Looking back to last year, I was busy helping Anneliese take care of her babies. They were about three and a half weeks old and the apples of my eye!
Yes, that is me a year ago with Anneliese’s last litter!
Now here I am a year later. I’m waiting for Anneliese to hurry up and go into heat, and every day she looks at me and just laughs.
I have her bag packed, all the paper work I need ready, and my suitcase is ready to be packed at a moments notice. The excitement is building and I can hardly wait to be on our way.
I would like it if the Volcano would just stop spewing ash around Europe, so that the flights won’t be canceled, and we can get over and back without a problem. Let us all just keep our fingers crossed!
Oh, I can hardly wait to see Anneliese and Isegrim’s first baby born from this litter! This one was pretty cute, don’t you think?
I’ve been working hard to load my new MP3Player. Oh I love this new toy! Wow! Currently I have downloaded over 250 songs! I didn’t realize that I had that many on my computer, nor did I realize I actually know the words to those songs! Like old friends. I know all the words.
My friend Gail, in Delaware, got me this great device to celebrate Mother’s Day. Gail is one of my oldest and dearest friends, and I cannot tell her how much I appreciate this wonderful gift! Woo-hoo!
I’ve had so much fun downloading the music and then checking it out to make sure it actually works. I swear that the sound is better than when I use my B*** speakers here in the family room. Call me “in love” with this wonderful device.
So the MP3 Player is loaded and I am ready to go. Too bad Anneliese isn’t cooperating! She is due to go into heat any day, and I am ready when she is!
1. I just had my first sip of coffee.
2. Love is the answer.
3. The third sentence on the 7th page of the book I’m reading:Traudl Junge entered Hitler’s orbit by chance. (I’m reading the book “Until The Final Hour, Hitler’s Last Secretary”)
4. Puppies, kitties and babies, tickles my fancy.
5. I was walking down the street yesterday when a car drove by and beeped. It was a friend I hadn’t seen in a while.
6. Happiness and good times makes me laugh!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to reading and loading my new MP3 player, tomorrow my plans include reading and grocery shopping and Sunday, I want to re-pot some of my plants!
After writing about mowing the lawn in my back yard, I thought you would like to see it. I took the camera out first thing Thursday morning and took this video. Happy Friday everyone!!!
Hubby has been working quite a bit lately, so today I decided I would help him out. Usually he does the lawn mowing, but the grass was starting to look like an overgrown field, so I got out the lawn mower (the small one, not one of the good, self propelled mowers. It does have an engine and all, but requires brute strength to push it!), and worked for one and a half hours in the back yard. Our back yard is lovely, but I’d forgotten that it is all on a hill. Or at least most of it is.
I stopped for water, and to tie my hair back, and then I got back to work. I was still mowing along when Hubby arrived home. I finished the row I was doing, and then shut down the machine and went in to talk with him.
Now any man reading this blog should understand that in this situation, a heartfelt thank you should instantly come from your mouth, so the little woman, who has just mowed a large chunk of the lawn will feel appreciated!
I’d gotten a small fence for my garden. Arnie and Anneliese keep going into the garden to eat dirt, so I decided to fence it off. Hubby helped me with that and now the little beast’s cannot get in there! This is great, as after eating the dirt outside they come in and throw it up!
While Hubby finished the lawn, I roasted some salmon, made some rice and cooked the asparagus. Once the meal was done and the dishes were in the dishwasher, I literally collapsed in my chair with Greta!
So this has been one of my busier days and I am actually looking forward to going to bed. Under the covers where I can relax with my little dackels and go to sleep!
The end of another busy day at the Dackel Princess Ranch!
1. Please share one memory of your high school graduation. Pics would be great!
This is my High School graduation picture. I suppose what I remember most was studying very hard and taking extra classes so I could graduate a year ahead of time. I was crazy in love with my High School sweetheart and we actually married half way through Senior year. And no, I wasn’t pregnant, we just wanted to be together. In fact Mandy was born the day after our first anniversary.
2. What is one “emergency use” item you keep in your vehicle at all times?
Kleenex and my GPS. I have allergies and a very poor sense of direction!
3. In your region, do you celebrate graduation open houses? Addendum: (If so,) how many open houses/bridal showers/weddings are on your upcoming events calendar?
None on the calendar so far. We do have graduation parties when we graduate. One with our family and then one with our friends.
4. Tell me one truth you believe about motherhood.
It is the most awesome experience in life, as you discover that you can love someone so completely!
5. What was the last thing you broke?
The nozzle on my garden hose!
6. On average, how many pieces of junk mail do you receive daily?
Four+ a day. I go bananas! Then there are the few other days that I get none at all!
7. Do you like to shop by catalog?
Not so much now. I do like on-line shopping though.
8. Is lawn maintenance at your house a “his job,” a “her job” or “his/her job” or “that’s why we have teenagers” job?
His job. I do the inside work, he does the outside work! When he was still working full time, I mowed the lawn. Big job!
9. Which room would you like to redecorate in your home?
The family room. I need new furniture and the room needs to be painted.
10. Do you read a newspaper regularly, or do you read most of your news on line?
Mostly on-line, although I still subscribe to a newspaper.
11. Do you believe everything happens for a reason?
I have faith. Yes.
12. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
Five years ago, my cousin Janet, encouraged me to start my blog. With the help of one of her friends, we put together the art work, and chose the domain name and Dackel Princess was born.
Dackel Princess came from my deep love of my wire-haired dachshund, Shubi. She was my first wire-haired dachshund, my constant companion and best friend.
Although Shubi was not what the judges would call beautiful and perfect, in my eyes she was all that a mother could want.
Over the years I have shared my dogs, my family, and my life with you all. Funny how that worked. The first day I started to write, I believed that no one but my cousin and sister would read my blog. Now 5 years later I have found so many friends from around the world who read my blog, and share my life.
I’ve learned so much sharing my life and reading other blogs, where people share their lives with us. Even though there is a difference of location and culture, basically we are the same. We love our families, our children and our pets. We fret over our homes, our cars and our jobs.
I love my blog and I look forward to many more years writing away on Dackel Princess. I think, Shubi would be proud to know she started all this.
I’m usually not one of those people who gets too excited about Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, but on Sunday we met up with Mandy and her boyfriend M. and his parents. We went to a fabulous restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire called Fratellos.
The food was delicious and while we ate, we talked and talked. It was warm and friendly and I felt like I had known M’s parents for a very long time.
Here are the ladies.
And here are the gentleman.
What you see in the picture above were the appetizers. They were awesome! An Antipasto, and Bruschetta with a side order of Calamari, that was cooked just right!
Soon our meals arrived. M. and his Dad had the Prime Rib, while Hubby had the Seafood Fra Diavolo. M.’s Mom had salmon, Mandy had Stuffed Haddock and I had Lobster Ravioli!
Doesn’t this look wonderful!
We talked and talked and soon the hostess came over and gently reminded us that they needed to prepare our table for the next seating. So reluctantly we said good-bye.
I hugged my daughter, this beautiful woman who made me a mother, and thanked my lucky stars. She is someone I would want to know, even if she wasn’t my daughter.
My Mother’s Day was complete, and I thank Mandy and M. once again for such a wonderful afternoon!
Despite pretty horrible weather conditions, Hubby and I braved the elements, and drove the 45 minute drive to go and meet the World’s Smallest Horse…Einstein!!!
We had heard of this little guy right after he was born on our local news. Born April 22nd. He was far smaller than most miniature horses are when they are born. Overnight, this adorable little guy became a celebrity!
The diminutive horse born in New Hampshire could lay claim to the world record for lightweight foal. The pinto stallion named Einstein weighed just 6 pounds and measured 14 inches in height when he was born. Yes, gentle readers, he is a real horse!
We arrived fairly early and actually got a decent parking place. This was important because it was raining fairly hard. Thankfully, I had my raincoat and two sturdy umbrellas! We found we were nearly at the end of the line at 10 AM!
Fortunately we were in line with some very nice people, and when I look back I can actually say, despite the rain, everyone was in a good mood and we all got along nicely!
As the time went by, we watched the owners take kids for horse rides up and down the street. No one seemed to even notice that the rain was coming down. It was definitely a festive atmosphere!
There were other miniature horses in pens. These horses were so friendly and I can confess to actually kissing one in the nose. They are that precious!
These horses truly were kid magnets, and every time I turned around I found kids running over to pat them.
Even this woman couldn’t resist going over to look at the small horses. As you can see, the weather really was amazingly bad!
Soon we turned the corner and saw the sign on the Barn. “Tis A Miniature Horse Farm”. Oh, my heart started to beat quickly as the anticipation of meeting Einstein hit home!
While we waited, I was running all around taking pictures. I went into the tent where they had other mini horses and I met this Mare who was due to foal any day. I touched her side and could feel her baby kick! It was amazing!!!
And then….we were there, inside the barn and we started down the row to see the babies in the barn with Einstein. This was particularly helpful because the night before a foal had been born and this gave us an idea of what a normal miniature foal should look like. Below is the newborn foal.
In the next stall…. Einstein! I stood on a box and took this picture. A handsome, tiny, sweet boy! Einstein with his Mommy!
The gentleman standing by asked everyone not to use a flash and I said, “Oh, of course. He’s just a baby and the flash would hurt his eyes”. He chuckled and said I was the first one to understand that today! Then he asked for my camera, and took this next picture!
“There’s your picture!” he said, and I leaned over and kissed his cheek and thanked him!
We also met Einstein’s Daddy, who is an award winning Stallion. He was not phased by all the attention.
Then it was time for us to leave, two soaked, cold, horse lovers, who had thoroughly enjoyed their morning and never felt the wet or cold until after we got in to the car to come home.
You can learn more about him and see pictures of him at Einsteins homepage, that can be found HERE.
1. Salsa and chips. Real salsa and real chips!
2. Pastrami and you’ve even got mustard.
3. By the time I get home I’ll be ready for a glass of wine.
4. A good sale is what I look forward to most when grocery shopping.
5. And I was dreaming _of an ice cream come today, but I was strong, and didn’t have it!
6. A dackel,…is there anything else better?!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to putting up my feet, tomorrow my plans include _going to see the worlds smallest horse, Einstein and Sunday, I want to enjoy a nice luncheon with Mandy and M and meet M’s parents!
