Groceries

I went out on Monday and was actually able to get a great shopping done. I needed to stock up on so much, and I had a ton of coupons. I actually saved just under $20.00 with them!

We also stopped for lunch at our little Chinese Buffet, and as I was getting some food I looked up and there was my doctor. I am actually due to go see him this week. We chatted a moment and then I wished him a good day.

A friend of mine many years ago, was a doctor, and he could hardly go out to get groceries without the little old ladies bugging him. So I have always backed off when seeing my doctors in restaurants.

Meanwhile, in the grocery store I met a man stocking the cheese shelves. He was having a tough day and I smiled and said, “Oh I so understand. I did this job for quite a while myself”. The man smiled and asked me where I had worked?

“Alexander’s Supermarket in Merrimack, New Hampshire.”

“Oh, said the man, I remember that place. My Mom took me there all the time when I was a kid before it closed”.

Yes, I now feel very old. This man looked about my age, but was obviously not.

We came home and put all those groceries away. Wow, were there so many! It felt good though. I have the house full of good foods, and as of Wednesday, it is back to Weight Watchers for me.

Out & About

Friday I was finally able to go out. I have been house bound since January 18th and finally today, I went out. I got some groceries, I picked up the mail, and I saw this little town I live in getting ready for the Ice Fishing Derby.

It is very cold, but I bundled up, wore my old winter hat and gloves and off I went. Hubby came with me, mostly because he is still worried about me and feeling over protective. I was glad he was there. By the time we were done, I was feeling tired, and on the way home I did not have to think about snow covered roads.

I wanted to go to the grocery store because my cousins, Janet and Dave are coming tomorrow for lunch. I have learned how to make the perfect Pastrami Reuben Sandwich. So, tomorrow I plan to wait until they are here, and then show Janet how I do it all. Maybe I will have her take pictures for me.

Well, now that they have interviewed the President for a half an hour, hopefully they will get on and show us the Opening Ceremonies from the Olympics!

I Want To…

I want to…

  • Go and spend the day with Savannah and Amanda and just talk and play with Sav and have time with them. It’s been too long.
  • Go see my sister and spend a few days so we can talk and do sister things. I haven’t seen her since Mom’s services.
  • Get back to Weight Watcher Class and get the strength of the program and see my friends.
  • Feel better and stronger and get rid of this insidious cough!
  • Get the dackels stripped and trimmed up.
  • Work on a sewing project and repair my favorite blanket. I have this cotton comforter I bought in Germany 25 years ago and it is starting to become tattered. Time for me to sew it up and perhaps put a binding on it.
  • Go and get my hair done. I need color and this time I actually need a shaping cut.
  • Sleep through the night without a cough drop in my mouth!
  • Plan something special for our anniversary in April. (26 years)
  • Write more each day.

Today would have been my grandmother’s birthday. She has been gone since I was 26 years old. I still miss her a great deal. I hope she knows that every time I have a cup of tea I think of her!

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Grandma Honey on her wedding day.

Mary Francis Daniell Prussmann

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My sister, Melodie, Grandma Honey and me!

(1966/67)

Back In The Saddle Again

I admit. Since we returned from our trip I have not done much at all. I have slept, watched TV, and hibernated.

I think it was the snow that was falling when we landed at Logan Airport on the 18th of January. Yes, that’s it. The shock of being back in the northeast after being down in the warmth.

But today I decided to get off my chair and do the laundry and change the sheets. You know, the important stuff.

I also took out some lovely chicken breasts, stuffing I made a month or so ago and tucked in the freezer and peeled the rutabaga and potatoes for our dinner.

So Hubby and I will have clean underwear and socks to wear, clean sheets to sleep on, and a normal and decent dinner meal!

Hubby asked if I had a fever? Have I lost what little of my mind that I have left? Or am I just getting back on schedule?

I’m going with the losing my mind. It’s more entertaining than a fever or just getting back on schedule.

Have I mentioned the dogs are happy to have us home? Yup, Arnie and Greta stick to me like glue during the day and at night, Anneliese is my little cuddle bunny in bed.

So, it was a successful day today and I’m starting to feel pretty good about being productive.

I Need A Vacation

From our cabin, we could see the bridge of the ship. There was always so much happening when we anchored off shore, or docked at an island. Yes, the bridge got very busy!

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There were times it was nearly empty, and I wondered who was watching things. But then, todays ships are so modern they have all the bells and whistles.

On our ship, it was commanded by a Commodore Giuseppe Romano. This means he is a senior captain. I met him twice and saw him on the ship a few times. He seemed a nice enough man.

I sure liked the crew members that we dealt with. Our Cabin Steward, the waiters at our table and the breakfast crew.

I’m still working on getting my land legs! What is it they say? I need a vacation from my vacation!

Home

To me, as much as I love to travel, I also love to come home. Especially after a long trip away from my four dogs.

Yes, the dogs are a lot of work. Taking them out for walks, feeding them on schedule, and making sure they get their little cookie bones.

However after 10 days, it was really good to get home and see them all! If a dog can smile, these four sure did!

My only problem upon arriving home was a 103 temperature, and a sore throat. I actually started to feel bad on the airplane, and Jack said I got very quiet. (This is very unusual, as I am a very chatty person.)

This caused me several cold glasses of soda and a very early bedtime.

Now that I am up and about again I will be trying to get together a journal of my trip with some pictures. The first few days on the ship we had pretty good Internet service, then nothing. It was very frustrating.

So stay tuned for more about our trip. It really was a nice one.

Monday Madness

I have been so busy all day. In the morning I cleaned the entire house and prepared the guest room for our house sitter. I even put an extra comforter on the bed because it has been so cold.
I vacuumed, I washed floors, and I worked packing suit cases, making meals, and writing out plans for the house sitter. He came to dinner and we went over everything. I think I was over protective of the dogs, but he understood.
I finally made Hubby pack his suit case and think about clothes to pack. He makes me crazy. I have been packing for two days and he just tosses things in a bag and away he goes.
Our weather has been very bad. I woke up today and looked outside and the driveway was sheer ice! After breakfast Hubby tried to clear it, but it was very hard. He fell once flat on his back, and poor Fritz couldn’t walk on it and kept falling as well. In the afternoon our neighbor, Perk came and offered to use his truck to sand the driveway. He did and that made things better. But you should have seen it before Perk came with his truck! One time I was watching out the window and Hubby was trying to break up the ice with the Jeep and he came sliding down the driveway and I thought he would hit my car! But he swerved off and did not hit it!
So tomorrow we will drive to Boston and stay over night at the near the airport. Then we will get to the airport early and begin to try for our pass ride to Fort Lauderdale Florida. We have a reservation at a  hotel there for Wednesday night. We leave at noon on Thursday. Please keep your fingers crossed that we will make all our flights!

Our Christmas!

We got up and we let the dogs have their toy gifts. They were so happy with their chew toys and their balls.
I made bacon, eggs and German Stollen with coffee and juice. Then we cleaned up, and dressed and got ready for our day with Mandy, Matt and Savannah.
We arrived a little early, about 1:30, and my former husband and his family were still there. It was so nice to see them all.
Hubby brought the wrapped car to the house first thing and brought it into the living room and Savannah immediately opened it and squealed with delight! She immediately jumped into it and had to get rides!

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Savannah and car 1

We opened presents and I was so happy that somehow Savannah found this Oma Mug for me!

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Mandy and I worked on appetizers and snacks, and then eventually dinner. Matt cooked Cowboy steaks for himself and Hubby (they are very tender rib eye steaks with the bone still on.) It was so tender and delicious! Amanda made jumbo shrimp for the two of us. Then we had mashed potatoes, mashed butternut squash and green beans. For dessert, my apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.

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I snuggled with Savannah as the day wore on. There is nothing better in the entire world, then when your grandchild is in your arms!

We had coffee and then left there about 7:30. We drove home and all was well. The dogs were happy to see us and after we let them out and they played, they came in and at about 10:30 I went to bed. I felt so tired.

I must tell you this is one of the very best Christmas’ I have had ever!

I hope you all had a wonderful one too!

Saturday

On Saturday, Hubby and I went out to clear our driveway. It’s about 400 feet up hill, and since our snow blower died, we had done almost no shoveling. But with ice forecast for tomorrow, we decided to go out and clear the drive off.

We worked for two hours. I carefully slid the snow off the drive to the ditches on either side. The good news is, we got the drive completely cleared and so when it began to rain we were all set. Now, if we get ice? Well, I think we will be in for a while.

After we finished, we changed into dry clothes and then took off to do the last of our Christmas shopping.

We stopped at our local Chinese Buffet, where a few weeks ago I had dropped my credit cards on their floor. Our usual waitress picked them up and saved them for me and today I brought a little something for her and told her how much I appreciated her actions. She was really happy, and I think she appreciated the fact that I had not taken her kindness for granted.

Then Hubby and I hit the Outlet Mall. We went into a few stores and I kept running into people I knew. It was so much fun! Hubby kept joking that I knew more people at the Mall than the Governor of our State!

We got home in time to feed the hounds, and about that same time, my joints began to ache. All that snow and slush shoveling! So now I think a nice hot bath will be a good way to relax!

Girls Day

Friday I spent the day with my girls. It’s so much fun to see how much Savannah changes each time I see her. She is talking a lot more and at one point when I was helping her eat, I asked her if she was ready (for the next spoonful) and she looked right at me and said “Yes!”

I’m also thrilled because she is starting to know that my name is “Oma”! And she seems to enjoy saying it. She also loved the words, “Dadda”, “Mama”, “Nana”, and “No”. She cracks me up as she laughs a lot!

We listened to Michael Buble’s Christmas CD and danced with wild abandon! Then we looked at Mikhail Baryshnikov dancing in “The Nutcracker”. Savannah loved that too, and tried like anything to dance like the ballerinas!

We did a little birthday shopping at Macy’s. They were having great sales and I bought my girl (Mandy) some pretty new things! I totally love the new sweaters she got!

I managed to get back home shortly after sunset fed the dogs and I even made Hubby dinner! What a wife I am!

I hope today we can go out and finish our Christmas shopping. We’re due for an ice storm tonight and tomorrow and I want to get it all done today.