Category: My Life

Friday morning I woke to find a winter wonderland outside the window. Although it was not nearly as cold, the snow sure was flying.

Now I love snow as much as the next gal, but today was our Oil delivery, and as I have previously noted, our driveway is 500 feet downhill to the house and then 500 feet uphill to the main roads.

So, I woke up Hubby and told him he had to get up, have breakfast, and then get out and snow-blow the driveway.

The oil truck won’t deliver if the drive is at all dicey. Lucky for us, the drive was cleared and the delivery was made! Yay!!!

I also had a small computer problem with my external hard drive, I thought I had lost all this information from 2006-2014. However, I was able to get into the drive and retrieve the information and pictures.

Yahoo! I will sleep better tonight!

I think we need to get little doggy boots for Arnie. The last few days, with nothing but ice and salt on the roads, we haven’t been allowing him to go for his walks with his Daddy. He is totally bereft. He lives for those walks with Hubby.

The other day when he went out and came back covered with dirt and salt. I quickly washed his feet and got him cleaned up.

Lili sprinted off today and I grabbed my ice treads and went after her. She is way faster than me, so I jumped in the car and drove up the hill to my neighbors, got her in the car and came home. Unfortunately, I twisted my back the wrong way and it is one big ouchie!

I’m thinking a hot bath might be in the cards after I watch The Big Bang Theory and Mom. Oh yeah, and time to break out the heating pad.

My new clogs arrived today and I love them. I have always used my clogs as slippers, but these are too nice to be going out in the snow in. I think I will try to find some cheap ones that I don’t care about.

As i write (8 PM on Thursday) it is already -1 degree (F). I guess it will be another cold night. Thank goodness for the three dackels! They are like hot water bottles!

Minus 14 degrees (F) this morning, here in my part of New Hampshire! When I put my pinky toes out of bed, I wanted to climb right back in. I could hear Lili in her puppy room and so I figured she probably needed to get out and do her business, despite the cold. I was correct.

The dackels reluctantly went out, and then raced back in. Too cold for little babies like them! Currently they are all cuddled under my soft blankie that my sister gave me for Christmas.

Yesterday was a good day. I went to Weight Watchers and had lost a pound and a half! Then I came home, stopping to do errands first, and in the afternoon, I made a triple batch of Cabbage Vegetable Soup, despite the fact that I really don’t like it. But Hubby loves it, so for him, I would do anything.

Today, I have only planned laundry and to clean out the cupboard under my sink. Oh yes, and to drink nice hot tea!

I sure hope January flies by. For that matter I would take February, March and the first part of April too! I want spring and summer! NOW!

Today I went back to Weight Watchers, after a week of journaling and being super careful about what I ate. I was really worried that I would not have lost any weight, but I stepped on the scale and found that I had lost two pounds! Yay for me!

Last week in class they spoke about how losing weight is really hard. It sure is! And once you are over 50 I think it gets even harder! But I am not going to give up!

Our last two cruises Hubby has taken pictures of me, and between my weight, and my new face, I have been one, very unhappy girl!

I know the next couple of weeks will be tough, due to the holidays, but I am not giving up. I really want to look good, and feel good in my body.

You know, the last time I saw my Mom before she died, she said to me: “Don’t be like me, Maribeth. Don’t give up! You can do it!”

Mom was probably my biggest critic in life, so this unprecedented encouragement was a real shock.

I do miss Mom. She may not have been a “Fairy Tale” mother, but I think she did her best. At least, right now, I am hearing her kind words and that is such a gift.

I went back to Weight Watchers today. Needless to say, after a wonderful cruise with all sorts of delicious foods, and cocktails, I had gained a little weight. It was a good day to return because today’s talk was all about how really hard it is to lose weight. Even when you stick strictly to the plan, it still is hard.

Now, if I didn’t have to eat that would be one thing. But we all have to eat food to sustain life, and balancing it all out, makes it a real challenge.

I got out my laptop and started to journal my food once again. I am hoping that if I do that for one week, I can weigh in next Wednesday and have a loss of some sort.

I looked at my pictures from our trip of me. I did not like what I saw. I looked “matronly”! Ugh! So, since I am the only one who can do anything about this, I am going to. Weigh, measure and journal. That is the key. It isn’t easy, but I can do it!

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!