My bags are packed and all I need to do is sleep for a few hours and then drive to my daughter’s home to leave my car. Then I can sit back a bit and let the adventure begin!
Let’s hope that 2022 is kinder than the last few years have been. I wish you all good health and much happiness!
Happy New Year!
You know, all my dackels have come to me by meticulous planning. Greta came from Rheden, Germany, and we planned a trip over just to bring her home.
Me with baby Greta!
The anticipation was great, as back in the day, I didn’t even have one picture of her, just the photos of her Mom and Dad, who were German Champions. And yet, Greta was amazing from day one.
Arnie and Anneliese were Greta’s children, and although I never intended to keep Arnie, magically he stayed and proved to be the dackel of my heart. I watched each of them take their first breaths. In fact, Anneliese was actually born squealing!
Anneliese & Arnie.
There are times I still think Arnie is on the bed at night with me, and then I wake and remember…
The only dackel that wasn’t planned was Shubi. She was my very first. We’d gone to visit friends in Bavaria, and their dackel had been hit by a car and their house was now terribly quiet.
Shubi and me in the Munich Airport.
I sort of off handily said we should get puppies together. And before I knew it we were in Landshut, Germany adopting Shubi and bringing her home.
In some ways, Heidi’s adoption is really a love story close to that of Arnie and Anneliese. Although I did not see her born, there was just something about Heidi from day one, that let me know she should be my girl.
The little one with the red collar is Heidi!
The pictures of her little face and tiny body, well it’s hard to explain. I just knew.
I am so fortunate to have met a wonderful breeder, who has become a friend. I love how she is raising the puppies and how she has kept all of us new puppy parents updated.
Heidi and her Mama, Luna.
So, I am off tomorrow and I will be taking a lot of pictures and bringing Heidi home!
The plans are made. My bags are packed. I go to the grocery store later today and do the last load of laundry. Very early on Friday, I drive to Mandy’s to leave my car and off I go. To say I am excited is an understatement!
Heidi, here I come!
I got an idea about 11 AM yesterday morning. I needed to look for other ways to get to the airport. A no-stress way. So I went online to a company started by a retired Delta Pilot. And after seeing how affordable it was, made my reservation to have them pick me up from Mandy’s house, where I can leave my car, and this service will drive me to my terminal, and after my trip, they will be there to get me and Heidi and bring us to Mandy’s home!
I had two weird charges on my credit card. Simply an error at my doctor’s office. A phone call and it was settled.
Tonight I feel calm and settled and now we simply hope and pray for all Airline personnel to stay healthy.
The packing is going well, and I have just a few more things to go into my bag. It won’t be long now!
The end of the year is upon us. We have now gone through two years of this darn Covid Virus. Not only is the virus maddening, but I have found that in order to protect my family, I spend most of my time isolated from the world.
I am vaccinated. I also got the booster shot. I wear a mask to protect myself, and Jack, as well as other people around me. Hearing these dire warning messages from Dr. Faucci this weekend angered me.
He was all gloom and doom and says we will all have to wear a mask for the rest of our lives. Well Dr. Faucci, I sure hope that you are wrong. Since you are rather advanced in years, (81) perhaps we will have to wear them until the end of your life. (OMG! I know. That is so mean!)
The terrible flu in 1918 was like wildfire. And it had no vaccine. People washed, they were careful, and eventually, the virus died out. I chose to believe that this will happen.
As I sit here this morning looking at my plans to travel on Friday and Sunday, I am really hoping and praying for the health of all the airline flight crews! Get me to Nashville!
Meanwhile, I am slightly stressed. You will all laugh, but here is my dilemma.
I am driving myself to Boston’s, Logan Airport. I am planning to park the car myself and make my way to my terminal. Now this sounds easy, right?
Well, in my 63 years, although I have traveled extensively, I have not done the parking in large cities. We had Crew Parking when Jack was flying, and back when we lived in Florida, the local airport was so small and parking was easy.
I look at the drive to Boston as a challenge and then actually finding my way to the parking area I want simply freaks me out! I have actually been watching Youtube Videos and how and where to park.
So, between the flight cancellations and the parking and all the driving, I was up at 3:45 AM this morning. Yes. Stress and worry. Always the things that bug me the most.
Today I will work on packing and finishing up the laundry. I also need to run to the grocery store for a few things.
I sure hope your Christmas was nice. For those who did not have snow, we made up for it. With the beauty that is felt when one stands outside in the falling snow and hears nothing but silence.
Perfection!
A beautiful new Christmas song by Tom Walker and Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge. It’s lovely. It definitely touched a place in my heart.
‘For Those Who Can’t Be Here’
Enjoy!
My darlings in 2005. Fritz and a youthful Greta!
Well, here we are, Christmas Eve. The Year is nearly gone and soon Santa will arrive at people’s houses and children will squeal with joy! Christmas will be here!
5. Here is ABBA’s new Christmas song. It’s lovely and I find it joyous and soothing.
Happy Christmas Eve!
In this day and age, my modern favorite Christmas Carol is Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time”. It just fills me with joy and I always stop and sing along.
After that, I go for some beautiful classic tunes, such as “Carol of the Bells”. This one makes me think of my dear friend Candy, who I lost nearly three years ago now. But this song fills me with peace and joy.
Silent Night is a classic and one I learned to sing very early on. It is still one of my favorites.
And probably the one I like the very most is this, “The Holly and the Ivy”. Candy and I once sang this with our choir.
What Carols make you feel all Christmassy this time of the year?
Recently, I read a story a man had written where he fussed and fumed about his father never buying him any good Christmas gift. Well, I shook my head in disbelief.
You see, my Dad was a really busy man. He taught school 5 days a week, he taught piano after school to so many of the kids I went to school with. He also played the organ at the local Congregational Church, was the director of the Senior and Junior Choirs, and also directed the Handbell Choir. Each year Dad directed a Christmas Carol sing on our town’s Village Green. Not to mention playing the organ for many weddings and funerals.
So each year Dad would go down to the local Pharmacy or 7/11 Grocery Store, whichever was open on Christmas morning and did his Christmas shopping for us.
Here I am, at the age of 12, on Christmas Morning with the gifts that Dad got for me. Notecards, a horoscope book, hat and gloves, a little kitty, and two dolls.
I wish I could sit down with that man who complained and tell him how lucky I feel that my Dad went out before I woke on Christmas to get these things for me. He did it every year. Sometimes I got life-saver candies, sometimes some Christmas candy. Sometimes chapsticks. Sometimes a teen magazine. But he shopped on his own and bought these things for me all by himself.
My Dad did the very best he could, all on his own, and I feel like I was pretty lucky!
Mom did the big shopping. And it was pretty good too. Mom also cooked the best Christmas breakfasts and Christmas dinners. She was a traditional Mum.
But all in all, looking back now, I think I was pretty blessed all around. I didn’t have to have my Dad buy me the world to show me that he loved me. His Christmas Day shopping sprees mean more to me now than he will ever know.