Okay gang, today is the day! I take Anneliese in at Noon for her exam. Hubby proclaims that she is not pregnant, but I am still holding out hope that she has little biscuits in her oven! (Puppies in the belly)
It is 38 days now since she was bred. The puppies should be large enough to see (I think) and definitely we should be able to see their little tiny hearts beating. (Be still my own heart!)
I was looking at pictures of Anneliese from her last litter, at the same time in her pregnancy and she looks JUST like she did then. Here is a picture from Day 38 in March of 2009.
And here she is now, July 2010.
Here is another one in March 2009.
And now, July 2010.
Okay, so what do you think? The more I look at her and the pictures from her last pregnancy, the more convinced I am that she is pregnant.
As I said, our appointment is at Noon. They will do the ultrasound then, and we will know if she is pregnant or not. Keep your fingers and toes crossed and I will post when I get home!
I thought I had mentioned this, but I am now working, part time for my friend, who is also the best hair stylist and colorist that I know. She owns her own salon and I am currently doing reception and secretarial work, and will be applying for my shampoo license so I can assist the other stylists at busy times, by shampooing their clients. It’s just for the summer, and I have to tell you I really like it! I enjoy meeting people, I love answering the phone and the computer work is also something that I fancy.
Meanwhile, my little family of Hubby and the dogs is adjusting to my being gone during the day, and I feel ever so appreciated at the end of my shift, both at work and when I arrive home to happy dogs and a smiling husband.
********************
Tomorrow at noon is the ultra-sound on Anneliese to see if their are puppies inside of that belly of hers. I want to remain optimistic that there are little babies in there, and so I am just not allowing myself to consider that she isn’t. Her belly is nice and round, and she is showing other signs too. So I have fingers and toes crossed!
********************
Like every other working gal, today is grocery shopping day. I’ve never been a Sunday shopper, but I really need to get the groceries as I just won’t have time to drive the 30 minutes to our closest and best grocery store. We need so many things, and I need to stock up again on meats, chicken and fish. Interestingly my favorite frozen fillets of Norwegian Haddock are on sale this week for $3.99 a pound! It’s the best Haddock ever and I plan to stock up. (It comes frozen right off the boats)
********************
Our weather broke on Saturday and we had several good rain storms blow through. Finally a break from all that heat! It’s still a bit on the humid side, but nothing like it was.
********************
My garden is flourishing in all of this warm, and now wet weather. The cucumbers are thriving, the squash is more than abundant and I have already eaten my first Ichiban Eggplant! I was out there after dinner last night and marveled at the lush greenery!
It reminded me that this is why I plant a garden each year!
I came home from work Friday night and looked at Anneliese. She looks amazingly pregnant to me! Or, was this just my anxious and hopeful eyes that saw this?
I admit to being hopeful. I only have a few more days until they repeat the ultra sound and we will have a better idea if she has babies in her belly!
It was a busy week for me between work, and home. Try as I might, I don’t seem to get the laundry done during the week, so I will just have to work on it after work today, and on Sunday. Of course on Sunday I need to grocery shop as well, and so I’m thinking that the weekend won’t provide much in the way of rest either.
The weather, something which is usually dull to write about, has actually been interesting, if you find temperatures of 98-103 degrees (f) interesting. It’s a humid, sticky, thick air mass and kind of awful to be out in. They are forecasting thunder storms for today and with them brings the hope of a drier, cooler, air mass. I’m hoping that this is true!
3. I’d be willing to betthat Anneliese is pregnant.
4. A bearscares the dog.
5. I’m fond ofapple blossoms in May
6. This week I am trying to stay on my Weight Watchers Plan and not eattoo much!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward tocoming home after work and vegetating, tomorrow my plans includework in the morning and spending time with Hubby in the afternoonand Sunday, I want to _grocery shop and have a barbecue with Hubby and anyone else that wants to come!
My new, mouse arrived in the mail! I am thrilled. You see, I mentioned before how much I hated disliked the cordless mouse! So, I ordered a mouse specifically made for a laptop computer, and with a short…leash chord.
It is perfect! I doesn’t try to run away, off of my chairs armrest, and it has not once hit the floor the way the cordless one did. In fact the cordless one hit the floor three times in less than an hour the first day!
I love my new leashed mouse,
and I will quite happily return the cordless one to the store and tell them how impossible it was to use. Hubby thinks we should just keep it for when his cordless mouse “bites the dust” and goes to “mouse heaven” (the trash).
One thing I do know is that I am really happy with my new leashed mouse! For this girl, there is no cordless mouse. I want the thing practically tied to my wrist or glued to my hand.
About 3:30 in the morning on Wednesday, I was awakened by Greta, who was not feel tip top. She was fussing and I knew she needed a little bit of her medication, and so I got up and got them, and came back and gave them to her. After I washed my hands I went back to get into bed, and Greta was asleep lying across my pillow, quite happily asleep!
Now, what do I do? Wake my little girl, who already isn’t feeling well, or get up and go sleep on the sofa?
If you guessed that I took a blanket and an extra pillow and camped out on the sofa, you would have been right! I slept on one side until my hip began to ache and then I turned and slept on the other hip until it started to ache. I slept on my back, and actually managed to sleep until 7 AM, when I got up, more for self preservation than anything else.
Later I was off to Weight Watchers (this is a don’t ask, don’t tell week) and then work. I really love my job and the people I am working with, so despite the brutal heat, I had a very good day.
I arrived home to find that Hubby had cleaned up the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher and even picked vegetables from our garden for dinner. I quickly sauteed up a few things, placed them all on a plate and served dinner.
Now I plan to collapse and watch my Soap before hitting my bed, a little earlier tonight. I have a full day tomorrow, and need to catch up on my sleep.
Yes folks, today here in the usually cool northeastern part of the USA, we sweltered for the second day of, what looks to be, a week long heatwave! The air is thick with humidity, and at 7:30 it was already 86 degrees!
The day progressed with the thermometer continually rising. The dogs lay around and I only did things that I could do in our air conditioned rooms. Yes, life in a heatwave can only continue, if you have air conditioning, or just cease to do much of anything.
I always enjoy the summer heat, but I prefer drier, slightly cooler temperatures. But…I’ll survive, until the heat breaks and life as I know it (and like it) returns!
While my sister was here we spent a lot of time together. We sat looking at the computer, at the TV and just enjoying the dogs. Melodie and I do not get to spend a lot of time together, because our lives and obligations keep us in different worlds. Of course we are grateful that we have the same Cell Phone Carrier, because we can talk, anytime, for as long as we want, for free!
Last night the dogs were in rare form. They snuggled with us, and then posed so nicely for us. First up was Arnie. He has a real crush on my sister, and I would be jealous, except that Arnie also showers me with love!
Anneliese still just wants to be by my side. She looks very pregnant to me, and in fact everyone at the barbecue on the 4th swears she is pregnant. Even Dave, who is part American Indian, and laid his hands on her, says he can feel the life force of babies!
And my dear Greta is still being quiet, as she is bothered by the the heat! Me too!
Monday found us cleaning up after the holiday and slowly getting back to a normal existence here in Dackel Princess Land. Laundry was done, naps were taken and dogs were walked and loved.
The holiday is over and it is back to the sizzling summertime!
It was just perfect weather today here in New Hampshire, for a good old fashioned barbecue! I’d found a great technique for making pork ribs and so today was all about experimentation!
Me, as I readied myself for the day at hand.
My trusted assistant, and sister, Melodie.
I really hated to try this with such expensive ribs. Baby-back ribs are not cheap, but the gentleman in the video seemed to know what he was saying and doing, so we followed each step, carefully.
First you clean the ribs and remove that thick membrane from the bone side of the ribs. You wash them and pat them dry with paper towels, and then use a barbecue seasoning rub, on both sides and really rub it in.
Now here is the part I worried about. It said to wrap the ribs securely with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Then marinate overnight. Then take the wrapped ribs, and place them into a preheated 300 degree (F) oven and cook for two and a half hours on a cookie sheet.
Now my mother always told me to NEVER put plastic wrap in the oven! So, I really had a problem with this. But I decided to persevere, and throw caution to the wind! Here is what happened after I removed the ribs from the oven and allowed them to cool for 20 minutes.
After we allowed the ribs to rest, we coated them with our favorite barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s) and then grilled them on a charcoal barbecue until they were not only aromatic, but fabulously beautiful to behold, as they sizzled, barbecue at it’s finest!
The ribs came out so well and everyone ate them pretty quickly. I did manage a shot of them just before people dove in and started to help themselves.
And then I made up a plate and…
Mmmmmm, they were so good!
We went to the fireworks and they were fabulous. My little town puts on a great show down at the docks. The show lasted close to half an hour and my sister took some great pictures!
One of my favorites.
I thought this one was also great.
And if you look very carefully, in the bottom right corner is your very own Dackel Princess!
Now it is time to kick back just like my man, Arnie. He has had a big day and relaxation is what it is all about!
Here we are. I’m sitting next to my sister, who is reading people magazine, the soccer is on (don’t you hate the drone of those horns?), and the dogs are happily lazing all around the room enjoying the company.
I’ve worked very hard today cleaning. Why? Well, my brother in-law is allergic to the dogs, and I try very hard to clean before he arrives to lessen his allergic attack. I hope it will work.
I am finally sitting down, at 9:15 in the evening, and I can say that I’m tied, but mostly my feet are tired. I wonder what is up with that?
Tomorrow is the 4th of July. Independence Day for my country. We’re having a barbecue with ribs, and tonight Mel and I prepared them with rib-rub, and wrapped them up to marinate.
My cousin Janet is coming up along with Dave, Michelle and Julie and our neighbor, Tina is coming down too. It’s supposed to be in the 90’s, and I am hoping for a light breeze, but we shall see!
Not too much else to report. I hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July!
