The Dackel Princess

This morning I was up and out the door before 7:30. What had me moving so quickly? First, my new glasses were ready down in Concord, and I knew if I left as soon as I made Hubby breakfast, I could go down get the glasses, stop at Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart and then go and worship at my favorite store, “LL Bean” where I also happened to have a $10.00 gift certificate and still be home in time to make Hubby lunch.
Off I went on this bright spring morning with the radio tuned to “Hit’s of the ’70’s”. Singing and driving along, feeling really good about the early start to my day. The best part was, that everything went right. I got to Sam’s Club just as they opened and I was able to buy the soaps I wanted there as well as a 40 pound bag of dog food. Then it was over to Wal-Mart where I bought canned dog food and dog cookies. (do you get the feeling my dogs like to eat?)
I arrived at the Opticians right at 9 AM and within 15 minutes had my glasses all fit and was out the door. It is wonderful to have my new glasses, which afford me the ability to see perfectly!
Then I went over to LL Bean. I found two long sleeve cotton shirts and a cute little kiddie purse for my grandniece.



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After that I flew up the highway, got a few groceries, the mail and my allergy pills before coming home…just in time to make Hubby’s lunch! Right on schedule. Boy am I tired now!

It’s Monday morning, and the sun is shining. Spring is in the air, even if it is just 35 degrees outside. There is something so different about the sunshine at the end of March. Maybe it’s the angle, maybe it is just, after a long, dark winter, every sunny day is much appreciated and enjoyed.
I find myself looking for the first sprouts of spring flowers in the yard, for buds on the trees and for the ice to break up and leave the lake. Spring, spring, spring!!!
It is also the time of the year known in these parts as “Mud Season“. I hadn’t thought too much about that until yesterday when Fritz arrived back at the house from his morning walk-a-bout, literally covered in mud. There is nothing worse than a white dog covered in mud, unless said white dog is also large and hyperactive!
You all know that my house is sparkling clean. I was not about to let him in, so I filled up a bucket and went outside and washed him there. I didn’t yell, I didn’t swear (out loud anyway), I just cleaned him up, dried him off and came in and told Hubby that this is the last big dog we are having! I love him, but let’s face it, a dachshund you can toss in a bucket of water and clean up lickity split. Not so a German Shepherd!
So here is to spring, in all it’s muddy, sunny, wet glory!

We had company last night. These are people we are socially friendly with, as opposed to those who are like family. What’s the biggest difference? Family/friends you can just sort of be yourself with. If there is a little dust, or a fur bunny from the dog, you don’t worry because these people are “family” and will love you anyway. In fact, they probably don’t even notice those little things. (right?)
Social friends you clean like crazy for. You don’t know them well enough to feel safe with a dusty fur bunny, and you want to be so clean that you could literally eat off the floor.
So for the week prior to last night’s dinner party, I cleaned and washed and vacuumed and then did it all over again a few hours before their arrival. My goodness the house looks so nice! All of it.
I walk around and think, “who lives here, not me. I’m way too messy.”
I wish I were one of those people who could live a neat and organized life, but I just don’t have it in me. I know that in a little while, I’ll go and get the Sunday paper and before long it will be spread all over the family room floor. Try as I might, I just can’t seem to keep it all together.
Hubby claims that I take things out and then don’t put them back again. He is right, as most of the things I put away, were my things!
I know what I need! A housekeeper! That’s the ticket! She could come and do nothing but clean up after me all day long, and wait on me and make me hot cups of tea.
Oh wait, maybe that’s a Nanny!

March 25 002

Originally uploaded by dackelprincess.

This table has been a big part of my life. As a child it was my parents dining room table. Back then it was stained with a dark mahogany color that was quite popular in the 1930’s.
Birthdays, Thanksgivings, Christmases and Easters were spent around this table. Christmas cookies were frosted at this table and tea parties were held. I can hear the laughter, and the jokes and almost see the smiles from my family of yesterday, if I stand close enough to this table.
Then for a while the table got lost. I’m not sure who had it, but I do know it didn’t get used. I think it was in a basement.
Then I got it. I was with my ex-husband then and we brought it home to our apartment. Then I made new memories with my two daughter’s at birthdays and holidays.
By then, the old table was not looking too good. The once beautiful mahogany finish was scratched and faded and rather unattractive. But in many ways, it was a piece that had a history about it.
When I divorced and remarried the table came with me, and my mother offered me the matching piece, a china cabinet that had been sitting in her wet basement for years.
I looked at the old table and the cabinet and saw years of use, which had caught up to it, like a worn out favorite toy.
Slowly I started to sand away the scratches, and grime. As I sanded and stroked the table I could feel it coming to life under my fingers.
Under the mahogany finish was solid red oak! Imagine covering that beautiful wood with mahogany stain? I stripped the cabinet as well and found the same red oak wood.
I went to the hardware store and selected a stain. A light red oak stain. Lovingly I rubbed it on until the wood began to glow. Then I alternately polyurethaned and sanded it until a bright glowing finish had been achieved.
This table has been with me almost all of my life and I suspect it will remain with me until my final days. My table and I share a lot of history together and as I look into the future I see we will make many more memories before it’s job is done.

The phone rang at 11:56 AM today.
“Hello, is this Maribeth?”
“Yes”, I answered.
“This is S. at The Passport Office” she said. I found myself holding my breath. “Your old passports arrived and I have them here, so it will all be submitted now and you should have your new passports in about 20 to 25 days.”
I breathed and laughed and thanked her over and over again.
Could this really be the end of the Passport Saga?

I went down to get our mail this morning and what should I find in my P.O. Box? If you guess our old Passports, you would be correct!
I nearly fainted when I saw them. “How is this possible?”, my feeble, dazed, mind asked. There was a letter inside saying we needed to resend the entire package WITH a payment.
Because guilt had plagued me yesterday, I’d hurried down to the Post Office and sent the money certified mail to expedite the process. I just thought that they actually HAD my passport and Hubby’s at the Passport Center in Portsmouth, and that this was why I was told to send the money there. Oh silly me! Why should a governmental agency actually work like a well oiled machine?
I came home and told Hubby what had happened. He did not want to hear it. The “Blond Look” came back into his eyes.
So I tried to find a phone number for our passport center in Portsmouth. No. It’s unlisted. Of course, why should I be able to call a governmental agency about a problem?
I thought and thought until my head ached. Then it came to me. Call the closest US Post Office that handles passports. And guess what? That is in Portsmouth! So I called and spoke to a wonderful woman named Terri, and she promised to help me out.
In less than half an hour The Passport Agency called me and arrangements were made for me to send our passports in to them, where they will be united with our checks and processed!
Could it be, that at last the Passport Saga is about to be over?
Stay Tuned!