The Dackel Princess

Hooked On Your Blog

Dr. Goofy Girl presented me with

award!

I thank her for this award and of course return the sentiments as I never miss a day without checking in to see what she is up to.

And now I will pass this along to

San
A friend that I truly enjoy reading. I never miss a day!

Bernie
My Australian pal. I find his views on life down under so interesting!

Erica
My first Australian blog friend. I found her just before her first child was born and now she has just had another beautiful baby girl!

Melli
I think it was divine intervention that helped me to find her. Melli gives me a dose of inspiration almost every day!

Renny
My Norwegian friend. He is a true network evangelist! Always a treat to read!

Tor
What can I say? I love my Vikings! Tor and his charming wife, Anna add so much to the blogging world!

Gattina
From Brussels with her gorgeous felines and artistic ways, Gattina is always involved with something new and fun!

I would send this along to my cousin, Janet as well, but she was already tagged by Dr. Goofy Girl!

It’s a tough day today for me. Today my youngest daughter, Katie would have been 30 years old. As you know from a past post , the story of how Katie died,
Katie is no longer with me and I can’t even begin to explain it to you, these feelings of loss and sadness. I don’t allow myself to get caught up in that too often, but on big days, like today, her 30th birthday, I feel so angry, so sad and so totally ripped off at not having had her these last 23 and a half years.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

You can shed tears that she is gone,

Or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back,

Or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left behind.

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her,

Or you can be full of the love you’ve shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live only for yesterday,

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her and only that she’s gone,

Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,

Be empty and turn your back on the world.

Or you can do what she would want-smile,

open your eyes, love and go on.

–Anonymous

I’m thinking that no matter how lonely I am for her, how sad or angry I feel, that Katie would want me to go forward, to smile, to love, to laugh and most of all to live and be happy!

Break Out The Suitcases!

Today was make a list, check it twice and start to lay out the clothes I will be packing for Hubby and me, day.

I’ve started to realize that I have planned to take far too many outfits and I really need to cut down on the number of items in my pile, but I have so many “cute” outfits and I don’t want to wait until next summer to wear them.

Still….

Today I did something I didn’t think possible. I’ve ordered a bikini! I will either look totally wonderful in it, or I will be arrested for indecent exposure!

Meanwhile, the organizing and packing continues.

Almost There

A year or so ago I remember thinking how unhappy I was because my weight was out of control and yet, I felt helpless to do anything to “fix” it. I dressed to hide the weight and all the while, I knew that wearing a size 16/18 meant that I was getting beyond the limits of good health or emotional happiness.

The trip last year only made me more aware of the weight problem, because when I looked at the pictures of myself, I saw a woman who no longer resembled the slim trim person I had once been.

There was no hiding from it. There it was in full color!

I decided upon our return that I would do something. I knew Weight Watchers could help, if I learned how to live with it.

Could I do it?

I started out slowly, but I went to class every week. I promised myself that I wouldn’t miss a class unless I was in Intensive Care! There were weeks I went and when I weighed in, I found that I had gained weight! But over the last 11 months I have lost.

Today I weighed in and I had lost 45 1/2 pounds total. Eleven months it has taken me, but I have done it! I have just two more pounds to go and I will be at my goal weight.

At class today I was showcased for my weight loss. I went up and I got another marker for my memory book. I also was able to show the women in my class the new slim trim me!

The very best part is, that all these women have been with me from the beginning and they all have watched me lose, and struggle and then lose again. From these wonderful people I have gained the strength that I needed to get through the good and bad times.

So here I am. A week and a half until I turn 50 years old and close enough to my goal weight that I know I will make it. I am so thankful. Thankful to my good friends, Weight Watchers and to my husband, daughter, sister and cousin, Janet. Without the support of these people, I never would have made it.

Productive

Hubby and I were up at 6:30 this morning, dressed and with coffee in hand made our way down town to the polling station to vote. When we arrived there was already a line of people standing outside waiting to get in.

Promptly at 7 AM they opened the doors and things went very quickly after that. I voted and so did Hubby and then we placed our ballots in the ballot box and came back home for breakfast.

I raced out at 8:45 for Bible Study and then was back home by 10:30 with the mail in hand.

Hubby was still working on screening the porch windows, painting and also re-screening the door to the green house. This occupied almost his entire day. He did manage to get my garden soil turned for next year with fresh fertilizer.

Meanwhile I decided to wash down all my counter tops with bleach. This took me from just after lunch until dinner. I have a lot of counter tops in this house and they all needed to be cleared and washed and reorganized!

Kimmy and Sarah came over after school and I shared a cup of tea with them until it started getting late and then sent them on their way.

I made dinner, fed the dogs and now at nearly 7 PM I am ready to just put on my pajamas and slippers and read.

I’m tired of all the political speculation and all the “spin talk”. I just want it to be over, so I sure am looking forward to tomorrow morning.

I also have Weight Watchers to go to and I’m hoping that I once again have done well. I sure have been working hard on that.

Not Sleeping

I started the day quite early. Did the dogs wake me up, or perhaps Hubby’s loud snores?

No.

It was just me. I woke up and my brain clicked on. Does that happen to you? It drives me nuts when it happens, but there really isn’t much you can do.

I lay there for a while trying to go back to sleep. Hubby was sound asleep and not making any noises. The dogs were all cuddled around me, and Fritz was curled up on the floor next to Hubby’s side of the bed.

My brain, the traitor in this situation, clicked on and I started to think about packing. What did I need to bring with me on the cruise, what did I need to buy before we left and how many pairs of socks, underwear, shorts and shirts needed to be packed?

As I lay there, trying not to move and wake the hounds, it suddenly dawned on me that Mother Nature was calling. I tried to ignore it and just lie there, but after a few minutes of thinking about being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean, I thought I might just explode and…..I got out of bed and my day began!

An overactive brain and bladder will get you every time!

A Hike In The Woods

My cousin Janet came up today for a little visit. We had a nice lunch and then Hubby suggested that we go for a hike at the local park with all four dogs. Since my knee has been bothering me, I was reluctant, but we went and had a lovely hike along the ridge line and then down to the small lake below.

All four dogs ran wild and free and for each step we took, they must have taken ten! They just ran around and around and around! Fritz was sort of the puppy keeper and he would continually herd them back towards me, but I did have to keep up my pace to stay with them.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The dogs swam and played in the icy water, and are now exhausted, and asleep under blankets. It was such a beautiful late Autumn afternoon, cool, gray and yet still quite lovely.

Best of all, I got to spend time with my favorite cousin, and talk, and do something that we both love, go walking in the woods. It doesn’t get any better than this, does it? Wait, maybe having it 15 degrees warmer would have been nice! LOL!

Amazing Arnie

I try very hard not to be partial to any one of my dogs. The truth is, that in their own way, each dog is fantastic and wonderful and holds its own little piece of my heart.

But my Arnie is really something very special.

Arnie is the only one who is totally happy with himself all of the time. He runs around the yard with a wild abandon that the others simply do not. I will bend down and put out my arms for him and call his name and he will run full steam right into my arms, full of love and full of kisses!

At night as I turn in my sleep, I can feel his warm, furry body pressing next to me as we both slumber. He is my sweetheart, my joy and my little love.

I knew he was different from the start, although I never did plan on keeping him. I only wanted female pups in the house. However, the doggy fairies had different ideas and the next thing I knew he was here with us and we knew he would never leave.

I looked at his little face, and saw in it something special. He also has the most laid back personality of any dog I have ever had. I knew it then, and the same is true today!

Oh, there are days he is full of mischief, but mostly he will sit on the arm of my chair or cuddled in my lap and give me the look, the look, that tells me that he is happy that he is home and loves us as much as we love him!

The Backpack Incident!

I recently purchased a new backpack for myself. Hubby’s been using my old one when he goes off to work in the parks here in town, and since I use mine to carry my computer and camera gear, I want a nice clean pack.

So LL Bean was having a big sale on their super padded back pack and I ordered myself a new one complete with my initials.

MJ*

I was showing it to Hubby and told him it was official, he could now keep my old backpack, and he said it was very nice, but the old one also had my initials on it.

MJ*

I thought for a bit and then it hit me Hubby’s first name begins with J and since we have the same last name all I really had to do was remove the M and it would be completely personalized for him.

I was so excited about this and told him my plan. He liked the idea and immediately went outside and got the backpack from the Jeep. I got out my stitch ripper and began removing the offending M while I watched the TV.

I was going along pretty well and then I started to feel cold. At first I thought perhaps it was a metal tool that was just cold from being outside in the Jeep. Then I started to feet WET! I felt down and it was wet!

I opened the backpack and there was a can of coke that had obviously frozen, exploded and was now leaking all over me!

I took everything out of the pack and tried just wiping it up, but that was not going to work as it was very sticky! So, I finished removing the M and then washed the pack in the washer using the gentle cycle.

Good as new, clean as a whistle and with Hubby’s two initials J*.

Am I a great wife or what?