Dackel Princess

Housework, Harry Potter & Insurance

I’ve been running around like crazy getting ready for our trip. Tuesday saw me doing all sorts of last minute housework, and laundry and of course meal preparation so that has not left me much time for Harry, Hermione and Ron.

I know tomorrow I won’t get too much reading done either because I can’t read in the car, and if I am lucky I will be able to find a few moments on the ferry taking us across to Digby, Nova Scotia. I’m thinking I may be the last person to finish the new Harry Potter book.

Hubby and I have everything planned and I thought I was doing great until about 2:30 on Tuesday when I remembered that we needed an insurance form for the car for the Canadian border. I was sure we had one and I looked and looked and looked and FINALLY found it. It was, of course, in the last place I looked! (LOL)

So off we go on our first trip with the “terror twins”. Stay tuned for updates from the road…

Health Certificates and Suitcases

I took the puppies to the Vets on Monday for their Health Certificates. This way they can go to Canada and come back across the border. It was kind of exciting taking them back to the place where they were born. It seems like just yesterday that I held those tiny pups in my hand for the very first time, and now they are proper doggies. Large, (Arnie weighs 17 pounds and Anneliese is 14 pounds) able to walk around and make friends and sit and stay when told to do so. Okay, they’re still learning about that, but they’re trying.

The car ride was uneventful, which was good because Canada is a very long ride from here. We are leaving at 6 AM and do not expect to get to our motel until 9 or 10 PM. Yep, long day for puppies and humans!

I came home and got out the suitcases and we started to pack. All the puppy things are packed. The suitcases are on our bed and most of the clothing we plan to bring is folded neatly inside them.

That’s when I noticed one very big thing.

Greta.

Poor Greta knows we are leaving and she is not happy about it at all. She is sulking and giving us the cold doggy shoulder already. She knows. Fritz? Not so much. I know he will be a little upset when we go, but nothing like Greta. She really gets her nose out of joint!

Getting Ready for Canada

Sunday morning I began searching for the outfit to wear to the family reunion. It’s a casual event, so I don’t need to dress up, but my usual dress mode of jeans and t-shirts must be set aside for something a little more glamorous.

I started out trying on pants for Hubby to view. I came out of our bedroom, pirouetted and asked, “Do these make me look fat?”

Nothing like putting poor Hubby in the hot seat with that question. He handled it well.

“Ah, I can see your panty-line”.

Okay, so maybe those were a little tight. You know I’ve been on my diet two whole weeks and you would think that I could have at least dropped a clothing size by now! In reality I’ve lost 6 pounds and that has only given me more room in my socks!

I tried on several more pairs of pants before we decided on two that didn’t look horrible, and I’ll bring along my jeans skirt in case I totally freak out and decide that I really do look “that fat”!

Meanwhile, I continue reading “Harry Potter”. I read a chapter or two and then stop and walk the puppies or change the laundry or cook. My cousin Janet has already finished reading it!

Monday morning is puppy health certificate time and then we’re on to packing. I’ll be writing along the way as our motel has high speed Internet access. After all, can’t be cut off from you all.

And today is my sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Mel! Love you!!!

The Holy Grail

Saturday morning, I drove to get our mail at the Post Office. The streets were pretty much deserted. In my mind I’d envisioned customers of Amazon.com waiting in line to pick up their copy of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”.

Perhaps I live in the wrong community. There was no such line. In fact the place was empty.

I hadn’t ordered a copy of the book thinking I would get one eventually, but all the hype in the last 24 hours was working on me. It seemed to be all I could think of. I left the Post Office and hopped in my car and drove down the hill to our local book shop. Once again I expected a long line of customers to buy “the book”, but no one was there.

Instead I found a huge stack of books with a nice woman patiently waiting for the crowds to come and surround her and the books. I asked if these were all reserved copies?

“No” she replied and handed me a copy.

My hands shook as I took the book in them. I walked quickly to the cashier and paid for my book and clutching it tightly to me, walked to my car.

When I got home Hubby asked what I had in my hands?

I explained it was the “Holy Grail”, and he was not to tease me about getting a copy and devouring it.

So I am reading. I did have to stop in the afternoon and take a nap as I still have this silly summer cold, but I intend to read, read and read some more. It’s one very long book!

Saturday Scavenger Photo

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TINY

The tiniest of creatures. A newborn dackel (dachshund) puppy. Tiny and beautiful!

The Pony Tail!

I now have a pony tail. Yes, a year and a half after the worst haircut of my life, I can now pull my hair into a pony tail. Okay, so it’s a short one, but a pony tail nonetheless!

Now why is this so important? Well, after getting a haircut that left me with literally one inch of hair all over my head (and made me look like a monkey) I was forced by time, to renew my passport. For the next 10 years I must look at that awful haircut and remember how my heart ached (and my ears stuck out).

So, I’ve been growing it. Through the good and the bad. My new hairdresser is a wonderful woman and when I get frustrated with it as it grows and ask her to cut it all off, she refuses! And because I adore her, I listen and then I open my passport and I remember and let another day go by.

How long will I let it grow? I’m not really sure. Perhaps I shall grow it as long as Lady Godiva! I can ride a horse through the streets of my town with my long hair suggestively covering my body.

Hmmmmm. Now that is almost as scary a picture as me with short hair!

Thursday Thirteen #48

Thirteen Reasons It’s Great To Have Four Good Dogs

1. One of them is always happy to see you come home.
2. If you are feverish and feel cold, you can pack the pooches around your body and get warm.
3. There are no leftovers!
4. You never have to dry your feet after a shower.
5. You never have to worry about someone breaking into your home.
6. You never have to worry that the Veterinarian will be unhappy to see you. ($$$)
7. You can leave your keys in the car when you go to the Post Office and no one would dare steal your car! (Not with big boy Fritz sitting there with all his big teeth!)
8. Your life is always full with the care and feeding of the dogs.
9. You are helping to keep the vacuum cleaner bag makers in business.
10. You are also keeping the dog food makers in business as well!
11. At the end of a bad day, seeing their little faces looking up at you is wonderful.
12. Feeling puppy breath on your arm when they are asleep is so sweet.
13. Oh yes, puppy breath! The best!!!

Wednesday Meanderings

My fever broke yesterday! Yippee! Although I still feel somewhat down and out with the cold, I am doing better. Thus proving that the old saying of “three days coming, three days with and three days going” is probably true.

For my first week back on my diet I lost 5 pounds. Now I am sure I will not lose this much each week, but it was a good boost for my moral. At least I know I am doing the right things to get the weight off.

This may be the biggest piece of news yet. ARNIE BARKED TO GO OUTSIDE TO POOP! Yes you read it right. Our beloved boy is house broken and now goes to the door and barks! I have survived house breaking!

I took Greta in today to have her nails clipped at our Vet’s. She is so difficult to do, and she simply won’t let us do them, so we bring her in for her very own “Pet-i-cure”!

We have a new house sitter! She works for our Vet during the day and freelances at night. Since we live only a stones throw from our Vets office it will be easy for her to run over and walk the dogs while we are away next week at Hubby’s family reunion in Nova Scotia. She will also be living here. We are so happy to have found her!

The reunion in Nova Scotia is with the fun side of Hubby’s family. These are the cousins I get along well with and the ones I enjoy. We’ll be gone 5 days to a truly beautiful part of Canada.

I have tons of tomatoes growing on my plants, some actual summer squash, which I think we can pick in a day or two, and I saw several cucumbers coming along! My garden is growing!

The two puppies climbed into bed with us two nights ago and have made themselves right at home. Call it a family bed! Of course is Fritz decides to join us we may have to move out and leave the king size bed to the animals!

The Kinds Are Back

Matina and James arrived back for their annual visit with the grandmother (and me!). Their first stop upon arrival was at our house to meet Greta’s babies. Of course calling them babies now seems pretty funny because they are nearly as big as their Mum.

Anneliese and Arnie with Matina.

Greta, Arnie and Anneliese with Matina.

Greta remembered the kids immediately and she went to great lengths to lie down on the ground and get belly rubs from them. She was absolutely shameless!

The kids were so excited to see the two puppies. The children of Greta! They’d been waiting for two years for this day to come. The day when Greta had her babies and they got to meet them.

It sure was a happy time all around. For the doggies, for the kids and for me too!

Summertime Colds

I woke up in the night with shaking chills. Oh darn it! A summertime cold. I put on my winter bathrobe and pulled the comforter tightly to my chin and climbed back into bed. I have a high fever and I’m all congested and coughing.

But the good news is, I have three wonderful nurses! Greta, Arnie and Anneliese! They have been by my side, in my lap, or on my chest, but always comforting me. It’s amazing to me how these little creatures know when you aren’t feeling well and they seem to find you and provide a great deal of comfort.

Hubby has been taking care of me too. Getting me drinks and some chicken broth. I know I need to force the fluids, even though my throat is sore. I don’t have much of an appetite. (This is good for my diet, yes?)

So I am kicking back and taking this easily and hopefully I will feel better very soon.