Category: Friday Five

It’s been a busy week for me. I found myself in bed early each night and actually sleeping in until 6:30 each morning. Here’s what’s happening in my world.

1. The best piece of news is that my God-son is doing much better after getting Remdecivere. The hope is that he will be well enough to go home very soon!
2. My new crown arrived and it’s a great match to the rest of my teeth. I have an incredible amount of dental work in my head. My goal is to keep my teeth until I die. After that? Well, I have no opinion!
3. I did a big shopping after getting “Crowned”. We have a weird forecast for rain/ice/snow and I felt I needed to be prepared. So, we are all set.
4. I go tomorrow to get my second Moderna Covid Vaccine. I still plan to wear masks when out, to practice proper handwashing, and basically not change too much of what I am doing.
5. Lastly, I have no plans for the weekend. After Shot#1 I felt unwell for several days, SO I have actually planned to rest and take care of myself after this next shot. My hope is that the booster we all will have to take won’t cause the reactions I have had.

Have a great weekend!

So, here we are, the first Friday in April. Can it possibly be over a year since all the Covid Craziness began? Yes indeed. And as I sit and write on Thursday night, I am grateful we have made it! So, here is this week’s Friday Five.

1. April 1st came in with high winds, (not as bad as it was on Monday) rain, and at times a little sleet. It is brutal going out with the pups, but I keep my heavy coat and hat at the door with my gloves. Brrrrr. I am ready for Spring to come with much warmer temperatures.
2. On Wednesday I went to Hannaford Grocery Store and as I entered I saw a large rack with at least a dozen Hyacinth plants. My favorite smell in all the world! A woman was in front of me, and she took every single plant! I felt very sorry about this. I really wanted one and sort of needed to brighten up my day. Thursday I was back at the shop to see if Jack’s Orange Donuts were there and just as I came up to the door the floral lady was putting out the plants!And there it was. A beautiful dish of three Hyacinths and a couple of tulips and some daffodils that have yet to open. And I got the first pick! I selected this one because I could smell the Hyacinths through my mask! Since I have gotten it home, the scent of the Hyacinths has permeated the air in our family room. Ahhhhhh.
3. I took my turkey out of the deep freeze yesterday to cook on Sunday. I bought it at Thanksgiving for an entire 39¢ a pound! Cheap eats. This I love. I’ll be making butternut squash, green bean casserole, turkey, mashed potato for Jack, and gravy. No stuffing. I really love stuffing, but it sure doesn’t love me. All those carbs go straight to my hips!
4. Have you ever watched “The Great British Baking Show”? I’ve been streaming that and enjoying every moment.I love baking and it is so fun to watch ordinary people baking up a storm. Many of the items I have never heard of, but what fun it is to watch!
5. Because I am loving the British Baking Show, I decided to attempt a new Quiche recipe. The flavors were great, but looking back I needed to mix the mushrooms, onion, and peppers with the cheese before I poured in the egg mixture. Still, it tasted so great.

So that’s it for this week. I hope you all have a happy and healthy weekend!

The week seemed to fly by. I think because, for most of the week, I have felt quite tired and nodded off in my chair, making me feel older than my 62 years! But here we are, at the end of another week. And here is the Week’s Friday Five!

1. As mentioned above, I am still dragging and fighting the after-effects of the Covid-19 shot. I am feeling better than I did last Sunday, but I am still so darn tired and have no get-up and go. (It got up and went!)
2. I saw my Dermatologist and had a small pre-cancerous growth removed. We’d tried freezing it, but after 4 or 5 times it kept growing back.So, he took it off and then cauterized it. A mini-ouchie here.
3. I was in to see my dentist and have my cracked tooth prepared for a crown. It wasn’t too bad, except I kept getting cramped in my shoulder. I figured it was a cramp or I was dying of a heart attack. It’s a good thing that when I moved, the cramp went away.
4. Today I will be going to see my Glaucoma Doctor. I know my eye pressures are up and I expect she will be changing my eye drops. I am not thrilled about having Glaucoma. It runs in my family and I had hoped to have escaped it, but unfortunately, I have not.
5. My plans for this weekend are simple. Laundry and sleep. If a day dawns with sunny and warm weather I will go out and walk. But currently, we are in the middle of mud season, so no walking along the country dirt roads!As you can see, this means that all dirt roads are mud. All White German Shepherds are covered with brown sticky mud, and your shoes go squish in the mud! Yuck!

Have a great weekend everyone! Enjoy whatever you plan to do!!!

Well, here we are, mid-March. Most of our snow is gone, and although we have gray skies, the temperature has been slightly warmer. So, as this week ends, here is this week’s Friday Five.

1. I learned a few things this week. I learned how to program the time on machines made 15-20+ years ago. You know, press the prog button two times and when it flashes using the up or down button, set the time. I know it sounds easy enough, but for the love of all that is holy, it was not. Resetting the clocks took me well over an hour (closer to two hours!).
2. I made our St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef and Cabbage using a top round roast. I read the directions of The Pioneer Woman’s homepage. I am always unsure about how to tell if the eat is ready and it turns out that my tough meat means I have not cooked it long enough. I had a two and a half pound roast and I cooked it on low heat in my oven, for over six hours. Wow! It came out really well Also using the Top Round Roast, gave me a less salty piece of meat, and less fat. All this equaled fewer points!
3. My BFF in Delaware sent me a gift I will call a “Sunshine Gift”. Two collectible tins of the Royal Families English Breakfast Tea. As soon as I opened the box, I put on the kettle and made myself a cup of tea in a china teacup that Gail had also given me!

Oh, wow!!! This tea was so good! This woman has known me almost all my life (we met at summer camp when we were 13 years old) and she probably knows me better than most people. This was the perfect gift! And once I finish up the tea, I can use the cute tins to store things.

4. This picture came up today in my memories. It was taken by a friend’s son who has a drone.

We had more snow back then (two years ago). But I like this picture.

5. Tomorrow I go for my first Covid Vaccine. I’m a little nervous, and a little happy, as it has finally gotten to me. I will report in on Saturday with how it all went.

Despite the fact that we have had some very mild temperatures the last two days, it is still winter, and this brief reprieve from the cold will be over on Sunday when we are actually due for a little snow.

I thought that I would have more to write about this week, but a little cold and sore back kept me down. Still, there are a few things to share, so here we go. This Week’s Friday Five!

1. Today I got down on the floor and worked stripping Arnie’s coat. He also needs his mid-winter bath, which I will do tomorrow, and that will loosen up the under-coat more and I will work stripping him some more. As it is, with the fur I’ve stripped off him, he looks so much better!
2. I’ve been struggling a bit with my eating plan. Laziness, nerves, I don’t know. But it has not been going well. I decided to rededicate myself to eating what I should and writing it all down. I was doing well until 3 PM when I felt the need for a sweet treat! But I made it through and had a hot drink and an apple.
3. Today is sheet and blanket washing day. It’s a big job for my old back, but in another 90 minutes, it will be done!
4. We have a really great Oil Delivery person now. In what once was a men’s only job, we now have Bev. She is wonderful! So, today I called the Oil Company we use and told them how much we like and appreciate Bev, what a great job she does, and how wonderfully she represents their company. I like those sorts of calls. I’m big on praise, especially where it is deserved.
5. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night. You know, I wish they would just leave the time alone. Going back and ahead just messes up my internal clock like crazy.

Have a great weekend everyone and while the sun shines, get out and enjoy!

This week really flew by. I had so many problems to solve and I spent more time than I wanted to on solving them. Ugh! Not all of them have been resolved, but that is a post for another day!

Here is this Week’s Friday Five!

1. I saw this funny bit by Bill Engvall on Facebook and it made me laugh as I thought about my Lili and the dachshunds.
   

   In fact, on Thursday I was walking Arnie outside and the two neighbor dogs were outside with no supervision. They began to bark, and one of them came over the stone wall toward Arnie! I was in my slippers and down parka and I went running through the deep hard snow to “save” Arnie and twisted my leg. Ugh! Anyway, watch the clip and have a little laugh!

2. Jack has now had his second Moderna Shot for Covid. Today I was able to make my appointment for April. Baby-steps! But at least I am moving in the right direction!
3. We have more wind again. This is the type of wind that rattles your windows and doors and makes everything sound so loud! I wonder if we will have power outages?
4. Will any of you watch Oprah’s hatchet job interview with Meghan and Prince Harry? I do not think I will. You see, I look at MM and PH as being two spoilt brats who think the world owes them. And somehow MM has convinced PH that she is Princess Diana and needs his devoted protection! At least this is my opinion.  Oh, gag! No, I won’t be watching.
5. Lastly, this weekend is my grandson’s birthday! He will be 5 years old. I remember the day he was born so well.
   Savi, Quinn’s other Grandmother, and I all came to the hospital right after he was born. I always joke with Quinni that I changed his first day’s worth of poopy diapers! And you know, I loved every second of it! Now Quinn is a big boy and so very remarkable.

   I adore my grandchildren and they are God’s greatest gift to me!

Well, that is this Week’s Friday Five. I hope you have a great weekend!

I think the slightly longer hours of daylight are helping my wintertime depression and the skies remind me that soon Spring will be here. Instead of recounting my week, I thought I would give you five pictures of days gone by.

1. This first one is me. I am thinking I was about 5 years old. I was a real ham even back then. Point a camera at me and I pose.

   Mandy says she can always tell my fake smiles from the real ones. That makes me laugh. Surprisingly, I think that Quinn looks a lot like me.

2. Here is a picture taken when I was ten. My sister is on the left, my cousin Rikki on the right holding her beautiful baby daughter, Dawn.
   

   This is the first baby I remember being born and I simply fell in love with her! Dawn has grown into an amazing woman. And she is just as lovely on the outside as she is on the inside!

3. The next picture is of me holding my sister’s first son, Michael. He was such a beautiful baby and I was instantly smitten.

   In fact, I have always loved babies! Fortunately, my family always allowed me unlimited rocking baby times! I think I was 13 years old.

4. When I was just 14, my parents went to Bermuda to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They took me with them. They went in November and it was chilly. But I loved Bermuda.

   An interesting note here. It was also my first airplane ride. And the airline was Pan Am. Little did I know that years later, I would marry a Pan Am pilot.

5. The last old picture for today was of me at 16. My Mom made this gown for me as I was a Rainbow Girl. The picture is not the best as it is an old polaroid snap.I loved this gown and it made me feel like a million dollars when I wore it. I wish I knew what happened to that gown. It would be lovely to have it now.

So that’s it for this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend wherever you may be!

Time is flying by. This is just what I hoped would happen in the year 2021. I think the sooner we get through this year, the better. I believe that 2022 will find life returning to a more normal time for us all. Until the virus abates and vaccines are given, we will be in this sort of suspended animation. As life goes on, here is this week’s Friday Five.

1. Fifteen years ago, my very first wire-haired dackel, Shubi left this world for the next. But this little dog left me with something so very special, and I wanted to share it with you today.

   You may recognize the sweater as being the one that Arnie now wears.

   Shubi taught me all about unconditional love. During a terrible depression I suffered, Shubi was with me each and every day. She was my sunshine and helped me in ways that no one could ever imagine. So, although she has been gone for 15 years, her memory, her love lingers in my mind and in my heart.

2. I made the most delicious Quiche today. It had onions and garlic, bacon bits, and cheese. It came out very well, and we both enjoyed it. But…my whole house smells like onions and garlic! Eeek! So I got my larger Scentsy burner out and things are getting better. Love to cook with garlic, hate the smell afterward!
3. Tonight is leftover night here at Casa Dackel Princess. I have a fridge full of meals to rerun. So, for me, this means light duty at dinnertime. I really enjoy those days.
4. Arnie is doing better. I washed a new doggy bed and dried it with Downy fabric softener sheets, and he seems to be happier in this one. I also started to walk him outside when he begins to fuss, and then when we come in I give him all kinds of love and snuggles. I’m trying to teach him to expect the cuddling after walks, not after crying. It’s a challenge.
5. I ordered a new mattress pad for my bed. Made in the USA, and quilted, it is like the pads you find in hotels like the Marriott. I picked the box up at the Post Office and it was HUGE! I got it to my car, and then home and currently it is on my bed ready for Arnie and me to jump in for a great night of sleep. I may even take a nice hot bath tonight for relaxation before hitting my little cloud of perfection in bed!

As I close out this entry I want to let you know how wonderful a dog or cat can be in your life. A rescue animal or one like the dackels that are purely and kindly bred can add so very much to your life. Each and every one of my pets has given me far more than I could ever give to them.

Maribeth

This week slipped by rather quickly. I was occupied much of the time and as the week closes, this is what’s going on.

1. I was due for a dental cleaning but canceled the appointment due to the snow.

   The day after. So pretty!

   I probably could have made it over and back, but quite frankly, I am not a fan of driving in snowy weather. Especially when the first 600 feet of the trip from my home is uphill!

2. I’m not sure I have mentioned but my Wednesdays are spent with a meeting online with the wonderful ladies I’ve known for years at WW. We know they canceled our meeting here in the Lakes Region (and they do not plan to ever have one back here), so we twelve fierce women started to meet in Parks last summer and now we meet online until the weather warms up again. These women are all wonderfully supportive and we are so lucky to have each other!
3. A few days ago Arnie started to cry. Not loudly, but softly. But he had no other symptoms. Yesterday he started limping around. His appetite is also not good. Today he seemed okay for the first half of the day and then in the afternoon, the limping began again and so did the soft crying.He also started to have a fever. He ate okay at dinner, but if he is still symptomatic tomorrow I will call our Vets. (It is Thursday night as I write) I will tell you all right now, I cannot handle anything being wrong with Arnie. (Well I will, but I do not want to!)
4. I had a weird reminder that I am old. I wash my hands all the time. I use hand cream all the time. But I also clean the house and floors etc and today when I washed my hands, the skin on my left thumb split open, almost like a paper cut. It was the oddest thing I’ve seen and it made me feel pretty darn old! The skin just parted almost like “And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.” Only in my case, it was my skin!
5. On Thursday night I felt like cooking one more meal would simply do me in!Fortunately, I had some Seafood Lasagna in my freezer, and that’s what’s for dinner!

So that was this week. Honestly, I am glad it is over. I am hoping Arnie will bounce back and be his sweet healthy self very soon!

It’s amazing! Here we are, and it is the first Friday in February! It’s my biggest hope that 2021 goes by quickly, leading us to a Happy & Healthy 2022! But here is what’s on my mind this cold and slightly snowy Friday!

1. Jack got his Covid Vaccine on Thursday. He fits several categories for being at High Risk, so off he went and got the Moderna Shot. I wonder how he will be feeling in the morning? Most of my friends have had sore arms and been tired. Hopefully, that is all he will have.
2. Thursday found me stripping off the sofa cover, washing and drying it, and putting it back on.  Now I cannot recall it being that tough! But my goodness, it was as tricky as trying to get Arnie to hold still so I can slip on his winter sweater! By the time I was done, I felt like I had run a marathon!
3. Tomorrow is vacuuming the house day. That’s another big chore. Not so much because of Arnie, but Lili, oh my goodness…the fur!!! Now we all know that shepherds shed. But Lili is different.

   You can almost see the plumes of fur sticking out!

   Her coat is so thick that she sheds clumps of white fur everywhere she goes. I will easily fill a vacuum bag going through the house. And I just vacuumed the day before yesterday! But it must be done!

4. I’ve been struggling with my diet since Anneliese died. But, I have decided that Friday morning I am going right back onto my eating plan. I just know that I need to get a hold of my emotions and get back to eating healthfully! No amount of cookies and crackers will bring Anneliese back. So, it’s onward and upward!
5. Arnie is doing pretty well now. He is all healed up from the bacterial infection that he had over Christmas, and he is finally going out and running around again.

   Arnie resting on my chair.

   I know he misses Anneliese, but I also think he understands that she is not coming back. I’ve been working trimming him and stripping him and once he looks sharper, I will post a new picture!

So that’s it for this week’s Friday Five. I hope you have a happy, and warm weekend!