My Life – Page 94 – The Dackel Princess

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Summer’s here-whoohoo! What’s your favorite sight, sound, AND smell associated with summer?

Sight: My growing garden.

Sound: The children playing at the beach in front of my house. Just think of all those giggles.

Smell: Anything being grilled on a charcoal grill. I am such a foodie!.

2. Fireflies or lightning bugs…what are they called in your neck of the woods?

Actually they call them both, but I guess fireflies is what I tend to use, when I refer to them.

3. What is something from the past week that reminded you of your childhood?

My little community just got done hosting Motorcycle Week here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. I grew up on Cape Cod and summers always meant crowds. So the past week with all the crowds makes me think of growing up in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

4. Define ‘the good life’.

I suppose not having to worry about bills, the laundry, and having the freedom to do what I want, when I want. Wait! I did that when I was about 13! LOL!

5. Tell us what we’d see if you took a snapshot of your desk/work space?

Right now that space is a work in progress. It’s terribly messy, but I hope by Sunday to have the office finally finished and clean!

6. Peaches or watermelon…yes, you have to choose.

Since we have our own peach trees I will say…Peaches!

7. Ever been skinny dippin’? Is that too much for the Wednesday Hodgepodge? Rest assured we won’t need details…unless of course you feel you must but remember, this is a family friendly blog so keep it G rated.

When Hubby and I lived in Florida, we had our own pool, that was caged in and was very private. On a really hot night I would slip out and take a dip! So, yes, I have skinny dipped!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today is my favorite cousin’s birthday! Go on over and wish Janet a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, Jan! Love you!!!!!

Wonderful Monday

Monday was the nicest day we have had in New England all summer long! Pleasant temperatures, bright blue skies and low humidity! I mean, how good does it get?

Hubby puttered around in the orchard, we both worked to water the garden and the potted plants on the patio, and I decided to try out the new laundromat, washing my heavy cotton blankets.

What I found at the new laundry, is a clean place, with new and well cared for machines, a family owned business, where someone is always there. And everyone was so nice! Best of all, the prices were reasonable, and since I had errands to do, I didn’t worry about leaving the blankets in the wash with the pleasant gentleman working right next to the machine.

So, I got the blankets done, and brought them home to dry, and then it just seemed that the rest of my day was terrific. The dogs were good, Hubby was in a good mood, my computer worked well….it was all good!

Tonight we’re grilling steak (for Hubby) and chicken (for me) with some baked potatoes and a spinach, strawberry and goat cheese salad, with a raspberry vinaigrette.

Yeah, I guess I do talk about food a lot! lol!

What I Did This Past Weekend

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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I woke Sunday morning to the sounds of crows outside. There must have been something on the road below interesting them because they stuck around until I went outside with the dogs and then they flew off. While the dackels roamed the yard and I picked up the newspaper, I heard the sweetest of calls. That of the Loon.

Many of you may recall the movie “On Golden Pond” with Katherine Hepburn and Henry Fonda. Well that was filmed very close to our home here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Although my lake is not the lake in the film, we also have Loons on our lake, and their sweet calls speak to me in a way that not many other birds do.

Here is Hubby with the dogs (Fritz, Arnie, Anneliese, and Greta) at the top of Rattlesnake Mountain overlooking “Golden Pond” also known as Squam Lake. This is a great hike for people and for their dogs too!

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On Saturday I did paperwork for our Library. It took me a long time, but I got it done. Five written pages. All that is left now is to organize about 12-15 pages of documents. Then I will be done with that. In the afternoon the skies opened and it just poured rain, so I didn’t have to water the didn’t have to water the garden.

Friday, Hubby sold his motorcycle, and when our friend came to pick it up, I had lunch all ready for them. I’d planned to do nothing on Friday, but I was so happy to have something fun to do like make lunch for friends!

What did you do this past weekend?

Friday Fill-Ins

And…here we go!

1. One of my favorite birthday presents was the year my sister gave me a surprise party. My Dad and Uncle were still alive and it was so special for me to have everyone together!.

2. I wrote down every thing I ate and lost weight, it was as simple as that.

3. The moon also rises.

4. My lunch includes vegetables and protien every day.

5. I was tempted by The fabulous picture my cousin sent me of Fried Clams!.

6. See knew things and new places are some of the things I like to do on vacation.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to cooking a roast beef, tomorrow my plans include working on a report and Sunday, I want to weed the garden and pay bills!

Thursday Thirteen

This weeks Thursday Thirteen finds me sharing with you thirteen things I am thinking about right now.

I lost a fair amount of weight at Weight Watchers yesterday, and I only have five pounds to go until I reach my goal!
This made me quite giddy this morning after class. I felt really proud of myself!
I did not reward my achievements with food as I have previously done.
I came home and enjoyed a large diet lemonade! Made with real lemon!
I thought about what to make for dinner. I stood and stared into my freezer.
I grabbed some clams and clam juice from Memorial Day and made Weight Watchers Clam Chowder.
It is nearly done and I can smell it. YUM!
I did taste it and it really does taste good.
We had sunny weather today, so pleasant, but it is clouding up.
I need to go and grocery shop for fresh vegetables.
It will not be long until my garden is producing.
Then I can just go out and pick some squash and saute it up!
Life is good and I am happy!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don’t have a bucket list let’s pretend you do.

Going to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands. Since they are in the same hemisphere I would try to do them during the same trip.

2. What makes a good dad?

A Dad who is never too busy to talk to their kids, and spend time with them as well. In this day and age, it is not always possible for Dad’s to spend a lot of time with their kids, but finding those moments, where you can communicate with your kids, makes all the difference. A friend of mine probably doesn’t even know this, but I think he is a great Dad and Grand-Dad. I love his easy going ways, and how his kids and grand-kids love him.

3. Are you afraid of insects? Which ones?

I hate black flies because of my allergy to them. I swell up like a balloon! I do not like Scorpions, but other insects don’t freak me out too much.

4. We’re barbecuing…what’s on the grill at your house?

I love to cook ribs, chicken, or swordfish. That’s lately. The usual burgers, hot-dogs and steak are fine, but I’ve been going more low-fat and healthy meat meals. Grilled vegetables are fun too!

5. Do you believe that playing is more important than winning?

Yes. When Mandy was little and we taught her to play Backgammon, we taught her all the basics and the rules and then let her go. I think she was 5 or 6 years old when she beat one of my husbands MIT educated friends, who has not recovered to this very day!

6. Do you tan? Use self tanners? Visit tanning salons? See your dermatologist at least once a year?

I actually worked in a Tanning Salon and had a super dark tan at one point. But then I started working somewhere else and then I stopped tanning.

I had cancer surgery 3 years ago for a skin cancer on my face, so I no longer tan. I liberally use sun screens and I really need to get back and get my skin checked by the Dermatologist.

7. Five years ago I would never imagine that today I would_______________.

Be so successful on Weight Watchers. I am so close to my goal and I am feeling like I finally understand the new program.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today I am visiting a different Weight Watcher’s Meeting because my usual meeting has been canceled due to “Bike Week” here in The Lake’s Region of New Hampshire. My little meeting center is being used as The Police Station! I’m sure they’d love it if I showed up with my running shorts and tank top on!

I Am….

I worked today helping out a friend at her store. She needed me to clean and answer the phone for her. Well, I started in cleaning and three and a half hours later, the place looked fabulous and smelled great. As I sat down to have a coffee break, I noted that I really need to do the same thing at my house.

Why is it that my house is not as clean as my friend’s shop? Well it could be because of the computer. I’m afraid I spend way too much time on my computer. I love it..I love communicating. I love watching the world go round. I love my computer.

What I need to do is learn to limit. I need to limit the time on the computer until I get my house in shape, and then after that, I need to tell myself no computer time until I get my housework done each day.

So, there you have it. I’m finally admitting it.

I am a computer junkie!

Friday Fill-Ins

And…here we go!

1. I remember when I first heard my daughter cry in the delivery room! There was such joy in her birth.

2. Rain showering down watering my garden.

3. Most humans fail to learn the most important thing in life. To love and be loved.

4. I tripped over my own feet while walking across an open walkway…sound familiar?

5. I was inspired by my cousin Janet to start this blog.

6. I’m hoping to take a trip next year. But, who knows where I will go!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to come home from work and make a quick dinner, tomorrow my plans include working half a day and then coming home to pick up my blankets and bring them to the laundry and Sunday, I want to read the paper, weed the garden a bit and make Hubby a nice dinner!

Thursday Thirteen

This weeks Thursday Thirteen finds me sharing with you thirteen things I love about summer. Sit back and share the happiness!

The color green. I love how when spring is over, the trees have blossomed out and everything is green, green, green!
Watching the vegetable garden grow. Since I start most of my plants from seed, I have the profound joy of watching everything grow from tiny sprout to a producing plant.
Watching the dogs once again, enjoying the soft green grass. Whether it is rolling around scratching their backs, or running full speed around the back yard, it is just wonderful!
Fresh vegetables! I love vegetables. All vegetables, so I enjoy it when I can go out and pick a fresh zucchini or summer squash and slice it up, toss it in a pan with some onions and fresh basil and enjoy!
Watching the fruit grow on the trees. Until I met Hubby I had never watched a crop of fruit grow. I see how hard he works on the trees and watching a mini apple slowly grow, well it’s amazing!
I love canning! I love making the jellies and also canning things like apple sauce, tomato sauce and last year I even made stuffed zucchini boats and carefully froze them!
Sunshine! Oh, there is nothing better then waking up to sunshine and blue skies!
Warmth! After a winter where we had A LOT OF SNOW it is great to once again be in warm temperatures!
Cook-outs! When we lived in Florida, we had a gas grille, but I missed the slight charcoal-y flavor you get by grilling the old fashioned way. So, for Father’s Day a few years back I gave Hubby a Weber Charcoal Grille!
Swimming. I do love it, although I don’t do it as often as I should. I’m going to make more of an effort this year!
The noise my air conditioner makes. Is this funny or what? But the noise is the best “white noise” ever when I am trying to go to sleep!
Craft Fairs! I love them. Usually my cousin Janet comes up and we go together! That is the best!
Going on the Mount Washington Cruise Ship on Lake Winnipesaukee!

Reunion Part 3

On Saturday we woke and wanted to get over to the campus for Choir Rehearsal, but it turned out that the time was wrong on our sheet, so once we saw the music offering (My father, a church organist most of his life, would have been ashamed.) The music was overly difficult, full of dirges and hymns with discordance’s. After rehearsal, Hubby and I decided not to sing in the choir.

After that we walked around the campus, with Hubby recalling days gone by, while I limped along. My left knee was bothering me after the hike the day before, and the only reason I mention it, is that later the silly knee will become relevant.

They had a Memorabilia Sale and I got a great blanket for my chair. Then we continued our walk, in the bright sunshine. We were so lucky to have had such nice weather.

Soon it was time for lunch and once again we ate in the Campus Cafeteria. I put together a salad and Hubby had your traditional Campus Junk Food! Hot-dogs, French Fries and Onion Rings!

After lunch we decided to take a ride out to The Morgan Horse Breeding Farm.

There we took a tour of the facilities and also got to see these beautiful creatures up close!

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She was the sweetest horse.

Do you see how she loves this girl?

Another horse being groomed.

A new foal!

We stayed until we knew we needed to change for the dinner that night. So we headed back to the Inn, changed, and when I went to put on my shoes, I couldn’t get my feet into them. My feet had swollen from all the hiking! It was also sore, so I was limping a little.

I had some black flat sandals and I slipped those on while still wearing hose, and off we went. The event was quite grand and lovely. First we had the marching of the classes up to the chapel, where we listened to the College President and the Alumni Representatives tell us about each of the classes, and the donations that they’d made. This is called Convocation.

Our “Midd Kids”! They were just super!

The classes lined up for Convocation.

After this we were off to the last banquet dinner. I was limping a lot at this point, but I didn’t want to complain, because I was surrounded by people older than myself and they were all doing great!

We drove to the Gymnasium and Arts Center, and in back they had several tents set up for the parties. Hubby got me a glass of red wine, but it was only partly filled, so I went back after I finished it to get another. I was walking on cobblestones in those slippery sandals, and hose, with my bad knee, when while carrying my empty glass, I slipped and started to fall! I wavered, but eventually regained my balance, only to notice that I looked positively drunk!

I regained my balance (and what little dignity I had left) returned to Hubby and sent him to get me a refill!

We stayed until well after dark and then returned to the Inn for our last night. In the morning, after breakfast, we loaded up the car, headed over to the campus for a church service and then off we went across the mountains back home.