The Dackel Princess

The Weekend Wrap ~ February 28th

Our weekend really sped by. We had another 10 inches of snow, and then a cold front moved through dropping the temperatures as well as a little more snow.

Heidi is rather confused by all of this. Previously our snow was frozen enough so that she could walk on top of it. Now with the new fluffy snow, she sinks!

I spent time on the phone helping to find a new dackel baby for a woman I have known for many years. She owned Arnie and Anneliese’s sister Angelika. It is so strange, but the pups from that first litter all made it to age 14 and died within months of each other.

The best news is that Heidi and Lili are now total buddies who have started sleeping together.

This makes me very happy!

Have a great week ahead!

The Friday Five ~ February 25th

The week has flown by and as I write we are awaiting a big snowstorm. somewhere between 8-14 inches. So while I wait, here is this week’s Friday Five.

After two months I finally was able to get in and have my hair colored and styled.It felt so good to go and get myself all prettied up!
I also drove Jack to his eye doctor’s appointment at the VA only to become really concerned. They kept him for over two hours!
This was caused by a medical student using Jack as a Lab Rat. Jack wasn’t really happy about this.
I’ve been going soup crazy. I made two soups so far and I am toying with the idea of making a seafood chowder next. With the cold weather and gusty winds I really have wanted warm soups.
I’ve been dreaming quite vividly this week. people I miss, people I long to see again have visited me during my slumber.

That’s all for now. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Woooops!

It’s not often that I write about Lili and her klutziness, but Monday found poor Lili in one of her worst incidents yet.

Our weather was warmer on Monday, sneaking up to nearly 50 degrees. This means more melting of the ice and snow in the yard.

We always snowplow a walking area and pooping area for the dogs. Today’s warmth turned all of those places into soggy, grassy, muddy areas.

Heidi needed to go for a walk and so I thought we would go around the house and see how Jack was doing sweeping up the sand on the drive. We have so much sand we could fill several sandboxes. (That is if it wasn’t mixed with salt!)

As we rounded the corner, Lili saw us and raced up to greet us, then she turned to begin to run back toward Jack when she slipped and caught three legs, and her belly in the mud!

Once I got to her and made sure she was okay, I saw that my beautiful white shepherd was covered with mud.

Jack took Heidi into the house, and I took Lili into the garage where I could hose her off.

But oh my goodness, what a terrible mess she was. It’s moments like this that keep me from being a fan of mud season!

The Weekend Wrap ~ February 21st

Well, February is nearly done, and the Olympics in China is done, so here are some of my thoughts on February, the Olympics, and life in general.

This may be the worst Olympics I have witnessed. The cheating with people doping was bad enough, but to have the International Olympic Committee allow the 15-year-old to skate after she failed a blood test with three different heart medications in her system, is beyond me. They claim they were protecting her, but what they did was just the opposite.
I knew that fifteen-year-old Kamila Valieva, wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure and her last skate was a disaster. And after she had her meltdown, she was then abused by her horrible blond coach, this left me angry. I wanted to hug that little girl. I truly fear for her wellbeing.
I also found the people who were American-born, or Canadian-born, who switched their loyalties to another country, pretty upsetting. What’s that old saying, “I am who I am”. If I suddenly changed my allegiance to Germany or any other country it’s simply being dishonorable to myself and my country of birth. It was repulsive to me.
I also found that the Chinese made it very difficult for everyone who came to compete but their own athletes! Those who tested positive (I will not even go into that.) were kept in isolated hotel rooms that were little more than prisons. No hot food, no place for them to work out. And really, no way for the team doctors to examine them.
Since I subscribed to Peacock I was able to see certain events in their entirety. All the ski jumping, ice skating, etc. I liked that. But felt bad for people who did not have a streaming service.
Heidi is growing and changing every minute.She is simply so beautiful with a personality to match. I am just the luckiest dackel Mama!

The Friday Five ~ February 18th

I’m afraid I have reached the time in my life where time is speeding by quite fast. It seems we get through the weekend and before I know it, the week is gone and we’re at another weekend. Here’s what’s happening!

I could have cared less about the Super Bowl. I’m afraid that I’ve lost interest in the sport due to the fact that there are so many millionaire athletes getting into trouble, crying about their low pay, and just generally acting like whining babies. I loved watching Tom Brady but felt really bad when he chose to leave New England to play for another team, and then two years later when he retired, thanking everyone, except his fans in New England who supported him all those years. Sorry Tom, you totally blew it with me. So there was no Super Bowl Party here.
Valentines Day was pretty odd. I did cook a nice meal of lamb chops and mushroom risotto, with a sponge cake, cream, and strawberry filling. But when I went out to buy myself some flowers, the store had crappy ones and when I stopped over at the Florists, they were closed. I told Jack not to worry. I’ll buy something for our anniversary in April.
I got a hankering for the Chicken, Meatball and Escarole Soup. This stuff is just yummy and best of all, there are no points in it! You can find the recipe HERE.
Heidi was off to the Vet’s Office for her last vaccination. While there they weighed her (15 lbs) and I made an appointment for her to be spayed.
That will be at the end of April when she is six months old.
Not too much else really. Since the weekend is here it is laundry time and vacuuming time. Not because of sweet Heidi. But all Lili has to do is sneeze and her white fluffy fur fills the room!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Seventeen Weeks!

I’m not sure if I have shared with you this story. But when Heidi was born, the small “Red Collar” puppy, I just knew she was mine.

Red Collar Puppy!

Now the breeder prepared me that she was not sure which pups were going where, but she noted my desire.

Each day that pictures were shown, I grew more and more certain that Miss Red was mine. It was cosmic. I just knew.

Miss Red

Soon the Breeder confirmed that Heidi was mine, and they began using her name with her.

Now at 17 weeks, and after being with us since January 1st, Heidi fits right in, as though she has always been here.

My girl.

I joke that she is “Velcro Puppy” as she follows me everywhere and when I am seated, she is always either next to me or on top of me.

She is simply the sweetest of puppies. So loving, and gentle with me. I swear this was meant to be.

This & That

It has gotten cold here again. Single digits. This requires us to don many layers before going out. All of us except Lili who has a fabulous fur coat.

The baby, Heidi is doing so great. She is amazing. She is smart and wants to please, so anything you teach her sticks pretty well.

To say that I am truly smitten with her would be a tremendous understatement!

She is such an amazing girl and she fills my life with real joy and happiness! Also, I find a purpose in every day of my life. After all, Heidi must be walked, fed, played with, and cuddled.

That is joy!

I’m sorry I have been quiet the last couple of days. A friend of mine lost their brother quite tragically, right next door to us. It brought back so many memories of my accident.

You make a million little decisions in your life and then one day, it’s all over.

Please remember to be kind, to tell those you love how much they mean to you. And live each moment you have positively.

The future is promised to no one, so make today the very best!

A Day in the Life of a Little Dog

Each morning I get up before the sun. After the pups have their breakfast, we go for our first walk. Up, up, up, the driveway, and then back down.

The Ice Fishing Derby was being held this weekend. We can watch from our front yard!

This coming back from one of our walks. Down, what I refer to as the impossible driveway. Yes, I wear ice treads!

After the long walk, lots of snuggles with the mommy!

Heidi sitting on a crocheted blanket I made that is wonderfully warm, but pills and sheds terribly! Needless to say, Heidi loves this one, and in some ways, I do too.

She is just a real cutie pie and she has totally stolen my heart and made my world a better place.

The Friday Five ~ February 11th

What an odd week this was. I think the two storms happening so closely together just knocked the wind out of our sails. Mostly we stayed in, watched a little bit of the Olympics and we played with Heidi and Lili. So without further adieu, here is this week’s Friday Five.

Currently, my family room is full of dog bones and dog toys and Arnie’s old dog bed, which Heidi adores.
When I wake in the night to go to the bathroom, I find myself stepping on a squeaky toy that wakes both dogs up.
Yes, I am still sleeping in my recliner. The positive thing about this is that since I started sleeping out here, my lower backache has disappeared. I do miss my normal bed routine, but I have learned I can sleep anywhere. Including my chair while Jack is watching one of his shows!
Again, Heidi is doing great and she and Lili are the center of my days. It starts fairly early in the morning.
As soon as it is light the three of us go for a walk. Sometimes two walks. But my two fur-girls love their walks.
Lili seems to be enjoying the little whipper-snapper!
She just dances around during our walks and she runs forward and then comes back with such glee when she greets Heidi. It warms my heart.
This weekend I hope to be able to get out and walk even more with the pups. It’s good for them and for me!

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy!

Heidi ~16-Weeks

I thought today I would write a little about Heidi at 16 weeks. I finally feel like we are getting to know the pup she is becoming. It’s quite amazing, but as she settles in, I see this whole new pup.

She was the smallest in her litter which made her a bit feisty. I think it was because she knew early on she had 5 other littermates to get under control.

The breeder told me that she was pretty fearless and that she did not allow any of the others to pick on her. And at first, Heidi spent a lot of time putting Lili in her place. She was bold and bossy. At times I wondered if it would have been a better fit with one of the less feisty pups!

But, Heidi is now settling in. At 16 weeks she is getting calmer and cuddlier. I so love those moments!

She is 99.9% house-broken, so I have more time to relax and actually play with her without fear that she will have an accident.

She loves to sleep between my knees and I often find her that way when I am watching TV or typing on my computer.

She loves to go for walks, even when the snow is up to her belly. She is still light enough to walk on top of the snow piles without sinking. But at 13 + pounds, she will be sinking down into it, I am sure!

I brought her with me to the UPS Store today and the owner could not believe how different she looks in such a short time.

These dackel babies look like small adorable compact pups at first, and one day you notice their backs have gotten longer, and their chest has sprung, giving them the classic outline of a dackel. Also, Heidi has gotten the cutest real dackel nose now.

Here is one of the best things about her. She is not a barker! Oh my goodness, Anneliese sure could bark up a storm, so having this adorable pup who tends to be very quiet is a nice bonus.

How lucky I am to have this little ball of fur in my life. She is everything I’d hoped for and so much more!