The Dackel Princess

I’ve Been Mugged!!!

Did you ever have one of those days? You know, the kind where by the end of the day you think perhaps wearing a necklace of garlic might have been appropriate? Well, Monday was that sort of day. Let me tell you about it.

The day dawned hot and humid. I dressed in my “going to the doctor in the summer” outfit, and Hubby, our friend from Germany and I headed to Boston for my eye appointment. Actually, while I had my eye appointment, Hubby would show her a little of the beautiful city of Boston.

We arrived early and off they went. I’d decided to grab a nice cup of coffee, walk around a little and then grab a sandwich and go to my appointment.

I walked over to one of my favorite coffee shops. A month ago a friend had given me a gift card for this store and until now, I hadn’t had a chance to use it. I went in and talked with the nice guy working there, and then selected my coffee and ordered a cup to go.

I stood at the next counter fixing my brew, and a young man came up next to me with his cup of coffee and started to fix his. What happened next shocked me! You see, in this high priced coffee shop, I was mugged!!!

The man looked at me and then poured his coffee down my shirt!!! I reacted quickly and pushed myself backward, but the hot coffee got the front of my blouse! I stood there for a moment, and the staff yelled at the man and charged toward him, but he turned and fled.

It was then that I realized I’d been mugged!

Not in the usual sense, of course, but mugged nonetheless. I was frazzled by the attack. I was wearing a pretty cream colored blouse and suddenly it was drenched in coffee. We got a container of Tide and I went to work in the ladies room sink. I washed and scrubbed and soon the coffee was gone, but the shirt was soaked. I tried to put it back on, but found I was looking very much like the obscene loser of a wet T-shirt contest!

The staff felt terrible and they gifted me with extra coffee beans and even a sandwich, but I was soaked. So I went to a gift shop nearby and bought a navy blue t-shirt with the word “BOSTON” printed on it. I suppose to commemorate the days events.

I then hoofed it over to my eye appointment and got some really great news! My vision, without glasses is now 20/20 in both eyes!!! The only glasses I need are for reading. Best of all, my eyes have both healed well and Dr. W. is thrilled with the outcome.

I then called Hubby as I left the office so we could meet up at The Parker House. I had started to walk when all of a sudden, the sky opened and it began to pour. With no umbrella, Hubby and I soon were soaked (our friend had a rain poncho).

We headed back toward the car and I realized I needed to get my parking stub validated for the parking garage. So while Hubby went to the car, I raced back to Dr. W.’s office. I walked in and the office staff looked at me! I looked like a drowned rat! Her secretary smiled (she knew the entire coffee story) and giggled a little and said, “Do I want to ask?”. I just laughed and said that today even Mother Nature wasn’t giving me a break!

Despite the strangeness of the day, I am happy with how it all ended.

Chchchanges

Hubby has been taking a lot of pictures this past week and unfortunately I am in them. I say this because even though I have tried very hard to lose some weight, I am not doing at all well. And at way over 40 years old, the changes to my body are not good. Not good at all!

It’s summer. The one time of the year when you feel like eating hot-dogs and hamburgers, barbecued ribs, and all sorts of summer foods that are not conducive to reducing the waistline.

I try to eat a little less, perhaps choose a salad over eating all of the fries, but it is hard. I also have found that during the summer I love to cook and then, of course, I cook what I eat.

It would be far better that I not enjoy eating and just the cooking part of all of this.

But, I digress.

Hubby, taking pictures and me in them. Bah! I thought perhaps there might be one or two that were fairly good, but today when I downloaded the pictures I saw something I hadn’t realized.

My stomach now looks like I am pregnant. My backside, well we just won’t go into what “IT” looks like! Talk about depressing! Now Hubby assures me that this is not the case and it was just a bad angle, but I am feeling self conscious, and when I feel self conscience I tend to eat.

Not a good remedy to the current problem.

So I guess I will have to do something drastic, like go on a starvation diet. (Only kidding!) I just don’t want to let this get out of hand so that little children begin to think that Santa Claus and I are related!

One positive thing about my current appearance, my hair is getting long. Maybe it will grow really long and I can hide under it!

The Big Bad Lab!

After what seemed like a perfect day, a walk in the park with all four dogs, a delicious lunch and a visit to one of my favorite shops, we came home to cook out and enjoy a little bit of summer heaven. Baby back ribs, potato salad and zucchini and summer squash.

The temperature was perfect and although there were a few clouds, it still felt great to be outside with the dogs.

Then Hubby went in to get a few things and I was outside with Emily and the next thing we knew a big mean yellow Lab was charging my crew of dogs! He went for the puppies first and that made Greta leap toward him to protect her babies.

The dog jumped at Greta and bit at her (but did not break the skin) and that’s when Fritz jumped in! I was running toward the madness, screaming at the top of my lungs to get the bad dog to stop!

Hubby didn’t hear me, but people from several surrounding towns did! All I could see was that three of my dackel babies were going to be hurt.

Lucky I sound as mean as I look, and the dog eventually was chased off, but it took me several hours to calm my babies down.

Me? I’m still shook up!

Saturday Scavenger Photo

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Greta and her 5 babies, all in a row!

When The Moons Come Over The Mountain…

We went to The Cog Railway yesterday with a friend. For those of you who have never been to the top of Mount Washington, this is a great way to go. You can travel up in a cog train to the top. Elevation 6284 feet!

The Brake Man and guide for our trip up the mountain told us: “Sometimes hikers will moon trains near the top of the mountain. For those of you with delicate sensibilities look away, for everyone else, get your cameras ready!” And Hubby leaned over and said to me, “It’s probably B.S.”.

We got to the point where the train crosses the Appalation Mountain Trail and as we were approaching, we saw hikers on a path near the train. We all started to wave, but they did not wave back and the next thing we knew, they lined up, turned around and “the moons came over Mount Washington!”

Everyone laughed and clapped and even the young children on board thought the hikers were very funny.

Thursday 13 #50 Meatloaf

Maribeth’s Meatloaf

1. 1 large onion, finely chopped
2. 1 celery rib, chopped
3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 2 eggs, lightly beaten
6. 1/4 cup ketchup
7. 1 pounds ground beef
8. 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
9. 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
10. 1/2 teaspoon salt
11. 1/4 teaspoon pepper
12. 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
13. 2 slices of bacon

Combine all ingredients and place in loaf pan and bake in a 350° oven with the bacon slices on top for about an hour. Let set for a few minutes before slicing.

Puppies, Puppies, So Much Fun!

Did you ever wish that you could run and jump and roll around in the grass with wild abandon and not worry that people would think you had lost your mind?

Okay, let’s face it, unless you are six years old, it’s not going to happen. However, watching the puppies gives me probably more pleasure than if I was actually doing it myself.

I love to watch them run, jump, tackle each other and roll down the hill while biting each other on the leg! You can almost see them smile while they are doing this.

I was watching today and I was thinking about the fact that they have been playing like this since they opened their eyes Christmas Eve! What a wonder it is to watch these two siblings grow, still best friends, still playmates.

Arnie

Anneliese

These puppies sure are keeping me young!

Moon Glow Pickles

6 quarts cubed cucumbers (ripe and yellow)
(cut into quarters lengthwise, peel and scoop out seeds and cube)
3 large onions cubed
1/2 cup canning salt
2 green peppers chopped
2 red peppers chopped
Put in large pot cover with water and soak overnight.
drain and rinse.
Then add:
12 whole cloves
2 TBSP mustard seed
6 cups sugar
1 quart apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Turmeric

Cook until soft and kind of transparent. Pack in hot sterilized jars. Yield 10 pints.

First Batch Of Pickles

We made our first batch of Moon Glow pickles yesterday. I had previously cut up and set to soak the 6 quarts of pickling cucumbers, and yesterday we decided to do the actual cooking and canning of the batch.

I measured out the vinegar and spices and simmered it until the cucumbers were done. By then the canning jars were sterilized and we got down to work.

I already have another group of cucumbers that will be ready for pickling early next week. Suddenly, with a little bit of rain, the cucumbers and squash are growing like crazy!

This & That On A Summer’s Day

Why is it that I have these great urges to cook elaborate meals when it is so hot? Saturday I made the most wonderful “Herb Crusted Standing Rib Roast” for dinner, (see cooking archives) which required me to heat the oven to 450 degrees! There I was checking the roast with the sweat pouring off of me. I think I must be a little crazy for doing it, but it tasted so good and was worth all of the heat to cook it.

I have also recently cooked a turkey breast, and then you all remember a few days ago I had the Lobster. All cooked during the heat wave of 2007!

It seems we have had this heat for so long, which is why, when I got up on Sunday and found the temperature outside was a cool dry 55 degrees, I grinned from ear to ear!

Sunday is due to be the perfect New England summer day. Dry, with temperatures expected to only get into the low 80’s. I can handle that. So what is my plan?

I want to take the puppies for a walk, go to the grocery store and buy a few more Lobsters (they are on sale again for $5.99 a pound!) and some fresh local corn on the cob.

I really am a fall and winter person. As much as I enjoy the sunshine, I also enjoy the cold and a good rainy day once in a while. This summer we really haven’t seen too much of that.

I remember one summer when I was a teenager on Cape Cod. It was so cold and foggy and rainy that all the tourists stayed home. For me it was the best summer of my life, although I think I was the only person on Cape Cod that felt that way.

I think the perfect summer would be sunny days with temperatures in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s, with rain at night that would bring the temperatures down for great sleeping.

Perhaps the next time the position of “Mother Nature” comes up, I should apply for it! Then I could direct the snow to the ski areas, the rain to the parched crops and sunshine to those places that seldom see it.

I think I see a new career looming in the future! (LOL)