June 2017 – The Dackel Princess

The Friday Five

I’m going to do something a little different with this week’s Friday Five. This week I will give you five reasons why, “Naps Are Good“!

Snuggling up with your dog, or cat, child or loved one, for a mid-day rest, relaxes you like nothing else.
Naps are a way of being extremely kind to your body. Stretching it out, and purposely resting each and every muscle is simply delicious!
Since I was so ill at the start of the year, I find napping has been a great way to regain my strength.
After my nap, I find I am more alert and I spend the second half of my day getting quite a few things done.
I am not nearly so grumpy after a good power nap. In fact I am pretty darn cheerful!

So next time you wonder what to do for an hour in the afternoon, lie down, get a comfy pillow and blanket and take a nap! Your body, mind and soul will thank you!

Being Alone

I was thinking today about life. How each and every one of us has a very individual life, despite what we may share with family and friends.

I’ve had some moments, some times in my life, that I went through alone, with no one beside me. Be it a shopping trip, or a plane ride to see someone, or even going off to grocery shop, and stopping for a meal alone. Or even more challenging times.

The experiences are singular and we alone have the memories.

Some people might not like that idea. They’re very group oriented. And yet, it is the sweetness of our individuality, that can actually enrich our relationships with other people.

I value my alone time. My quiet time. I like to read, or write, or maybe cook something wonderful. But it’s during this time that my soul’s internal batteries recharge.

I think I was 7 or 8 years old when I realized I really liked being off by myself. Back then it was perfectly fine for your kid to ride their bike all around town. And I did.

I rode to the local convenience store. Often getting bread, milk and cigarettes for my mother. Then riding home. Sometimes I rode to the beach and sat on the jetties watching the ocean.

On some occasions I had company, but more often then not I was alone. And that was just fine.

Looking back I realize the importance of learning to be alone. I never realized it until I was well into my 50’s.

Love yourself. Be happy with yourself, and the world will be full of adventures. Alone or with those you love!

Happy Birthday Mom

She was born Rosamond Ruth Prussman, to parents Frederick and Mary on June 28, 1929. She had a much loved older brother, Robert and a cousin George, (who grew up like a brother to her). In fact, until the day they passed, they really adored each other.

Mom’s brother, Robert and his wife Cynthia.

Aunt Betty, Larry, Janet and Uncle George.

She met my Dad when she was 13 and she was dancing and my Dad played the piano. I asked Dad once what made him look twice at Mom and he said “It was a bright red sweater that she was wearing! She looked so beautiful in it! I was hooked!”

A collage of their life together.

They married early on, and Dad finished getting his teaching degree. They moved to Monument Beach, Massachusetts ,

and lived in a little white cottage in the Burtonwood section, where my brother, Richard and my sister Melodie were born.

Then they moved to Falmouth, Massachusetts and shortly after, Mom had me.

My parent’s stayed married for well over 60 years.

Mom was with him until the end of his life, and really until the end of hers too. She never remarried. I think in her mind and her heart she was always Jimmie’s girl!

Her last days were spent, not in fear of dying, no, Mom knew Jesus Christ and she knew she would see Dad again. She just worried about Mel and me and all of our cousins.

Me, Mel & Janet with Mom.

This was the last time we were together before Mom was diagnosed with Liver Cancer. It was a wedding. Mom was so happy to be with us all. I almost didn’t go because of my facial surgery, but I am so glad I did now. Seeing her so happy and sharing that day with her, left us all with wonderful memories.

The last time I saw her, at Hospice Care, Mel and I, sat there, with Janet and the four of us were talking quietly. I asked Mom how we would know if she was with us. She smiled and said “You will see butterflies, and that will be me.” This really surprised me because she always had related to beautiful flowers in the past.

But you know what? We see beautiful butterflies all the time. And we smile!

Family Party June 26, 2010 027

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Orange Marmalade Muffins

I was low on bread this morning, so I decided to try this recipe for Orange Marmalade Muffins. It is sweet and the flavor of orange is not overpowering. I might sprinkle some orange zest in next time. Still, we enjoyed them and it was a nice change.

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup sweet orange marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 whole eggs, beaten
Topping:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, granulated sugar and baking powder. Place the flour mixture in a mixing bowl. Cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients.

Mix the marmalade, orange juice and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour the marmalade mixture into the flour mixture. Pour the eggs into the bowl. Mix all ingredients together gently.

For the topping: Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a small bowl.

Fill muffin pans with batter. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of topping ingredients over each muffin.

Bake until done, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Memories Of Old Cape Cod

Summer Memories

I grew in Falmouth on Cape Cod and my summers were always full of sun, sea and soft, cool, cotton sheets after a long day at the beach. My sister Melodie is in the back on the left. I’m the bold one in the blue bikini!

I swam almost before I could walk, dreamed of magical kingdoms, built in the sand, and lay on my towel watching the clouds drift by in the afternoon. I remember thinking that time went so slowly as I lay there, that things would always be like that.

I ran barefoot all summer long through the sweet grass, and the scent of lilacs and roses and the ocean were always there. (Or so it seemed)

The feel of salt on my skin, the taste of it on my lips, and the laughter in the air, as I climbed the jetties along the Surf Drive Beach.

Melodie on the left and me at home on Clipper Lane. When I didn’t walk to the beach, I rode my trusty Schwinn Bike all over town.

Fireflies, cookouts on the grill at Goodwill Park, with marshmallows too. My Uncle George, cousin, Janet and Aunt Betty with Grandma Honey.

Telling stories in the dark, movies at the drive-in and ice cream cones at Dairy Queen!

Pop cycles and root beer floats, fried clams and frozen Milkyway bars. Lobster and butter, and strawberry shortcakes at the church festival.

At the Clam Shack in Falmouth.

Sunshine and happiness, visiting with relatives who flocked to our house and the beach. Summers are full of some of the best memories in my life!

The Friday Five

This week has been so full for me that I hardly know where to start. I guess since there are 5 days in the business week, I will just start with Monday and go from there!

Monday. I was supposed to have a follow up mammogram, but that was an error and so I went shopping instead. Good idea, except the skies opened up and on my way to my car I got completely drenched! The storms were so severe that it took out our power and we had about 2 inches of rain in a fairly short time. When I did get home I realized that the store hadn’t given me two of my bags of groceries. I wasn’t going back on Monday in the rain, but made arrangements to go back on Tuesday.
Tuesday. I called a friend and asked if she wanted to go to the store with me to pick up my groceries. Since we had extra time, we went to a few more places and then sat under some trees at a drive in and ate our sandwiches. It was a lot of fun.
Wednesday. This was the long awaited visit to the Infectious Disease Doctor. Things went pretty well and I really liked the doctor. She and I have a plan, that over the next two weeks we will stop the antibiotics and see if the infection returns. Hopefully it won’t, and all will be well!
Thursday. I decided that after 7 weeks I needed to dip my head in the fountain of youth! I called my hairstylist and she dipped me and trimmed my bangs. I letting the rest of my hair grow, to cover my scar.
Friday. A practical day. I have laundry planned as well as making up a casserole with some of this weeks dinner leftovers. Hubby is going to the doctor about his toe, and I will have a couple of hours of quiet.

So that’s my week. All in all, a good one. I hope that your week has been good as well. And I wish you a fun and happy weekend!

TBT: The Amazing Greta!

Greta at the youthful age of one and a half! She was a true wild boar color, slender and fast as lightening when she ran around the yard!

And now eleven years later. She is still my sweetie girl, despite her white hair, and the fact that she doesn’t move as well as she once did. When I look back over the 13 and a half years she has been with us, I am grateful for having this wonderful companion. I hope she will live many more years!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. The first day of summer rolls in later this week. What are ten things you’d put on your list of quintessential summer activities? Will you try to manage all ten this summer?

1. Beach. 2. Street Fairs. 3. Farmer’s Markets. 4. County Fairs. 5. A few visits down to my daughter’s. 6. go swimming. 7. Cookouts. 8. Watch sunsets. 9. Eat some lobster and fried clams. 10. Relax.
I would love to go to the beach. Hubby is not a beach fan, so maybe my daughter will invite me to go with her and the grands! It would be fun to go to the beach and play with Savannah and Quinn in the sand and sun!

2. Do you collect seashells when you’re at the beach? What do you do with them once you get them home? What’s your favorite place to comb for seashells?

I do collect seashells, and have several jars of them. I haven’t done much of anything with them except fill Apothicary jars. The best beaches I ever combed on was Surf drive Beach in Falmouth, Massachusetts and Sanibel in Florida.

3. At a snail’s pace, shell out money, come out of your shell, go back into your shell, drop a bombshell, happy as a clam, clam up…which ‘shell’ phrase could most recently be applied to some event or circumstance in your life? Explain.

I hope to be Happy As A Clam! I go to the Infectious Disease doctor today and I hope she will say I am ready to discontinue to antibiotics. Then I really would be “Happy As A Clam”!

4. What summer activity do you dislike? Why?

Mowing the lawn. But then, most of the time, Hubby does that.

5. What’s something you see as quickly becoming obsolete? Does that bother you?

Going to the Mall. Most of my shopping is done online now. And from what I hear on the business channels, this is the case Nationwide! I don’t think it bothers me too much because I really dislike crowds.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I wonder how many of you have started watching cable or satellite TV shows instead of the news. I have. I find the International news and the local news is getting increasingly distressing. No, I do not blame any one political figure. I blame the hatred that is being fed out there, terrorism and the real lack of moral values. It saddens me. I hope that one day, people will once again care about each other and that terrorism will be defeated.

A Crazy & Wet Monday

Monday was sort of a wild day. I was scheduled for an ultra sound/mammogram to follow up after a strange reading last fall. I arrived for my appointment and was greeted by the Radiologist who greeted me with, “Why are you here?”

“Well, Doctor, I got a certified letter from this hospital telling me I was due for this follow up after last Autumns irregular mammogram.”

“Didn’t you follow up at Dartmouth?” she asked.

“Why yes, yes I did.” I replied.

“Then why are you here?” she asked again.

“I am here because I received a Certified letter from your hospital concerning this. When I told the woman on the phone that I had been seen at Dartmouth, she said I still needed to be seen. So, here I am.” I said and smiled.

She walked out of the room and went to the Secretaries office. This is what I overheard. “Do you know how long I spend on a follow-up exam when someone has a suspicious result on a mammogram? About half and hour! This woman was seen at Dartmouth last fall and she does not need to be here now and I do not need to see her! You wasted my time!”

I never saw the lovely Radiologist after that. She sent the shaken Secretary in to dismiss me. But you know what made me a little upset? No one said, “I’m sorry to have taken up your time”.

Ah well, since I was out, I decided to go get the canned food I use for Lili and Arnie and to also pick up something easy for dinner. While I shopped, I found a copy of “The Pioneer Woman’s” new magazine! Oh joy! I love it.

As I checked out, I suddenly heard the rain begin to fall. As I got to the door and started toward my car the skies opened and in less than a minute I was soaked to the skin! I rained like this all the way home, reminding me of when I lived in Florida and we had torrential rainstorms very often. Ugh!

I finally got home only to discover that the power was out at home. And worst of all, our seldom used generator was not working. (It has since been fixed.) Fortunately, the power was restored in short order, but we had thunder, lightening and torrential rains until well after 7 in the evening.

As we ate dinner tonight I discovered something new about Lili. She likes corn on the cob. Well not the actual corn on the cob, but after I was done with my cob, I held it for her and she nibbled at the entire cob, getting every last bit! Next time we have corn I will have to get a video of her chewing the cob!

The Weekend

The weekend seemed to fly by, with the grrrrr of motorcycle engines all around us. Since this was the last weekend of The Laconia – Weirs Beach Motorcycle Week, it seemed that every motorcycle owner this side of the Mississippi was driving around our area. Thus, one could not escape the sounds of motorcycles traveling en-mass!

Poor Lili really dislikes motorcycles and so even when Hubby took her out to play, she would end up at the door to come in and escape the noise and the heat. Yes, besides all the noise we finally had some hot humid weather. In fact, as I write this on Monday morning, the dew point is at 69 degrees and our temperature is 82 degrees (F). The forecast is for violent thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, helping to clear out this sticky air.

I had a terrible scare the other day. I was driving back from picking Arnie up after his dental at the Vet, when I felt something wet on the back of my neck. I reached back and touched and felt some wetness and then looked at my bloody fingers. Now nothing will cause you to be scared like the dickens then touching your incision and coming away with blood!

I was stuck though, as I was in the car and I couldn’t see anything. So, I raced home and ran up the stairs and yelled for Hubby to come and look. Well, it appears that one big fat mosquito was gorging himself on my blood when I squished him! He must have been pretty full because it was a real mess back there. I also swelled up to the size of a nickle, afterward. That little bugger!

Anneliese has recovered from her surgery, both she and Arnie have beautiful white teeth, nicely trimmed nails and once again life for them is good.

A nice start to the week!