Yes, Grandma Is Proud

Today the local paper had an article on the front page about one of my puppies. Anja was adopted by a man who wanted to train her to blood track here in New Hampshire. Legislation was passed on January 1st that allows the use of tracking dogs to find wounded deer, moose or bear. Paul has worked so hard and Anja loves what she is doing. To date she has successfully found 3 deer. Finding downed deer is part of the ethic of hunting. One I truly approve of.

So, there her picture was. My heart filled with joy, pride and happiness!

moz-screenshot-1

If you have high speed internet access you can read the entire article here but I must warn you that the site downloads very slowly.

Meanwhile, I am feeling so thrilled. I have wanted to breed not just beautiful dogs, but dogs with good health and the ability to serve, whether that service is in the field or in the home.

moz-screenshot

So congratulations to Paul and his Anja on a job well done and service to the community!

The Bulb Digger!

A few days ago I got out my bulbs and the contraption I use to dig the bulb holes and set out to plant a few tulip bulbs in my yard. I like to have them in front of the green house and this year I thought I would also set some on the grave of our old white shepherd, Max.

Diligently I worked, digging, planting, and replacing the sod. I looked back at the ground and remarked to Hubby that I had done a very nice job.

Then on Sunday, the day that the cold hit me, I got up with the puppies and when I went out for their first walk of the day, the bulbs were all dug up! They had not been eaten, but they were lying on the grass, and each and every hole was dug up!

Well, I used language that is not very becoming to a lady, but after I walked the puppies I got a bag and collected each of the dug up bulbs.

Since I was sick with my cold, and it was also raining, I did not replant yesterday. Today, however, was a lovely day. Sunny, and 62 degrees. So I asked Hubby if we had some cement blocks to use to hold the sod down, so that the critter who dug them all up, wouldn’t be able to. Yes, he said, and brought me a wheel barrel full of them.

So I knelt down, I replanted the bulbs. I got extra dirt from my garden. I stomped on the dirt to pack it in. Then I carefully placed the cement blocks down to protect my work.

We came in and I made dinner and we ate. I felt so good about all my work. Finally I was done with the tulip bulbs!

After dinner Anneliese needed to go outside for a walk and I went to the “doggy area” and what do I see?

One bulb, dug up and lying on the ground!!!

And then I see Mr. Fritz with muddy paws!

It wasn’t a strange unknown critter that had dug up my bulbs, it was my critter, it was FRITZ!

Well he got yelled at and I pointed my finger at him, and I told him I was going to give him to the gypsies! I was so mad! I yelled the entire time I replanted that bulb and adjusted the cement block. Then I brought Fritz inside and told Hubby what he had done and Hubby chewed him out too.

It’s an hour later and neither Hubby or I are mad, but I think Fritz now understands he must leave Mummy’s bulbs alone.

Next year I may just have him dig the holes the first time around!

Yummy Banana Bread

I made this recipe this morning and Hubby and I really enjoyed it with our lunch.

Yummy Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange peel
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3 very ripe large bananas
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Cream the butter with a mixer until it is smooth. Beat in the sugar until well blended then add the eggs. Mix for a minute or two. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the nuts) and beat until smooth. Add the nuts and stir those in. Place in a greased loaf pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then place on a wire rack and finish cooling.

It Came In The Night

So I went to bed at the usual time on Sunday. All seemed well when I went in, although I admit to still feeling very tired.

At 1:30 I woke to feel all stuffed up in the nose, and sort of raspy in my throat. I got up with Fritz who walked me to the kitchen and encouraged me to drink some juice. I drank down two glasses of apple juice and then went back to bed.

In the morning I was still stuffy, and so I decided to take the day slowly once again, but Hubby reminded me that today the man was coming to remove two of our old junk cars and so we needed to eat breakfast and dress early.

I have been trying for a few years to get rid of those two cars. They are huge dinosaurs that take high test fuel and get terrible mileage. We had replaced them with cars that took regular gas and got much better mileage. Meanwhile they sat in our yard.

Today a nice young man came and hauled them off. He is in the Navy Reserves, and we invited him to come in while we did the paper work, and we had a really nice time talking to him. What an interesting guy.

So, the cars are gone, Hubby is feeling sad (he loved those cars) but in the end it worked out really well because the man had a pick-up truck bed liner for our truck and we really needed that.

I tried a new recipe tonight for both dinner and for dessert. All I can say is that it tasted okay, but looked dreadful. The recipes will not be repeated.

Tonight we will watch a little TV, drink juice and try to rinse out the cold that seemed to come in the night.

Lazy Days

Have you ever had one of those days where you just plain feel lazy? I mean, lazier than usual? Today was that day for me.

It all started when I opened my eyes in bed. My first instinct was to close them and pretend I wasn’t awake and go back to sleep. However, Greta had seen my eyes open and her tail began to thump with joy (and probably the need to go out and wee-wee after a long night in bed). Fritz seeing movement was dancing around like a disco dancer from the’80’s.

So I got up and put on my rain clogs and bathrobe and headed toward the kitchen, still wishing that I could crawl back into that nice warm bed with Hubby, who was blissfully asleep.

I turned on the coffee maker and got the puppies from their crates and out we went into the morning mist. All the dogs ran around and happily relieved themselves before coming back into the house for their early morning treat.

I sat down and put my head back on the chair and closed my eyes. I could feel myself slipping into that wonderful sleepy state when, BOOM! Arnie jumped onto my lap followed by his sister, Anneliese.

Greta, who was sitting with me in the chair also trying to go back to sleep, looked at me as if to say, “I told you to get rid of them, along with the others”.

Time passed and finally the coffee was done and I got myself a cup, with the hopes that I would wake up.

It just never happened.

I decided early on to toss some vegetables in the crock pot and make a beef stew for dinner because it was easy, cooked itself and would require me to do very little.

I postponed the laundry, and almost all of my other chores. It can all just wait. As Scarlett O’Hara said, “Tomorrow is another day” and my work will still be there.

Meanwhile I have watched the Patriots football game ( Pats won 34-17 ) and the Red Sox baseball game (Sox won 9-1), with plans to watch “Desperate Housewives” later tonight.

Yes, I never did officially wake up today, but that’s okay. Perhaps once in a while you just have to have a really laid back day.

Time for my pajamas!

A Disaster Of Epic Proportions!

I’m thinking that something is seriously wrong with me. I just haven’t been myself. I don’t want big breakfasts with pastry or heavy breads, I don’t feel like eating too many chips and the part that really has me worried is…

I don’t want to eat any chocolate! I just have no desire or taste for it!

Now for me, not wanting to eat chocolate is like a dog refusing a juicy bone. It just isn’t right!!! Usually I walk by the candy counter and I hear the dark chocolate calling out to me, “take me home”, but lately I have gone into many stores and I just can’t hear that sweet “candy music”.

product_151

I have tried to eat a piece of the deep, dark, sweet stuff, but my taste buds decline to enjoy the delight. It just sort of tastes like dried leaves. Dark Chocolate tasting like Dried Leaves!!! That can’t be right!!!

This could be a disaster of epic proportions! Me, unable to enjoy dark chocolate?

This is unprecedented and should have Hershey’s Chocolate Company worried very much!

It could cause a decline in the cocoa market.

Yes, a disaster of epic proportions!!!

Ten Months Old

Today I’m doing “Cute Puppy Day” on Dackel Princess. It’s been a while since you have seen Arnie and Anneliese, so I thought today was a good day to share the joy. I hope you enjoy seeing their adorable faces.

Sept 30 016
First a picture of me with Arnie and Anneliese. Oh how I love my babies! They have grown so quickly in such a short period of time and I wonder all the time, where have my babies gone?

Sept 30 010
Mr. Arnie. Hard to believe he will be 10 months old next week! isn’t he a doll?

Sept 30 009
His equally lovely, yet feminine sister, Anneliese. Where Arnie is a big boy at 18 pounds, Anneliese is quite petite at 15.

Sept 30 011
And last but not least, Greta the mother of these two. Still lovely and sweet.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thursday Thirteen #54

Remember: It’s still De-Lurking Week!!!

Thursday 13

Things I Did Today

1. I got my flu shot.
2. I got my computers all networked and working well.
3. I made a homemade spaghetti sauce.
4. Made Hubby his lunch, only to realize I had made him the lunch he hadn’t wanted. Oh well, at least he got fed!
5. Took a small rest because I had a gigantic headache.
6. Walked the dogs.
7. Fed the dogs.
8. Took a ride with Hubby and enjoyed the changing Autumn leaves.
9. Found the recipe for an “Herb Crusted Roast Beef” (found here) that I will make on Thursday night.
10. Started thinking about when I will go down to see my sister and her family. (A 4 hour drive)
11. Watched some mindless TV.
12. Picked up the mail.
13. Decided that I need to kick back and relax a little more.

De-lurking

It’s been brought to my attention, that there are many readers who read, but do not comment. So, every once in a while we have a “Delurking Week”.

The cool kids, like my cousin Janet and Miss Zoot are doing it, so please join us, for what could become an annual event.

Dackelchen5a

Delurking is a time when we beg ask our readers to drop us a comment and say hello. It doesn’t have to be a long comment. Even a Hi! will do. Just so I know you are out there and reading! LOL

comment

So please take a moment and drop me a note!

Thanks!