The Dackel Princess

Monday, I just never should have ventured out of bed. It seems I was doomed from the moment I stood up and whacked my toe on the foot of the bed, to a minute ago, when I walked into a door, thus giving myself a concussion! Yes, it has not been my day! What other wonderful things have occurred?

Well, there are the garden spikes that I inadvertently broke off in the ground that needed to be remade, and then I went down to change the laundry and the tub was still full of water and the machine wouldn’t spin the water out or finish the cycle.

What was in the wash? A nice light load of summer clothing, which would easily be rinsed and dried? NOOOOOOO! A heavy winter blanket that was now sopping wet and still a bit soapy!

I went into Hubby’s work shop and stood there and said,

“Houston, we’ve got a problem!“.

Hero that he is, he came and tried to get the machine to work. Nada. So we lifted the blanket out of the machine and put it in the sink to rinse and then wring out. Hubby was doing the wringing and asked me to get the user guide for the machine.

So, I ran up stairs and grabbed the guide and headed back to the cellar and literally ran into the cellar door hitting the side of my head with a hard thwack! I swear I saw stars!

Hubby wrung the blanket out well enough to place it in the dryer and I came up to call the repairman to come and fix my machine. It’s 11 years old and never had a problem before this. I hope it is not a catastrophic problem. I just can’t afford that right now. Please let it be simply a belt.

I climbed the stairs and sat down in my chair and my head started to spin. It was at that moment that I realized that only I could open a door into my own head and actually injure myself!

Tonight we are having leftovers for dinner. No stove-top cooking for me!  I’m afraid to get near a flame!

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend!

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Sunday was a very typical Autumn Sunday. I worked out in the garden, pulling up the wire fence, and the last few plants that remained in there. The only plants still there are three large brussel sprout plants that are near to producing little mini sprouts!

Hubby worked on more wood, chopping and stacking it, with help from Fritz, of course, and later in the day we worked together putting away the last of the window air conditioners. They are large and cumbersome, and at one point I gouged my arm. Nothing too bad, no stitches required!

Dirty windows have been plaguing me too. I managed to get the windows in our kitchen and family room cleaned up and looking great. For about two seconds…until Fritz and the dackels went right back to rubbing their noses on them. Ah yes, doggy art, on my windows to the world!

Speaking of doggy art, I pulled out my old camera the other day to use the super zoom lens and today I kind of played around with it. Arnie and Anneliese were my models.

Here is Anneliese, all curled up in her little bed. Occasionally she lets Greta or Arnie sleep in it, but most of the time, it is hers, alone!

And here is Arnie. We call him Mister Arnie Man.

I’d like to learn to use all the settings on this camera, as it has all the bells and whistles. I’ve been using my smaller pocket Cannon camera, and love the simplicity, but find I can’t get all the shots I want and I think perhaps switching to my Olympus SP-560UZ-18X for a while, might give me the pictures I’m looking for.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Today was one of those beautiful autumn days. Bright colors, cloudy skies with just a tease of blue coming through, and a breeze that will not quit. Our yard is not that beautiful, but when you look across the lake there are still really pretty leaves. They were protected from all this wind and therefor remain on the trees.

Hubby was chopping wood and stacking it for the winter, when he called me outside, to witness evidence of an intruder from last night.

It was a BIG pile of BEAR POOP, complete with leaves and berries in it!

I was so excited to see it. You know, you hear about things like this, but to actually see physical evidence right in front of your eyes…well I was excited!!!

Then I turned to Hubby and told him, “Now you understand why I don’t want the dogs out after dark, by themselves!”

Hubby cleaned it up, and then went back to chopping and stacking wood, while I started working on our supper.

I’d gotten a great piece of meat the other day and cut it into chunks to make “JULIA’S BOEUF BOURGUIGNON”. This recipe is a great one, but VERY labor intensive. However, this will last us for at least three meals, so in many ways, it is very economical!

Anneliese is feeling completely well and back to her old self. The last couple of days I have watched with pleasure, as she runs and jumps and tackles Arnie, and even plays with Greta. Mostly, she is playing with Arnie and that is what makes me the happiest, as they have such a wonderful relationship and have had this since birth.

I’ve been able to relax a lot, do a load or two of laundry and read my book. It’s been a such a nice day!

Post Script: It’s now after dark here in New Hampshire. Arnie just had to go out to do his business. So I put him on the leash, got the flashlight and out we went. The wind was blowing, and the beam of light from my flashlight hit something that was moving, and my heart skipped a beat!

It was a tree branch blowing around! I am such a sissy!

So…here we go!

1. Wow, it’s raining hard.

2. Autumn is beautiful.

3. My favorite way to start a day is with lots of coffee.

4. He cleared out the last plants in the garden and he walked in the door holding a pumpkin.

5. I look out my window and see wet, windy, weather.

6. Sleep is what I’ve been thinking about lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to sitting quietly and reading, tomorrow my plans include sitting quietly and reading and Sunday, I want to sit quietly and read!

(I’m not feeling too well and think I need a weekend off.)

1. Is there a word which you initially mispronounced? Were the circumstances in which you made the faux pas embarrassing? By the way, that’s not “foax pass.” (I know you know that. Just jokin’ with ya.)

Oh gosh I mispronounce words all the time. I have a slight stutter and this can be a problem when my mouth gets going faster than my head can think of words. I usually make a joke and keep going.

2. How do you feel about the use of texting shortcuts and trends? (ex: “I’ve got ur notes. Get them 2 u 2morow.”)

Anything that keeps me from getting carpal “thumb-all” syndrome (lol) is a good thing!

3. Tell me about your high school senior picture. Please feel free to post.

Well, I think I look okay, but see how straight my hair is? Can anyone figure this out?

5. Share a high school or college homecoming memory.

I won the Queen of the Rainbow Girls Ball when I was a sophomore in high school.

6. Linda at Mocha with Linda wants to know: “Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?”

Sunsets.

7. Lea at Cici’s Corner asks, “What is something you have not done that you desire to do?”

Travel more.

8. Carol at Wanderings of an Elusive Mind ponders, “If you could come back [in another life] as an animal, which would it be?”

A pampered cat. I could sleep all day and lie in the sunshine and be stroked by my loving owner.

9. Joyce from The Other Side of the Pond is curious: “Where were you 10 years ago?” Please feel free to elaborate more than just your physical location.

We were in the process of building this house! What a job that was!

10. When you are proven to be correct in any contentious discussion, do you gloat?

No, usually I’ll wink, smile and go on.

11. What is your favorite food which includes the ingredient “caramel?”

I’ve never been big on caramel, but perhaps a candy bar.

12. From my 17 year-old daughter to you: “If you could be part of any fictional family, which family would you choose and why?” (She’s so cute. And clever.)

I sort of loved the Von Trapp Family in the Sound of Music. The adventure, but the real love they all shared in the movie.