Memory
One of my favorite memories is of the day that I married my sweet Hubby. It will be 19 years this April 9th.
We have a screamer in our midst!
It’s not as bad as it sounds, but today when Greta hopped into the Whelping box, apparently she landed on Anita (yellow pup), and must have scared her. I ran quickly in and picked her up., checked her over and couldn’t see anything wrong, but the little lovey was shaking! Oh poor darling! I held her for a while and then Hubby and I weighed all the babies. I will have you know that more than likely Angelika will weigh in at 3 pounds tomorrow! She was just under that today!
I started putting newspapers into the whelping box a few days ago. I’m amazed that the puppies have started to use those and keep their sleeping area clean! Is it sheer, dumb luck or are my babies the smartest puppies in the Universe?
After dinner tonight I let Greta outside and decided to go in and visit with the puppies for a while. I entered the puppy room, and it was dark. In the puppy box, lit only by a night light, I could see one of the puppies standing there looking at me. Apparently because I was in the dark, I scared her because the next thing I knew she barked!!!
Of course this brought Greta back to the house quickly, where she barked and scratched to get in. So much for my quiet time with the babies! LOL
Greta jumped into the box and set about nursing the crew and gave me one of those sidelong looks that said, “I can do something, you can’t do”!
They’re asleep again now and so I think I’ll just go in and watch them sleep. There is nothing as wonderful as watching puppies all pig-piled together sleeping, dreaming of their Mommy.

*See Thursday Thirteen Below*

A bunch of questions were in a survey about 2006 that I got from Goofy Girl. I took what I thought was most interesting and made it into the TT.
1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?
I bred a litter of wire-haired dachshunds. I witnessed their birth via c-section too, and helped to awaken the puppies.
2. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
I feel pretty lucky because Hubby and I have our health and this is the most important thing. Perhaps I would like the willpower to diet and exercise myself back into good shape.
3. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? happier
thinner or fatter?
I am Happier. But I am also fatter. Depressingly so.
4. What was your biggest failure?
Gaining weight due to my stress after losing Shubi and Hubby’s knee surgeries.
5. What was your biggest accomplishment?
The litter of puppies.
6. What was the best thing you bought?
All the Christmas gifts for those I love.
7. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My daughter. She has grown into such a wonderful, lovely, competent woman. She not only works hard at her job, she is an excellent friend, and she has cared for her elderly grandmother almost single handedly. My hats off to this fabulous woman!
8. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The PUPPIES!!!
9. What was your favorite TV program?
NCIS & House
10. What song will always remind you of 2006?
None really. You can tell you are getting old when the oldies stations are the ones you listen to.
11. What did you want and get?
PUPPIES!!!
12. What did you want and not get?
A miracle recovery for Shubi.
13. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006?
Life rolls along and many times you need to be able to roll with the punches. The most important thing in life above all, is the health and happiness of your family~
Happy New Year Everyone!
It was time to put up or shut up, and since I live in a house with my husband, who wasn’t about to let me forget my New Years resolution this soon, I actually started my “Year Of Living Healthfully” today.
Hubby reminded me last night. He placed the application for the Health Club on the breakfast bar with a pen. He also “noticed” what I was eating on New Years Day (still a holiday, right?), so I knew I was sunk.
I packed a bag with sneakers, a towel, a stretchy leotard type thing that I’ve had for years, and my swim suit. After eating my diet breakfast this morning, off to the gym we went.
I have to tell you, I’m a shy sort of girl. I don’t like changing my clothes in front of anyone, Hubby laughs because he says he’s not sure I am totally comfortable changing in front of him. Needless to say, since gaining back some of this weight, he is probably right.
I put on a cheerful face and off we went. I signed in, and tried not to feel as if I were signing my death warrant, however, tonight I am here to tell you, I sure feel like I did.
I rode bikes, I walked on treadmills, I pushed weighed, I pulled weighs, I lifted a little. I walked some more. Then I changed into my swim suit and did laps. Actually the pool part was the best. Warm water soothing all the places that had already started to ache.
Now the really tough part. Showering, and getting from the showers to the changing area without anyone seeing me. You see, my towel was too small. I am not sure what I was thinking when I packed it, but this thing only covered about 1/2 my body! So I raced from the showers to the dressing room, opened my combination lock in record time, and got into my clothes with the speed of a teenager who attempts to put out his cigarette and clear the smoke, when he hears his parents drive up early from a movie!
Thankfully, I was able to get into my unmentionables before anyone walked in on me. I quickly finished dressing, and did my hair and then chatted nervously with a few women who had come in to change.
Tonight I feel as if I have been worked over by a prize fighter. Everything sort of hurts, aches and feels heavy, reminding me that what I once got away with in my 20’s I can’t get away with now in my (eeek!) late 40’s.
Day 1 of the “Year Of Living Healthfully” has ended with me eating correctly all day and exercising more than I have in about three years!
It’s simply amazing. Each day when I awaken I go in and check on the puppies.

Most of the time they are asleep. Today, however, they were wide awake and actually standing up on their feet, looking like proper dogs! Not that they move around normally yet. They are exceptional crawlers, they also appear to be professional “moon-walkers”. You remember that dance move, right? You make actions like you are moving forward, all the while sliding your feet backwards. Well, the puppies do this very well. A few of them can go forward, and two of them now bark these adorable little barks!
My sister took this picture of me holding the babies when Greta was outside. Needless to say, she would never have allowed the shot, if she had been in the house!

This is truly a wonderful way to start the New Year. With good health, sweet puppies and a little bit of snow, which fell on Saturday.

Yes, 2007 may be a very good year.
Ah my dear readers A Happy New Year to you all! I hope you spent your nights celebrating with good food, good drink, and good friends!
Now that we have hit 2007, I must confess that I have several New Years resolutions. I am counting on you all to keep me in line. So, in no particular order, here are my resolutions.
1. To lose the weight I have gained back. I won’t shock you by divulging the actual numbers, let’s just say it’s more than 5 pounds and much less than 100. LOL!
2. To get myself into shape. I can’t even come close to claiming I am in shape at all. You see, back in the day when I was 22 (you know yesterday), I could not exercise for weeks on end and then go out and do a long hike and not feel it at all. I will tell you that at the age of (gasp) 48 it is not possible to do this any more! I will be going to the health club with Hubby starting on January 2nd when they open.
3. To continue to grow out my hair. I have not had any real length to my hair since 1984. I decided that I wanted to grow it out one more time before I am too old.
4. To over come my fear of crowds and show the puppy I keep in AKC sanctioned shows, and not be upset when or if she doesn’t do well.
5. To successfully house train this puppy that I keep in record time! LOL
Lest I overwhelm myself with too much, I will stop here.
All is quiet in the blogosphere.
I actually had some time on Thursday to check out the Thursday Thirteen’s, and to go and visit some long neglected bloggers that I enjoy reading, but I was surprised to find that many people have taken the week off from work and from logging.
I guess you can call me either conscientious or compulsive, because here I am again. I think I would almost feel guilty if I missed a day. I’m sure you all would survive, but the real question here is, would I?
After finishing up my own Thursday Thirteen, and posting a short video of the little female pup, Anita, I started in on observing life, the universe and everything. By everything I mean the pups.
They are all growing by leaps and bounds. Angelika is well over 2 pounds and is as strong as a horse. All the other pups are either at 2 pounds or an ounce below. They are all as cute as can be and I am not looking forward to the day when I have to decide which of the girls will be staying with us. Just when I think I have one all picked out, one of the other girls does something really adorable and I am lost.
Emily was no help at all. She suggested I just keep them all! Now there, that would fix that problem!
For those who didn’t catch the video yesterday, scroll down and check it out. Anita put on quite a show and she is a nice looking little girl.
Meanwhile here are today’s ahhhhhhhhhhh pictures.
Angelika
Anneliese