The Dackel Princess

Birthday Dinners

Tuesday was Jack’s Birthday and I sat and prepared a great grocery list to support all that I would need to cook him a special meal.

Ribeye Steak, Butter and Wine Poached Lobster Tails, Baked Potatoes, and Corn on the Cob (the first out of Florida to hit our markets). For dessert, Layered Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberries!

The cake!

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Well, the dinner came out awesome! I popped the Champagne cork and served the meal. What a great meal!

There are no pictures due to the fact that we all but inhaled the meal! But I was able to find a picture of the cake online!

Happy 83rd Birthday, Jack

Today is the eighty-third birthday of my husband Jack. It’s quite a milestone for him and us. We met many years ago and were friends for a long time. We saw each other through many difficult times in life, and eventually, when we figured it all out, we got married and started our life together. That was thirty-three years ago. How the time has flown.

Today we celebrate Jack’s birth and here is hoping for a happy day and a healthy and wonderful year ahead!

Happy Birthday!

The Weekend Wrap ~ May 3rd

My weekend saw both very busy and then very quiet times. I spent time, just sitting watching the birds come to eat. I made meals, cleaned out the fridge, and took Arnie out for walks. We had rain, and wind, and then sunny skies! And the Forsythia bloomed.

Meanwhile, back to my cleaning, after really working hard and nonstop on the entire plugs issue, I found myself a wee bit sore and so took most of the day on Sunday off.

My plan for Monday is to change sheets and vacuum the bedroom. And should I be lucky enough to have a little ambition left, I will be washing bathmats, and mopping floors.

I sure wish that this shoulder thing would go away and I could do a full day’s work without feeling achy.

Today would have been my brother’s 70th Birthday. He passed away when he was just 26 years old from Cancer. We all still think of him often and miss him.

Dickie was a super talented musician, with a beautiful voice!

We love you and will always keep you close in our hearts. Maribeth Dackel

This & That ~ May 2nd

Saturday was actually a day of great accomplishment. I woke early and headed off to get my hair done. Since I’m in the process of growing it out, no hair was actually cut, but a nice soft rinse was added to keep me from showing the world all my gray hair. Yes. I am that vain.

I came home and made Jack breakfast. That is how early my hairstylist appointment was! After that, I set about vacuuming everything and then moving furniture in order to place the new power banks and get everything sorted out. It took a little longer than I thought, but now it is complete I like the set-up a great deal.

Lunch was next on the agenda and that was fine. I really needed to sit down and rest the left shoulder and back after all that.

Funny, in my youth I moved my furniture around weekly. I loved the change. However, my spine surgeries do not allow me the flexibility I once had. No problem. If I can just get work done when I want to, I am happy.

You might notice my new profile picture on the right. There is a story I want to share.

Back in 2013 when I had my facial cancer removed and then the plastic surgery to repair my nose, the first surgeon who operated on me to do the repair took the skin off my forehead. When I woke and saw what he had done I started to cry. The jerk said to me, “It’s okay, you can just wear bangs for the rest of your life to hide the scar!”

That was when I switched doctors. My new plastic surgeon was honest. After what the first doctor did, it would be difficult to clean up my nose and my forehead.

For many years I did wear bangs and then this year I decided, I wasn’t going to hide anymore. The bangs are growing out!

So Happy May to you all. Here it is Spring, and in Australia, it is the start of their Autumn. No matter where you are, I hope you are having a wonderful day!

The Friday Five ~ April 30th

Here we are the last day of April 2021! Wow, this month literally flew by.

Many things were accomplished, which included both of my Covid-19 Vaccinations. Do I feel safer? Yes and no.I feel a little safer, but I still wear a mask, still wash my hands like crazy, and I keep my distance from people. You never know when a new strain will show up.
We are finally having rain. A lot of rain, in fact. Which we really do need. Everything is greening up and starting to grow. It’s actually quite beautiful. Even if it is wet!
Tomorrow is my big day. I have rearranged the phone and tablet and computer charging stations in the family room. This required a longer and better power plug bank.I ordered one as well as the cords for cell phones and Bluetooth earpieces. So I will clean out all the dust bunnies and then set it all up.
I also would like to take down the curtains, wash and dry them, and put them back up. Spring cleaning.
I’ve really been enjoying old movies in the morning. I’ve had trouble sleeping lately and so I make coffee and sit and watch old movies from 6 o’clock on. I look forward to getting back into a normal sleeping pattern.

So that’s it for this week’s Friday Five, and for the month of April!

TBT: Being Five

Here I am, at the tender age of five. From my browned skin and blonde hair, you can tell I spent most of my time outside. And from the length of my bangs (fringe) you can tell that my mother was the one who had cut them. For some unknown reason, my mother always cut the bangs too short, and usually, they were crooked!

Looking back, I recall spending most of my time either outside riding my bike, climbing trees, or shut away in my room. At five I still had so much daydreaming imagination.

Being five was fun.

Real People vs Fake People

In recent months I have done a lot of thinking about The Duke & Duchess of Sussex. After a year-plus filled with sacrifice, sickness, loss of jobs, and deaths in many families. I must say that reading the news, or even watching the Oprah interview, made me realize that those two people have absolutely no idea what living in the real world is all about.

Now Meghan, who was spoilt by her father, went to the best private schools and basically, whatever she wanted, Daddy figured out how to make it happen.

She climbed the ladder of minor success, by charming men in high places, marrying, divorcing, and then going for the Gold. Prince Harry.

Looking back I recall their engagement interview and how excited she was to be bringing diversity to the Royal Family.

Lavish plans were made and executed for a wedding, that could have fed a third-world country for several years if the money was spared.

Then, much to Meghan’s dismay, she had to go to work. Shaking hands, smiling, accepting flowers, etc. But she balked at this, and so the Duchess began wearing black all the time. She also would make sure she was being snapped for a photo and she stuck out her tongue! And at a garden party to celebrate Prince Charles Birthday, she was overheard by many telling Prince Harry she was bored and wanted to leave.

No matter how hard the Royal Family tried to get her involved in things she would enjoy, Meghan was always complaining. Even beautiful Frogmore Cottage (Mansion!) wasn’t good enough for her.

Now at this point, we were all waiting for the baby to come along. But even that was fraught with subterfuge. I can understand a woman wanting privacy, I was not exactly looking like a fashion plate right after I gave birth to my children, but my goodness, I could hardly wait for the world to see the most beautiful baby in the world! Mine!

Now Meghan has an Internet page where every time she wears anything, they tell you where you can get it and how much a knock-off will cost. Every little accessory is included.

How come no pictures of the three of them, unfiltered and smiling at the camera?

Okay, so they left the UK and went to Canada until they wore out their welcome there (no free security), and then they bought their little home in Montecito California.

The 18,671-square-foot home boasts 16 bathrooms and nine bedrooms, not to mention a tea house, two-bedroom guest house, pool, tennis court—and a chicken coop, as seen during their tell-all interview with Oprah.

Then during their interview with Oprah, they actually had the nerve to complain that Prince Charles had cut them off!

For two people who said they were stepping back from being “Senior Royals” to live their own lives and earn their own money, it kinda cracks me up that they are so upset with Harry’s Dad for closing his wallet.

Now we have heard via Oprah all sorts of things, that since the interview have been shown to be false. And Meghan and Harry sit there in their $14.7 million dollar mansion crying poor.

You know, one thing worth pointing out is that when Princess Diana had mental health problems she was a very young and immature 20+-year-old girl. She’d been sheltered from a lot and still believed in fairy tales.

Although I’m sure that Meghan may have had a difficult time adjusting to the UK, I know she was a fully grown-up, woman of the world, who was not unaware of what life would be like with Prince Harry.

$$$$$$

In the last year, I have seen entire families wiped out by Covid. I have known many, who have lost their businesses and their jobs. These “little people” are the salt of the earth. None of them make crazy money and they certainly don’t cry about Daddy cutting them off. In fact, when I got married the first time, we were on our own. We rented small apartments, we grocery shopped on a budget and we lived simply.

Prince Harry said he always wanted to leave the Royal Family. Well good. So don’t expect Prince Charles or the British people to pay for your crazy rich, lavish lifestyle.

When I think of the last year I think it angers me even more that those two have behaved so badly. They have hurt so many people and just have not cared for anyone but themselves.

Meanwhile, the casualties left in their wake add up. With the exception of Meghan’s mother, they have cut everyone else out of their lives. Their children will grow up isolated from everyone. How sad is that?

So, while the rest of the world struggled to survive Covid-19, Meghan and Harry were laughing all the way to their Mansion in California.

The entire thing is very, very, sad!

These are my own thoughts, all media has been found in the public domain and as fair use and fair deal guidelines together with my opinions which are not necessarily true, I urge everyone to do their own research.

Life Goes On…

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?

Happy 12th Birthday to Anneliese’s Pups!

Today is the 12th Birthday of Anneliese’s first litter of pups. She was an amazing Mommy to her babies and all are still with us now.

I decided to enter the report I made the morning after their birth. We were happy and excited, and exhausted!

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Anneliese

I somehow knew early on Saturday night that I wasn’t going to get much sleep. Anneliese had been in her whelping box all day and had slept during the evening. I knew that she would keep me up all night as she produced her offspring! So I went to bed at 8:30 in an attempt to get some rest before the critical paw holding began.

At 11:30 she woke me to go out to wee-wee. As soon as we came back in, she began digging and pacing about in her box. I lay down and tried like crazy to get just a little more sleep.

At 12:30 she woke me again and after that, I was awake all night long.

Her really active labor began at 2:26 AM on Sunday morning April 26th. I could literally watch the contractions taking place, as she worked to expel the pups, one by one!

At 3:02 weighing in at 8.3 ounces, Baby Girl Princess (Black Collar) was born. She was tiny but came into the world mewing for her mother. I cleared her airway and toweled her off and returned her to Anneliese’s care.

At 4:06 AM, Baby Boy Prince (Yellow Collar) joined us weighing in at 8.8 ounces. He was quieter, but fully fit, and I cleared his airway, and then toweled him dry like I did his sister.

Before I could relax (or Anneliese either), at 4:26 Baby Girl Princess (Green Collar) whooshed into the world weighing 7.9 ounces. She just came flying out after Baby Boy Yellow, and I worked hard to clean her up and keep up with cleaning the whelping box in between deliveries.

I was concerned because Anneliese has a ton of milk, which has prevented her teats from popping out. She also would not nurse the babies as she continued to moan and pace.

In a panic, I called the Emergency Vet to ask how long babies could go without milk after they were born? She suggested I come and get some puppy formula. Hubby got up, and he stayed with Anneliese, as I drove over and got the milk.

I arrived back and before I could get settled in or bottle feed any of the pups, Anneliese spit out puppy number 4. At 6:45 Baby Boy Prince (Blue Collar), was born. he weighed in at a whopping 9.7 ounces!

After that, I was able to get the pups to alternate either nursing Anneliese or taking some formula from the bottle. Eventually, Anneliese settled down and the pups appear to be nursing quite well. I will know on Monday morning when I weigh them in if this is the case.

So as I write this, it is Sunday night and I still have not gone to bed. I am running on empty. However, I feel very, very happy, and the babies are beautiful!

Benn & the Mugging

This is close to 34 years ago. I was newly married to Jack, who was still piloting for Pan Am. He was flying in and out of Miami and had a hotel room for a week. I stayed in the room during the nights, but during the days I went shopping, visited friends, and on this one night, went to dinner with the best man from our wedding, Benn.

When we got back to his place, I took our car and was driving back to the hotel. There was a convenience store near the hotel, and I stopped to buy beer and chips to have in our room when Jack came in, towards midnight.

I parked my car 20 feet from the store entrance, as there were also gas pumps there, and then I grabbed my purse (a rather large thing I used for traveling back then) and headed for the door. I had gone about 10 feet when a car sped up behind me, three men jumped out, and came over to me quickly.

I was walking as fast as I could, and one man said, “Yo, what you doing tonight, Mama?”

This scared me, and I grasped the bag strap tighter and started to run, but the other man grabbed me and knocked me down. I fell backward onto my bottom. That’s when the beating and the tug of war began.

Since my purse was under my rather plump butt, they tried kicking me, dragging me, punching me, and slapping me. Eleven people stood by watching this happen until one 70-year-old Cuban man came at them with a tire iron. The three men jumped back into the car, and their driver zoomed off and onto the highway.

The worker at the store and the Cuban man helped me into the store, and we went into a lock-down until the police arrived.

I called my friend, who arrived before the police. I was covered in blood, the backs of my legs had road rash badly, and my clothes were torn.

After giving my statement to the police, (who were not too worried about me because the thieves never got my purse!), our friend, Benn, took me to the hotel.

Jack, Me, and Benn in 1988.

He told me to get in a warm bath to try to soak away the pebbles that had become embedded in the backs of my legs. I grabbed my robe and disappeared sobbing into the bathroom.

I soaked and soaked, and it seemed to calm me down, and somehow getting out of those torn clothes helped too.

After a bit, there was a knock on the door. Then Benn knocked on the bathroom door and asked if I had any cash? “Yeah, they didn’t get my purse!”

Well, that got me curious, so I climbed out of the bath, dried, and got on my robe. Then I came out, just in time to see Benn opening a bottle of champagne!

“What is that?” I asked

“Dom Pérignon Champagne. After all, how often do you get mugged?”

He poured it for me, and I drank it down. After the second glass, I felt dizzy and a little sleepy. Benn tucked me into bed, and I started to cry again. So, he sat down on the bed, put his feet up, and wrapped me in his arms, where I eventually fell asleep.

Two hours later, Jack opened the door to find that scene. He says he immediately knew something very bad had happened, because of the look on Benn’s face. They’d been in Vietnam together, shared a flat for commuting in Berlin, Germany together, and had shared many dire situations. Benn, my rescuer.

The next day, Jack wrapped my legs in gauze, and then I prepared for a long flight to Costa Rica. I was still in bad shape, but a wonderful Flight Attendant, named Regi kept me pleasantly buzzed during the entire trip. (Must note here: Pan Am required all female pass riders to wear skirts and hose back then. Thank the good lord for gauze! After wrapping my legs, Jack helped get me into the hose.)

Although this was a bad experience, memories of my friend, Benn coming to my rescue, buying me champagne, and holding me while I sobbed, meant more to me than words can ever say.

That night, Benn was my hero.