The Dackel Princess

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!

***************

It was an odd weekend for Hubby and me. Hubby is still picking peaches, and at this point has picked and sold over 500 pounds of them, and I have tried to keep up with him by doing laundry, cooking meals and not injuring myself.

What was that, you ask, about injuring myself? Well, my middle name is klutz, and somehow on Saturday when I was preparing for my shower I slipped, bashed my head and shoulder into the wall abutment that sticks out in the bathroom! I went down in a heap and once the stars stopped clouding my vision, I did a cursory check and determined that I was okay, but the headache from that little incident seemed to last all weekend.

I’ve been making things with peaches, as well as gobbled them up. I don’t know what Hubby did to our peaches this year, but they sure taste great!

Sunday was filled with sadness as we recalled all who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. We watched new programs recalling that day, as well as the memorial services.

Eventually I turned it off, and put on the US Open Tennis and watched Serena Williams and Samantha Stosur play. Congratulations to Samantha Stosur and all of Australia for a grand win!

September 11, 2011 Ten Years

I think we all can tell you where we were, and what we were doing on that fateful day, ten years ago.

September 11, 2001

It was a beautiful day here in New Hampshire. Sunny, bright, clear with blue skies. I was taking a shower getting ready for a dental appointment, while Hubby was working on shingling the house. It was a day like any other here.
Hubby had the TV in our bedroom pointed out the window so he could listen to the morning news.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm and Hubby told me I had to get out of the shower now, something was happening. I was a little dazed and confused. I shut the water in the shower off and grabbed my towel.

Hubby and I sat in our family room watching Fox News, ABC, and CNN. A plane had hit one of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in downtown New York City.

While we watched, suddenly another plane came in and hit the other Tower!
We were both in shock. We listened to reports. No one was saying terrorism, not at first. But both Hubby and I knew.

We watched the Tower’s come down one and then the other. We knew people had died. We just didn’t know how many.

At 12:30 I drove to my dental appointment. There was not another car on the road. Not one. I got to my dental appointment and found that I was the only patient that hadn’t cancelled that day.
When I got home we watched the TV all day. I called my family and my close friends. Just to hear their voices.

It doesn’t matter your political affiliations, or how you feel about the war.
What matters is on September 11, 2001 innocent people died in New York City, In Washington, DC and in Shanksville, PA.

People like you and like me. Just because they were Americans.
That was the day I learned that we are no longer safe here at home.

I also learned that when our country is attacked in such a manner, we pull together and unify.

God Bless all who lost their lives that day, and all who serve this country each and every day to protect and defend us.

September 11, 2001: Basic Facts

Chronology
8:46 AM Plane crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
9:03 AM Plane crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center.
9:17 AM The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shuts down all New York City area airports.
9:21 AM The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halts all flights at U.S. airports. It is the first
time in history that air traffic has been halted nationwide.
9:38 AM Plane crashes into the Pentagon. Evacuation begins immediately.
9:45 AM The White House evacuates.
10:05 AM The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses.
10:10 AM A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:10 AM Plane crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
10:22 AM The State and Justice Departments, as well as the World Bank are evacuated.
10:28 AM The World Trade Center’s north tower collapses.
10:45 AM All federal office buildings in Washington, D.C. are evacuated.
1:44 PM Five warships and two aircraft carriers are ordered to leave the U.S. Naval Station
in Norfolk, Virginia to protect the East Coast.
4:10 PM Building 7 of the World Trade Center collapses.

The Flights
American Airlines Flight 11
From: Boston, Massachusetts (Logan Airport)
To: Los Angeles, California
Lives: 92 people on board
Crashed into North Tower of World Trade Center at 8:46 AM

United Airlines Flight 175
From: Boston, Massachusetts (Logan Airport)
To: Los Angeles, California
Lives: 65 people on board
Crashed into South Tower of World Trade Center at 9:03 AM

American Airlines Flight 77
From: Washington, D.C. (Dulles Airport)
To: Los Angeles, CA
Lives: 64 people on board
Crashed into the Pentagon at 9:38 AM

United Airlines Flight 93
From: Newark, New Jersey
To: San Francisco, California
Lives: 44 people on board
Crashed into rural Pennsylvania (southeast of Pittsburgh)

Victims
Victims came from more than 90 countries around the world.
The following are the number of people who died at each site:

World Trade Center 2,823 (includes airline passengers)
Pentagon 125 (not including plane victims)
Flight 11 – 92 people on board
Flight 175 – 64 people on board
Flight 77 – 64 people on board
Flight 93 – 44 people on board

The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out.

Fact Sheet
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC
August 15, 2002

Tomato and Eggplant Casserole

Slice thinly, one or two eggplants.

Place eggplant slices into strainer and salt well. Let this rest for 45 minutes.

Rinse off all the salt and allow the eggplant to sit in sink and drain. Take a ziploc bag and add a half a cup of Italian bread crumbs and then toss each eggplant slice until lightly coated.

Warm griddle to medium heat, rubbing just enough canola oil onto it to cook eggplant.

Cook eggplant until golden brown on both sides.

Spread Tomato Sauce on bottom of casserole. (Just a little)

Slice two tomatoes and arrange in casserole, eggplant, tomato, eggplant….

Top with tomato sauce and basil leaves.

Then sprinkle Parmesan Cheese over the top of the eggplant and tomatoes.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Enjoy!!!

Friday Fill-Ins

And…here we go!

1. Do they have bright skies and sunshine at my vacation destination?.

2. I saw Mandy when she was first born and; it was as if I’d been loving her all my life!.

3. That was a wonderful wedding I went to last weekend. Both the bride and groom looked so beautiful and handsome and happy!.

4. A new mattress seemed so comfortable.

5. As I said, weddings are wonderful. Now we plan Mandy and Matt’s..

6. I’m ready for a new hair style to add some new twist to my life.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to making my tomato and eggplant casserole (stay tuned for recipe), tomorrow my plans include organizing my Library documents and reading a little and Sunday, I want to work in the garden clearing it and turning the soil!

Thank Goodness It’s Friday

It’s been a long week and I am tired. Still! I plan to do quiet things over the course of the weekend, like read, or perhaps try a new recipe, and write to a few people that I haven’t heard from in a while.

If I get up the energy, I want to clean my garden of all the plants in it, with the exception of the eggplants, and butternut squash, which for some odd reason, are still growing.

I also need to go through a bunch of paperwork for the Library, so I am prepared for our meeting on Tuesday. And trust me, there is a l lot of paper work to go through.

Perhaps somewhere in there, I can sneak in a nice walk, and a soak in the tub. That is total spoiling of me time!

What do you have planned for this weekend?

Thursday Thirteen

This weeks Thursday Thirteen will be a miscellaneous group of thoughts. I’ve been so busy lately that there is so much to write about.

The drive to my sister’s home was a long one. It usually takes me 4 hours, but I had to add another half an hour due to a road closure after Tropical Storm Irene blew through. I’d figured this would be the case, but still, what a long trip!
I got to see my grandniece practice for baseball, and both of my grandnephews practice their football. They are all three really good and I enjoyed watching them!
My brother in-law and sister remember how much I love eggplant pizza and they ordered one for dinner while I was there! Oh, it was so good.
I am totally an eggplant fiend! I love it every way it is cooked and served. I guess we all have things like that which we love, for no apparent reason. For me, it is eggplant!
I’ve made up a new recipe for eggplant and tomato casserole. OMG! It is so delicious! When I make it this week, I will have Hubby photograph me doing this, then include the recipe.
Our gasoline here in New Hampshire (at least where I am) is $3.46 a gallon. South of here the gas was selling for $3.79 a gallon. Needless to say, I tried to only buy gas at home.
I went shopping with my sister and help her to find a totally adorable top! She wasn’t sure about it, but it looked as if it were made for her! What do you think?

I ate pretty much what I wanted during my trip. My sister was great at providing salads, and her daughter, Jinny (pictured above), makes a great salad. Now it is time to get back on the plan.
One morning I got up and picked up coffee for my mother and me and then got breakfasts at Friendly’s to bring to her apartment. She really enjoyed that.
The Rehearsal Dinner was also a lot of fun. I got to meet Karan’s family, and we all ate and joked and enjoyed watching the young couple. (Note to self: Don’t keep eating delicious Italian food like that!)
My sister had her hair done at a salon for the wedding. I figured I could arrange mine, but I am becoming increasingly frustrated with it. I am totally ready for a shorter layering of my hair, so it is easier to do. I spent well over an hour with a curling iron, and it still looked lousy!
The wedding was so beautiful, and I got all misty from the show of love. The atmosphere was so happy and watching the bride and groom dance the night away, thrilled me beyond words.

The next day, I drove home, and made it in better time. When I walked in the door I was met by Hubby and the four dogs! They were all thrilled to see me and showered me with love and kisses!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What is one piece of advice you would give a ‘just turning’ 21- year old adult?

Decide on the things that will make you proudest to tell your grandchildren about, and then pursue that in your life. I will enjoy telling my grandchildren about my love of growing things and then learning to cook and preserve them.

2. Besides cooler weather (or warmer weather, depending on your hemisphere) what is one thing you are looking forward to this fall?

Colored leaves, Thanksgiving and my birthday. I really love this time of the year. Cool, crisp weather and back to cooking stews and warm soothing soups!

3. What sound lulls you to sleep?

Now don’t laugh…my air conditioner. I sleep the very best in the summer, when I have that wonderful, white noise from the air conditioner!

4. September is National Preparedness Month…does your family have an emergency ‘kit’ and/or disaster plan in place?

Not really, but I do know where everything is in case we have a disaster, and Hubby and I have decided where to go in case of a tornado. We don’t have them very often, but they do occur in New England from time to time.

5. How has your blog changed since you started blogging? Or has it?

I used to write more about the dogs, and now I think it is about my life in New Hampshire. I hope that my readers don’t mind too much.

6. What’s something you’ve recently learned to do on the computer?

Edit pictures. It’s an ever evolving thing I enjoy and am learning more about it. What fun!

7. Is a picture worth a thousand words? Elaborate.

I don’t think I need to. The newlyweds sealing their vows with a kiss!

Pure love!

8. Insert your own random here.

I had the chance to spend 5 days with my other family. My sister, and her kids and grand-kids. I also visited with my mother and Melodie’s mother in-law. I also met my nephew’s new in-laws and they are such great people! One of the brides sisters in a lot like me and I enjoyed the chance to get to know her a bit, as well as talk to everyone. I feel my nephew has found his soul-mate. I was so happy to spend time with my grand-niece and nephews and to see them in their day to day life. Each one of them is so precious to our family.

Taft and Abby. Cousins! Abby is the daughter of my nephew, Mike and Taft is the son of my nephew, Tim. Below is Tim’s other son, Luke!

Thunder……

Monday, it was back to real life. I’m home, and Hubby and I worked hard making tomato sauce. This sauce we will can and put up on the shelf for use in things like lasagna, or perhaps my new eggplant casserole recipe. Which, after making it three times, I have finally gotten down to a science. The next time I make it, I will have Hubby take pictures to share with you all. This is a super healthy, very easy recipe.

I went to bed very early on Sunday night, as I was exhausted from my travels. The dackels came with me, and curled their little bodies into mine and soon I was fast asleep. I slept well, as I felt my body relaxing in it’s own bed, when suddenly, about 4:30 AM I heard terrible thunder, and since it was so close, I figured it was nearby. I got up, shut down all our computer systems, the satellite system and unplugged the TV. Then I was walking back to our bedroom when I saw at least three bolts of lightening hit the lake in front of our house!

I returned to bed, and snuggled again with the dogs and Hubby and then…crash…boom…thunder…and Fritz was suddenly in bed with us too! Now I know we have a king sized bed, but suddenly, it was very crowded! I tried to get him down and since we now had 75 pound Fritz in the bed, Hubby woke. He was calm and spoke to Fritz with such tenderness, that I nearly started to cry. It was that sweet.

Eventually, he did get him off the bed, and we all settled down and slept until 8:30. However, the day has been filled with rain and humidity and storms.

But, as I sat here thinking of all the places I would like to be, being at home sure is a great place, even if I am sometimes overcome with the dackels and Fritz, for their love is irreplaceable!

What I Did This Past Weedend

Seldom have I been able to feel so much a part of a wedding. Certainly I have gone to many over the years, but this wedding made me feel so very included.

The wedding was for my nephew/Godson, Michael and his bride Karan. They met a couple of years ago and she has become a loving member of the family. Especially, she has become a very caring and loving step-mom to Mike’s daughter, Abby, who you learned about in last Thursday Thirteen.

Anyway, I drove to Connecticut and helped in small ways to get ready for the wedding. I did help with driving and I did Mel’s make-up, and then I was valued just for being part of the family.

The wedding took place at a country club and it was a beautiful setting.

I never cry at weddings, but I got very misty at this one. Perhaps it is because I could feel the love and happiness between these two people.

Mike, Abby and Karan!

Mike and Karan cutting the wedding cake.

My cousin Janet, my mother and me.

Melodie and me.

mel and mb

The reception was wonderful, pictures were taken and food was eaten! They planned things so nicely! Now it is back to real life, but I keep flipping through the pictures, looking at all of those happy faces!

Left to right, Ian, boyfriend of my niece, Jin (next to him) Abby, my grandnephews Taft and Luke, and their Dad, my nephew Tim. Back row, Left to right, Ron, (father of the groom) Mike (my nephew), Karan, Melodie, my sister, Maria, (my nephew Tim’s wife).

A Little Video To Tempt You!

Here is a very short video of the bride and groom dancing their first dance.

The Dance from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.