Dackel Princess

Barbecue Time

I’d planned for my Saturday to be a quiet one, where I could kick back and watch some movies and not do too much.

For the most part, this was true. We watched an intense movie called “Alone in Berlin” about a German couple that lose their only child during WW II. Emma Thompson starred in it, and she was amazing. We watched it, totally enthralled, and at the very end, we learned that this was a true story. It broke my heart.

When I went out to get the mail in the morning, the traffic was a nightmare! I think everyone came to my town for a mini stay-cation! The roads were literally bumper to bumper, and the Craft Fair was jam-packed. I left our house at 9:45, went to the local grocery store for a couple of things, got the mail and arrived home at 11:45! Please note, this should have taken me 15-20 minutes!

I decided to make the rest of my day today easy. I got barbecue baby back ribs, corn on the cob. I still had some of my own potato salad, so we are set. Oh yes, and the strawberry shortcakes are ready to be assembled!

It is hot and humid here in New Hampshire as I write. The weather forecasters have predicted some rain and a 30-degree drop in temperatures overnight. As long as the air is dry, I will be happy.

Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

My Dackel History

I wrote this back in 1996 when I joined a group of Dachshund owners. It tells the story of a woman who falls in love with a foreign doggy boy, only to find the greatest love of her life is the breed of dog that he is.

I wanted to share my story about how I grew to love Wire-Haired Dackels and how I became owned by one!

Eight years ago in 1988, my husband brought me to Starnberg, Germany, this is just south of Munich, to meet his dear friends Lucie and Otto. I was a new bride and nervous about meeting his longtime friends. As I sat in their living room, in bound a small vivacious pup named Shubi, who was a wire-haired Dachshund. Shubi spoke no English, and I spoke no German, but it did not matter. It was love at first sight! Shubi climbed into my lap and we kissed and that was it.

The original Shubi!

For the next week where ever I went I was followed by this love-struck little man. When we parted I cried and all I would say to my husband was, “I want a little Shubi dog!” We made four more trips to Munich over the next four years and it was always the same. Shubi became my love while I was there.

Sadly, two years ago Shubi escaped his fenced-in yard and was hit by a car. I grieved for so long. And so did Lucie.

At Christmas in 1995 we learned that Otto was ill and in February 1996 we went back to Germany to see Otto and Lucie. The house was oddly still with no little man running around the house. It just was not the same cheery home. I said to Lucie at lunch that we should go and find little puppies and have them together. Otto heard us and while we out shopping he found an add for Rauhhaar Dackels, or in English, Wire Haired Dachshunds.

It was 35 kilometers east of Munich to go to the home of the puppies, but we all piled into the car and off we went to Landshut. An hour later we walked into the kitchen of the Lanzingers. There was a small basket on the floor where three baby dachshunds lay sleeping at first, and then they woke and started to squirm around. I went over and a little face looked up and tried to jump up to me.

The first moment. My Shubi and me.

I picked her up and that was it. She looked me over, decided that I would do, and after kissing my face clean, she settled into my arms and snuggled. Lucie picked up a little boy pup and we were off.

I kept trying to think up a good name for my baby when my husband, who had been oddly silent said, “All I have heard for eight years is ‘I want a Shubi dog’, the dog’s name is Shubi.” And thus our Shubi adopted us as her parents, and her responsibility in life. Lucie named Shubi’s brother, Toni.

I feared bringing a pup back to the states would be difficult, but it wasn’t. She was three months old, had her shots and once we purchased a doggie passport and bought her a ticket we were all set. Shubi road Business Class with us from Munich to New York. She was wonderful on the plane and my husband rushed her out as soon as we cleared customs, to the parking area next to the terminal. Bravo Shubi! She did just what she was supposed to.

We have been owned by Shubi now for three months and I have never had a pup like her in my life. She is warm, and funny, and stubborn and sweet and good and makes me feel like I am the most important person in her life. My husband, who believed that White German Shepherds were the only dogs in the world, now cuddles with this small body of fur as we settle in for the night.

Our 5-year-old White Shepherd, Max is now ruled by this little lady. He watches out for her and plays ever so gently with her and even shares his dish with her.

And when he gets out of line by chewing on a bone that Shubi decides that she just must have, and gets right in his face and barks and barks, he gives up the bone and allows her to take it.

Shubi has learned English, is all housebroken and now rules the whole house, and I am happier than I ever thought it was possible to be! We live in Florida and she has become a real southern belle!

And right now I know that I will never be without a “Shubi Dog” ever again!

It is now 2018, and Shubi has been gone for many years. I still think of her often and miss her sweet nature. However, she left me with a great love for all Wire-Haired Dackels. Before Shubi’s passing, we brought home from Germany, Greta in 2004. She has been a faithful and loving companion and gave us the greatest gift of Arnie and Anneliese. As I wrote back in 1996, I will never be without a Shubi dog ever again.

The Friday Five

Well folks, here we are. It’s the last weekend in May. This year is simply flying by me! So without further adeau, here are the five things I am thinking about this week.

Greta has not been feeling well this week. This makes me nervous and upset, as I just adore this old flea bag, and I worry that at fourteen her life is drawing to a close. (Tears!)
Anneliese leapt off of the chair and yelped upon landing. I was worried she had done something to her back, but she is just fine today!
I love our 14 year old car, which has just over 100,000 miles on it. We have also kept her garaged in the winter and well cared for over all. Well, today we had to have our first major overhaul in order to pass the State Inspection. I was dying when the bill was presented. But then I thought about it. If you divided today’s bill over the last 14 years, we have spent only $113.50 each year of ownership. Now that isn’t really bad.
I go in tomorrow for a couple of medical tests. Nothing major, just the usual. I am just so doctor shy since last year when I got the Staph infection. I will be happy when this is done and I don’t have to go to see my doctor again for another year.
No plans for this weekend. Savannah’s party has been moved to next weekend, so Jack and I will hang out and stare at each other! No, really. We will probably try to cook something festive. Maybe I’ll make some babybacks.

Have a blessed Memorial Day Weeeknd, and remember all those who died so that we might live in freedom. God Bless the men and women who have served this country.

TBT: A Six Year Old MB

I was thinking today about Savannah turning six years old this month. I have some memories from my year as a six year old. I recall starting school, meeting teachers, and the fact that that was one of the years that my Mom did a lot of sewing for my sister and myself. So many matching outfits!

We lived on Clipper Lane, and I rode my bike everywhere, climbed trees and went to the beach every day in the summers. I was perpetual motion, which now seems sort of strange, as my soon to be 60-year-old body is not nearly as limber as my six-year-old body was! ha!

When I was in Falmouth a few weeks ago we drove to the Community Theater where I performed. In between rehearsals I used to go out and climb this big old tree. It was massive, and a great climber. It is still there! My heart sang, and I so wanted to go over and climb that tree, but my older and stiffer self prevailed!

So, here are a few pictures of six-year-old me!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. The last place you visited/patronized where you felt like you were given ‘the royal treatment’?

On Jack’s 80th Birthday we went to a new to us place called “The Bob House”. We’d heard the food was good and thought we would give it a try. I mentioned to the waitress that it was Jack’s 80th Birthday. Well, after that she talked with us a lot, made sure our food came in waves, so we could enjoy each course. It was terrific!

2. The last task you completed that was a ‘royal pain’?

Let’s see, sort of gross, but cleaning up the kitchen floor after one of the dackels threw up! It was at the end of my day. I’d gotten the dishes done and I was just about to sit down to watch the TV when I heard the tell-tale sound of the dog throwing up! Ugh!

3. How have your strengths helped you succeed? How have your faults hindered you?

Probably my greatest strength is not stopping and giving up. I may not like it, or enjoy doing something (see the above answer to question #2) but once I know I have to do something I will see it through.

How have my faults hindered me? Well, my biggest fault is procrastination. So if there is something I need to do that is not an emergency, and I can ignore it (see my office) then I will put it off!

4. If you found a remote that could rewind, fast forward, stop and start time, what would you do with it?

I might be tempted to rewind. But then, realistically, would I be able to go back in time, knowing what I know? Could I “change” events? No, I think I would place the remote in a very special place. Then when I was a very old woman, I might take day trips back to special days in my life for mini visits. Life is meant to be lived in the present!

5. Any special plans for the Memorial Day weekend?

It’s Savannah’s Birthday Party weekend. So we will be going down to visit the kids and share in Savi’s happy day. Six years old!

Will you in some way honor or recognize the meaning of this day (remembering people who died in service to their country)?

We have a flag pole in our front yard. We will fly our flag and remember. Many of Jack’s Army friends have died. We pray for them and honor them.

Have you ever been to Arlington National Cemetery?

Yes. It was where Jack hoped to be buried until they changed the rules for burial. Now he will be buried in the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetary.

Does your town do anything special to mark the day?

Yes, they have a parade and prayers.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I have so many little housekeeping things to do today and no desire to do them. Except, I have to. Laundry needs to get done, I need to mix the regular and decaffeinated coffee beans, I’m cooking a small Prime Rib, and I need to dust. Now the dusting may get put off until Thursday, but everything else must be done today!

My Peach Friend

To everything, there is a season, a birth, a life and a slow waning into death. I’d thought about this in human life, but this year, we are faced with the loss of several trees that we planted in our Orchard.

The above picture was taken a couple of years into the life of our finest Peachtree. It was Fritz’s favorite tree to sit under, and Greta’s as well. This tree produced hundreds of pounds of beautiful juicy peaches each year, and I made jam and Jack sold the peaches to farm stands.

The beautiful blossoms each year led to the full, ripe, juicy fruit a couple of months later. So beautiful to walk around the Orchard at this time of year.

This is just a small sample of the beautiful peaches we harvested. We always seemed to know when to pick them for the ultimate peach experience! And let me just say here and now, walking out my back door and picking a fresh peach off the tree and eating it, with the juice trickling down my chin, has been a real experience!

In the last few years, the tree began a slow decline. It didn’t produce as many peaches, and then we found that it simply was not setting the fruit it once did. For whatever reason, the tree kept showing it’s age. The bark had started to become rough and almost wrinkled looking, and fewer blossoms came onto the tree, thus we did not have the good crops as we did in previous years.

This Spring, the poor tree did not blossom out too much. This may well be its final year in the yard. There was quite a bit of dead wood on it, and Jack got out the chainsaw and cut it back.

There was such a sadness then. I remember planting that tree 20 years ago with Jack, as we built the house. I remember our first harvest and even a thunderstorm that tore off a limb early on.

But the tree was always there. Waiting for dogs to lie under it, or for us to come and harvest a ripe peach. I guess that’s why there is a sadness now as I start to think about cutting the tree down. The end of an era. The end of this good friends time.

Our Orchard has not just been about the fruit we have sold but about each and every one of the trees, their planting, their health, and their beauty. It’s really the first time I have felt connected to my fruit trees in this way.

Isn’t it funny how as we grow older, we begin to see the real importance of things in life? Beautiful trees, fresh fruits, and the calm their presence provide in our lives.

We’ll work to make you healthy again, dear Peach Friend. I hope we can. But if not, thank you for all these wonderful years.

Live, Laugh, Love

I spent Saturday with my grandchildren. What a great way to spend the day. Many of the women I know, still look at their grandchildren as being wonderful to “see”, but still do not spend time with them. This is something I do not understand. I guess you could say I’m a very modern Oma.

I grew up during a time when “children should be seen but not heard” was how it was. When I was very little I recall climbing into bed with my Grandma Honey, and cuddling a minute, only to be brought into the parlor, given a toy, and told to play quietly, and not to disturb anyone. It was just how it was

My children’s Grammie Alice was wonderful. She was never too busy for the kids, and always wanted to listen to them. In many ways, I am trying to be the kind of grandmother that my former mother-in-law was. Always there, always in the moment, and always reveling in her grandchildren.

So, while down to babysit the kids while their Mommy and Daddy had a date night, I spent time listening to Savannah. All her stories about Disney World, about her school, and about her ideas. She has so many ideas, and her stories about Disney were amazing! I love hearing her thoughts.

I remember when she was a baby, and I held her in my arms, I told her that I could hardly wait until I knew what was going on in her mind. At birth, I looked into those eyes and I knew there was an incredible little girl in there, she just needed to figure out how to talk to me. And now, at the age of almost six, she is a true communicator!

And darling Quinn, just two years old in March, is starting to get his thoughts across too. I think part of it is that he mimics Savannah, but the other part is that we make Snapchats and send them back and forth to each other. Quinn knows I am his Oma and he tells me things like, “Hi Oma! I love you!” without too much prompting.

I was watching a movie with Savannah after Quinn fell asleep, and Savi cuddled up next to me and she put her hand up and patted my curls. She was sweet and loving, and I enjoyed every moment.

I have learned in my life to enjoy every moment with my daughter and grandchildren. Those moments mean the very most to me. I asked Savi, “Who do I love more than anything in the Universe?” She laughed and said, “Mommy, Me and Quinn!” Then I asked her, “Who is Oma’s Joy?” And again, she said “Savannah and Quinn”.

Every day, I am thankful for the love in my life. I am so very blessed!

Weddings & Grandchildren

I was up at 4:30 AM on Saturday to watch the Royal Wedding. I really wanted to see this, despite the fact that I was going to babysit later in the day for Savannah and Quinn.

I should have guessed how tired I would be later in the day, but I so wanted to see Prince Harry marry his American bride.

After all, I have been watching the Prince grow since his Mum Princess Diana was sporting a baby bump.

The wedding was beautiful on a perfect Spring day! The bride was lovely and the groom glowed! I wish them much happiness.

Then I drove down to babysit and spend the night so Mandy and Matt could have a date night!

I was playing with the kids and I noticed that it had gotten very quiet. I looked at Quinn and he was sound asleep. And 2 hours later, he is still asleep.

Greek Tortellini Salad

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients:

1 pound cheese tortellini pasta (either fresh or dried – cooked according to package’s instructions)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ red onion, diced
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
½ cup canned artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
½ cup kalamata olives (whole or sliced)
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
⅓ cup packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

Greek Dressing

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
black pepper, to taste
juice of ½ lemon

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, cover and shake well, chill. (I needed to add a bit more olive oil as I thought the vinegar was too strong.)

In a large bowl combine tortellini, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, olives, feta cheese, and basil. Pour dressing over the top, then toss to combine.
Serve immediately OR cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours before serving.

The Friday Five

Thursday found me once again, cooking up a big meal. Pulled Pork. And when I wasn’t working on that, I was stripping dackel coats and doing a little trimming.

I also picked up my Family Mother’s Ring. It was my Mom’s Mother’s Ring, and after she passed I wore it a lot. Then I noticed that The May for my brother was now also for my granddaughter, Savannah. The November stone for me could also be for my younger daughter, Katie, who was born in November. I just didn’t have Quinn’s birthstone or Mandy’s. So I took the ring in and had it adjusted.

I had Quinn’s stone (Aquamarine) placed first on the left.
Then the next Savannah’s and my brother, Dickie’s stone (Emerald).
In the center, my sister, Melodie, (Ruby).
Then the stone for Katie and me (Topaz).
Then to the far right Mandy’s birthstone (Turquoise).

I am just thrilled with this ring and just love how beautifully it sits on my finger. Reminding me of all that I love. This truly is a great Friday Five!