November 2018 – The Dackel Princess

The Friday Five

Good Morning everyone! Here we are, the last day in November, and the first weekend in December! Wow! Did November fly by or what?

As the week closes, here are the five things that are the most prominent in my mind. In no particular order.

For those of you who do not already know, I am going to Disney in January with Mandy, Matt, Matt’s Mom, and Savannah and Quinn! The reservations are all made, and every time I look at what we will be doing, I smile and get excited and feel blessed that I will be sharing this special experience with the people I love. Look out Mickey Mouse, here we come!
Last night’s chicken disaster left more than drippings on me. I woke this morning with a pretty hefty bruise on the knuckle of my ring finger!

I have no idea how I got it either! But I would imagine in my attempt to grab the falling fat tray I must have struck it on the countertop. Ouch!
We had an interesting thing happen on Thursday morning. Arnie barked to go out, so I let him out and he ran up the hill to do his poops. I was watching him when out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of a large bird soaring overhead! The Eagle made one pass, then another, getting perilously close to the little dog.

(This is what he looked like, but this is a stock photo) Then I saw his large taloned feet come down and he was starting another pass over Arnie and I opened the door and screamed at Arnie to come. Well, Arnie is great and immediately headed toward me, and the Eagle flew off. When we lived in Florida, and Shubi was a puppy we had an Eagle who followed me every time I walked her. Then he took up residence on our sailboats mast, just waiting! Eagles go after little creatures all the time. Now, I do think Arnie is too big to be lifted up and carried away, but he could be seriously injured by those talons! My solution is simple. We now have what I will call “Lili Patrol“. The Eagle will stay away if the big dog is around.
I got out all the presents I have been buying over the course of the year for Christmas. Now I can wrap and get things ready. I also know, who I still need to get things for. I must say, this year I am amazing, calmly, ready for Christmas.
Just an update on Anneliese’s eye. The swelling has gone down, and although she still has the opaque coloring on it, it looks somewhat better. In fact, Anneliese has had more energy, and seems to actually feel better! I am so happy about this. Ten more days, (December 10th) Anneliese and Arnie will celebrate their 12th Birthday! It’s nice that they are both healthy and happy.

So here we are, the end of the week with a weekend before us. I wonder what mischief I can get into!

Go You Chicken Fat, Go Away!

I’d prepared a lovely meal for Jack and me, and I was in the final stages of cleaning it up when disaster struck!

Now although it was terrible, it is perfectly okay if you find yourself giggling, because in five or ten years I hope I am giggling too! Here’s what happened…

I’d made a lovely Perdue Rotisserie Dinner with a side of Asparagus and fries for Jack. Really it tasted great. The only problem with using the rotisserie is that it extracts a lot of fat from the bird, which goes into a drip pan underneath. The pan had a lot of chicken fat in it, and I was getting the fat can out from under the sink while holding the pan with all the fat, and suddenly, the fat can slipped, the pan with the fat flipped and I was covered in chicken fat!

It was no small accident. It was in my hair, all over my clothes, even onto my slippers! Needless to say, the countertop and the floor and the throw rugs all were covered as well! Ugh!

I stripped down quickly to my shorts and tank top, and took off my glasses and washed them and set them aside to dry. I grabbed a sponge, and a towel and started cleaning it all up. I got out the Clorox Wipes and after I got things cleaned, I took the scented sheets of Clorox (smells like Coconut), and wiped everything down again! Then I washed the floor.

Once that was done, I put the rest of my clothes and slippers in the wash and jumped into the shower to wash the chicken fat off of me!

I’d never given this much thought before, but I am here to tell you that being doused with chicken fat is gross, really gross! It was cold (thank goodness) and in some ways that made it even worse!

Now I am clean, and the first of three loads of laundry is washing in the basement.

I told Jack that this has to be one of the dumbest things I have ever done. He kept from laughing but managed an “I hope so”.

Ok, did you laugh? It’s okay if you did. Really I think in a few years I will be laughing too!

The Wednesday Medley

1. On November 28th, 1995, President Bill Clinton ended the 55 MPH nationwide speed limit that began in 1974 as an energy saving measure during the Mid-East oil embargo. If you are old enough to remember this (I sure am) did it make you happy? Do you have a heavy foot when driving or does 55 MPH sound good to you?

I do not have a heavy foot when driving but always felt that 55 was a silly speed limit on highways built for 65-70 miles an hour. Currently in New Hampshire, several of our highways are 70 mph. Otherwise, 65 on State highways is the norm.

2. You are home alone on a rainy/snowy Sunday afternoon. What Christmas movie will you watch?

Oh I love so many. First I love, “It’s A Wonderful Life”. After that, I love “The Bishops Wife”. Jack and I both enjoy “A Christmas Story” and we even visited the house in Ohio a few years back! I also love “Love Actually”.

3. What is something you have tried that you will never try again?

Roller coasters. I hate the feeling, in fact, I have dreams about being on roads that are roller coasters and often wake feeling sick. I think I will go on the kiddie coasters at Disney with Quinn!

4. Today is National French Toast Day!! Will you have some? Do you like French Toast?

Nope! I started the Atkins DIet and I haven’t cheated at all and I am seeing real results. (I do love French Toast!)

5. The Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center will be lighted today, as will the one at the White House in Washington, D.C. Do you have your tree up and is it lighted? Have you ever been in New York City or Washington, D.C. to see the trees all lit up during the holidays?

Yes, we do have out little tree up. Looks so pretty in the window against the snow. I haven’t been to tree lightings in big cities. I’m afraid I have a fear of large crowds. No rhyme or reason. I just do.

6. Tell us something random about this week of yours.

Well, I got my Christmas Cards addressed and mailed and paid our taxes! Today, since it is snowing still I am doing laundry and trying to catch up on some housework!

This & That On A Tuesday!

Well, it’s snowing again! I just let Lili out for a run in the yard, and we already have a very heavy dusting. They are forecasting anything from 3-8 inches for my area. We are right on the line. Could be snow, could be rain. I am thinking snow.

One fabulous thing about snow is that it hides a multitude of sins in our yard, in the town and just generally everywhere.

It’s after Thanksgiving now, so as we continue the maddening run up to Christmas, a blanket of snow just seems appropriate.

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For many years I have had a computer repair person here in town. This man is a genius, and he would come to our house, fix everything and was always reasonably priced. There was no problem that he couldn’t fix.

Well, I learned today that he has sold his business and gone to work for a larger company. His hours will be more regular and he will have a life. I know it is selfish, but I sure will miss him. He was so good at what he did, and fun to know.

I wish him the very best of luck!

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We’ve been taking Anneliese out with Arnie in the car now. She loves it. In fact, it is so funny to watch them head for the door when they hear the words “Post Office”!

Today we went to the local grocery store, and the dogs were waiting in the car with Jack. As I came out of the store, I looked toward the car and saw her adorable little face in the window. Can you see her little smile?

Anneliese.

It’s hard to believe in two weeks Arnie and Anneliese will be 12 years young!

Arnie.

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The Christmas Cards are finished and the last of them will go in the mail tomorrow. I am so happy! Writing them out by hand is a chore, but one I enjoy doing every year!

Merry Christmas!

It’s A Wrap

This past weekend I really kicked back and relaxed a lot. This doesn’t mean I did not accomplish things, but more that I took breaks in between my projects. As you know from yesterday’s post, I put up our little Christmas tree, but I also got out the Christmas Cards, and currently, I am up to the letter M. on the list.

I did a little shopping online for Christmas, cooked several meals, and wrote a few things.

I watched “Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet”, And another Veterinary show, but I cannot recall the name. It’s about Vets in Florida that specialize in rare animals. I even watched “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and a football game. The New England Patriots vs the Jets. The Pat’s won!

I backed up all my files on the laptop, and on Dackel Princess. I am ready to start a new year!

And best of all, I started thinking and working on my vacation to Disney with Mandy, Matt, the kids and Matt’s Mom in January! I’ll be at Disney for several days, and then I’m going to rent a car and go see some friends and family. I cannot think of any place else I would rather be than Florida in January!

I am literally counting down the days! It won’t be long now!

The Beauty Of The Seasons

As I was driving around today I was struck by the beauty that I don’t always see. Freshly fallen snow on the tops of mountains, Canadian Geese as the lake edge, feeding, as they prepare to head south for the long winter. Christmas lights are going up, and decorations as well. It was just so pretty!

I went to the grocery store today and found lovely steaks, pork chops and chicken for the next few days, and I purchased some Atkins shakes for a snack during the day. They are loaded with protein and low in carbs.

I brought out our little Christmas tree and decorated it for the season. It’s now in the back window and looks rather festive. I also put up a few decorations.

I used to decorate like crazy, but now with leaping Lili, I don’t dare. We’ll be down at Mandy’s for Christmas, so it is fine to have a little tree for the two of us.

I pulled out my Christmas Cards, and set them up on the kitchen table. Starting tomorrow I will be writing them out. If anyone wants to exchange cards, privately email me your address. My email is in the top right corner of the blog.

I’ve now made it through two days, and tonight it is not so bad. If I can just keep the momentum up I know I can do this!

No More Sugar

Thanksgiving always does this to me. I spent all of today trying to figure out what day it was. It could be the age thing, but honestly, this is a problem that has plagued me all my life.

I decided to kick back a little and evaluate the last few weeks of wild eating that I have been enjoying! It was time to face the music after weighing in on my bathroom scale. I could hear the Wicked Witch of the West laughing her evil laugh when the scale screamed, “Tilt”!

At first, I thought I would start my diet tomorrow. You know how that goes. You keep putting it off and then you’ve gained ten more pounds.

So while waiting for Jack to awaken, I read half the Atkins Diet book, found a web page with menus. So here I sit, on Friday at 6 PM and I am going through sugar withdrawal!

Oh I hate sugar! No, I love sugar! Oh darn, sugar is like crack to me and the only way to control it is to cut it out of my diet altogether.

But the first few days are the toughest and I am not feeling too happy right now! Grrrrrrrr!

Thanksgiving 2018

We woke Thanksgiving morning to 3 degrees Fahrenheit, and high winds. Not even the dackels wanted to be outside, and Lili raced out and right back in. The day was not fit for man or beast!

We had a nice breakfast, cleaned up and headed out. The traffic wasn’t too bad, and we made it down in an hour and 15 minutes. That’s when the real fun began!

Savannah takes after her Oma with her tiara! She was trying to teach me about being a Princess and having magical powers! It was a lot of fun!

Quinn, Savannah their Nana, their Daddy, and their other grandfather all worked making Gingerbread Houses. It was fun to watch them work on the houses!

While the kids worked on this, we finished up the dinner in the kitchen and ate a few appetizers.

Then it was time for the meal to go on the table. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, butternut squash (OMG! So, good!), broccoli, beans, rolls, mashed potatoes (my daughter makes the best!), cranberry sauce (homemade by my cousin, Janet!), and rolls too!

We called the family in, and we all gathered around the table. The meal was served and we all set about eating. This means it got very quiet, except for the sounds of people oohing and aahing and enjoying Thanksgiving!

As you can see Jack enjoyed himself a lot. I swear, our wedding pictures of him didn’t come out as well!

We all ate ourselves silly, but oh, it was so good! We somehow even managed to eat Rachel’s homemade pumpkin pie! Oh my goodness I had a big slice, and it was heavenly!

Meanwhile, back at our home, the three dogs were being tended to by our wonderful doggy sitter, Grace. She came and walked them and came back later and fed them and took very good care of them.

Soon we all were feeling exhausted and left to go back to our homes. We arrived to this happy greeting crew! Lovely to be missed!

Sleepy Mama

This will be short and sweet today. I have been on my feet all day cooking and cleaning, and in about two minutes I am going to bed. I made the cutest pie today. It’s called Berry Pie Bites.

But I must say that this, although cute, is really labor intensive. I hope it will be a hit tomorrow!

Roll out the pie dough to about 1/8-inch / 3 cm thickness

Ingredients
28 oz refrigerated pie dough 2 packages
cherry, blueberry, apple and/or lemon pie filling
1 egg beaten, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line an 8-9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
On a work surface, roll out the pie dough.
Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter (or similarly sized water glass), cut as many circles as possible from the dough. Repeat for second pie dough.
Pick up one circle and pinch the ends together to make a boat shape. Spoon in one cherry, apple, blueberry, or lemon pie filling and place into the cake pan facing up.
Repeat for the remaining circles until the pan is full.

Brush with optional beaten egg, and then bake for about 25 minutes until the edges turn golden.
Serve in the pan, or use a spatula to get beneath the parchment and lift the pie up onto a serving plate. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Note that baking time can vary by product – check the package directions for the baking temperature and time.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

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!