Category: My Life

My TBT this week looks back to right after  Christmas 2002. Two days after Christmas my retina detached in my left eye.

It was quite an ordeal, and I needed several surgeries to repair the damage. A few years later the right eye retina detached and my doctor, Dr. C. repaired that one too.

Things have been going on nicely now for a few years, until last June when I got the stye on my right eyelid. Next week, I will be going in to have it removed.

The young surgeon who will do this surgery, said my eye will be swollen, bruised and hurt like heck. Okay, I can handle it. After all, I have gone through worse in my life.

This weeks TBT is me a few years back, when I turned fifty. I had reached my goal at Weight Watchers and just loved the way I looked. I felt great and really was proud of myself.

Somehow things got messed up when I was diagnosed with cancer and I ate my way into oblivion! It seemed no matter what I did the weight kept piling on.

After our trip to Dayton, Ohio I promised myself that this was it…I was going to change the way I was living.

I returned to Weight Watchers and changed my entire outlook about food, the way I was eating and where I was going.

Last week I lost one and a half pounds, and this week I lost 3.2 pounds! I am doing it. I’m working the program, exercising, and making big changes in how I eat!

I sure hope that in another year I will look as good as I did when I was 50!

Wow! What a weekend!

On Friday I got up early and drove the four hours down to my sister’s home! Part one of the drive was in the pouring rain, yet through it I could see beautiful foliage. Not spectacular, as it has been in the past, no bright reds, corals, or flame colors, but the yellow, oranges and burnt orange colors, sure were pretty.

I arrived in exactly four hours. My best time ever on this drive. I was very lucky to get behind a truck and I allowed him to pull me along and hide me from radar. I think that is why I zoomed along, mostly at 80 miles an hour. Something I seldom do.

I arrived to the open arms of my sister, Melodie. I am blessed to have a sister that loves me unconditionally and looks forward to every moment we can spend together. I adore her and cannot fathom a world without her in it!

We waiting a bit, and then we went over to her daughter, Jinny’s house and I met my new grandniece! April Miran is a month old, and lucky for me, she is a real snuggler! I sat holding her after she was fed for a couple of hours.

That was simply the best! I feel such love for this baby girl and her parents!

We eventually came back to Mel’s house and had dinner. I have to say, my sister was so supportive all weekend of me, and I was not even tempted to cheat on my diet. In fact, I was so baby crazy, I actually forgot to eat enough, and on Friday night I suddenly felt a little dizzy and needed to eat some protein. So I had a fat free yogurt and went to bed. Saturday started early. I was so excited because we were babysitting my sister’s twin grandsons! Gabe and Nolan. They are two and a half and just the cutest little guys around! They are both bright and interested and want to know how everything works. They love to be read to and sit with their Grandma!

Yes, the boys are identical, and yet their personalities are very different. It was cute, we were eating our lunch and Gabe looked at me and said, “I’m Gabe”. I think they must meet people who do not know who is who. I admit it is a challenge, but I think as I spend more time with them I will be able to tell them apart better. Surprisingly, all through my life I have been friends with several sets of identical twins. And I’ve always reached a point where I knew who was who.

After sitting for the boys, and also getting to see my beautiful teenage grandniece, Abby, we went to BabiesRus, for some retail therapy. It’s pretty funny because they have so much stuff for babies, new mothers, family stuff, I could not believe it!

In the evening, I opened an early Birthday gift from my sister and brother inlaw. What is truly interesting, and special, is that Highfield Theater, was where I acted in “The Sound of Music” at the age of 8 years old as Gretl. And the even more special part about this book is that the picture of all the captain’s children (in the production) is on page 104! And I am right there.

I was so surprised and my brother inlaw was really happy, as he was the one who found the book and my picture! I was amazed! And thrilled and happy. When Savannah is a little older I can actually show her that I was in a special play!

Dinner last night was Alaska Wild Salmon and fresh Asparagus. Ron’s mother, Nan came over for the meal. It was so nice to see her. I have known her since I was eight years old. So, to me, she is family.

I drove home on Sunday morning. It wasn’t nearly as pretty as on my ride down. Many of the leaves had been blown off. And you will never guess what I saw! SNOW!!

Yes, the first light dusting of snow had fallen overnight. All I can say is, bring it on.

Today Hubby and I stopped on our way to his Army Reunion, in Cleveland at “A Christmas Story House.

It was where the movie all about Ralphie and his wish for a Red Rider Beebe gun for Christmas, was filmed. The house, at one time was run down and on the auction block, when a fan of the movie bought it, and with a true love for the story, began putting everything back as it was. We walked through the rooms, and I could almost hear the characters in my head, as I have seen that movie a million times.   I felt like a little kid. I could smell pine, the Christmas tree was all set up, with presents wrapped under it, and there, by the fireplace, was Ralphie’s Red Rider Beebe gun!

They had Pink Bunny costumes for people to try on and taking pictures was encouraged.

It was one of those things, I have had on my bucket list and and here I was!

The movie was made in 1983, on a shoe string budget. It was released to theaters for only two weeks, before MGM shelved it.

The real luck, for people like me who love this movie, is that Ted Turner bought the film and started running it on TBS. And a Cult Classic was born.

Saturday is always a day when one must get up and hustle a bit, so we can get dressed and down to the Post Office before noon. On Saturday, our Post Office closes then and if you don’t get there, you have to wait until Monday.

So after my shower, I asked Arnie if he wanted to go for a ride and the two of us hopped into the Highlander and headed downtown.

The area around the Post Office was packed. Not even one spot to park in. I drove around the corner one time and I was driving back around the Post Office, when I spotted one spot.

It was a nice spot, but it would mean I would need to parallel park, and I thought to myself, “Well, old girl, time to give it a go!”

So I pulled forward, cut in and backed into the spot. Slowly I went until I saw the car was aligned. I put the car in park, kissed Arnie’s head and hopped out. It was then I realized that I had perfectly parked the car! I mean, spot on, perfect!!!

Now the only reason I mention this, is that I have not been able to perfectly park a car since I sold our Jeep. That vehicle was really easy to parallel park, the Highlander, well, not so much!

Which is why, I felt thrilled! And you know what? I did not see one person I knew to share this with. No one. I got back into the car, looked at Arnie and I told him. Now, Arnie is a sweet and cute doggy, but he could have cared less.

I arrived home with this news and Hubby seemed nonplussed. So I came up and put it on Facebook. I think I got three likes.

Okay, I know. I am 56 years old and I should know how to parallel park and do it at the drop of a hat, but I confess, I am challenged.

So I decided to write it down here, so when I am old and gray, I can look back and see that at least one time, I was able to park perfectly!

This morning I made breakfast and then started to get ready for my shower and the phone rang. It was my friend, Laurie. She wanted to go off for a girls day with me. So I quickly showered and dressed and drove over to pick her up. We drove to the Outlet Stores to enjoy shopping for bargains.

The weather here was perfect, 70 degrees, sunny and with a light breeze. Just right for walking around the open air mall  shopping.

I bought four shirts to wear at the Reunion and a cute knit jacket. All things were 40-70% off the original price. There is nothing better than shopping to lift one’s spirits.

We ate out at Pizzeria Uno. They have a lunch special of soup and a small pizza. We split this and it was okay. Not crazy about the pizza, but, well, it was okay.

We returned to our town, and I dropped her off at her place before returning home.

Hubby was so busy caring for one of the apple trees that lost two large branches. Greta met me in the drive, and the dogs inside the house were really glad to see me.

All in all, it was a perfect day!

I thought Sunday would be my slow day, but it turned into being a crazy, busy day. I planned to do a load or two of laundry, which turned into 5 loads. This included the changing of sheets on the bed, and washing the duvet cover the dackels sleep on.

I was so good, washing, drying, folding up the laundry and…I even put it all away! I had leftover lasagna for dinner, and I thought I might catch my breath at the end of the day.

However, Hubby brought in Concord Grapes and thought we should at least make the juice, which we can freeze, to make jelly with this winter.

So, we cleaned the grapes, mashed them up and cooked them until they were soft. They are now in a jelly bag draining into a large pot until the morning.

The worst part is, I still have a ton of stuff to do this week. Things that can’t be put off. I wish it were all the fun things in life, but unfortunately, more laundry, packing, and grocery shopping for the hounds!

Oh yes, and I start Physical Therapy on my finger and hand. I’d hoped to avoid that, but the finger is not healing and is actually quite painful.

The good news is, I know the Therapist and he is really good. So I know in no time at all, my finger and hand will be all better!

Once again, thanks to Megan for getting the WordPress part of Dackel Princess up and running.

Have a great week everyone!

So, yesterday I woke up and got an email from a friend in Germany, telling me that Dackel Princess was broken.

I quickly checked the site, then called the service where I store her, and sure enough, Dackel Princess was broken.

The fact is, it’s been 6 years since I did anything to the site. By anything, I mean no upgrade to the system frame work. Truth be told, it’s time to get the latest version of WordPress and go from there.

So my Web Maven, Megan, will be working on the upgrade over the weekend, and then she and I are going to put our heads together and do a redesign in the next few weeks. New colors, new header, etc.

Meanwhile, I am glad to be up and running again! It’s such a helpless feeling to have the Blog down, and not know what to do to get her back up and running!

Thanks Megan!