The Dackel Princess

Happy Birthday Melodie!

Today is my sister’s birthday. I wish I could be down with her to celebrate her big day.

I want to tell you all what a wonderful sister Melodie is. She is five and a half years older than me, and I was her “first baby.” She cared for me like a little mother and was always more like a mother to me than a sister. I am so blessed to have her!

Mel is one of the kindest women that I know. She always has a smile and a warm greeting for those around her. She loves her family with her whole heart, rejoices in their successes, and comforts them in their sorrows.

Ron and Melodie

She has been married to Ron for 53 years. They met at summer camp at the age of 13 and wrote to each other for many years before their November 1971 wedding.

So today, on her 71st Birthday, I want to wish my beloved sister, Melodie, a very Happy Birthday!

My beautiful sister! I love you so much!

The Friday Five ~ July 19th

Time is passing rather slowly right now. I have been down and out since I returned from my trip. I was first diagnosed with pneumonia and then Covid. I ran a fever from June 12 – July 15.

It has not been fun. But…here’s what has been happening.

Heidi has been my nurse all of this time. She sits in my lap. Perhaps because it’s been nice and warm there.
I did lose the sense of taste. This made it tough to eat or stay hydrated. But I made it and I think the worst of that is over.
Now I’ve been sleeping a lot. My favorite things these day are my afternoon naps. I have to laugh about this because I remember hating naps as a child. Now it’s best part of my day.
I have planned to get my screen porch reworked. I decided to enclose it with real windows. Thus it will become a three-season room.
I have also been streaming Grey’s Aatomy. Having never watched it I have been able to watch episode after episode and really enjoyed it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

It’s All About…

Learning to take care of yourself, no matter what.

Life is never quite what you expect it to be after close to a month of being sick with pneumonia. Finally, last night, the fever I was plagued with broke; it was under 99 for the first time since June 13th.

I have learned so much. The first thing is how to ask for help. If not for my neighbors, I would not have gotten my medications. I also learned about Instacart Shopping. Everything is done online, and then someone selects your groceries, bags them up, and, in my case, brings them upstairs.

I finally felt well enough to do a couple of loads of laundry. It is much easier now that my washer and dryer are in the master bath.

So I wake up, drink, do laundry, and then nap. But at least I am not coughing as hard as I was.

Yay!

The Friday Five ~ June 28th

Good morning to you all. I am finally feeling a bit better from pneumonia. I am still coughing and still tired, but I am so much better. Nevertheless, here is this week’s Friday Five.

My carpenter has now ordered new windows for the screened porch. When we built the house, someone made windows you could pull up and hook to the ceiling. After 24 years, they are falling apart, and since I am not tall, I need standard windows. This will help me make this a three-season porch.
Lili and Heidi are going to be groomed on Sunday. Poor Lili has about three coats of fur, so my house is full of her fur! Heidi looks like a ragga muffin and will also be washed and groomed.
I am planning a short trip to the grocery store today. I finally have an appetite and need some good, healthy food.
Today would have been my Mom’s 95th birthday. Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom.
Lastly, it is nice to feel better. When I take my next trip, I will also take extra vitamins to keep myself healthy.

Have a great weekend!

The Friday Five ~A Day Early

The last week slipped right on by. It went fast for me because I fell ill with pneumonia on Saturday afternoon. I felt I was running a fever and had a small one. I decided to go to the walk-in clinic.

The doctor listened to my congested lungs. She ordered a chest X-ray, and since I had bloodwork done a few days before, she looked those over as well.
I was ordered antibiotics and a nebulizer. I was told to go home and drink copious amounts of juice and water.
My neighbor was kind enough to get my prescription, and I got straight into my pajamas, grabbed my blanket, and fell asleep on the recliner.
The next few days found me asleep most of the time. The coughing was terrible, and my fever spiked up to 102.7 at one point. I promised myself that if it hit 103, I would call for help.
When I woke up on Wednesday, my fever had broken. Although I still feel weak and tired, I am on the upswing.

So that was my week. I am glad it is nearly over, and I am starting to feel better.

Happy Weekend!

In Memorium ~ June 13th 1985

I’ve been thinking a lot about my daughter Katie. After you lose a child, you learn to go on. Some days are better than others, and then a time will come when you are thrown back in time emotionally, and the pain is overwhelming.

You all know that Katie lived. She was my youngest daughter and a lovely, kind, and funny girl.

Our Katie.

Most of you know that on June 13th, 1985, our car was run over by a box van truck, trapping Katie and me inside.

I have no recollection of actually being in the car, and I do not recall Katie being in or out of the car after the accident. In time, I knew we were out of the car, but it just didn’t make sense. It was a warm, sunny day, and I recall seeing bright blue skies once the roof was lifted off of us.

Katie lingered in a coma until June 19th. Then Katie went home with God.

It’s been 39 years since that horrible day. One might think the memories and the pain would not be as sharp. But it is. My arms still ache for her, and I wonder what might have been.

I’m allowing myself a little bit of grief before I pack it all up again and go through the motions of the day.

My life is a good one. I have many loves. I am blessed. But until the day that I pass from this life to the next, I shall miss my girl and look forward to meeting her when I open my eyes to a whole new world.

Going Home

I lay in my bed last night, waiting to fall asleep. Feeling the waves gently rock the boat, I looked back at all the days I had on Regal Princess—so many peaceful, happy times.

Although it was somewhat chilly, I enjoyed every day, including when we got caught in the rain.

There was quite a group of characters, but several crew and passengers touched my heart.

One thing I learned about myself is that I need to make some profound changes in my life. Loose weight (again) and do some walking.

I have places to go, people to see, and things to do, and I must be in top shape!

So, I am on my way home. To my doggies, my bed, and getting back into a routine.

The Friday Five ~ June 7th

Good Friday Morning to you all. What a marvelous cruise it has been. It has been wonderful to be out and about, meeting new people, and seeing many new places. As you know, my feet swelled, and here is what happened in the last few days.

I noticed the swelling was increasing.
I also had a rash on my legs that looked like chicken pox or measles. They both itched and hurt at the same time. I admit to getting a wee bit frantic.
I SOS’d my dear friend, a retired Nurse Practitioner, and my niece, an active RN. Both advised me to see the ship’s doctor.
At 3 PM, I headed to sick bay. Thank you for picking up extra insurance, Miss Maribeth!!
I was diagnosed with severe edema and put on meds. I was also instructed to go to bed, putting my feet up and resting.
So, while in bed, I folded clothes to put in the suitcase, secured the little trinkets I had gotten for my loved ones and started packing.
Two cases are done, and just my small overnight case to go.

So, my much-anticipated cruise is coming to an end. I have had a blast, and I rested for the first time in nearly a year. I’m not going to lie to ya, it felt delicious!

The Princess Takes A Cruise

Good Morning from the waters of the United Kingdom. My trip is going splendidly, and I am meeting new people and having a wonderful time.

My Cabin is roomy and comfortable. I have a balcony, but it has been slightly cold, so I have not been out there too much, although going in and out of ports will find me out there watching the entire thing.

The first event was the Swannery in Portland, England. It was the first thing I wrote, so scroll back to read about it and see some amazing pictures.

The next day was a Sea Day, and I should have taken the time to put up my feet and do nothing. However, being a somewhat social butterfly, I was all over the ship.

It felt so large, and there were many places to check out.

I was not paying attention to what I was eating or when. Time zone changes will make your hunger brain signals go a little wacky.

After our shore excursion to Cork, Ireland, I checked my blood sugar thrice daily. This has been good for me as a gentle reminder not to eat all these extraordinary sticky, gooey confections. I stopped with the sweets and even cut down on the bread.

I loved Cork and the people I met there. Our bus driver and tour guide were kind and knowledgeable. Many people wanted to go and kiss the Blarney Stone, and perhaps it would have been a good thing for me to do, but with over a hundred steps, I decided to shop on level ground. After all, with my luck, I would bend over to kiss the Blarney Stone and fall!

Before I left, I asked the grandchildren what they wanted from my trip, especially Savannah, who was celebrating her 12th birthday. Again, go back a few days for a little montage to celebrate my girl!

The special at this shop was if you spent so much money, they would wrap it all up, take care of the VAT tax, and ship it to my home. I bought out the store! Ha!

I met an excellent Future Cruise Agent here, Mandy. She is from South Africa. She has helped me arrange a few things, and I am thrilled. She can get me perks I would otherwise not be able to get.

Then it was onto Dublin. Oh, I so wanted to enjoy Dublin, but quite honestly, our Tour Guide did not like the Brits or the Americans, and he still dwells back in time when Ireland was full of unrest. He also had a busload of people with mobility issues, and we were all begging to stop for a moment, but he refused.

I have never complained about a side trip on my cruises, but seeing these 65-80-year-old people begging for a bathroom break broke me. I made sure this Tour Guide was reported. It just wasn’t right!

Now, that was the only negative thing that’s happened.

Once back on the ship, I noticed my feet swelling even more.

It is like walking on water balloons filled with needles.

I went to the Spa, where I soaked and had my legs and feet rubbed. There was no way I was going to miss Liverpool the next day.

I was up early and the first one on the bus! Our Tour Guide and Driver were native Liverpudlians who loved the Fab Four as much as I do. She was amazing. Imagine going to Penny Lane or Strawberry Field and listening to the music as you arrive.

This gal knew her shopping and where to go to get what we wanted!

It was just as wonderful as I imagined it to be. I will say I felt a natural longing for Janet and Melodie, especially Janet, with whom I used to play Barbie Dolls. They were always the Beatles and whatever girl they were with.

When I returned to the ship several hours later, I realized I had not seen the iconic statue of the Lads from Liverpool. I asked how far it was and was directed a few blocks to the statue. As I hobbled along, I thought about getting home without this picture. Indeed, I would be thrown out of the family.

Me with the Lads from Liverpool!

That is all for today. I could write forever, but I must put my feet up and drink lots of water.

Happy Birthday, Savannah!

Today, my sweet Savannah Rose turns 12! Wow, I can’t believe how quickly she has grown and changed. I can’t believe how quickly the last 12 years have gone, and in many ways, I feel like I have always known Savi as if she has always been a part of my world.

Me holding Savi the day she was born!

As she has grown and changed, I have marveled at her kindness, gentleness, and caring nature, and Matt and Mandy have done an excellent job as her parents.

Happy Birthday, my darling Savannah!