The Friday Five June 12, 2020

The Friday FiveThis week sped by for me, as I found myself unusually busy. Between the mouse eating our water pipe/hose, the mountains of laundry, and getting ready for my doctor’s appointment today, I was really kind of going here and there all around the house. In any case, here is this week’s, Friday Five.

  1. The leak is fixed and now I just need to get a sheet rocker/plasterer in here to repair the wall. Meanwhile, I need to completely clean my basement laundry room. It’s kind of a disaster. Picture all the sheetrock dust and bits, and my shelves are jammed because I had to stack everything to avoid my valuable paper towel and toilet paper from being ruined.
  2. I was all set to go to my Primary Care Doctor’s appointment today. On Tuesday I called to make sure the appointment was still on? Yes, yes it is. Then on Wednesday, I got a robocall reminding me of the appointment and I confirmed by pushing #1. On Thursday I got a message on my answering machine informing me that they are still not open for appointments! I was not able to reach the office to find out any more but hope to later today.
  3. I refuse to watch the news. I have been watching movies, Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet, The Incredible Dr. Pol, as well as my Air Line Disaster shows. The news upsets me and right now life is upsetting enough. I simply cannot deal with it all.
  4. Jack looked over a few minutes ago and was talking, I pulled out my earphones and told him I will not listen to any news. So, he put on a movie. Nice.
  5. Lastly this week, I am now 42 pounds down. It’s funny because I think the mind plays tricks on you. I still see myself as I was until I do side by side photos. Then I realize, I see how much I have accomplished.

MB 42 lbs lighterAmazing, isn’t it? And I am still going strong and I know I will make my goal.

Have a great weekend everyone!

original-linear-image-dachshund-hearts-freehand-drawn-black-white-cartoon-79618182

The Friday Five June 5th

The Friday FiveWell, here we are on the first Friday of June. In so many ways, I am hoping that the year 2020 goes by us quickly and that the year 2021 will be much kinder. Here is what’s happening at the end of this week.

  1. I’ve started to attend at least 2 WW meetings online per week. It is so helpful to me to hear other women and men and how their weightloss battle is going.
  2. Thursday was also the first time that someone noticed my weight loss. I was in the grocery store wearing clothes I haven’t worn in a very long time, and a lady I know exclaimed, “Wow! You’ve lost weight!” Yes, it made my entire day.
  3. The produce man knows I am addicted to eggplant and when he saw me he called me over and told me a new shipment had come in. Beautiful eggplant and I have enough for a week!
  4. I think I have decided to get Emeril Lagasse’s Power Air Fryer. It seems to fit the bill for all the things I need it for. I just need to make the order.
  5. I have been thinking about life. How fragile it is, and how most of us have taken it for granted. I have always believed that Love was the most important thing in life,  I still believe that this is true, but I need to add a few things to that list. I think people need to be Kind, and Honest, and Giving. These four things cost nothing to give but mean everything to lead a good life.

At the end of your life, no one will remember how many arguments you won, or how many things you have, but they will remember how kind you were (or weren’t) and how you made them feel.

Hopefully, they will remember you as a kind person who made them feel loved and valued.

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

original-linear-image-dachshund-hearts-freehand-drawn-black-white-cartoon-79618182

The Friday Five

The Friday FiveThis week seemed to fly by as the holiday on Monday really shortened the days. In fact, I actually had things I had to do this week besides the usual grocery shopping, so it added a little something to my life. In any case, here we go. This week’s Friday Five.

  1. Those of you who are FB Friends have heard about the dogs who invaded my yard and threatened Anneliese. Lili, our family’s bodyguard came to the rescue and chased those dogs away.Lili the Protector I realized that after protecting me from the burglar and protecting the dackels from the larger dogs, Lili’s “Purpose” in life is to protect her family. It’s really kind of beautiful when you think about it.
  2. Okay, here is my big thing right now. My hair has grown incredibly long during the Pandemic. I think the fact that I eat mostly vegetables and lean proteins has given my body what it needs to grow longer hair.gray
    Thus, my gray hair now measures about 2 inches! Since I don’t feel comfortable going to a salon yet, and I am really not enjoying my gray I ordered some hair color from Madison Reed. Tomorrow I will do my first ever, at home, hair color. I plan to take a lot of pictures so you can follow along. I hope that in the end, it is okay and not too terrible.
  3. A year ago, Anneliese was losing her vision and also was diagnosed with breast cancer.Anneliese May 28 2020

    I figured that my girl wasn’t long for this world. But here we are, a year later. She doesn’t see much, but she is having a great life and is a very happy and loving girl!

  4. We’ve had hot summertime heat this week. Not one of my favorite times, when temperatures soar at or above 100 degrees.20200527_130144 At least by the weekend, we should have cooler, drier weather.
  5. I am closing in on the 40 lb mark at WW. I am very please and really happy with how I am looking and feeling!

32216247197_26de197829_o copy

The Friday Five May 22, 2020

The Friday FiveIt’s the end of another week and all of a sudden we have summer temperatures. I will not complain, I will simply enjoy the warm sunshine. So, here we go with this week’s Friday Five.

  1.  There is an increasing number of license plates on cars from other States. At first, this upset me terribly, but then I decided I will continue to stay at home, and follow all the directives when I have to go out.
  2. We now have three of our five window air conditioners in. Just in the nick of time! Today our temperatures soared into the upper 80’s and we really needed the cool breeze from the machines in our home.
  3. We do have beautiful fruit trees in our yard, but there was a regulation in our deed which prohibited us from planting any shade trees. So here we sit on a sidehill, baking in the sun.
  4. I was reading through my Facebook page and there was so much crap on it that I decided I wanted to get rid of a bunch of stuff. So I went through and unsubscribed from a whole bunch of stuff that I simply have no interest in anymore. It is my hope that I will see more from my friends and family.
  5. Lastly, I plan a quiet weekend. I am not one to really like it when the government decides to change holidays to make it convenient for them to go on a vacation. Memorial Day is May 31st. But due to government interference, the country is celebrating May 25th.

So that’s it for this week. I hope that no matter where in this world you are, that your weekend is happy and bright!

Maribeth Dackel

The Friday Five May 15, 2020

The Friday FiveHappy Friday Everyone! We have made it through another week. In fact, for me, it has been two months since I have seen my daughter and her family. That is a very long time!

Here is this week’s Friday Five.

  1. I think it must be very difficult for people who do not stay at home often, to be coping with this self-isolation. I actually have spent a considerable amount of time alone. Back in the day when Jack was still flying, he was gone so much of the time, that it was simply me and the dogs. There was a lot of peace in that. I listened to music, watched the things on TV I wanted and ate what I enjoyed.
  2. Spring has arrived here in New Hampshire. Although we still have low temperatures, the sun has been shining and the skies are Robin’s Egg Blue. Jack is talking about air-conditioners going into windows! Yay!
  3. We have enjoyed my Stuffed Cabbage Rolls off and on this week. It’s amazing how low in points they are and how delicious!
  4. I was watching the news and they were showing people out walking along a boardwalk in California. Well, all I can say is that I now know why Los Angeles had such high numbers.

    These people did now wear their masks correctly! I mean, how hard can this be? Watch this short video as to how to wear your mask!

  5. I decided to make my Banana Pancakes in the Waffle Maker that I have. I pictured a lovely Waffle that would be delightful. I got out my machine, mixed up the batter, and poured it into the machine, closed it, and waited until it alerted me the Waffle was done.20200514_075044

    Let’s just say, “Epic Fail!”

    I think the banana made the batter too wet. It tasted fine but had a very weird consistency.

So that was my week and now as I slide into my weekend, I will once again do the laundry and the other cleaning jobs that have become weekend events for me.

Get outside, if you can, and enjoy these beautiful days!

32216247197_26de197829_o copy

The Friday Five ~ May 8, 2020

The Friday FiveThe week sped by and this week, unlike the last few, found many things happening. Many ideas flowing through my brain. So here we are, this week’s Friday Five!

  1. Many people have been lamenting on their Covid-19 hair. There is hardly a natural blond left among us. Many people, like me, have discovered, much to their surprise, that their lovely light brown hair, is, in fact, nearly completely gray!
    My hair has also grown at least one and one-half inches (closer to 2) and I sort of like it a little longer. I confess, a month ago to becoming frustrated with my bangs and trimming them. The lucky thing for me is, when you have curly hair, your bangs pretty much look fine even if they are not perfectly cut. Also, despite my gray roots, curly hair allows you to hide the gray, so most days I don’t feel too bad about the whitening roots. I think I will keep the length but get rid of the white when I go back to my salon. (I am not sure when. They’re opening on the 11th of this month, but I do not feel safe or ready for this.)
  2. My eye is doing better. But here’s the thing. Each night I have to put this weird salve into them, and I have to tell you, after that you cannot see a blasted thing! Nor can I see when I wake in the night and stagger to the bathroom. It is so strange. By morning, for the most part, I can see through this vaseline haze, but not always.
  3. Like Friday morning. I needed to get a urine same from Anneliese. I got up, dressed for the day, and grabbed my jacket, and the little pan on a stick that I catch Anneliese’s urine in. I couldn’t see perfectly, but good enough. It was cold, so I put on my jacket, put a leash on Anneliese and out we went. There was a pallet with patio blocks on it, and of course, it was right by this, under an apple tree that Anneliese wanted to go.
    She squatted down and I put the pan under her, and she went. yay! Then it all went to hell. She turned quickly, the leash dragged into the urine, flipped up and suddenly I was splashed with urine. And so were my clothes. I did not lose the sample and quickly tucked it into a Ziploc bag. I came in, stripped out of my clothes, tossed them down the stairs to go into the laundry, and then went and showered! Ugh! You have not lived until you have been splashed by dog-pee!
  4. Because the trip out to my Vets is 25 miles each way, I try to do it as infrequently as I can. I got a card reminding me that Lili needed shots at the end of the month. I called and asked if I could bring Lili too, for her shots and to have her ear checked? Sure!
    So I put my two sick doggies and the Ziploc bag of wee-wee in the car and off we went.
    The end result is that Lili still has an ear infection and it was cleaned and part one of the antibiotic was put into her ear. Part two will go in next week.
    Anneliese still has her UTI. So she is back on the Bactrim and will take it for three weeks.
  5. The birds were all at the feeders today. (Thursday) The Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Baltimore Orielles, Chickadees, and Blue Jays. I saw Robins pulling up worms, my Raven flew into the yard and we had a Redtail Hawk come and perch on one of the apple trees as he scouted the field for mice. All this action leads me to believe that the snowstorm they are forecasting with very cold temperatures, is going to happen. Birds always know.

So there we go. This week’s Friday Five. All in all, not a bad week at all. Busy yes, but good. I hope this finds you all well and enjoying your Spring or Autumn.

8d650c75c575fd2141dae41504edd224--i-love-books-books-to-read

The Friday Five ~ May 1st

The Friday FiveWelcome to May! The first day of May, the first Friday too. Here we are entering our third month dealing with this horrible Virus.

As the week comes to an end, here are the five things happening in my world.

  1. It’s been an odd week. I’ve actually been out quite a bit. Visits to the Vet and visits to my Optometrist kept me on the road.49814900472_ae65db4627_3k

    Jack’s hearing aids came back via the US Postal Service and that meant that a trip there was also in the cards.

  2. I have had almost no desire to cook this week. However, that doesn’t mean I got off scot-free. Meals were prepared and some frozen and some just eaten.
  3. Rain arrived, bringing with it a fair amount of gloom. Today I must be out and about and of course, it is supposed to be a real soaker of a day! I do not care because I will be out!
  4. Have you all seen Meghan Markle’s alleged face-lift? I was shocked. I think she must have gone to a really good doctor because the face-lift came out pretty well. I mean, as face-lifts go. What do you think? It is also my guess that she had some botox and dermabrasion too.
    MM MM

    Before and now.

    The new picture was taken from a video she made for her Charity helping women find jobs. Here is the video.

    Guess we know why she hurried back to LA at the end of her last UK visit.
  5. Since we are still self-isolating in our State, I have found some businesses that are considered necessary. We needed to get more patio blocks 16 X 16 inches in both red and charcoal. They are made by a cement company. They are considered necessary. Our blocks arrive later today.

Also necessary are the railroads. Today an engine pulling six cars heavily laden with railroad ties went by our house. They’re headed north to repair the winter damage.

So that’s it for the first day of May. Enjoy the day, and dream of Spring and the departure of this darn Virus!

original-linear-image-dachshund-hearts-freehand-drawn-black-white-cartoon-79618182

The Friday Five ~ April 23

The Friday FiveThis week was an odd one. My days seemed to blend together until I wasn’t sure what day it actually was. Ah well, somehow I muddled through. So without further delay, here is this week’s Friday Five!

  1. I got a few little things done, that I’d been putting off. I did a thorough decalcification of the Coffee Maker, cleaned the fridge, and made a trip to the Recycling Center to get rid of the trash.
  2. Arnie was playing with his ears in such a way that I knew he had an infection! Now wirehaired dackels tend to have pretty bushy ears inside if you don’t keep up with them, (bad me) so I needed to trim the hair in his ears, and then clean them and he is on a week’s worth of drops to get rid of the infection!
  3. My birds are returning from their trip south. Some of them, like the Cardinals and Woodpeckers, just have been happy to have their suet and seed.Cardinal 3

    Once again, watching them delights me.

  4. I watched an old movie called “The Descendants” with George Clooney and Shailene Woodley.Descendants_film_poster

    What a fabulous movie, set in Hawaii and all filmed on location. The story is one that really touches me. And both the movie and the book were great!

  5. Today I am planning to cook another roast chicken. This particular chicken, produced by Perdue, is cooked in an oven bag with wonderful spices. After I will bone it, cook the bones with some vegetables, and make my own stock. After that, I am making my Chicken and Cabbage Soup!

And what will you be doing this weekend?

The Friday Five

The Friday FiveAnother week has slowly gone by. I was out twice during the week, but will now be in until at least Monday. Yay! Now, here’s what’s happening at the Dackel Princess Homefront.

  1. As you know, one of my trips out this week was to bring Anneliese to the Vets.20200416_081129The first two days on antibiotics were tricky, but now she is feeling so much better and I can tell she is not in pain and is comfortable. Thank goodness!
  2. I’ve been cooking a lot. Mostly, things have come out very well, but last night was a quasi disaster! We choked it down, but I won’t go near that recipe again!
  3. I’ve been feeling stressed. During the day I can handle it by distracting myself. But at night, when I am asleep, I am clenching my jaw and fists. I woke up the other day and my knuckles looked like I had hit a wall! And the hard part is chewing when even eating yogurt and berries makes your jaw hurt. All I can say is thank goodness for my mouth guard! At least I can’t hurt my teeth.
  4. Since the critters are out of hibernation I have to pull in the feeders at dusk and not put them back out until after dawn breaks. You should hear the birds scold me and praise me!
  5. It’s Spring up here. The first buds are on the trees and shrubs, our grass has gone from brown to green and a few of my flowers have blossomed.20190425_115037

    It is so pretty!

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe and stay healthy!

The Friday Five

The Friday FiveI cannot say that the time is flying by right now. In fact, it seems to drag by each day. I wish I was feeling more motivated, but I am not. In fact, just the opposite.

  1. It’s Thursday as I write and it is snowing. Not that I think this snow will stick around for long, but my poor doggies sure do not like going out in this mess.
  2. For our anniversary dinner, I am cooking a Ribeye Steak for the two of us. I also will serve a fresh salad.  A nice quiet meal.
  3. I survived my trip out on Wednesday and now I have important prescription that have come in the mail, so I have to go out tomorrow to get them. I am not nearly as afraid about it. I will do exactly what I did on Wednesday and I will be fine.
  4. I’ve been watching a series of programs on Air Line Disasters. Oddly enough, it takes my mind off of things.
  5. I’m still working on programming my new computer. It’s a good machine, but that is about all I can say about it. Not the best I have ever used, but not the worst either.

32216247197_26de197829_o copy