The Dackel Princess

Tis’ The Season

One thing you can do when you’ve got a cold is write. I put my lap desk on my knees and addressed envelopes, put stamps on them and our cute cut out return address labels. I finished all the cards, and on Monday I will mail them!

We had a crisis of printer ink. We discovered that the cheap refills really are a giant rip off. So next time, we will get the official Canon Cartridges, and the official Hewlett Packard. Both machines work well. The Hewlett Packard is 12 years old and the Canon is 2 years old. The Canon is faster, but the Hewlett Packard sure does a nice job!

Our colds are getting better, but we both have led quiet existences. We have watched a few movies, on the satellite channels, and then a couple of shows on Amazon Prime. The best show there was a show on how they train service dogs, and how to some extent they allow the dog to select the person they will be paired with. That was a great show!

I think tomorrow I will bring down our tree and put the light on. Part of me would love to go out and get a pre-lit artificial tree so I do not have to wrestle with the lights. They’re not too expensive, but since my tree still fits the bill otherwise, we’ll just make that work.

Tomorrow I definitely need to do some laundry and perhaps a little ironing. We will see.

Have a great Sunday Everyone!

My Grandma Honey

I was thinking about all the people that I have crossed paths with over the years. Some people, like my grandparents and Aunt and Uncle, were very special. They taught me so much, and made me feel loved and cared about.

When you’re young, you take for granted that people will always be there. Then sadly, one day you wake up and they are gone.

My Grandma Honey was sort of the one who held the family together. She insisted we all gather at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and the 4th of July.

And we all came. Not because we HAD to, but because we wanted to!

Grandma Honey, whose real name was Mary Frances Daniel Prussman, was just a plain nice woman. She loved us all, and although she didn’t say it very ofter, she showed us in so many ways.

Tea time was one of those ways. We all got linen napkins, china tea cups, and usually a few cookies. On a special day, Grandma would a make treat. Cookies, brownies, or lemon squares.

I don’t recall her wearing pants until she was well into her sixties, and then she wore dress up pant suits. The pant suits were a modesty thing. At 65 she had trouble crossing her legs, so it was pant suits to the rescue.

The loved long haired cats, and Boxers, but in later years she opted for mixed mutts. Teddy was a cockapooh, and he was the bane of Papa’s existence! Teddy had terrible allergies and just scratched and scratched and scratched. But since Mary wanted it, he put up with it!

Grandma kept a tight control over her money. Back then telephone calls were very expensive. Grandma kept a 3 minute egg timer next to the phone. She told me once that if you couldn’t say it in 3 minutes then you should write a letter! She did that too.

When I was really young, I would run through the woods to her house and stay there to escape from things at home. Later, I was lucky to live with her and Papa.

She loved to hear me sing, and we loved to sit with our heads together talking. I remember one time I visited her after I got married and we were having tea and talking. She was smiling broadly and I asked what she was smiling about?

“I have missed you talking, and telling me all about your days.” I didn’t realize, but I had missed her too.

It’s been 28 years since she died, and I still miss her, but I like to think of her waiting for me, having a few cookies and sipping her tea.

Friday Fill-Ins

1. I saw beautiful white Christmas lights!
2. I’m trying so hard not to buy the goody foods I like at Christmas…just a hint, please!
3. Once long, long, ago in a galaxy far, far, away, I could eat anything I wanted and not gain an ounce.
4. Sometimes I close my eyes and I remember those who have passed from this life. but who made each and every holiday so special in times past.
5. The road led over the river and through the woods…..
6. I am always encouraged to start a new day in the morning light.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to get to bed early, tomorrow my plans include maybe a fire in the hearth and Sunday, I want to continue to work on my Christmas cards!

A Mixed Thirteen

I started off my day by waking up with a fever, cough and a lot of congestion.
I dressed, made my breakfast and went to Weight Watchers.
I had worked the plan very intensely this week.
I lost three and a half pounds!!!!!
After class I got the mail.
I came home and literally jumped into my pajamas.
I got out my fuzzy throw blanket and snuggled down with Greta!
She has been taking good care of me all day.
We started to watch a Documentary on Youtube on our smart TV.
I fell asleep half way through, and slept for two hours.
When I woke I was shaking again with the silly fever!
The last thing I wanted to do was cook, so I took just about every leftover in the fridge and made a meal out of it!
I can hardly wait to go to bed!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Share your traditions surrounding the Christmas stocking.

When I was a child, we always got a fresh navel orange and chocolate coins covered in golden foil! The usual candy cane was there too, but the orange and chocolate were my favorites.

2. How many hours of sleep do you average at night? Is it enough?

I try for at least 8 hours a night, but lately it’s been about 6 hours. When it is 6 hours, that is not enough.

3. If you had to give up one thing for the remainder of this year what would it be?

Shopping. It seems that there is so much pushing and shoving and people have totally lost their manners. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

4. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (or Wills and Kate as I like to call them) have announced they’re expecting a baby. Do you follow news of the Royals?

Oh yes, I’m a real Anglophile! I’m happy they’re expecting (although sad that Kate is so ill), and hope for many healthy children for this young couple.

5. For me, the sound of childhood is during the holidays it was always Christmas music on our town Green. My Dad was the local church organist and he always organized a Christmas sing the night the lights were lit on the Green.

6. Fruit cake-yay or boo? What’s your favorite dessert made with fruit?

I do like Fruit cake, although it is not my favorite. I’d rather have Plum Pudding. My favorite fruit dessert, is just plain cut up fruit!

7. What is one thing you want to accomplish before 2012 comes to an end?

I want to address, sign and get the Christmas letter done and all of them sent out!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Toys For Tots

Every year I find a toy or two and donate them to the Toys For Tots campaign that the US Marines have going. This wonderful campaign, makes sure that each child in the US has a toy to open on Christmas Day.

I got involved after losing my younger daughter. I felt her loss so much at Christmas. I decided that if I couldn’t buy her a present, I could buy something wonderful and donate it in her memory.

This year I am asking everyone in the USA, who reads my Blog, to pick up a toy and drop it off at the nearest donation center. You can find out where your nearest center is, what types of toys they need, and any other information HERE. Imagine being homeless, like the children in Super Storm Sandy areas. Their toys have been destroyed.

Or the children who are homeless and have no one to give them a gift. Your generosity, could make all the difference.

I have not been paid for this post. I am asking, just because it seems like the right thing to do.

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. I hope each child in the USA has a Merry Christmas too!

What I Did This Past Weekend

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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Although I wasn’t super busy this weekend, we seemed to find that the time slipped by. I did get the electric candles in my windows, and started to write my Christmas Cards.

I did a little laundry, but found I didn’t have to cook too much because we had a fridge full of leftovers.

I did discover that my health insurance has skyrocketed, so that I will now be paying close to $1000.00 per month for it. Thank you President Obama. Since he took over my medical insurance has increased $750.00 per month! And I have less coverage than I did before. I despair to think what it will be like when Obama Care goes in to full effect in 2014.

Hubby is sick with a dreadful cold. He coughs and sneezes and I think I will be putting him in the guest room until he gets well.

I’m thinking that I will pull the Christmas tree out of the attic tomorrow, along with the decorations. Then during the week I will work to get it put up all decorated! I did put up my skaters twirling in front of a snow covered church, that Mandy gave me a few years ago. This always makes me feel all Christmassy!

Have a great Monday Everyone!!!

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

The dogs actually let me sleep until 9 AM this morning! I was so pleased and surprised, until I opened the door from my bedroom and saw that it was dark and snowing. Not a lot of snow, just enough to look pretty. And as I stopped, long enough to turn the calendar from November to December, I suddenly felt all Christmassy!

After breakfast I climbed up into our attic and got down the window candles (electric) and the Christmas cards. They are now sitting in my kitchen, but that was as far as I got today. I did get out my Christmas card list, but need to do a few updates (if any of you have moved, be sure to email me and let me know) and tomorrow I will start writing the cards.

I’m old fashioned in that I think I should hand address and sign each card. However, the arthritis in the hands gets worse every year, so if you know a good program that actually will print out sheets of address labels from an address book, let me know.

The entire day it lightly snowed. So beautiful, really. Hubby went out for a while to push around the light snow, but eventually he gave up. I made a fire in our hearth and he’s got football on.

Life is good.

PS: Happy Birthday to my cousin’s boyfriend, Dave!

Pop

Friday morning I was taking a little time trying to figure a few things out on my Kindle Fire. I was set it down on top of the laptop keys and then went to pick it back up and my finger nail clicked the #4 key and it went flying!

That’s right people. I am doomed with laptop computers! I sat there, and fear gripped me!

A new computer shop had opened up, and it is less than a mile from my house. I threw on my clothes and grabbing the computer, and three pieces of the key, off I went to hopefully get that repaired!

First, the two guys were really nice, and yes, they got my key back on and working! Best of all, they are reasonably priced.

I was a little surprised to see the inner workings of my key. Do you realize that most of it is plastic? It was good because, it gave when my finger nail pulled it, still I was amazed that it was fairly simple. I sort of thought it would be more complicated!

In any case the laptop is repaired and I can once again use the number 4 or the $ sign!

I never did figure out the Kindle problem. Perhaps I will do that tonight.

Friday Fill-Ins

And…here we go!

1. Why is it that you always forget one thing to buy at the grocery store, and when you go back for that one thing, you buy six?.
2. How on earth did my pants suddenly go from fitting me perfectly to being super tight, that’s what I want to know!
3. Hold on I’m making a nice stir fry now and we can eat in a minute. (It was very good!).
4. Christmas will be here very soon.
5. Do you set up Christmas decorations even though your kids are all grown up?.
6. I live, I laugh, and I love.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching more movies through Amazon Prime, tomorrow my plans include working on the Christmas letter and Sunday, I want to address Christmas cards!