Adventures – The Dackel Princess

Happy Birthday To Me!

Well, here I am. Today is my 64th Birthday. I recall various family members reaching this grand old age, and here I am not feeling all that old!

My family.

The next generation! Mandy, Matt, Savannah, Quinn, Lili, and Heidi!

I’m happily a Mom, an Oma, and a wife, and I am owned by a little bit of a doggy named Heidi and a big doggy named Lili.

So how does it feel to be 64? Funny actually. I have things figured out, mostly, I know what I like and what I don’t, and naptime is so welcome.

I stop and watch with wonder all the animals and birds that fill my yard. How lucky I am to see them eating apples, catching a field mouse, or munching leaves.

Life sure has been interesting over the last 64 years! I could write volumes where I recount each moment, but suffice it to say, it has never been boring.

Here is a short video I made a few years back. I watched it and thought about how much I still enjoy it.

Here’s to number 64. Let’s see what we can do to get to number 65!

Happy New Year!

My bags are packed and all I need to do is sleep for a few hours and then drive to my daughter’s home to leave my car. Then I can sit back a bit and let the adventure begin!

Let’s hope that 2022 is kinder than the last few years have been. I wish you all good health and much happiness!

Happy New Year!

Plans

I’ve been busy the last few days. Busy doing what you might ask? well, it is now 52 days until I depart Boston to fly to meet and bring home my new Dackel-Baby, Heidi!

When all of the Covid lockdowns began I switched all my bills to my Delta Skymiles Card. I also bought my groceries with the same card. I’ve been racking up the miles and so I wanted to see what I could do with my flight plans.

Well, I will be flying First Class with my new Puppy Baby when I bring her home. Using my Skymiles, my round trip will cost me $11.20. The cash amount is for taxes, which cannot be paid with Skymiles!

Once I had my flights, I set about getting a motel room in Boston, with Park, Stay and Fly, and then set about to rent a car in Nashville, to drive to the breeders home and pick up Heidi. I also needed a hotel in Nashville for the night.

I will admit the excitement is wonderful, but a certain amount of nervousness goes along with that. This is my first ever, completely solo trip. At nearly 63 years old (next week), I have always traveled with someone, be they parents, first husband, second husband, kids, cousins, sister, or friends. But this is me. Just me. And it is both scary and exhilarating!

So yes, the reservations are made and in 52 days the adventure begins!

An Announcement!

I guess that I can finally let you in on a little secret. I have been accepted as a future Mama for a 2-week old wirehaired dackel! She is currently living with her birth mother while she spends her days drinking and growing and sleeping. She will be coming home after Christmas to live here in the mountains of my State.

I had been toying around with different names for my wee lass, and I went back to my favorite girl’s name when I was a teenager. And so, when my little Miss comes home she will be called:

Heidi

I cannot tell you how lonely I have been since Arnie died. Lili is sweet, but she is not a cuddler and actually is Jack’s dog. So my arms and bed are empty and there is no one to go on my walks with me. I knew it was going to be hard saying goodbye to Arnie, but I did not expect it to be this bad.

I guess what they say is true, “Grief is the price you pay for love.”

Now Heidi is on her way. We will walk, go to class, and learn all that one must to be a proper puppy. Best of all, I get to have another lifetime to spend with a pup. I’ve already ordered a collar and leash. Next is a new Airline approved bag for her and away we go!

Air Frying

My new Pampered Chef Air Fryer arrived the other day. I immediately wanted to try roasted air-fried potatoes. I read what I could, threw caution to the wind, and just did it.

Cooking fail!

Then I made French Fries for Jack and those came out quite well. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Win, win!

Tonight I made baked potatoes and crispy cod. It was easy to do, and the flavor was fine, but I would cook the fish two minutes longer.

An almost total win.

I have ordered two cookbooks on Air Frying. One filled with recipes and the other is a book with some recipes, but mostly it is “How to use your Air-Fryer, for Dummies!”

You see, I want to learn to use this well. Cooking time is so much faster and lately, I have not felt like cooking at all. So this “learn to use the Air-Fryer” is a good thing to help motivate me.

Lights Out

Just before I was starting dinner on Friday night our lights began to flicker. We looked at each other and thought, “Uh-oh!”

Mr. Arnie braves the icy storm.

Our weather on Friday was quite simply, sloppy. It started with ice and then skipped over to rain and then back to ice pellets and because we had not had enough fun, it started to snow and the wind blew and then flicker, flicker, and the lights went out.

The ice was thick and on everything. Probably this is the reason we lost our power!

My cell phone was nearby and I used that to get over to the candle, which I lit and then used that to get the large flashlight.

It was then that Jack and I jumped into action! Jack took the flashlight and went down to set up the generator. When we built our home we had the generator hard wired in. So, off he went.

Meanwhile, I got three long extension cords so we could plug the TV, satellite dish, and cable box in. The next extension cord went from the kitchen down the long hall to the office where I plugged the computer, router, and wifi in. Thus giving us internet access.

Lastly, I plugged the two laptops into the third extension cord. Now we have everything basically working.

Of course, we also have the two fridges and freezer going.

My Downy Woodpecker trying to get some food in the storm.

Laughter in the Rain

Like so many summer days here in New England, our day started with sunshine and bright blue skies. But rather quickly, about 1 o’clock, the skies grew dark, the wind picked up and we had drenching rains. For about ten minutes! Then the sun shone and life was good.

I recalled growing up on Cape Cod. That type of weather was very common in the summer.

I remember being on the beach, with the sun shining, and all of a sudden a brief downpour would come. Tourists would be yelling and scrambling for their cars, grabbing their beach chairs and coolers, and I recall sitting there, in the rain, watching it all go by me.

I recall the song by Neil Sedaka, Laughter in the Rain, and thinking that this is how I felt, most of the time when caught in the summer rain. No worries, no cares. Just happiness in the warmth of the rain.

I wonder now, all these years later, why I lost that wonderful sense of adventure. When a summer rainstorm didn’t thrill me anymore? And I cannot recall.

All I know is, at sixty years old, I am so glad to have discovered summer rainstorms once again.

Oh, how I love the rainy days and the happy way I feel inside!

(Sorry Neil, I had to steal that wonderful phrase!)

Coming Home

The best thing about going away on vacation is coming back home afterward. I’d been planning my trip to the beach for several months, and the day finally arrived and I managed my trip away with very little problems, save for a twisted ankle on the escalator in Atlanta.

My trip was so pleasant and restful and I cannot begin to tell you how much all that downtime did for me.

Eating fresh fish, cauliflower pizzas and watching action movies made the days pass so quickly, until I found myself on a plane, headed home, this morning.

It was a lovely day to fly, and I’d reserved window seats for both flights. I even got in half an hour early, which enabled me to catch the early bus back to New Hampshire!

There is something about flying to Boston Logan Airport. It’s my home airport. I know my way around and feel comfortable there.

And there was another special thing too. The Bus Driver is a great man, who I have ridden with previously.

Then I arrived at home, with my pups. All happy to see me! And of course, I was more than thrilled to see them!

Pelicans

My time at the beach is proving to be amazingly refreshing. I do almost nothing that I don’t want to do and I sit quietly talking with my friend or watching a movie. I sleep soundly and barely wake until the morning has dawned. It’s been a while since I have done that.

It is hot here and very humid, so once again I have curls. I guess I cannot escape them.

We went to lunch yesterday to a cute Seafood Joint and we chummed around with some Pelicans and Cranes and Ibis.
They are quite the tourist draw and are used to people and very friendly. And, I swear they have all taken classes in posing for just the right tourist shot!

I am here for just a few more days before heading back home.

My Life, The Wonder Of It

There were so many special moments during our trip. There was a lot of talking, laughing and sharing. I looked at these three women, my sister, my daughter, and my cousin, and I realized how blessed we are to have each other. These are the women in my life that ground me, love me, and are there for me. Best of all, not only are we family, but we are friends!

Look at your life, and ask yourself how many people in your life are you good around just being yourself, can joke with, and not worry about what the other person is thinking at that moment? You can just be your whacky self and find acceptance!

We really enjoyed every moment, and no none of us gambled at all, although I kept seeing people walking around carrying flat screened TV’s only to learn they were holiday gifts for the High Rollers! Hmmm, perhaps there is a calling for me after all. Ha! I have never played cards well, and so I do not play. I did see an old-fashioned slot machine, and I was tempted but did not succumb.

As Sunday ended and I climbed into my bed, I didn’t want to take off my Queen of the Day tiara, but I did, and although I am not wearing it now, in my mind I know it is still there!

The next morning, we went to this great restaurant for breakfast. “Hash House A-Go-Go”! It was really fabulous, with country casual decor and an old fashioned diner-type menu.

I’d heard that their pancakes were amazing and decided to order the banana, brown sugar pancake. Mel got scrambled eggs and bacon, Janet got corned beef hash, and eggs and Amanda got eggs, and bacon. Mandy was good and ate her own food. Mel, Janet and I were all eating off each other’s plates. It’s been like that since the beginning of time, and so it goes! Take a look at this pancake!

I have to tell you that this pancake was amazing! I love banana pancakes and this was like nothing I had ever had! It was so much better!

As we were waiting I snapped this picture of Janet. She looked so beautiful and happy! Check out her pretty nails too!

My beautiful sister with bunny ears! We love to joke around doing stuff like this!

Here is the view from our room at Mohegan Sun!

Yes, that white stuff is snow!

Our time at Mohegan Sun ended all too soon. Melodie needed to get back to her life, just down the road in Connecticut, Mandy needed to get to work for a meeting, and Janet was assigned the task of driving me to Mandy’s house to get my car.

The best part of the end of our trip was the ride from the Casino up to Mandy’s Office, where the three of us were able to rehash all that had gone on.

Then after we dropped off Mandy, Janet and I were able to chit chat about things that were happening and talked about Thanksgiving, which will be spent at Mandy’s House.

My three lovelies! How lucky I am!