Dackel Princess

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I thought Sunday would be my slow day, but it turned into being a crazy, busy day. I planned to do a load or two of laundry, which turned into 5 loads. This included the changing of sheets on the bed, and washing the duvet cover the dackels sleep on.

I was so good, washing, drying, folding up the laundry and…I even put it all away! I had leftover lasagna for dinner, and I thought I might catch my breath at the end of the day.

However, Hubby brought in Concord Grapes and thought we should at least make the juice, which we can freeze, to make jelly with this winter.

So, we cleaned the grapes, mashed them up and cooked them until they were soft. They are now in a jelly bag draining into a large pot until the morning.

The worst part is, I still have a ton of stuff to do this week. Things that can’t be put off. I wish it were all the fun things in life, but unfortunately, more laundry, packing, and grocery shopping for the hounds!

Oh yes, and I start Physical Therapy on my finger and hand. I’d hoped to avoid that, but the finger is not healing and is actually quite painful.

The good news is, I know the Therapist and he is really good. So I know in no time at all, my finger and hand will be all better!

Once again, thanks to Megan for getting the WordPress part of Dackel Princess up and running.

Have a great week everyone!

Dackel Princess-Up & Running

Good afternoon one and all. My Web Maven, Megan has now update the WordPress basics for me. As I said, it has been 6 years. I opened the writing part up and “WOW” everything looks so different. I stumbled around, and found my way into the writing part of the program. Actually, this is pretty good. Give me a week, and I think I will have it all memorized.

Now I want to take a week or so and work on a new face for Dackel Princess. Something pretty, that incorporates all my pups.

I think this new program might really be interesting to use! Thanks again, Megan, and I will be in touch after our trip with ideas for the new Dackel Princess look!

Ballerina Savannah

Yesterday I drove down to watch Savannah in her ballet/tap dance class. First, look at this adorable picture. Cute, right?

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She was so adorable, as she participated in the class. I know a lot of people do not believe in pre-school for children, but Savannah has been going for a couple of years now, and it has taught her so much. Probably the number one thing, is to be patient, when dealing with groups of other children, and not to be afraid of trying new things. One poor child, had an absolute melt-down sobbing, and what was even worse, was that her mother (stage mother) was not kind to her at all. This is not the best shot, but they kept Mommy’s and grandmothers in a room with a little TV. This was the best I could do from the little TV. Savi is in the black leotard and black skirt!

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Now here is a terrible story, of a terrible grandmother. While we were waiting for class, the door was open and a mosquito flew in and landed on Savannah’s arm. I saw it, and not thinking hit the mosquito, not hard, but enough to squish the mosquito. Savannah looked at me so shocked! Oh I felt like a terrible person. I immediately apologized and then showed her the mosquito in my hand. (She is terribly allergic to them and really swells up.) So I told her she had a free one. She could hit my arm. So she did. Then Mommy explained that it isn’t right to hit people. Like I said…Oma fail!

We went to breakfast, and talked and talked. Savannah’s vocabulary is expanding every day and she is quite amazing.

Soon it was time to say goodbye and head home. We hugged and kissed, and yesterday was the first time Savannah didn’t want me to leave. That made me smile all day long and even this morning, as I write.

Savannah

Today I am off to watch Savannah at her dance class. I can hardly wait to see her. I promise a full report, with lots of pictures. To temp you, here is a picture of Savannah a couple months back when she tried dance class for the first time. She loved it!

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And here is another one.

Friday Five

I’ve been thinking a lot about life recently. How good it is, how wonderful the people in my life are, and how, despite life’s difficulties, well, life is really good. So, this week’s Friday Five are the wonderful things happening in my life.

I am going to be a grandmother again. Yes, my daughter is safely 15 week pregnant with her second child. A BOY! She is feeling well, the baby is growing inside her and I am thrilled. Not so much for myself, as for my daughter. Those of you who have more than one child can attest that your second baby (or third, or fourth…) brings more love into your family. Baby Boy is due in March and I can hardly wait to hold this bundle of sheer joy in my arms!
My sweet Savannah Rose continues to amaze and delight me. I never expected, I never knew, that being a grandmother would be as wonderful as it is. Sometimes I watch Savi and my heart swells and catches in my throat. She is so amazing! And Mandy and Matt are such wonderful parents to her.
My niece Jinny and her husband Ian, welcomed their much wanted and loved daughter this past week. April is gorgeous, and sweet and adored.

Jinny and Ian are wonderful parents and my sister is reveling in her job as baby/daughter nurse. She has been over each day to help Jinny, and cook and make sure that Jinny is rested. I know my sister, and I can safely say, she is the best “baby nurse” I can even think of!
My dogs. OK, you all stood by me when Lili was a wild child, baby pup. But she is getting to be so much better, and she is such a sweetheart! She is getting better playing with the dackels, and finally, I feel she is fitting in. The dackels, as usual, thrill me beyond words.
Hubby and I have been planning our trip to Ohio. We have a graduate student moving in here, and the best part is, she will actually live here while we are gone. I always hate the thought of the animals being alone, even for a moment, and our sitter works on her Doctorate online. This is a perfect arrangement!

TBT: Baby Arnie

Here are a few pictures of Arnie when he was a newborn puppy. My dearest friend, Emily, always loved him the best and she lamented over, and over , that we should not sell Arnie.

Arnie was the only male in Greta’s first litter of five pups. From the very start, Arnie was low key and easy to get along with.

Arnie was, in fact, sold, but on the day his new owner was going to pick him up, she changed her mind. Hubby and I always intended to sell him, but less than a week later, we decided that Arnie, was home for good! With us!

Baby Arnie

Arnie

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Emily and Arnie

Arnie at about 7 weeks

Feb. 4 Arnie

Arnie at 12 weeks

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Arnie now. We have never regretted keeping him. He is, quite simply, the best little guy around!

Up & Running

So, yesterday I woke up and got an email from a friend in Germany, telling me that Dackel Princess was broken.

I quickly checked the site, then called the service where I store her, and sure enough, Dackel Princess was broken.

The fact is, it’s been 6 years since I did anything to the site. By anything, I mean no upgrade to the system frame work. Truth be told, it’s time to get the latest version of WordPress and go from there.

So my Web Maven, Megan, will be working on the upgrade over the weekend, and then she and I are going to put our heads together and do a redesign in the next few weeks. New colors, new header, etc.

Meanwhile, I am glad to be up and running again! It’s such a helpless feeling to have the Blog down, and not know what to do to get her back up and running!

Thanks Megan!

What’s A Guitar Worth?

For all you airline passengers that have had problems with a claim…

A Canadian musician from Halifax named Dave Carroll recently had difficulty with United Airlines. Dave spent over 9 months trying to get United to pay for damages caused by baggage handlers to his custom Taylor guitar. During his final exchange with the United Customer Relations Manager he stated that he was left with no choice other than to create a music video for YouTube exposing their lack of cooperation.

The Manager responded: “Good luck with that one, pal.”

So Dave created and posted a retaliatory video on YouTube. The video has since received over 6 million hits. United Airlines contacted the musician and attempted settlement in exchange for pulling the video. Naturally his response was: “Good luck with that one, pal.”

Taylor Guitars sent the Dave two new custom guitars in appreciation for the product recognition from the video that has led to a sharp increase in orders.

Little Lamy

Way back, in 1989, Hubby and I were living in Germany. Berlin, Germany to be exact. We had leased a flat from another pilot, and I went about keeping house, while Hubby flew his day charters out of West Berlin. Yes, this was before the Berlin Wall fell, and living in West Berlin, was like living in an Island. The Wall surrounded our part of the city, and going in or out required a plane ticket or going through the East German Check points.

Anyway, I often wrote during this time, and since I did not have a laptop computer, I wrote in my notebook, with a pen.

I wasn’t there too long before my Bic ran out of ink. (Yes, I was doing a lot of writing.) So, I went down to the KaDeWe, and went to their stationary department to get a pen.

KaDeWe, the amazing German Department Store in the heart of the city, was close to our apartment. I looked around the department and my eyes fixed on the most beautiful of pens!

Lamy

The Lamy Econ ballpoint pen.

Yes, I was in love. The pen fit my hand just right, and my fingers never spasmed, as the shaft was thicker and more comfortable.

I loved my Lamy pen, and I never went anywhere without it.

Then in 1999, we were building this house, and one day I must have tucked the pen into the notebook I was using, because, my Lamy became lost.

Flash forward to 2015. I was cleaning out a closet, and there was a notebook I had often used, way back when. I opened the binding, and there, carefully placed, was my Lamy pen!

It still worked, and I went online to see if i could get refills, and sure enough, I can, through Amazon.com!

I am once again a happy lady, with my sweet pen!

Did you ever have something like this happen?

Never Forget

I think we all can tell you where we were, and what we were doing on that fateful day.

September 11, 2001

It was a beautiful day here in New Hampshire. Sunny, bright, clear with blue skies. I was taking a shower getting ready for a dental appointment, while Hubby was working on shingling the house. It was a day like any other here.
Hubby had the TV in our bedroom pointed out the window so he could listen to the morning news.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm and Hubby told me I had to get out of the shower now, something was happening. I was a little dazed and confused. I shut the water in the shower off and grabbed my towel.

Hubby and I sat in our family room watching Fox News, ABC, and CNN. A plane had hit one of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in downtown New York City.

While we watched, suddenly another plane came in and hit the other Tower!
We were both in shock. We listened to reports. No one was saying terrorism, not at first. But both Hubby and I knew.

I look at this picture, and I know that none of those innocent people got out alive. That thought brings me to tears each time.

We watched the Tower’s come down, one and then the other. We knew people had died. We just didn’t know how many.

At 12:30 I drove to my dental appointment. There was not another car on the road. Not one. I got to my dental appointment and found that I was the only patient that hadn’t cancelled that day.

When I got home we watched the TV all day. I called my family and my close friends. Just to hear their voices.

It doesn’t matter your political affiliations, or how you feel about the war. What matters is on September 11, 2001 innocent people died in New York City, In Washington, DC and in Shanksville, PA.

People like you and like me.
That was the day I learned that we are no longer safe here at home.

I also learned that when our country is attacked in such a manner, we pull together and unify.

God Bless all who lost their lives that day, to their families, who will never be the same, and all who serve this country each and every day to protect and defend us.

September 11, 2001: Basic Facts

Chronology
8:46 AM Plane crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
9:03 AM Plane crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center.
9:17 AM The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shuts down all New York City area airports.
9:21 AM The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halts all flights at U.S. airports. It is the first
time in history that air traffic has been halted nationwide.
9:38 AM Plane crashes into the Pentagon. Evacuation begins immediately.
9:45 AM The White House evacuates.
10:05 AM The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses.
10:10 AM A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:10 AM Plane crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
10:22 AM The State and Justice Departments, as well as the World Bank are evacuated.
10:28 AM The World Trade Center’s north tower collapses.
10:45 AM All federal office buildings in Washington, D.C. are evacuated.
1:44 PM Five warships and two aircraft carriers are ordered to leave the U.S. Naval Station
in Norfolk, Virginia to protect the East Coast.
4:10 PM Building 7 of the World Trade Center collapses.

The Flights
American Airlines Flight 11
From: Boston, Massachusetts (Logan Airport)
To: Los Angeles, California
Lives: 92 people on board
Crashed into North Tower of World Trade Center at 8:46 AM

United Airlines Flight 175
From: Boston, Massachusetts (Logan Airport)
To: Los Angeles, California
Lives: 65 people on board
Crashed into South Tower of World Trade Center at 9:03 AM

American Airlines Flight 77
From: Washington, D.C. (Dulles Airport)
To: Los Angeles, CA
Lives: 64 people on board
Crashed into the Pentagon at 9:38 AM

United Airlines Flight 93
From: Newark, New Jersey
To: San Francisco, California
Lives: 44 people on board
Crashed into rural Pennsylvania (southeast of Pittsburgh)

Victims
Victims came from more than 90 countries around the world.
The following are the number of people who died at each site:

World Trade Center 2,823 (includes airline passengers)
Pentagon 125 (not including plane victims)
Flight 11 – 92 people on board
Flight 175 – 64 people on board
Flight 77 – 64 people on board
Flight 93 – 44 people on board

The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m, the times the Towers were hit. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. Time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out.

Fact Sheet
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC
August 15, 2002