Savannah Rose’s 4th Birthday

Time is rushing by, my sweet Savannah Rose. I remember the day you were born, and holding you in my arms for the first time. I looked into you tiny face, and the love that washed over my heart, felt like I was in a whole new world! And I was!

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You have brought so many smiles, and giggles and so much happiness, as I have shared you discovering the world. You are so amazing, and just when I think my heart can’t grow anymore, you say something to me and that love grows again.

When I see you running over to me, calling my name “Oma”, my life feels so complete.

Remember what I tell you all the time, “I love you to the moon and back and then some”. And know, my darling, I always will!

Happy Birthday, Savannah Rose!

Savannah's 4th Birthday from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

Granddaughter, Birthday, Celebrations, Love

The Garden Is In 2016

Yesterday Hubby and I finished planting the garden. I thought we were done earlier, but Hubs insisted we plant a few more plants, so off we went to Agway, to pick up some pickling cukes, Ichiban eggplants, broccoli (a first for me) and two more tomato plants.

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All done.

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You can see my crazy Owl. That darn head is like Linda Blair in the Exorcist!

By lunchtime, it was all done, and we came in to quench our thirst and have our sandwiches. It felt so good to sit down!

I’d decided to make up for my transgressions at Savannah’s birthday party, and eat totally lean and low calorie yesterday. So I looked up a nice Cod fish recipe, and then made the mushroom risotto and carrots for dinner. It came out quite well.

By 9:30, I was falling asleep in my chair, so off I went to bed with the dackels, waking briefly at 11:00 when Hubby came in.

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Have a blessed Memorial Day!

The Birth of Shubi

Written in 1996

It was a cold night in Bavaria, when a little Dachshund Mommy named Elfi lay in her whelping box giving birth to four beautiful and healthy puppies. This was her first litter of pups with the young boy dog named Sam. She had two little girls and two slightly larger boys. As Frau Lanzingher bent over the box and patted Elfi she told her, in German of course, what a good little mother she was.

As the days passed the puppies began to open their eyes and play about. They were tiny and had black and brown wiry fur. One of the girls was particularly loving with all who came to see them. Frau Lanzingher would always hold her up and give her a little kiss.

One day when the puppies were a little older, Frau Lanzingher brought the basket of puppies into her kitchen. It was warm and the puppies could smell good food being cooked on the stove. A man came and took one of the girl puppies away. He said she would be going to Italy to live.

A while later three ladies and a man and a boy came into Frau Lanzingher’s kitchen. The little girl dog spotted a tall woman with a kind face. This lady bent down and said words that this pup had never heard before. But she liked the face of the lady, so she began to wag her tail and jumped around trying to get the lady to pick her up like Frau Lanzingher did. The lady didn’t need much prompting. She bent over a little more and carefully picked up the little girl.

“Hello there, little pup!” said the lady. Of course the little pup was a German dog so she didn’t understand what the lady said.

Then the lady kissed the top of her head. That, the puppy understood. The little girl began to plant kiss after kiss on the lady. The lady giggled and snuggled the puppy some more.

Shubi and mom

“She is wonderful, Jack!” said the lady.

The little girl pup liked this lady. She gave lots of kisses andshe snuggled pretty good, too. She didn’t understand a word she said, but her voice sounded nice, so the little pup decided she liked the lady enough and curled up in her arms and started to fall asleep.

The man told Frau Lanzingher, in German, that they wanted to buy the little girl and one of the other ladies was buying the friendly boy puppy. Then the man told Frau Lanzingher that the little girl dog would be going all the way to America! The little girl puppy listened and wondered where America was. She figured it would be okay because the nice lady would hold her.

So the man paid Frau Lanzingher and the nice lady, still holding the little girl pup, thanked her and then they went outside into the cold and snowy day. The lady placed the little girl pup on the snow and the little girl pup wee-weed. The other lady placed the boy puppy down but he didn’t need to go.

They all climbed into the car and the nice lady held onto the little girl pup and carefully tucked her under her coat.

“That should keep you warm” said the lady.

And she patted the little pup who was shaking with the cold and with nerves.

“Well, we know what your name will be, little one.” said the lady. “You will be Shubi. And I will be your mommy.”

The little pup didn’t know what the lady said, but she liked the sound of Shubi. The lady kept saying that over and over again. “Shubi” The little Shubi girl settled herself against the warm lady  and snuggled further under her coat. Then she fell asleep.

Friday Five

Another week has rushed by. But this week, we are starting to see and feel the first heat of the summer. Although it is not unwelcome, when I am trying to do things outside, I’d prefer it a little less hot! However, it was a good week all around and here are my five highlights!

  1. Monday I spent the day with my two grandchildren, Savannah and Quinn and my daughter, Mandy.

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    You all are probably tired of hearing me rave about my grandchildren and daughter, but honestly, the three of them are magnificent!

  2. I was able to help my daughter get Savannah’s party stuff. Savannah will be 4 years old on May 31st! Wow! Where has the time gone? I remember that I was so anxious to hear what she thought of this world, when I looked into her infant face. Now, not only does she tell me her thoughts, but she will look at books and tell me stories too.
  3. The other thing I totally love, is listening to her play by herself with her dolls. She makes these wonderful voices as she plays each character. Yeah, I am crazy for this kid!
  4. Quinn is so bright and alert I am amazed. He loves to be sitting up in his little froggy chair so he can watch the world, and the TV. At two and a half months, I think he is way ahead of himself.
  5. And my daughter. Well, she is an amazing mother. I watch her with her kids and I am so proud of her. Her love and patience and the ability to truly be with her children, is a beautiful thing to see.

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone. Enjoy, and stay safe.

TBT: My Papa

Here is something I located. It is the birth certificate for my grandfather, Papa Fred. He was born in Germany, and came to the United States when he was just nine years old. He met my grandmother shortly after, as she was a friend of his sister, Katchen.

Papa's Birth certificate

So here is his birth certificate, straight from Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.

Note: I have since learned that this is a Baptismal Certificate and that next to my Great Grandfather’s name, August Prüssmann is his occupation. He was a coachman!

Getting Shubi (Written In 1996)

Hi All! I wanted to share my story about how I became owned by a Dachshund!

Eight years ago 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 bounded 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.

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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 this year we learned that Otto was ill and in February 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 in a small basket on the floor were three baby dachshunds. I went over and a little face looked up and tried to jump up to 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.

     

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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 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!

The Shubi Tails

Many years ago, (1996) I got my very first wire-haired dachshund. Her name was Shubi. Shubi was born in Landshut, Germany, and while visiting friends in Starnberg, Germany, we both lost our minds and our hearts and bought Shubi and her brother Toni.

Shubi and mom

Shubi was an amazing pup. She totally stole my heart, and my imagination. I would sort of day dream about her in these slightly wild adventures, and then laugh to myself, wondering if this was how Charles Schultz had started with Snoopy?

Anyway, I knew nothing about dachshunds, so I searched on the Internet for information and I found a group of men and women who were also dachshund fans.

At first I asked just general questions, as I learned about the breed. Then because I was new to computers, and my brain was working overtime, I started to write mini stories about Shubi and her adventures.

Most were well received, but the owner of the list wanted to keep it strictly, factual, health problems, so we started a new list called “The Circle of Friends”. And although we are not nearly as active as we once were, the list of friends remains in contact to this very day!

Anyway, the stories are short, sweet and at times funny. Most written from Shubi’s point of view. I thought I had lost them all, until recently, when I was using an old disc reader to see what pictures I had on those, and discovered all of the stories! It’s my hope that I can take those stories and make up some little books for Savannah and Quinn.

In the meantime I will try to put a story down here on Dackel Princess, with some pictures and see what you all think.

I am so happy to have found these silly stories!

Friday Five

Oh my goodness! Another week has flown by! It both shocks and amazes me. I recall thinking that time went so slowly when I was a kid. I would lie on the sand at the beach staring up into the sky and think that time was just going so slowly! How wrong I was. It seems the older I get, the faster time slips by.

All that being said, here is this weeks meanderings, from one who finally understands that time is not relevant to life. It’s merely a a way of counting of the hours, days, and years.

  1. It’s been 4 weeks since I returned to Weight Watchers. I have lost 7 pounds.
  2. In the past this would have depressed me, but, I am eating wonderful meals, and enjoying the challenge of finding new, low point things to enjoy. Good-bye sugar! The true corrupter of diets everywhere!
  3. The office is finished. Finally after all these years, it is done. I had to go in there today for a printed page, and I opened the door and nearly fell over! Wow! It really is beautiful in there!
  4. The apple trees have been in full bloom.
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    The orchard

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    Oh I love this time of year, when the blossoms are out, and when you walk through the orchard, you can hear the hum of the working bees!

  5. At some point I will stop and pick up some vegetable plants. I will directly sow the peas and beans, but everything else will come from a farm stand. Although I am doing well on many levels, I haven’t quite gotten my garden feet under me.

So that’s this weeks list, with a few pictures of the orchard. Enjoy the Spring, even if it is a cool one!