Category: Friday Five

Well, another week has gone by and on Saturday it will be September first! Imagine that! In a little over two months, I will turn sixty years young, and then it’s Christmas and New Years and 2019 will be upon us! Whew!

I remember thinking, when I was a little girl, that time went so .s.l.o.w.l.y.! But now, the day’s race by me and I realize how brief our time on earth is. Why just the other day I was starting Elementary School myself, and now my granddaughter, Savannah is starting First Grade! How did this happen?

Well, let’s get to the Friday Five before I reminisce any further about the passage of time!

• This week was so hot. No kidding. Until today, each day was 90+ degrees and humid. It’s the sort of weather we had when I lived in Florida, which is why we moved back home to New England. Let’s just put it this way. I will be very happy when the cool crisp air of Autumn is upon us! I want temperatures in the sixties, where I can wear jeans and sweaters once again!
• Is it possible to keep falling in love with your grandchildren? I spent Sunday and Monday with them and I just thrill at the very thought that they are mine! We cuddle and hug and it is just the best!
• Savannah started school today. Well, it was a meet and greet with her teacher when she got to see their classroom, find where her desk is and where her coat cubby will be. As she is entering First Grade, I like the idea of showing the children what to expect, before classes actually begin.

As you can see Savannah is a very happy First Grader!

• I’m so proud of her and Iknow she is going to be soaking it all in, as Savannah loves to learn things and is so proud when she accomplishes them. Go Savannah! Have a great school year!
• Going back to Weight Watchers was a very good thing. In the last three days, I have written everything down that I have eaten, and I have not put one bad, sugary thing into my mouth! In fact, today I stood chopping vegetables for my salad and for dinner tonight. I also made a fabulous chicken salad for lunch and Swordfish is on the menu for dinner.

So the week has been very positive all the way around. My family is happy and healthy and going forward. What a wonderful time for us all.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

Another week has come and gone. This was sort of a crazy week. I didn’t get a lot done around the house, but I was pretty busy. So, here are the top 5 things that kept me busy this week.

1. A friend is coming to visit from Germany. She wanted to know a good coastal route from Boston north to visit some of the prettier places in our area. Now New England is just full of beautiful coastal places and it was tough to plot out a trip, but I came up with a nice, easy journey, stopping in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Freeport, Maine. I’ve made maps, and directions and I’m excited to share all of this with her!
2. We’ve started to take Anneliese with Arnie with us when we go out to get the mail. Anneliese loves to go for rides, we just need to train her to stop barking at everything that moves (including Arnie’s tail!). She get’s so excited when we prepare to go out and waits at the door looking at us with pleading eyes, “Oh take me too!”
3. I saw a funny thing on the lawn today. It was a gray squirrel holding an apple in his mouth while running the length of the lawn back to his home in the stone wall! Honestly, it was hilarious. I wish I had my camera right there to capture that!
4. My back is better. When I did wake in the night with a twinge, I would roll on my side and pull up my knees sort of in the fetal position and this seemed to help. I slept from 9 PM on Wednesday until 7 AM on Thursday! A really good night’s sleep!
5. Today finds we doing laundry and sort of setting myself up for a free weekend. Saturday I want to attend a Craftfair uptown, and Sunday I’m heading south to see Mandy, Matt, and the kids! It’s supposed to be really hot, so I am planning to get in a nice swim in the pool with my grandchildren! Monday, I get the kids all to myself, as their schools are closed as the teachers prepare for the school year. I am thrilled! I get an entire day with two of my favorite people!

Wow! I sure love these two!

The end of another week and I find that although I am trying quite hard to keep things simple and low key, things are happening around me that are both exciting, and on the other hand Poigniant. So here are this weeks Friday Five.

 

1. Greta. My goodness I’m just heartbroken. She continues her slow deterioration and I try so hard to keep her comfortable and happy, but I am losing this battle. I don’t want to be the one to make this decision, but I feel that very soon I will have to. When Fritz died it was all out of my hands. Fritz had an aneurysm rupture and he went so quickly. With Greta, it has been a long good-bye.
2. We are starting to plan out a trip this Fall. We never travel anymore, so this trip to get together with other Army Otter and Caribou Association members is something we are really looking forward to. When we first joined the association was a large group of men and their wives. However, over the last 25 years, so many of the gang have passed away. But, it’s exciting to go and renew old friendships, and also see places we have not spent time in.
3. Our maps arrived for our trip. Have I ever confessed that I am a Map Junkie? I love maps, good maps, I love following along and finding my way through crazy places. So far we have mapped out a good, easy route for our trip.
4. I’ve decided that I am over summer! Well, not the bright sunny skies, but the heat and humidity part. It just seems to go on and on!
5. I’ve really been enjoying looking back at our time living in Germany. I will do a few more posts next week and share more pictures.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

 

I’ve been enjoying reminiscing about my time in Germany. I will do more next week, but as usual, here is my Friday Five.

Our summer has been one of the hottest ones that I can remember. Each day it is well over 80 degrees and for the last few weeks, many days have been over 90 degrees which is not usual for New Hampshire! Life is full of hot, humid, air masses and cranky individuals! Oh yes, and we have had a lot of rain! So as we enter the second weekend of August here is what’s happening in my corner of the world!

1. The hospital still has not called with a date for Jack’s Moh’s Surgery. It kind of ticks me off that this is happening. He really needs to get in and finish having cancer removed. As it is, the area is not healing, and it concerns me very much!
2. Lili is pretty funny these days. She will bark at Jack to get him to go outside.

   

   Then, when he does, she follows him for a few minutes, and then wants to come back into the air-conditioned house! She cracks me up!

3. Poor Anneliese has her allergy to grass and grass pollen back.

   

   It just doesn’t seem fair that a short little dackel like her should be allergic to grass! It causes her to break out on her belly and get little hot spots. I bathe her with special soap and then once she is dry put on her cream.

4. We met our new neighbors. They’re a really nice family with a daughter named Emily! It makes me remember the days when my sweet Emily lived right next door. Now she is all grown up, and a married lady with a baby of her own!
5. This weekend, I plan the usual, laundry, cleaning, and kicking back. I love the weekends!

Have a great weekend everyone!

I want to know, where is the summer going? Here we are on August 3rd! The first Friday of the month, but all too soon, it will be time for the summer to end the school buses to start coming along down our roads. This summer really has flown by. Am I ready for the summer to end? Well, since we have had one of the hottest summers that I can recall, yes, yes I am! I am ready for cool temperatures, bright Autumn leaves, and believe it or not, shorter days.

So as this week comes to a close, here are the five things that have been on my mind this week.

1. Our hot-water/heating-system is all repaired and it did not completely brake our bank. The company that did the work was polite, considered what we could afford, and worked hard to stay in our price range. They did all of this, and provided a new master control system for us!
2. Jack got the results back from his biopsy and it is a Basil Cell Cancer on his nose. Unfortunately, they did not get it all and he will need Mohs Surgery to get the remainder of it. Boy, can I relate to that!
3. Speaking of Jack, his flip phone is now a thing of the past, and slowly, Jack is learning to use my old Galaxy S5. He knows how to answer it, and how to make a call.

   

   That was lesson #1. The Galaxy S5 is actually a pretty easy phone to use. I have gotten Jack a blue case, as I felt the hot pink wasn’t really his style!

4. It has been so hot! In the upper 80’s and lower 90’s with high humidity and high dew points. What this all boils down to is that it’s just plain miserable. I hate to leave our air-conditioned house and go out. Worst of all, it is supposed to be like this for the next week!
5. I did well at Weight Watchers this week, losing one pound! I think my next step, now that I understand the eating plan is to slowly work in a walking plan. I’ve noticed in the last few weeks that my knees have gotten a bit stiff. Old age wear and tear, but time to work them out, so I keep them moving.

So that wraps us this week and brings us to the end of the first week in August. I just know, before I know it, it will be September 1st! Summer will be over!

This has been an amazingly crazy week for me. But really, it’s all good! One thing I will say about this week overall is that it has been hot, humid, hazy and very wet! We have a rain gauge and just this week we have had three inches of rain!

Kind of funny about the rain. Most of it has come down in absolutely heavy downpours! Not even the dogs want to go outside! And when they do go outside, they get absolutely soaking wet! In fact, as I write this on Thursday at noontime, it has just started to rain again! And Jack, who was outside with Lili, got soaked!

So here I go, with the five things, besides the weather, that has been happening in my corner of the world!

1. The Plumbing and Heating Workers have been here three days this week. They are completely redoing our system and when they are done, not only will our hot water problem be fixed, but our entire home heating system will not only be fixed but will be working in a more economical way. I am so impressed with all the men who have worked on our system. In particular, Will, who designed the entire new wiring and plumbing system. He is here today (Thursday) to finish up the system and do all the tests. In many ways, although we did not need a new furnace or hot water heater, this Digital Control Center is more costly than one can imagine.
2. The Air Conditioner in our bedroom died. And it died on one of the hottest and most humid of days. And it died at 5:30 in the evening. I need an 8000 BTU unit for that room, and I knew pretty much what I wanted. Our electric company is giving rebates if you get an energy saving machine, so I knew specifically the one I wanted. Well, it’s July, and our store doesn’t have much inventory left. So I was in the position of ordering online. The first order was rejected by my credit card! Huh? So I called and they told me that this National and well-known company, has a reputation with their website about not being secure. I had to use a different card and talk to the Company, and finally, the machine was ordered and it should be here on Friday. It has not been easy. Meanwhile, I am sleeping in a room where it is 80 degrees and a fan is my only friend.
3. While grocery shopping on Wednesday I noted that they had Soft-Shell Lobsters for $4.99 a pound. Now at this time of year, the Soft-Shell Lobsters are so tender and sweet. Yum! I immediately sent Jack over to pick out two for our dinner. We also picked up two ears of corn, and some California White Potatoes to boil.

   

   The above picture was taken a couple of years ago by my cousin Janet.

   In the evening, I boiled up the Lobsters, melted some butter, cooked the potatoes and corn, and we sat down to quite a feast! We ate and moaned with enjoyment and both of us commented that this was one delicious and very special meal!

4. Jack’s flip cell phone has died and he is now switching over to my Galaxy S5. I have the phone all cleaned and programmed for him, but last night when I tried to switch it over I learned something new (for me anyway). I need a SIM card for his phone.

   

   Apparently, when I bought my Galaxy S8, the clerk took the old SIM card out of the Galaxy S5 and put it into my S8. Groan. So I ordered one from Verizon and it will also arrive on Friday. Then I can finish the switch. Then the real learning process starts for Jack. I have an entire box of stylists at the ready so he can use the phone easily

5. .Jack had minor surgery this week to remove a skin cancer. They are hoping it is a Basil Cell Skin cancer, but since he has had Melanoma, before, and it was very close to this site, they are doing a biopsy of the tissue removed. Currently, I am once again his nurse. I have all kinds of sympathy for anyone having surgery to remove cancer on their nose. This was much smaller, but it is close to his eye, and that makes putting on the band-aid really tough. We will learn the results of the biopsy next week, but I am holding out good thoughts on all of this.

So these are the things that have been going on and keeping me occupied. Aside from the skin cancer for Jack, it’s all pretty much positive, and interesting. A new air conditioner, new heating system, fresh lobsters, new(er) cell phone for Jack, and the growth removed from Jack’s nose. (He didn’t want to show it or even the bandage) A full week I think!

Have a great weekend everyone!

I cannot believe how quickly this year is going by! Or do I say that at the end of every week? In any case, this past week flew by rather quickly and as I sit here writing this, I find that I would like to take a day and just move at a slightly slower pace.

Aside from making Jack his favorite Lamb Paprikash for dinner, I really do not have anything big planned. So, here is my list of the five things that have been on my mind this week.

1. On Wednesday I had to have another MRI on this darn lump under my left arm. I dreaded this because my left shoulder can be very painful, and lying still for the exam might cause discomfort. However, the doctor and technicians worked quite hard to locate the lump, and then position me, comfortably. The exam took 1 hour and 45 minutes! In the end, I was only slightly stiff. I will get the results soon.
2. The funniest thing happened on the way down to the test. The hospital had called asking me to come in early. I told them I was on my way and could be there in 45 minutes. Then, a Police K9 Car got in front of me on the highway, and he was going about 80 MPH! So I got behind him, in the center lane and followed him right along. Because it was a Police Car, the other cars on the road moved right aside. It was like the parting of the Seas! I made it in 30 minutes, give or take to the appointment!
3. After said appointment, I needed to drive to my daughter’s house to drop some things off. Since I’d missed lunch (It was now 2:15 PM) when I saw Dairy Queen looming in the distance, I swung over and bought myself a small Kiddie Cone. That cone tasted so good and I enjoyed every bite until I realized I had dripped on my nice pants! Ugh!
4. After stopping at Mandy’s, I hit the highway again to stop at three stores. Let me just say, I really was not feeling much like shopping, but…the dogs needed food, the cupboards were bare, and I had a gas tank that was showing E in a bright red flashing light!I picked up a rotisserie chicken at Market Basket and drove over to get gas. At the filling station, I was next in line when a pick-up truck drove over the curb and cut in line! I was not amused! The car ahead of this cheater pulled away, so I pulled the Highlander in, and left my back end sticking out! My car was empty and took a lot of fuel. So, while I pumped away, the cheater was trapped behind me. I hope he thinks about this before he pulls this on some other person, but probably not.
5. Time was ticking by and I needed to be home by 5 o’clock to feed the hounds! I knew I could not make the drive in time, so I called Jack and told him to ignore the dogs. I would be there 10 minutes late to feed them. Then a State Police Car passed me going 80 + MPH, and once he pulled back into the slow lane, I followed him, going 80 until my exit. I drove the rest of the way at the speed limit, and then pulled the car around the house to the back door, jumped out, came into the house and it was 4:55! I made it! I quickly gave the girls their medications, doled out the crunchies and then the canned foods. And at the stroke of 5 PM, the dogs were fed!

So that was the middle to end of my week to the end. All in all, a good week for sure. The weekend will be filled with the usual laundry, and cleaning, as I start the packing process for my trip.

I hope you all have a great Friday and enjoy this summery weekend!

Here we are! The first Friday in July! Now, where is the year 2018 going? Seems to me, that it is flying by! As the week comes to a close, here are the five things on my mind right now.

1. I cannot tell you how much fun it was to babysit the children with their other grandmother! Mary is such a wonderful woman, and we really had a good time, enjoying the children together.
2. I now remember why I wanted to move back to New England after six years of living in Florida. Six years of High Heat, & High Humidity, made me realize, I am just not cut out for this type of weather. I will be happy when we go back into the 70’s and lower humidity!
3. Greta is continuing her slow decline. It breaks my heart. Each day I spend a lot of time, snuggling her in my chair. Each day is a gift.
4. I soaked a piece of steak yesterday in a Smokey Apple Marinade. It had a good 8 hours to set, and when I cooked it last night it came out perfectly! Tonight is fish! Probably Haddock.
5. My sister arrives for a short visit tomorrow, so I will be running the dust mop and vacuum today and making beds! Sister visits are never long enough!

 

Here we are, the last week of June! I cannot believe it. I have been so busy, as my friend, Gail has been here. We have done so much visiting and sharing, and had such a great time. Here was our day today! (Thursday)

1. I went to the Outlets to find a dress for the wedding I am attending on Saturday. I refuse to buy anything at full price, so bargain hunting is what I am the best at.
2. I went to Talbots and selected four dresses to try on. The first one I simply loved, but when I put it on, I didn’t like it at all! Ugh.
3. The next dress made me think of Mandy as they were all her colors. But I loved how it fit me. And it was literally half price! I got a piece of costume jewelry to wear at the neck, and I already earrings and a bracelet that match.
4. Then we went for lunch and went shopping for dinner food for Mandy and family. And then I took Gail to see Mandy’s home.
5. We really enjoyed our time with Mandy, Matt, and the kids. As well as dinner. Once we got done cleaning up and chatting, it was time to head out and come back to Meredith. We arrived about 15 minutes after darkness, which worked out well.

It was a very full Friday!