The Friday Five

The Friday Five

I cannot believe how quickly November is flying by. I felt I might have more time to prepare for my momentous birthday, which is tomorrow, but it seems I took a breath in and here we are!

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The last couple of weeks have been filled with parties and luncheons, and mini celebrations. I have felt the love and the happiness around me and so I cannot complain at all.

So as we end this week, here are the five things I have been thinking about the most. There are probably more, but these are the ones I can think of as I sit here on Thursday night, looking at life.

1. I am so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends, who make me feel cherished and adored. Their love, their steadfastness has really made my life complete. You all know who you are, and each and every day I am thankful!

2.  I look back at some of the crazy things we’ve done along the way, like swimming out to a raft in stormy weather, or roasting on the beach, or riding our bikes to and over the Bourne Bridge, to some of the cooking experiments, shopping trips, sailing the Intracoastal Waterway, driving across the country in a motorcoach and back and the list goes on and on. Life has never been dull and filled with lots of laughter and smiles.

3. Giving birth to my girls has to be right up there too. First carrying them inside for 9+ months and then delivering them and seeing them for the first time!

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Me with Mandy.

I’ve never known such exhilaration! My girls, my babies. Yes, I am so, so, lucky!

4. I found another great passion in my life too. One I never expected. Savannah and Quinn. Oh my goodness, how lucky I am to have these wonderful children in my life.

26176679767_ec855b9593_bI really adore them and being their Oma! It doesn’t get any better than this.

5. I also discovered my great love for dogs. Oh, I have always loved animals, but here I am with Arnie and Anneliese, who I have had from before their birth, and ever since.

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They are so amazing, know me better than any pet I have ever had and bring me such joy.

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Yes, life is good and no matter if there is a bump in the road or a giant storm, if you look for the good it is always there. I know I have blessed with this life and at 60 (tomorrow!) the one thing I have learned is that yes, life is very good. You have only to look for your blessings.

I have looked and continue to find them!

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Stop back tomorrow for my Birthday Blog Celebration!

The Friday Five

The Friday Five

Here we are. Another week has raced by.  I cannot believe how quickly the month of November is going. The Christmas Bazaars are starting, and Thanksgiving is nearly here. It’s my favorite time of year! So, here are this week’s Friday Five!

    1. Despite the dark, and dreary days, there is so much that is good going on. When I think of Christmas Bazaars, and cooking for Thanksgiving, My heart and soul fill up with happiness.
    2. I cannot tell you how happy that I am with Anneliese’s eye exam. She has Corneal Edema, after having an injury to her left eye. Dogs cannot tell you that they hurt their eye, but apparently, she did. She is now on special drops for her eyes and we hope it will help. However, if it doesn’t this is not the type of injury to blind her quickly and at the age of 12, she is probably going to have a happily ever after with that eye.
    3. Anneliese does have very healthy eyes. No cataracts, no glaucoma. Her eyes are healthy and lovely.
    4. We enjoyed having her out, just Anneliese with us, yesterday. She was so cute and sweet and loving. Thursday when we went to get the mail, both she and Arnie came along. They are so good in the car.

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5. On Thursday I actually slept until 8 AM. This never happens. It felt very good! I would love to be able to stay up a little later and sleep in a little longer!

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The Friday Five

The Friday Five

The week really flew by for me, due to the fact that I was busy every day! I love that.  Here’s what’s happening.

  1. I took Anneliese to the Vets. They’re concerned about the swelling and discoloration in her eye. A trip to a Canine Ophthalmologist is in the near future. Meanwhile, she is on drops and medications. We will take her in as soon as possible.
  2. .I got my hair done and I love it. It is different than usual, although I am still growing it out. See picture in the right sidebar.
  3. I had two teeth fixed this week. They both needed repair of old fillings. I had been in dental pain for a couple of months. As I said Anbesol was my constant friend. Today I had hot coffee and then cold yogurt, and I wasn’t crying!
  4. Today is laundry day and kicking back and getting Jack and the pups ready for my overnight on Sunday!
  5. This weekend is Savannah’s Community Theater production of 101 Dalmations! I can hardly wait to watch her in the show!

That’s it for the last week of October and the first couple of days of November! Have a great weekend, Everyone!

The Friday Five

The Friday Five

Here we are, the last weekend of October! How in the world did that happen? I remember Jack and I sitting here on New Year’s Eve as we toasted the New Year, 2018, and thinking about the year ahead. Now here we are, and the year is nearly over.

Before I get carried away, here is this week’s Friday Five.

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Oh, one thing, until my Web Designer gets my Comment Button installed (I hope this weekend!) in order to leave a Comment, just click on the Title of the days Post and it will take you to the Comment Page. One day it will all be fixed and I will be sooooo happy!

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  1. The glasses came back and they are perfect! It was such a weird thing to have the coating they put on (Anti-glare, anti-scratch), cause a problem.

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    They say it literally never happens! Ha! If something weird and strange is going to happen, it will and has happened to me!

  2. I will be driving to the coast of New Hampshire today for a doctor’s appointment. I sure hope the wind calms down, Right now the wind is howling and I do not look forward to driving in all that.
  3. My daughter sent me a picture of the kids as they slept while she got ready for work. I never realized how much Savannah and Quinn look like each other!

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    These two really adore each other. I think it is wonderful when siblings are as close as these two.

  4. They are forecasting Cold, Rain and or Snow, and high winds again this weekend. I think I will stay in, do laundry and make Sauerbraten! Doesn’t that sound delish?
  5. Have any of you been following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Harry and Meghan) and their trip to Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, and Figi? As Meghan is in her first or possibly second trimester, she has been smiling and excited to show off her baby bump.

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    The happy couple is beaming and Meghan is wearing a plethora of bright and colorful dresses. She looks lovely and it is nice to see after the dark colors she wore the first few months of her marriage. She needs to relax. She really is an amazing woman.

So that’s it for the last week of October. So much is happening in the month of November. I’m really looking forward to it all!

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The Friday Five

The Friday Five

It’s Friday! Another week in 2018 has gone by. With the wind, cold and rain, not to mention sleet and snow, I feel like Autumn is rapidly on it’s way out, and winter is on its way in!

So as the week ends here are this week Friday Five!

  1. The temperatures have dropped and when I walked the doggies this morning it was 33 degrees! The wind was blowing and I felt like I had stepped into midwinter! In fact, I plan to get out my winter jacket and hat and gloves. It’s time to make those changes in the closet.
  2. It’s also time to get the air conditioners out of the windows. I need to call our neighbor and arrange for him to come on over to give us a hand. Those window units are really heavy and Jack and I have a hard time with them.
  3. After several weeks of frustration, I think I have finally figured out the new thermostats.  It was not easy.
    * I read the manual and that was no help at all.
    * I went on YouTube, and other people with this system, detest these units.
    * I knew, however, if I just kept trying I could figure it out.
    * Why does the heat stay on and not shut off? What was I missing?
    Well, I was missing setting the shut off temperature on the until. It’s called “COOL“. The reason I missed that was that we do not have any air condition system set to these thermostats.
    I needed to set the cool temperature to the same temperature as the heat setting. Then when the heat turned on and raised the temperature to say, 72 degrees, once it got there, the cool setting kicks in and shuts off the system. Sound complicated? It is, but once I figured that out it seems to work just fine!
    This kept me contemplating the problem for the last month!  However, the problem is now solved!
  4. One of my dearest friends had a Big Birthday yesterday. Jack and I called and sang Happy Birthday to her, in harmony no less! I do wish we lived closer to her! Happy Birthday again, Candy!
  5. We’re still working on Dackel Princess. Fine tuning her. We will be putting in a comment button and I hope to get the header taken care of too. The biggest problem, corrupted code, has been solved by my friend and super-girl, Megan! She also has come up with the new design! Thank you so much, Megan!

So have a great weekend everyone, enjoy the Autumn or Spring if you are in the Southern Hemisphere!

 

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The Friday Five

The Friday Five

This week was one of the busiest yet for us. However we got a lot accomplished and as I sit here writing, there is a smile on my face. So without further ado here is this weeks list.

  1. The Sandwich Fair was really awesome this year. I spent so much time walking around with Karin, and we saw so many great animals as well as some lovely foliage and scenery. And did I mention the fox that ran out in front of my car? It was healthy and it sure was fast!
  2. We drove around looking at leaves and also helped our friend from Germany get the last few things she needed before she headed home on Wednesday. It was a nice visit and I hope she comes back soon.
  3. Our glasses came in and Jack immediately adjusted to his. After a full day, I finally feel like my eyes are adjusting. You all have seen me, now, here is Jack in his new glasses!

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  4. I had a fair amount of the roast beef leftover from dinner the other night, so today I made a nice and hearty beef stew. It was actually pretty easy and yet, it tasted so good!

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  5. Today is grocery shopping day to get the things we will need over the weekend. Not too many things are needed, just a few important things. Next week we’ll be doing a big shopping.

And so ends another week!

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The Friday Five

The Friday Five

It’s Friday? Really? Wow, did this past week just fly by. Having doctor’s appointments, getting our flu shots and other things, kept us on our toes all week long! So as I sit here on Thursday night looking back over the craziness that I call our life, here are the five things that stand out the most.

  1. Thankfully the error was found that lead to Jack’s Mohs Surgery being canceled. Jack’s margins were clean and so he avoided that procedure. I am so very glad. My experience with Mohs Surgery was not an easy one, and I would not wish that on anyone! Especially my husband!
  2. Every year I get a flu shot and every year I react to it. Sometimes I get the flu, this year I have just run a temperature off and on. I guess I am just a sensitive soul.
  3. I went to a new Eye Doctor (Optometrist). I felt sad that I couldn’t go to my longtime doctor because this year the Company changed Coverage and Providers. But I have to tell you, the new doctor gave me such a thorough exam, that I do not feel the need to go for a secondary exam at the hospital. She checked everything! My retinas, my eye pressure, my optic nerves, as well as prescribing new glasses. Honestly, she was wonderful and I am happy with the change.
  4. I ordered new glasses and new sunglasses. It was crazy how it happened, but the two frames I liked were made by Coach!

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    Yes, very chic and they fit like they were made for me!

  5. And last but not least, we have a friend visiting from Germany, so we have done a few things like go for Foliage Trips, out for lunch, and yes, enjoyed New Hampshire’s Tax-Free Shopping!!!

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The Friday Five

Another week has flown by and here we are, nearing the end of September! How can that be? Sometimes I wish that time would just slow down a little. Give me just a little more time.

But alas, there are seven days in the week, twenty-four hours in the day and that’s it! So I am grateful for the wonderful world around.

Here are this week’s Friday Five. I actually could have made a longer list, but I will keep it down to Five.

  1. We’ve had our friend visiting from Germany. We have had a lot of fun talking, cooking and eating, and sharing stories and laughing a lot!

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    She left us this morning to drive to the Canadian Maritimes and will be back here after we get back from our trip to Virginia Beach, VA. Then she will be with us one more week before her return to Germany.

  2. We’ve had friends come and pick peaches and apples. It’s so nice to share our bounty with people that we care about. It’s wonderful to see the happiness that the fruit can bring to a person!
  3. Greta’s ashes came home to us on Tuesday. I didn’t know. We had stopped out at our Veterinarians to drop off some Jam as one of the Vets is ill, and the Veterinary Technician came out and handed me a small tin. It’s said, “Greta. Beloved pet of Maribeth & Jack”. Well, folks, I am not a strong girl emotionally, and once again, I cried and cried. Missing my girl.
  4. I’ve commenced Christmas shopping. I’m a bit of an armchair shopper. I have found some of the cutest things to give the children. I am getting better and better about finding wonderful things for Quinn. Having never had boys, this is a new experience. But, the more time I spend with Quinn the more I get to know what he likes! I am having a blast!
  5. Lastly, we have a Red Squirrel living in our stone wall. It’s actually a beautiful thing, but it is driving Lili quite mad! It will come out to graze on our fruit trees and Lili tries like crazy to get it! Today she was out for over an hour trying to get that Squirrel. I got a few pictures. Lili made me laugh! She watches and jumps and watches and the Squirrel taunts her. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy!

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Our little Red Squirrel. I think I will call him Red!

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He just delights in tormenting Lili!

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So this is the end of my week and now I work to pack and prepare to leave the dogs with my trusty House/Doggy Sitter. They move in when we leave and live here and care for the house and the pooches while we are gone. We are so lucky to have found them!

The Friday Five

Here we are, it’s mid-September. Can you believe that? It seems this year has been flying by and some days I can hardly catch my breath. Here are this weeks Friday Five.

  1. At the start of the week, I prepped 4 batched of Heavenly Peach Jam. The Peaches were not ripe and the next day when I attempted to cook and can it, it all tasted like Peach Vinegar! Yuck!
  2. Realizing my error, I quickly picked some nicely colored Peaches for my second attempt. I then proceeded to put the Peaches in Brown Paper Bags, where I closed them up and left them for two days to ripen. Sure enough, this morning they were beautifully ripe and ready to be prepared for Jam.
  3. So, I prepped 4 batches of Peach Jam, and they are ready to be cooked and canned tomorrow. I was so careful this time, and I also had my lucky charm.

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    My friend Emily, who used to live next door to me, was on my cell phone and the two of us talked about the days of yester-year when we used to make Peach Jam together!

  4. Saturday and Sunday are laundry and vacuuming and dusting day. Ugh! Not a fan of either one.
  5. Next week I need to pull the suitcases down and start working on packing them for our trip. I’m excited about the trip, but really, I am so over the packing of the suitcases. When you get older the packing of suitcases means, packing of pills, blood pressure kits, and various other medical necessities!

So that’s my week this week and a look ahead at the week ahead. I am hoping that the Jam cooks up well tomorrow, but if you hear screams from Central New Hampshire, you will know that I failed! I shall report in tomorrow!

The Friday Five

The Friday Five

Another week has come and gone. In many ways, this was a big week. It started with me pulling everything out of my linen closet, and tearing apart our office and ended with the loss of our beloved pup, Greta. So here it is. My weekly, Friday Five.

  1. I decided the clear out the Office of all the junk that has gathered in there over the 20 years we have been here. I was ruthless and I was throwing away all sorts of useless stuff!
  2. Something brought me out to the linen closet and when I opened the door I thought, well, time to do this too! So everything I laid my hands on went out and on the floor!
  3. I found rabbit ears for the TV (like those are ever going to work again!) and those were immediately tossed away! My sewing box was a total mess and I spent time organizing that! And the towels! People I had 42 bath towels in that closet! Twenty-two of them will be going to the homeless shelter.
  4. Currently, I am 3/4 of the way through both projects. We can once again walk down the hall and actually into the office without stepping on something. I should be done this weekend!
  5. And yes, lastly, we bid farewell to darling Greta. It seems like just yesterday we brought her home from Germany. How I will miss my girl. Rest peacefully, Greta!

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The day I first met my Greta in Germany! That was a very good day!

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