Category: Life

Yesterday I was a complete dynamo! I decided to clean out the mudroom bench. It’s the place where all my extra doggy stuff is shoved in kept. I emptied it all out and then began the sorting.

There were frisbees and toy balls, leashes and poop bags and dog dishes and our gloves, hats, and old bird feeders. Ugh!

At least everything was clean, just unorganized. So, I sorted everything, gave the puppy toys and extra cleaning, and made up a basket of puppy toys.

Jack passed by and asked where my other hats were?

Quite honestly, I have had one hat for the last 23 years! I love this hat, but Jack said that really, he hated it. Hmmm. Imagine 23 years he hated it and never told me.

I looked at myself in a mirror and decided I needed something a little newer. As much as I hated to admit it,  this hat is showing signs of falling apart.

Later in the day, I found a hat online and I hope I like it. I washed my old hat and I think it will be one I keep until I am very old and very gray!

My day ended at 8:30 when I fell into bed. I was really tired, but happily so!

Life is weird. When we moved back to New Hampshire after briefly living in Florida, I was thrilled. A return to my roots and a more relaxed lifestyle.

Of course, things change. We’d decided to move a bit further north, closer to the ski areas, as we were both skiing back then and wanted the convenience. And back then, Mandy had no kids and was still finding her way in the world.

So we chose our little town, which was safe and lovely, filled with wonderfully kind people.

Back in 2019 we actually had a daytime break-in. We’re sure that this person thought I was not home, as Jack had an appointment that morning and almost always I went along.

I was due to go to Disney shortly after, and I was on the phone making plans, but otherwise, I was in a silent house.

Suddenly I heard a door slam in our garage. I ran to the window, thinking Jack had returned. But there was no car.

I heard footsteps on the stairs, and a strange voice call out “Hello”. And my heart began to race.

I hung up on Disney and dialed 911. Meanwhile, Lili came to the door that I was trying to block and began to fiercely growl and bark. The dackels were barking too! But Lili was so fierce. A side of her I’d never seen.

I yelled, “I’m calling the Police! They’re on the way!!” and hoped they actually were.

The man raced down the stairs and out the door, and the Police arrived shortly after. Eventually, he was apprehended. I have taken measures to make sure it does not happen again.

Then, last year I was waiting for a check from Novartis, to reimburse me for Arnie’s care, to the tune of $2000.00. I could see it was supposed to be delivered to my Post Office Box on the Post Office App. It never arrived. Novartis canceled the check and issued a new one, but that was the first time I realized that shenanigans were happening at the Post Offices. Either here or at the main sorting area in Manchester.

Then the other day. I was waiting for a package for myself. I saw a cute little purse on Amazon and thought, I deserved a cute little something. I once again saw it was arriving on the Post Office App, and I was so excited!

But when I went to the Post Office, stuck in my box was the bubble-wrapped package that had been sliced open, and my beautiful purse was gone! I went to the front of the Post Office to ask the Clerk was had happened. And he said it came that way.

Okay. So tell me. Where, in this secure postal system had my bag disappeared? No one could tell me, no one wanted to help. Fortunately, Amazon did help and is sending me a new bag.

But here’s the thing. We got the Post Office Box because of our long driveway. We’ve always felt secure, knowing our mail was safe at the Post Office. Now? Not so much.

We also had a recent spate of automobile break-ins. The Police issued a notice to all to lock your cars and also to hide any valuables in your car.

So the world, or at least my little corner of it, is less safe. What a shame. Even in my little town, of about 6000 people, the thieves are active.

It’s sad. I was born in the ’50s and raised in the ’60s and I felt so safe and merry. I rode my bike everywhere, played outside with friends until dusk, and had friendships with the mailman, the milkman, and the grocery store clerks. I smiled a lot. Life was nice back then. And almost all the people in my little world were good and kind people.

So here’s my hope, that people will make an effort to be kind. They will opt for honesty and care. That dishonesty is not rewarded.

Perhaps this is too much to hope for. But a girl can dream, can’t she?

Saturday found me kicking back a little. My eye feels pretty good, and I have only used the artificial tears a few times. And best of all, my vision is completely clear at this point! Yay!

My other health problem is not responding as quickly and I really have not felt too well. I think that this is what has contributed to my feeling like I want to be quiet. I’ve watched a few movies, a documentary on ABBA, and read a few chapters in my book.

And lucky for Jack, I found some beautiful baby back ribs this week, and so I am making my specialty. “Maribeth’s Perfect Ribs”. It’s a favorite of Jacks and we have not had them for so long because they simply have not had any good ones in the market.

Now we await the arrival of Hurricane Henri. I’m hoping it will be nothing more than some wind and rain by the time it reaches us. Time will tell.

Tuesday started out cool, but with excessive humidity. By the afternoon, we had temperatures near 85 degrees. When I think of it, I am actually looking forward to the Autumn, when the leaves change and we have a cool, crisp day throughout the month!

I decided to go to the Post Office today despite the fact that I knew we didn’t have much mail. Thankfully, I got a good parking place and I was able to get the sale fliers and junk mail that gets sent out. I also needed to fill out a new form with a lot of information on it. Name, street address, email, and phone numbers. I was puzzled because I have had my Post Office Box since 1999. But yes, my email had changed and I do have a Smart Phone number.

Done!

I’d decided to get Jack a Subway Sub (grinder, hoagie, etc). However, when I got to their shop they were completely out of business, and all the equipment is gone.

We also lost our only Chinese Restaurant in town. Locked up with no sign of opening.

More than likely they both were casualties of the Pandemic. Sad. This really is very sad.

In our little town, there are signs for help wanted. If you want a job, come to New Hampshire. There is a job just waiting for you!

Today I did something that I truly dislike. I dusted! Ugh! But the dusting was done and now I have a wonderful feeling of being productive! Not!

In the last few days, I have not slept well. My brain clicks on and I simply cannot get back to sleep. I sure hope that I can get some sleep tonight.

Day two of my dealing with De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis found me feeling almost a bit worse. Although I do well in the splint, if I move just wrong, the pain is terrible.

Jack seems to think that a good night’s sleep, along with a large tumbler of scotch will magically heal this. I do not have the heart to tell him that this may be a long-term problem and not something that will heal overnight.

Many years ago, during my physical exam, my doctor commented that I was fortunate to have Jack by my side. I laughed. Then I told him, “You and I had better hope that I never become seriously ill!”

And so it goes.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I had to do laundry today. And although I asked I got very little help. Ah well. I suppose he feels at his age, he needs to be taken care of more than I do.

Ah, enough of feeling sorry for myself. If I am lucky, I will see my daughter and grandchildren on Friday after my visit with my Glaucoma doctor. I pray for good eye pressure and lunch with the kids!

Monday was just like any other Monday since the Covid Virus came to call. There was laundry to be done, cleaning to do, and a little bit of rearranging of things in my family room.

For many years my cell phone charging station was in the kitchen. It was never a problem until I got an electric loveseat. I simply cannot get my feet down when Jack’s cell phone rings.

So, today I rearranged the table between our seats so that the charging station is now right next to me. All I need now are some longer cords for the power supply.

I also need to buy a new Wifi Router. My old one isn’t cutting it as far as the streaming goes, so I am looking, researching, and will make my selection soon. If anyone has a good Wifi Router that has excellent range, let me know.

Funny thing, as I darted around the grocery store today I started to think, that we may have to live with Covid much longer than we expected.

Wearing a mask, washing my hands until they become overly dry, and not being able to go out. Although I miss my old life, I am able to get by living this Hermit’s existence.

What about you? How do you feel about the restrictions that are still in place due to Covid?

In March of 2020, we were all told to stay home and not go out unless we had to get food or medication. It was during this time I found myself getting up each day, and putting on a pair of leggings and a long-sleeve comfy top. Who am I kidding? These clothes were pretty much like pajamas and I wore them all day every day. And so it has been every day (except summer when I wore shorts and a tank top) since.

Well, today I got up and put on a pair of jeans and a real shirt. I wore actual socks and wait for it…my sneakers, not my slippers!

I actually felt good. The slight after-effects of my second Covid Vaccine had disappeared and I felt awake and actually pretty darn good!

I know the virus is still out there. I know it will be until people realize that like Polio, we must vaccinate to get a grip on the problem.

I am here. I have had both shots. So has Jack. So have so many of my dear ones. We are here, we are healthy and we are trying to get on with life.

I know that people are free to make up their own minds, but it does bother me because they are putting not only their lives at risk but the lives of my young grandchildren who are not old enough for vaccines.

I have told you the story of my Grand-Aunt, Kätchen. She was just 22 and 9 months pregnant with her first child when she contracted the Spanish Flu in 1918.

Had they had a vaccine, if people had worn masks, if there was a cure, if, if, if. This beautiful woman died far too young, as did her unborn baby. I wish people could look at Covid-19 and ask what they can do to stop the spread of the virus.

On Saturday I was still fighting a small cold and a sore back. Have you ever wondered how easily things are damaged when really, you’ve done very little to injure your back? Yes, well, such is the case with my darned back!

I was thinking that it was time for me to put to rest my old header and some sidebar pictures of my Anneliese. It was time to move forward.

I sort of knew what I wanted to do, and the pictures I wanted to use, but it just wasn’t right until Header number 7. Then I knew that this is good and I loaded it up.

What do you think?

The middle pictures are of Greta’s first litter and amongst the puppies are both Arnie and Anneliese. But they’re babies and it does not pain me the way the pictures of my old girl did.

We’ve also developed the new normal around here. Arnie and Lili are good pals and live quite harmoniously.

It is also nice to live normally with dogs again. In the end, Anneliese was taking so many medications and then at the very end, nothing was helping her. But that is past and now I feed the pups twice a day and life is wildly normal.