Dackel Princess

TBT: My First Trip To Germany Spring 1989

I first went to Germany in the spring of 1989. Hubby was a pilot for Pan Am, and he was temporarily assigned to West Berlin. This was before the Wall came down, and nothing I experienced then, comes close to the reunified city now.

This was the Airbus Hubby flew over from New York with a 3 man crew, and me. They showed me how to warm up meals and make coffee and I was able to experience a take off and landing on this flight in the cockpit, as well as see St Elmo’s Fire. There were no passengers on this flight. They had to fill up to the brim with jet fuel in order to make the flight from JFK to Berlin, Tegel Airport.

There we are, at Checkpoint Charlie, when it really was a crossing from West into East Berlin. I went through several times with the US Military (a special privilege they gave to Pan Am families).

Here I am in East Berlin at Alexander Platz. I recall the gardens there were so beautiful. I spent a lot of time walking around East Berlin, and I brought back many wonderful things to remind me of my trip. The items we have used the most over the years are the cotton Decke (comforter type blanket). I love the two I bought, but they are slowly falling to pieces now.

I also learned to love Dackels! Friends of Hubby’s, had a wonderful male, Wirehaired Dackel, named Shubi. He spoke no English, and I spoke no German, but it was love at first sight for us both.

In the years to come each time we visited, Shubi was at my feet, in my arms, and in my bed! Oh, I loved that little man!

Years later, during the fall of 1995 Shubi got out of their yard and was hit by a lorry. My first visit back did not feel the same. I mourned the loss of my little friend. I saw how quiet their house was and said, “You know, we should get puppies together!”

And we did! In February of 1996 we brought home a three month old female Wirehaired Dackel, that we named Shubi-2. Our friends got her brother and named him Toni!

She was the best souvenir that I ever got!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What’s your best piece of advice for a newly married couple? I’m asking for a friend.

Live, learn, love and remember, we are all human and fallible. So be kind to each other and do not judge your spouse harshly.

2. Before we’re too far into the new year I wanted to post a question Teresa submitted during the December giveaway. Teresa blogs over at Being Refined As Silver, so everyone go say hi.

Teresa asks, “What were you doing on December 31st, 1999?”and “Did you or your family make preparations for Y2K?”

We got a couple of bottles of champagne, and some appetizers and held down the fort, hoping for a good outcome.

3. According to Global Language Monitor, the most used word of 2014 isn’t a word. It’s the heart emoji. Huh? How can something that’s not a word be the most used word, but I digress. What do you think was your most used word in 2014?

I digress. That’s the word, digress. This year I am going to attempt to stay on track. And not “digress” so much!

4. Speaking of words, it’s that time again. Time for Lake Superior University to present a list of words they’d like to see banished (for over-use, mis-use, and general uselessness) in 2015. You can read more about the decision making process here, but this year’s top vote getters are-

bae (before anyone else), polar vortex, hack, skill set, swag, foodie, curate/curated, friend-raising, enhanced interrogation, cra-cra (as in crazy), takeaway, and -nation (a suffering sports suffix).

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Is there a word not on the list you’d like to add?

bae. I hate abbreviations like that.

5. January is National Hot Tea month? Are you a fan? Do you like flavored teas? How do you take your tea? Have a favorite cup or teapot? How many cups of tea do you consume in a given day?

I love tea. I drink Twinnings English Breakfast Tea. With a little cream and a little Splenda. I drink 2-3 china mugs of tea a day.

6. Whatever happened to:

People being respectful of each other, their religions and basic human rights? This whole Terrorist act in Paris has shook me to the core!

7. What is one book on your must-read list this winter?

Crash: A Mother, A Son, And The Journey From Grief To..

By, Carolyn Roy-Bornstein

8. Insert your own random thought here

I am sick of below zero temperatures. I am so cold and finding it difficult to get warm!

Low, Low, Low

Something weird happened today. We were shopping and it was a little late for lunch. I felt almost like I was having a hot flash.

Then, I got:

Confused, double vision, heart palpitations, shakiness, anxiety, sweating, and somehow I knew I needed protein and sugar.

Since I was in a grocery store I grabbed an orange juice, cheese, cookie, and then Reece’s peanut-butter cup. Then I could feel my blood sugar coming up.

However, I was totally wiped out and feeling very shaky and tired. I need to get my blood-work done on Wednesday, and then see my doctor.

The weird thing was that this is the worst episode I have had. And it took me a long time to feel better. I think I need to keep protein products close by so that I don’t crash like this again. I certainly need to speak to my doctor about it.

Canning

Another cold day dawned, far too early, and I watched as the dawn broke and the clouds moved in. I can take snow, but not this below zero temperatures. That just takes all the life out of me.

I started doing something different with my oatmeal. What’s that, you ask? Well, when I get up I measure the water and oats, and set it in the pan on the stove, and leave it there. Then when Hubby gets up and I make him his 2 eggs, with bacon and toast, I cook my oatmeal. There is something about this soaking process that makes the oatmeal creamier.

A friend of mine is moving (just a few streets away) but she is getting rid of all her junk. Yes, that’s where I come in. She hit the mother-load of all jelly jars and called me to see if I wanted them! Yahoo! We brought them all home, ran them through the dishwasher, and they are now all set and stored and ready for canning season. I think I may make some strawberry this year!

I still have dinner to make tonight. I’m thinking Mexican. Hubby loves it and it is so easy to put together!

Have a great Monday, Everyone!

Up Here In The Frozen North

Today I accomplished a few things. Yay for me, right? Well, I wish I had done more, but my old back started aching and well, that’s all I could do.

Still, I managed three meals for Hubby and me, feeding and walking the dogs, vacuuming, and changing sheets. Whew! I guess I did get a lot more than I thought done!

Greta

Oh yes, and I watched the New England Patriots play the Baltimore Ravens.What an exciting game! I usually don’t get super into football (my favorite sport to watch is tennis), but I do love football playoff time! The Patriots won 35-31!

Arnie

It’s still freezing cold up here. I’m at the point where I think spring and warmer temperatures may never come!

Jan 25 036

Anneliese

Now we will get our soft blankies and watch reruns on the TV. I know it will be an early bedtime for me!

Lili

Snow, Oil, Computers

Friday morning I woke to find a winter wonderland outside the window. Although it was not nearly as cold, the snow sure was flying.

Now I love snow as much as the next gal, but today was our Oil delivery, and as I have previously noted, our driveway is 500 feet downhill to the house and then 500 feet uphill to the main roads.

So, I woke up Hubby and told him he had to get up, have breakfast, and then get out and snow-blow the driveway.

The oil truck won’t deliver if the drive is at all dicey. Lucky for us, the drive was cleared and the delivery was made! Yay!!!

I also had a small computer problem with my external hard drive, I thought I had lost all this information from 2006-2014. However, I was able to get into the drive and retrieve the information and pictures.

Yahoo! I will sleep better tonight!

Boots, Ice & Bad Backs

I think we need to get little doggy boots for Arnie. The last few days, with nothing but ice and salt on the roads, we haven’t been allowing him to go for his walks with his Daddy. He is totally bereft. He lives for those walks with Hubby.

The other day when he went out and came back covered with dirt and salt. I quickly washed his feet and got him cleaned up.

Lili sprinted off today and I grabbed my ice treads and went after her. She is way faster than me, so I jumped in the car and drove up the hill to my neighbors, got her in the car and came home. Unfortunately, I twisted my back the wrong way and it is one big ouchie!

I’m thinking a hot bath might be in the cards after I watch The Big Bang Theory and Mom. Oh yeah, and time to break out the heating pad.

My new clogs arrived today and I love them. I have always used my clogs as slippers, but these are too nice to be going out in the snow in. I think I will try to find some cheap ones that I don’t care about.

As i write (8 PM on Thursday) it is already -1 degree (F). I guess it will be another cold night. Thank goodness for the three dackels! They are like hot water bottles!

Too Darn Cold!

Minus 14 degrees (F) this morning, here in my part of New Hampshire! When I put my pinky toes out of bed, I wanted to climb right back in. I could hear Lili in her puppy room and so I figured she probably needed to get out and do her business, despite the cold. I was correct.

The dackels reluctantly went out, and then raced back in. Too cold for little babies like them! Currently they are all cuddled under my soft blankie that my sister gave me for Christmas.

Yesterday was a good day. I went to Weight Watchers and had lost a pound and a half! Then I came home, stopping to do errands first, and in the afternoon, I made a triple batch of Cabbage Vegetable Soup, despite the fact that I really don’t like it. But Hubby loves it, so for him, I would do anything.

Today, I have only planned laundry and to clean out the cupboard under my sink. Oh yes, and to drink nice hot tea!

I sure hope January flies by. For that matter I would take February, March and the first part of April too! I want spring and summer! NOW!

Dreams

I’ve thought a lot lately about dreams. Those sleepy private moments in my mind. When I was young, the dreams were silly and didn’t really make much sense. I remember that one reoccurring dream, was that I could fly with no plane. Just me thinking about flying and off I would go. I would keep thinking about flying because if I didn’t I would start to go down and as I neared the ground, whoosh, I would never land, but wake up.

As I grew up and began to experience the loss of loved ones, occasionally they would come to me in my dreams. Having tea with my Grandma Honey and Papa Fred, or sitting in my Papa Sam’s lap listening to Barbershop Quartets. All dreams, of people that had left me.

Now as a middle aged woman, I dream of my daughter often. I watch Katie playing in the snow, or at the beach. I see her apple cheeks and bright red curls. I know it is a dream, and I try to make the little dream visit last. Sometimes I can, and sometimes it ends as quickly as it starts.

Since my parents passed away, I have started to dream of them too. Little glimpses. It’s like they come back to say hello, that they are with me, they smile and float off.

My Aunt and Uncle come too. It’s funny I can’t recall that any of them really say anything, but they are peaceful, happy and I feel loved by them. I guess I feel peaceful too.

Dreams are wonderful things aren’t they? Do you dream like this?

ICE

You would not have believed our driveway on Monday morning! I think I have mentioned that our driveway is about 500 feet going up hill to the street, right? Well today, that 500 feet was all black ice!

Usually I would not care, but Hubby was going to the VA doctors and had to leave the house at 9 AM. He actually left a little early, and it took him quite a while to make it up that driveway. In fact, after he left I called my sander-man and arranged for him to come and sand and salt the driveway.

He was amazed at the number of calls that he had gotten to come and rescue people. The weather over the weekend really made a mess of the roads.

I broke out my ice walkers so when I walked the dogs I wouldn’t slip. Those ice treads were one of the best things I have ever gotten myself at LL Bean!

Looking out in my back yard the hill is all frozen ice on top of the 6 inches of snow! It’s pretty, but scary too.

Back in my youth I would have grabbed a cookie sheet or whatever sliding object I could and sledded down something like that. Unfortunately as you age you realize that bones break and it’s not so easy to get them healed up after menopause!