Thoughts on Friday

  • Next week I go for my annual eye exam and to get new glasses. I need to get very light weight frames and lenses, as my nose gets irritated from my current glasses. I hope I can find something I like.
  • It is so cold here tonight, I think I will be breaking out my winter pajamas! Of course I am lucky to have three dackels to cuddle with in bed.
  • I’m enjoying my book “The Husband’s Secret” by Liane Moriarty. It is totally not what I expected! (In a very interesting way!)
  • I went to visit my neighbor today. I decided to take Greta with me and all I said was, “Greta, let’s go see, Aglaia” and she raced up the hill! Greta adores Aglaia!
  • I found a great recipe for schnitzel and I went to take out some pork to make it on Thursday, only to find, I have no pork in the freezer! I need to get some soon so I can make the recipe!

To you all I wish you a happy Friday and a great weekend!

The Elephant Woman

I stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts to get a coffee on my way to the retinal surgeon’s office on Wednesday and I was in line. The man at the counter (another patron) said, “you can come up next to me, I won’t bite!”

I laughed, smiled and came up and said, “promise?”

So, I’m standing there and he’s sort of looking my way and he says, “what are you making for dinner tonight?”

I said, “Well if I get home early, I hope to make lasagna.”

He smiled at me and said in such a nice voice, “Think there would be enough for me?”

I smiled and (hopefully I was super nice) said, that there probably would be, but my husband might not think it was a good thing for me to bring home a date!

I have to tell you all, this man made my day!!!!! He thought I was pretty!!!!!

Now I know many of my family and friends have told me I look wonderful. However, inside I felt that perhaps they were being kind because they all love me.

But here was this man, who didn’t know me at all, and he was flirting with me because he thought I was pretty!

It made me realize that I needed to rethink my self image! I am doing great. Dr. P. is one heck of a plastic surgeon and I am coming back to the woman I was before this all started.

I’m no longer the “Elephant Woman“!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. When it comes to good manners, what two top your list of most important?

Always saying “please and thank you” with a smile. I also hold the door for the elderly, and smile at people as they come my way. You never know when your smile might just be the only one a person gets that day.

2. Let’s open a proverbial can of worms…Common Core. Are you familiar with the term (talking education reform in the USA)? If so, care to share your thoughts? In your opinion, what is one of the biggest issues schools (in your home country) face today?

This is an issue I’d just like to step away from. I am not impressed with our local public schools.

3. Name a celebrity whose fashion sense you admire and share why.

Princess Kate. Also known as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. She is so good at mixing and matching and wears outfits again and again. I also like the fact that she always looks easily put together.

4. How are you affected by the changing seasons?

Love them. Each season in their own way makes me happy. Right now we are at the end of Autumn and the leaves are falling from the trees. I can hardly wait for the first snow. After winter, I love the spring, with blossoming trees and flowers and summer is the growing season and canning for me. Yes so many great things, year round to look forward to!

5. Scariest book you’ve ever read?

Nope, don’t read them. In fact my cousin, Janet will tell me not to read this or that book because of the scare or gore!

6. What time of day are you most hungry? What’s your go-to snack?

2PM. My go to snacks are apple, popcorn, rice cakes, or bananas.

7. Do you lean more towards being too needy or too independent? Which do you find harder to deal with in others?

Oh, I am definitely way too needy. I’m working on it all the time. I try not to be, but it is hard. I think it’s difficult for me to handle other needy people, as I cannot give to them all that they need.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I had my retinas examined today. All went well, and I am good for another six months. I have known this marvelous surgeon for eleven years. He is a very rigid and precise man, but after this long, and so many surgeries, we have become friends. Which is so nice. It’s also great to know that all is well with my eyes.

On A Cleaning Jag

Monday went by at a flying pace. I was up long before Hubby and drank three cups of coffee before he emerged from our bedroom cocoon!

I made a lovely breakfast for himĀ  and then he started working on some paperwork he needs to get done.

So while he sat at the kitchen table writing, I busied myself folding laundry, cleaning our bedroom, and then I decided to clean out my two bathroom vanity drawers.

I know! What is this sudden spurt of cleaning I have been doing? I’m not one of those super neat people, and yet lately I want to get it all cleaned up in here. I guess it’s because I know that soon it will get very cold and we will have to shut up the house for the winter.

In fact on Thursday I want Hubby to help me get the window air conditioners out of the windows and put away for another year.

I also need to do my science project to clear my bathroom vanity drain. I love having long hair, but my drain sure doesn’t!

I’m off to my retinal surgeon today. It’s my six month check up. I don’t expect anything dramatic. Just a routine appointment where I will be given a clean bill of health for my eyes!

What I Did This Past Weekend

Miss Marple 2

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

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Since the Red Sox won their game on Saturday and will now go to the World Series for baseball, needless to say I was doing a happy dance on Saturday and Sunday!

But Sunday afternoon came and the Patriots football team lost, so that ended the sports weekend on a down note!

I went to make an apple crisp, and the apple peeler-corer-slicer was broken. Seems the spring on one part had come flying off. Thankfully, I still had the spring!

Hubby tried to get it on, but he was busy getting some apples ready for the farm stand. I felt bad about the broken device, so I worked and worked and worked (using a picture from Amazon.com to figure it all out) and after breaking two finger nails, I got the spring reattached! yay me!

I worked literally all day on cleaning out my closet. I needed to organize the sizes (don’t ask) the summer from winter clothes and prepare for my shelves to receive my winter sweaters.

Everything looks so good! It made me feel great. I have been talking about cleaning out that closet for a long time.

Now that this one is done, I’m thinking the linen closet and office could be next!

Happy Monday, Everyone!

A Pleasant Saturday

It felt like Fall today. Although the sun was bright, it was quite chilly. When Hubby and I went out to see “Gravity” in 3-D, I actually grabbed my jacket and needed it!

So there we were waiting for the movie to start, when I realized my little nose could not accommodate my glasses and the 3-D glasses. Fortunately, I don’t really need my glasses for distance, so I put my glasses away, and just used the 3-D ones.The nice part about those glasses, is that our satellite provider actually offers 3-D movies occasionally and now we have the glasses!

“Gravity” was good. Sandra Bullock fantastic, but on a scale of 1-10, Ten being Fantastic, I would give this movie about a six. I cannot say more, because if I did, it would give away the plot.

We came home and even the house felt chilly, so I built a fire in the hearth and now we are enjoying the slowly burning logs from our friends yard. She decided to go solar this year and had to cut down a lot of trees. Since she doesn’t use the wood, she gave it to Hubby to thank him for all his help.

Tomorrow is apple baking day. What shall I make? I am not too sure. I’ll take pictures and report on things on Monday!

My Bright Star, Savannah!

I spent Friday with my daughter, Mandy, my cousin, Janet and my granddaughter, Savannah Rose. She is growing so fast and we danced and sang and I even helped her with a bath!

Since her birth we have gone back and forth about what she would call me and today we decided. Savannah is going to call me “Oma”. This is German for Grandmother. Since I have plenty of German in my background, it is a perfect fit!

Here she is playing and talking in her bath.

Savannah’s Bath from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

Autumn in New England

Thursday found me traipsing around town taking pictures and enjoying the last remnants of the fall foliage. It’s already started to fall, and by the end of the weekend, I think we will be leaf-less once again. Another Autumn gone by.

As I drove I could see that “Red Hill” was still ablaze with color, but there was no place to stop, to pull over and get a good shot. You will simply have to trust me that “Red Hill” was breathtaking!

The day started kind of dark and grey,

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but rather quickly the sun came out and that is what set me off to find the picture!

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It was such a lovely day! And I enjoyed the fresh air and slightly warmer temperatures!

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I’ve not done too much with my photography this year, but today I did just what I wanted!

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Friday finds me going off to see Mandy and Savannah. It’s been a while since I’ve been down and I can hardly wait!

Beautiful

I woke up. It was earlier this week when I was getting ready to do my Wednesday Hodgepodge questions. One of the questions was ‘what was a concern of yours 5 years ago, and is it still a problem’.

So I went back and began to re-read Dackel Princess from 2008. I was happy and busy and active. As I read, post after post, I realized something so profound, like a wet fish, it came up and hit me in the face.

This year, I have been depressed!!!

Now granted, it has been more than a challenging year, with many different downers, but you know, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right?

I realized that I had two options. I could continue to sink further and further into depression, or I could:

Get up in the morning, put a smile on my face, and show the world, all the love in my heart!

I have chosen to take the world by storm and find my way back to happiness! One day at a time!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What was your biggest worry five years ago? Is it still a worry?

5 years ago I had my first surgery for cancer on my nose. It seemed that they got it all, and I was left with a small scar.

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It faded quickly, and I let it slip from my mind until December 2012 when I noticed the spot was back. I went in and most of 2013 has been spent first getting the cancer out and then repairing my face.

March and August

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2. Yesterday (October 15th) was National Grouch Day…what makes you grouchy? What cheers you up when you’re feeling grouchy?

Lack of sleep. What cheers me when I am grouchy? Well a good long nap!

3. In one word, how does it feel to be photographed?

It never bothered me at all. Now, since my surgery to my face and forehead, I am very photo-sensitive. Although I must say, I am getting less sensitive as the results of my wonderful Boston Plastic Surgeon, become evident!

4. Besides your parents, who would you say had the greatest influence on you in choosing your life path? Explain.

My maternal grandparents. I lived with them most of my teen years and they really had a lot to do with the way I think and feel.

5. The crisp days of autumn are here …what’s something you like to eat, but only if it’s crisp?

Crackers. Potato Chips. If those things are soggy or old, they get tossed. I cannot stand either!

6. What’s the most useless object you own?

A recipe file box. It used to be so important. But in the age of computers, I have all my recipes on my computer and they are available quickly, and with a fresh paper, not a used up file card.

7. Share a favorite fall memory.

Working at Hubby’s Apple Farm before we actually started to date. I worked packing apples, pressing cider, and making store deliveries.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’ve made Apple Crisp twice and one Apple Pie. I bought the Already Made Crusts this week as I plan another sugar free apple pie.