• I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
• I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
• I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
• I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
• I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
• I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
• I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.
Sunday was sort of a lost day for me. Oh, it started out alright, but by lunchtime I was overcome with a migraine headache, complete with sensitivity to light and sound! Which is just what you want to have on a bright sunny day with 4 dogs in the house!
Once the British Open ended on cable, I shut off the TV, got the blinders I’d recently gotten on my trip to Germany, and put those on, and curled up in the fetal position in my chair. Praying for relief.
Anneliese came over and snuggled with me, as if comforting me. She even kissed the side of my head a few times.
I took some medication for the pain and by 4:30 I was able to stand it enough to sit up and think about the last bit of work for today. Dinner. It’ll be a simple meal of corn on the cob, baked potatoes and grilled steak. Then I am done.
Although I get headaches, they aren’t usually this bad. I’m looking forward to waking up tomorrow and having this blasted thing gone!
Saturday was a day of many jobs. The usual job or laundry and meals, the same and not so terribly exciting, and then the other jobs, which were a bit more thrilling, and so I will share them with you.
I went out for a walk with Anneliese early so she could get some good exercise. We enjoyed the walk, despite the already warm temperatures. We arrived back home and Anneliese came in and lay down on the rug and stretched out to rest!
Can you just see that big beautiful puppy belly? This picture really made me smile!
Then I took Greta and we went to the garden to do some cutting. My garden is so lush this year and extremely prolific!
The things that are growing the best are the squash and zucchini and the cucumbers. In fact, after giving away more squash today I still have enough for more than a week in the fridge. My friends had better watch out or I will bring some over!
I then stopped to cut some of my Japanese eggplant, called Ichiban. They are long and thin, but oh so sweet and delicious! Here you will see them in the basket with the summer squash and zucchini.
I decided then to make our bed with fresh sheets and a clean blanket, but while I was stripping off the old bedding, Arnie decided to help!
Then I decided that I’d better use up some of my cucumbers before they went bad! I got them out and made my first batch of Bread & Butter Pickles. I made 7 pints of wonderful pickles! Oh, how I love those!
As the day passed, Anneliese took another nap. This time stretched out on the sofa. She really is looking pregnant and happy.
I’m sitting here writing after a lovely day. I drove south and got together with Mandy and her Grandmother to celebrate Grammy’s birthday! She turned 85 years old!
I was so happy that I had the chance to spend the time with her. You see, although she is my former mother in-law, I love her just as much as I did when I was legally her daughter in-law.
I guess some things don’t change with the signing of divorce papers. Isn’t that wonderful?
We had a three hour lunch just talking about the old days, and Mandy’s birth, and how I’ve known her since I was just 15 years old.
We shared so many of the happiest days of my life, the saddest too. But today we talked about the happy ones, like Mandy’s birth and the wonder of her grandchildren.
Love never dies, does it? I know with my first marriage, sadly, we went to different places after the accident, but the love for some of my ex-husband’s family, has stayed with me all of this time.
1. This is what life does. It lets you forever wonder at all the twists and turns until you figure out that all you really need to do it sit back and enjoy.
2. Can one truly ever appreciate the moment?
3. Upon reflection my life has not always gone along the way I thought it would, but I have been blessed in so many ways.
4. I’ve wanted to get back onto my Weight Watchers Plan for quite a long time.
5. Later, you wake up and see that all in all, life is very good!
6. Off we trekked to the far and boundless sea.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to dinner with Hubby, tomorrow my plans include laundry and Sunday, I want to do something different, just not sure what yet!!
You know. Having had Anneliese since the moment she was born, gives me a unique perspective into the type of dog that she is.
The most amazing thing I’d seen was when Anneliese was delivered into this world and came out squealing. I remarked to Hubby that we shouldn’t keep that one! Little did I know…
Anneliese
She would slowly start to grow on me. She would do the cutest things that made me smile. She never let the fact that she was a wee bit smaller than her brother and sisters keep her down. She would stand up for herself and play with wild abandon!
Anneliese
And she worked her whiles on me, until I started to slowly, completely, fall in love with her.
Me with Anneliese
She is three and a half years old now. We have traveled around the northeastern part of the USA, and into Canada. We’ve gone to Germany, twice. Each night she sleeps nestled up behind my knees.
Me with Anneliese
At this point in my life, I cannot imagine her not being in it. Now we have my girl facing motherhood for the second time in just a few short weeks. Once again, it will be me and my girl. We’ll handle the birthing and caring of her babies together, just like we did before.
Anneliese and her first litter
I can hardly wait to see what these puppies will be like. What they will look like. Oh, the fun we will have!
Peel under cool water, the uncooked beets. Notice, they will not make your fingers red! When all the beets are peeled, cut them into quarters.
Spread beets in a roasting pan and lightly pour olive oil over them and then toss the beets to coat them. Cover with aluminum foil tightly, and roast for 40-50 minutes. Shake the pan to move the beets around in the pan, but let it stay covered.
Beets are done when tender and they are caramelized in the pan.
These are so delicious and the beets taste so sweet. It is now my favorite way to have them!
Isn’t it amazing how an animal can change your life? One, single, little animal changed mine. It was something I never expected at all. And yet…
Years ago, back in 1994, Hubby and I went to Germany to visit with friends. They lived very close to Munich, in a small village called Aufkirchen. Hubby wanted me to meet his friends there and we arranged a nice visit.
Lucie and Otto had a little dog. His name was Shubi. I’d never really seen a dog like him before, but it was love at first sight!
I’d always loved dogs, always had them, but Shubi was different. It was the very first time that I’d ever seen a wire-haired dachshund. I wanted one of my own, but Hubby complained that we already had a dog (and we did, a White Shepherd named, Max!) and didn’t need two dogs. I was disappointed, but agreed, all the while thinking that one day I would have my dackel!
A year passed and we learned that Otto was ill with cancer and so we planned a trip to see him and his family. We came at the beginning of February and when we arrived we learned that little Shubi had been hit by a car and killed.
My heart broke, as I walked through the silent house. At breakfast the next morning I said, “You know, it’s too quiet here. We should get wire-haired pups together!” Then Hubby and I went out to the shop to buy a few things that we needed. I think that was when I forgot to pack socks for Hubby.
We returned and Otto had found an ad in the newspaper for Rauhhaardackel (wire-haired) Puppies. He had called and arranged for us to go and look at them.
So off we drove to Landshut, Germany. That is where I met, and fell head over heels in love with a little girl puppy that I named Shubi!
She was small and sweet and lively. She brightened my days, just being in it. The picture above was taken in Landshut, where I found my dearest girl.
Our friends took her brother, Toni and the two were able to get together several times over the years. Shubi always remember the house in Aufkirchen and brother and sister always remembered each other.
Shubi was the wind beneath the wings of Max as he grew old and eventually passed from this life. And when we brough Fritz home as a puppy, Shubi became a Mommy to him.
Thus explaining why Fritz believes he is a dachshund. After all, his Mama, Shubi taught him all about being a dog.
Eventually Shubi began to grow old herself and sometimes even she needed a rest during a long hike.
Her health began to fail, and three years ago, she went to Rainbow Bridge. That was terrible day. I thought I would never feel for a dog the way I felt for her.
I started to breed dogs, and all the while I bred I thought that perhaps, I was breeding that one special dog for someone. It’s an amazing thing to see and feel.
Then just the other day, I was sitting in my chair and Anneliese came up and snuggled up against my face and looked at me with such love and I realized that here she is, my very own special dog.
I love all my dogs, you know, and until the other day I didn’t realize that this special bonding had happened. With Shubi it was instant. With Anneliese, it has come over time.
So who knows, perhaps one of the babies in her belly will be someones special Puppy! I certainly would like to believe so.
I was on cloud nine all day on Monday! Anneliese is pregnant, still not sure how many, but she is pregnant! I am so happy! Now we start getting ready for the birth in August. Her due date will be approximately on August 5th or 6th.
I can now look at Anneliese and enjoy her beautiful belly! I can look at her and smile, dreaming of how many babies she just might have in there.
In a few weeks I will have the x-rays done to see how many are in there, but in another 10 days they’ll repeat the ultrasound.
Meanwhile, we will increase her food, just a bit. Each day I want to take her on a walk, just her and me, around the neighborhood, so that she can stay in shape. I’ve been in touch with Makenna and she is all ready to help keeping Anneliese is shape and of course helping with the puppies afterward.
One thing I want to do this time, is to take more birth pictures. Last time I only got pictures of the first puppy’s birth, so now I would like to play around a little and photograph more.
I took Anneliese in this noontime and they did the ultrasound and she is, indeed pregnant! I saw extremely tiny fetuses with even tinier beating hearts! It was too sweet! Here is a picture of what a fetus looks like at this stage of the game. This is just for demonstration purposes.
If you’d like to see a short video of a canine fetus at this stage follow this link and you will see a great, short video!
We’ll be going back in 10 days to take another look and find out if we can determine how many pups she actually has in there.
