Category: My Life

Yesterday was my birthday. And it was one of the best yet. If I had known that being 56 wasn’t so bad, then back when I turned 50, I wouldn’t have stressed so much over it.

It was a quiet day. Hubby and I talked about our cruise, and we worked on packing lists. Today I need to actually take all our heavy winter blankets and go out to the laundromat with them. I have four blankets and I want to get it done.

Then if I have some gumption left after all that, I want to come back and work on some more packing. Wednesday is baking day, Thursday is cleaning surfaces, and more packing and Friday, is when we pack the car up with our two cases. Saturday, I change the sheets, getting the bed ready for the house sitters and then we’re out of here.

Birthdays can be really good, even when they are quiet. This year, mine was the best! Thanks everyone, who contacted me and wished me well. It made me feel extraordinarily loved!

As I sit here contemplating my 56th birthday, I started to think about all the things I have to be thankful for in my life.

Looking back, I have been lucky enough to know real and true love. Be it with my friends, or family, I feel blessed to know the kind of love where I can be myself and be loved just as I am.

To know the beauty of giving birth to my daughters and see them emerge from my body, all healthy and screaming, makes me count my blessings. It was surely the happiest days of my life, when my girls were born.

Amanda Mae

Mandy, Katie & Me.

I again felt that total awe, when Mandy gave birth to

Savannah Rose.

And I held her in my arms for the first time.

Watching Savannah grow and become her own little person fills me with wonder! She is such a blessing to her mother, father and to all who love her.

I have been fortunate enough to meet and love deeply a good man, who loves me completely. Having realized long ago, I am no walk in the park to live with, I am grateful to be married to a man, whom I don’t totally freak out!

My daughter, Mandy is a real gem.

Not only is she a wonderful daughter, but Mandy is seriously, the best mother I have ever known. I am so proud of the way she is raising Savannah.

My sister, Melodie has been a constant in my life. She has been more of a mother to me than a sister, and I am blessed. I cannot imagine life without her.

Likewise, my cousin, Janet has been more of a sister than a cousin. Since she is close to my age, and I cannot remember a day in my life without her love, I feel so very lucky!

I am also thankful to have several girl friends, who are like sisters. They share my happiness and my sorrows, but Uschi, Gail, Carol, and Candy are always there for me.

I have been lucky enough to breed the dachshunds I love and to hold a newborn pup in my hands.

I have also raised Arnie and Anneliese from their first breaths and our connection is unlike any other that I have had with a dog.

No, life has not always been kind, but I am fortunate enough to have all these blessings, so that no matter what life throws my way, I seem to get through it all.

The Song is right, Love is All You Need!

Today I made the mistake of asking Hubby what he wanted for dinner. Meatloaf. So besides changing the sheets, doing laundry, and going out with Lili for a run, I was chopping up vegetables and squishing the meatloaf until it was just right.

By noontime, I was already exhausted and I still had to finish cooking dinner, feed the dogs and then do dishes!

However, tonight I feel pleasantly pleased to have accomplished so much. Oh yes, and 22 days until my vacation!

I plan to rest on the deck of the ship, while we are at sea. I have 6 books on my kindle to read! I also bought Hubby a nice big book for him to read. I’m sort of a voracious reader, while Hubby is a contemplative reader.

I plan to go to the shows on board, and try new things. On sea days I will sleep in and while we are in port, I’ll be walking about taking pictures, shopping for Christmas and for Savannah.

I can hardly wait!

Yesterday I went shopping at the local Outlet stores with my friend Laurie. I needed a few things for the trip, mainly sneakers. It’s been so long since I got a new pair, that I had forgotten how comfortable they can be! I got a pair of New Balance, in pristine white! I like that. Not sure why. They were hard to find, as today day-glow colors are all the rage!

I went to Talbot’s, and found several adorable tops, and everything was 40-75% off! One shirt I found has little dackels on it! At first I felt a little funny about it, but when I put it on, it fit nicely, and I could see that Savannah would like it on me!

Gasoline is down too. I filled up the Highlander with gas selling for $2.95 a gallon! We haven’t seen that in years! In fact when we bought the Highlander I was a little concerned about the mileage, as gasoline was selling close to $4.00 a gallon. But, the Highlander gets great mileage and gasoline prices are so much better. I pray it holds through the cold winter, as we heat with oil.

I noted that it is 28 days until we leave for our trip. We will have the house sitters come and move in here. Lucky for us we have a brother and sister who like our animals and can be here to care for them. Then we will go to Boston, park our car and spend the night. We’ll fly out in the morning to Fort Lauderdale, overnight again, and then the next day board the ship!

Then we will spend 10 days floating around, visiting a few different Islands and enjoying the sunshine. Be still my heart!

When we come back it will be a mad rush to prepare for Christmas. Savannah’s 3rd Christmas! How fun is that!

So, I made a little comment today on Facebook about looking forward to my vacation. I take one vacation a year, usually for 7 days, and during that time, I get a rest/break from dog care, house work, and cooking. After 40 years of doing this stuff, I don’t think that’s too bad, right?

I think each and every one of us have things we like to do. My sister loves renting a house near the beach and just sort of hanging out. My cousin does the same, except her Hubby likes to fish the lakes in the mountains! So, they do that too!

I digress.

No sooner had I put up this innocuous post, then an old friend made a rather not too nice comment. I sent a return comment, sort of brushing it off, and then he returned with a comment I thought was cruel.

So since this was all happening on my wall, I took the entire thing down. Why would someone, who is my friend, make statements about my upcoming vacation, just to make me feel bad?

Since I have no answers at all, as I said, I simply deleted the FB post. But my sensitive heart hurts just a little.

I will let you all know now, I do plan to write while on vacation and share the happiness and sunshine of my cruise.

Where did the day go? I was doing laundry, feeding dogs, getting the mail (in the pouring rain!) and cooking trout for dinner. Then before I knew it, the day was over!

Last night, I opened the door to get Lili back in and all I could smell was SKUNK! My heart sank as I envisioned having to bathe my pup to rid her of skunk smell. But I am so thankful that apparently, Lili is faster than a skunk! She is smelling sweet, even if the outside air smells like Pepe LaPew!

Years ago I had a Great Dane, She got totally skunked. My Vet told me to use Massengill Douche Powder diluted in warm water and then wash her with a nice soap. Well, I trotted down to Rite Aid Pharmacy and was standing there looking at the Douche Powder, trying to figure out how much I would need. Great Danes are big!!! Just then the Pharmacist came up and asked if I needed help? “Why yes”, I replied, “I’m just trying to figure out how much douche powder I will need!” After he got over the shock of my statement and I explained, we figured a few boxes would do it. By the way, it was a really funny way to meet our town’s new Pharmacist!

We are just about a month away from our cruise trip! I am so excited. Our house sitters came by for dinner earlier in the week and everything is set for them to move in and live here while we are away. I’m glad. Lili is still so young and needs to be cared for.

My holiday weekend went splendidly! It started with me having breakfast with Mandy and Savannah at The Cracker Barrel. I will tell you this. If you have never had breakfast at one, go! Oh my goodness we had a really delicious breakfast.

Savannah was truly a sweetheart. I worry sometimes she will forget me, but when she saw me and Mandy pointed me out, she called my name! OMA!

Savannah has become a real chatterbox! I love it. She talked and talked and talked all through breakfast and then we went back to Mandy’s house and Savi had her bath. She talked even more in there. It was great!

Sunday I went to the Sandwich Fair with my cousins, Janet and Dave and their grandson, Isaiah. It was probably one of the nicest Country Fairs I have been to in a long while. I loved all the animals, Fair Food, and the time spent talking with my cousin Janet, while the guys did guy stuff!

Monday was a home day, and that was okay too. I caught up on laundry, cooked Hubby a nice meatloaf and planned on making a lasagna Tuesday when our house sitters come for dinner.

All in all, a happy, fun and pleasant weekend!

I had to drive across the State of New Hampshire today for a doctor’s appointment. It was a beautiful sunny day, with all the bright colorful Autumn leaves sparking against the sky. Why this New England scene was so perfect that I drove past a farm with cows and horses and a flock of wild turkeys crossed the road in front of my car.

I reveled in the beauty around me, and fell in love with my state all over again. Summer is nice, spring is pretty (but it is also known as mud season) and winter can be tough, sloppy, but beautiful when the white snow flakes are falling into silence.

This made me recall about a time I lived in Florida. I was driving back from Miami to Punta Gorda, on the West Coast. We were driving along the Tamiami Trail (Rt 41).

The road take you through the Everglades. And at various times during the year the road would be lined with large and small gators. I remember one time telling Hubby, that if we got a flat tire, We were driving on it!

Florida was an okay place to live. Very tropical. Palm trees, pelicans, dolphins and more. Ours news reports were just about the rain and sun, but how many dog disappeared from peoples back yards, and how many giant alligators they had found in the local neighborhood.

Given the hurricanes, the tropical storms, the wildfires and tornadoes, I felt pretty confident when I told Hubby we had to move back home.

I told him this, and about 6 weeks later, our home in Florida, that we had owned for 6 years, sold, and we packed up and moved back home!

Yes, no matter where I go, or where I live, New Hampshire will always be home!

I got my hair done today, and I have gone back to wearing my smaller glasses. The larger ones hurt my nose. Anyway, since losing fome 18 pounds I thought I looked a bit better.

This is me with no make-up! Isn’t the nose looking good?

Last night I stayed up watching The US Open Tennis. I love Roger Federer, and I was hoping he would pull it out. I simply could not close my eyes. However there is a price that I pay. I have no energy the next day.

Thus, I did not get too much done today. I did start a search for someone to help me with the dogs, and I am not having much luck. Hopefully I will find someone soon to care for them so Hubby and I can escape on a nice vacation.

Anyone looking for a job?