The Dackel Princess

This & That

After more than a week of dry skies, we are having a snow storm. Nothing too big, just 5-6 inches of the white stuff to mess up the driveway! It will also mean that when I go out tomorrow to bring Hubby’s computer in for repair, I will use the 4 wheel drive Jeep and drive like a Granny!

This is the radar for New Hampshire. The blue area is snow and it is moving North East. This is a small snapshot, trust me, there is a lot more blue coming our way!

Hubby is hoping to go skiing in the morning. There is nothing like fresh snow to make him a happy guy! I encourage him to do it for a few very good reasons. First, he loves to ski, and is an excellent skier. Certainly better than me! Also, I know it makes him happy. Second, the exercise is so good for him, and third, I get a couple of hours all to my self! lol!

Sunday afternoon TV was so bad that I got out my VHS tapes and watched the BBC comedy “Absolutely Fabulous”.

That show always makes me laugh. If you have never seen it and like British humor, then check it out sometime. Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders are so outrageously funny!

This is a big week for me everyone. Besides getting my teeth cleaned on Tuesday, and a Library Trustee meeting on Thursday, I am also signing up to run for office of Library Trustee. It’s the first time I have run for anything since I was in the 6th grade at school and ran for Class President. (That ended well) This is a town wide election and I am a tad nervous about it.

My plan is to start a month before the election going from door to door ringing doorbells and introducing myself. Then I will be at the polls all day on election day. I love working as a Trustee, and I want to continue this important job.

Wish me luck!

I also have another meeting on Tuesday night and of course Weight Watchers on Wednesday! I love it that I am so busy. Some of the things are for me. Like the teeth and Weight Watchers, but the others will benefit our town and that makes me feel a little bit like I am giving back to my community!

I got a terrific picture of Greta’s baby, Curt. He looks remarkably like is sister Anneliese (different litter, same parents). Here is a baby picture of him and one of him that his new owners sent to me today.

The grow so fast!

What NOT To Do

Here is a little heads up to you all. Many of you think you are computer savvy, and some of you probably are, but as time goes on, the rotten people who write viruses that attack and disable computers get more and more cleaver, and before you know it, your machine is down and out.

A few days ago Hubby mentioned that our Norton Anti-virus had come up for renewal and when he clicked to do it, it zapped out the Norton Anti-virus and supposedly installed Norton 360. It took three days for Hubby’s laptop to come to a crashing halt! Full of viruses and I am completely unable to get into the system to remove them.

So, on Monday Hubby’s machine will go off to the laptop hospital to be repaired.

One thing I discovered during my talk with the technician at the shop, is that this is a new and bad virus that tricks people into giving their credit card information. If you click Yes, it will bring you to that page, and the infection begins. If you click no, it closes the window, but the infection begins jamming up your computer. So yes is yes, and no is yes as far as the virus people go! The only way NOT to infect your machine is to hit the X in the top right corner of the box.

I got the desktop computer set up for Hubby but he does not have a compete address book or current bookmark folder on it. I am hopeful the technician can recover all his information.

My advice to all, please be careful!

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Meanwhile, the laptop drama kept me busy and I didn’t get any extra de-cluttering done today. I am hoping to get back to work tomorrow on things.

De-Cluttering Day #1

I was wondering where to start on my de-cluttering. That, in itself, can be an overwhelming decision! I thought for a bit during breakfast and then decided to start in my bathroom. My bathroom vanity was stuffed with so many things that you would not believe it! I couldn’t find anything anymore. So, I got a trash can and started to clean. One thing after another.

Have you looked at medications like Tylenol or Aspirin lately to check their expiration dates? I did and was shocked to find things labeled 2002! Not good! Trash!

I found old tubes of antibiotic ointment that also needed to be tossed. Then I decided that there were many things that could be stored in my guest bathroom, like soaps, new regular tooth brushes (I use an electric one), and shampoo.

I organized a drawer for my hair brushes and combs and clips. The other was for moisturizers and ointments.

I went through the medicine cabinet and I was shocked again at what was in there. I immediately started throwing out medications that had expired.

By the time I was done I had a full plastic bag of trash, and a basket of items for the guest bathroom. I think I will go into the kitchen for an hour and see what I can get done.

Oh it feels so good to be freeing up space in my house!

2010-The Year Of De-Cluttering!

Mark it on your calendars. January 14th 2010.

It’s the day that I actually got a lot done! I mean, a lot!

I started by getting Hubby up and out the door to go skiing. I always work better in a quiet house. Once he was off, I turned off the TV, and started my work.

I wrote out the transfers of ownership on the German pedigrees. They arrived yesterday from Germany and I want my puppy buyers to get them as quickly as possible. I got all the boys done this morning! Now this was not really a piece of cake, because the buyers of Wally and Fenway have moved, but sleuth that I am, I tracked them down and got their new address.

Best of all, while putting all the information together I got to speak to everyone (except for Schnapps’s owner) and found out that all the boys are doing great and have won the hearts of their owners. That always makes me feel great!

Then I went through the family room and got all the old magazines and newspapers picked up and stored ready for the recycling center.

I fixed the shower door rubber drip stopper thing. I do not know what they call it, but it is on the bottom of the door and keeps the water from getting out under the door.

I put my library book with my purse, the checkbook, our tax bill, and then went and got the rabies certificates for all the dogs together so I could get their new tags.

Once I did that I went to our Town Hall and paid for the dogs. Then paid my taxes, and got all my receipts and the dog tags for the year!

At the Post Office, I filled out all the Certified Mail documents and mailed off the Pedigrees to the owners of Greta’s boys. I picked up a package, and my mail.

Afterward, I stopped at the Library to return a book and was reminded to register for the elections on January 20th for Library Trustee.

I returned home and made myself lunch before Hubby arrived home and the two of us went off to do a few errands in the next town.

Yeah, that’s when the headache came in and I took my medication and sat down with a sugar free cup of hot cocoa.

Think maybe I did too much?

Oh well, I am happy that I got so much done in such a short period of time. Now I can kick back and rest and plan my next project.

It’s the 2010 De-Clutter Project. I plan to get three containers. One marked St. Vincent DuPaul. One marked Recycling Center. One marked trash. Then I am starting in my bedroom and will sort the closets and room until it is de-cluttered. After that, I am off to the next room, until the house is done.

2010. The year to get out from under all of this junk!

De-Lurking Day!!!

Hi Everyone.

Once a year a whole handful of bloggers I know get together and we have a day we call De-Lurking Day.

This is a day when we ask everyone who may be reading our blogs to comment. Just say hi, guten tag, bonjour, hola, ciao, or well, you get the idea.

We all love to get comments, and more than anything we love to know from what part of the world you are commenting from.

So don’t be shy, join the fun and De-Lurk!

How I met Uschi

Some of you asked how Uschi and I met. It’s really quite amazing but here is our beginning.

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It’s funny how we started out. I’d gone to a (German language) dog web site where there was a chat room. At the time I was trying to learn some German. (Unfortunately I am one of those people who is not linguistically gifted. )

While there I left a message that I was looking for a pen-pal. Uschi replied to the posting and we have been together ever since.

The first postings were formal. I learned she was born and raised in Schmölln, Germany. She was an Engineer, married, with a daughter, and a yellow Labrador, named Gilli and currently living in Berlin. I wrote to her about me. I was 42, fighting my weight (even then), married, with one daughter, and two dogs. A White German Shepherd, Max and my beloved Shubi.

Over time we would write about what we were doing, what we were thinking, what we were cooking or where we were going. We set up our computers so we could chat online and each day at 3 pm my time and 9 pm her time we would meet to chat!

It was a year before we actually met each other. Then Uschi and her Hubby came to visit us here in the USA! We went on a road trip. Two dogs, and four people in a camper. We went to Niagra Falls, St Louis, Branson, Huntsville, Alabama and then on to Washington, DC. What a blast!

A year later I went to visit them in Germany while Hubby stayed home. Our Max was ill and Hubby didn’t want to leave him. It was so great to be there with Uschi and to visit Berlin after being away from it since 1990.

When Shubi got sick, Uschi helped me find my Greta and she made most all of the arrangements for us to go over and pick her up. This time Hubby came with me and we enjoyed a week with Uschi and her Hubby!

Meeting Uschi is so special because she is now a sister to me. I know I can go to her anytime and pour out my heart and she will listen and love me anyway. She understands my heart and we share so many interests and concerns

We have been through life’s most difficult moments and been able to be there for each other in a way that many other friends simply cannot. I am truly amazed at how a woman from Schmölln, Germany, and a another woman from Falmouth, Massachusetts, could find each other and become sisters!

I am so very lucky to have found her!

Happy Friendship Anniversary, To Us!

Nine years ago I met my best friend, Uschi. It’s a day I won’t soon forget because our friendship has grown over the years and we have become sisters. Each year I celebrate this day because it was a special start to one of the most important relationships in my life.

So Happy Anniversary to my dearest Uschi!
Thank you for being my friend!

Untitled from Dackel Princess Maribeth on Vimeo.

Dogs The Bad & The Good!

Hubby and I made a trip out today to restock the shelves, the fridge and the freezer. We first stopped BJ’s Warehouse and I stocked up on the necessities there. Tide Laundry detergent, (No I am not getting free samples, I just love that brand), and sugar free cocoa mix. That’s the only chocolate I allow myself when being strict on Weight Watchers.

Next we went to Wally World to buy things like dog food and paper towel and a new pair of old lady sunglasses. My nephew laughs at me when I wear them, but right now I simply cannot stand any bright light and must protect my eyes.

Anyway, here I was getting some canned dog food for the crew when this young couple with an 18 month old baby were standing there trying to figure out how to make a run for their Beagle. They looked at me loading my 40 cans of dog food in the basket and figured I might know something. Here is the conversation.

Them: Do you think you could help us?

Me: Sure.

Them: How do we make a dog run for our Beagle?

Me: How old is your Beagle?

Them: 8 weeks.

Me: (Groan!) Um, you really can’t put an 8 week old puppy on a run.

Them: Why not?

Me: Well it’s too young and you need to take the puppy out to teach him, to house break him.

Them: But it’s too cold!

Me: Well, you need to do that. And tell me what type of collar are you using?

Them: A regular one like this. (Points to a plain nylon collar)

Me: Well, you definitely can’t use that because the baby will slip it. You’ll need a harness. But I’m telling you, you need to walk the baby. I know I breed dachshunds and I have trained several in the winter.

Them: Well thanks.

And they walked away with the run kit! I wanted to scream at them! But I stood there with my mouth hanging open! Why, oh why do people get dogs if they aren’t prepared to take care of them properly?

We came home and I took my babies out. They’re old enough now that they appreciate a warm house and I can walk them in the yard without a leash and they perform and come in quickly. At 15 degrees, no one lingers, especially the little ones.

Hubby is off skiing today as tomorrow morning we have an early appointment with my retinal surgeon. I am hoping for good news from him.

Okay, now the best part of my day? Waking up this morning to sweet little kisses from Anneliese. She crawled up on my side and then spent a few minutes licking my face. Makes me smile every time!

Anneliese & Her Mommy

Anneliese was determined to go out and play with her ball. So off she went. She looked so darn cute with Fritzi’s bigger ball, which was the one she wanted to play with, that I had to get my coat and hat and gloves on and got the camera so I could video it.

Anneliese is my snow lover. In fact I have to be careful with her because she will spend too much time outside until she is shaking like a leaf with the cold. Since it is only about 14 degrees (F) it feels really cold, heck it is cold! So I let her go out for short times and then got her back in.

I went out for a little bit, but not too long. We have an elderly neighbor who is 92 years old. He is my ‘boyfriend’! LOL! In any case I haven’t seen him since before we left on our trip. I wanted him to know I hadn’t forgotten him. He was so sweet and concerned. I’m really glad I stopped in.

The fire is burning in the hearth and the pot roast is bubbling away in the crock-pot for our dinner. How nice is all that?

Maribeth On The Eights

Melli tagged me with this Meme. Since it has been forever since I have done one I thought I would give it a go!

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8 TV shows I like to watch:

1. NCIS
2. NCIS Los Angeles
3. House
4. Big Bang Theory
5. How I met Your Mother
6. What Not To Wear
7. Say Yes To The Dress
8. Ice Road Truckers

8 Favorite Places to Eat & drink:

1. Canoe
2. Hong Kong Buffet
3. The Weathervane
4. Harts Turkey Farm
5. The Greek Restaurant in Berlin with Uschi.
6. A little restaurant in Potsdam that has awesome Schnitzel!
7. Margarita’s Mexican
8. The Woodshed

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. Time with my family.
2. Good Vision.
3. Baby Dackels.
4. Another Cruise (Australia maybe?)
5. Spring.
6. Seeing my friends again.
7. Good health for my family, friends and myself.
8. Winning the election in the spring for Library Trustee.

8 Things that Happened Yesterday:

1. Stayed on my diet all day.
2. Had my hair and nails done!
3. Made a nice homemade beef stew for dinner (4 points!)
4. Hubby skied 8 runs at the mountain.
5. Cuddled with my dackels.
6. Had a Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee!
7. My back scrubbers arrived via USPS.
8. Heard from my daughter.

8 Things I Love About Winter:

1. Christmas
2. New Years
3. Quiet
4. Empty roads
5. Silent snowfall
6. Valentine’s day
7. Easter
8. Spring!
8 Things I Am Passionate About:

1. God
2. Love for my family
3. Love for my friends
4. Dackels
5. Chocolate
6. Appreciating others
7. Travel
8. Cruises

8 Words/Phrases I Often Use:

1. Oh yeah…
2. Who wants a cookie-bone?
3. I LOVE…!
4. WOW!
5. So…
6. No WAY!
7. Not in this lifetime…
8. I’ll pay you ten bucks to walk the dog this time!

8 Things I Learnt from the Past:

1. Love God.
2. Love your family well.
3. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
4. Smile.
5. Go forth gently into the world, but be prepared for the tough stuff.
6. Be there for those you love.
7. Live, Laugh, Love.
8. Enjoy the special little moments in life.

I’m supposed to tag people, but I won’t. If you would like to join me with this, then leave a comment and I will link your blog to this post.

Have a great day everyone!

So far Steffi has joined me!