The Dackel Princess

Being Prepared

I admit that on Saturday I just wasn’t feeling like myself. I felt oddly paralyzed and the only thing I accomplished was washing down our bathroom and setting up our coffee maker to brew fresh coffee for us on Sunday. Aside from that, I was mostly useless.

I believe I am one of those people who is great during the crisis and then falls apart afterward. At least, that is how it felt today.

I am in the final countdown for my Disney trip. This has helped me turn things around over the course of the day. From now until I depart, I have something happening as I get ready to begin my adventure.

Monday, Anneliese gets out her stitches. Hopefully, her infection has healed. It looks much better to me.

Tuesday I go and get my hair done. I also need to go and get the canned dog food for Lili. Anneliese and Arnie are all set.

Wednesday is my finish the laundry, change the sheets, and finish the last bits of packing day. Then put my bags in the car.

Thursday I blast off to Mandy’s for the night for an early departure out of Boston on Friday morning!

Poor Jack and the dogs will be left behind to hold down the fort while I am off on my own. I’ve got all sorts of meals frozen for Jack and kibbles measured out for the dogs, so I think everything will go off here at home without a problem.

Maribeth

German Shepherds Are Wonderful!

My Friday began like any other Friday. I got up, made breakfast for Jack and I and started a load of laundry.

Jack got ready and headed off to a physical therapy appointment at the VA, and a few minutes later I got a phone call and sat chatting.

About a half an hour after Jack left I heard the door in the basement slam shut. That’s odd, I thought. Maybe Jack had car trouble.

I went to the window in my room and did not see a car, a UPS Truck or anything!

It was then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs from the basement.

“Hello! Anyone home? Hello!” said a strange man’s voice.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Lili began to growl and bark! I raced to the cellar door and turned the lock and wedged my foot on the bottom.

“Who is there? Who are you! Tell me your name!”

There was no response.

“I’m calling the police!” I shouted again and again, as I dialed 911!

I didn’t hear the door slam shut. I didn’t hear him leave. I was frozen at the door waiting until the police arrived. It was just seconds until they drove into my driveway.

The police searched the basement and the perimeter of the house. I’d seen a white SUV below us and so they put out an APB for any car matching that.

I filed the report, got the policeman to give me a few tips on how to protect my home (I need a few deadbolts and a long piece of wood to block the sliding glass door.), but he told me again that Lili was amazing and the two of us had done a great job under the circumstances.

Lili was amazing. She growled and barked and sounded so fierce. I guess it’s what makes German Shepherds such wonderful police dogs!

My Hero, Lili!

Yes, I did okay, but I have to tell you I didn’t start breathing again for a while. After the police left, and I locked every door I could, I sat down and slowly drank my coffee and tried to relax.

I don’t understand why people break into other people’s homes. Why people think it is okay to steal. Today, I am just glad that Lili protected me, and that I wasn’t harmed.

The Friday Five

If the last few days are any prediction for 2019, I can already tell that this year is going to fly by us! Here we are just one week away from departing for Disney! Then the adventure begins!

So, here we go, this weeks Friday Five!

1. I guess the biggest news this week was our big snow storm and power outage. I won’t forget this anytime soon. As grateful as I am that we have a generator, it is so loud when one is attempting to sleep. Wednesday night I did not get much sleep at all.
2. Anneliese and Arnie went in to get their stitches removed. Arnie was fine, pop-pop and out they came! Anneliese has a small infection and so she must stay on antibiotics and wear this cute little turleneck shirt I made for her, until Monday. Then she will be all set.

3. It is very cold here. It’s also due to get colder. It makes me yearn for the tropical warmth of Florida. I sure hope we have nice weather. Nice, warm, weather!

4. This weekend will be filled with laundry, cooking, and doing the last minute things getting ready for next week. Can you tell I am excited?

5. My friend entered Hospice Care. It is breaking my heart. I do not know if she will still be alive when I reach sothwest Florida, but I have faith in God. If it is her time to go home with him, then I will accept it. Meanwhile, I send her texts, and prayers and love.

Snow & Power Outages!

From our local TV Station:

“MEREDITH, N.H. —Power is being restored to tens of thousands of New Hampshire customers after heavy, wet snow and freezing rain fell Wednesday morning.

Several inches (10+) of dense snow fell in the Lakes Region, weighing down trees and branches, and bringing down power lines, resulting in nearly 20,000 outages.”

Here is a map of my little area in New Hampshire. The Red Arrow is pointing to my neighborhood, where no one has power!

They released a statement saying if there was no power by 10 PM tonight then we wouldn’t be restored until Thursday! ***Groan***

Thursday I am supposed to bring the dackels in to get their stitches out. Please keep the roads clear and get my power back on!

As it was on Wednesday morning I went out to climb a ladder to clear our satellite dish, and when doing this got a face full of snow!

However, I cleared the snow, plugged the TV and dish into the generator, and maintained contact with the world!

This is the worst snow/power outage we have had since moving here 20 years ago. Jack insisted back then on buying the generator, and I told him it was a waste of money. Well, today I have thanked him again and again!

***Update***

At midnight I woke when the flashing yellow lights came through my window. It was the New Hampshire Electric Co-Op Linemen! I swear I could hear Glenn Campbell singing:

” I am a lineman for the county
And I drive the main road
Searchin’ in the sun for another overload
I hear you singin’ in the wire,
I can hear you through the whine
And the Wichita lineman is still on the line

I know I need a small vacation
But it don’t look like rain
And if it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain
And I need you more than want you,
And I want you for all time
And the Wichita lineman is still on the line

And I need you more than want you,
And I want you for all time
And the Wichita lineman is still on the line”

I love you Linemen. After nearly sixteen hours, the lights came back on! And I heard silence once again. I love our generator, but man, oh man, is it loud!

The Wednesday Medley

We’re joining Terri at Your Friend From Florida

1. It may be a little shocking, but National Static Electricity Day is January 9!! Do you often get shocked often when you touch metal?

I do in the winter up here, when everything is so dry. For some reason this year, it has not been bad.

2. There are actually two “National” days worthy of mention! It is also National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Our men and women working in many areas of law enforcement put their lives on the line for us daily. Do you know someone working in law enforcement who you can thank today?

Many. Most I do not know their names. When I had my car accident, years ago, so many policemen worked to save us. I am forever grateful, and thankful, even though I do not know their names.

3. At our house right now it is all about football. Joe’s Philadelphia Eagles barely won their game on Sunday to move forward in the playoffs and another chance to play in the Super Bowl this year. Do you have a favorite team in the playoffs or does football make you yawn? Is there a Super Bowl party in your future, no matter the teams playing?

We’re New England Patriots Fans in this house! We have been all our lives. Through the very bad times and the good times. The joke is with both the Patriots and the Red Sox, we know how to celebrate because we had so many years of great suffering! LOL

4. Speaking of parties, there is always lots of food at parties I attend. Tell us a weird food combination that you really enjoy (or have enjoyed). It doesn’t have to be party food.

The Charcuterie Tray I made on New Year’s Eve was amazingly good. Besides the crackers, I served warm pita bread. You can add or subtract almost anything. I had one on Cape Cod that also included honeycomb and that was heaven.

5. Since we are on games and parties, what game have you spent the most hours playing?

Scrabble. Words with Friends. I am not much of a gamer really, but to kill time I like word games.

6. Tell us something random about your week so far.

My excitement is growing. Just 8 days until we will be leaving for Disney! It is snowing here in New Hampshire today, gray skies and just 16 degrees! I am ready for Orlando, Florida and warm temperatures, green grass, and no snow!

Phishers & Scammers

Well, it seems the Spammers and the Phishers are really out there in full force.

Monday morning I got a call (On my landline) from a woman with a very heavy accent telling me she was from Amazon and she asked are you Maribeth and she read my email address to me.

Red flags waved in front of my eyes and alarms went off in my head! Amazon never calls you for things. They might send an email if there is an account problem, but NEVER do they call asking you for your information!

I told her I didn’t know who the heck she was and that was it.

As soon as I got off the phone I initiated a Customer Service Call from Amazon. I had the woman’s phone number (Not Amazon!) and he directed me to not only change my password with Amazon but with my email server as well.

Done and Done!

It is kind of creepy to think that the Phishers and Scammers are out there in full force! I guess it’s the New Year thing, but really, what a pain in the arse! I am running out of things to use as passwords. I had to sit here and think for a moment before I came up with a couple of new ones to use.

I know the reason why these dishonest people do this, but I hate that they do.

I would never take anything from someone in this manner and it just really just makes me pretty angry.

I think I will make a few more password changes while I’m at it.

Lists, Lists, & More Lists!

I’m sure that most people will think I am insane, but I started with my master lists for packing for my trip last week. My plan was to keep myself from becoming stressed over packing, and to pack slowly. That was the plan.

However, once the list was made, and the laundry was done this weekend, I simply started to pack my suitcases!

I know, call me crazy, but I am just so very excited about the trip and I want it all to go off without a hitch. I want to be a help during the travel process to my daughter and grandchildren and not hinder the progress.

So between my lists, my travel information folder and my general sense of loving to travel, I feel I am truly ready when the time comes.

Over the weekend I added to the meals I’ve cooked for Jack. We had a nice London Broil the other night and today I made beef stew for dinner and the leftovers got labeled and frozen for a meal while I am gone. Jack thought that was very good and right now, with a full freezer, he says I can leave anytime!

Starting The Year

Yesterday was a sad day around here. Yes, folks, the Christmas tree with all the beautiful lights came down and was put away for another year!

Honestly, I love those warm lights that seem to touch the depths of my soul and fill me with happiness. I just wish people wouldn’t think I was some sort of crazy “Dog Crazy-Christmas Lady” should I decide to leave the tree up year round! Even though, technically I am!

Arnie and Anneliese slept most of the day on Saturday, but both had good appetites and so I fed them soft food, so as not to hurt their mouths. Today I will feed them a little dry food with their wet food and see what happens.

I am not sure I mentioned that Anneliese outweighed her brother at the Vets the other day! Anneliese is a lot like her Mama, Greta. They never met a meal they didn’t want to devour! However, I will need to get Anneliese on a stricter diet once her mouth is healed.

I had to bring in a pair of sneakers to return to Amazon yesterday. So I brought Arnie along with me, so we could stop in at the State Liquor Store and see his girlfriend, Rebecca. He was so happy to see her that he forgot he had little aches and pains from his surgery!

The last thing on my list yesterday was making myself a temporary retainer to keep myself from grinding my teeth. This is one of the causes of all my dental pain.

The molding process went well, and last night I slept with it for the first time. It felt weird! But I am determined to wear it and stop myself from grinding my teeth.

All Better

On Friday both Arnie and Anneliese had to have surgeries. Both needed teeth cleaning, and both had Lipomas that needed removal. Anneliese especially, as she had two large ones on either side of her neck that were growing fast.

Both lost a few teeth, and both had their yearly shots while they were there. I read the bill.

It was nicely itemized and I have to tell you it really was reasonable for all they did. I think if I’d been down in Connecticut where my sister lives, the bill would have been three times what I paid. In fact pet ownership there is only for the rich or people who enjoy going broke.

No, each and every item was reasonably priced, and I will not complain at all. I feel the pups get the best care there, and it is worth my 40-minute drive to their office.

I’m so grateful tonight that the work on them is done, both are doing well, (although Arnie is still a little sleepy from the anesthesia), and their incisions look good. Of course, they also look a little funny with various places shaved and then sewn up.

In 10 days I will bring them back to get their stitches removed. Until then, I will keep them comfortable and babied.

I am so grateful to my Veterinarians for the wonderful job they did and for being so kind to the two pups and to me as well.

When I left them this morning I was quite emotional. Arnie and Anneliese have been my life for the last 12 years. It was so hard to leave them, and so wonderful when I brought them home!

The Friday Five

Well, here we are the first Friday of the New Year, and here’s what’s happening here in my neck of the woods!

Today I sat down and wrote out a Packing List for my trip. It has been so long since I have traveled that I knew I needed to think, write it down and then print up a list. After I did this, I looked at it and wondered how I am ever going to fit it all into a bag or two!

2. I did pull out my two suitcases, and put them on luggage stands so I can slowly pack, check off the items, without having to move the cases back and forth on and off the bed!

3. I’m so excited about my trip and going to Disney with my grandchildren, and after going to see my friends. It will be in nice warm weather and hopefully sunny skies!

4. Arnie and Anneliese are off to have their teeth cleaned today and to have a few small tumors removed. They went in early and will be home by the end of the day.

5. I’m still not able to chew much on my right side. But I must say, my mouth is starting to feel better, finally!!!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.