I’m sitting here writing after a lovely day. I drove south and got together with Mandy and her Grandmother to celebrate Grammy’s birthday! She turned 85 years old!
I was so happy that I had the chance to spend the time with her. You see, although she is my former mother in-law, I love her just as much as I did when I was legally her daughter in-law.
I guess some things don’t change with the signing of divorce papers. Isn’t that wonderful?
We had a three hour lunch just talking about the old days, and Mandy’s birth, and how I’ve known her since I was just 15 years old.
We shared so many of the happiest days of my life, the saddest too. But today we talked about the happy ones, like Mandy’s birth and the wonder of her grandchildren.
Love never dies, does it? I know with my first marriage, sadly, we went to different places after the accident, but the love for some of my ex-husband’s family, has stayed with me all of this time.
1. This is what life does. It lets you forever wonder at all the twists and turns until you figure out that all you really need to do it sit back and enjoy.
2. Can one truly ever appreciate the moment?
3. Upon reflection my life has not always gone along the way I thought it would, but I have been blessed in so many ways.
4. I’ve wanted to get back onto my Weight Watchers Plan for quite a long time.
5. Later, you wake up and see that all in all, life is very good!
6. Off we trekked to the far and boundless sea.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to dinner with Hubby, tomorrow my plans include laundry and Sunday, I want to do something different, just not sure what yet!!
You know. Having had Anneliese since the moment she was born, gives me a unique perspective into the type of dog that she is.
The most amazing thing I’d seen was when Anneliese was delivered into this world and came out squealing. I remarked to Hubby that we shouldn’t keep that one! Little did I know…
Anneliese
She would slowly start to grow on me. She would do the cutest things that made me smile. She never let the fact that she was a wee bit smaller than her brother and sisters keep her down. She would stand up for herself and play with wild abandon!
Anneliese
And she worked her whiles on me, until I started to slowly, completely, fall in love with her.
Me with Anneliese
She is three and a half years old now. We have traveled around the northeastern part of the USA, and into Canada. We’ve gone to Germany, twice. Each night she sleeps nestled up behind my knees.
Me with Anneliese
At this point in my life, I cannot imagine her not being in it. Now we have my girl facing motherhood for the second time in just a few short weeks. Once again, it will be me and my girl. We’ll handle the birthing and caring of her babies together, just like we did before.
Anneliese and her first litter
I can hardly wait to see what these puppies will be like. What they will look like. Oh, the fun we will have!
Peel under cool water, the uncooked beets. Notice, they will not make your fingers red! When all the beets are peeled, cut them into quarters.
Spread beets in a roasting pan and lightly pour olive oil over them and then toss the beets to coat them. Cover with aluminum foil tightly, and roast for 40-50 minutes. Shake the pan to move the beets around in the pan, but let it stay covered.
Beets are done when tender and they are caramelized in the pan.
These are so delicious and the beets taste so sweet. It is now my favorite way to have them!
Isn’t it amazing how an animal can change your life? One, single, little animal changed mine. It was something I never expected at all. And yet…
Years ago, back in 1994, Hubby and I went to Germany to visit with friends. They lived very close to Munich, in a small village called Aufkirchen. Hubby wanted me to meet his friends there and we arranged a nice visit.
Lucie and Otto had a little dog. His name was Shubi. I’d never really seen a dog like him before, but it was love at first sight!
I’d always loved dogs, always had them, but Shubi was different. It was the very first time that I’d ever seen a wire-haired dachshund. I wanted one of my own, but Hubby complained that we already had a dog (and we did, a White Shepherd named, Max!) and didn’t need two dogs. I was disappointed, but agreed, all the while thinking that one day I would have my dackel!
A year passed and we learned that Otto was ill with cancer and so we planned a trip to see him and his family. We came at the beginning of February and when we arrived we learned that little Shubi had been hit by a car and killed.
My heart broke, as I walked through the silent house. At breakfast the next morning I said, “You know, it’s too quiet here. We should get wire-haired pups together!” Then Hubby and I went out to the shop to buy a few things that we needed. I think that was when I forgot to pack socks for Hubby.
We returned and Otto had found an ad in the newspaper for Rauhhaardackel (wire-haired) Puppies. He had called and arranged for us to go and look at them.
So off we drove to Landshut, Germany. That is where I met, and fell head over heels in love with a little girl puppy that I named Shubi!
She was small and sweet and lively. She brightened my days, just being in it. The picture above was taken in Landshut, where I found my dearest girl.
Our friends took her brother, Toni and the two were able to get together several times over the years. Shubi always remember the house in Aufkirchen and brother and sister always remembered each other.
Shubi was the wind beneath the wings of Max as he grew old and eventually passed from this life. And when we brough Fritz home as a puppy, Shubi became a Mommy to him.
Thus explaining why Fritz believes he is a dachshund. After all, his Mama, Shubi taught him all about being a dog.
Eventually Shubi began to grow old herself and sometimes even she needed a rest during a long hike.
Her health began to fail, and three years ago, she went to Rainbow Bridge. That was terrible day. I thought I would never feel for a dog the way I felt for her.
I started to breed dogs, and all the while I bred I thought that perhaps, I was breeding that one special dog for someone. It’s an amazing thing to see and feel.
Then just the other day, I was sitting in my chair and Anneliese came up and snuggled up against my face and looked at me with such love and I realized that here she is, my very own special dog.
I love all my dogs, you know, and until the other day I didn’t realize that this special bonding had happened. With Shubi it was instant. With Anneliese, it has come over time.
So who knows, perhaps one of the babies in her belly will be someones special Puppy! I certainly would like to believe so.
I was on cloud nine all day on Monday! Anneliese is pregnant, still not sure how many, but she is pregnant! I am so happy! Now we start getting ready for the birth in August. Her due date will be approximately on August 5th or 6th.
I can now look at Anneliese and enjoy her beautiful belly! I can look at her and smile, dreaming of how many babies she just might have in there.
In a few weeks I will have the x-rays done to see how many are in there, but in another 10 days they’ll repeat the ultrasound.
Meanwhile, we will increase her food, just a bit. Each day I want to take her on a walk, just her and me, around the neighborhood, so that she can stay in shape. I’ve been in touch with Makenna and she is all ready to help keeping Anneliese is shape and of course helping with the puppies afterward.
One thing I want to do this time, is to take more birth pictures. Last time I only got pictures of the first puppy’s birth, so now I would like to play around a little and photograph more.
I took Anneliese in this noontime and they did the ultrasound and she is, indeed pregnant! I saw extremely tiny fetuses with even tinier beating hearts! It was too sweet! Here is a picture of what a fetus looks like at this stage of the game. This is just for demonstration purposes.
If you’d like to see a short video of a canine fetus at this stage follow this link and you will see a great, short video!
We’ll be going back in 10 days to take another look and find out if we can determine how many pups she actually has in there.
Okay gang, today is the day! I take Anneliese in at Noon for her exam. Hubby proclaims that she is not pregnant, but I am still holding out hope that she has little biscuits in her oven! (Puppies in the belly)
It is 38 days now since she was bred. The puppies should be large enough to see (I think) and definitely we should be able to see their little tiny hearts beating. (Be still my own heart!)
I was looking at pictures of Anneliese from her last litter, at the same time in her pregnancy and she looks JUST like she did then. Here is a picture from Day 38 in March of 2009.
And here she is now, July 2010.
Here is another one in March 2009.
And now, July 2010.
Okay, so what do you think? The more I look at her and the pictures from her last pregnancy, the more convinced I am that she is pregnant.
As I said, our appointment is at Noon. They will do the ultrasound then, and we will know if she is pregnant or not. Keep your fingers and toes crossed and I will post when I get home!
I thought I had mentioned this, but I am now working, part time for my friend, who is also the best hair stylist and colorist that I know. She owns her own salon and I am currently doing reception and secretarial work, and will be applying for my shampoo license so I can assist the other stylists at busy times, by shampooing their clients. It’s just for the summer, and I have to tell you I really like it! I enjoy meeting people, I love answering the phone and the computer work is also something that I fancy.
Meanwhile, my little family of Hubby and the dogs is adjusting to my being gone during the day, and I feel ever so appreciated at the end of my shift, both at work and when I arrive home to happy dogs and a smiling husband.
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Tomorrow at noon is the ultra-sound on Anneliese to see if their are puppies inside of that belly of hers. I want to remain optimistic that there are little babies in there, and so I am just not allowing myself to consider that she isn’t. Her belly is nice and round, and she is showing other signs too. So I have fingers and toes crossed!
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Like every other working gal, today is grocery shopping day. I’ve never been a Sunday shopper, but I really need to get the groceries as I just won’t have time to drive the 30 minutes to our closest and best grocery store. We need so many things, and I need to stock up again on meats, chicken and fish. Interestingly my favorite frozen fillets of Norwegian Haddock are on sale this week for $3.99 a pound! It’s the best Haddock ever and I plan to stock up. (It comes frozen right off the boats)
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Our weather broke on Saturday and we had several good rain storms blow through. Finally a break from all that heat! It’s still a bit on the humid side, but nothing like it was.
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My garden is flourishing in all of this warm, and now wet weather. The cucumbers are thriving, the squash is more than abundant and I have already eaten my first Ichiban Eggplant! I was out there after dinner last night and marveled at the lush greenery!
It reminded me that this is why I plant a garden each year!
I came home from work Friday night and looked at Anneliese. She looks amazingly pregnant to me! Or, was this just my anxious and hopeful eyes that saw this?
I admit to being hopeful. I only have a few more days until they repeat the ultra sound and we will have a better idea if she has babies in her belly!
It was a busy week for me between work, and home. Try as I might, I don’t seem to get the laundry done during the week, so I will just have to work on it after work today, and on Sunday. Of course on Sunday I need to grocery shop as well, and so I’m thinking that the weekend won’t provide much in the way of rest either.
The weather, something which is usually dull to write about, has actually been interesting, if you find temperatures of 98-103 degrees (f) interesting. It’s a humid, sticky, thick air mass and kind of awful to be out in. They are forecasting thunder storms for today and with them brings the hope of a drier, cooler, air mass. I’m hoping that this is true!
