In this day and age, my modern favorite Christmas Carol is Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time”. It just fills me with joy and I always stop and sing along.
After that, I go for some beautiful classic tunes, such as “Carol of the Bells”. This one makes me think of my dear friend Candy, who I lost nearly three years ago now. But this song fills me with peace and joy.
Silent Night is a classic and one I learned to sing very early on. It is still one of my favorites.
And probably the one I like the very most is this, “The Holly and the Ivy”. Candy and I once sang this with our choir.
What Carols make you feel all Christmassy this time of the year?
Recently, I read a story a man had written where he fussed and fumed about his father never buying him any good Christmas gift. Well, I shook my head in disbelief.
You see, my Dad was a really busy man. He taught school 5 days a week, he taught piano after school to so many of the kids I went to school with. He also played the organ at the local Congregational Church, was the director of the Senior and Junior Choirs, and also directed the Handbell Choir. Each year Dad directed a Christmas Carol sing on our town’s Village Green. Not to mention playing the organ for many weddings and funerals.
So each year Dad would go down to the local Pharmacy or 7/11 Grocery Store, whichever was open on Christmas morning and did his Christmas shopping for us.
Here I am, at the age of 12, on Christmas Morning with the gifts that Dad got for me. Notecards, a horoscope book, hat and gloves, a little kitty, and two dolls.
I wish I could sit down with that man who complained and tell him how lucky I feel that my Dad went out before I woke on Christmas to get these things for me. He did it every year. Sometimes I got life-saver candies, sometimes some Christmas candy. Sometimes chapsticks. Sometimes a teen magazine. But he shopped on his own and bought these things for me all by himself.
My Dad did the very best he could, all on his own, and I feel like I was pretty lucky!
Mom did the big shopping. And it was pretty good too. Mom also cooked the best Christmas breakfasts and Christmas dinners. She was a traditional Mum.
But all in all, looking back now, I think I was pretty blessed all around. I didn’t have to have my Dad buy me the world to show me that he loved me. His Christmas Day shopping sprees mean more to me now than he will ever know.
The weekend seemed to rush by. I was busy with a few things, as I prepare for my trip in 10 days to get Heidi. I am actually a little under the weather myself with a kidney problem.
I started packing up my suitcase for the trip, and I also have a lightweight duffle bag with Heidi’s soft carrier inside and a few other things in it. It’s pretty much packed and ready to roll.
I cannot believe that it is almost time to go and get her. Right from day one, I knew that Heidi would fit in perfectly with us. People have asked how I knew? Well, I’m not sure. But it is the same way I knew that Anneliese and Arnie were meant to be with us.
The only dog I ever wondered about was Lili. She was quite ill when we got her, with Celiac disease. It took us nearly 4 months to get that diagnosed. Now she is sweet and kind and happy, and feels good! It’s amazing what the right food will do.
And for those who may have missed this, Lili also saved me during a daytime break-in back in January of 2019. If not for her growling, barking, and throwing herself against the door, I am sure the thief would have come in. But a German Shepherd, with a full set of teeth and a growl unlike I had ever heard, was enough to scare him off!
Lili also fiercely guarded my three dackels, Greta, Anneliese, and Arnie. Now she will have a new baby, Heidi!
On Saturday night and into Sunday we had 8 inches of snow fall on us! This found me going outside early in the morning to climb the ladder, to brush the snow off the satellite dish! It’s actually not hard to do. The ladder is a solid one and I have a great snow brush that reaches and clears the dish.
I hope you all had a great weekend and no matter what the weather was, I hope you could enjoy this last weekend before Christmas!
Yesterday I spent time sorting through brick-a-brack around the house. Over the years it seems that I have acquired a lot of really cute, but junky crap! I also have more vases from all the lovely flowers I have been sent. How many clear bouquet vases does one need?
So, I got some old boxes (yes, I save those too!) and started filling them with all this stuff. So far, I have four large boxes of stuff.
I want to continue this cleaning and on Thursday or Friday, bring a large load of “stuff” to our recycling center’s rehoming room. You know, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!
Little Heidi is continuing to grow and change and I am counting the days until I fly out to get her. Her wonderful breeder is raising those little babies with love, a sense of adventure, and such care. I feel so lucky to be getting one of Gail’s babies.
Little Heidi taking a nap after playing in the yard.
With each picture, with each puppy report, my heart swells with love. I feel like the luckiest of new puppy-mommys!
My plan today is more junk thinning, and also to dig out my doggy-poop bags and get those in my suitcase. Yes, believe it or not, I have started to pack for my New Year’s Eve trip!
Today is my 63rd birthday. Odd. How did that happen? I do not feel that old. Officially, according to Social Security, I am not old. In order to get my full retirement, I have to wait until I am 67 and a half, so you see, I am still very young!
I was born and raised on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. I still feel that the Cape will always be my home, even if I don’t get down there too often.
I was the youngest child of three, and I guess a bit of a tom-boy. I loved playing trucks and riding my bicycle all over town. I did like Barbie Dolls and played them with my sister and cousin. But I was equally happy climbing trees and going on adventures along creeks and swamps.
I did many things alone. I would ride down to the beach and climb the jetties. I would sit and dream and lose myself in thought.
I also tried to make people laugh. At times life was hard, and I could joke around and get people smiling.
Yet, as a young woman, I seemed to lose that child-like confidence. Although many would say I was outgoing, not many knew how I worried I was inside of falling on my face and failing.
Now I am sixty-three. Golly, I have learned so much along the way. But, oh, that insecure woman still resides within, and occasionally rears her ugly head.
I find my peace with my pups. Walking them or holding them or waking to their morning face licks. Unconditional love. Given freely, by my fur babies meant so much.
Having a grown-up daughter is amazing, and watching the wonderful mother she is with her children, makes me proud. She is a self-made woman. What an amazing person she is!
My grandchildren are everything. Savannah tells me her secrets and stories, and Quinn is coming into his own. He always checks to see if I remembered his Bai water when I come down, and recently my Kindergartener made me a card all by himself. To Oma, Love, Quinn. Why? Just because.
The hugs, their smiles, watching them grow puts a smile on me like you cannot believe. How grateful I am.
So life at 63 isn’t too bad. It’s not quite what I thought it would be, but it is a good life nonetheless.
I guess that I can finally let you in on a little secret. I have been accepted as a future Mama for a 2-week old wirehaired dackel! She is currently living with her birth mother while she spends her days drinking and growing and sleeping. She will be coming home after Christmas to live here in the mountains of my State.
I had been toying around with different names for my wee lass, and I went back to my favorite girl’s name when I was a teenager. And so, when my little Miss comes home she will be called:
Heidi
I cannot tell you how lonely I have been since Arnie died. Lili is sweet, but she is not a cuddler and actually is Jack’s dog. So my arms and bed are empty and there is no one to go on my walks with me. I knew it was going to be hard saying goodbye to Arnie, but I did not expect it to be this bad.
I guess what they say is true, “Grief is the price you pay for love.”
Now Heidi is on her way. We will walk, go to class, and learn all that one must to be a proper puppy. Best of all, I get to have another lifetime to spend with a pup. I’ve already ordered a collar and leash. Next is a new Airline approved bag for her and away we go!
The last couple of days I have been quiet. I needed the quiet. I think there are times you find that keeping busy helps to take your mind off of the things that are bothering you. Then the thoughts come up and hit you and you begin to feel it all again.
Life is very quiet since Arnie has passed. In the last months of his life, he was quite vocal, and now there is silence.
Lili will follow me around some, but she is the guard dog of our house and most often is on the floor next to the door. Occasionally she will come in and sleep on the sofa, but mostly she is on duty.
Anyway, I decided to do a few things to get ready for Christmas, and fortunately, I can shop online. I’ve actually made quite a dent in the shopping!
While having my quiet time I have also wiped my hard drive and reloaded things. Things are in better order than they were.
The weather has also been rather fierce reminding me that we have now entered Autumn. The wind has been blowing so hard that it makes loud noises outside. The lovely leaves are blowing down and very soon our trees will resemble skeletons.
Autumn may be late this year, but it is finally here and I actually broke out the warm nightgown last night.
Stay warm and snuggly in your home and enjoy the last days of Autumn as they blow by.
I thought I would sit down and write about my new wet/dry cleaner for my hard floors (wood or tile). I had done the tiled bathrooms, but I was looking forward to doing the kitchen floor. As I said yesterday, my kitchen is huge and is a high-traffic area.
I was all set to do this in the morning, but since it was Saturday and I had to get our mail by noon, along with a recycling center run and pick up a few groceries, I had to put off my floor washing until after lunch.
It worked like a gem! It was easy on my back/neck and it made my floor sparkle! I’ve been washing floors for years and they have never looked this good. Never!
It did take a while. I admit that by the time I was done about 3:30 (this included loading the machine, using it, and then cleaning the machine after) I was really a wee bit tired. But heck, I’m an old lady!
However, every time I go out to the kitchen for anything, I smile at how wonderful my floor looks!
I would definitely give my cleaner 5 stars!
I made an easy dinner for Jack, a nice easy diet dinner for me, and then hit the shower afterward.
Oddly enough, I did not sleep well. Perhaps it was the rain or all the work I’d done. But after tossing and turning all night I gave up and got out of bed at 4:45! Ugh!
Here’s an interesting note about our weather. It is October 17th and we still have not had the first frost. This is unusual. Our first frost usually happens by the end of September. Right now we don’t see a hard frost on our horizon.
On Friday I made good use of my time. I had a three o’clock Glaucoma Eye Doctor appointment, so I left late morning and stopped at various places along the way.
I shopped for canned goods, and various storable food items went to our local Outlet Mall (an outdoor mall) and bought two Christmas presents. I masked up and didn’t get close to anyone, and I also washed my hands and used sanitizer.
I stayed on my healthy eating plan, getting a small container of cottage cheese and some fruit for my lunch. I also stopped at BJ’s for gas and tanked up for $2.97 a gallon. (I felt good about that!)
Traffic was heavy on my way to Manchester. People were simply driving crazy. It was a relief to get to her office in one piece!
My exam showed eye pressures of 14 in my right eye and 15 in my left. Better than they were a year ago, but still not where we want them to be. I will go back in two months and if they are the same or higher I may need further laser surgery.
It is a relief to have a doctor I feel totally confident with. She is amazingly good and I feel well taken care of.
After my appointment, I got back on the highway for my trip home. The traffic was really bad then and when I got to the Capitol of New Hampshire, Concord, it was literally “stop and go”.
I made it home in time to feed Lili and Jack and prepare a nice meal of zucchini and summer squash sauteed with a turkey burger. Actually, not too bad.
So that was my Friday. Today I plan to get out my new floor cleaner and do the kitchen floor. I imagine that will take me a while as I have a huge kitchen. For anyone looking for a wet/dry cleaner for your hard floors, this machine is really good and it is on sale at BJ’s until November 3rd.
