The Dackel Princess

Yesterday was an odd day. I woke up feeling tired and hung over. Now the strangest part is that I do not drink alcohol, ever. I can’t because of medications that I take and so I simply am very good. However, yesterday, I felt like I’d simply gone out the night before and really tied one on. Headache, sick stomach, exhausted, dizzy and the slightest hint of light hurt my eyes.
I made breakfast for Hubby and I and then announced I was taking the girls and going back to bed. I scooped up the dachshunds and off I went. I darkened the room, and found that this still wasn’t enough, so I got out the sleep blinders and crawled in. I slept for 2 hours!
Upon waking it was time to eat again. I made lunch and was starting to feel sufficiently worried that I was not doing well on this new medication. I was also supposed to go out in the evening with my neighbor to see “The King and I” at the local community theater and I was getting nervous that I was going to be too ill to go.
I just sort of did nothing for the afternoon. I somehow managed to blow 4 hours before I had to clean up and get ready for my evening.
I was determined to feel better and so I cleaned up, made myself some coffee and got ready for the evening.
We’d planned to go to a new place for dinner, but after I picked up my neighbor, we drove there, only to find the place “Closed on Sundays” which is crazy, in a summer tourist area.
So what to do, what to do? I know, I said.
I swung around my car and told the car, “You know where to go!”
And with that the car took off for Canoe.
Yes, folks. We went to Canoe. Which you know by now, is my new favorite place to eat. We had Mango, Cucumber Gazpacho Soup, which was fabulous! And then we both had Lobster Rolls for dinner. I had regular fries with mine and my neighbor had Sweet Potato fries with hers. Which were awesome!
I must mention here, that although they have a wonderful and extensive dessert menu, you never get to it because their dinner helpings are so generous and truly fill you up!
We arrived at the play with plenty of time before the show. So we mingled around the lobby, giving us a chance to look at the cast pictures. I was looking at the kids and I noticed a little girl who looked suspiciously like my doctor. Sure enough this is my GP‘s oldest daughter, who apparently has grease paint in her blood.
The play was good and brought back many memories for me. At 4 years old I was the youngest child in the cast of “The King and I” when our Community Theater did this on Cape Cod. I have a few memories of the event. Mostly of washing up after the play and rinsing the black hair dye out of my hair.
At the Intermission I saw my doctor and chatted with him. He told me that his daughter really loves the theater and that last year she played Gretel Von Trapp in “The Sound of Music“. Now this is spooky because when I was 8 years old I was Gretel in our Community Theater!
Of course I cried at the end of the play. I always do. Anyone who doesn’t, has no heart! But here I am in a public place, and all I could think of was that everyone would see and I would die. So I blinked back the tears and kept myself from sobbing and quite luckily found that it was pouring rain when we got outside. So all the water on my face was quickly explained.

Yesterday was “Girls Day“. My cousin, Janet was already here, and we were joined by the “Divine” Megan. She arrived as we were finishing up picking Blueberries for Janet’s attempt at Blueberry cordial, and after we got done picking, we played with my friends new chocolate Lab puppy, Lucy, and took pictures of their beautiful horses,

we stopped at the house to drop off a few things, and then Hubby dropped us off up town for the Annual Arts Festival here in town.
There were so many Artisans, with their pottery, paintings, pictures, blown glass, etc. We checked out every single booth and talked to many of the Artisans. Janet got something new, but I will let her tell everyone about that, and I got a Christmas gift for AM which I can’t write about, lest I spoil the surprise!
We shared a piece of fried bread dough, we shared a hot dog, and we shared a diet coke, before stopping at Ben & Jerry’s, where we each got something yummy! And No, we didn’t share!
We walked back to my house, as it’s only about a mile, and chatted the entire way. The weather was perfect, sunny, in the 80’s and we were just having the best time.
Once we got in, and were greeted by the doggies, we each drank and drank and drank to rehydrate our slightly dehydrated bodies. Had some snacks and some corn chowder and started “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”.
About that time, Hubby came in and suggested we go for a walk with the dogs. Personally, I thought he was nuts. We’d just gotten in from walking all over the place, but Meg and Janet thought this was a great idea, so off we went to the park with the three dogs. The dogs, of course, were all for this.
Absolutely no one was there! So once we got away from the parking lot I was able to let the dogs loose to run through the woods. Half way through the walk is the lake, and the dogs all went in for swims.
When we arrived back, my bar-tending Hubby made drinks for everyone and I got out the vegetables and meat to put together Shish Kebabs. I’d never done them on my rotisserie and I had found this great marinade recipe online, so I got out the marinated meat and fed it all onto the spits and got it going.

Cooked some corn on the cob, and set the table on the screen porch.
So as the sunset over our lake, we sat down to eat. Mmmmmmmmmm! It was so good! I will definitely make this again.
After dinner we watched the end of Harry Potter, and had some fresh donuts with a little Heavenly Jam for a sweet dessert treat!
Once the girls left, I sat, exhausted in my chair with three, equally exhausted dogs around me. By 9:30 the dogs and I were longing for the comfort of our pillows and me and my three Amigo’s headed off to the comfort of blanket’s sheets and a soft bed!

When Janet arrived yesterday, the two dachshunds showered her with love and kisses. Shubi remembered her immediately and went crazy with happiness, and Greta loves people and she has adopted Janet as one of her own.
Fritz sniffed her, smelled the evil Shiba and backed away. He ran off, circled her sniffed again and ran off. He did this several times before he decided that the evil Shiba wasn’t with Janet and it was safe to be around her. Then he was his usual sweet self.
As I have previously mentioned, Fritz is not your typical German Shepherd. He is a sweet natured and very gentle boy. Very timid. One must always understand his sensitivity.
So, Hubby made Janet a Dirty Martini, and we went for a walk around the yard, while they sipped their drinks. We examined all the fruit trees, and the fruit in various stages of growth.
Then, because I worry about Friday night being too busy at restaurants locally, we headed out to Canoe for our dinner.
We had Sweet and Sour Calamari

and Maple and Champagne Scallops for our appetizers and we all got chop sticks and shared. Everything was divine! Mmmmmmm! And I didn’t mind the fact that at the end of the appetizers I had several sticky drips down the front of my shirt.
Then Janet and I decided to share an order of SEAFOOD FRA DIAVOLO
Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops, Fresh Fish, Spicy Red Sauce

It was so good. Most especially the scallops. Hubby had Prime RIb.

After fully stuffing ourselves we came home, checked our e-mail and then watch the second Harry Potter movie so Janet could get her “Snape” fix. The dogs played, frolicked and amused us until I was falling asleep on the couch. So we said goodnight.
I was instantly asleep when I lay down.
Shubi woke me at 6 because she is so happy that Janet is here. I wouldn’t let her wake Jan so early, so I took the dogs to Dunkin’ Donuts and got a half a dozen plain donuts to eat with the Heavenly Jam for breakfast. The coffee is made, and the donuts are ready, all I need now is for Hubby and Janet to awaken and get this party going!

Continue reading “Friday Questions…”

News From The UK
Our younger daughter, JC, and her Hubby will be moving from the UK to California. He has a new position out there developing computer gaming programs! I am so pleased. It’s much easier to get flights to LA then to the UK and if I can get her on the Verizon Nationwide Plan then we can talk on our cell phones anytime for free. How good is that? She’s been in the UK for several years and I really have missed her.

So good news from both of our daughters in one week! Yea! I love it when that happens!!

Continue reading “Friday Thoughts and Ramblings”

I haven’t written much about my daughter, AM. Mostly because I want to respect her privacy. I’m weird and strange and choose to write each day in my blog about everything from my dogs to my air conditioners, but I feel that her life is her own.
However, today I am throwing that rule to the wind as I am so excited, happy and proud of her. AM is buying her first home!
It’s a great condo in a small town in New Hampshire where we raised her and her sister when they were little girls. I love that town, and sometimes think that when I am an old lady I will move back there and buy my own little place.
Anyway, AM is buying a 2 bedroom condo, with an attached garage, a cute patio area and a separate laundry room. The kitchen has a ton of cabinets, and it seems very bright and airy.
I think the thing I am most proud of, is that she has done all the hard work herself. She has saved the money, worked hard at her job and made a good life for herself.
Her life has not been the easiest, but she has not let that stop her. She threw the negativity out the window, and has become one of the most positive people I know.
(Brag, brag, brag!!!!)
So my hat is off to my daughter today! Here’s to you, Sweetie!!!

I was up bright and early to go and have my blood drawn at the hospital. I will be so happy when I am stabilized on this new medication and only have to have this done every six months! Right now I have to go every 10 days, and I am starting to feel like the victim in a Vampire movie!
I was, in fact, up so early that I did not need my sunglasses, but did need several cups of coffee. No one was out on the roads, except the farmers and a few confused chickens.
I signed into the hospital lab area and sat down to wait. Waiting here can mean anything from a half an hour to a two hour wait. I usually bring a book, but today I just didn’t care and brought nothing but the coffee. Before sitting down, I did mention that this was a 12 hour timed test and that I needed it done by 8 o’clock at the latest. After that, I have to forget it and do it all again the next day. Not something I relish.
So there I sat, dozing, with the coffee firmly gripped in my hand, when the Vampire woman came out and said my name! I was the first patient of the day! I almost fell out of my seat!
She was nervous. A new woman. I met her last time as she was training. I told her not to worry, I am a good stick!
Guess what? I wasn’t. Poor thing. I had to talk her through it. Imagine that.
“OK, Dracula, it’s like this, you just bend me back, and breathe heavily on my neck a few times licking the spot you want and then with a quick crunch, bite”
She got the blood and taped me up and off I went. I hope the little Vampire’s day gets better.