Thoughts

This weekend has been a quiet one. I think we all need those once in a while. Granted, yesterday was busy with all the cooking, but today I have just put my feet up and allowed the leftovers to feed us at mealtimes.

I’ve been thinking about where we were a year ago. We still had all the puppies, and all the fun that goes along with that. Hubby was still skiing a lot, although I had wrenched my knee and was down and out for the season.

I look back and then I look at today and the puppies are fully grown.

arnie and anneliese

Arnie now has a rating and as of March 10th if a cute little wire-haired dachshund female comes a calling for him, he is eligible for stud service.

Anneliese is improving with her shyness and she is just the sweetest little love ever. I’m glad she decided that she was staying. It’s funny when a dog picks you out like that! She’ll go to the dog show in September and we will see how she is rated. I think she will do well, if we can just get her over her shyness with strangers. If only the Judge were a child I’d be all set! LOL

Greta. Ah yes. A year ago she was still in charge of her brood. Now she treats Arnie and Anneliese like part of her pack, but not like her babies. Someday, Greta will go into heat again and I will stop obsessing about my dogs menstrual cycle!

Fritz, who was deathly afraid of the puppies a year ago, and wouldn’t even look at them, now plays with both the puppies and even lets Anneliese kiss his teeth. She just loves her “Uncle Fritz” and showers him with affection.

A year ago we had some snow, but nothing like the 4 feet of the white stuff that currently fills my back yard! This year driving around New Hampshire means going down roads that are like toboggan runs, with high snow banks on both sides.

Tonight the Oscar Awards will be on and I plan to plant myself in my chair and watch it all. Or almost…I usually can’t make it until midnight!

Could this be the year that they actually finish the Oscar broadcast on time?

Saturday Scavenger Photo

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~Wooden~

This is a small children’s toy from Germany that my grandfather brought with him when his family emigrated from Mülheim an der Ruhr, back in the early 1900’s. I was allowed to play with this on Sundays in their living room, under their watchful eye as a child. It is one of my treasured possessions.

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Kathleen Alynne 11/8/78 – 6/19/85

Today would have been my youngest daughter, Katie’s 29th birthday. She has been gone from us for 22 1/2 years, but it still feels like yesterday. I chose to celebrate this day because it was one of the happiest days of my life.

No, you never do get over losing your child, but somehow you go on. And I know more than anything that this is what she would want for Mandy and me.

Happy Birthday, Katie!

Photographs and memories
Christmas cards you sent to me
All that I have are these
To remember you

Memories that come at night
Take me to another time
Back to a happier day
When I called you mine

Photographs and memories
All the love you gave to me
Somehow it just cant be true
Thats all I’ve left of you

A Man For All Seasons

I knew a man once, named Otto. He was quite a man. He seemed to know so much about so many things. I loved to speak with him, and I loved to walk with him through the Black Forest in Bavaria.

He was the man who introduced me to Rauhhaardackels, mushroom hunting, and Slivovitz. He didn’t laugh at my naivety, and since he spoke beautiful English (his native language was German) we were able to really connect.

He did have a wonderful laugh, and when we spoke he always called me “My dear girl”, making me feel very cherished.

He and his wife owned the first Shubi.
shubi1

The first Rauhhaardackel that I fell in love with. Their Shubi was such a delight and my love affair began with this wonderful breed of dog.

We went to see him and his wife in Bavaria, shortly after their Shubi was killed by a car. I remarked that we should buy puppies together. I said this as we left to go out to the store. By the time we got back, Otto had located a litter of puppies, and the rest is history!

magic
Me with my baby, Shubi.

I visited him and his wife often, always bringing Shubi to see her brother, Toni! This picture was taken of Otto and I as we walked along. That is my Shubi between us.

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Otto passed away a few years ago from cancer, but his kindness, his hearty laughter and his love will remain with me throughout my life. Even though he was Hubby’s friend, and the friend of Hubby’s first wife, he never made me feel that I was any less. In fact, I always felt special when I was visiting him and his wife.

I miss him still, and I think I always will.

Arizona

In the second year of our marriage, we lost our White German Shepherd, Rex, when he passed away at age 10 1/2. We did some researching and located a new puppy out in Arizona. As I had never been to Arizona, we planned a trip around the state to see all the highlights, the Grand Canyon, the meteor crater at Winslow, Oak Creek Canyon, Flagstaff, Sedona, and Montezuma’s Castle, cliff dwellings from a long extinct tribe.

Two days before we left I heard the cats fighting at the foot of our bed and I jumped up and when I came down I landed incorrectly on my foot and broke it! Hubby was not at all happy because this certainly would make the trip difficult. But here is what happened.

Upon arriving in Manchester to take our flight out, a Porter met us at the curb and wheeled me to the gate. I was pre-boarded and given a nice crate to rest my foot on. Everyone was so nice.

When we arrived in Phoenix, I was met with a wheel chair, and wheeled to the car rental company. The car rental agency gave us a handicapped placard for our car, giving us the best spots in all of Arizona to park. At each state park we were met with a wheel chair and smiles. What a great way to go.

We traveled down to Tucson to pick up our puppy and the woman who raised the pup asked if we had seen Tombstone? Since we hadn’t, she offered to keep our new puppy, Max, for us so we could visit this famous town.

Tombstone is a real western town. With a saloon and of course the OK Corral, we found the town, really interesting. At a saloon there was a photographer who took pictures in period dress. I wanted to have our picture taken in costume. Hubby said that was fine, as long as he got to be a gun slinger!

WILDWEST

It was so much fun to do and I love the picture of Hubby and I. It still hangs in our office.

We also went to Boot Hill Cemetery where Hubby saw a headstone, “Here lies Lester Moore, four slugs from a .44, no Les, no more!” Yes, that still cracks up Hubby!

Once we got done posing, we headed back and picked up our boy Max and flew home. Max was a dear big boy (128 pounds fully grown!) for nearly 13 years. In many ways that picture of Hubby and I reminds me of Max when he was a puppy.

Max at sunset
Max at sunset in his later years.

20 Weeks!

Can you believe the pups are 20 weeks old? I was watching them today, as they frolicked and played and I realized how grown up they’ve gotten. Arnie is 14 1/2 pounds now and Anneliese is 11 1/2 pounds. Anneliese is 99.9% house broken now, and Arnie is 75%. Yes, he is a little slow, but we still love him. He is 100% paper trained, so even if I don’t get him outside for the big event, he will run into the puppy room and use the papers. Not perfect, but it has saved me a lot of time cleaning my carpets with the big green clean machine.

They’re both sweet little sleepers too. They love to cuddle
(Arnie)
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or stretch out in the sunshine
(Anneliese)
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and just be close.
(Arnie (blue) Anneliese (red))
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They cuddle with each other still and I wonder if this closeness they share will be life long? They both adore their Uncle Fritz.

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Greta still watches over them, but in many ways she keeps her distance too. Although today she played a wicked chasing game with the puppies until I thought they might tear up the rug! But it was so much fun to watch

Five months old. Wow! This is going so fast!

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(Anneliese)