The Princess Has Hives

You go to your doctor and tell him how you feel and he gives you a pill. “This will make you feel all better.”
The next thing you know, you are feeling totally crappy and then, the bonus to all this,YOU GET HIVES!!!
So guess what? I went in feeling a little bad and now I feel like ten times worse. A little Benedryl and some cortizone cream and I’ll make it through.

The Great Peach Crisis of 2005 continues

We are harvesting more and more each day. I went out yesterday and bought 10 pounds of sugar. Not only will we be making Heavenly Jam (peach) in great amounts, we will also have Concord Grapes to be made into jelly later in the season and apples to be sauced! Since we have a ton of peaches, I am thinking of trying at least one batch of Peach Salsa. Does anyone have a recipe??
Once the last peach is plucked, Hubby will need to do some repair pruning to the tree. My poor, poor Peach tree. The very funny thing is, for every peach you saw on the tree in the post below, he had thinned off 9 this spring, as they developed. Apparently Peach trees can really set huge crops.
So now we get ready and in a few days I’ll be writing all about the joys and stickiness of canning Peach Preserve!

~ Sunday ~ Happiness ~ Peachy ~ Just Peachy ~

Aug 7 001.jpg

We have started picking our peaches. We actually ate the first one yesterday. It was warm, juicy and delicious! The crop is full and heavy and when we came in yesterday from grocery shopping we found our beautiful peach tree torn asunder!
Before
Aug 11 003.jpg

After
Aug 13 001.jpg

But, we’re lucky. The crop is nearly ready to completely harvest. Just days from now, really. We’ve already picked two baskets full and in the next day or so, we will be making a peach jam called “Heavenly Jam”.
Mother Nature sure has an odd sense of humor!

Happiness Challenge

On even the most depressing of days, one can find something so precious, so special, that one just has to share it with the world. Even if the world, my world of Dackel Princess, is a small one!
I was having trouble finding something that I could “use” for my happiness challenge, and then I swear, the good Lord had other plans. So here is my Happiness Challenge for today.
I was doing my grocery shopping in the 99 millionth day of heat here in the northeast. Now y’all in the southern states actually choose to live there, but I live in New Hampshire, and this weather is supposed to come one day and be gone the next. C’mon. I was not feeling very happy about soaking my clothes on the way to the car. Okay, back to the grocery store. There I was standing in front of the Mexican food section looking for Peach Salsa, (my new passion) when I heard the most wonderful, and the happiest giggles around. The giggles appeared to belong to a small female child, although I couldn’t see them in the next isle.
I finally found Neuman’s Own Peach Salsa, and then went back to retrieve Hubby from the meat counter before our grocery bill resembled the National Debt! As I turned the corner there they were. Three blonde haired, blue eyed pixies in two shopping carts being pulled through the grocery store by their good natured, no great natured Dad! He asked them what they liked for a treat and they said, “Kwaft Macroni & Cheese!!” And he went over and got 6 boxes. “How come we need so much Daddy?” one of the girls asked. “Cause you’re really good girls!!!” he answered.
I asked if they were triplets. They were all about the same size, all looked nearly identical. But no a set of twins and a single. So I said, “Oh twins and a spare!” And he laughed. “Why’d she say I was a spare Daddy?” echoed the little girl. “Cause I’m lucky to have all three of you!”
It turns out that the happy laughing family was giving the Mom of the family a break. I saw them and heard them as Dad pulled them wildly through the rest of the store. And I thought how lucky these three girls were to have such a wonderful warm, fun Daddy who gave his wife a break, and the girls the best gift of all, a fun day at the grocery store with the man who gave them life.
Now that’s happiness!!!

It’s a big day today. The usual groceries must be purchased, but today, I also need to go to Staples, or BJ’s and buy a new WIFI for the laptop. My old set-up seems to be dying and I am having a lot of trouble working the laptop in the family room. Even when I walk back to the office I only get a good signal, not the excellent I once got. So, today, is the day!
I had the children for 2 hours yesterday and we watched 101 Dalmatians! It was on, but I have to tell you we talked more than watched the movie. They left at 7 this morning for their home in Oregon. Always a sad day.

Continue reading “”

Fondofelves subs for Divine Reality!!!

Questions for a Friday: A Divine Vacation

From Megan (well actually by my cousin Janet, Fondofelves, but…)

Do you take a vacation every year? Yes. We try to get away maybe fishing or visiting old friends.

Where is your favorite place to vacation and while you’re there, do you prefer a secluded cabin in the woods, a luxury condo in the city, a highrise by the ocean, etc., etc? I like to go and live simply. Maybe a guest house (B&B) or staying with friends. I like small villages and pretty scenery. My favorite spot is a small village in Bavaria.

If you had to choose between Paris and New Orleans for a vacation, which would you choose and why? And let’s spice it up: on this vacation, would you prefer to take Brad Pitt (or in my case, Severus Snape, Robert Plant or Johnny Depp) or Angelina Joli or your current significant other along? New Orleans. I love Jazz music. And I would take Hubby. He loves Jazz even more than me!

While on vacation, do you like to completely get away from it all, or do you like to check in from time to time, on your blog, or your emails, etc., etc. Oh no. I’m so addicted to the Internet and stuff that I literally beg for permission to use peoples phone lines, etc. Got to stay in touch online!

If you had 10 grand to blow on a vaca, where would it be? {thanks, Pimpaloo!) That would be Northern Europe. Like Germany, Italy, Switzlerland, Austria, etc. I just love it there.

Today’s Happiness Callenge!!!

This is our beloved Max (Feb 26 1991-Aug 3, 2003) in the sunset of his life.
To have known such a magnificent dog was truly a great happiness!
Max at sunset.jpg

WHEN you are old and gray and full of sleep
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true;
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead,
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

William Butler Yeats

Random Friday Thoughts

It’s 2 AM and I’m awake. Why is that? I woke up and got out of bed and immediately tripped over Fritz, who was lying next to my side of the bed. Then when I came back into our room, I couldn’t sleep. So I got up.
I’m usually a good sleeper. So this is quite odd for me. Maybe it’s the meteor shower we are having, but can’t see due to the clouds.
I went for a long walk yesterday in the heat and I think I dehydrated myself. So I have a huge bottle of iced tea in hand and I am sipping that. I wish I were a big drinker, but I just am not, so in this heat, a long walk is a bad combination.
I decided to rearrange my family room furniture yesterday. I was really happy with it until I found that my wifi coverage stinks. So, first thing tomorrow it all goes back the way it was!
I got a post that my 30th High School Reunion is next summer. I enjoyed my last one, so I will probably go. I think it is interesting to see how people have turned out all these years later!
Well, I guess I will try to sleep a little more.

Harry Potter & Hot-Dogs

I finished reading “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince“. I think it is the best of the series of books JK Rowling has written. Although I must admit I loved the first and second books a great deal. All that innocence and wonder that Harry, Hermione and Ron had at being new Wizards. But Ms. Rowling has outdone herself with the development of her characters in this book and I really enjoyed it. For anyone who would like to discuss their ideas on the book leave me a post and I’ll write back and we can compare notes. I don’t want to give away anything about the book here!

My Happiness Challenge is plain and simple today. It’s the hot-dog! We had a cookout for the kids last night and I had a Ball-Park Frank with mustard and relish, cooked over a charcoal grill, and it was just the very best! Mmmmmmm! Yup! You just can’t beat a good hot-dog!