Category: Friday Five

This week really flew by. I had so many problems to solve and I spent more time than I wanted to on solving them. Ugh! Not all of them have been resolved, but that is a post for another day!

Here is this Week’s Friday Five!

1. I saw this funny bit by Bill Engvall on Facebook and it made me laugh as I thought about my Lili and the dachshunds.
   

   In fact, on Thursday I was walking Arnie outside and the two neighbor dogs were outside with no supervision. They began to bark, and one of them came over the stone wall toward Arnie! I was in my slippers and down parka and I went running through the deep hard snow to “save” Arnie and twisted my leg. Ugh! Anyway, watch the clip and have a little laugh!

2. Jack has now had his second Moderna Shot for Covid. Today I was able to make my appointment for April. Baby-steps! But at least I am moving in the right direction!
3. We have more wind again. This is the type of wind that rattles your windows and doors and makes everything sound so loud! I wonder if we will have power outages?
4. Will any of you watch Oprah’s hatchet job interview with Meghan and Prince Harry? I do not think I will. You see, I look at MM and PH as being two spoilt brats who think the world owes them. And somehow MM has convinced PH that she is Princess Diana and needs his devoted protection! At least this is my opinion.  Oh, gag! No, I won’t be watching.
5. Lastly, this weekend is my grandson’s birthday! He will be 5 years old. I remember the day he was born so well.
   Savi, Quinn’s other Grandmother, and I all came to the hospital right after he was born. I always joke with Quinni that I changed his first day’s worth of poopy diapers! And you know, I loved every second of it! Now Quinn is a big boy and so very remarkable.

   I adore my grandchildren and they are God’s greatest gift to me!

Well, that is this Week’s Friday Five. I hope you have a great weekend!

I think the slightly longer hours of daylight are helping my wintertime depression and the skies remind me that soon Spring will be here. Instead of recounting my week, I thought I would give you five pictures of days gone by.

1. This first one is me. I am thinking I was about 5 years old. I was a real ham even back then. Point a camera at me and I pose.

   Mandy says she can always tell my fake smiles from the real ones. That makes me laugh. Surprisingly, I think that Quinn looks a lot like me.

2. Here is a picture taken when I was ten. My sister is on the left, my cousin Rikki on the right holding her beautiful baby daughter, Dawn.
   

   This is the first baby I remember being born and I simply fell in love with her! Dawn has grown into an amazing woman. And she is just as lovely on the outside as she is on the inside!

3. The next picture is of me holding my sister’s first son, Michael. He was such a beautiful baby and I was instantly smitten.

   In fact, I have always loved babies! Fortunately, my family always allowed me unlimited rocking baby times! I think I was 13 years old.

4. When I was just 14, my parents went to Bermuda to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They took me with them. They went in November and it was chilly. But I loved Bermuda.

   An interesting note here. It was also my first airplane ride. And the airline was Pan Am. Little did I know that years later, I would marry a Pan Am pilot.

5. The last old picture for today was of me at 16. My Mom made this gown for me as I was a Rainbow Girl. The picture is not the best as it is an old polaroid snap.I loved this gown and it made me feel like a million dollars when I wore it. I wish I knew what happened to that gown. It would be lovely to have it now.

So that’s it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend wherever you may be!

Time is flying by. This is just what I hoped would happen in the year 2021. I think the sooner we get through this year, the better. I believe that 2022 will find life returning to a more normal time for us all. Until the virus abates and vaccines are given, we will be in this sort of suspended animation. As life goes on, here is this week’s Friday Five.

1. Fifteen years ago, my very first wire-haired dackel, Shubi left this world for the next. But this little dog left me with something so very special, and I wanted to share it with you today.

   You may recognize the sweater as being the one that Arnie now wears.

   Shubi taught me all about unconditional love. During a terrible depression I suffered, Shubi was with me each and every day. She was my sunshine and helped me in ways that no one could ever imagine. So, although she has been gone for 15 years, her memory, her love lingers in my mind and in my heart.

2. I made the most delicious Quiche today. It had onions and garlic, bacon bits, and cheese. It came out very well, and we both enjoyed it. But…my whole house smells like onions and garlic! Eeek! So I got my larger Scentsy burner out and things are getting better. Love to cook with garlic, hate the smell afterward!
3. Tonight is leftover night here at Casa Dackel Princess. I have a fridge full of meals to rerun. So, for me, this means light duty at dinnertime. I really enjoy those days.
4. Arnie is doing better. I washed a new doggy bed and dried it with Downy fabric softener sheets, and he seems to be happier in this one. I also started to walk him outside when he begins to fuss, and then when we come in I give him all kinds of love and snuggles. I’m trying to teach him to expect the cuddling after walks, not after crying. It’s a challenge.
5. I ordered a new mattress pad for my bed. Made in the USA, and quilted, it is like the pads you find in hotels like the Marriott. I picked the box up at the Post Office and it was HUGE! I got it to my car, and then home and currently it is on my bed ready for Arnie and me to jump in for a great night of sleep. I may even take a nice hot bath tonight for relaxation before hitting my little cloud of perfection in bed!

As I close out this entry I want to let you know how wonderful a dog or cat can be in your life. A rescue animal or one like the dackels that are purely and kindly bred can add so very much to your life. Each and every one of my pets has given me far more than I could ever give to them.

Maribeth

This week slipped by rather quickly. I was occupied much of the time and as the week closes, this is what’s going on.

1. I was due for a dental cleaning but canceled the appointment due to the snow.

   The day after. So pretty!

   I probably could have made it over and back, but quite frankly, I am not a fan of driving in snowy weather. Especially when the first 600 feet of the trip from my home is uphill!

2. I’m not sure I have mentioned but my Wednesdays are spent with a meeting online with the wonderful ladies I’ve known for years at WW. We know they canceled our meeting here in the Lakes Region (and they do not plan to ever have one back here), so we twelve fierce women started to meet in Parks last summer and now we meet online until the weather warms up again. These women are all wonderfully supportive and we are so lucky to have each other!
3. A few days ago Arnie started to cry. Not loudly, but softly. But he had no other symptoms. Yesterday he started limping around. His appetite is also not good. Today he seemed okay for the first half of the day and then in the afternoon, the limping began again and so did the soft crying.He also started to have a fever. He ate okay at dinner, but if he is still symptomatic tomorrow I will call our Vets. (It is Thursday night as I write) I will tell you all right now, I cannot handle anything being wrong with Arnie. (Well I will, but I do not want to!)
4. I had a weird reminder that I am old. I wash my hands all the time. I use hand cream all the time. But I also clean the house and floors etc and today when I washed my hands, the skin on my left thumb split open, almost like a paper cut. It was the oddest thing I’ve seen and it made me feel pretty darn old! The skin just parted almost like “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.” Only in my case, it was my skin!
5. On Thursday night I felt like cooking one more meal would simply do me in!Fortunately, I had some Seafood Lasagna in my freezer, and that’s what’s for dinner!

So that was this week. Honestly, I am glad it is over. I am hoping Arnie will bounce back and be his sweet healthy self very soon!

It’s amazing! Here we are, and it is the first Friday in February! It’s my biggest hope that 2021 goes by quickly, leading us to a Happy & Healthy 2022! But here is what’s on my mind this cold and slightly snowy Friday!

1. Jack got his Covid Vaccine on Thursday. He fits several categories for being at High Risk, so off he went and got the Moderna Shot. I wonder how he will be feeling in the morning? Most of my friends have had sore arms and been tired. Hopefully, that is all he will have.
2. Thursday found me stripping off the sofa cover, washing and drying it, and putting it back on.  Now I cannot recall it being that tough! But my goodness, it was as tricky as trying to get Arnie to hold still so I can slip on his winter sweater! By the time I was done, I felt like I had run a marathon!
3. Tomorrow is vacuuming the house day. That’s another big chore. Not so much because of Arnie, but Lili, oh my goodness…the fur!!! Now we all know that shepherds shed. But Lili is different.

   You can almost see the plumes of fur sticking out!

   Her coat is so thick that she sheds clumps of white fur everywhere she goes. I will easily fill a vacuum bag going through the house. And I just vacuumed the day before yesterday! But it must be done!

4. I’ve been struggling with my diet since Anneliese died. But, I have decided that Friday morning I am going right back onto my eating plan. I just know that I need to get a hold of my emotions and get back to eating healthfully! No amount of cookies and crackers will bring Anneliese back. So, it’s onward and upward!
5. Arnie is doing pretty well now. He is all healed up from the bacterial infection that he had over Christmas, and he is finally going out and running around again.

   Arnie resting on my chair.

   I know he misses Anneliese, but I also think he understands that she is not coming back. I’ve been working trimming him and stripping him and once he looks sharper, I will post a new picture!

So that’s it for this week’s Friday Five. I hope you have a happy, and warm weekend!

It the end of another week and the end of the first month of 2021. So far, I am not impressed with what 2021 is offering. Oh well, not much I can do about it. In any case, here is this week’s Friday Five.

1. I am finally feeling better after the cold, which seemed to linger on and on. At least I know it wasn’t Covid, just a rather stubborn cold germ!
2. I had a rather unique thing happen to me the other day. I was doing errands uptown, when I looked down as I walked and saw $20.00 folded up, lying on the ground.
   I picked it up and went inside the store to turn it in. They have no policy for money, but we made a plan. If no one claimed it in two days, it would come to me as the finder. Well, no one claimed it and today I collected the $20.00. But I felt strange. Like I needed to pay this forward in some way. Many of you will know I support St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital, so after lunch today I sat down and sent them the $20.00. It may not be a lot, but to someone in need, $20.00 is a lot! You know, I feel good about this. Really good.
3. Today I will be driving out to pick up Anneliese’s ashes. I’ve really been missing my little girl, but I know she is in a much better place.
4. I finished my 600-page book on the rock/pop group ABBA. It was very well done and answered so many of the questions I had about the group.
5. We are due for some very frigid weather the next few days. The highs will only get into the low teens. But mostly we will be in the single digits! Now that is cold!

I hope that no matter where you are your weekend will be restful and warm! Stay safe, soon it is my hope that we will be done with this blasted Virus!

The last two days have been hard. Arnie and I are still looking around the house for our Anneliese, but she is not to be found. I was feeling as if I were nothing but a weak, emotional marshmallow, but then I remembered that I am one tough cookie and I will help get Arnie through this, as well as myself.

So upon getting up on Thursday, I made my favorite breakfast, sat down, and slowly savored each bite.

In a week’s worth of sadness, here is the Friday Five. Yes, five good things I am truly thankful for.

1. On the night after Anneliese left us, Savi and Quinn called me. Mandy had told them about Anneliese and they wanted me to know that they will miss her and that they loved me. Those simple words out of the mouths of small children meant the world to me.
2. We needed fuel oil and on Tuesday the Oilman cometh! This was very important because our driveway was clear, and the truck had no trouble getting down our drive to fill our tank with 178 gallons of home-heating oil!
3. I went to a psychic last year who told me that Katie was always with me and that she will do odd things to get my attention. He asked if I’d had blinking lights or any other sort of electrical oddities? Why yes, yes I have. So, on Wednesday morning the day after Anneliese left us, I was in the kitchen with my coffee sitting in the darkness only the lights of my Christmas tree to illuminate the kitchen. Suddenly my Christmas tree lights began to blink. Now many years ago I had tried to put the light in to make the tree blink, but it has never worked. But on Wednesday it worked. And it made me smile! Since then, the lights have not blinked again. I think it was Katie letting me know that Anneliese was with her. You may be skeptical but I just know in my heart that it was her. And it comforted me.
4. It’s Thursday and what is it doing outside? It is snowing. I don’t expect it to accumulate too much, and today it is actually pretty.
5. I think this weekend I will spend some time catching up on laundry. I need to clean Anneliese’s bed and put it away. I have left it out for Arnie. It felt right. But he’s doing better so it’s time to let her go and wash the bed.

So that is my Friday Five. Have a wonderful, safe and happy weekend!

It’s strange to be in the middle of January and have the weather be so dry. We had the big three feet of snow a few weeks ago but after that not much at all. It makes me wonder what the weather will be like for the year 2021.

So now, here is this week’s Friday Five, in no particular order.

1. I have a slight cold. No, it’s not Covid, just my usual sore throat, stuffy nose, and tiredness. Perhaps I am actually allergic to Winter! Who knows. Apparently, I look ill because after Zooming with a few friends a couple of them told me I looked terrible.
2. I was carrying a basket of laundry to the basement to start in the machine, when I got my knuckles on my right hand smashed in the door jam. Now in my twenties, if I did something like this, I would have ended up with a few bruises. What happens now that I am 62? The skin on those knuckles just peeled right off! Sheesh! I remember when my grandmother and then my mother did stuff like this. Both lamented that as one aged their skin became like paper. Yeah, well, welcome to the old lady club, Maribeth! LOL!
3. Looking down at my winter down parka (which is baby blue) I noticed that it really needed a bath. I followed directions and the first two washes just were not getting that grime. So I got my fingernail brush, and some liquid dish detergent (Dawn) and set about scrubbing the stained areas. Then I washed it one last time. Presto! The stains were gone. After that, I had to listen to tennis balls in the dryer while the parka dried out. Now I admit to being leery about wearing it as it really is a pain to clean. No pastel-colored coats for me ever again!
4. My Christmas tree is still up, and I am still enjoying the bright lights. I think over the weekend I will carefully take it down and put it away. I simply wrap it up, carefully place it in a box, and that way next year I just pull it out and plug it in.
5. I’ve been thinking about what I want to do once I can travel again. Where do I go? I think the first trip I’d like to go on is with my sister, cousin Janet, Mandy and Savannah. Maybe just a visit to Cape Cod for the weekend, but spend time with my girls! After that? Who knows. Maybe a visit to my friends down in Florida, or maybe Germany. But I am afraid it will be a long time until anyone can travel any great distance.

So, that is the week’s Friday Five. I hope wherever you are that your weekend will be happy and safe.

Here we are now in the middle of the winter. I wake up each day and ask “Alexa” what the weather is. With that, she gives me the current temperature and the outlook for the day. She even wishes me a good day. I lead a very little life. Here we go now, with this week’s Friday Five!

1. I’m thinking that I simply cannot watch the news anymore. I do watch our local news in the morning to catch the weather, but I have stopped watching any other news. It’s all too upsetting to me.
2. I’m reading a terrific book about the group ABBA. I’ve always liked their music and I wondered about how they all got together and made the music they did.

   It’s pretty interesting for a fan like me. And actually a good read. I put on their greatest hits softly in the background and read.

3. Usually, I take my Christmas decorations down, but I like the pretty lights so much that I think I may keep it up for a while.
4. Arnie’s back is coming along. The doctors ran a culture and tested it for sensitivities to antibiotics and so he is now on one that we hope will kick this bacteria to the curb. We are watching him closely and he will remain on antibiotics for another two weeks or more.
5. My first week back on my WW Plan and I have lost four pounds.

   Yay! I am planning everything and writing it all down!

So that’s a few of the things that are happening here in my world. I hope you all are well and have a wonderful weekend!