I was looking at old pictures and came across this one. I think I was around a year old.
Cute baby girl! At times it feels like I am looking at someone else. I think this is normal until you are old enough to have memories around the picture.
Category: Throw Back Thursday
TBT: Grandma Honey & Papa Fred
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!
TBT: Greta’s First Litter
It’s hard to believe that fifteen years ago tomorrow the A-litter, otherwise known as Greta’s first litter of pups were born. Greta had labored for some time, and not had a puppy, so I rushed her to the Vets, where he delivered all 5 puppies safely, and healthfully. One big fat puppy was stuck in the birth canal, so the cesarean had to be done.
Arnie is in the blue-collar and Anneliese was the green. Everyone made it through just fine, including Greta, who went on to have one more litter before we retired her.
Greta was a fabulous mother and she tended to her babies so sweetly. It was truly a joy to watch her with her pups.
Fun times!
TBT: The Original Shubi & Me!
Thirty-three years ago I had never seen a wire-haired Dackel. I knew long-haired dackels and short-haired dackels, but I had never really seen a wire until my first trip to Germany to meet Jack’s friends, Otto and Lucie.
My German was really limited then and I spent a lot of the time feeling somewhat like I was deaf and unable to speak. And then I saw him Their standard wire-haired dackel. The original Shubi.
Shubi spoke no English and I did not speak any doggy German, but it was love at first sight. He made me fall head over heels in love with this marvelous breed of dog!
Each time we visited, Shubi was by my side. He was simply amazing! Lucie said he even changed into a different dog when I was around. I know I became a different person when I found him.
In 1996 we brought our own wire-haired dackel home from Bavaria. We named her Shubi after my beloved friend, who had passed away. And Shubi brought to me, so much joy.
In 51 days I leave to go and bring Heidi home. I am so excited about this. Her arrival means that I can continue to be “The Crazy Dackel Princess”. And my dog life, with this amazing breed, will go on.
TBT: Some Dog Pictures & Me!
This is a picture of me with Baby-Dog, the Beagle, and Lorelai, our German Shepherd. I’m thinking I was about 12 or 13 years old.
Below: This was Greta’s first litter. My favorite thing to do at that time in the pups life was to sit in the puppy room and let them crawl all over me! Both Arnie & Anneliese are in there, but I can’t see collar colors, so I’m not sure who is who. Good times!
Anneliese was such a little dog. Here she is next to Arnie who was already way ahead of her. It didn’t matter. They were devoted littermates.
And here I am with Greta. She was an amazing dog and friend!
TBT: My Grandchildren & Me
This week I am looking back at the birth of my two grandchildren. There is something so special and amazing when you hold your grandchild for the first time.
I was thrilled when Mandy told me she was expecting a little girl! And then, when I held Savannah for the first time, my heart swelled with a love so strong and so full of happiness!
Ever since her birth, Savi and I have had this connection between us. Maybe all grandparents feel like this with their grandchildren. I would go anywhere and do anything for her, and her brother.
Savannah May 31, 2012
Holding Savi for the first time brought happy tears to my eyes. Watching her grow and change has been such a delight!
After Savannah’s birth, I figured if that were all the grandbabies, then I was a lucky lady. But one day I was in my yard and a woman came by. She was buying our old truck. She took my hand and read my palm and told me that I would have another grandchild and this one would be a boy.
This woman had never met me before or been inside my home. And yet she told me all about my granddaughter and my soon-to-be grandson.
A few weeks later I was babysitting Savannah overnight at Mandy’s and my daughter came running down the stairs waving an EPT Pregnancy Stick! She was pregnant!
To say we were all thrilled was an understatement. I had told her about the woman’s prediction and a few weeks later we found out that our darling Quinn, a boy, was on his way!
Quinn March 7, 2016
Since I never had a boy, I knew very little about them. I learned fast that having a boy was rough and tumble and playing trucks and focusing on anything with wheels. This boy started walking at 7+ months and hasn’t stopped since.
I love being a grandmother, and the love I have for Savannah and Quinn isn’t measurable. I tell them all the time, “I love you to the moon and back!” And their smiles, their hugs, and their love mean more to me than anything.
Savannah, Mandy, Quinn, and me last Christmas.
TBT: Shubi & Me
Hi All! I wanted to share my story about how I became owned by a Dachshund!
In 1989 my husband brought me to Starnberg, Germany, this is just south of Munich, to meet his dear friends Lucie and Otto. I was a new bride and nervous about meeting his longtime friends. As I sat in their living room, in bounded a small vivacious pup named Shubi, who was a wire-haired Dachshund. Shubi spoke no English, and I spoke no German, but it did not matter. It was love at first sight! Shubi climbed into my lap and we kissed and that was it.
Me and the original Shubi.
For the next week wherever I went, I was followed by this love-struck little man. When we parted I cried and all I would say to my husband was, “I want a little Shubi dog!” We made four more trips to Munich over the next four years and it was always the same. Shubi became my love while I was there.
Sadly, in 1994 Shubi escaped his fenced-in yard and was hit by a car. I grieved for so long. And so did Lucie.
At Christmas this year we learned that Otto was ill and in February 1995 we went back to Germany to see Otto and Lucie. The house was oddly still with no little man running around the house. It just was not the same cheery home. I said to Lucie at lunch that we should go and find little puppies and have them together. Otto heard us and while we were out shopping he found an ad for Rauhhaar Dackels, or in English, Wire Haired Dachshunds.
It was 35 kilometers east of Munich to go to the home of the puppies, but we all piled into the car and off we went to Landshut. An hour later we walked into the kitchen of the Lanzingers. There, in a small basket on the floor were three baby dachshunds. I went over and a little face looked up and tried to jump up to me. I picked her up and that was it. She looked me over, decided that I would do, and after kissing my face clean, she settled into my arms and snuggled. Lucie picked up a little boy pup and we were off.
I kept trying to think up a good name for my baby when my husband, who had been oddly silent said,” All I have heard for years is ‘I want a Shubi dog’, the dog’s name is Shubi. And thus our Shubi adopted us as her parents, and her responsibility in life. Lucie named Shubi’s brother, Toni.
At the Munich Airport.
I feared bringing a pup back to the states would be difficult, but it wasn’t. She was three months old, had her shots, and once we purchased a doggie passport and bought her a ticket we were all set. Shubi road Business Class with us from Munich to New York. She was wonderful on the plane and my husband rushed her out as soon as we cleared customs, to the parking area next to the terminal. Bravo Shubi! She did just what she was supposed to.
Shubi was warm, and funny, and stubborn and sweet, and good, and made me feel like I was the most important person in her life. My husband, who believed that White German Shepherds were the only dogs in the world, changed his mind and now adores dackels too.
Shubi learned English, was housebroken quickly and ruled the whole house, and I was happier than I ever thought it was possible to be!
And right now I know that I will never be without a “Shubi Dog” ever again!
TBT: Arnie
I know I publish a lot of pictures of Arnie. Now that my little Prince is closing in on the ripe old age of 15, I find myself loving him more and at the same time worrying about his health. I just hope that Arnie lives to be, oh, I don’t know, 25!
So, I was looking back at his puppy pictures when I came across this one. Arnie was about 8 weeks old here, and the cutest little guy ever!
Arnie had four sisters and he allowed them to be the boss of the whelping box. Arnie simply ate and slept and snuggled. He was really low maintenance compared to his sisters.
As Arnie grew, alongside his sister, Anneliese, the two became the very best of friends.
And right up until January of this year, Arnie and his sister were devoted to each other.
Sadly, she passed away and in many ways, Arnie still mourns her loss. Siblings, best friends, and littermates, they’d been together their entire lives.
Now Arnie is left with just us and Lili. He follows me around everywhere I go. And at night when I get out of bed, I come back to find him waiting for me.
My friend, my sweet boy, my joy! As Mr. Spock said many times on Star Trek, “Live Long & Prosper“!
TBT: Shubi & Me
This is a picture of Shubi and me taken at sunset the year we built this house, 1999. It’s a favorite of mine and one I keep on my dresser.
Me with the little love of my life, Shubi!
TBT: Uncle Bob, Uncle George & My Mom
This old picture I simply had to share. This week’s Throw Back Thursday is a picture of my Mom and her brother, Robert (left), and her cousin George (right).
She was the youngest in her family, like I was the youngest in my generation, with the exception of my cousin, Larry who is a year or so younger than me.
How quickly time goes by, and these three kids not only grew up, but also got married, and had their own families and are now gone from this earth. But the memories of each of them are held tightly in my heart.
