Month: December 2006

Thursday 13 #31

CT36

1. I have picked out 5 cookie recipes to make with Emily this weekend. Chocolate Chip, Ginger Spice, Toffee Bars, Snickerdoodles, and Peanut Butter Cookies
2. All the recipes will be found in the cooking section of my blog.
3. I plan to post the peanut butter cookie recipe tomorrow.
4. I make up boxes of cookies for my elderly shut-in neighbors.
5. I also make up a big tray of cookies for my Vet and the Post Office.
6. I love to bake!
7. I love to eat what I bake! Uh-oh!
8. My favorite cookies are Snickerdoodles!
9. This will be an all day cookie baking fest!
10. I will take a lot of pictures and post them.
11. Hubby’s favorite cookies are Chocolate Chip.
12. The kitchen is right next to the puppy nursery.
13. So I will be close by if Greta has had her babies.

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things.



Let’s See Those Babies!!!

I’m tired.

Why is this, you might ask? It’s the suspense. I am waiting for Greta to pop out those babies and I am not sleeping as well as I normally do. I find myself watching her. All she has to do is walk across the room and I watch her.

Dec 5 003

At the same time, I am trying to get everything together for the puppies birth, get the last of my errands run before the puppies arrive and I am home bound. The only place I will want to be, I’m sure.

Tuesday I did my errands in the morning, and then settled in for the second day of writing Christmas cards. They are done now. All I need to do is edit our Christmas letter, and leave a blank space at the bottom of the note for a segment on Greta’s puppies and a place for the picture of her with them.

Meanwhile, I wait. Come on Greta, let’s see those babies!

We’re Waiting

I’m trying to type a post, coddle Greta and comfort her and get a little coffee into my body. Not an easy thing to do.

Greta continues to grow at an amazing rate! She is also very uncomfortable now. Poor girl!

We had her outside yesterday and actually tossed a ball around for her. I will not lie and say that she ran around, waddled is a better word for it, but she enjoyed being out.

Dec 4 004

Now we wait.

I am not good at waiting!

Toffee Bars

It’s that time of year, when we start thinking about cooking wonderful treats. This recipe has been in my family for generations!

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter flavored Crisco (shortening)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 large package chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients (except chocolate chips & nuts) thoroughly and spread evenly in large greased and floured, jelly roll pan. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 15-20 minutes, or until browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler, spread melted chocolate over the top of the bar mixture, sprinkle with nuts and finish cooling in the refrigerator. Cut into squares and serve.

What I Did On My Last Free Saturday

Hubby and I went Christmas shopping today. He literally had to pull me out of the house, because with Greta so close to popping out those puppies, I did not want to leave!

Enter Emily, our wonderful dog sitter! She came over early this morning and took care of the two+ pooches so we could shop and relax a little.

So off we went to capture a few sales, replace our broken coffee maker and go to the Euro Deli and get some of our favorite foods.

First we went to Macy’s because the sales were good, I had an awesome coupon to use all day there, plus we had substantial gift cards!

Emily called and asked if Fritz was supposed to be in the whelping box? I told her no, but before she shooed him out, she took his picture.

Dec 2 012

Back to shopping. The stores were mobbed, but the people there were in good spirits, so time really flew.

Now I must interject an observation here. Ladies, when you go shopping during the holidays, please refrain from dousing yourselves with perfume. I know you love your scent, but there are some of us who are A) allergic to almost all scents, and B) hate the taste of perfume in our mouths (which occurs if you are near anyone who has bathed in their scent!).

The store employees were all very helpful, and schmoozed me just enough to make me want to go back. Why one sweet woman actually looked at frumpy old me and exclaimed that I was simply too young looking to have a daughter who will turn 30 in three weeks! (she knew this because I was bragging about my daughter as I bought her gifts!) I think the movie “Pretty Woman” has a lot to do with the schmoozing. In any case, I liked it and I send each of those wonderful clerks a big smooch back!

We then went to the Euro Deli and bought a ton of German food. Gold Medal Leberwurst, Leberkäse, gypsy wurst, Nurnberger Bratwurst, Tilsiter cheese, and different Christmas specialties. I was thrilled. I also left off a picture of Greta and a small write up about her litter. I hope a few people will see this and perhaps want a puppy. Think how wonderful it would be to have some of my grand puppies in New Hampshire!

We had lunch at a Chinese Buffet, and then went to LL Bean to shop. Lucky me found some slippers, a shirt, and a Christmas gift for an unnamed member of my family.

Then I went to Petco and got the last few items on my list for puppy delivery. I also bought a toy for the babies. I should get a few more, but I know Hubby can handle that errand for me.

Greta is huge! We took this picture of her tonight because I think, if those babies don’t get born soon, she might simply pop!

Dec 2 019

So I am now in for the night and probably for the foreseeable future. I simply don’t want to leave my girl until the pups are here, and have their eyes open. Call me a nervous Nellie!

One, Two, Three…

Greta went to the Veterinarian on Thursday. I could hardly wait to go because I wanted to see how she was doing and what Dr. Julie thought of her growing belly. I somehow felt that perhaps those three little puppies weren’t growing well enough and that they might need extra food or something when they came into this world.

You see, I just don’t think that Greta looks all that big. I mean, yes, she has definitely grown in girth, but she doesn’t look like a pot bellied pig or anything.

Nov 29 003

However, Dr. Julie was thrilled with Greta. My little girl had gained over 2 ½ pounds, and when Dr. Julie suggested we do an x-ray, I agreed. After all, I wanted to make sure those three puppies didn’t need a road map or anything, to find their way out.

They took Greta off to x-ray her and after a few minutes Dr. Julie came running up the stairs. “Do you know how many there are?” she asked. I shook my head. “Five for certain and I think I see a sixth head!!!” She wanted to do one more x-ray and since Greta was being very cooperative she did it. Then the Vet brought the x-rays up and I got to see the babies.

One, two, three, four, five heads, five wavy strings of pearls (spines), and the hint of another head and spine under Greta’s own. It was so sweet, so beautiful, that I cried!

I brought Greta home with all of the new information I had gleaned. Sometime after the 4th of December I should really watch out for the signs of labor. The first one being a dip in her temperature. (Normal temperature for a dog is 101+ and it will dip to 98-99)

Tomorrow I go to get the last of the supplies I need, a few groceries and then come back home. I think between Hubby and me, we can make sure she isn’t alone for long.

So there is our news! Five, count ’em, FIVE puppies are on the way (possibly six)!!!

Wooooo-Hooooo!!!