Family & Friends – Page 14 – The Dackel Princess

Make-Overs

This was a great day. I was up at the usual time, said bye to Hubby as he went off to meet friends and ski, had a nice breakfast and headed to my friend’s beauty salon for my monthly make-over! And this month, I not only needed the make-over, but the pampering that comes along with it.

I got there early and sat down drinking a cup of coffee and relishing being out again after enforced bed rest for my eye. I actually shouldn’t have been driving, but I patched my eye and went very slowly the few miles across country roads to the salon. All day yesterday I asked myself if I could do this, and this morning I got in the Jeep and away I went.

I was pampered and spoiled and Margarita gave me a cut that will be easy for me to do these next few weeks. Lots of layers so that the curls just pop out. I just love how Margarita does my hair!

My friend and manicurist, Shelly had her baby, Ella there wearing a shirt and pants set I gave her for the baby at her baby shower in October. She looks so adorable, don’t you think?

So my day was a happy one as I got out and had a chance to see my girlfriends and little Miss Ella!

New Years Love & Resolutions

I was up after 9 AM on New Years morning. I woke up on the sofa. You might ask me why I was on the sofa when Hubby and I own a perfectly good king size bed. Well, apparently the dachshunds felt like stretching out and I was the one who was going to land on the floor. So, since I was awake, I came out, drank a large glass of cranberry pomegranate juice (my current favorite!) and then fell asleep on our sofa.

Our day has been rather laid back and quiet. I slept on the sofa again in the afternoon and finally kicked the eye ache. Yay for me! I’m back to cooking our meals (and unfortunately cleaning them up) and even doing the laundry. Life is going on in a normal way, and for this I am so very grateful!

Snow has been falling softly, all day long. It’s very pretty. I decided to enjoy some of the after Christmas sales and I ordered our Christmas card for next year. Usually I go out and do this, but since I cannot drive online retail therapy will have to suffice.

You know, I need to tell you all a little story. It took place shortly after I came home from the hospital. I was feeling very depressed because of the eye and I asked Hubby to bring me the mail that had come while we were gone.

I lay there opening each and every Christmas card that came and as I read them I felt the love and caring of our friends and family envelop me in a warm cocoon. It was truly magical! How lucky we are to have you all and how lucky I felt to open those cards so full of love. (Of course our tax bill from the town we live in reminded me how much our town loves…our money! LOL)

As the New Year starts I am planning to get back to Weight Watchers once I can drive, and never again take my vision for granted.

Do you have any resolutions?

Visits

Halloween was a fun day. My daughter, Mandy came up to visit bringing along her sister, Allyson. It was so nice to play with the puppies, run around outside, and have a nice lunch together, where we chatted about what Mandy and Allyson are up to. Mandy is busy with work and Allyson is busy at school, as this is her Senior Year of High School.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Later after they left, Emily arrived for a little visit with us. She played with each of the dogs. All 9 of them!

Here it was, Halloween and we did not have one Trick or Treat-er!

The clocks change tonight. Fall back!

Friends

Thursday saw us entertaining friends from Vermont and Maine. They came to enjoy a visit with our friends from Australia, Keith and Jill.

Jill, Maribeth, Alice, Joan and Keith

We all met years ago when I adopted Shubi. I knew nothing about dachshunds and I went online looking for information. I found a list for dachshund owners and in less than a year, 20 of us set out on our own list that we call the “Circle of Friends”. And so it goes, we have been friends through thick and thin.

I made a turkey dinner with all the fixings for our noontime meal and we ate with glee and much laughter. It was a delicious meal!

Keith and Jill.

We took quite a few pictures and of course we enjoyed the puppies and our dogs. Here I am with Anneliese.

Here is Curt.

And Schnapps

schnapps

And Wally.

Puppies Are Growing

Due to time constraints this will be short and sweet. I will tell you that the pups are doing famously, growing and changing every day, and eating more and more independently of Greta.

Aren’t they just beautiful?

These are all the boys. Light Blue is Calvin, then the next level is Wally and Fenway and on the bed is Curt.

Here is our little sweetheart, Schnitzel.

And this has to be one of the cutest pictures of Wally.

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Sorry this is so short, but I am so busy visiting with our friends, feeding babies and taking care of Anneliese and her heat. It rained very hard today in the morning, but by the afternoon it was fairly good and we ventured out to the stores.

Thursday more old friends are coming and I have several surprises planned.

More later!

Happy Birthday, Uschi!!!

Eight and a half years ago, two women met online. We met because we loved our doggies and wanted to communicate with other people who enjoyed their dogs as well. We wrote back and forth, sharing our lives, began instant messaging through yahoo, and before we knew it, we realized that we were not only friends, but sisters separated by an ocean!

Over the last eight and a half years we have shared good times and bad, but no matter what, we have been there for each other. We’ve been lucky enough to spend time together in person as well.

How grateful I am that this wonderful woman and I found each other!

So, my dear sister, Happy Birthday, and may you have a very special day today and a happy and healthy year ahead!!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Puppies & Babies!!!

Monday found me racing around taking Arnie to the Vet’s with an ear infection, making meals and then racing off to my girlfriend’s baby shower in the late afternoon.

I managed to snap a couple of puppy pictures in the morning while I was changing their bedding. The pups are getting nice and plump and truly they are beautiful! Here are Claus and Caspar. They love each other so much and it seems they are always cuddled up together.

Isn’t this the cutest thing?

Since I was on the go I didn’t take too many more, just this one of Curt.

After this I went off to the baby shower and had a great time with the gals. My friend Shelly is expecting her first baby in October. They are naming her Ella Glo. I just love that!

Here is Shelly with one of the onesies I gave her. Can you tell I picked it out?

Shelly is just the sweetest and she is one of the few people I know that is so cute pregnant! I was not cute pregnant. I looked like I had swallowed a hippopotamus! Shelly, well she is just beautiful!

The party was great and a good time was had by all. I came home and after my shower put my feet up, hugged my little boy, Arnie, and then gave him his ear medication. Life is good.

Friends & Puppies!

Saturday was the first day that Greta actually allowed me to easily pick up the pups. Oh, she lets me take them to weigh them in each day, but she doesn’t like to have me holding them for too long. That was, until today.

Interestingly enough, Anneliese never minded my touching the babies or holding them from day one. Perhaps it is because she has only known me as her Mama, and has known my hands since the very moment she was born. However with Greta, it is quite different.

My day started as usual. Greta got me up to go and commune with nature early on, I drank coffee and soon made breakfast for Hubby and myself. In the late morning I got a call. It was my dear Emily, who asked if I would be home for a few hours because a surprise was on it’s way for me.

An hour later, Emily was on my steps! She’d been gone all summer visiting her grandparents and today came to visit me and the pups. We immediately got out our cameras and started snapping pictures.

Emily and Claus.

Me with Curt, who was trying to nurse my hand!

Me with Calvin.

Me with Christel.

And the adorable Caspar.

I also got the two boys together who will be going to Tony and Cheryl. They are just so sweet! Claus and Caspar.

It is amazing to me how quickly the pups grow at this point. Both Curt and Calvin are 1 pound each. Christel is 15 ounces and the two boys, Claus and Caspar are 14 ounces and gaining fast!

The pups do two things quite well. They eat and they sleep. They are becoming a bit more mobile ,in that they will crawl towards their mother, drawn by the scent of her milk. They will climb over each other to reach a teat and two of them show signs of enjoying sleeping on their backs. Yes, Calvin and Claus both have been spotted sound asleep on their backs with their chubby bellies sticking out for all to see.

It’s a peaceful time too. I mean, we can sit and watch and enjoy their infancy now before they open their eyes and begin to awaken to the world around them.

Makenna and the little family!

When Blog Friends Get Together

Monday afternoon I met up with Robin and her son up town. Robin’s parents live in the same town that I do, and she has been visiting with them this summer. Today we got together for a little shopping and talking. Robin’s handsome and truly adorable son, Itai came with her and what a true gentleman he is!

We walked along the docks and enjoyed the sunshine and warmth of the afternoon. Itai was hungry so we sat while he had a hot-dog and chatted while he ate.

It’s always wonderful when you get to see your blog friends. We all know each other in a way that is a little different than people you meet in other ways. And there is always something to talk about.

Itai took this picture of Robin and me. I think he did a great job. He centered it and didn’t cut off our feet or anything! All I did was re-size it for the blog. Good job Itai!

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And lastly, Greta just gets bigger and bigger!

I just can’t believe how large she is. I hope she has those babies by the weekend or she just may pop!

Five, More or Less

On Friday, Greta went to see our Veterinarian. It was finally time for her to have her x-ray! I have been anxiously awaiting this!

I left the house a little early so I could stop and get the mail on the way over. Down town was a crazy mess, as some person had parked a car about 4 feet from the side of the curb which essentially means that they parked their car in the road. I had just managed to drive my station wagon by when the police arrived.

Greta accompanied me into the Post Office and was her usual sweet and bubbly self, especially when a woman stopped to ask what sort of dog she was. I wanted to tease Greta and say, “Oh, this is a pot bellied pig”, but I knew I was the only one who would get the joke, so I just laughed to myself and told the woman that Greta was a wire-haired dachshund.

Traffic was heavy, but I got to the Vet’s office in plenty of time and they weighed Greta. Twenty-five and a half pounds! Wow! That is nearly 6 pounds more than she weighed pre-pregnancy!

Suddenly the National Weather Service announcer came on the radio to declare a weather warning for our area, and at that exact moment I could hear thunder boom in the distance! Dr. N. came in and took Greta quickly for her x-ray. She was worried that a thunder storm was going to force them to shut their equipment down. Lucky for us we did not get any more of the thunder, just torrential rain!

Soon Dr. N. brought Greta back and she showed me the x-ray. She asked me how many puppies I saw.

“One, two, three, four, five, six!” I said with glee!

How Many Babies
You can click on this and look at the larger detailed picture if you would like.

Dr. N. was not as convinced about puppy #6. There are definitely 5 puppies (red arrows) in there, but the sixth one (which is where the purple arrow is) could be a combination of a shadow and the ribs of the pup next to it.

Excitement is now building as Greta’s due date nears. Sometime in about 8-9 days, Greta will become a Mommy again. I pray for healthy and happy and beautiful puppies and for Greta’s safe delivery. She sure has quite a load in her belly! No wonder she waddles and falls over!