I’ve been worried about it because a red spot magically appeared on it back in March and despite my tender ministrations, it has not healed. Even my mother noticed this thing the last time I saw her.

It doesn’t hurt, but it did start to bleed the other day, so I decided that since I am not stupid, it was time to get it checked out.

I arrived a bit early at the office. You see I am habitually early for everything. I blame my father for this as he also suffered from this affliction. I call it “Early-itis”.

I sat in the waiting room, waiting, when a man in the next section of the waiting area started talking to me as though we were long lost friends. I was puzzled by this, but I try to be nice and friendly and I spoke about the weather with him. Right now everyone is talking about our weather because it has been so bad.

Anyway, I was starting to run out of things to say to this man when the nurse called my name, thus saving me from a fate worse than death, running out of chit chat.

She weighed me, which used to make me crazy, but since the weight loss, I actually look forward to. Then took me in and did my blood pressure and pulse. Folks you are looking at one very healthy girl! Both were perfect!

The doctor came in and peered at my nose. He tut-tutted and looked again. Well? He wants me to see a Plastic Surgeon to have it removed and biopsied. That will be done on July 1st. The chances are that it is some sort of skin cancer, but not melanoma. (Thank you dear Lord!)

Then he asked if I was well, and I mentioned that I’ve had some low blood sugar attacks that I have documented with Hubby’s meter. He didn’t like that at all, so a glucose tolerance test has been ordered for this Friday. Three hours of drinking sugar syrup and having blood taken.

Does the fun ever end?

I was thinking as I drove home that as I approach my 50th birthday it seems like my body is breaking out and falling apart. Now how the heck did that happen?

So, I’ll get the blood tests done and then get the nose fixed. I’m just hoping that my nose doesn’t resemble Michael Jackson’s nose when they are finished!

Papers, Papers & More Papers

First off, I hate to file. I am one of those people who truly believe that this world would be a better place if we never had to file one, single, document, form or letter. Whoever came up with the idea that saving pieces of paper for the “future” should have been summarily punished for the deed!

That said, after almost a year of taking these pieces of paper that need to be saved, and tossing them carelessly into a Coldwater Creek shopping bag, today I decided that I simply had to revamp my little office filing cabinet. It was jammed full of paper that I have been saving for several years. It was time to remove the old files and start fresh, collecting only 2008 documents to save.

So I got out a cardboard box and placed the old files in this. They will go to our larger file cabinets in the basement to live out the next seven years. Then they too shall be trashed.

Then I began setting up new files to accommodate the current years documents. I sorted things from the shopping bag around me until I realized I was sitting in the middle of the floor with papers scattered all about!

This is bad because…..I have 4 dogs, who chose that moment to come running into my office to “give Mama some love”!

I managed to get them out before true disaster struck, and I worked a total of four hours today (still not done) but I’m hopeful that tomorrow I will get it all finished up. At least the upstairs office part.

Then the hard part begins, as I go through the downstairs files and thin them, add the files I just removed from the upstairs file cabinet, and make things neat and organized.

Does this paperwork stuff ever end?

Not Too Much & A Bath

So what’s new?

Today was one of those days that I can safely say, not much.

Oh, I did the usual three meals, and the cleaning up of them. I fed the dogs and walked them when they told me it was time, but for whatever reason, I just didn’t feel like doing much.

It could be the headache I have had most of the day, or perhaps the hot-flash that started at 1 AM and lasted until nearly 5 AM. Oh I just love menopause! (She says, words dripping with sarcasm.)

Last night before bed I was watching reruns on the tube when I noticed that the three dachshunds Amigos all smelled extremely foul. So there I was in the shower with three stinky fur children, at 7:30 last night, giving them all baths. Thank goodness I did, as they all decided to cuddle up to me last night in bed. (Yes, this did make the hot-flash much, well, flashier!)

I guess everyone needs one of those days once in a while. A day when you just lay low and chill out.

I must note here that the day was not a total loss. I found my first eggplants on the Japanese Eggplant plant (redundant, yes?), and here they are.


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My tomatoes and peppers are doing well, too. We have been having afternoon rain showers that have really helped the garden. Some of our plants we have kept in large pots on the patio, and then of course we have the regular garden. That seems to be quite a bit behind the potted plants. However, I’m really pleased with the results, especially the eggplant!

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Tomorrow is Weight Watchers day and perhaps a trip to the grocery store for some fresh vegetables. I think this will have been a good week weight wise, which makes me want those fresh vegetables all the more!

Saturday Scavenger Photo Hunt

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~Emotions~

I have said many times how happy Hubby makes me, so many of my pictures of emotions have to do with my sweet husband. The first was taken when I took Hubby to meet my parents the first time.

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This picture was taken after we said our marriage vows twenty years ago. That was such a happy day and full of emotion!

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Thursday Thirteen #79

Thirteen Things I Did Today

1. Went to Weight Watchers and I lost another 2.4 pounds!!!

2. Came back home, stopping at the Post Office to get our mail, and found I’d gotten a box from Amazon.com with a new book, and a recipe book!

3. Picked up Hubby and we went out to lunch at the Chinese Buffet.

4. Stopped to get dog food and gasoline. The gasoline was depressing, but we are still paying under $4.00. At least this week.

5. Did our grocery shopping.

6. This was actually a big week for that because we wanted to do a double shopping so we don’t have to go next week.

7. That’s because it is Bike Week in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and they expect the area to be flooded with motorcycles!

8. Came home and spent about an hour unloading and putting all the groceries away.

9. Talked to my daughter. That was the highlight of my day.

10. Made baked scallops for dinner.

11. Cleaned that up quickly.

12. Went to a community movie that I was supposed to “help” with.

13. No one else showed up on the committee, so guess who did all the work?

Time for bed!



A Meme

Got this one from Melli yesterday! I’ve done it before – but not for awhile… soooooo… here goes!

It’s all about Meme!!!

Two Names You Go By:
1. MB
2. Mari

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. white top
2. jean shorts

Two Of Your Favorite Things:
1. Newborn dackel babies
2. Watching the dogs play

Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:
1. Cooler temperatures (It’s nearly 100!)
2. A new pair of shorts. (Only have two pair of shorts that fit)

Two Favorite Pets You Have Or Had:
1. Shubi
2. Do I have to pick? Ah, FritzGretaArnieAnneliese!

Two People You Hope Will Fill This Out:
1. Janet
2. Renny
(but that’s NOT a tag! Anyone else is welcome to do this too.)

Two Things You Did Last Night:
1. Made a Weight Watchers Potato Salad!
2. Grilled a couple of steaks.

Two Things You Ate Last Night:
1. Steak
2. Potato Salad

Two People You Last Talked To:
1. Hubby
2. Mel

Two Things You Are Doing Tomorrow:
1. Weight Watchers
2. Shopping with Hubby

Two of Farthest Trips Taken In The Last 5 Years:
1. Alaska Cruise
2. The Panama Canal Cruise

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Christmas
2. Thanksgiving

Two Favorite Beverages:
1. Coffee
2. Tea

The Polka Dot Queen

It was recently pointed out to me that I wear a lot of polka dots. By this I mean that my usual bland wardrobe of blue jeans, black pants with solid colored tops, are contrasted occasionally by polka dots.

I am not a super fashionista. In fact I am afraid of bright colors or wild prints. My dressing motto is, “wear whatever will get you noticed the least”, so polka dots, small sedate polka dots have been safe.

Let’s take a peek in my closet. You see the two bathing suits and the numerous shirts with the polka dots? You see the two shirts hanging behind the ones I set out. Yep, I missed those when getting my line up ready.

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However, now that I am losing weight and starting to buy some new things, I want to develop a new style, but the question here is, what’s my style?

Am I a floral or funky pattern girl? Do I want tartans or leather? Would paisley do me justice, or perhaps lace?

I’m just not certain, but I have promised myself one thing,

No More Polka Dots!!!

I got an invitation from Coldwater Creek to attend a sale that they are having. I think they see a woman losing weight in need of clothes and figure that they can sell me some. Since they sent the invitation I should go and at least look, right?

I wouldn’t want to be rude!

Getting It Done!

Did you ever wake up and find that even though you hadn’t slept particularly well the night before, and even tough you really hate house work, you suddenly find that after two cups of coffee you have the energy of a teenager?

That’s what happened to me today. I finished my breakfast and I was off. I vacuumed and dusted (a dreaded task), I cleaned out the fireplace, and also watered my plants.

I found myself flitting from one room to the next cleaning, dusting and putting things away! This is not me. On a good day I move around slowly and if I actually get something accomplished, well, that’s a great day.

Today I got a lot done, and I made a fabulous dinner for Hubby at the end of the day! Tonight I am sitting in a clean house, with vacuumed floors and dusted shelves and yes, a fireplace that is clean and has a pretty white birch log in there, “just for display”.

Ah, life is good!

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Anneliese is nearing the end of her heat and I have to tell you, I will miss her in her little pants! Now doesn’t she look cute?

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She has been a good girl, and pretty easy to cope with during this heat. In many ways better than Greta. We brought her with us yesterday when we went out to look at furniture. She was so good in the car, even when we left her for about half an hour to grab some lunch. Of course the cookie we brought her when we came out did a lot to make her day. In fact right after that we stopped at a shop to look at their recliners and when we came back to the car Anneliese was looking for her cookie!

Oh, they sure do learn fast!