The Same & Yet So Different

The funniest thing about having two puppies from the same litter is watching their differences. Arnie and Anneliese are about as different as Fritz and Greta in their personalities. Where Anneliese is tiny, but fearless, Arnie is large and a bit of a chicken.

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Anneliese’s Photo courtesy of Janet

Case in point. Today I was vacuuming. You know, with the big rug beater attachment that sort of growls as it vacuums the rug? Well, Miss Anneliese chased after me barking and trying to bite the vacuum while Arnie ran into the puppy room and hid in the crate.

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Arnie’s Photo courtesy of Janet

Outside Anneliese will run after Fritz, any ball that is thrown and even try to get to our neighbor’s dog. (Which would be a terrible mistake!) Meanwhile Arnie will play quietly by himself, follows the others, but at a distance and is, let’s say, respectful of the other animals.

Arnie tends to be my little lover boy. He loves to climb up in your lap and snuggle down and go to sleep. Where Anneliese loves to sun worship in the day and then wiggle her way into my lap and push Arnie out at night.

Anneliese is still so tiny at 11 1/2 pounds, and Arnie is a big boyish 14 1/2 pounds! Anneliese is slight of frame while Arnie is built like a long tank. Arnie has longer fur while Anneliese has a shorter and a more coarse coat.

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I held these babies in my hands from the moment they were born. I gave each of them oxygen, and rubbed down their bodies as I dried them off. I tied their collars on, and watched over them in the first few weeks of their lives.

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Me with the pups on the birth day

Seeing the way they react to Hubby and me and each other, and Greta as well, fills me with such wonder. What a really great experience!

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Greta and Anneliese’s Photo courtesy of Janet

A Little Prep Work

I’ve started the final countdown. You know, where you spend time deep cleaning, arranging things and putting things away knowing that this is your last chance before an operation. I want the house to be ship shape, the closets relatively clean, and enough frozen meals so that Hubby doesn’t starve.

The “Puppy Nanny” is set to come in to help, I have shown her and Hubby how much food each dog gets, and explained the time table. Puppies eat twice a day, Greta and Fritz at 5 pm. Their crunchie bowls should always be full, as should their water dish.

I have set up the puppy pen out in the back yard so that when Hubby is working on his fruit trees he can put the pups in there and not worry that they will roam.

And the puppy room is now open a bit more with two crates for the babies. They were really interested in the big crate when I put it in there today, as this is the one I used with the 5 puppies when they were small. I wonder if it still smells like their siblings?

Tomorrow I do more laundry, a little ironing and some floor washing. I think by the time I have the surgery next week, I will be really exhausted and actually need a rest.

20 Weeks!

Can you believe the pups are 20 weeks old? I was watching them today, as they frolicked and played and I realized how grown up they’ve gotten. Arnie is 14 1/2 pounds now and Anneliese is 11 1/2 pounds. Anneliese is 99.9% house broken now, and Arnie is 75%. Yes, he is a little slow, but we still love him. He is 100% paper trained, so even if I don’t get him outside for the big event, he will run into the puppy room and use the papers. Not perfect, but it has saved me a lot of time cleaning my carpets with the big green clean machine.

They’re both sweet little sleepers too. They love to cuddle
(Arnie)
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or stretch out in the sunshine
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and just be close.
(Arnie (blue) Anneliese (red))
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They cuddle with each other still and I wonder if this closeness they share will be life long? They both adore their Uncle Fritz.

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Greta still watches over them, but in many ways she keeps her distance too. Although today she played a wicked chasing game with the puppies until I thought they might tear up the rug! But it was so much fun to watch

Five months old. Wow! This is going so fast!

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(Anneliese)

The Puppy Nanny

Saturday saw Hubby and I off for the day…alone. The “Puppy Nanny”, also known as Emily, came over and puppy sat for us. I can’t begin to tell you how much this was appreciated. We could actually go off and not worry about how long we were gone, and worry about the small bladders of both big and little doggies!

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All four dogs just love Emily and she loves them too. The puppies, of course, have known her from day one and so she is very special to them. When she arrives at our house they run to greet her and they can hardly wait to snuggle down with her.

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So, while the “Puppy Nanny” was here we shopped. We bought ourselves a new set a stainless flatware. Woo-hoo! The set we have used since we got married was Hubby’s before and is probably 30-35 years old. It was simply not doing well and yes, it even showed some signs of rusting. The set we got was a Henckel’s set and we like it very much. The pattern is called Provence.

I also got two blouses in patterns.

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Now this is probably a bigger miracle than us actually spending money on buying a new set of flatware. You see I am the original plain color dresser. I don’t like patterns and I tend to dress in plain blues or whites or blacks. I know, not original, but I simply worry about dressing too loud. Oh dear, someone might notice me! After these purchases I feel like I am living on the edge!

We also went to our favorite German Deli and loaded up on all sorts of yummy German foods. Our favorite being a Hungarian Gypsy Wurst and Tilsiter cheese. Amanda had given Hubby a gift certificate for Christmas, but since we don’t get down that way too often (It is 70 miles from here), this was our first chance to use it. We used the whole thing!

Emily called us to report on the puppies and Greta, who was quite depressed at our departure, and we called her to let her know when we would be home. Upon our return we were greeted by all the pups in a wild frenzy that assured us that we had, in fact, been missed.

Shorts, Spring And Sneezes

I got up today with the intention of getting a lot done. I guess in some ways I did. I got the ironing done, got the winter clothes out of my closet and Hubby’s and got the summer clothes down out of the attic, and upon seeing this stuff realized that I need some new shorts. Ah shoot. Shorts fall into the same category as pants as far as enjoyable shopping…not!

But I didn’t leave the house to go up town the way I’d planned, and I only got one load of laundry done and for dinner, I just heated up a packet of Fondue.

Of course I was running around after puppies all day, including at least two dozen trips to the great out of doors for their “business” meetings at what I now call “the mine field”! There was also a mad dash up the hill when Greta and the two pups took off when they saw my neighbor drive in.

I confess I am still not up to running fast, and uphill, forget it, I can barely hobble. Thank goodness Emily was here to do most of the racing. At twelve years old, she is fast.

I also noticed to today that my nose was dripping all day long. I was also sneezing and coughing like crazy. A cold? I think not. Allergies! I also noticed that Hubby was sneezing and coughing. Dual allergy sufferers, that’s us!

So we’re a fun group. Four adorably fast running doggies and two sneezing, dripping adults. We are such a fun family!

Shopping For ???

I love to shop but I hate to shop for pants for myself. And this, gentle reader, was my task for today.

I needed to shop for some soft cottony, comfy pants to wear the day of my surgery. There is nothing worse than having anesthesia and trying to dress oneself in complicated clothing afterwards. So I wanted to find slip on pants and a top large enough in the neck to slide easily over my bandaged eye. I also did not want to spend a lot of money.

I started at the Liz Claiborne Outlet center and tried on several items. Although I found one outfit that was “okay”, in that it fit most of my criteria, the outfit simply wasn’t “special” enough for me to spend $65.00. It was cute though, but as I am a power shopper, after deciding that it just wasn’t quite right, I left, drove down the road to Kohls, and started looking in there.

Kohls is now my new favorite place to shop. Not only did I find an outfit that was comfy and uncomplicated and cottony, but it was so inexpensive, that I bought another one in a different color. Best of all, these comfy cottony bottoms fit my ginormous hips and I actually feel pretty in them. I got light sky blue and lavender colors and in many ways I think I can say that these sets flatter me more than the Liz Claiborne ones did.

I came home and was met by all my Dackels and Fritz at the door. Oh, and Hubby too. What a good day!

The Puppy Playpen

Since the days have been sunny and warm I have arranged a playpen for the two puppies. This works out so well when I am busy and can’t keep my eyes on them. I just leave the door open and they can run in and out and have a good time.

Today hey spent a lot of the day just sleeping. I am thinking that they are going through another growth spurt. I weighed Arnie and he is just a fraction under 14 pounds. Anneliese is exactly 11 pounds. She is such a little squirt, but she has a mighty spirit! You should see her play out back with Arnie! She can literally roll him down the hill!

I’m having a good time with these two. They really brighten up my day. I really love watching them play with each other, as well as Greta and Fritz. And I just love, love, love the way they both cuddle up with me.

Chocolate & Wine = Heaven

Lately it seems that the movie channels have been replaying the same movies over and over again. And since regular TV has started it’s rerun season somewhat early, this means I am watching the same “chick flicks” over and over again.

Now for the most part, I don’t mind. I have found that there are certain movies that are like old friends. You know, “Father of The Bride” (Steve Martin edition), “As Good As It Gets”, “Legally Blond” and “Somethings Gotta Give”.

But I recently have added a few new ones to the list. “The Lake House” with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, “What Dreams May Come” with Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding, and “The Parent Trap” (Lindsey Lohan edition).

I like these movies for various reasons. Some I like because they are funny, light and familiar. Others, like the Robin Williams movie “What Dreams…” because it reminds me of what I hope is true.

There is a line in that film where the daughter asks where her dog will go when she dies. The mother replies, “Where we all go, Heaven”.

I like the idea that my dogs will all follow me to my little slice of Heaven (that is, should I get there). Can’t you just see me in a large field with all my doggies around me?

I can. I can see me with the laughter and the smiles and the wet face from all the kisses they will shower me with, and the tears I will shed after I am reunited with them.

I’ve also decided what I would like my little slice of Heaven to look like.

It will have a field on the side of a mountain with wild flowers and lovely shade trees. It will overlook a large ocean that will go on for as far as the eyes can see. I’ll have a large Indian blanket to sit on (no ticks or bug will be allowed in my slice of Heaven) and I will have the best picnic one can imagine with all my favorite foods (especially dark chocolate). I will sip Tokaj (A fine Hungarian wine), and the sun will shine warmly on my face, and it will feel really good.

All the people I love will be there, and all my animals as well. Life beyond will be even better than anyone could ever imagine.

I like movies about love, whether they make me laugh or they make me cry.

Love is what it’s all about, right?