Dackel Princess

A Thing Of The Past

I woke to absolute quietness, which in turn made me think that something was amiss. After all, the puppies are never this quiet unless they are getting into to something they shouldn’t, like the night they escaped the puppy room.

Sleepily, I pulled on my robe and slippers and headed out to check, and there I saw it…an empty puppy room!

Consciously I knew they were gone, but in those first moments of wakefulness, I had totally forgotten. I smiled a sad smile, and turned and made the coffee.

Later, as I poured my first cup, I looked over at the vacant room, and in my minds eye, I could see those beautiful brown eyed babies watching me.

It’s always like this, the first few days after all the puppies have gone. Hubby and I were growing dangerously close to Curt, and we both admit to missing him quite a bit today.

Meanwhile, I have scrubbed the room, repainted a few spots and late this afternoon returned the table and bench to their rightful places, and rehung our jackets on the wall pegs. I have pretty much erased all the signs of puppies in there.

All of this made me feel tired, so after I finished putting things away, I made some tea and then sat down to relax.

Yes, this granny can relax until next summer when I do it all over again with Anneliese!

Good-Bye Curt!

It was the end of Greta’s litter today, as Curt left us to go to his new home. Gail and Faye came to pick her up and bring him home to his new family. There are several dogs and a teenage boy to keep him company there.

Curt liked them both right away. He was adorable and we lay a track outside so I could show them how he tracks the blood to find the deer hide. The little bugger did pretty well, but once he got the hide in his teeth I could not get him to let it go! Oh that Curt is a stubborn one!

I completely forgot to take pictures, but Gail sent me these two beautiful ones of her with her new boy! Thank you so much Gail! I look forward to many, many more!

So the puppy room has been cleaned, and tomorrow I will move the furniture back in, as well as our coats, and life will return to normal. Whatever normal is when you have 4 dogs of your own!

Catch-Up

On Monday I visited my cousin Janet to celebrate my birthday. The surprise was on her, as my sister also joined us! It was so great for us three cousins to sit around talking, reminiscing and sharing the day.

Janet had to have some surgery a couple of weeks back, but she is looking fabulous now!

It was also great to see my sister, who I do not get to see very often.

My sister made me a cake for my birthday. A red velvet cake and it was so delicious!

It was a a great visit with two of my favorite people!

Today I received a package from “down under” in Australia. It was a birthday present from my friend, Bernie. He sent a wonderful book of Australian Poetry.

Thank you so much, my friend. I love it! Both the poems and the pictures are fabulous!

And during all the excitement we tried to have Curt out as much as possible. He is such a sweetie, but unfortunately he bugs Anneliese, so we have had to be very careful with him when he is around her. I did take this picture this morning though and I think it shows just how adorable he is!

I’m feeling a little better and I think the antibiotics have taken hold. Good thing. I do not like being sick!

Have a great weekend everyone!

It Came In The Night

I wasn’t going to bring this up, but since I am currently down and out on my chair, I thought it would be best to fill you in.

I had a splendid birthday! I heard from my family, and friends from all over the world wishing me a happy day and letting me know that I am thought about, and loved!

Really, it was just the best birthday a middle aged woman girl like me could have. I thank each and every one of you for making my day so wonderful!

And then it happened. One and a half hours after my birthday ended, I got sick. It’s not the H1N1 Virus, just a little pneumonia! I had been restless all night in bed, and had trouble with my breathing. So, when I got up on Wednesday I knew a visit to the doctor’s was in the cards.

When I arrived at the office I’d been instructed to put on a mask and use the hand sanitizer so I wouldn’t infect anyone. As soon as people see you with the mask, you can just see their eyes widen and their bodies stiffen in fear. I felt pretty lousy before I went into the office, but all those people pulling away from me as if I had the plague! made me feel like a leper!

Once I was seen and unmasked by the doctor, I left with prescriptions in hand and headed home. I gave the prescriptions to Hubby, who took them to our local pharmacy and got them filled.

Since then I have been, quite happily in my pajamas, watching the TV and drinking juice. I have stayed warm, napped often and done nothing whatsoever productive.

Perhaps when you are ill, that’s what you are supposed to do.

The Amazing Greta!

Greta is an amazing little dog. Curt is nearly 12 weeks old and as Curt was playing today, Greta came by and began mothering him. She even allowed him to start to nurse her, but with those sharp puppy teeth it was all of about 2 seconds before she bolted.

However, she cleaned him, straddled him and rolled him around. It was truly the cutest thing ever and I loved just watching her.

Once again I find it truly remarkable that my little Greta, my fierce little girl, is such a tender and loving mother, and here Curt is with us for just a few more days and then her life as a Mommy is over.

Ah, is that beautiful? Mother and son.

Curt

My birthday was a really nice day. I received good wishes from all around the world and I felt everyone’s love. Thank you all!
We also spent a lot of time today playing with our last puppy, Curt. He is such a sweetheart.

He was crawling all over me this morning and I was trying to capture a good picture. I did get two. Although this second one shows him staring at the camera with a great deal of suspicion!

Then I introduced him to a little toy. I’ll explain it in the film.

It’s My Birthday

I started to write about my feelings of depression at now being officially over the hill. But the last few days I have felt so alive, so vital and so very happy that I do not care in the least what number happens to be attached to my profile. Life! Yes, life is good, my family and friends are well and I am a happy and blessed woman.

Here is a short montage of me with my loved ones as I look back over the last 51 years!

Peppermint Schnapps

The day dawned gray and cloudy and I despaired that we would see any sun at all. Then about 10 AM bright sunshine burned through the fog and the day was a beauty.

This lovely day was the day that our little girl, Peppermint Schnapps (aka Dackel Princess Christel) was leaving to go to her new home. When I woke and checked on the two puppies Schnapps and Curt, they were curled up sleeping and snuggled so closely.

My heart sort of broke then as I realized that it really is over and the last of Greta’s puppies will leave in six days, but today Schnapps would be going home.

She picked up her head and looked at me and I smiled at her. I swear she smiled back, letting me know that I’d done a good job.

One things for sure, I have loved each and every pup that I have had in my home. Perhaps that is why, I shed a tear or two when they leave. On the other hand, and this is why I do this, when I see the new owners with their babies, well, it’s all worth it!!!

So we met Abigail for a wonderful lunch at a local restaurant (Thank you again Abigail!) before coming back to the house and doing the paperwork and getting everything ready.

I held the pups close and kissed them both.

And then I passed Peppermint Schnapps to her new Mom, who is so happy to finally have the baby pup of her dreams! It was a match made in Heaven!

Makenna arrived in time to say good-bye to Schnapps.

And then I kissed her one last time,

and then they were gone. However, it won’t be forever, as Schnapps will be living in the southern part of our state.

The house is very quiet tonight with just one lone pup in the puppy room. We decided to work on his house training so we can have him with us as much as possible. He is bright and going wee-wee when I take him out, so I’ve had him playing in my lap and sitting with me. Arnie, however is very jealous! This is a surprise, but apparently he likes being Mama’s only dackel boy!

Curt is asleep in his bed now and hopefully will do okay in the night. 3 dackels in bed with me is enough! There is not room for another! Really. There isn’t. No, no, no……..well……

I WON!

I will now stop being one of those people that says they never win anything, because I’ve decided that it isn’t true. I actually do win things and I am blessed.

Recently a great Blog that I read A Glimpse Into Midlife had a contest and the winner got a Mennonite Cookbook from Paraguay! I am so excited! As you all know, I love to cook. So once I receive the book, I will make something and document the event.

Thank you so much Betty!

I hope you all will pop over and say Hi to Betty and tell her I sent you!!!

And Then There Were Two!

Today we woke with four squirming puppies in the puppy room. Of course this was after they broke out last night, requiring me to design a new blockade to keep them in. Thankfully it kept them contained through the night.

Anyway, when I woke I found the pups looking like this.

They woke quickly and I shooed them outside while I cleaned up their room. The day passed rather quickly for me with a trip to the Post Office, and a Greek Christmas Festival, and due to heavy rain the pups all decided to play minimally and sleep a lot.

Just after I finished watching a TLC Disc on The Wild West Bad Guys, like Jess James and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Tony arrived to pick up his new babies. He, and his wife Cheryl are now the new Mommy and Daddy of Fenway and Wally.

I went over all the paper work with him and then it was time. I picked up and kissed each boy and then placed them inside the carrier, zipping it closed. We helped Tony down to his car, waved good-bye and closed the door.

I went down to change my laundry and sat in front of the washing machine on the floor and cried. Oh dopey me. I didn’t think saying good-bye would be so hard, but I love these little guys so much and I will miss them, but I know they will have a great life. Greta never shed a tear.

After dinner I looked into the puppy room and this is what I saw.

With Schnapps on the left and Curt on the right.

At the end of the day… there were just two.