My dearest and oldest friend came for a visit! Her Hubby and son are skiing with my Hubby, and Gail and I are drinking tea, going out shopping and talking. Lots and lots of talking. Emily arrived and she got the camera that I use for the kids, and she began snapping pictures. So here for your (hopefully) enjoyment is a small montage of me with my friend Gail and the pups!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Thirteen Things About Maribeth That Begin With The Letter E!
1. Eggplant! My favorite vegetable! I love it just about any way it’s cooked, but probably I like it roasted the very best.
2. Easter. I’ve always loved this holiday because of the music. It gives me hope!
3. Emotions. Oh yeah, I’m menopausal and emotions are right here, watching over my shoulder threatening to mug me at any moment!
4. Europe. Oh I just loved the years when Hubby was still working and we Euro-hopped all over Europe! The history, the customs and the food!
5. Eagles. They are so beautiful to watch and are so majestic!
6. Eyes. Well you all know the story of my Eyes!
7. Eight. Yes eight eye surgeries later I can see beautifully!
8. Egg rolls. I really love a good home made egg roll. Hmmmm!
9. Evergreens. All I can say is that evergreens are beautiful! I especially love them in the winter when they are covered in snow!
10. Elephants. I have always loved them since the first time I saw the as a child! They still thrill me.
11. Eleanor Rigby. Yes, a real snappy song by my favorite group, The Beatles!
12. English Muffins. All I will say here is YUM!
13. Emily! Yes, my special friend will have her 13th birthday on Saturday!
My oldest friend is coming to see me this week. She’ll arrive tomorrow night with her husband and son. The boys will go skiing and Gail and I will sit here, sipping tea and just talk non-stop.
We will also go to my favorite restaurant Canoe! I’m excited about this because now that I have gone out to eat there and I’ve found many things on their menu that I can eat, and stay on my diet, I am anxious to go back.
Now more big news!
Greta is in heat. It started this morning, slowly, and so if all goes well puppies will arrive in early June and be ready for their new homes later in the summer!!! I am so excited about this, even if Greta isn’t.
One thing is for sure though, Greta loves her little pants! I swear that she is strutting her stuff like a runway model! Look out Gisela Bündchen! Greta Garbo is walking the catwalk now!
At the end of my sister’s driveway is a sign that reads “Back Yard Wildlife Sanctuary“. It’s a place where my sister and her grandchildren have worked to create a place for birds and critters to come and feed. And feed they do.
Upon my arrival at her place in Connecticut, I was happy to find, no snow! I could also see the first signs of spring, as the flowers pushed to the surface after a long winters sleep.
I brought Anneliese with me on this trip, as my “shy girl” needs the exposure to other people and new situations. Her first night away from the pack I call my dogs, had been a restless one for her, but the next morning when I stumbled to life I got on my robe and shoes and got Anneliese on the leash to walk her around the yard.
Anneliese was pulling something fierce, as we made our way around the yard. Suddenly she made sounds that I have not heard her make before. Sort of a low growl. Then she pulled toward the grand children’s swing and slide set. There tucked under the slide was the largest raccoon I’d ever seen!
I am one of the biggest chickens I know, so I pulled Anneliese back away from the huge raccoon, all the while noting that the raccoon had not moved. He sort of looked like he had had too much to drink the night before and passed out.
Once I got Anneliese to do her business on the other side of the house, I took her and ran inside, calling to my sister!
At first I thought the raccoon had toddled off while I went in, but when we looked back out we noticed that he was still there and breathing. Mel tried to shoo him off but he did not respond.
We called the police, who recommended that we call Animal Control. So we called Animal Control, and found that they were off for the weekend. So, we called the police back and a squad car was dispatched.
I dressed quickly, and Mel and I paced back and forth watching the swing set, hoping that the little guy would just wander off, but he didn’t.
The policeman arrived and he came out on the deck with us and surveyed the scene. He could see that the raccoon was still breathing, but he also felt the animal had been injured. We looked and could see it too.
We all decided that the poor thing needed to be put down. The officer got some ear protection and Mel went into the house and I stayed back, but watched as the officer discharged his weapon.
When we turned the little guy over we could see that the raccoon had been attacked by another animal (my guess is a Fischer) and been eviscerated.
I helped the officer get the body in a bag, and then both Mel and I thanked him for coming.
Then it dawned on me! This was Anneliese’s first tracking of a wounded animal! She did the job that I breed my dogs to do. She tracked down a wounded animal so it could be humanly put down. Anneliese showed us that she has a good nose!
The next morning as we had our breakfast, the nice police officer returned. He had been upset having to put down the raccoon (it was the first time he had to discharge his weapon to humanely put down an animal) and he had forgotten to get information for his report.
He said he had wondered about the raccoon coming to the “Back Yard Wildlife Sanctuary” to die, when he drove in. I smiled and told him that the raccoon knew just where to go to die in peace. And he had.
We joked around with him and introduced him to the “Raccoon Tracker” Anneliese. I hope in the end he realized that between him and Anneliese, they both helped that raccoon.
I am so proud of her.
I got up early yesterday morning and delivered a few things to my mother and then went to church to listen to my sister sing in her choir. Pretty voices! It was Palm Sunday, and although I am somewhat of a lapsed Episcopalian, all the liturgy is familiar and in many ways a comfort to me.
I love my sister’s church. The people are all so nice and kind. I sat with Mom and took communion with her. As I said, familiar and comforting.
Once church was over, My sister, Mel and I returned to her house, had a light lunch and then we packed up my car for the 225 mile ride home.
Anneliese was with me and for the first half of the trip back, I had her in her crate in the back seat. I discovered on the way down that she doesn’t like city traffic, so until I reached the Massachusetts/Vermont border going home, she stayed in the crate. After that, as I drove the back roads of New Hampshire (all west/east roads in our state tend to be “back roads”), she sat quite nicely on the passenger seat.
Getting back home is always the best! There are your familiar slippers, your chair, the other three doggies, who were thrilled to see us, and of course Hubby’s welcoming embrace! Ah yes, HOME!
Within 30 minutes of my arrival, Hubby’s college roommate and his son arrived for the night. We visited for a while, and once the dogs were fed and walked, we headed out to my favorite restaurant, “Canoe” for a fabulous meal.
I know I have written about my concerns regarding eating out while learning to change my eating habits. I was, however, able to find things on the menu to eat. For an appetizer I shared in a serving of steamed muscles! My dinner, was grilled swordfish with a raspberry balsamic drizzle, broccolini and mashed potatoes (which I did not eat).
Later, climbing into our bed, with Hubby and Greta was such a warm and welcoming thing.
Yes, after four days away, it felt good to be back home.
It’s entirely possible to view ones life in a day. You can see it flash before your very eyes if….you have a mother like mine, who tossed pictures in boxes and let them sit for 50 years! Today, my sister and I spent the entire day going through these boxes (and we know there are even more!) watching our lives unfold.
I was a cute enough kid growing up. I went from blond curls, to a pixie cut by the time I was 5. After that my hair grew in full and thick, but gone were the baby curls that my mother had so carelessly cut off. (I have never quite forgiver her for that!)
There were the pictures of me with my High School boyfriend, who became my first husband and the father of my two daughters. There were the pictures of me as I carried my two children through pregnancy. (I felt like no one had been as big as I was!) There were the pictures of me holding my babies for the fist time.
And there I was at the baptisms of my children… So small so sweet…that time flew by, too fast.
Then there I was with my current Hubby. The first few time I brought him to meet my parents and then the early years of our married life. Sharing the looks that only newly married couples share. Something so intimate and knowing.
Yes, my sister and I shared today. We watched our lives flash before our eyes. We watched our children grow, the birth of her grandchildren and the constant renewal of life.
In a flash…..
 |
| Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants. |
~I SPY~
So, what do you see?
Weight Watchers was pretty fun today. I went to an early morning meeting run by a different Leader and weighed in and stayed for the meeting. I lost another 3.4 pounds, for a grand total of 25.4 pounds lost! I’m feeling very good about myself and the diet.
I liked this meeting a lot. I felt this woman was speaking to all of us and asking us what we thought, and felt. She is very good. I am considering going to this meeting more often.
I came home and had a quick breakfast and then took Greta in to the Vet for a recheck. All is well with my little girl.
It snowed a little before the sun came out, and I relaxed knowing that we weren’t going to have another foot of snow fall! This is one year I really am ready for spring.
Thirteen things about me that begin with the letter D
1. Daughter. My daughter Amanda, I love her dearly! I’ve told her before that even if she weren’t my daughter I would still want to be her friend. She is such a neat person!
2. Dogs. You know that my dogs are so important to me and Hubby and a very big part of our lives.
3. Driving. I really do not like to drive. I used to have no worries with it, but since my accident I have just not enjoyed it at all.
4. Drink. My favorite drink? Used to be coffee, but right now I am going through a tea phase in my life.
5. Dark Chocolate! Those of you who asked why chocolate didn’t make it on last weeks list, will see now, that it’s because it must be “dark chocolate”! The darker, the better!
6. Dreams. I’ve always been a dreamer. I dream a lot at night. Full length feature film type dreams.
7. Dachshunds, Dackels, Dachsies! Love them all!
8. Dress. I like to dress up every once in a while. And once I get to my goal weight I intend to actually buy myself a couple of dresses.
9. Dieting. I think I have been dieting most of my adult life. I hope that with the help of Weight Watchers I can kick the diet cycle and just learn how to eat healthfully!
10. Dusting. Something I truly hate to do. I try to keep up with it, but it’s a losing battle.
11. December. The month of my daughter’s birth, and the month that Arnie and Anneliese were born!
12. Darkness. I’m not a big fan of true darkness, but I love a dark night when you can see all the stars and a full moon.
13. DVD’s. I love DVD’s. I recently found some old Alfred Hitchcock shows on a DVD and Hubby and I are really enjoying watching them.
I got tagged by lovely San
this evening and therefore I have to participate in this little meme:
Here are the rules:
* Link to the person who tagged you – go blame San.
* Post the rules here – DONE!
* Share 7 random or weird facts about yourself – see below.
* Tag 7 random people at the end of the post, linking to them.
* Leave a comment on their blog so that they know they’ve been tagged.
1. I am the tallest person in my nuclear family. I’m 5 feet 8 inches.
2. I have broken both of my feet. Once when I was in 5th grade and then when I was 32. Needless to say, shoe buying is a challenge!
3. I LOVE eggplant. Yes, it’s true. I could eat it all the time and never get sick of it.
4. I never expected to own and love four dogs. Three was a lot of work and well, then Arnie just happened. I adore him, so…
5. I was never supposed to be able to have children, but I had two beautiful daughters. Guess those doctors were wrong!
6. I love blue eyes. Especially Hubby’s blue eyes.
7. I love listening to music that I put on CD’s. I’m a big 1960’s, ’70’s and ’80’s music lover.
That’s it. I hope it was entertaining 🙂 … and I’m tagging Janet
Goofy Girl
Gattina
Grace
Allie,
Julie
and Tor
for some more entertainment. Have fun and let me know if you played 🙂
