Dackel Princess

Birthday Dinner

The grandparent’s all gathered for Savannah’s dinner celebration on Friday night. She opened her gifts, enjoyed each and every one of us, and felt our special love!

Savannah and Oma.

Savi and her grandfather, Bob.

Savi and her Nana, Mary.

(Notice Quinn photo-bombing)

Despite the fact that it was Savannah’s birthday celebration with her various grandparents on Friday evening, I managed to stay on the WW plan. Amanda bought the most awesome steak and marinated it, and Matt cooked them up on the grill. That man knows how to cook a fantastic steak, and I sure did enjoy every bite!

Dinner also included corn on the cob and Parmesan Cheese Noodles. Now I know that corn on the cob is a zero point food, so I had that and the steak (which does have points, but is really lower than you might think) and I did not eat the pasta. Now, I wanted the pasta, but I wanted a loss at the scales on Wednesday, more than I wanted the pasta yesterday, so it was an easy choice. I also wanted a birthday cupcake, so the noodles never even saw my plate!

I also drank…WATER…ugh, not a big fan of water, but once again, I am trying to make better choices. I knew I wanted that darn cupcake and so I made no other breaks from my eating plan and ate zero point foods all day before that dinner.

So when I got up this morning, I raced to the bathroom scale and hopped on, just knowing that I must have lost at least ten pounds for all my great planning (and sacrificing!). Ah no. It is also very humid up here right now, and in this humidity, I always retain fluid. (That is my story, and I’m sticking to it!)

Savannah’s party was great, all the grandparents are good friends, and we all adore our mutual grandchildren. We laughed and joked and lamented the fact that the last six years have gone awfully fast!

And then we looked up and there was the kitty cat Bear, the mouse hunter, with a chipmunk in his mouth! This time Matt was here to go out and rescue me from the creature.

I finally knew I’d better hit the road, as I was working under a time constraint. I needed to get home before dark (my car will turn into a pumpkin!) as I cannot see well at night, and the Friday night, summertime traffic can be a nightmare.

I kissed and hugged one and all, and off I went. No traffic and I managed to pull into the garage at 8:41 pm! I just beat the onset of darkness.

After the heat and humidity and two long drives, I collapsed into bed at 9:15 and slept like a rock never moving until 5 o’clock this morning!

The Friday Five

Well folks, here we are, the first Friday in June! Where is the time going? I started to think today, that I need to sit down and make a Christmas gift list and then start picking things up as I go. Crazy, yes?

So as we end this week, here are the five things happening in my life right now.

Our old, but tried and true push lawn mower died. We use it to go into tight places and do the trim mowing. So, we started to look around. I told Jack that this time we had to get a self propelled mower because I can no longer handle the old push mowers. It’s not that I expect I will be doing much with this mower, but in the event, I need to use it, I should be able to handle it with some ease. We drove down to Lowes, found the model I liked and brought it home. Jack set about putting it together, only to find an integral screw missing! We immediately called and they said to bring it back in the morning and they would have one all set up for us.
Off we went on Thursday morning to bring back the first one and bring home the second one. Wonderful, right? Well, no one knew anything at first and I could see real fear on the face of the Customer Service Agent. I told her to relax. I knew that it was there, and it was just a matter of finding it. Sure enough, after several minutes, Becky came out rolling the new machine. Patrick lifted the old one out of the Highlander and picked up and loaded the new one into it. Thus operation new lawn mower was complete! And at this point, Jack has already used it and it looks as dirty as our very old one! Ha!
Today (Friday) the family is getting together for a quiet celebration of Savannah’s birthday. She will have her kids party on Sunday. I’m driving down myself and will enjoy watching Savi open her gifts. I got her some really sweet stuff! Shhhhh! No telling what it is!
I am being plagued by the telemarketer from He!!. In the last 24 hours, he has called 12 times and counting. I have filed several complaints with the Do Not Call Agency in Washington. I have the name of the person through caller ID and the phone number. The first few times I answered and asked him not to call. The last time I answered I told him I had reported him, and yet the calls persist. We are no longer answering our landline. So if you need to reach me, either call my cell phone or message me on Facebook. Honestly, I have never been harassed like this before! Not even during elections!
Wednesday I returned to Weight Watchers. I am not happy with my weight, and so back to class, I went. I was greeted with many hugs, open arms, and the feeling like I was not alone. At the ripe old age of 59 ½, I am no longer looking for a quick fix diet. I need something that will help me understand food, and how to plan out what I am eating. I’m writing everything down, so I can get used to their new program. After class, five of us went out to lunch, and we were good little WW members. One of us ordered Haddock, and the rest of us ordered a Spring Berry and Chicken salad! We talked and laughed and had such a great time. It felt so good to be back with my friends!

So that is it for the last week in May and the first day of June 2018. I hope you have something wonderful planned to do that will make you smile!

Happy Sixth Birthday, Savannah Rose!!!

Today is my granddaughter, Savannah’s Sixth Birthday! I cannot believe how quickly the last six years have gone by!

The first time I held Savannah in my arms, I remember thinking how I couldn’t love anyone more than I loved her at that moment. But the wonderful thing is, that love continues to grow and grow!

I also remember thinking that I could hardly wait until Savannah could talk to me and tell me what she was thinking and feeling. Now, at the age of six, she is able to tell me everything, and how I absolutely love that!

So Happy Birthday, My Darling!

This & That

Since there is no Wednesday Hodgepodge this week I will write about a few things that I have been doing and also thinking about.

The Peach Tree died this afternoon. Jack set about cutting it down and I somehow felt I should go out and play taps. Truly it is a sad day for me. I loved that tree.

There is a bear in our neighborhood. The bear attacked an unsuspecting Bob-House (an ice fishing house) and did quite a number on it. I worry about the little dogs mostly. You know, they are snack size. I do not worry about Lili. We have a Yorkie living next door and Lili is terrified of it! She can run faster than any bear, that is for sure!

I’m enjoying watching the French Open Tennis. I wish I was coordinated enough to play tennis, but I am not. I do, however, enjoy watching these fantastic athletes!

Tomorrow I will be running around doing errands, but I will also be getting together with some of my friends for lunch. I am so excited about that!

Have a great Wednesday!

Another Shubi Tail!

Written in 1996

Shubi and Max and the Long Hot Walk

The morning was bright and cool. The mom and dad decided to take the puppers Shubi and Max for a walk. The dad was still on crutches, so the mom held both leads to the fur kids. Down the sidewalk toward the big field they went.

Shubi and Max took turns being the lead pup. Occasionally there was something good to sniff and the whole group stopped to allow the puppers to sniff. Then on they would go.

At the end of the road, they turned and headed back. Shubi and Max were both getting tired and hot. Even a cool morning in Florida in the summer eventually becomes a hot one.

Suddenly Shubi just lay down in her frog-like pose on the grass. “Come on Shubi!” The Mom said. But Shubi was too hot and too tired to move. The mom pulled on the leash that was attached to Shubi’s harness. Shubi remained prone. Mom dragged a bit and Shubi thought that felt pretty good and continued to lie there being dragged through the grass. Finally, the mom picked up the hot and tired little pup and carried her a while getting muddy footprints on her chest.

A lady stopped and commented that the puppers looked like Mutt and Jeff from the cartoons as Shubi is a little thing at 13 pounds and big brother Max weighs in at 125 pounds!

The Dad said what a nice pup Shubi was. But that it was too bad they had to cut off her legs! (Shubi was not amused, but Max was). The astonished lady walked away quickly and did not respond.

Soon they were home and Shubi and Max stood on the steps in the pool and cooled down. After, they were so tired they needed to take a long nap, with the mom.

The Mom got up after an hour, but the pups still slept. Another day, another adventure. When she woke up, Shubi’s first question was…”when’s dinner!”

Memorial Day Thanks

My husband is a Vietnam Veteran. You know, the unpopular war. Wait, most wars are unpopular, but the Vietnam War found many young Americans treating the returning military abominably. So it was with Hubby.

He served his Country proudly. he made many sacrifices. He was out of the country for over a year. His plane was shot at. He had friends that died. He carried one friend off the side of a mountain. It was a tough time, but he did it because he believes in our Country. As did the men and women, so many of them that did not come home.

I was not married to him then. I was just a wee bairn. I am grateful I did not know him then. I am not sure I could have taken him being there at that time. During the Vietnam War, there was no Skype, just Ham Radio Operators who occasionally put a call through Stateside.

He did come home, to a country of hostile people. But thank you to God, for bringing him back.

He is having health problems directly related to his service in Vietnam. Agent Orange how I detest thee! The VA is helping with his healthcare, but the toll that the war, so long ago, took on his health, is very sad to see.

My point today is to always appreciate the military that serves our Country. They are your fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, mothers, sisters, daughters and aunts.

May this Memorial Day be a day of reflection when one considers the sacrifices made by these men and women in service to our country.

To those who came home, and to those who did not.

God bless them all.

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!