The Dackel Princess

Almost Good-bye 2021

The end of the year is upon us. We have now gone through two years of this darn Covid Virus. Not only is the virus maddening, but I have found that in order to protect my family, I spend most of my time isolated from the world.

I am vaccinated. I also got the booster shot. I wear a mask to protect myself, and Jack, as well as other people around me. Hearing these dire warning messages from Dr. Faucci this weekend angered me.

He was all gloom and doom and says we will all have to wear a mask for the rest of our lives. Well Dr. Faucci, I sure hope that you are wrong. Since you are rather advanced in years, (81) perhaps we will have to wear them until the end of your life. (OMG! I know. That is so mean!)

The terrible flu in 1918 was like wildfire. And it had no vaccine. People washed, they were careful, and eventually, the virus died out. I chose to believe that this will happen.

As I sit here this morning looking at my plans to travel on Friday and Sunday, I am really hoping and praying for the health of all the airline flight crews! Get me to Nashville!

Meanwhile, I am slightly stressed. You will all laugh, but here is my dilemma.

I am driving myself to Boston’s, Logan Airport. I am planning to park the car myself and make my way to my terminal. Now this sounds easy, right?

Well, in my 63 years, although I have traveled extensively, I have not done the parking in large cities. We had Crew Parking when Jack was flying, and back when we lived in Florida, the local airport was so small and parking was easy.

I look at the drive to Boston as a challenge and then actually finding my way to the parking area I want simply freaks me out! I have actually been watching Youtube Videos and how and where to park.

So, between the flight cancellations and the parking and all the driving, I was up at 3:45 AM this morning. Yes. Stress and worry. Always the things that bug me the most.

Today I will work on packing and finishing up the laundry. I also need to run to the grocery store for a few things.

I sure hope your Christmas was nice. For those who did not have snow, we made up for it. With the beauty that is felt when one stands outside in the falling snow and hears nothing but silence.

Perfection!

Merry Christmas!

A beautiful new Christmas song by Tom Walker and Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge. It’s lovely. It definitely touched a place in my heart.

‘For Those Who Can’t Be Here’

Enjoy!

My darlings in 2005. Fritz and a youthful Greta!

Merry Christmas ~ Frohe Weihnachten!

The Friday Five ~ Christmas Eve

Well, here we are, Christmas Eve. The Year is nearly gone and soon Santa will arrive at people’s houses and children will squeal with joy! Christmas will be here!

I have been planning Fondue for Jack and me for our Christmas Eve dinner. I bought all that I needed on Wednesday and Thursday, and so Friday I will do some laundry and a little cooking. But mostly I will just be hanging out. Perhaps watch a Christmas movie or two. I will not be going to the store or Post Office or anything.
Today (Thursday) the new puppy gate arrived. I opened the box and everything fell out piece by piece! I sat in the middle of the kitchen floor laughing because “some assembly required” was indeed an understatement!
I sat there trying to make heads or tails of the instructions. Not one piece of the gate was labeled, but eventually, I did figure it out. I got it all installed and presented it to Jack.
He was not impressed and asked me to remove it until Heidi comes home.Really? Really?
So, I took it down and it’s all ready to go NEXT WEEK when I bring my girl home!
It’s cold and icy, and my driveway plow guy was here spreading sand. I am fortunate to have a Highlander that just pulls me right up the hill! Still, I would like it warmer than 12 degrees F!
Next week I have to drive Jack in for a blood test, and also I want to vacuum, and dust, and finish preparing for my trip!

5. Here is ABBA’s new Christmas song. It’s lovely and I find it joyous and soothing.

Happy Christmas Eve!

My Favorite Christmas Music!

In this day and age, my modern favorite Christmas Carol is Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time”. It just fills me with joy and I always stop and sing along.

After that, I go for some beautiful classic tunes, such as “Carol of the Bells”. This one makes me think of my dear friend Candy, who I lost nearly three years ago now. But this song fills me with peace and joy.

Silent Night is a classic and one I learned to sing very early on. It is still one of my favorites.

And probably the one I like the very most is this, “The Holly and the Ivy”. Candy and I once sang this with our choir.

What Carols make you feel all Christmassy this time of the year?

Being Thankful

Recently, I read a story a man had written where he fussed and fumed about his father never buying him any good Christmas gift. Well, I shook my head in disbelief.

You see, my Dad was a really busy man. He taught school 5 days a week, he taught piano after school to so many of the kids I went to school with. He also played the organ at the local Congregational Church, was the director of the Senior and Junior Choirs, and also directed the Handbell Choir. Each year Dad directed a Christmas Carol sing on our town’s Village Green. Not to mention playing the organ for many weddings and funerals.

So each year Dad would go down to the local Pharmacy or 7/11 Grocery Store, whichever was open on Christmas morning and did his Christmas shopping for us.

Here I am, at the age of 12, on Christmas Morning with the gifts that Dad got for me. Notecards, a horoscope book, hat and gloves, a little kitty, and two dolls.

I wish I could sit down with that man who complained and tell him how lucky I feel that my Dad went out before I woke on Christmas to get these things for me. He did it every year. Sometimes I got life-saver candies, sometimes some Christmas candy. Sometimes chapsticks. Sometimes a teen magazine. But he shopped on his own and bought these things for me all by himself.

My Dad did the very best he could, all on his own, and I feel like I was pretty lucky!

Mom did the big shopping. And it was pretty good too. Mom also cooked the best Christmas breakfasts and Christmas dinners. She was a traditional Mum.

But all in all, looking back now, I think I was pretty blessed all around. I didn’t have to have my Dad buy me the world to show me that he loved me. His Christmas Day shopping sprees mean more to me now than he will ever know.

Happy Birthday Amanda!

Today is my daughter’s birthday. A special day for her, but in the beginning, it was a very special day for her father and me.

Amanda was the first child born to us. She was healthy and happy and amazingly beautiful! We both immediately fell in love with our girl.

She was a bright and alert baby, who seemed to grow up very quickly. Always sweet and loving, yet determined to set the world on fire.

Whatever she sets her mind to, she accomplishes, but perhaps her greatest accomplishment is the fact that she is a wonderful mother to her two kids and their 2 dogs and a cat!

I am so proud of the woman she has become. She is a self-made woman who continues to tackle challenges that many would run from.

So on this, her special birthday, I wish her, good health, much happiness, and a fulfillment of all her dreams.

I love you so much, Amanda!

The Weekend Wrap ~ December 20th

The weekend seemed to rush by. I was busy with a few things, as I prepare for my trip in 10 days to get Heidi. I am actually a little under the weather myself with a kidney problem.

I started packing up my suitcase for the trip, and I also have a lightweight duffle bag with Heidi’s soft carrier inside and a few other things in it. It’s pretty much packed and ready to roll.

I cannot believe that it is almost time to go and get her. Right from day one, I knew that Heidi would fit in perfectly with us. People have asked how I knew? Well, I’m not sure. But it is the same way I knew that Anneliese and Arnie were meant to be with us.

The only dog I ever wondered about was Lili. She was quite ill when we got her, with Celiac disease. It took us nearly 4 months to get that diagnosed. Now she is sweet and kind and happy, and feels good! It’s amazing what the right food will do.

And for those who may have missed this, Lili also saved me during a daytime break-in back in January of 2019. If not for her growling, barking, and throwing herself against the door, I am sure the thief would have come in. But a German Shepherd, with a full set of teeth and a growl unlike I had ever heard, was enough to scare him off!

Lili also fiercely guarded my three dackels, Greta, Anneliese, and Arnie. Now she will have a new baby, Heidi!

On Saturday night and into Sunday we had 8 inches of snow fall on us! This found me going outside early in the morning to climb the ladder, to brush the snow off the satellite dish! It’s actually not hard to do. The ladder is a solid one and I have a great snow brush that reaches and clears the dish.

I hope you all had a great weekend and no matter what the weather was, I hope you could enjoy this last weekend before Christmas!

The Friday Five ~ December 17th

Another week has come and gone. I’ve been busy driving to and fro and thankfully, our weather has been good. Here is this week’s Friday Five.

I had planned this for a while. I went and had my hair done, colored and shaped, and I had my fingers done with pretty sparkling pink polish. Everything came out and in two weeks I leave to go and get my Heidi.
After seeing the devastation in Kentucky, I started to evaluate my whirl-wind trip to get my wee friend. Doing it all in two days was not something I felt good about, so today I called my hotel in Nashville, and Delta and changed my plans. I will leave a day early and instead of doing it all in two short days I am taking my time and doing it in three. I feel so much better about that.
All my Christmas plans are done. The one thing I have left to do is find a marvelous gift for Mandy’s birthday. I have a few ideas, but I will leave it up to her which thing she would like.
A good friend of mine lost her 14-year-old dackel today. I’d known Veela since she arrived as a puppy from Germany. She also sired a litter of puppies with Greta’s mate, Bernie. Veela was a good girl and I will miss her as will her owners.
Jack had all his blood work today and goes for his physical next week. I took the hour he was inside the VA to begin making my travel plan changes. Very wise on my part!

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe and stay healthy!

I love Linemen!

I was so grateful to hear that my friend and breeder of the fabulous Heidi now has power and water! This is truly amazing!

I’m not sure how often any of us think about our electricity. I mean, well we think about it when we lose power, but do we truly appreciate when the men and women who go out after hurricanes and tornados and get the poles back up and the wires strung, bringing light into the homes of so many?

I’ve watched and learned and I have seen these people bringing light back to a community filled with darkness.

You Electric Linemen, are my heroes!