Dackel Princess

TBT: Arnie & Me

Since losing his sister last week, Arnie has been very sad, very needy, and very clingy to me. For fourteen years Arnie had his little sister and he’s struggling to find his place in this new world.

Arnie was the only boy in Greta’s first litter. He actually wasn’t supposed to stay. He’s been reserved by a woman in Upstate New York. But at the last minute, she changed her mind. By then, we’d fallen in love with Arnie and he stayed.

Arnie had all the girls swooning. He is such a sweet and personable doggy and everyone who met him fell in love.

Arnie always fit into our household. Besides being born here, he was the dog who always played well with the others. He was the one who actually comforted the other dogs when they were hurt or sick.

And as the others got sick and left us, Arnie has been the one that has comforted me.

He’s such a handsome old boy. At fourteen he has a few gray hairs but his eyes are still bright and he still has that marvelous swagger when he runs outside. I am hoping Arnie will be with us for a very long time. I’m not sure I can imagine a world without him in it!

Arnie age 14.

This & That January 27th

The last few days I have spent a lot of time sleeping. It seems to be working as I am finally feeling better. Good thing too. It seems Lili and Arnie really need me.

Today I actually got up and took a nice hot shower. I ate a normal breakfast and after did the dishes, mopped floors, and then cleaned bathrooms. I know, glamourous, right?

By 11:00 I was spent! I sat down with my coffee and an apple and took a break. The break lasted through lunch, and actually, I didn’t get much else done before chopping vegetables and the meat for tonight’s beef stew.

If I can manage to wake with no fever, I really need to go out tomorrow afternoon, get the mail, and a few groceries. If I still have the fever, then things will simply have to wait.

Our little dog family of two is settling in. Last night around midnight Lili began to bark like crazy. Since she did not stop, I got up to investigate. Jack had forgotten to shut off the outside lights and as I neared the door, I could see some sort of critter outside near the bird feeders. I shone the super flashlight that I got for Christmas through the door glass and caught the eyes of a very wildly beautiful Red Fox! Below is a picture of what a Red Fox looks like.

This picture was taken last summer when Red Fox decided to come calling. He is a beauty that’s for sure. But I want to keep the dogs away from him/her as foxes can carry rabies.

So I’ll keep working on getting well, and then hunting down my own dose of the vaccine. Currently, it appears I will not be eligible for the vaccine until this summer. We shall see.

My dear friend in Berlin, Germany lost her dog on Tuesday due to old age. Both times I brought Anneliese to Berlin for breeding, we stayed with Uschi and her faithful dog, Noah. Anneliese and Noah died one week apart. I like to believe that Anneliese and Noah are now free of their earthly health problems and running wild and free and healthfully over Rainbow Bridge.

Me holding Anneliese while we snuggled with dear Noah.

It’s been a tough week, but it is my hope that both sweet Anneliese and darling Noah are resting in peace. They were both such good dogs and both will be missed.

The Nose Knows

Once again I am down and out with a winter cold. This one is all in my head, making me stuffy, feverish, and very tired. I’ve spent two days in bed, only getting up to prepare meals for the dogs and for us. And even then it’s minimal.

The TV drones on and mostly I sleep through it. I’m glad I stocked up on soups and crackers.

Arnie is a very good nurse. He never leaves my side. I’m a lucky girl. Until I am better I suspect my blogging will be minimal.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and have a good week!

No Smoking!

Oh my goodness, Saturday was really cold! It wasn’t just the actual temperature outside, but the wind brought the windchill down to the single digits! In fact, it was so cold, I broke out Arnie’s sweater as he was shaking like a leaf!

It brought to mind the fact that during the winter of 1999-2000, I was standing outside, with four feet of snow around me, smoking a cigarette. I had just a few left in the pack when I was overcome by good common sense. I came in, broke the cigarettes in half, and covered them with Dawn Dish Liquid.

Jack asked me what I was doing and I told him I was quitting cold turkey! He looked at me, with a concerned look of disbelief, and shook his head.

I told myself that I could never smoke another cigarette or I was done. I would be a smoker until the day I died.

But I never did start again. I never even caught myself sniffing the smoke when people were smoking near me. In fact, I really detest the smell of smoke now, unless it is in a fire-pit.

So tonight, as the wind blows, and the temperatures drop, I am so grateful that I am no longer a smoker!

Life Goes On

In these first few days since Anneliese’s passing, we decided to leave her bed out so that Arnie and Lili would not be too confused. Well, that only worked a little. They would sniff it and then look around for our girl. Arnie spent part of yesterday quietly crying for his beloved sister.

Today we decided that the bed needed to be picked up washed and put away for later. Jack took the dogs out, I scooped up the bed and vacuumed and sprayed the area with Fabreeze Fabric spray.

However, although Lili came in and did not seem concerned, Arnie came right in and went to the spot where the bed had been, then climbed under the table the bed was next to and cried. I got him out from under the table and now he is lying in his bed.

I wish I could talk to Arnie and let him know that he is loved and that Anneliese is in a better place. All he knows is the sister he spent his entire life with is gone.

Anneliese and Arnie at about 12 weeks old. Best friends and siblings. Together always. So this is very difficult for our little boy.

Arnie cuddling his sister. He did this very often. Sometimes they would fall asleep like this. Devotion.

We will keep an eye on our boy. And try to keep him from getting lost in his grief.

The Friday Five ~ January 22nd

The last two days have been hard. Arnie and I are still looking around the house for our Anneliese, but she is not to be found. I was feeling as if I were nothing but a weak, emotional marshmallow, but then I remembered that I am one tough cookie and I will help get Arnie through this, as well as myself.

So upon getting up on Thursday, I made my favorite breakfast, sat down, and slowly savored each bite.

In a week’s worth of sadness, here is the Friday Five. Yes, five good things I am truly thankful for.

On the night after Anneliese left us, Savi and Quinn called me. Mandy had told them about Anneliese and they wanted me to know that they will miss her and that they loved me. Those simple words out of the mouths of small children meant the world to me.
We needed fuel oil and on Tuesday the Oilman cometh! This was very important because our driveway was clear, and the truck had no trouble getting down our drive to fill our tank with 178 gallons of home-heating oil!
I went to a psychic last year who told me that Katie was always with me and that she will do odd things to get my attention. He asked if I’d had blinking lights or any other sort of electrical oddities? Why yes, yes I have. So, on Wednesday morning the day after Anneliese left us, I was in the kitchen with my coffee sitting in the darkness only the lights of my Christmas tree to illuminate the kitchen. Suddenly my Christmas tree lights began to blink. Now many years ago I had tried to put the light in to make the tree blink, but it has never worked. But on Wednesday it worked. And it made me smile! Since then, the lights have not blinked again. I think it was Katie letting me know that Anneliese was with her. You may be skeptical but I just know in my heart that it was her. And it comforted me.
It’s Thursday and what is it doing outside? It is snowing. I don’t expect it to accumulate too much, and today it is actually pretty.
I think this weekend I will spend some time catching up on laundry. I need to clean Anneliese’s bed and put it away. I have left it out for Arnie. It felt right. But he’s doing better so it’s time to let her go and wash the bed.

So that is my Friday Five. Have a wonderful, safe and happy weekend!

WW Banana Pancakes

Banana Pancakes, Yum!

Ingredients:

2 TBS: Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes Protein-packed whole-grain buttermilk flapjack and waffle mix
1/4 cup: Egg white(s)
1 packet: Splenda No calorie sweetener packets
1 TSP: Vanilla extract
1: Banana(s)
Mix everything together, mashing the banana up well. Use the batter to make 4-6 little pancakes or one big one! Top with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and Sugar-Free Maple syrup!

Anneliese, December 10, 2006 ~ January 19, 2021

And then…there were two.

Tuesday was a very difficult day here. Our little Anneliese has not been well for some time. She had gone blind two years ago but still managed a good life. A few times she bumped into walls, but she would shake it off and go on.

She was operated on for breast cancer but seemed to bounce back. Even though we only expected to have her for a few months, she went a year and a half before going downhill. In the last week, she was not eating well, not excited about any table food we offered her. She told us that this was it. We had to let her go.

I thought back over her life. She was the last baby born in Greta’s first litter.

While her sisters and brother Arnie all came out quietly, Anneliese came out with loud puppy screams! It was as if she was saying, “Here I am World!”

She was the smallest pup in her litter, but the girl had spunk! She captured my heart and soul immediately!

As she grew I watched her closely. Her coat was tight and her form was beautiful. I knew that she was destined to have a litter or two.

Our first trip to Germany in 2009 was so much fun. No matter where we were as we traveled people were drawn to Anneliese. Her “wedding” was fruitful and she would go on to have 4 beautiful pups.

But it was our return flight from Berlin that presented me with my best memory of Anneliese. I filled out my Customs Declaration Form.

Are you traveling with an animal? Yes
Color of animal? Wild Boar.

Well as I reached the Customs area I was directed to a man who was checking animals. He apparently wanted to see the “Wild Boar”. As I unzipped the travel bag, the man took three steps backward. Out popped Anneliese’s cute little head and we all started to laugh!

Anneliese was the kind of pup that loved people, but she was also reserved. Arnie is a flirt and gets all the girls, and Greta took no prisoners, she gathered fans easily. Anneliese was a happy girl who did her own thing. People loved her but in a very different way.

Since going blind, Anneliese became a bit more clingy with me. I would trip over her or bump into her, but that was okay. As long as she felt secure. I hand fed her, made sure she had her meds, and walked her each time with a leash, even in the deep snow and bitter cold. I wanted to always be there for my girl.

So today, it was just Anneliese and me who drove out to our Vets. I patted her and talked to her as I felt the life leave her little body.

Rest in peace, my darling girl! Thank you for being part of my life!

The Weekend Wrap ~ January 18th

The weekend sort of slowly went by for me. As I am still getting over a winter cold, I chose to keep quiet, drink lots of fluids, and rest. At least half of the weekend. On Sunday it was sheet changing day and of course bed-making day right after.

I’m still engrossed in my book about ABBA, and it brings me back in time to when life was much easier. I had my girls in the 1970s and I listened to the radio a lot. ABBA was one of my favorite groups back then. And even now, all these years later, I still love so many of their songs.

I’ve also been watching movies, old TV shows, and just not focusing on too much happening in the world. I feel the hate each time I watch the news, so I avoid that at all costs.

Will it get better after the Inauguration? I doubt it. One thing that Covid brought to us all is depression. I do not see that going away any time soon.

So getting lost in books or old movies is a good thing for me right now. My brain just hurts from all the strife in the World.

Luckily, I have nothing happening this week. At some point, I need to make a grocery store run, but that’s about it.

Have a happy, healthy, and peaceful week.

The Friday Five ~ January 15th

It’s strange to be in the middle of January and have the weather be so dry. We had the big three feet of snow a few weeks ago but after that not much at all. It makes me wonder what the weather will be like for the year 2021.

So now, here is this week’s Friday Five, in no particular order.

I have a slight cold. No, it’s not Covid, just my usual sore throat, stuffy nose, and tiredness. Perhaps I am actually allergic to Winter! Who knows. Apparently, I look ill because after Zooming with a few friends a couple of them told me I looked terrible.
I was carrying a basket of laundry to the basement to start in the machine, when I got my knuckles on my right hand smashed in the door jam. Now in my twenties, if I did something like this, I would have ended up with a few bruises. What happens now that I am 62? The skin on those knuckles just peeled right off! Sheesh! I remember when my grandmother and then my mother did stuff like this. Both lamented that as one aged their skin became like paper. Yeah, well, welcome to the old lady club, Maribeth! LOL!
Looking down at my winter down parka (which is baby blue) I noticed that it really needed a bath. I followed directions and the first two washes just were not getting that grime. So I got my fingernail brush, and some liquid dish detergent (Dawn) and set about scrubbing the stained areas. Then I washed it one last time. Presto! The stains were gone. After that, I had to listen to tennis balls in the dryer while the parka dried out. Now I admit to being leery about wearing it as it really is a pain to clean. No pastel-colored coats for me ever again!
My Christmas tree is still up, and I am still enjoying the bright lights. I think over the weekend I will carefully take it down and put it away. I simply wrap it up, carefully place it in a box, and that way next year I just pull it out and plug it in.
I’ve been thinking about what I want to do once I can travel again. Where do I go? I think the first trip I’d like to go on is with my sister, cousin Janet, Mandy and Savannah. Maybe just a visit to Cape Cod for the weekend, but spend time with my girls! After that? Who knows. Maybe a visit to my friends down in Florida, or maybe Germany. But I am afraid it will be a long time until anyone can travel any great distance.

So, that is the week’s Friday Five. I hope wherever you are that your weekend will be happy and safe.