My Life – The Dackel Princess

The Friday Five ~ April 29th

This was literally a crazy week. And here we are on Friday and although much was accomplished I ended up having to take some much-needed downtime. Let me explain.

On Tuesday I made up a grocery list and headed to our local store. I needed everything from Avocados to Ziploc Bags. So, I shopped and was helped by a new teenage bagger, who filled each grocery bag to maximum capacity.
When I got home I started to carry the bags up the stairs from the basement garage to the kitchen. Heavy sacks and I carried far too many of them at once.
Just as I finished the groceries, Chewy arrived and I went down to bring up a few dog food things. Nothing heavy, but as I hit the third step, my lower back went out. Each step, each movement, brought on excruciating pain! Once I finished putting things away, and with tears streaming down my cheeks, I sat down on my recliner.
I have worn my back brace some and used my heating pad, but the best relief I get is when I am reclined in my recliner.

Heidi makes a great Nurse.

So, I have decided that I need to get a reclining bed. Once I am mobile enough, I will start shopping.
Today our snowplow people came to repair the grassy area next to the driveway, where his plow truck skidded off. So far it looks good.

So that was the week that was. I managed to get through it and my back is slightly better. I’ve been walking and doing gentle stretches. I hate being laid up and want to be enjoying the sunshine. So, MY–BACK, get better fast!

My love, Heidi.

Help!

There are certain times in one’s life when you have an incident occur that reminds you that you are no longer a young and nubile woman.

And so it was on Monday morning.

I was sitting here looking out of my slipping glass doors when I noted the winter grime on them. I figured I would get the bucket out, mix up some cleaner and wash down the windows on the outside. The sliders went well, but when I came to the back door I stepped up onto the door frame and was reaching for the nut to slide over to keep the screen door from closing when I lost my balance.

It happened so fast. One minute I was reaching up, and the next minute I was on the cement patio block ground!

I landed on the right hip, shoulder, elbow, and knee. Both hands seem to have gotten road rash as I tried to break my fall.

After landing, not very gracefully, I lay there for a moment. I mentally checked my mind to see if anything hurt in a crazy bad way.

I attempted to get up on my right side, but that wasn’t happening. I wondered if I was going to end up like the lady in the commercial. “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

So I rolled to my left and very slowly got to my feet. Both palms were bleeding and things were starting to hurt.

It’s now a couple of hours later and things are starting to hurt a wee bit more.

What hurts the most is the fact that I am not as steady on my feet as I once was. It makes me feel old.

So that’s my tale of woe. I’m actually lucky. It could have been a lot worse.

Hurry Up & Wait!

On Thursday, with concern that Monday would bring heavy snow, I decided to venture out to our walk-in clinic and get tested for Covid.

I’ve been feeling unwell for a few days, and I’d convinced myself that I’d be just fine and I didn’t need to go. But when I started having breathing problems, I felt that I was just being silly and I could handle the Q-tip up the nose and just know for sure.

Usually, you walk in, get seen quickly, and then off you go. Yesterday was not like that at all. With the surge of the Covid variant, Omicron, the place was a Zoo and I was given a waiting time of 2 hours (to be spent in my car). Wanting nothing more than to drive away, I gritted my teeth and went back to the car to wait.

After close to two hours, I went inside to check on my status on the list. I was told it may actually be another two hours! I was asked to go home. I told them I couldn’t do that as I live ten miles away. The secretary was sympathetic and told me to wait in the mall area. A few minutes later, she came and got me.

I was tested for Covis, Strep Throat, and The Flu. It was the longest 15 minutes of my life. But the Nurse Practitioner came back and told me no Covid, No Strep, but it was the Flu!!!!

In all my 63 years I have never been so happy to be told I have the Flu! I felt so light as if I could dance right there!

I went to get my prescriptions, and my pharmacy is conveniently in a grocery store, so I picked up food that is easy to cook, and a few other things as we are due for that storm.

Then, with worry in my heart, I came home to see if Heidi had behaved for her Daddy. She had done well, and the house had remained in one piece.

So I am taking it easy, which is a bit hard right now as we have -10 below zero for our morning wake-up weather, with a stiff wind. Heavy snow is due on Monday with totals of 8+ inches.

But I can be lazy and sleepy and take care of this Flu. And hopefully, get over it quickly.

Sometimes it is better to know what’s going on than to be left in the dark imagining the worst.

Finding New Talents

Last night Heidi and I made it in bed, a real bed, from 11 o’clock until 5 AM! Oh, it felt so good to be in my own bed curled up with this little beauty. She does snore, but then, so do I, so we make a good pair.

She loves to snuggle and every once in a while she does this cute puppy sigh that makes me smile. I am so lucky.

I came out to walk her at 5 o’clock and it was all of 8 degrees. I got my heavy winter coat on, a hat, and gloves. I got out Heidi’s fleece cape and hooked on her leash and off we went.

She did her thing and we came in and I turned on the coffee, and off we went so I could change my clothes and put on some long underwear.

I was completely naked and barefoot when Heidi came in, stood on Lili’s bed, and gave me that look. Oh, no! She needed to poop!

I raced over and grabbed her and then stood for a moment thinking what should I do?

I can now tell you I have a new talent. I can completely dress, with one hand, while holding an 11-week old puppy! I mean, completely from socks, underwear, to leggings and a turtleneck!

Then I zipped on my boots, ran to the kitchen, put on my coat and hat and gloves, put Heidi’s cape on, and leash, and raced her outside!

If you’re guessing that she would not go, you would be totally wrong! She went out in the snow, and did her Poop! This is big!

We came in and she got a little treat and all sorts of praise! I mean, if a little girl like her goes out in the snow when it is 8 degrees and does her thing, well, God bless her.

She is doing well, and so am I.

And she is also so darn cute!

And So It Goes

I could not check in for my flight at home. I got an email to come 3 hours early!

I got to the airport and they wanted to check Heidi’s paperwork and see the dog. LOL.

They had screwed up the reservation. So I quickly got the boarding pass.

Then, the TSA wanted to check my tote with Heidi’s stuff in it.

Well, what they freaked out about was the German Stollen bread I was bringing. Sealed in foil wrap and inside a box.
They dusted the box for explosives and found an unknown powder! It’s called Confectioner’s Sugar!
But that was enough to make them open the box, and xray the loaf.

Apparently Marzipan looks suspicious. So they insisted on opening the package so they could see if it really was food.

Do I look suspicious, with my Vera Bradley suitcase and purse and pink mask?

Now I wait for my flight. But I have to say I am still giggling!

Almost Good-bye 2021

The end of the year is upon us. We have now gone through two years of this darn Covid Virus. Not only is the virus maddening, but I have found that in order to protect my family, I spend most of my time isolated from the world.

I am vaccinated. I also got the booster shot. I wear a mask to protect myself, and Jack, as well as other people around me. Hearing these dire warning messages from Dr. Faucci this weekend angered me.

He was all gloom and doom and says we will all have to wear a mask for the rest of our lives. Well Dr. Faucci, I sure hope that you are wrong. Since you are rather advanced in years, (81) perhaps we will have to wear them until the end of your life. (OMG! I know. That is so mean!)

The terrible flu in 1918 was like wildfire. And it had no vaccine. People washed, they were careful, and eventually, the virus died out. I chose to believe that this will happen.

As I sit here this morning looking at my plans to travel on Friday and Sunday, I am really hoping and praying for the health of all the airline flight crews! Get me to Nashville!

Meanwhile, I am slightly stressed. You will all laugh, but here is my dilemma.

I am driving myself to Boston’s, Logan Airport. I am planning to park the car myself and make my way to my terminal. Now this sounds easy, right?

Well, in my 63 years, although I have traveled extensively, I have not done the parking in large cities. We had Crew Parking when Jack was flying, and back when we lived in Florida, the local airport was so small and parking was easy.

I look at the drive to Boston as a challenge and then actually finding my way to the parking area I want simply freaks me out! I have actually been watching Youtube Videos and how and where to park.

So, between the flight cancellations and the parking and all the driving, I was up at 3:45 AM this morning. Yes. Stress and worry. Always the things that bug me the most.

Today I will work on packing and finishing up the laundry. I also need to run to the grocery store for a few things.

I sure hope your Christmas was nice. For those who did not have snow, we made up for it. With the beauty that is felt when one stands outside in the falling snow and hears nothing but silence.

Perfection!

My Favorite Christmas Music!

In this day and age, my modern favorite Christmas Carol is Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time”. It just fills me with joy and I always stop and sing along.

After that, I go for some beautiful classic tunes, such as “Carol of the Bells”. This one makes me think of my dear friend Candy, who I lost nearly three years ago now. But this song fills me with peace and joy.

Silent Night is a classic and one I learned to sing very early on. It is still one of my favorites.

And probably the one I like the very most is this, “The Holly and the Ivy”. Candy and I once sang this with our choir.

What Carols make you feel all Christmassy this time of the year?

Being Thankful

Recently, I read a story a man had written where he fussed and fumed about his father never buying him any good Christmas gift. Well, I shook my head in disbelief.

You see, my Dad was a really busy man. He taught school 5 days a week, he taught piano after school to so many of the kids I went to school with. He also played the organ at the local Congregational Church, was the director of the Senior and Junior Choirs, and also directed the Handbell Choir. Each year Dad directed a Christmas Carol sing on our town’s Village Green. Not to mention playing the organ for many weddings and funerals.

So each year Dad would go down to the local Pharmacy or 7/11 Grocery Store, whichever was open on Christmas morning and did his Christmas shopping for us.

Here I am, at the age of 12, on Christmas Morning with the gifts that Dad got for me. Notecards, a horoscope book, hat and gloves, a little kitty, and two dolls.

I wish I could sit down with that man who complained and tell him how lucky I feel that my Dad went out before I woke on Christmas to get these things for me. He did it every year. Sometimes I got life-saver candies, sometimes some Christmas candy. Sometimes chapsticks. Sometimes a teen magazine. But he shopped on his own and bought these things for me all by himself.

My Dad did the very best he could, all on his own, and I feel like I was pretty lucky!

Mom did the big shopping. And it was pretty good too. Mom also cooked the best Christmas breakfasts and Christmas dinners. She was a traditional Mum.

But all in all, looking back now, I think I was pretty blessed all around. I didn’t have to have my Dad buy me the world to show me that he loved me. His Christmas Day shopping sprees mean more to me now than he will ever know.

The Weekend Wrap ~ December 20th

The weekend seemed to rush by. I was busy with a few things, as I prepare for my trip in 10 days to get Heidi. I am actually a little under the weather myself with a kidney problem.

I started packing up my suitcase for the trip, and I also have a lightweight duffle bag with Heidi’s soft carrier inside and a few other things in it. It’s pretty much packed and ready to roll.

I cannot believe that it is almost time to go and get her. Right from day one, I knew that Heidi would fit in perfectly with us. People have asked how I knew? Well, I’m not sure. But it is the same way I knew that Anneliese and Arnie were meant to be with us.

The only dog I ever wondered about was Lili. She was quite ill when we got her, with Celiac disease. It took us nearly 4 months to get that diagnosed. Now she is sweet and kind and happy, and feels good! It’s amazing what the right food will do.

And for those who may have missed this, Lili also saved me during a daytime break-in back in January of 2019. If not for her growling, barking, and throwing herself against the door, I am sure the thief would have come in. But a German Shepherd, with a full set of teeth and a growl unlike I had ever heard, was enough to scare him off!

Lili also fiercely guarded my three dackels, Greta, Anneliese, and Arnie. Now she will have a new baby, Heidi!

On Saturday night and into Sunday we had 8 inches of snow fall on us! This found me going outside early in the morning to climb the ladder, to brush the snow off the satellite dish! It’s actually not hard to do. The ladder is a solid one and I have a great snow brush that reaches and clears the dish.

I hope you all had a great weekend and no matter what the weather was, I hope you could enjoy this last weekend before Christmas!

Happy Tuesday

Yesterday I spent time sorting through brick-a-brack around the house. Over the years it seems that I have acquired a lot of really cute, but junky crap! I also have more vases from all the lovely flowers I have been sent. How many clear bouquet vases does one need?

So, I got some old boxes (yes, I save those too!) and started filling them with all this stuff. So far, I have four large boxes of stuff.

I want to continue this cleaning and on Thursday or Friday, bring a large load of “stuff” to our recycling center’s rehoming room. You know, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

Little Heidi is continuing to grow and change and I am counting the days until I fly out to get her. Her wonderful breeder is raising those little babies with love, a sense of adventure, and such care. I feel so lucky to be getting one of Gail’s babies.

Little Heidi taking a nap after playing in the yard.

With each picture, with each puppy report, my heart swells with love. I feel like the luckiest of new puppy-mommys!

My plan today is more junk thinning, and also to dig out my doggy-poop bags and get those in my suitcase. Yes, believe it or not, I have started to pack for my New Year’s Eve trip!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!