Family, Friends,…… What A Weekend!

You will, perhaps notice the lateness that I am posting my Sunday entry on Dackel Princess. Why, you might ask, is this happening? Well, after two fabulous days of family and friend parties, I’m afraid that when I settled in for the night last night, I just felt like doing nothing but sleeping! So, no column was written. In fact I was nearly asleep in my bed, when suddenly I remembered this fact. I thought about going out and writing it then, but the dackels talked me out of it!

On Friday night, Mandy and M. came for a cookout. I made grilled chicken, and potato salad and fresh from our garden green beans. All I can say is YUMMY!

It was wonderful to see them, as it has been a while since we got together. I think it was Mother’s Day, and that was back in May. I am determined to get down to see Mandy for a lunch date once Greta has calved. (You should see her today! I swear she has baby cows in there, and not dackels!)

In any case, Mandy and M. took a bunch of pictures while here, and so you get to see us in all our summer happiness!

Me and my girl! I do not think it is possible to ever explain how much you love your kids. Mandy is just the light of my life and I adore her. Not just because I gave birth to this beauty, but because I love who she has become over the years. She works hard and she is such a nice and kind person.

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This is M. and Mandy. Someday he will be less shy and allow me to publish his name. Let’s just say it’s Biblical.

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I finally got a picture of M. Laughing! I love it!

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Mandy was eating, when suddenly Fritz just helped himself. Totally unlike him!

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And lastly, here is another shot of Mandy and me.

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Saturday, we were invited to a Lobster Fest. Now I am smart enough to RSVP quickly to such an event. It was so much fun, very laid back, the food was great (how can lobster not be?) and the company was a mix of people both warm and interesting.

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The day was perfect except for the slightly high temperatures. But as you can see, we live near a lake, so once people got hot, they disappeared and went swimming.

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We did have one scare. A beautiful Sheltie, who was a guest, took off toward the road and just barely got missed! Oh I wanted to die, and so did his owner, who was sitting next to me! Fortunately the car stopped and all was well!

Makenna with the Sheltie.

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Soon the cooking started and lobster after lobster was fed into the pot!

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Before you knew it, the salads, corn, prime rib and lobsters were laid out on the table!

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Everyone immediately sat down and began to crack shells and go to town on their meal!

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Our host was wearing a T-shirt that summed it all up! I am all for helping the farmers!

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Our host, enjoying his birthday meal!

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The lovely Makenna, whose parents hosted the event!

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Soon the sun set and the bats came out, but even they could not handle the multitude of mosquito’s. It was getting late, so we said our good-byes and came back home, walking very carefully on the small path through the woods to our house.

What a great weekend!

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The day dawned bright, but quickly I found the clouds moving in. The weather held off long enough to have a nice barbecue out on the patio, and actually we were able to spend quite a bit of time there before coming in to escape the darkening skies and brief showers.

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Steve, Vicky and Shirley.

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Jim, Steve and Vicky.

These are our friends from Florida with their son and daughter in-law. So nice to have them with us for the night.

As we sat talking I looked down and saw Greta. My Lord, she is getting so big!

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Three weeks left until she has her babies! I can hardly wait!

The Adventure

Thursday we decided to go out for an adventure. I was a bit reluctant because it was pouring rain and as dark as it is at dusk, but what the heck, we had nothing else to do so….

We hopped into our Jeep. Hubby was driving, Gail sitting in the passenger seat and me in the back. After all, I’d seen this route over the mountains before.

We drove along and all was well. We talked and joked and life was good.

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But the rain kept coming down. Hard. We watched the streams rising and the road become flooded with water.

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We reached the first wonderful waterfall, and found it gushing with the overflow from the days rain. In the last 8 days we have had 6 inches of rain!

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As pretty as it was, it was doing bad things to the road and Hubby had to zigzag down the road to keep away from the giant puddles! Hubby and Gail were fine, but in the back seat I started to feel bad. In fact I grabbed a dog walking (poop) bag and held it, ready to get physically ill at any moment.

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We reached the next waterfall and it really was beautiful, but I was dying in the back. I prayed to be released from this torture!

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As we got to the end of the mountain pass, we noticed something was wrong with our old Jeep. The temperature gauge went sky high. So Hubby pulled into the first gas station, and as he carefully  lifted off the cap to the radiator, out bubbled the scalding water!

Hubby filled it with cold water hoping it was just a leak or something but it turned out that when the water pump failed it ultimately froze up and threw the belt for the power steering and fan, thus making the Jeep un-drivable! We were stuck at the gas station!!!

We called AAA and requested a tow. They told us it would be 30-45 minutes before a tow truck could come and take Hubby and the Jeep to our home. We looked around and saw a pizza restaurant! Eureka!

So we went over, carrying our umbrellas and ordered lunch. I ordered 1/2 an eggplant pizza, Gail got a half a vegetarian pizza and Hubby got a meatball sub.

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We no sooner sat down than the tow truck driver arrived and Hubby left to work with him. I got Hubby’s sub, and ran out, carrying my umbrella, and took it to him. Then I returned to have my pizza with Gail.

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Oh it was so good!!!

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Now once we ate the pizza we needed to fill time. We shopped at a local store, and then did what every other sane individual does, we went for a Latte at Dunkin’ Donuts!

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I have to tell you that in the rain, and the cold the hot Lattes were so delicious! We sat talking and sipping until my cell phone rang and it was Hubby. Where were we now? We told him, and before we knew it, he was driving into the parking lot to pick us up.

Dunkin’ Donuts has saved me more than once when I found myself in need of a hot cup of something wonderful!

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Once he picked us up, we stopped to buy important things…..Dog Food! Then we drove home and rescued our little lovelies!

Hubby will need to replace the water pump, fan belt and who knows what else. Hopefully, he can get it done soon as this is his off road vehicle, and my winter car.

The day ended with a steak meal, complete with baked potatoes and fresh green beans from our garden. All and all a good meal and a great way to end an adventurous day!

Wonderful

Today Gail and I drive to Maine to visit her friend, American Artist Jack Lewis. I ask that you go to this web site and learn a little more about this incredible man. I didn’t know anything about him, until Gail introduced me to his work. Today she wanted to go to Maine to present him with an award and I was the chauffeur.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I have to tell you. Today I met a truly magical man. Yes, I am now not only a fan, but a friend. Jack is 97 years old. He has seen, and recorded so much of the world with his art, and is Delawares native son.

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He has a gleam in his eye and a warm and wonderful personality. His daughter, Heather, joined us and she is a delight as well. In many ways, she reminded me of her Dad.

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We went to The Stage Neck Inn for our lunch. It is a wonderful spot right on the ocean. In fact when I stepped from my car, I inhaled and the smell of the ocean brought me right back to my childhood on Cape Cod. Salt, the sea, simply wonderful!

I took this picture with my cell phone.

The Ocean in Maine

We ate and we talked and shared and I felt as though I had known Jack and Heather all of my life. They were both so warm and gracious!

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Even though we spent several hours with them, the time simply flew by! Before we knew it, it was time to leave to go back to New Hampshire and Hubby and the pups.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go, but I was so torn. Today I met two people I now consider friends. I hope my next visit will not be too far off.

Puppies, Movies & Pregnant Dogs

Today I received updates and pictures of my two boys, Bogart and Baron. They are both doing well, and changing each and every day. Bogey looks so much like his Uncle Arnie. Quite a handsome fellow. His mom, Alexandra Daley-Clark sent me these pictures of her boy.

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He is a cutie and Alex is a terrific photographer! Thanks for the great shots.

Then I heard from Baron’s new family. I looked at the pictures and thought, “Wow! He looks a lot like his Mom!”

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He is happy with his new family and having a great time. He even went swimming the other day!

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It make me smile and feel so great to see these guys doing so well. Thanks for the pictures and keep them coming!

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Gail and I went to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Wow was that good. I am so glad that we had our Harry Potter film festival over the weekend, so we knew everything up to the start of the movie.

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I suggest if you haven’t seen the movies in a while, watch them before you go. It really helps to make sense of it all.

After all, we are just mere “muggles”! Ha!

Tuesday morning at 11:30 we take Greta to the Vet’s for her pre-natal exam. I have my fingers crossed that she is, in fact, pregnant.

Friday Happenings

Today, the first post puppy day, we did something wonderful. We made cherry jelly! About 10 days ago we picked the ripe cherries from our trees. We’d eaten a bunch, sold a bunch and had saved a gallon to do something with. Two days ago I cooked the cherries down and made the cherry juice, and today I took the juice, some sugar and pectin and made the jelly. Would it be good? I wasn’t sure.

I followed the recipe in the post below and crossed my fingers.

I needn’t have worried. It turned out really well. We had enough left over to pour into a little dish and set aside for breakfast tomorrow, but we all tasted today and WOW it was awesome.

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I heard news that Baerbel had landed at LAX and was now a California girl! I got the cutest picture via my cell phone of Baerbel standing in front of the LAX Welcome sign! Too cute!

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My best friend from childhood, Gail is here visiting. She helped me with the jelly and the dogs also find it quite wonderful that their Auntie Gail is here visiting them. They don’t seem to understand that Auntie Gail is actually here to see me!

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Saturday is the local Greekl Festival that I always work at. My neighbor is a member of the church and I like to volunteer and work with her. I’ll take some pictures and post them on Sunday!

Happy Saturday everyone!!!

Ankle Socks & Sneakers

Today was one heck of a day. Hubby and I shopped for food, vacuumed the house, fed, walked and played with our dogs and the puppy, and cooked a gallon of cherries so we could make cherry juice for cherry jelly. Gosh the list doesn’t “look” that long, but trust me, it was.

The day was dark and rainy, so it actually was a perfect day to do all of these things. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything, however, because of the rain the dogs all were feeling stir crazy.

It’s only a week now until we learn for certain if Greta is pregnant. I’m pretty sure she is, but it will be nice to hear, then the planning can begin.

It’s funny. I was looking at the picture I posted the other day of me with my sister, Janet and Larry and Tracy. Now here is the funny part. You will notice that everyone is either in bare feet, or flip-flops and there I am with my white ankle socks and sneakers and in a dress. Why is this funny?

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Well possibly because it is how I dress today. Especially the socks and sneakers. I guess some things never change. What a weird kid I was and an equally weird adult!

All I can say is “Help, Clinton and Stacy” from TLC’s “What Not To Wear”. They could be my last hope!

A Day With My Cousin

Today I spent the day with my cousin Janet. She is just a tad older than me, thus I cannot recall a single day in my life when Janet wasn’t in it. Be it in thought or physically present. You see our families lived in different towns, but we were a close family. Birthdays and holidays were spent together, and in the summer for two or three weeks they would all come down to our house on Cape Cod and my life was full, happy and fun!

This picture was taken when I was probably 8 and Janet 9 years old. From left to right: my sister Mel, Janet, Me, my friend, Tracy and my cousin and Janet’s brother, Larry.

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Janet and I grew up like sisters. We played baby dolls together, progressed to Barbie dolls and then when Barbie and Ken became Paul McCartney and Linda and Mick Jagger and Bianca, well, you can follow the progression, we went from being little girls to teenagers.

Today we talked about some of the things that made those times special for us. Tying jump ropes on our bicycle hand bars and pretending we were riding horses, going to the beach and walking the shore line for hours and hours! Soft white sheets that felt like milk against our sun-kissed skin, that we fell into at night.

Today was a girls day for us. Hubby was busy with a meeting, and so we went out for lunch at a new place I’ve found, Kevin’s Cafe. Janet had the scallops and I had the whole belly clams! Then we did what we have done since we were kids. We shared. We talked, and we laughed. The food was so great and the company even better!!!

This picture was taken a few years ago. But I love it!

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We came back to my house after stopping a few places and talked more. I’m still amazed after all these years how much we have to talk about. That’s the best part though of having a cousin who is also a friend. You never run out of things to talk about!

All too soon she had to leave to drive south to her home. When she was gone I sat for a long time and thought how lucky I am to have her and how we are going to set the world on fire when we are little old ladies sitting on the front porch of a cottage at the beach. Talking, just like we have always done., and of course, ogling all those cute young life guards! lol!!!

Love you, sweetie!

Raining In The Sunshine

Most of the day was the usual business with the pups, and Greta’s boyfriend decided to come over to see if he could get lucky. Let’s just say, that the poor boy went home disappointed. That Greta is one very tough chick!

It was hot and humid here and towards the end of the day it was bright sunshine and suddenly I heard big drops of rain! I ran out and got the puppy toys inside, the puppies too, and closed up the door and windows. Then I stood staring out the window watching the sun shine and the rain pour! Okay, now that is just plain strange!

Poor Arnie is just beside himself with desire for Greta. I finally called our Vet and asked for help. He is currently sleeping in his crate in the guest room….quietly! Finally….quietly!

Sunday I am planning a quiet day, or as quiet as one can get when they have 8 dogs! LOL! I’d like to spend time in the yard with the puppies and the two girls and perhaps get Arnie out for a walk.

I hope Makenna comes over again too. She is a great help with the puppies. Here she is with Baerbel!

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Also today is my Mom’s 80th Birthday! I wish her a Happy, Happy Birthday and send her all of my love. I’m sorry I missed the big party today, and look forward to seeing you soon!

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