The Dackel Princess

Good Night Sweet Arnie ~ 12/10/2006 ~ 9/27/2021

“There are angels who can stay with us on earth until they get their wings. They have 4 paws, a black licorice nose, the most beautiful fur in the world, and the most loyal look you can imagine.”

“And until these angels get their wings they call them dogs.”

Dackel Princess’ Arnold, “Arnie”, came into our lives on a bitterly cold Sunday morning. His mother, Greta had a problem getting one of Arnie’s four sisters out and so a cesarian was done. All five pups came out healthfully, and after a couple of hours, we drove the one mile from the Vets office back to our home.

I had decided to keep Arnie’s sister, Anneliese, and all the other puppies were sold, including Arnie. But fate stepped in and at the last minute the woman slated to adopt Arnie canceled. At 12 weeks old, Arnie was “Little Orphan Arnie”. What could we do? He had stolen our hearts and the boy was home.

Arnie lived quite happily with his mother Greta, sister, Anneliese, and a stepbrother named Fritz. They loved to play together, sleep together and ride in the car. Arnie was only six months old when he and Anneliese went to Canada with us for a family reunion. It was on the old family homestead and both pups enjoyed the freedom.

As time passed Anneliese was expecting a litter of puppies, and the only dog she allowed near them was her brother Arnie. Throughout their entire lives, Arnie and his sister remained best friends.

Arnie loved it when my grandchildren came into his life. First Savannah and then Quinn. The last sleepover found the kids nestled up with Arnie.

Arnie was one of a kind. He presided over the house as the King of all Dackels, yet he never once growled or did it by force. No, Arnie was a lover and all of our dogs adored this sweet boy. Especially our latest 7-year-old Lili.

Now Arnie has gone over Rainbow Bridge. I sobbed giant, ugly tears, as losing this boy is akin to having my heart ripped out of my body. I held him and kissed him until he slipped away.

Goodnight Sweet Prince. I shall miss you every day of my life. You truly were one of a kind.

John Galsworthy wrote: “Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our own lives.” So very true.

The Friday Five ~ September 24th

The week flew by and here we are, Friday. And the last Friday for the month of September. How on earth did that happen? Anyway, here we go, this week’s Friday Five.

Arnie is the same. I think he may be a little more comfortable. I’m still waiting for the results of his tests. This is unbearable, really. I think I would find it easier to wait on my own tests. At least he likes the liquid antibiotics and I am able to get it down easily.
After I think it’s been three cancellations with my hairstylist, (we both have had crazy things going on) today I will finally be getting my hair done. And it really needs it!
I am so pleased about Princess Beatrice’s new baby. Long ago Jack and his daughter and I were in London at Buckingham Palace when they came out with a neatly typed announcement that The Duke & Duchess of York had safely delivered a daughter. She was later named Beatrice. It was special. I wonder what they will name her? I would dearly like Elizabeth or Victoria. But we shall see.
I am truly saddened to learn about Gabby Petito. Such a beautiful young woman with a great sense of adventure. So, so, tragic. I know we all are awaiting the results as to what happened to her. I pray her soul is at peace.
I have been listening to a lot of music. This really good because it helps me to zone out a bit and relax.

So that’s it for this week. Have a great weekend and enjoy the weather wherever you may be.

TBT: The Old Man, Arnie

Well, Arnie is hanging in there while we await his test results.

He is a little perkier but still wants to be in his bed sleeping. I suppose that when I get to be his age, I too will enjoy naps more and more.

Remember long ago, when you were small and you would get into trouble and your parents would send you to bed? I sure do and I really hated it. Now, naps are a reward!

This & That ~ September 21st

Do you ever look at your elderly pet and wonder, “When will they have their last good day?”

It’s been on my mind a lot lately because Arnie is showing signs that he just isn’t interested in much anymore. Monday he got up and after a short walk, he wanted to go back into his bed.

He would not eat. He refused his pills, and worst of all, after a few weeks of fussing, he did not make a sound. Whoever said silence is golden, was not talking about their beloved, elderly pet.

The day wore on with him still not interested in eating, It wasn’t until tonight when I poached a chicken breast, that he finally ate a little. Not much, but at least a little.

I’ll be poaching more for him in hopes he will get at least some of his appetite back. One can hope and one can pray.

********************

And so, on this day filled with such worry, Jack and I did go and get our Flu shots. And we did stop for Soup & Salad at Olive Garden. It was a nice break. But while we ate I was distracted thinking of my darling, Arnie.

Learning As I Go!

Well, it took a while but I fixed my connectivity problem and I got my printer working again with my laptop. Each time I work like this I learn a little more. Now, to shut down the computer and go to bed!

The Friday Five ~ September 17th

Life has been full of ups and downs this week. Mostly good, but other things that have bothered me. So here is this week’s list, in no particular order.

I am trying to train Arnie to stop a very bad habit he has developed. Since I am overly concerned about him, I tend to baby him too much. With that has come what I will call the “Dackel Howl”. There is nothing wrong with him, he’s just begging for attention. So, now I ignore him and actually put a tray table in front of my chair. I can tell this is going to be a difficult thing to do.
My new Amazon Fire Stick arrived for the Family Room television. It really was a breeze to set up. And now things are streaming so much better.
I have this weird thing going on with my laptop and the Wifi. It keeps dropping the signal. Now I must stress that I have good reception with my laptop, but for some unknown reason, it tosses me offline. I need to re-set the adapter settings and then it works again for a while until…it doesn’t. I am tempted to back up my hard drive and then clean it and start again.
I keep telling Jack I don’t want to watch the news or re-runs anymore. News makes me crazy and I have seen every episode of Law & Order SVU, Chicago PD, and Blue Bloods so often that I can recall parts of the dialogue! When Jack is asleep I watch movies or cooking shows ar things like The History Channel. Anything but news and re-runs.
Today I am off to get my hair done. After not cutting it since last November, I am afraid my ends need a slight trim as the frizzies are starting to happen. I am looking forward to being pampered.

So that’s it for this week. I hope you all have a great weekend and that wherever you are, the sun is shining!

Thursday Thirteen ~ The Grandmother Edition

1. She was born on February 4, 1887. Her parents George and Sarah named her Mary Francis Daniell.

2. She had two sisters, Sarah Mathilda, the oldest, whom we all called Tilly, and Marionette, who moved away and we never had much to do with her as she died young.

Marionette, Tilly, seated and my very blond grandmother.

3. She met my Grandfather when she was 8 or 9 years old. His family moved into her neighborhood and Gram became best friends with his sister, Katchen. Gram taught them to speak English, as they were from Germany and didn’t speak a bit of English when they arrived.

4. Papa fell instantly in love with her and pursued her all through their teens. (Today we would call this stalking! LOL)

5. Her father insisted she finish college before she even considered marriage.

6. They married right after graduation on June 1, 1921, and were married for nearly 65 years before she passed away.

7. They had one son, Robert, and my mother, Rosamond. They always thought of Tilly’s son George as their own too. They adored him.

8. Gram taught school in the Boston Public Schools. She taught 5th grade.

9. She was a member of the DAR, The Eastern Star, and worked for the Christian Science Monitor in Boston.

10. She was always busy working for charities and I can’t recall a time until she was very old that she actually rested.

11. She adored her grandchildren, there were five of us, Carl, Erica, my brother Richard, sister Melodie and yours truly!

12. She made the best cookies and also warm milk with honey and a pat of butter in it. To this day it calms me.

13. Sadly, she passed on December 2, 1984. I feel lucky to have had such a great and wonderful grandmother.

The Weekend Wrap September 13th

Oh, what a great weekend I had. It started on Friday when I was able to get through to my credit card company and cancel an order that FedEx was supposed to deliver on Wednesday, but after a lot of detective work, I learned that it had been misdelivered! I tried to contact the Seller (Amazon) but wasn’t having much luck. Well, at least I had stopped payment.

On Saturday I was awake at 5 AM to get ready and then drive to Mandy’s house for a visit. There wasn’t too much traffic that early in the day, so I zipped right along.

I was able to go to Savannah’s Orange Belt Ceremony at the Karate Studio.

She loves Karate and quite honestly, I love the Instructor and the principals being taught. I am so proud of Savi!

After that, we rushed her to her musical play review rehearsal. We dropped her off and then did a few errands before going back to the house. Mandy and I sat on her balcony patio and talked for over an hour. You know, I really admire my girl and I feel very lucky to be her Mom. I don’t just love her, I like her!

Me with my grand-puppy, Winter. (AKA Winty)

Mandy and I took the kids to one of our favorite restaurants, “Reds” and we all had exactly what we wanted, even though it wasn’t exactly on the menu. It’s a great place. And we had the nicest and best server.

After lunch, we hung out at Mandy’s until I needed to get on the road. You know, I think God was my co-pilot that day. Saturday was a bad day in New Hampshire with many automobile accidents and residential fires. just not a good day at all. But God kept me safe in my little bubble called a Toyota Highlander, and I made it home with no problem.

Both Saturday and Sunday I watched the Championships at the US Open Tennis. I simply adore the young British player, Emma Raducanu.

She is 18 and after playing qualifying matches she went all the way and won!

Sadly Novak Djokovic did not win his match in the end, losing to Danil Medvedev, and with it, his hopes of winning all the Grand Slams in a calendar year vanished. I do like Medvedev so I was very happy for him.

The thing that made me pleased is that we have a lot of young tennis talent.

Finally, Arnie seemed to have a better weekend. But each time he cries my heart sinks. I simply cannot imagine my life without him.

So that kind of wraps it all up. It was a good weekend. A happy weekend. A weekend filled with hugs from my grandchildren and cuddles with my doggies.

Twenty Years Later ~ September 11th 2001

I think we all can tell you where we were, and what we were doing on that fateful day, in September.

September 11, 2001

It was a beautiful day here in New Hampshire. Sunny, bright, clear with blue skies. I was taking a shower getting ready for a dental appointment, while Jack was working on shingling the house. It was a day like any other here.

Jack had the TV in our bedroom pointed out the window so he could listen to the morning news.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my arm and Jack told me I had to get out of the shower now, something was happening. I was a little dazed and confused. I shut the water in the shower off and grabbed my towel.

Jack and I sat in our family room watching Fox News, ABC, and CNN. A plane had hit one of the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in downtown New York City. Jack, as a former Airline Pilot knew immediately, that it was no accident.

While we watched, suddenly another plane came in and hit the other Tower!
We were both in shock. We listened to reports. No one was saying terrorism, not at first. But both Jack and I knew.

I look at this picture, and I know that none of those innocent people got out alive. That thought brings me to tears each time I see it.

We watched the Towers come down, one and then the other. We knew people had died. We just didn’t know how many.

At 12:30 I drove to my dental appointment. There was not another car on the road. Not one. I got to my dental appointment and found that I was the only patient that hadn’t canceled that day.

When I got home we watched the TV all day. I called my family and my close friends. Just to hear their voices.

It doesn’t matter your political affiliations, or how you feel about war. What matters is on September 11, 2001, innocent people died in New York City, In Washington, DC, and in Shanksville, PA.

People like you and like me. Just because. That was the day I learned that we are no longer safe here at home.

I also learned that when our country is attacked in such a manner, we pull together and unify.

God Bless all who lost their lives that day, to their families, who will never be the same, and all who serve this country each and every day to protect and defend us.

September 11, 2001: Basic Facts

Chronology
8:46 AM Plane crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
9:03 AM Plane crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center.
9:17 AM The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shuts down all New York City area airports.
9:21 AM The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halts all flights at U.S. airports. It is the first
time in history that air traffic has been halted nationwide.
9:38 AM Plane crashes into the Pentagon. Evacuation begins immediately.
9:45 AM The White House evacuates.
10:05 AM The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses.
10:10 AM A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:10 AM Plane crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
10:22 AM The State and Justice Departments, as well as the World Bank, are evacuated.
10:28 AM The World Trade Center’s north tower collapses.
10:45 AM All federal office buildings in Washington, D.C. are evacuated.
1:44 PM Five warships and two aircraft carriers are ordered to leave the U.S. Naval Station
in Norfolk, Virginia to protect the East Coast.
4:10 PM Building 7 of the World Trade Center collapses.

The Flights
American Airlines Flight 11
From: Boston, Massachusetts (Logan Airport)
To: Los Angeles, California
Lives: 92 people on board
Crashed into North Tower of World Trade Center at 8:46 AM

United Airlines Flight 175
From: Boston, Massachusetts (Logan Airport)
To: Los Angeles, California
Lives: 65 people on board
Crashed into South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 AM

American Airlines Flight 77
From: Washington, D.C. (Dulles Airport)
To: Los Angeles, CA
Lives: 64 people on board
Crashed into the Pentagon at 9:38 AM

United Airlines Flight 93
From: Newark, New Jersey
To: San Francisco, California
Lives: 44 people on board
Crashed into rural Pennsylvania (southeast of Pittsburgh)

Victims
Victims came from more than 90 countries around the world.
The following are the number of people who died at each site:

World Trade Center 2,823 (includes airline passengers)
Pentagon 125 (not including plane victims)
Flight 11 – 92 people on board
Flight 175 – 64 people on board
Flight 77 – 64 people on board
Flight 93 – 44 people on board

The initial numbers are indelible: 8:46 a.m. and 9:02 a.m, the times the Towers were hit. Time the burning towers stood: 56 minutes and 102 minutes. The time they took to fall: 12 seconds. From there, they ripple out.

That day, these first responders also died, as they raced to the scene trying to save anyone they could.

343 Firefighters (including a chaplain and two paramedics) of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)
37 Police Officers of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department (PAPD)
23 Police Officers of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and
8 Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics from private emergency medical services
1 Patrolman from the New York Fire Patrol

Fact Sheet
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC
August 15, 2002

The Friday Five ~ September 10th

The week seemed to fly by for me. Not that I was scheduled for much, it just seemed to bring with it a few more things that were unplanned. Still, in the end, all was good! So, here goes.

I not only got a clean bill of health for my teeth, but I also ordered and received a new dental bite guard. The last one I managed to chew through with anxiety during the Covid Pandemic.
I’m still doing well back on my WW Healthy living plan. Slow and steady wins the race.
I was waiting for a package to be delivered from an Amazon Dealer, and it showed it had been delivered. But no. It was not. I checked the end of our driveway, I called neighbors, and nothing. I called FedEx (the worst of our delivery companies) and they looked into the driver’s computer and it looks like he delivered my package to the wrong address. Of course, privacy issues prohibited them from disclosing what address they’d delivered it to. I got a case number, and they promised to call me on Thursday (this never happened). So today I sent a challenge to my bank to delete the purchase as I did not get the order at all. Done and done. I wonder, will I ever see my package? Who actually has my package? Questions, questions, and more questions!
The US Open Tennis is nearly done. I really have enjoyed this year’s matches as many new and exciting young people are playing and doing so very well. Many of my favorite players are in their late 30s and even one who just turned 40. I wasn’t sure we had a good group of kids coming up. Luckily, we do!
Because I cannot stand it, I will briefly mention my disgust with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. OMG! I have never heard two people who have so much, complain and play the victim card the way they do. They could have actually done so much good in the world, but instead, they are blackmailing Harry’s 95-year-old grandmother, and say hateful things about everyone. Meghan told people way back when that she wanted to be the most famous woman in the world. Well Meghan my dear, you are right up there with Lizzie Borden. Being hateful and unkind is a character flaw that you seem to have an abundance of. And gosh darn-it Harry, I guess you are making sure that everyone and anyone who hurt your mother gets paid back ten-fold. But here is the deal. You have actually disrespected your mother by all you have done. Diana made great sacrifices in her own life for you and your brother. I believe she would be ashamed. As many of us are.

This is just my own opinion here. And all I can say is that I hope in some way that Harry and Meghan are held accountable for all the harm they have done to Queen Elizabeth.