The weekend seemed to fly by and on Sunday night I realized I needed another weekend day to accomplish everything I’d wanted to get done. I did, however, get a lot done and will finish up things on Monday and Tuesday.
My little Christmas tree is now up and I love the glow of lights from the kitchen where I have it set up. Since we have an open concept home, we can see the tree from both the family room and the kitchen. There is just something about Christmas lights that make me feel peaceful.
I will tell you that each day little Heidi is growing and becoming a propper puppy running around and getting into everything! When her name is called, she recognizes it and comes to the breeder.
I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am that little Heidi will be coming home in just about 40 days! Then a new chapter of my life will begin.
All my reservations are made, and I can hardly wait for the adventure to begin!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you found a little happiness, laughter, and joy.
This week did slip by. Mostly because I slept through it. Here is what the last week saw, and why I was so sleepy.
On Tuesday I delivered all my Christmas gifts to my daughter’s house. I’ve been shopping online since the summer, and I spent all of Sunday wrapping, and then put all the gifts in two large boxes and tucked them into my Highlander. Although I am really happy that the kids will have presents from me, I will miss them like crazy on Christmas Day.
After doing that on Tuesday I drove over to the VA to get my Moderna Booster Shot. The nurse, who I already know, was so gentle that I did not feel a thing.
But an hour later, I started to feel unwell. I was due to have physical therapy, but I had to leave and get home.
Wednesday I felt a bit better and I went about a Zoom call and a few other things. It was my Birthday and I planned a nice Charcuterie Board, Champagne, and Baked French Onion Soup. But by the time we sat down to eat I had a fever of 102° (F). I had no appetite and so the champagne was not popped, and I didn’t even have my soup! I simply did the dishes and then went to bed at 7 PM. I proceeded to sleep 13 hours.
Thursday found me still a bit under the weather. The fever was down, but I was so tired. My arm is swollen, red, and sore. I’ve been told it is a positive reaction. So it is done and over with. Now I can travel to get Heidi and not worry too much. I will still wear a mask and sanitize my hands as much as I can.
So that was the week that was. I lived to tell the tale and I know that by the time the weekend is over I will be fine and back to my old self.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend and a happy week ahead!
Today is my 63rd birthday. Odd. How did that happen? I do not feel that old. Officially, according to Social Security, I am not old. In order to get my full retirement, I have to wait until I am 67 and a half, so you see, I am still very young!
I was born and raised on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts. I still feel that the Cape will always be my home, even if I don’t get down there too often.
I was the youngest child of three, and I guess a bit of a tom-boy. I loved playing trucks and riding my bicycle all over town. I did like Barbie Dolls and played them with my sister and cousin. But I was equally happy climbing trees and going on adventures along creeks and swamps.
I did many things alone. I would ride down to the beach and climb the jetties. I would sit and dream and lose myself in thought.
I also tried to make people laugh. At times life was hard, and I could joke around and get people smiling.
Yet, as a young woman, I seemed to lose that child-like confidence. Although many would say I was outgoing, not many knew how I worried I was inside of falling on my face and failing.
Now I am sixty-three. Golly, I have learned so much along the way. But, oh, that insecure woman still resides within, and occasionally rears her ugly head.
I find my peace with my pups. Walking them or holding them or waking to their morning face licks. Unconditional love. Given freely, by my fur babies meant so much.
Having a grown-up daughter is amazing, and watching the wonderful mother she is with her children, makes me proud. She is a self-made woman. What an amazing person she is!
My grandchildren are everything. Savannah tells me her secrets and stories, and Quinn is coming into his own. He always checks to see if I remembered his Bai water when I come down, and recently my Kindergartener made me a card all by himself. To Oma, Love, Quinn. Why? Just because.
The hugs, their smiles, watching them grow puts a smile on me like you cannot believe. How grateful I am.
So life at 63 isn’t too bad. It’s not quite what I thought it would be, but it is a good life nonetheless.
Heidi is nearly four weeks old now. Technically I guess, she is three and a half. But I like to think more about 4 weeks because then it is only six weeks until I bring her home.
I thought today I would introduce you to the newest member of our dackel family.
Here she is on the 22nd of October. She is the very smallest one with the red collar.
I remember seeing her the first few days, and feeling like I already knew this pup. I know that sounds strange, but it’s like my soul knew hers.
She is the very smallest in her litter, but she has been mighty and brave as she would fight for a nipple. Little pups are born with their eyes sealed closed and their ears too. What they do in those first couple of weeks is all instinct.
After their eyes opened and they began to hear, they would eat their fill and then settle into pig piles to sleep. Heidi is the one with the smallest head.
I’ve joked with her breeder that “She be small, but she be mighty!” Yes, that’s my girl!
This photo was taken on Sunday morning.
She is now up on her legs and starting to really move around. Apparently, she is a little growler!
Her beard and hairy paws are beginning to show and in another week she will start to look like a true Wire-haired Dackel!
I will keep you all posted as to how my little darling is doing. Six weeks can’t go by fast enough for me!
I want to thank Gail, the breeder of this beautiful litter of pups, for allowing me to use these pictures.
Another week has flown by. I was busy getting things done, as well as thinking and daydreaming about Heidi. So, here goes my list for this week.
I made all my reservations for my trip. Including a rental car. I feel good about all that I have accomplished.
Heidi’s new dog carrier arrived and it is perfect. I also sent a soft blanket to the breeder to use over the next few weeks. That way, when I bring Heidi home, she will have something that smells like home to her!
I have several larger crates that I will clean and one I will set up before I leave. The other will be for later when she’s a bit bigger.
The time change is kicking my butt! I am finding that I just cannot get used to the change. By 8 PM I am wiped out and ready for bed.
This weekend I will wrap all the presents for Mandy, Matt, and the kids. Then I will be dropping them off next week when I am at Physical Therapy. Unfortunately, I will miss seeing everyone at Christmas this year, but I simply have to take precautions. I do not want to get Covid or bring Covid with me. So I am living in a slightly tighter bubble these days.
So that’s it for this week. Stay healthy, stay safe, and enjoy the weekend!
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.
I’ve been busy the last few days. Busy doing what you might ask? well, it is now 52 days until I depart Boston to fly to meet and bring home my new Dackel-Baby, Heidi!
When all of the Covid lockdowns began I switched all my bills to my Delta Skymiles Card. I also bought my groceries with the same card. I’ve been racking up the miles and so I wanted to see what I could do with my flight plans.
Well, I will be flying First Class with my new Puppy Baby when I bring her home. Using my Skymiles, my round trip will cost me $11.20. The cash amount is for taxes, which cannot be paid with Skymiles!
Once I had my flights, I set about getting a motel room in Boston, with Park, Stay and Fly, and then set about to rent a car in Nashville, to drive to the breeders home and pick up Heidi. I also needed a hotel in Nashville for the night.
I will admit the excitement is wonderful, but a certain amount of nervousness goes along with that. This is my first ever, completely solo trip. At nearly 63 years old (next week), I have always traveled with someone, be they parents, first husband, second husband, kids, cousins, sister, or friends. But this is me. Just me. And it is both scary and exhilarating!
So yes, the reservations are made and in 52 days the adventure begins!
Each year I remember Katie on her birthday. When you lose a child so very young, (Katie was 6 and a half years old) the harsh reality is, that she is frozen in time.
The pictures I have are the only ones I will ever have. Taken with cheap cameras, because back then, there was no such thing as a digital camera or cell phone that actually took pictures. You had to buy film, pose a shot and then hope upon hope that when your pictures came back you captured something good. One never really knew.
These are the best pictures of Katie with her Dad, sister, Mandy, and me.
What a neat kid she was. Usually happy and cheerful, she loved music, art, and dancing. She adored animals and was quite a gentle soul.
The day she was born, found me waking very early for her 5:30 AM debut. She was a little smaller than Mandy at birth but had her very original wisps of curly red hair. My baby.
I miss her a great deal. It’s actually hard to describe. It’s the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. Not wanting to, but having no choice.
I learned to go on, but always and forever, there is a piece of me missing.
Happy Birthday to my darling, youngest daughter in Heaven. Some day, one day, I will see you again.
I guess that I can finally let you in on a little secret. I have been accepted as a future Mama for a 2-week old wirehaired dackel! She is currently living with her birth mother while she spends her days drinking and growing and sleeping. She will be coming home after Christmas to live here in the mountains of my State.
I had been toying around with different names for my wee lass, and I went back to my favorite girl’s name when I was a teenager. And so, when my little Miss comes home she will be called:
Heidi
I cannot tell you how lonely I have been since Arnie died. Lili is sweet, but she is not a cuddler and actually is Jack’s dog. So my arms and bed are empty and there is no one to go on my walks with me. I knew it was going to be hard saying goodbye to Arnie, but I did not expect it to be this bad.
I guess what they say is true, “Grief is the price you pay for love.”
Now Heidi is on her way. We will walk, go to class, and learn all that one must to be a proper puppy. Best of all, I get to have another lifetime to spend with a pup. I’ve already ordered a collar and leash. Next is a new Airline approved bag for her and away we go!
The weekend seemed to fly by and on Sunday night I realized I needed another weekend day to accomplish everything I’d wanted to get done. I did, however, get a lot done and will finish up things on Monday and Tuesday.
