The Dackel Princess

Friday Five

Here we are at the end of another week. Here are my thoughts on this rather messy (weather-wise) day.

I had an important doctors appointment this week. I had a lot of blood work done and I am hopeful this will provide some answers. Meanwhile, my doctor is setting up appointments down in Boston with specialists to see if we can figure out what is wrong with me.
I decided today to do some deep cleaning in my bedroom. I was amazed at the dust bunnies under the bed! They are now all gone and the rug is free and clear of bunnies!
Sometimes I wish we had hardwood floors in the bedroom. It sure would be easier to keep it clean.
Tomorrow Hubby and I need to take a trip to the grocery store. Not that we want to go in the rain, but the sales are good, so we want to go.
I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Fruit, Vegetables & Fish!

In the last few days we have had snow, and then snow, and then more snow. In fact as I write, it is snowing once again!

Enough! I want spring!!!

I went to Weight Watchers and I did indeed lose some weight! Yay! I think the key for me is to write everything down that I eat and keep track of my points. I also need to make better selections. And learn to love what I am eating. More fruit, more vegetables, and more fish!

Right now I not only need to lose weight, but I need to use nutrition to help rebuild my immune system. I’ve had a rough Autumn/Winter physically and I don’t think I have much resistance to anything.

In fact I go to the doctor today to see about finding a way to get well and stay well. I sure hope he can help.

Weednesday Hodgepodge

1. What’s the biggest change since your childhood in the way people think or act?

I think the fact that when I was growing up my Mom would tell us to go out and play in the neighborhood and when we heard the bell to come home for dinner. We rode our bikes all over the place, we played climbing trees, and running around. Now kids are in the house, either playing video games or doing homework. Many parents are simply too afraid to let them have that kind of freedom.

2. The Olympic Biathlon involves cross country skiing broken up with either two or four rounds of target shooting. Which part of that would stress you out more? Or would you love them both equally?

Oh shooting after skiing for sure. You know your heart rate would be up, and then you need to hit those teeny tiny targets! Yeah the shooting after skiing.

3. February is National Canned Food Month…what is your most often purchased canned food item? What was in the last can you opened?

Le Sueur Peas! I love them. Don’t ask me why. I am sure they are not all that good for you, but I love them. Whenever they are on sale, I buy a bunch.

4. What river (anywhere in the world) would you most like to cruise?

The Danube or the Rhine. I love Germany and I would love to cruise for an extended period of time both of those.

5. It’s the middle of the night and you can’t sleep…what do you do? Count sheep? Toss and turn? Watch television? Or do you get up and do something productive?

No, I turn on the TV. Usually I can find something that will bore me and thus I fall asleep.

6. How important is keeping your cool?

As I age, I have been learning that I need to learn to not allow myself to show every feeling I have every moment that I have them. My advice to the young would be to learn how to go with the flow and not let things bother you.

7. I’ve got white stuff on the brain so why not run with it? White lie, wave the white flag, white knuckle it, white wash a situation, or white as a sheet…which phrase could most recently apply to your own life in some way?

The white flag. Yeah, I’m waving it because I am so sick of the snow! It’s crazy here. We probably have 4 feet in the back yard. Hubby used the snow blower to make a path for the dackels and honest to goodness, the snow piles tower over them!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Tomorrow is my first weigh in since returning to Weight Watchers! I sure hope I have done well.

Rant

I’m about to rant a little about the “New Olympics”, so if you aren’t interested, or like the new coverage, stop reading now and come back tomorrow.

I have always LOVED to watch the Olympics. It never mattered if it was the summer of the winter Olympics, I just love the beauty, the competition and the splendor. I also loved it when our country would strive to be the best and our athletes would stand on top of the podium and we would hear the National Anthem of our country!

I always got choked up and tears would come to my eyes. I had such pride in those athletes and our country, and it meant something to me when our flag was raised.

So call me disappointed that the coverage here in America does not include the medal awards, or the playing of the National Anthems.

I watched two young people, Meryl Davis and Charlie White skate a truly beautiful, perfect routine and win a gold medal. But I did not get to see the awarding of that medal.

I am so disappointed.

NBC you stink! Your presentation has been one of the worst ever. I do have satellite, so I have been able to watch some events live, and that has been nice. But I can only watch what they chose to present.

Perhaps in four years they will figure out a way to do this more fairly. I would actually pay a small fee for an Olympic Package. Just so I can see what I would like to see.

Meanwhile I am stewing about the rotten coverage.

Roasted Eggplant

Peel Eggplant

Cut eggplant into 1 inch slices.

Then cut into bite size chunks.

Put this in a Ziploc bag with 1/4 cup of seasoned bread crumbs. Shake vigorously and let sit for a moment.

Take eggplant out with a slotted spoon and place on cookie sheet. Spray eggplant with PAM olive oil.
Bake at 450 degrees (F) for about 1/2 an hour stirring and flipping the eggplant often until nicely browned and roasted.

Junk

Well, I was talking to Hubby the other day about my frustration in organizing my life. Where on earth do I start? Unfortunately I am not one of those super neat people who goes through life touching things, only to find that the item leaves my hand and miraculously arrives right where it is supposed to be. No, that’s not me. I will confess that I have junk drawers in every room! Doesn’t everyone? No?

So my goal is to start and room by room rid myself of these junk drawers and do something that is very hard for me to do.

Throw things away!

I’m one of those people who thinks, “How can we throw this away? We might need it in ten years!”

So, since I am mostly house bound these days due to the snow and ice, I might as well make good use of this time and start organizing. I have to do this before that TV show “Hoarders” comes a calling.

Yes, it’s time for me to break out the cleaning tools and clean up all my junk!

The Beatles

I have been thinking about life. Last night I watched a program on PBS about John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and their fight around the world for peace. They really believed in what they were doing, and yet….in the end, John was murdered by some crazy, and silenced forever.

Yoko, love her or hate her, has never remarried. She has fought hard to protect John’s legacy and memory.

Then I thought of George Harrison. The quiet Beatle. He wrote beautiful songs, and no one could match him on the guitar. And yet, he too suffered at the hands of a crazy, who broke into his house in England, nearly killing him and his wife Olivia. In the end, George died a rather painful death from throat cancer.

“And in the end the love you make is equal to the love…you make.”

Ringo, and Paul had their share of madness in their lives, Paul with the cancer death of his wife, Linda and Ringo with his divorce, and eventual death of his ex-wife from cancer.

We all know that Paul made a huge mistake with his second wife, but seems to have thankfully found some happiness with his third wife.

And Ringo? He found himself a Bond Girl, and they’ve had a long and loving marriage.

The thing is, that if you look back 50 years ago, at the talented young me who burst onto the music scene, you realize that they paid a high price for that fame. And no matter how much they gave to the world, it really was never enough.

I hope that Paul and Ringo are happy now. I hope they will live long healthy lives. After all, when they are gone, it is the end of an era.

This & That

On Thursday we were hit once again with cold temperatures and snow. Lots and lots and lots of snow. Now, I like snow as much as the first person, but you know, after a while, enough is enough!

Hubby and I are both down with colds, yet he is determined to go out and snow blow our driveway. I sure wish he would hire someone, but he says no.

So, I planned meals both yesterday and today to strictly adhere to Weight Watchers. I broke out my food scale and measuring cups and then I filled my water cup full so I can drink all the liquid I’m supposed to. Actually, the meals are really good and healthy, for both Hubby and me.

I’ve really enjoyed watching the Olympic Ice Skating. I’m not sure I like this new “Team Event”. I think it has taken too much out of the skaters.

I’m looking forward to the Ice Dancing, and the Women’s Skating. What is your favorite sport at the Olympic Games?

Lastly, Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!!!

Weight Watcher’s Class

On Wednesday I returned to Weight Watchers. I had been unable to go since before Thanksgiving. I was so nervous and although the “news” wasn’t good, the fact that I went back and now want to start and get myself back on the losers wagon, is good news indeed!

Last year wasn’t good to my waistline. With all of the surgeries, and the fact that I looked like Frankenstein, I just did not care how many chocolates I ate, or cookies, or anything else that was going to make me fat. What did it matter?

However, my face has healed and my body is not the body I want to be walking around in. So, it was back to class I went.

The other members were all so wonderful and made me feel welcome to be back once again. I listened to everyone and today I just kept my mouth shut. Sometimes you just need to soak things up.

I have a long way to go, but I promise to keep you all up to date on my progress.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1.What makes love last?

I think for me, it was marrying my best friend. I was married previously when I was very young. The cruelties of life caused that marriage to fail. The second time I married, I married my best friend. He is the first person I want to talk to in the morning and the last person I want to talk to at night. We also posses the ability to be there for the other person when things are tough.

2. The Beatles made their US debut fifty years ago this week. Are you a fan? If so, what’s your favorite Beatles tune?

Oh I am a big Beatles fan! I have loved their music all of my life! My favorite song? Oh my, just one? Well I am a romantic, and so my top two are very romantic. The first is not a typical Lennon/McCartney, but rather was written by George Harrison. It is called, “Something”.

The second one is a Lennon McCartney song called “The Long and Winding Road”.

3. Valentine’s Day-your thoughts? Do you celebrate in any way? Do anything special for the people you love? Expect anything special from the people who love you?

I really don’t feel that I should buy into the Hallmark Holiday. But I do try each and every day to make sure the people I love, know they are cherished in an extraordinary way! I will probably cook a nice meal for Hubby. He’s down and out right now with a cold.

4. Steak or burger…you have to choose. Now that that’s settled, how do you like it?

Steak. Medium rare! And with a side of creamy horse radish sauce.

5. The Hodgepodge lands on the birthdate (February 12th) of Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States of America. Lincoln is quoted as saying, ‘Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test his character give him power.’ Do you agree? Why or why not?

No I don’t agree. Having gone through terrible adversity in my life, I have discovered I am a strong woman. Many people would not have survived the things I have. And look at our elected officials in Washington, DC! Their characters have been tested and most of them have failed the test badly!

6. Honest Abe’s image is featured on the US penny (1 cent coin) so I’m wondering…what do you do with your pennies (or your country’s equivalent)? It’s been suggested the US stop making the penny, and two bills have been introduced proposing just that, but neither were approved. What say you?

I love my pennies. I save them up and then bring them into the money counting machine and every once in a while actually have a little mad money.

7. Do you think pop culture deserves serious study?

I think that today’s pop culture needs an overhaul! It seems every day I’m reading about people over dosing on heroine, or I see pictures of Miley Cyrus’s tongue, and people twerking. All I can say is…”Give Me A Break”!!!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

We are due for more snow on Thursday. Perhaps as much as a foot. This has been a tough, cold and snowy winter. All I can say is…”Enough”!