The Birthday

Monday was the big birthday. Birthday # 1! We got a cake and the two girls came over for the celebration. The kids came down and we got candles on the cake, and sang Happy Birthday to the little furballs!

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Our singing was sweet and melodic (LOL) and the pups seemed to know it was all for them. They wanted that cake more than anything. So first we offered it to Anneliese who grabbed the entire thing in her mouth!

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We managed to get it out of her mouth long enough to break it up. Then she at up the entire piece!

Next we got Arnie. He took one look at the cake and just inhaled his piece! Isn’t it amazing how dogs and children learn to eat cake like this?

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It was a wonderful first birthday and everyone had a good time, and lots of cake!

Addiction!!!

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No one tells you when you taste your first bite of Peppermint Bark that it is addicting. It really is, you know, and it’s a terrible thing. Today I watched as several women ran into the store I was in and immediately went to the Peppermint Bark and started loading up their carts. I could see their shaking hands and trembling lips.

You can only buy this at Christmas time.

The bottom is a thick layer of dark chocolate. The next layer is white chocolate, and then there is peppermint stick candy sprinkled all over the top. Oh yeah, this stuff is more addicting than anyone even knows!

I bought myself a small box. I got to the car and tore open the plastic wrapper! I sat there and broke off a small piece of the Peppermint Bark and shoved it into my mouth, the chocolate smeared on my lips and fingers!

The joy! Oh the wild happiness I felt. A rush of sheer delight shot through my body. It’s that feeling that makes you want more!!!

I think the candy companies all know that this could really become a problem, which is why they only make it at Christmas.

If they made it year round, well, they would have to open clinics for Peppermint Bark Rehab!

As it is, New Years is really tough candy wise.

Snow Queen!

I’m the Snow Queen. Yep, that’s me. You see every time the puppies have to go outside for, you know, I have to get on my boots, my down jacket, hat, and gloves and take them out on the leash. It’s not that I mind doing this, I don’t, really, but when it’s 9 degrees (F) and the wind is blowing up my bathrobe, I question my sanity, in having 4 dogs, two of which still need to be walked.

Dec 5A Arnie

Arnie

Dec 5A ANNELIESE

Anneliese


Then the little ones come up and start snuggling and kissing me and I realized how much I am loved by these furry beasts, and it makes it all worth it.

We’ve got 12 inches of snow here, which can really do a lot to freeze up a little dachshund foot. In fact as much as they love to frolic in the snow, they also “freeze up”, refuse to move and then I have to traipse through the snow and rescue them! Then they really love me.

Yes, the Snow Queen to the rescue!

Thursday Thirteen #57

Thursday Thirteen

My creation

Thirteen Things about Anneliese and Arnie

1. Arnie was the only boy in our litter of pups.
2. From a very early time I knew Anneliese was “my girl”, and staying with us.
3. Arnie and Anneliese were the two pups who tended to snuggle and sleep together from day one.
4. The puppies were all about the same size when they were born, but within a few weeks Anneliese was clearly going to be the smallest puppy in the litter.
5. Arnie was always Mr. Cool. While his 4 sisters fought for toys and food, Arnie would lay back and wait until he could get what he wanted without a hassle.
6. Everyone, always loved Arnie, because of his sweet and laid back personality.
7. Anneliese tends to be the watcher. She watches everything and everyone.
8. Both Arnie and Anneliese LOVE kids!!!
9. Anneliese was the first one to be house trained of the two.
10. But I never held it against Arnie because he was so cute!
11. Arnie was the first one I took to a dog show.
12. I tend not to worry about them too much when I go away, because they have each other.
13. Monday, December 10th, they will be ONE YEAR OLD!!!

The Dachshund Dating Game

Today Greta and Bernie went on a little date. You know that when Greta goes into heat again (January?), they will be “getting together” for a little dachshund loving. So today was a Dachshund Date.

Hubby drove me down to Barbie’s house and we took Bernie and Greta over to the coast to see Dr. C. for their eye examinations. Before each breeding the two need to have their eyes examined for PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) and Cataracts. Both were examined and both passed with flying colors.

The fun part of the time spent with Bernie, was just how much Arnie looks like his Daddy! It’s amazing! The only difference is that Arnie is actually just a little larger than his Daddy, but their faces are the same.

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Bernie & Greta last year.

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Arnie, their son.

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Anneliese their daughter.

It was also easy to see where the puppies get their wonderful personalities. Bernie and Greta are both so easy going and sweet, and so are their children!

It’s easy to see that the apples didn’t fall far from the tree!!!

Snow, Decorating & Dogs

It snowed today. It snowed a lot. The last time we actually measured there was 9 inches out there, but I am thinking that there are probably 12 inches now.

I’ve been out several times with the puppies. They love to run and run and run in it. Arnie gets little snowballs all over his body. Anneliese just gets covered with the snow,

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as does Greta. I am not sure why Arnie gets the snowballs all over him,

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but I suspect it has something to do with his fur being slightly longer and softer than Greta’s and Anneliese’s.

Fritz…well it’s like watching a deer leaping. Quite beautiful. He has such grace when running through the deep snow. Here he is flying in the air, while Hubby and the dachshunds watch him.

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I did my usual first snow meditation. I went out early and stood in the falling snow and listened to the quiet. There is something so soul cleansing about that.

Then I came in, had my coffee, and once Emily and Jacqui arrived, worked decorating our home for the holidays. Nothing too wild. It’s simple, pretty momentos that have either been given to us, or we’ve gotten during our travels. This is my favorite. My daughter, Mandy gave it to me last year.

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It’s lighted and the two ice dancers are twirling around. It’s really beautiful. You can also turn on Christmas carols, but mostly I just sit and enjoy the pretty ice skaters.

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This is a door hanging we got about 18 years ago on a trip to Guatemala. I love this and it always makes it up in our home. I also have a small ceramic Christmas tree that my sister made and gave me years ago. I love that too!

So the evening is quiet and we are all tired. Hubby from snow-blowing the 500 foot driveway, the dogs from frolicking in the snow, and me from the snow, the decorating and cooking.

All in all, a good day!

Habits

I woke up this morning and, as I sat on the edge of my bed, the thought hit me. “Where are my glasses?” I was still half asleep, but years of near-sightedness found me in the habit of waking up and putting on my glasses so I could find my way to the bathroom. Now, since my operation in May, my distance vision is 20-20, and I no longer need glasses to see across the room.

However, without my readers I cannot see the keyboard on my laptop, the cutting board in the kitchen, or read a menu, so my little reading glasses have become a fixture on the end of my nose.

Which do I prefer? Probably the reading glasses, because I can do without them quite easily if I have to.

But this really got me thinking about habits. So many things we do each day, we do by habit.

For instance, each night as I finish up the dishes, I grind coffee beans and set up the coffee maker for the next morning. Heaven forbid that I have to think about actually making coffee first thing in the morning.

You see, once I am up and in my robe and slippers in the morning, I turn on the coffee pot and my computer, let Fritz and Greta out and then go and get the puppies. I struggle into my coat, hat and gloves (It was 14 degrees F. here this morning!), and take them out for a walk in our back yard. (I am sure this is quite a picture! LOL!) By the time we get back, the coffee is done, the computer has booted up, and my day has officially begun.

Hubby quit smoking 25 years ago. He says that it took him about 10 years until he stopped reaching in his shirt pocket for a pack of cigarettes that wasn’t there.

Fritz and Greta know that at 5 o’clock in the afternoon it’s time to have their canned food. They will hunt me down and stare until I “get it”!

But I think the funniest habit is Fritz’s. Each night at 9:30 I take all the dogs out for the last “wee-wee” of the night. When we come in Fritz wants to go straight to bed. He will walk back and forth between the family room and the bedroom staring at me. If I ignore him he will come over to me and stand right in front of me and stare very hard. What’s a girl to do?

Now you all know why I go to bed so early. I have a “creature of habit” living in my household………Fritz!

Fritz