I have known my brother-in-law, Ron since I was eight years old. I was a brat, and Ron was so patient.
In the last year, Ron has been a fantastic help to me. After Jack passed, I was in shock and not sure what to do. Ron came up and took over. He helped me sort things, donate things, and throw things out.
Today is Ron’s Birthday, and I wish him the happiest days and a great year ahead!
Today is my sister’s birthday. I wish I could be down with her to celebrate her big day.
I want to tell you all what a wonderful sister Melodie is. She is five and a half years older than me, and I was her “first baby.” She cared for me like a little mother and was always more like a mother to me than a sister. I am so blessed to have her!
Mel is one of the kindest women that I know. She always has a smile and a warm greeting for those around her. She loves her family with her whole heart, rejoices in their successes, and comforts them in their sorrows.
Ron and Melodie
She has been married to Ron for 53 years. They met at summer camp at the age of 13 and wrote to each other for many years before their November 1971 wedding.
So today, on her 71st Birthday, I want to wish my beloved sister, Melodie, a very Happy Birthday!
My beautiful sister! I love you so much!
Today would have been my brother’s 73rd birthday. Richard “Dickie” was seven years older than me, which when you are a child seemed like a million, billion, years.
Melodie was just two years younger, and she and Dickie were really close. When I was small, they took pretty good care of their little sister.
Melodie, Dickie and me.
My brother was born prematurely and was very small. His birth was a tough one, and he had lifelong effects from it.
My brother was well-loved by many. The one thing I can say is that he tried hard, always and he loved deeply.
He married a woman with four kids, and I know he loved each and every one of them. Together they had two sons. They will, unfortunately, never really know how proud and happy he was the days they were born. You see, when he was in his early twenties he became ill with cancer.
He loved to cook and he loved his music. Although he never could learn to read music, all he had to do was hear something once and he could play it either on the guitar or the piano.
He learned he had cancer at the age of 26. On April 1st, April Fools Day. And he fought long and hard to win his battle against that dreaded disease. Unfortunately, back in 1977, cancer treatment was brutally hard and seldom worked on Lymphoma and Leukemia.
Dickie passed from this life to the next on April 2nd, 1978. We miss you, Dickie, and hope you are happy and celebrating with all of the family up there in Heaven.
Today is my sister’s birthday. I wish I could be down with her to celebrate her big day.
I do want to tell you all what a wonderful sister Melodie is. She is five and a half years older than me, and I was her “first baby.” She cared for me like a little mother and was always more like a mother to me than a sister. I am so blessed to have her!
Mel is one of the kindest women that I know. She always has a smile and a warm greeting for those around her. She loves her family wholeheartedly, rejoices in their successes, and comforts them in their sorrows.
Ron and Melodie
She has been married to her husband, Ron, for over 50 years. They met at the age of 13 at summer camp and wrote to each other for many years before their wedding in November of 1971.
So today, on her 70th Birthday, I want to wish my beloved sister, Melodie, a very Happy Birthday!
My beautiful sister! I love you so much!
February 4th would have been my Grandma Honey’s 125th birthday. It isn’t easy to imagine her at that age. She passed from this world into the next 38 years ago. She was a very important woman in my life and taught me so much. Even now, I miss her like crazy!
Here she is, Mary Frances Daniell the day she married my Papa, Frederick Carl Prussman.
Here is a picture of Mel and me with our much-loved, Grandma Honey, at Goodwill Park.
Grandma Honey and Papa Fred. Theirs was indeed an epic love story! They met when they were less than ten years old. Grandma was friends with Papa’s sister, Kätchen, and spent a lot of time at the house teaching Kätchen to speak English. The family had recently arrived from Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, and aside from the eldest sister, Hedwig, who worked as a Nanny, no one spoke a lot of English.
Anyway, Papa always said he fell in love with her then, and as a teenager, he would chase off any beau that tried to court her. My great-grandfather eventually allowed them to become engaged but insisted that Mary finish college before they married.
They were married until Mary eventually passed from this life to the next. He joined her 8 months later.
Happy Heavenly Birthday, Grandma Honey!
Today is my sister’s birthday. I wish I could be down with her to celebrate her big day. Alas, this is one more Covid-19 moment.
I do want to tell you all what a wonderful sister Melodie is. She is five and a half years older than me, and I was her “first baby”. She cared for me like a little mother and was always more like a mother to me, than a sister. I am so blessed to have her!
Mel is one of the kindest women that I know. She always has a smile and a warm greeting for those around her. She loves her family with her whole heart and rejoices in their successes and comforts them in their sorrows.
Ron and Melodie
She has been married to her husband, Ron for 50 years. They met at the age of 13 at summer camp and wrote to each other for many years before their wedding in November of 1971.
So today, on her Sixty-ninth Birthday I want to wish my beloved sister, Melodie a very Happy Birthday!
My beautiful sister! I love you so!
She was born Rosamond Ruth Prussman, to parents Frederick and Mary on June 28, 1929. She had a much-loved older brother, Robert, and a cousin George, (who grew up like a brother to her). In fact, until the day they passed, they really adored each other.
Mom’s brother, Robert, and his wife Cynthia.
Aunt Betty, Larry, Janet, and Uncle George.
She met my Dad when she was 13 and she was dancing and my Dad played the piano. I asked Dad once what made him look twice at Mom and he said “It was a bright red sweater that she was wearing! She looked so beautiful in it! I was hooked!”
A collage of their life together.
They married early on, and Dad finished getting his teaching degree. They moved to Monument Beach, Massachusetts,
and lived in a little white cottage in the Burtonwood section, where my brother, Richard, and my sister Melodie were born.
Then they moved to Falmouth, Massachusetts, and shortly after, Mom had me.
My parent’s stayed married for well over 60 years.
Mom was with him until the end of his life, and really until the end of hers too. She never remarried. I think in her mind and her heart she was always Jimmie’s girl!
Her last days were spent, not in fear of dying, no, Mom knew Jesus Christ and she knew she would see Dad again. She just worried about Mel and me and all of our cousins.
Me, Mel & Janet with Mom.
This was the last time we were together before Mom was diagnosed with Liver Cancer. It was a wedding. Mom was so happy to be with us all. I almost didn’t go because of my facial surgery, but I am so glad I did now. Seeing her so happy and sharing that day with her, left us all with wonderful memories.
The last time I saw her, at Hospice Care, Mel and I, sat there, with Janet and the four of us were talking quietly. I asked Mom how we would know if she was with us. She smiled and said, “You will see butterflies, and that will be me.” This really surprised me because she always related to beautiful flowers in the past.
But you know what? We see beautiful butterflies all the time. And we smile!
Happy Birthday, Mom!
We Love you and we miss you!
Here is a picture of my Grandma Honey and Papa Fred. This had to be before 1968, as we are still at our Clipper Lane home. When I found this picture I had to share it.
I love this so much because they both look quite young and joyful. Papa especially is smiling happily. My guess is that they were 69 and 70 years old.
Notice how he has her by her elbow to escort her to the house.
They simply adored each other!
Today is my sister’s birthday. I wish we were together, but sadly, traveling is still an issue for me. I wanted to tell you all what a wonderful sister Melodie is.
Ron and Melodie
3. She has been married to her husband, Ron for almost 50 years. They met at the age of 13 at summer camp and wrote to each other for many years before their wedding in November of 1971.
4. They raised a great family and have six grandchildren. They always tried to put the kids first and over the years did many fun things with all of them.
5. So today, on her sixty-eighth birthday I want to wish my beloved sister, Melodie a very Happy Birthday!
I noticed today that it is now sixteen years since I started to write Dackel Princess. Where has the time gone? I recall thinking that only three or four people would ever read me, and those people were all related to me.
Here is the LINK to the first entry I made all those years ago
However, over the years I have met so many great people as they found my blog. It really has been a thrill!
It all started with Shubi and then Greta and Fritz. My original three all those years ago.
Shubi, Greta, & Fritz
Shubi was at the end of her time with us, and Greta and Fritz were puppies! Time sure does fly when one is having fun! And these three were so much fun!
Of course, soon Greta took a husband and she brought to us, Arnie & Anneliese. Fritz went to Rainbow Bridge and we got his niece, Lili.
Arnie, Anneliese, & Lili
Of course, Anneliese left us in January, but there is still a lot of doggy love in this house!
During this time I also became an Oma! That is the best yet! Two beautiful and very special people named Savannah and Quinn came into my life. They are the loves of my life, along with my wonderful daughter, Mandy.
So in 16 years, so much has changed, but the love continues and the joy of sharing my life with my family, friends, and my pets continues. Each day presents an opportunity to find something new in life!
So Happy 16th Blogoversary to me!