Category: Holidays

1. Have you ever been on a real sleigh ride? How about the warm weather version – a carriage ride?

Yes, Hubby took me on a carriage ride during “First Night” in Boston many years ago.

2. What’s your policy on ‘chain mail’…you know, the emails you receive that are often some sort of poem/blessing/good wish that ask you to send it on to 10 or 12 friends? Do you delete without opening, read and trash, read and trash and then worry you won’t be blessed/lucky/protected? Do you delete the sender from your contacts or just go ahead and send the love onward?

Oh, I really hate ‘chain mail’. I wish people would not send me them. Sometimes I get them, and they’re cute, with puppies and kittens, so I’ll forward, but delete the ‘chain mail’ part saying I will have 30 years of bad luck if I don’t send them to 29 people in the next 10 seconds!

3. Who is your favorite character in any of the Christmas movies and why?

Clarence the Angel in “It’s A Wonderful Life”.

~Dear George, Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love, Clarence.~

4. Share a favorite quote.

~ Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?~

5. What’s your favorite holiday scent?

I love the smell of Snickerdoodle cookies baking in the oven! All spicy and cinamonny!

6. Does the Christmas season stress you out? In what way?

Yes. I think because expectations are high and people are rushing around, and often people tend to forget to enjoy the reason for the season.

7. What’s the best thing about your life right now?

Love. The love of a wonderful husband, fabulous daughter, family, friends and furry pups. I also have decorated my house for the holidays and I am really enjoying the beauty of the lights and seeing all my much loved ornaments again.

8.

Since I am nearly done with decorating the living area in our house, it’s now time to clean the rest of it up. My least favorite part of the holiday season. Oh well, it must be done!

Sunday night, while watching a little TV, all four dogs disappeared into our bedroom and promptly put themselves to bed. I didn’t think much about it, and when I went to bed, myself, at 9:30 they never even moved. All four of them were simply dead to the world! So, we all hunkered down and simply enjoyed the warmth of the blankets.

The night was fine, I was up a couple of times, but fell instantly back to sleep. All I had to do was move a dackel or two out of the way.

This morning, Hubby wanted to be up and out the door to go skiing, so we got up together so I could make the coffee. He followed the dogs to the door and then one by one, let them out.

Well, we stood there watching as the dogs went out, one by one and took the longest wee-wee’s on record. It seems that their early bedtime was not very good for their little doggy bladders. Monday night we plan a good long walk in the bitter cold before we turn in for the night!

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While Hubby skied on Monday, I decided to get myself in the Christmas mood and finish our Christmas tree. I carefully put the lights on the tree, while talking to my sister on our cell phones. This took me nearly two hours! Especially when I was putting the bubble lights on, as they are fairly old, and often need a little repair of their bases with super glue. However, I got it done and then set about making lunch for a returning Hubby and myself.

Once lunch was done, I started hanging ornaments. I haven’t seen them for two years and it was so wonderful to see all my little mementos from around the world, as I hung them on the tree. You see, when I have traveled to various countries or states, I always buy Christmas ornaments. I also collect little dackels and red-haired Angels.

Then the garland went around the tree, and it came out pretty well. I was worried about tinsel, because it really is bad for dogs, but I compromised. I only put it on 3/4 of the tree, leaving the very bottom devoid of it. No one really notices, because the tree is in our kitchen and the kitchen table sort of covers that part of the tree.

I stood back admiring the tree and thinking how pretty it was, but something was bothering me. Something was off. What was it?

I’d forgotten the STAR at the very top!

So I climbed up on a ladder and worked to place the star without knocking over the tree. I finally got it on, stood back and admired our beautiful tree!

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you might need an alibi!

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What a busy weekend I had, as this was our fund raising weekend for my ladies club here in my little town. If you would like to view some very pretty Christmas Trees, scroll down and you can see a little bit more about “The Festival Of Trees”.

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Saturday I worked a long shift in the bitter cold and I swear I did not warm up for many hours after I got home. In fact, I called Hubby just before I left and asked him to start a fire in the hearth and he had a lovely one going when I came in.

I made us dinner, but really, I wasn’t all that hungry. I ate though, and then found a couple of dachshunds to cuddle with while we watched some of the worst TV in a while.

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So far, I am really enjoying the new Weight Watchers program. I love being able to eat all the fruit and the freedom to eat some of the low in carbohydrate vegetables in any amount also really helps. I am NOT hungry, and that is a wonderful thing!

I’m also looking at food differently. I look at it and ask myself, how will this food help my body? Will it send my blood sugar sky high, or will it help to hold it steady? So far I have not had one low blood sugar attack!

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I managed to get my Christmas tree standing UP in my kitchen windows. However, I ran out of energy before I got the lights on. That I will do on Monday.

I also need to spend an entire day doing nothing but HOUSEWORK! Blah! I really hate it, but I need to do it to prepare for any guests that may drop in over the holidays.

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The best part of the weekend for me? Probably seeing the faces of the children and the people from the Nursing Home when they came to see the Christmas Trees! That was just the best and I found, softy that I am, that I had a big lump in my throat, as I watched them!

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Happy Monday Everyone!

On Saturday I worked in the afternoon at the Festival of Trees here in town. My women’s club was sponsoring the event, as they have for the last 15 years. This was the first time I had worked at it, and I had a great time. I’m a newbie to the club and I still do not know many women well, but over this weekend I have spent a lot of time with one woman and gotten to know her, a little. Her late husband was also a pilot, and we have chatted a bit about that, as well as what brought us to this town. I’m happy to have made a new friend!

Meanwhile, families came to visit us and take their children to see the trees, all decorated by local companies and clubs for our event. It was magical to see their eyes light up when they saw the lights glowing against the Christmas ornaments.

We had some seniors from a local nursing home come by, and several people who came in by themselves, just to enjoy the trees.

Here is a short montage I made from the pictures I took. I hope you enjoy the little peek into the wonders of Christmas in New Hampshire!

Christmas Dreams from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

It reminded me, of some of the reasons that I love Christmas. The beauty, the love and the miracle of a child as they view a room full of wonderful trees!

The Christmas Countdown Edition…

1. My Christmas cards are signed and the Christmas letter has been placed inside them, and they are now wending their ways around the world!

2. My shelves and mantle are now decorated for the Christmas Season. This year I put up a series of little Angels that I have collected over the years on the mantle.

3. My little mini Christmas tree is up with all the dackel ornaments that I have collected around the world!

4. My tree still is not up. Saturday? I am not sure. I hope so, though. I can hardly wait to see it again with all the lights and little ornaments from all my travels.

5. I’ve collected ornaments whenever I travel to remind me of the people and places I have been.

6. Although one of my favorite decorations is a chipmunk in a nut cracker! I love that one! Isn’t this adorable?

7. I made 6 dozen cookies for the charity event this weekend, and I have not had one of them, even though I made my favorite cookies! Snickerdoodles!

8. This is another one of my favorite decorations. Hubby gave it to me the first year we were married. He’d gone off on a trip to Guatemala and brought it back for me.

9. Hubby helped me do some post-Thanksgiving grocery shopping today. Needless to say, he did not want to eat any more turkey for a while!

10. We have no snow. This is most distressing, especially when we have large amounts of rain, like we did today. Then they cannot make snow. Shoot! We want to ski!

11. How are you all doing with your Christmas shopping? I am about 75% done. I need to get a few more things and then wrap them up.

12. I am a terrible wrapper. I wish I could wrap presents and make them look picture perfect. Alas, I am not very talented. Martha Stewert doesn’t have to worry that I will be taking her place on “How To Decorate And Wrap Your Gifts”.

13. I need to ask Hubby what he wants me to cook for Christmas. What do you all cook for the holidays?

Our Thanksgiving was quiet and unhurried. For me this was just a splendid way to spend the day. Usually I am rushing around trying to get everything done for guests and I don’t really enjoy the day. Yesterday, it was truly wonderful. We got up and after sipping some coffee Hubby and I worked together and made an apple pie. He is always such a help when I make a pie, that it is truly a joint effort.

After that I made a nice breakfast. Bacon, eggs, grits, and zucchini bread from our garden last summer. I took out a loaf of the bread I made and boy, was that good!

I spent a little time doing laundry, and Hubby worked on some leaves, while I stuffed the turkey and put it in the oven. Then, about every half an hour I basted the bird until 4 and a half hours later, it was done.

The squash was cooked, the potatoes cooked and mashed, the peas steamed the onions braised and the gravy made without one lump. I set the table with a dish of pickles and another of cranberry relish and set everything out for the meal.

I was true to my vow that I would measure my food carefully. I had thought about how to handle this for several weeks. I LOVE Thanksgiving. I LOVE the food! So, I really didn’t want to, not eat all my favorites. The answer was portion control. I got out my measuring cup set and used a quarter of a cup and had a quarter of a cup of mashed potatoes, squash, peas, stuffing and onions. I weighed the turkey, and had 2 ounces of that, and then 2 tablespoons of gravy on my turkey.

I ate with delight and enjoyed every bite that I had. Best of all, I was full after eating this plate of food. If I figured the entire meal correctly it all came out to about 10 points, including the sugar free apple pie that we made with a little fat free vanilla ice cream!

As we sat there allowing our bodies to start the digestion process, the dogs began to become friendly and vocal.

Notice who they go to for a treat?

Hubby is the real softy of the two of us.

All mouths on deck!

Anneliese is the most gentle of the pack.

Hubby is about to lose a finger!

We finally finished eating and doing the dishes about 5, and then the dogs wanted their dinner! Now there was something wrong with that picture. They got their crunchies, but not canned food.

I boned the turkey, and now the carcass is simmering in a pot on the stove.  I’ll simmer those bones for a day until the broth is rich and delicious!  Then it’ll be turkey soup time.

So, the day was a good one, and I’m happy I was able to stay on my eating plan too. It makes Thanksgiving that much better.

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the USA. A day where we stop to give thanks for all that we have. Like the Pilgrims before us, our country continues to face many challenges, but I think many of my fellow Americans would agree, we are thankful for the love of our God, our family and our friends. So, here is a random list of 13 things I am thinking about this Thanksgiving.

1. Before I sit down to breakfast I need to bake an apple pie. Why so early? Well, I like freshly baked apple pie and the turkey we got will take about 4 and a half hours to cook! With one oven I am stuck baking the pie early.

2. I made the dressing yesterday, and have it chilling down. I will stuff Mr. Tom Turkey this morning and roast him slowly until he is perfectly cooked!

3. I peeled and diced the Yukon Gold Potatoes yesterday and they are soaking in a pot. Yukon Gold Potatoes make the best mashed potatoes!

4. I also peeled and chopped up the butternut squash. These were squash I grew in my garden this summer. Somehow, that makes them taste even better and more special.

5. I roasted the chestnuts and then shelled them. I am so happy that Julia Child wrote about the easy way to shell a chestnut. In the past I did it all wrong and ended up with sliced up fingers. This easy way, soaking them in boiling water for 20 minutes, putting a large X in the rounded part and then placing them on a roasting pan in a 400 (F) degree oven for 25 minutes. Cool, place all the chestnuts in a dishcloth and then crunch on the kitchen shelf. They almost peel themselves! Makes a great addition to the dressing.

6. I peeled 2 dozen pearl onions.

7. Then after I did all that preparation work for today’s dinner, I started to make dinner for last night.

8. The dogs began to demand to be fed, so I broke down and fed them 10 minutes early.

9. Just about the time dinner was ready, I kind of lost my appetite. All the preparation of food, just made the food look unappealing.

10. Finally I finished all the cooking and cleaned up and got to sit down in my recliner at 7:15 last night.

11. After three such busy day, I felt exhausted!

12. Oh yes, one more thing to mention…I lost a pound and a half at Weight Watchers on Wednesday!

13. To all my family and friends, here and abroad. May you enjoy the blessings of Thanksgiving. I know it is not a holiday for everyone, but I believe that the feeling of thankfulness that I feel in my heart and mind, for the ones that I love, is something shared universally.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Our day started with true excitement! Greta found a snake! I raced inside and grabbed my camera, as she chased the little garter snake across the yard! By the time I got back, she had gotten to the rocks and stream on our property. However, she was not done looking for it, so I took a quick film. It still makes me laugh!

The Easter Snake from Dackel Princess Maribeth

One thing you should know is that I really hate snakes, but Greta was being so cute, that I forgot my fear, and just laughed like crazy!

After that excitement, I set the table and started preparing. Here is the table as it lay before our guests arrived.

Each guest got a small box of chocolate. After all, it is Easter!

Then our guests arrived and we sat outside enjoying the warmth.

Here are the salads. This was, perhaps, my favorite part of the meal.

Hubby slicing our Ham.

The vegetable bundles.

And for dessert, the coconut bunny cake!

It was a great day and we had a lot of fun. In fact the time slipped quickly by and before we knew it, our guests left and we sat down to digest! The only thing was the dogs wanted to get their dinner, so I had to pop up and feed them! All is done now, so I am off duty!