The Dackel Princess

Well, I Must Be Crazy!

For a few years, I had a cute collage of my family on my fridge. My problem? I am so lazy, I had not done one since Quinn’s birth, two and a half years ago. So when I got this coupon from Walgreens, I set about designing a collage of my little family.

I think it came out really well, and it makes me smile when I look at it.

Meanwhile, we’re rearranging our Office Room and adding a full-size bed. After a great deal of shopping, I finally convinced Jack that the best price was on Amazon.com. It’s been ordered and should be here on Friday!

After going through a bunch of useless ~~crap~~ items on the office shelves and filling a wastepaper basket, something distracted me and led me to our linen closet. I opened the door and started tossing things on the floor and in piles. Things to donate to the homeless shelter, throw out, or freshen and return to the linen closet.

I am not sure why I started on the closet because as I got more involved, it became apparent that this is a giant task! I must be crazy!

There is no stopping now, but there has been a serious slowdown, as my neck and shoulders can only do so much in one day. (This is my story and I am sticking to it!)

Once done, this closet will be amazingly organized and anyone can go in and find what they need easily. Best of all, after I launder the towels in there, it will smell lovely and fresh.

I did find my puppy kit. All the things I used when I was breeding the girls. Colored neck bands to distinguish each pup, my surgical sheers, and a warming block. Much of this I cannot use any longer, but the sheers and warming block I can definitely put to use.

I also found a box of wires and cords. Some I know what they are, but some, I have no idea. So while I watch the tennis today, I will be going through that box to see if there is anything to salvage. I suspect not!

Tuesday I plan a day of washing much of these sheets, towels, and tablecloths. Then carefully folding them and organizing the shelves.

After the linen closet is done, I will go back into the office and dust vacuum, and wash windows getting this room done, once and for all!

This poor room is so neglected really. Since laptops became the rage, we almost never go into the office, except for Income Tax time. Now that we will have this fixed up as a nice guest room we can entertain more if we would like.

Happy Monday to Everyone and Happy Labor Day to all in the USA!

It’s All About…

It’s all about accepting the inevitable!

My friend, Andrew over on High Riser put this on his blog on Friday. Well, it just made me laugh and laugh, and even play it twice (or more!). So I thought that on this beautiful Sunday morning, I would share this with all of you! Enjoy!

Welcome Autumn!

Good Morning and Welcome to September!

I walked outside with the dogs and the air was cool and crisp! Just the kind of weather that I like. Soon the leaves will start to turn, and in a few weeks, there will be frost on the pumpkins! Wonderful!

Many people don’t like this time of year, but it is my favorite! Look at this picture from last year. I mean, how can anyone not love the beauty of Autumn?

My beautiful Lake! How I can hardly wait for it to look like this once again!

The Friday Five

Well, another week has gone by and on Saturday it will be September first! Imagine that! In a little over two months, I will turn sixty years young, and then it’s Christmas and New Years and 2019 will be upon us! Whew!

I remember thinking, when I was a little girl, that time went so .s.l.o.w.l.y.! But now, the day’s race by me and I realize how brief our time on earth is. Why just the other day I was starting Elementary School myself, and now my granddaughter, Savannah is starting First Grade! How did this happen?

Well, let’s get to the Friday Five before I reminisce any further about the passage of time!

This week was so hot. No kidding. Until today, each day was 90+ degrees and humid. It’s the sort of weather we had when I lived in Florida, which is why we moved back home to New England. Let’s just put it this way. I will be very happy when the cool crisp air of Autumn is upon us! I want temperatures in the sixties, where I can wear jeans and sweaters once again!
Is it possible to keep falling in love with your grandchildren? I spent Sunday and Monday with them and I just thrill at the very thought that they are mine! We cuddle and hug and it is just the best!
Savannah started school today. Well, it was a meet and greet with her teacher when she got to see their classroom, find where her desk is and where her coat cubby will be. As she is entering First Grade, I like the idea of showing the children what to expect, before classes actually begin.

As you can see Savannah is a very happy First Grader!

I’m so proud of her and Iknow she is going to be soaking it all in, as Savannah loves to learn things and is so proud when she accomplishes them. Go Savannah! Have a great school year!
Going back to Weight Watchers was a very good thing. In the last three days, I have written everything down that I have eaten, and I have not put one bad, sugary thing into my mouth! In fact, today I stood chopping vegetables for my salad and for dinner tonight. I also made a fabulous chicken salad for lunch and Swordfish is on the menu for dinner.

So the week has been very positive all the way around. My family is happy and healthy and going forward. What a wonderful time for us all.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Being Kind

The other day I was so hungry I could not stop eating. It was a terrible feeling and I almost felt frantic. Then I started to slow myself down and think.

Why are you feeling so hungry? Why are you eating everything that is not nailed down? What is going on here?

Then it dawned on me. I recently have experienced a few losses in my life, and I was eating to feed the pain. Now, how crazy is that?

So on Wednesday morning, I got myself up, showered and dressed in the prettiest skirt and top I have, (it is over 100 degrees as I write!) and off to Weight Watchers Class I went.

Our usual leader was off this week on vacation, and a really kind woman was the substitute. She was talking about finding our peace, and gratitude and balance in this crazy world. This meeting was right up my alley.

I need to be kind to myself and find some peace.

Now knowing this is half the battle but actually implementing it is a little more difficult. Still, I am not going to give up on myself, and my quest to get back into shape.

After class, I came home and took 5 pounds of chicken breasts and tossed them in the crockpot. I wanted to make the recipe I posted yesterday for Shredded Chicken, which I can have on standby in the fridge for quick meals and snacks. Chicken is Zero Points, so it is a good thing to have handy.

Long ago now, I actually reached my goal weight, but after I did a series of unfortunate incidents and surgeries found me putting the weight back on. Ugh!

So, here I am now, approaching my sixtieth birthday and I would love to be able to give myself the gift of a slightly smaller waistline!

I also feel that if I can drop a few pounds, it will be better for my spine, and overall health. I’m not happy at this weight, and so I will be kind to myself, eat healthfully, and drop the pounds.

Most of all, I will find other ways to deal with the hurts in life. I’m afraid chocolate cupcakes with cookies and cream frosting, Lorne Doone cookies, and fried foods must be banished from my daily diet! Bring on the vegetables, fruits, chicken, and fish!

Slow Cooked Shredded Chicken

Ingredients:

4 pounds To 5 Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Or Thighs
1 teaspoon All-purpose, No-salt Seasoning
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 cup Chopped Yellow Onion
2 teaspoons Chopped Fresh Garlic
1/2 cup Chicken Broth

Instructions:

Place all of the chicken into the pot of your slow cooker.
Sprinkle the chicken with the no-salt seasoning, sea salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.
Using a pair of tongs, lift and turn the chicken to distribute the seasonings evenly.
Pour the broth down the side of the pot.
If you’re using a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 5–6 hours or on high for 3–4 hours.
Shred the chicken and return it to the pot with the juices. Serve immediately or divide the chicken up into equal portions and chill or freeze.

Can be mixed with barbecue sauce, gravy, or just top a salad with the shredded meat. It also makes a great base for a chicken salad or soup.

Summer Love!

Over the weekend I had the chance to spend time with my two grandchildren. I always love and value this time. I learn more and more about my grandkids, each time I am there. Right now at the ages of two and six, the kids are changing every day, sometimes hour by hour!

We swam in the pool and Savannah is a little fish. She loves to swim and never stops. She loves the water! Quinn does very well with his little swimmers, but still has a ways to go with is self-swimming. If our season was a bit longer, I think he would get it, but since our season ends soon, he will more than likely learn next year. He sure loves being in the pool!

Case in point. my little guy, Quinn was fascinated by the selfie stick I brought with me. He watched himself in the picture, with no adult sharing the screen.

Savannah thought it was pretty cool too.

The only problem I have with the selfie stick is that sometimes I don’t hold it as steady as I would like. It’s something I need to work on. If my old hands keep shaking, at least this selfie stick is also a tripod and I can set up for some better pictures.

While I was there, I sat down with six-year-old Savannah and she read to me, 40 pages of her Dick and Jane book. Some of the words she knew, but some were new to her and we worked sounding them out, and because the stories use these same words over and over in the story, by the end of the story she had learned at least three words. Not only was I proud of her, and Mandy was proud, but Savannah was proud of herself, and that was a marvelous thing to see!

I also worked on Savannah’s hair on Monday, to get it into pretty braids for her audition in the Community Theater. Savi was so sweet as I braided her hair. She talked non-stop.

Her chattering with me is something I simply adore! I remember holding Savannah on the day she was born, and telling her I could hardly wait until she could tell me everything she was thinking!

And now, here she is. Six years old and telling me everything that is on her mind. And she is such a smart and interesting little girl. I just love talking with her!

All too soon, our time together came to an end, and I started on my trek home, via the grocery store. The trip seemed long, and it was very hot, and I was so happy to arrive and get settled into a cool home with all the dogs either on me or around me!

Yes, Summer Love!

Sunday Sunshine!

I drove down to Mandy’s house yesterday for a visit and a swim. The weather was perfect and I was in the pool with Mandy and the kids for about 3 hours! It was the perfect day as our temperature was close to 90 and the water was so soothing!

After we dried off, we watched the good old Disney movie “101 Dalmatians”. It was wonderful to watch my grandchildren enjoying a movie that I also loved as a child.

After that was dinner, and a bit more TV time, and then I sat down with Savannah and got out the “Dick and Jane” beginner reader book and Savi read 40 pages all by herself!

How great is that!

Today I babysit for half the day and then it’s grocery shopping on my way home.

Have a great Monday!

A Cold Beer

I met my cousin, Janet and her friend, Susan uptown today for the wonderful Craft Festival. It is so much fun, and I go every year.

This year the temperatures were nearly 90 degrees, and after a bit of walking around, we all needed to escape to have a cold drink and some lunch.

Yup, it was back to the Tavern again for lunch. This is now my third visit and three weeks! I had a nice cold draft beer and so did the other two ladies.

Picture courtesy of my cousin, Janet!

We all had burgers and then loaded up on water. Everything was great. As we sat chatting I couldn’t help but wonder why I hadn’t been in here much. Really it is a great place to dine. Very casual, good food, and draft beer.

I started my Christmas Shopping at the Fair and even bought myself a little gift! And tonight I am just beat once again.

Tomorrow finds me going to Mandy’s house for the night and babysitting on Monday for the kids.

Have a wonderful Sunday all!

Prime Rib Night

Last night we’d made a date to meet our neighbor for dinner at a small Tavern in town. Friday and Saturday they have Prime Rib and I felt like this would be a nice meal for us. Prime Rib for under $20.00 is a deal in these parts!

We arrived at 6:30 and the place was so wild I couldn’t believe it! Then I remembered we are still in the summer tourist season, so that would explain the wall to wall people! It was also Friday, date night, and of course the Prime Rib!

I’m usually patient about these things, but for the love of all that is good and kind, I waited about 15 minutes before I went in search of the waiter.

He was the only waiter they had working! There was him, the bartender, and two people in the kitchen. One cook and one bus-boy/dish-washer. They all looked harried.

I asked about him coming to get our order. He smiled (rather a pitiful smile) and said he would be right there. I returned to our table and we waited 15 more minutes before he showed up, wiped our table down and took our drink order.

I got a Tuckerman’s Pale Ale, Jack got a Budweizer Light, and Paul got another beer, which is escaping my brain right now. It took about 10 minutes until he returned with those, and I told him to hold on so we could order our meals.

It was easy, three Queen Cut Prime Rib, fries and green beans. All three were to be medium rare.

Then we set about talking and drinking our first beer. We sat, we talking and before we knew it, an hour had passed, our beers were gone and we all started looking around for our poor, harried, waiter!

He finally returned and said they didn’t have three medium rare Prime cuts. They had two and an end cut. I can say that I felt if the order had been placed quickly and delivered quickly then we would all have gotten the medium rare cuts, but, because we were committed to the meal at this point, I said I would take the end cut, and we all wanted more beer!

Again we waited another 15 minutes and finally, I saw the waiter bringing our three meals. I said, “Oh look, our meals!” and Jack said, “Don’t get your hopes up!”

Luckily, they were our three meals! I mentioned to Jack and Paul that this had better be the best Prime Rib ever or I was never coming back!

We all took our first bites and it was so good!!! After that, there wasn’t a lot of talking as we three ate our meals. We all agreed that it was so crazy due to all the tourists, but in the winter when it is just us town folk, this will be a great place to come for Prime Rib on a cold Friday night!

And my end cut was amazing! I got all of the wonderful spices and delicious flavor! I had almost no fat or gristle on my piece, but Jack and Paul had plenty. Now, this is a good thing. Everyone’s meat was very tender, but the fat helps to keep the meat like that. All scaps were put into a container and brought home to feed Greta and the other pooches!

We did not arrive home until well after 9 PM. I was so tired, but I needed to unwind, and I guess it was closer to 10:30 before I got to bed. Well past my bedtime!

Still, I must say, this was a nice enjoyable night!