The One About Hair

Two years ago I went in to have my hair done. I wanted a light trim and a little color, to perk me up. That day changed the way I was going to look at my hair for the foreseeable future!

The hair stylist, and I use that term lightly, butchered my hair. I had literally an inch left all over my head! I cried. I came home and Hubby didn’t know what to say. Both of us knew though, that it wasn’t good. I cried some more!

That day I called another hair stylist to correct the color. Her name was Margarita and she has been doing my hair ever since. She knew I wanted to grow it out, and so you can see how in two years things have changed on my head! I love Margarita and I love how she is helping to keep my hair shaped while it grows.

Hair

I’m still not done growing it out. I want to grow it another 4-6 inches. I want really long hair again. When I first met Hubby all those years ago my hair was nearly down to my waist! I don’t think I will let it get that long, but…

you never know!

Kids and Dogs

Have I mentioned that we have new neighbors? Neighbors with twin six year old daughters. Sarah and Kimmy. They have found us and the dogs, and we see them almost every day. They were over bright and early today and brought along their friend, Jacob. I pulled up the stools to the breakfast bar and they all sat coloring and I thought this would make a good picture.

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Jacob, Sarah and Kimmy

I love the fact that the neighborhood kids all feel comfortable coming here. The only thing is I need to buy some more art supplies. Crayons, coloring books and some activity books. I want to have things to keep the younger ones busy. Perhaps some reading books as well.

Hubby and I were standing in the kitchen after the kids left today and he looked over at me and said, “You are really a kid magnet”.

I guess he is right. I love the fact that they come, and I know that here they are safe.

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My back is better, and I am finally able to sleep at night. Yay!!! I was starting to think that something drastic would need to be done, but it looks like resting it is doing the trick.

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That wraps things up from cold, snowy, icy and rainy New Hampshire. Have a good week everyone!

TGIF

Well, am I ever glad that it’s Friday! Between my back and the weigh in at Weight Watchers, I am feeling a little down.

I actually gained weight this week. Now that in itself would not bother me quite so much if I had actually done something to merit the weight gain, but I stuck to the diet all week and didn’t cheat, not even once. So I look at this as a total betrayal by my body.

I mean my spirit has been down this week due to the pain in my back, a good weight loss would really have helped out. Instead it’s as if my body is enjoying torturing me.

Well, I don’t care. I’m not going to think about it right now, I’m simply going to keep on doing the diet, and next week will be better.

On a bright note I did actually get outside today and walked around in the narrow pathways of our yard. I simply cannot believe how deep the snow is!

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Then we came in and the pups all took naps.

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Well all I can say is TGIF. One week ends, there is rest on the weekend and then another week begins, and hopefully next week will be a better one.

Oh My Aching Back! Part 3

We were up early and after breakfast Hubby drove me in to see the doctor. He examined me, wrote out orders for x-rays and three for prescriptions and sent me on my way. He says it is sciatica, Now what is causing it is still a mystery. If the x-rays show something, he will call. If I am not a lot better at the end of the week I am to call him.

Meanwhile, I wait. I have a back brace I am wearing, which is like the worst girdle you can imagine, and anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants and pain pills. Yes, I feel a little whacked out tonight and I wish I could say, also pain free, but I can’t. Just a little like, I do not care.

While driving to the doctors and back, I was amazed at how high the snow banks are. It seems everywhere we went the snow was piled high, high, high! And guess what?

More snow tomorrow!

However, none of the forecasters can agree on how much will actually fall. Some say 6 inches some say 10. After the winter we have had, I say, what will be, will be!

Well time to go curl up in the fetal position and pray for springtime!

Oh My Aching Back! Part 2

Yes, my back is still bad. In fact I’m getting a little testy because, well, lack of sleep will do that to you. I seem to sleep for about 45 minutes then wake with the back pain, and then the cycle begins again.

Hubby stepped in today and told me to call the doctor. I’m sort of stubborn that way and until something totally stops working or falls off I tend not to go to the doctor’s office. However, after 5 days of little or no restful sleep, I decided he was right and I should go.

Hubby himself had back surgery years ago, so when he spoke to me about this, I really had to listen.

Meanwhile, I have four wonderful and skilled nurses.
Fritz
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Greta
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Arnie
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And Anneliese
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The pups not only are trying to nurse me back to health, but they are amusing me at the same time. Hubby has been wonderful helping me with various household and doggy chores, and I am trying to be as quiet as I can so I don’t make things any worse.

Hubby takes me in the morning, and I sure hope the doctor will have some good news for me, like “Ta-Da, you are well”! Now wouldn’t that be nice?

Packages

I had ordered two things from LL Bean on sale. A new shirt for Hubby and a berry pink fleece robe for me.

M55642_Berry_Pink

I was excited when I got a tracking number, letting me know that my package was on the way and would be delivered today.

Once again we have terrible weather. When I went out today to the hairdresser’s, I took the Jeep and there were a few times I did have to slip it into 4 wheel drive to get through the miserable snow/sleet/rain combination that fell all morning.

I checked my computer when I got home from being beautified, and saw that the package from LL Bean was still on it’s way! Great!

They are forecasting 6-8 inches of snow overnight tonight, so I asked Hubby if he thought it might be good to get our groceries today. After lunch we headed out to stock up.

We arrived home a couple of hours later, and I quickly put all the groceries away, fed the dogs, and made our dinner. We sat down to eat and once I got the dishes done I decided that perhaps I should check in to see where my “package” was.

The report from the delivery agency said that the “package” had been delivered to the mailbox. Now, we don’t have a mailbox so I knew this was bad.

I tore out of here in a flash, and drove up to the top of our driveway to see what was going on. There, tied to the tree next to the sign that says our name, was the “package”!

It was in a big plastic garbage bag, tied there in the drizzling rain. So I took it down and brought it home and opened the package. All was well, but I was still pretty angry about it.

So I Instant Messaged LL Bean and chatted with a Customer Service woman and explained it all to her, gave her the tracking number and was assured that if anything happened to my items they would have been replaced.

But that isn’t the point! The point is, it shouldn’t have been left there. It turned out okay this time, but what about the next?

I’ve had my say now and the people at LL Bean can do with my grievance what they want.

Meanwhile I am enjoying my new bathrobe, and the shirt is a perfect fit for Hubby!

Okay, Sometimes Life Is Weird

I don’t claim to be perfect. In fact if I ever used my name and the word ‘perfect’ in the same sentence my friends and family would all burst out laughing! But today I topped even some of my finest moments. Here’s how it went.

I woke up and grabbed my robe, silly medical boot and my rain boot and put them on. I hobbled from our bedroom into the family room. I had expected to see rain coming down, as the forecast from the night before said “RAIN”! This is what I saw:

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In the end we had 9 inches of fresh, heavy snow!

I bundled myself up and walked the pups and came in and after the coffee was done, made breakfast for Hubby and myself. I mentioned that I’d take the Jeep today because I had a hairdressers appointment, but when Hubby looked outside and saw that it was starting to ice, he said he wanted to take me.

My appointment was for 10 o’clock, so about 9:15 we got the three dachshunds into their sweaters and got into the Jeep to go to the next town where my hair dresser has her salon.

It was such a pretty ride, and we got there just before the appointment. So we sat waiting for the salon to open. But no one came. Finally Hubby asked if I was sure my appointment was at 10. I opened my purse and took out my pocket calendar and looked. The appointment was for the next day at 10AM!

Silently, Hubby started the car and we began to drive home. I could tell by his silence that he was annoyed. I smiled weakly and said, “Well, look at the nice ride we had with the dachshunds, and we got to see the beauty of this snowy day!” I’m not sure he was thinking along those lines.

We stopped down town and picked up the mail. Today we did not have to work at finding a parking place as there were no other crazy people like me on the street. We also stopped at the dry cleaners and picked up Hubby’s suit, and the hardware store to show off the pups, before coming home.

Then Hubby got busy with his ancient, but mostly reliable snowblower, and worked over our 500 foot driveway.

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I did redeem myself this evening though, while cooking dinner I was able to find the problem on Hubby’s computer and get it fixed for him.

I’m not usually such a space cadet, honestly.

Maybe it was the snow!

This & That

You’ve all heard by now, I’m sure. Yes, the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl. It was the worst game I have seen them play in a very long time. I feel shocked and disappointed, but then I remind myself…it is, after all, a game.

So I did constructive things this morning instead of watching the news, or Regis & Kelly. (I did not want to hear anyone gloating about the loss!) I made my Curried Butternut Squash Soup, rearranged some furniture, did my usual in and out with the dogs and actually took Anneliese with me to the Post Office.

The soup came out really well, reminding me how much I love this recipe. So I decided to share it with you all. You can find it below this entry.

The diet continues to go well. I had measured my waist when I started Weight Watchers and I measured it again and I have lost an inch off of it. A whole inch!!!

In other news, Greta is still not in heat. I talk to her every day in fruitless attempts to encourage her to hurry up and do this. You see, she is so late now going into her heat that soon Anneliese will be due for her next heat.

Oh yeah, that would be a ton of fun. Two females in heat at one time.

I’ve decided that I should order some extra pants for the girls!

Does it get any better than that? HA!

Not What I Had Planned

I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep up the incredible weight loss numbers I have been chalking up. I knew eventually it would come to an end.

This week I was probably not as conscientious as I have been, and it showed. I did not lose any weight. In fact I gained 1 pound. I was upset at first, but then I started to think about it and I decided that I am human.

It wasn’t that I cheated, I just made some poor choices in my snacking. Instead of fruit I had Weight Watcher snacks, which are okay, but not in the amount I was eating them.

So I am recommitting myself to the plan, and going forth tomorrow with a tremendous sense of renewed energy!

I can do this!

(It’s just going to take me an extra week!)

Hubby’s Coming Home!!!

Hubby is due home soon. I am so glad. We have all missed him. Why just this morning while I was talking to him on the phone the dogs surrounded me. They could hear his voice on the cell phone. So, he had to say hi to each of them. We started with Fritz, as he has missed him the most, then Arnie and Anneliese. Lastly Greta got her turn. I held the phone to her ear and he spoke to her, and she did the cutest thing…she talked back!!!

She made these little grumbling noises at him and I know she did it because she knew it was her Daddy! So very sweet.

The rest of my day was spent doing the vacuuming, a little writing, and a little cooking. I also made a wonderful fire in the hearth and I have enjoyed the warmth it has provided.

It’s so funny when your other half is gone and his place next to you is empty. I say it’s funny because for all those years while he was working and flying, I was quite used to this life. It actually took me time to get used to his retirement and his being home all the time. Now, I can’t imagine that life at all. I really love having him here.

I guess I am a romantic, or perhaps I think it’s a good thing to appreciate the people we have in our lives each and every day. Whatever, I do love sharing my life with Hubby and I hope we have many more years to enjoy each other.