Category: Friday Five

Happy Friday Everyone! We have made it through another week. In fact, for me, it has been two months since I have seen my daughter and her family. That is a very long time!

Here is this week’s Friday Five.

1. I think it must be very difficult for people who do not stay at home often, to be coping with this self-isolation. I actually have spent a considerable amount of time alone. Back in the day when Jack was still flying, he was gone so much of the time, that it was simply me and the dogs. There was a lot of peace in that. I listened to music, watched the things on TV I wanted and ate what I enjoyed.
2. Spring has arrived here in New Hampshire. Although we still have low temperatures, the sun has been shining and the skies are Robin’s Egg Blue. Jack is talking about air-conditioners going into windows! Yay!
3. We have enjoyed my Stuffed Cabbage Rolls off and on this week. It’s amazing how low in points they are and how delicious!
4. I was watching the news and they were showing people out walking along a boardwalk in California. Well, all I can say is that I now know why Los Angeles had such high numbers.

   These people did now wear their masks correctly! I mean, how hard can this be? Watch this short video as to how to wear your mask!

5. I decided to make my Banana Pancakes in the Waffle Maker that I have. I pictured a lovely Waffle that would be delightful. I got out my machine, mixed up the batter, and poured it into the machine, closed it, and waited until it alerted me the Waffle was done.

   Let’s just say, “Epic Fail!”

   I think the banana made the batter too wet. It tasted fine but had a very weird consistency.

So that was my week and now as I slide into my weekend, I will once again do the laundry and the other cleaning jobs that have become weekend events for me.

Get outside, if you can, and enjoy these beautiful days!

The week sped by and this week, unlike the last few, found many things happening. Many ideas flowing through my brain. So here we are, this week’s Friday Five!

1. Many people have been lamenting on their Covid-19 hair. There is hardly a natural blond left among us. Many people, like me, have discovered, much to their surprise, that their lovely light brown hair, is, in fact, nearly completely gray!
   My hair has also grown at least one and one-half inches (closer to 2) and I sort of like it a little longer. I confess, a month ago to becoming frustrated with my bangs and trimming them. The lucky thing for me is, when you have curly hair, your bangs pretty much look fine even if they are not perfectly cut. Also, despite my gray roots, curly hair allows you to hide the gray, so most days I don’t feel too bad about the whitening roots. I think I will keep the length but get rid of the white when I go back to my salon. (I am not sure when. They’re opening on the 11th of this month, but I do not feel safe or ready for this.)
2. My eye is doing better. But here’s the thing. Each night I have to put this weird salve into them, and I have to tell you, after that you cannot see a blasted thing! Nor can I see when I wake in the night and stagger to the bathroom. It is so strange. By morning, for the most part, I can see through this vaseline haze, but not always.
3. Like Friday morning. I needed to get a urine same from Anneliese. I got up, dressed for the day, and grabbed my jacket, and the little pan on a stick that I catch Anneliese’s urine in. I couldn’t see perfectly, but good enough. It was cold, so I put on my jacket, put a leash on Anneliese and out we went. There was a pallet with patio blocks on it, and of course, it was right by this, under an apple tree that Anneliese wanted to go.
   She squatted down and I put the pan under her, and she went. yay! Then it all went to hell. She turned quickly, the leash dragged into the urine, flipped up and suddenly I was splashed with urine. And so were my clothes. I did not lose the sample and quickly tucked it into a Ziploc bag. I came in, stripped out of my clothes, tossed them down the stairs to go into the laundry, and then went and showered! Ugh! You have not lived until you have been splashed by dog-pee!
4. Because the trip out to my Vets is 25 miles each way, I try to do it as infrequently as I can. I got a card reminding me that Lili needed shots at the end of the month. I called and asked if I could bring Lili too, for her shots and to have her ear checked? Sure!
   So I put my two sick doggies and the Ziploc bag of wee-wee in the car and off we went.
   The end result is that Lili still has an ear infection and it was cleaned and part one of the antibiotic was put into her ear. Part two will go in next week.
   Anneliese still has her UTI. So she is back on the Bactrim and will take it for three weeks.
5. The birds were all at the feeders today. (Thursday) The Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Baltimore Orielles, Chickadees, and Blue Jays. I saw Robins pulling up worms, my Raven flew into the yard and we had a Redtail Hawk come and perch on one of the apple trees as he scouted the field for mice. All this action leads me to believe that the snowstorm they are forecasting with very cold temperatures, is going to happen. Birds always know.

So there we go. This week’s Friday Five. All in all, not a bad week at all. Busy yes, but good. I hope this finds you all well and enjoying your Spring or Autumn.

Welcome to May! The first day of May, the first Friday too. Here we are entering our third month dealing with this horrible Virus.

As the week comes to an end, here are the five things happening in my world.

1. It’s been an odd week. I’ve actually been out quite a bit. Visits to the Vet and visits to my Optometrist kept me on the road.

   Jack’s hearing aids came back via the US Postal Service and that meant that a trip there was also in the cards.

2. I have had almost no desire to cook this week. However, that doesn’t mean I got off scot-free. Meals were prepared and some frozen and some just eaten.
3. Rain arrived, bringing with it a fair amount of gloom. Today I must be out and about and of course, it is supposed to be a real soaker of a day! I do not care because I will be out!
4. Have you all seen Meghan Markle’s alleged face-lift? I was shocked. I think she must have gone to a really good doctor because the face-lift came out pretty well. I mean, as face-lifts go. What do you think? It is also my guess that she had some botox and dermabrasion too.

   Before and now.

   The new picture was taken from a video she made for her Charity helping women find jobs. Here is the video.

   Guess we know why she hurried back to LA at the end of her last UK visit.
5. Since we are still self-isolating in our State, I have found some businesses that are considered necessary. We needed to get more patio blocks 16 X 16 inches in both red and charcoal. They are made by a cement company. They are considered necessary. Our blocks arrive later today.

Also necessary are the railroads. Today an engine pulling six cars heavily laden with railroad ties went by our house. They’re headed north to repair the winter damage.

So that’s it for the first day of May. Enjoy the day, and dream of Spring and the departure of this darn Virus!

This week was an odd one. My days seemed to blend together until I wasn’t sure what day it actually was. Ah well, somehow I muddled through. So without further delay, here is this week’s Friday Five!

1. I got a few little things done, that I’d been putting off. I did a thorough decalcification of the Coffee Maker, cleaned the fridge, and made a trip to the Recycling Center to get rid of the trash.
2. Arnie was playing with his ears in such a way that I knew he had an infection! Now wirehaired dackels tend to have pretty bushy ears inside if you don’t keep up with them, (bad me) so I needed to trim the hair in his ears, and then clean them and he is on a week’s worth of drops to get rid of the infection!
3. My birds are returning from their trip south. Some of them, like the Cardinals and Woodpeckers, just have been happy to have their suet and seed.

   Once again, watching them delights me.

4. I watched an old movie called “The Descendants” with George Clooney and Shailene Woodley.

   What a fabulous movie, set in Hawaii and all filmed on location. The story is one that really touches me. And both the movie and the book were great!

5. Today I am planning to cook another roast chicken. This particular chicken, produced by Perdue, is cooked in an oven bag with wonderful spices. After I will bone it, cook the bones with some vegetables, and make my own stock. After that, I am making my Chicken and Cabbage Soup!

And what will you be doing this weekend?

Another week has slowly gone by. I was out twice during the week, but will now be in until at least Monday. Yay! Now, here’s what’s happening at the Dackel Princess Homefront.

1. As you know, one of my trips out this week was to bring Anneliese to the Vets.The first two days on antibiotics were tricky, but now she is feeling so much better and I can tell she is not in pain and is comfortable. Thank goodness!
2. I’ve been cooking a lot. Mostly, things have come out very well, but last night was a quasi disaster! We choked it down, but I won’t go near that recipe again!
3. I’ve been feeling stressed. During the day I can handle it by distracting myself. But at night, when I am asleep, I am clenching my jaw and fists. I woke up the other day and my knuckles looked like I had hit a wall! And the hard part is chewing when even eating yogurt and berries makes your jaw hurt. All I can say is thank goodness for my mouth guard! At least I can’t hurt my teeth.
4. Since the critters are out of hibernation I have to pull in the feeders at dusk and not put them back out until after dawn breaks. You should hear the birds scold me and praise me!
5. It’s Spring up here. The first buds are on the trees and shrubs, our grass has gone from brown to green and a few of my flowers have blossomed.

   It is so pretty!

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe and stay healthy!

I cannot say that the time is flying by right now. In fact, it seems to drag by each day. I wish I was feeling more motivated, but I am not. In fact, just the opposite.

1. It’s Thursday as I write and it is snowing. Not that I think this snow will stick around for long, but my poor doggies sure do not like going out in this mess.
2. For our anniversary dinner, I am cooking a Ribeye Steak for the two of us. I also will serve a fresh salad.  A nice quiet meal.
3. I survived my trip out on Wednesday and now I have important prescription that have come in the mail, so I have to go out tomorrow to get them. I am not nearly as afraid about it. I will do exactly what I did on Wednesday and I will be fine.
4. I’ve been watching a series of programs on Air Line Disasters. Oddly enough, it takes my mind off of things.
5. I’m still working on programming my new computer. It’s a good machine, but that is about all I can say about it. Not the best I have ever used, but not the worst either.

Well, well, well. Here we are on the first Friday in April. If we are lucky, this will be the real start of Spring and we can wave goodbye to Winter. As I sit here not really listening to the TV, here are the things I have thought about this week.

1. I’ve noticed the last week or so when I have gotten up in the morning, that I am being serenaded by the newly returned birds. I had rather a deep conversation with one of them. I’m just not sure which bird. I will be delving into that in the future.
2. I am waiting for my shipment of dog foods from Chewy. They wrote a nice email explaining that it may take a week to ten days, due to the emergency we are experiencing right now. It is exactly the reason I ordered it early. I expect others have as well.
3. I have been enjoying cooking meals for Jack and me. We have been fortunate that our local shops have had beautiful produce. I have allowed myself one morning a week to suit up, with hats, gloves, and mask and head to the grocery store and buy fresh produce. God bless the truck drivers of our country!
4. Lili’s ear is already so much better. Her right ear is infected, and I had to bring her into the Vet. I waited in the car and they took Lili in, examined and cleaned her ear, brought her out and the Vet talked to me all the while standing at a distance.

   The ride home from the Vet was beautiful. Giving me lovely views of the mountains around me.

   Then I used my cell phone to call them with payment and then the Technician brought out her medication. Easiest Vet visit ever!

5. Since discovering my flourless zero-point banana pancake, I realized I needed a stash of bananas.

   I eat berries and yogurt (hidden under the berries) and my banana pancake almost every day. So good and it is only 4 Points for breakfast including my coffee.

   So I bought a bunch of bananas the other day and as they ripen to perfection, I mash the banana up, and place it in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze. Then I can take out the banana the night before, thaw and the fridge and presto! I have my morning delight!

Stay safe, and healthy Gentle Readers and remember, stay home and the life you save may be your own or someone you love.

Maribeth

Another week has passed, only right now the time seems to be dragging along. Not going fast, but at a snail’s pace.   Things are a bit overwhelming, but we go on. Here are this week’s Friday Five.

1. As I watch the news and listen to the number climb of cases of Covid-19 around the world, I feel unease seeping into my soul. I only go out when I have to. This week I will go out on Saturday. I will need bread, eggs, and bananas. As well as some cold-cuts for Jack. Perhaps some eggplant? We shall see.
2. I’ve been attending online meetings for my WW Class. I’ve enjoyed seeing people I know and hearing that it just isn’t me trying to do the WW Program when they are under stress.
3. After the surprise snowstorm, most of the 6+ inches of snow has melted. The sun is shining and suddenly I notice that my sliding glass door windows are a mess! I’m thinking today when our temperatures rise, I will be out there cleaning them.
4. I’ve been making really incredible meals. Healthy, low point meals. I have had no complaints from Jack.
5. I think I will break out my crocheting. It will give me something to be doing with my hands while I am watching TV.

What are all of you doing to pass the time? Any new projects? Are you cooking fun meals?

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

It’s another Friday Five! Wow! Has this week gone by quickly. It’s been a little stressful, but somehow we are all getting through. So much is happening in the world, but here is what is happening in my little piece of the world.

1. On Monday New Hampshire only had a couple of cases of the Corona Virus. Here we are on Friday and we have over 40. Each day when I wake up there are a few more. We are a small State, and this is hitting us very hard.

2. Mostly, I have been able to keep Jack in. But the other day he became impatient with me and drove off to the Post Office to get the mail. I told him that if he gets the Virus and dies, it is his own fault!

3. I heard that Market Basket (Grocery Store) was having Senior times for shopping. From 5:30 AM until 7 AM, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. So on Thursday I was up at 4 AM and drove down to Market Basket. I got there early, as I knew the Gray Generation would be out in full force. I was correct. I was the 3rd person in line, and it seemed like all of a sudden at 5:30 there were over 200 of us going into the shop.

4. It was tricky. They had no eggs, almost no meat, and very limited vegetables. The canned veggies and the frozen veggies were gone. There also was no TP or paper towel. But I did score some Eggplant and Enlightened Ice Cream Bars, although they had no Mint Chocolate Chip which is Jack’s favorite. Almost everyone was nice and kind.

5. As I finished up my shopping, I got out to the car and it was raining. Oh well, I thought, at least this is not snow! I began the drive home and no sooner had I gotten onto the highway then the rain turned to snow. Heavy snow! And it continued all the way home. It is still snowing, as I write, but at least I am in.

So there you go. The five things on my mind as the week ends. I hope you all stay healthy and well and that all this Virus stuff goes away quickly.

Well, here we are. Another week has gone by. It was a busy one for sure and also one that had me feeling a bit off-kilter. Here is what’s up.

1. From Sunday until Wednesday I researched Laptop computers. I knew what I wanted and so I read, searched and planned. I pretty much knew on Tuesday which machine I would order, and on Wednesday afternoon I put the order in and my new baby will arrive! I am so excited!
2. Of course, Wednesday was also exciting because of my weight loss. It’s amazing how joyous I feel about all my hard work and losing weight is work!
3. Wednesday Night, President Trump spoke of the Corona Virus and the seriousness of the virus. I thought I was handling things well, but it shook me up. I admit that I worry. I worry about all that I love, be they young, middle-aged or old.  I woke at 5 AM unable to shut off my brain.
4. I made a list of the last few grocery store things I needed in case we get shut down. Two schools in neighboring towns have shut down due to the Virus. So it is here and one must take precautions.
5. Today I go to the Glaucoma Specialist, as this is really important. I will bring hand sanitizer and be very careful. I was supposed to stay at my daughter’s home, but have canceled. I need to be home to keep Jack and the pups tended to. I also canceled my Colonoscopy next week because of the possibility of exposure at the VA.

So this is all churning in my head and I am trying very hard not to get carried away. But it’s hard not to. I hope next week is a better one.