The Dackel Princess

This & That ~ February 24th

Yesterday was a pretty busy day for me. It was the first time I’d been out to shop at Walmart and Shaws in nearly a year. I have really stayed very close to home, instead of driving the 8 miles to the next town to shop there.

Since I had an 11:30 eye appointment, I decided to go early and do the shopping I needed to do.

Our driveway was still unplowed and we had about 4-5 inches of snow there. So, I hit the snow button on the highlander dash and that car moved right up the driveway, no problem at all! I love that car!

First I went to Walmart expecting to buy a few items on my list. I had not been there since March of 2020 and what I saw shocked me. A terrible selection of items and the prices were awful!

I did get a few things, and then I was off to Shaws Supermarket hoping to find some items that I have not seen locally. Once again, terrible selection, and high prices!

Next, I went to my Optometrist to have an exam and get a new prescription for glasses. I sat waiting for 45 minutes (past my appointment time!) and finally he came in. The exam was a good one but left me feeling distressed.

My eye pressures have gone up (which explains my headaches) and I have actually lost vision in my left eye. He wants me to call my Glaucoma doctor tomorrow and leave a message.

He worked to adjust my prescription, and then I toddled off to see if there were any glasses I liked. The young optician had the nicest glasses I’ve seen in a while! I asked if they had them in gold, and they do, so he has placed my order. Yay! New glasses with a stronger prescription.

Upon coming home, I fixed myself some lunch at 2 PM! Crazy. I really had expected to be home by noon or 1:00 at the latest! So, this was really not good.

Dinner was easy. I made Jack stuffed peppers, and I made haddock for me. Quick and easy.

This is probably the busiest day I have had since last year. The really nice part was driving around and seeing places I love (Lake Winnepesaukee) and have not seen since mid-March of 2020!

A Winter Wonderland

It has been another snowy day here in New Hampshire. It seems that we just get cleaned up from one storm when another comes rushing in. It’s pretty and when I lived in Florida I missed the four seasons. That being said, I love snow for Christmas in December and after that I want Springtime!

I went out with Lili and Arnie to take a short video, which is below. As I write on Monday night, it is still snowing! Thank goodness this year I finally replaced my winter boots (My last pair died several years ago), and have a good down parka with faux fur!

Lili loves the snow, but poor old boy Arnie is not a fan!

Tomorrow I go in for an eye exam and I think I will look for new frames for my glasses. The ones I have are three years old and as much as I love them, I feel like a change.

I hope your Monday was a nice one and that your weather is better than ours!

New England Humor

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about New Englanders…

Forget Rednecks ….

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t work there, you live in New England.

If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in New England.

If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in New England.

If Vacation means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend, you live in New England.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in New England.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in New England.

If you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ on the same day and back again, you live in New England.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England.

If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked, you live in New England.

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in New England.

If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in New England.

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph you’re going 80 and everybody is passing you, you live in New England.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in New England.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in New England.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England.

If you find 10 degrees ‘a little chilly’, you live in New England.

If there’s a Dunkin Donuts on every corner, you live in New England.

If you think everyone else has a funny accent, you live in New England.

If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your New England friends, you live or have lived in New England.

Life Goes On

I wasn’t very sure I was going to get all my errands done on Saturday before the bank and the Post Office closed, but somehow leaving early and hitting the grocery store first and then getting the banking and the mail, worked out splendidly. I was done well before noon!

I’ve been wanted to go to Plymouth, NH to shop. However, this morning on the news they announced a Covid outbreak at the college there and 166 new cases overnight. They warned people to stay away from Plymouth if they could.

Since we are finally down to single digits of Covid cases here in Meredith, I decided to forgo the trip and shop locally.

One thing I must say about our little grocery store here in town is that our Grocery Store Manager has worked day and night all through the Pandemic to keep our store clean, and safe. The manager is named Joe. I count him as my friend now and always speak to him when I am in the store.

Arnie is settling down. He likes the new little bed I fixed for him in the family room and feels comfortable snuggling in it. He is eating well and also sleeping well. I am hoping the worst is over for my little guy.

So, life is going on. This week I get my eyes checked for new glasses, then next week I go to the dentist. And one day soon, I will be eligible to get my vaccination. Yes, life goes on.

The Friday Five ~ February 19th

Time is flying by. This is just what I hoped would happen in the year 2021. I think the sooner we get through this year, the better. I believe that 2022 will find life returning to a more normal time for us all. Until the virus abates and vaccines are given, we will be in this sort of suspended animation. As life goes on, here is this week’s Friday Five.

Fifteen years ago, my very first wire-haired dackel, Shubi left this world for the next. But this little dog left me with something so very special, and I wanted to share it with you today.
You may recognize the sweater as being the one that Arnie now wears.

Shubi taught me all about unconditional love. During a terrible depression I suffered, Shubi was with me each and every day. She was my sunshine and helped me in ways that no one could ever imagine. So, although she has been gone for 15 years, her memory, her love lingers in my mind and in my heart.
I made the most delicious Quiche today. It had onions and garlic, bacon bits, and cheese. It came out very well, and we both enjoyed it. But…my whole house smells like onions and garlic! Eeek! So I got my larger Scentsy burner out and things are getting better. Love to cook with garlic, hate the smell afterward!
Tonight is leftover night here at Casa Dackel Princess. I have a fridge full of meals to rerun. So, for me, this means light duty at dinnertime. I really enjoy those days.
Arnie is doing better. I washed a new doggy bed and dried it with Downy fabric softener sheets, and he seems to be happier in this one. I also started to walk him outside when he begins to fuss, and then when we come in I give him all kinds of love and snuggles. I’m trying to teach him to expect the cuddling after walks, not after crying. It’s a challenge.
I ordered a new mattress pad for my bed. Made in the USA, and quilted, it is like the pads you find in hotels like the Marriott. I picked the box up at the Post Office and it was HUGE! I got it to my car, and then home and currently it is on my bed ready for Arnie and me to jump in for a great night of sleep. I may even take a nice hot bath tonight for relaxation before hitting my little cloud of perfection in bed!

As I close out this entry I want to let you know how wonderful a dog or cat can be in your life. A rescue animal or one like the dackels that are purely and kindly bred can add so very much to your life. Each and every one of my pets has given me far more than I could ever give to them.

Maribeth

TBT: Three Month Old Arnie

Arnie ~ March 27, 2007

My Throw Back Thursday is this adorable picture of Arnie. We hadn’t actually planned to keep Arnie, but when his new owner backed out at the very last minute, we knew that “Little Orphan Arnie” would be staying with us.

Such a happy, frisky, funny, puppy. Has it really been fourteen years?

He is still such an amazing boy!

Talking to Arnie

I’ve been watching Arnie all weekend. He isn’t acting like himself at all. I’ve examined him, and he seems to be fine. But he’s just not right.

I’ve thought about bringing him to the doctor, but our roads are one giant skating rink of ice, slush, and snow.

I also think that all the examinations in the world won’t heal Arnie’s, broken heart.

And that’s what I think is wrong. I think Arnie’s heart is broken. I think, he misses his sister, his life-long companion.

I’ve washed doggy beds and blankets. I’ve vacuumed the carpet and used Fabreeze. I’ve done everything to erase Anneliese’s scent, but I know it is there and he still knows it.

And he grieves. In a very real and active way. And it just breaks my heart too.

How I wish I could talk to him, even if it was just for a short time, and explain to him what is happening. And let him know that it is okay and he has nothing to fear.

“I love you, Arnie. You’re going to be okay and I am here for you.”

What A Year It Has Been

As I sat here on Monday afternoon, watching the snow fall gently in my yard, I began to think that quite soon it will be a year since we entered Covid Madness.

There had been cases, of this virulent type of flu, but quite honestly, no one understood just how much this virus was about to change the world.

I recall March 9, 2020 — The Grand Princess Cruise Ship anchored off the California Coast. Eventually, she would come to the dock, where people were screened and taken off the ship and sent to centers where they would stay for 2 weeks in order to be sure they were not bringing the virus in with them.

I watched the ship dock. I saw people outside on their balconies. Many probably thought their nightmare was over, when in fact, the nightmare was just beginning for us all.

I watched the people come off the ship. I watched as medical experts, dressed in hazmat suits examined them. I think everywhere people began to fear this virus. I know I did.

The numbers are finally dropping. Vaccines are available. This is all positive, but I wonder how long it will be until we live normal lives again?

It’s been a rough year. I’ve clenched my teeth so much that I actually need to order another mouth guard when I see my dentist in March.

At least Jack has had his first vaccination and will get his second one the first week in March. We’ve learned so much, and yet I think we have a long way to go until this has passed us.

The Weekend Wrap ~ February 15th

This past weekend was Valentine’s Day. I bought Jack a new snow shovel, and I bought myself a dozen long stem yellow roses. My personal favorite. I made Jack a steak and myself a nice piece of haddock and we washed this down with Cook’s Brut Champagne.

It is a cheap bottle, but for some reason, both Jack and I noted that the taste was actually pretty darn good for a California bottled champagne!

This weekend was also our Ice Fishing Derby here in Meredith. It was odd as there was only about a quarter of usual entries. We did have a “Bob House” just below us on the ice, and this must have been a family gathering because at one point I counted 14 people/children and two black labradors. They were having such a great time.

I also watched the movie “Dr. Zhivago” with Omar Sharif. I think this was his greatest role. He could convey so many emotions with just his eyes. And Julie Christie as Lara was simply amazing!

Watching this movie always makes me think of a friend, who has been gone a very long time now. It was his favorite movie. This was all about a time in history that he knew so much about.

I am still worried about Arnie. He is eating, but he cries a great deal of the time. Due to holidays and snowstorms, I may have to wait to take him until Wednesday, but I think that I will be taking him in for a health check.

I hope your week is happy, healthy, and that you all stay safe.

Lime Gelatin Salad

The Lime Gelatin Salad is easy.

Take a box of Lime Gelatin, and prepare.
Drain a can of pear halves, get out some maraschino cherries.
Put Pear half in the small ramekin dish.
Put a cherry in the center, and fill the dish with Lime Gelatin.
Put in fridge until it sets.
Serve with Cool Whip or Mayonnaise.
I like Cool Whip and Jack likes Mayonnaise. You choose.
We also use sugar-free gelatin, and pears packed in their own juice.

We love this and eat it very often!