The Dackel Princess

Cucumbers & Squash & Tomatoes, Oh My!

Okay, I have to say that today was probably the nicest day we have had this year. It was 90 degrees, with bright sunshine and a little breeze. I got out early into my garden to plant my purple and green beans! Then I watered like crazy so that they would germinate.

Of course due to the heat, I had to go out and water again so that they didn’t dry up. I was trying to also do some raking of the soil, but it was so dry and with that gentle breeze, the dirt was coming up in clouds. Not too good for my breathing.

Hubby was working again today, so I was alone with the beasts, and that meant I had time to get some work done out in the green house. In just a few more days I will be transplanting my ‘seedlings’ into the garden.

Here in my growing zone, we wait until after the last weekend in May before putting any plants in the garden. Up until then, there is always the possibility of a frost. However, the way our temperatures have been, I am pretty sure that this isn’t going to be a problem.

And as you can see, my ‘seedlings’ are pretty healthy looking plants now!

I do have four tomato plants outside in large patio pots. These will remain like this all summer and usually I get a lot of fruit from them.

Below, I also have several tomato plants that I started from seed that I will put at the edges of my garden to grow as they may.

Lastly, there are my two beautiful Ichiban Eggplants. (Japanese Eggplants) They are prolific and the fruit is sweet!

I hope that the new fence I have put up around the garden will keep my bunny friends out and my beautiful leafy ‘seedlings’ will grow and flourish!

Cell Phone Madness!

My mission today was to get my cell phone dilemma solved! For the last few weeks, no months, my phone was slowly dying. In fact, have any of you ever tried to call another cell phone and get a busy signal? And do you drop calls all the time? Or experience crackling and then a dead call? Yes, these are all the things I have been putting up with until I could clear some time and drive the 45 miles south to our local Cell Phone Provider.

I didn’t know what to expect…a new phone…high prices…a lot of guff? I was pleasantly surprised by the level of service that I got.

I arrived and was the second person in line for service. My name was called and a very nice young man named Robert helped me. He checked my dropped calls and tested the phone and found that my LG ENV3 was defective. He brought out a new one and programmed it for me, and off I went.

Wow, easy!

However, I am a little paranoid about it. You see I had a succession of LG ENV2’s before they gave up and upgraded me to the ENV3. Five of them to be exact!

I’m starting to think that my electrical weirdness with computers is spilling over to cell phones!

That’s a scary thought!

Hope & Happiness

What a nice Sunday Saturday we had. My cousin Janet, came up for a visit with her boyfriend, Dave. We were celebrating Janet’s good health reports! We cooked chicken breasts outside on the grill, and ate salad, potato salad, and corn on the cob! Since the day was warm and sunny, we spent the entire time outside sitting and eating at our patio table. For dessert I made strawberry shortcakes, and we all devoured them!

After that I re-potted a tomato plant and then we put up the cages around the tomato plants to keep them nice and steady. I still have several more tomato plants that I am going to put into the garden, as well as a few eggplants. Usually I put them into large patio pots, but this year I think it will be easier to have just a few patio pots and the rest in the regular garden.

I’m also thinking that this week I will plant all my grown up seedlings into the garden. I am thinking that we are past the time when frost will kill my garden, but I will wait a day or two before planting. I am so pleased with this years seedlings! They have grown to a huge size and are truly ready to be transplanted into the ground where they can grow and flourish!

So many wonderful things happening this spring! It makes me so happy and fills me with hope! Now if only Anneliese would do her part, then I would be even happier, if that is possible!

This & That Saturday

Another week without Anneliese going into heat. I wonder when she will decide to go ahead and just do it? I know in the past, about the time I am ready to take the little doggy girl into the Vet to see what is wrong, she goes into heat!
Friday night saw me going out for dinner at my favorite restaurant Kevin’s Cafe for their whole Belly Fried Clams. Total yumminess!
I found a great item to donate to the Town Yard Sale. Altrusa is having a spot of their own and I found a bunch of bits and bobs to donate, but the best was an electric bread making machine, with not only the instructions, but a cook book as well!
I brought 50 books to the Library to donate to their part of the yard sale. I love sharing books like that!
My cousin is coming up for a cook out with her boyfriend and that will be nice because we can let the dogs run around and play outside in the sunshine, while the chicken breasts cook on the grill. We can visit and celebrate her return to health!

Have a wonderful Saturday Everyone!

She is Free!

I have not written too much about my cousin’s brave battle with cancer. I did not want to invade her privacy, and also because I have just been plain freaked out at the mere thought of losing her. She has been going through this battle for nearly a year now, and today she got the report that all her blood work and scans have come back showing NO CANCER!!!

She will need to be checked on more often, and we will watch her like a hawk, but for today my cousin, my oldest and dearest friend, Janet is free!

I am so proud of you! In the last year, you have showed me how to be tough. How never to give up. How to keep going. I am not nearly as brave as you. I’m not sure I could have gone through all that you have with such dignity and grace!

I’m sending you, peace, love, blessings and joy! Yes, lots of joy!

Friday Fil-Ins

And…here we go!

1. Fantastic News_ never fails to make me smile.
2. I’m looking forward to celebrating with my cousin soon_.
3. CSI_ is what I’m listening to right now.
4. Potato salad must have _eggs in it!
5. _Roasted eggplant_ was the best thing I ate today.
6. Today was _A really GREAT day.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a new episode of “Say Yes To The Dress”_, tomorrow my plans include a visit from my cousin and her boyfriend_ and Sunday, I want to get ready for my Germany trip. I’m hoping to pack. One day Anneliese has to go into heat_!

My Wednesday

Rain, clouds, laundry, ironing, cooking.

Boring.

Not even the television provided a good escape. The dogs slept, lest I toss them out into the rain, Hubby worked and I finally, in self defense, got out a DVD to pass the time.

Last night I attended an scholarship banquet. Since I am new to this women’s group I was not too sure what the scholarships would be. I soon learned that these scholarships were for women going back to college! It is women helping women!

My club gave out several scholarships to some wonderful, marvelous women and I am thrilled to be a part of this.I sat with one of the recipients, a young mother of two, going to college to get her Nursing Degree!

The dinner was fine. I chose baked haddock with vegetables, and I drank water and coffee, I resisted a wine or beer for fear of ruining my latest attempts to get back on the Weight Watchers Band Wagon! This week it didn’t make a lot of difference, but I don’t let it get me down. After all, eating this way is something I will be doing for the rest of my life.

I am looking forward to my trip to Germany. (Do you hear that Anneliese?) I will eat as I wish, enjoy the best bread and beer in the entire world, and then come home and really get back to the Weight Watchers basics!

Meanwhile, until Anneliese goes into heat, I need to keep myself busy, and perhaps get the house cleaned just a little better than it is right now.

Random Dozen

1. What is one really fast, know-by-heart “go-to” meal to fix in a pinch?

Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes and peas.

2. What is one item you won’t leave home without. (Purse and license do not count.)

My inhaler, for obvious reasons.

3. Where is one place you never tire of visiting?

Germany! Natürlich!

4. Share one factoid of your family’s history.

My grandfather arrived on Ellis Island from Germany, when he was only 9 years old. After clearing customs, he and his father traveled to Boston to join other family members. He met my grandmother when they were children, and knew right away that she was going to be his wife!

Frederick & Mary, my grandparents. They were married for well over 60 years!

5. Complete this sentence:

“Once upon a time I ….was a little girl growing up in Falmouth, Massachusetts. My sister and I would wash dishes after each meal, with me standing on a chair to wash or dry them. We always took turns. Melodie would tell me stories while we worked, and I would say to her ‘Don’t start the story by saying Once Upon A Time’, and she would say okay, and then she would start the story saying “Once Upon A Time”!!! And we would both laugh and laugh!!!”

6. If you could win a one year’s supply of anything, what would it be?

Real Costa Rican, Pea Bean Coffee! I could never tire of that!

7. “One quirky thing you may not know about me is ….”

This is a hard one. I think I am pretty much an open book. Perhaps, that I like to get into my pajamas as soon as I get the dinner dishes done, even if it is really early!

I just like to be comfortable!

8. You have one dollar in your pocket. What will you buy?

There is a place nearby that has $1.00 ice cream cones.

The flavors are yummy and the 1 scoop is more than enough!

9. “One thing that always makes me laugh is ….”

The dackels. They really are something else.

Whether it is my three or their puppies, or even other wire-haired dackels I have known in life. I call the wires the “Clowns of the Dog World”!

10. What is one thing you could do today to help yourself reach a personal goal?

Stay true to the WW Plan when I go to an Awards Banquet tonight. I know I can eat fish, a salad and vegetables, but I need to avoid the dessert…Cannoli!

11. What is one thing you could do today to bless someone else?

I would hope that perhaps a nice word, or a kind gesture would help.

12. What is one thing you’re looking forward to soon?

Going to Germany with Anneliese to breed her to Isegrim!

I will also have the added bonus of staying with my best friend, Uschi and her family and spending many hours visiting with her.

Sunsets

I was amazingly busy today. In fact between all my running around doing errands and Hubby working, we didn’t actually meet to catch up with each other until early evening. Since Hubby retired back in 1998 I have gotten used to the sameness of our days. Meals made at certain times, errands run together, so it is quite odd to be back in a relationship where he is working full time and I am keeping the home fires burning.

It feels strange and at times a little lonely. Lonely until I look around and realize I am surrounded by 4 happy and healthy dogs.

Today was also a beautiful day. The temperatures soared to the upper 70’s and the sun shone and there was almost no wind at all. Just perfect.

Hubby got home and I served up the dinner, and after we ate I looked out the front window and saw this.

The pictures help to convey the beauty, but really it is hard to get the bright colors, isn’t it? Still, the sun continued to go down and the sunset just got prettier and prettier.

Until finally, the brightest fiery red blazed across the sky.

May 17 10 005

It somehow seemed the perfect way to end this day

Lob-stah!

Sunday was an absolutely beautiful day! The sun shone, the skies were bright, bright blue, without even a cloud. Although it was windy, I simply did not care because everything else made it so lovely.

Hubby had to go in to work, and so I decided to do the grocery shopping, get dog food, and check out a few items on my want list.

The groceries were fun because I had the new MP3 player to keep me company. I simply danced my way through the grocery store. I refrained from singing as I know how bad people sound when they sing while their ears are plugged up. Even the best singer cannot hold a tune when they can’t hear themselves.

On my way home, while I enjoyed the clear air and the scene before me. Mountains and fields. I suddenly realized how hungry I was and how late it was getting. I swung the car into McDonald’s and got a salad for a quick lunch.

It felt good to just eat something quickly, so that when I was done, I could put the groceries away and play with the dogs a bit.

I also planted the peas in the garden and watered the seeds. Hubby instructed me to get this done today before he left for work. Mission accomplished!

To reward myself for all of this work, I bought Lobsters at the grocery store for dinner, along with corn on the cob and potatoes for baking! Of course it doesn’t hurt when the beautiful Maine Lobsters are only $4.99 a pound!

This great picture is thanks to my cousin Janet.

Let’s see, what is my favorite food? Dark yummy chocolate or Lobster? That is a tough one folks. I’ve been leaning toward Lobster lately!

The weekend is over and a new week is starting. A busy week too. I have a few things going on, that I will share with you all very soon!

Until then, Happy Monday everyone!!!