Author: Dackel Princess

The Natural Way To Beautiful Nails

I’ve got a new theory. I was looking at my fingernails today and I noticed that they have grown lovely and long. I try pretty hard to grow them out, but try as I might, they are always breaking. However, right now, the second week into November, my fingernails have never looked better.

Thinking back, it was a year ago that I made the same observation. I remember taking pictures then too, because I just knew that in no time the nails would be snapping like dried twigs.

So why is it, that each November I find my nails looking so good?

Well, I finally figured it out. It’s Halloween! Every year around the middle of October I buy Halloween candy. Of course, you all know my weakness for chocolate, so I tend to dip into the candy basket a little too much. Then I have to buy more candy for the kids, who never do come to my door!

So here is the answer to my question. The reason my nails grow long and lovely in November is….. because of all the chocolate I eat in October!

I know, you are all laughing, right? This morning as Hubby and I drove to the supermarket I presented my theory to him.

“Honestly, Hon, I think this chocolate thing is the reason my nails are so strong and haven’t been snapping off”.

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I expected a *snort*, perhaps a guffaw, but he looked down at his nails for a moment and exclaimed that he hadn’t had a broken nail either, and he had been dipping into the chocolate too!

So there you have it Fellow Bloggers. Do not go and ingest endless amounts of tasteless gelatin or waste your money on all those bottles of nail strengthener when you can have beautiful nails the natural way.

Eat Chocolate!!!

The Luck Of The Draw

I am not what you would call a lucky person. I have always hoped I was, but well, things just seem to conspire to thwart me. Still when attending a charitable fund raiser, or going to a group conference, I always buy raffle tickets. Not because I expect to win, but because I always want to support the organization.

Recently, we went to the North American Teckel Club show so that Greta could be rated by the German judge. I bought some merchandise with the NATC logo on it, and I bought raffle tickets. I left the show after Greta’s papers were signed for the long drive back to New Hampshire, but before the raffle was held. And this time, I WON!

What did I win? A bright fluorescent orange hunting vest! Now I know that there are some of you who wouldn’t see the use for this, but for me, living in a heavily wooded area of New Hampshire, the vest is perfect during hunting season, so I am not mistaken for a Moose! I love it. I plan to take my old fluorescent vest and make smaller ones for Fritz and Greta.

I did believe that this was some sort of anomaly and that I would probably go for the rest of my life without winning another thing. This was okay with me, because I felt happy to have won, just once in my life.

Last Saturday was a Christmas Fair at the Greek Church that my next door neighbor attends. I went to support her church, and as always, bought raffle tickets. And again, I got a call. I WON! This time I won a cute Santa Elf decoration for the shelf. He’s really rather large, and adorable and I am pretty happy about this.

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More than anything, I can’t believe I am winning anything at all! Hubby had me check the two lottery tickets he had purchased for the Saturday night drawings. Not one number. I told him that I think it must be that I need to be the one buying the ticket for the magic to work.

In the meantime, I’m looking for another church Christmas Fair to attend and a raffle to enter. I wonder if this is what it’s like when you win in Vegas?

The Princess And The Pillow

We all have things in our lives that we like certain ways. You know, steak cooked medium rare, ketchup with our salted french fries, dark chocolate as opposed to milk chocolate. However, there is one area of my life, so Hubby tells me, where my specifications border on being an obsessive compulsive………….That is MY PILLOW.

A few years ago I started waking up with a crick in my neck. After a few weeks of this, I bought a new pillow. After all, my old pillow was very flat and it was well used. The new pillow failed after about three weeks, maybe a month. So I went out and got another one, but that one also failed after a few weeks.

It became an obsession for me to find a comfortable pillow. I started reading ads in catalogues and I searched online for information. My family started giving me advice on a pillow comfort solution.

I bought a latex foam pillow, but found it gave no support for my head (which is large and heavy, sort of like a bobble doll). I tried a memory foam core pillow wrapped in polyester fiberfill, but it lost its memory after a week. I tried feather pillows, but they flattened out in 30 seconds.

What I needed, I determined, was an overstuffed, hypoallergenic, fiberfilled pillow. My quest began.

I tried the Internet, read ads and looked in bed and bath shops, but I found nothing. Then yesterday I was in Wal-Mart, and I saw a pillow that had it all. Overstuffed, extra firm, king sized, and hypoallergenic. Best of all, after all the money I have spent on the other pillows, this one was only $15.00!

I was filled with anticipation as I tossed this pillow into my cart. When I got it home, I carefully put on a pillow cover and pillow case, and placed it with great reverance on my bed. I stared at it for a moment, and I could feel myself begin to tear up.

After that I could hardly wait for bed. At 10 o’clock last night Greta and I hit the sheets and when my head fell onto my new pillow I could feel the joy well up in my heart.

So much for one night. Ask me again in a month.

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Breed Standards

I was up early on Saturday with Greta. Morning sickness is so hard to deal with when you are a two year old dachshund! Once I settled her down with a warm blanket, I turned on our favorite weekend show, the Eukanuba Dog Show.

I watch these dog shows differently now. I used to observe the dogs only for cuteness and personality, but since I showed Greta at the German Dachshund Club show I have starting watching the AKC sanctioned events with a critical eye.

The German Judge took his time and checked all areas of the dogs for weight, height, and chest size. He counted the teeth, and he watched the movement of the dogs under a variety of circumstances. His eye was keen and critical, but I felt when he was finished with a dog, his judgments were fair. I learned a great deal that day, even if my heart was in my throat the whole time!

So there I was this morning, with Greta and her blankie, watching. We were shocked to see the AKC Judge giving the dogs a quick once over. Greta and I scoffed at the treatment! The judge did not seem overly impressed with dogs that I felt had great merit, and of course Animal Planet only shows you the dogs that they like. They cover the others during a commercial.

Greta and I were anticipating seeing the wirehaired dachshund that was entered, and although she was “cute”, I fear a German Judge would have given her only marginal marks.

Greta laughed at me (I swear!), and reminded me that all doggies are beautiful in their owners eyes, and she is right. However, don’t you think that if a dog is in a sanctioned dog show it should be judged more closely? Ah, perhaps not.

I switched the channel and found a rerun of the Miss Universe Pagent. I looked at all those fabulously gorgeous, young, nubile women, and I knew I was glad that Hubby wasn’t judging me by their standards. I’m his sweetie and, yes, he still loves me despite the fact that I don’t meet the breed standard anymore!

We’ve Got Biscuits In The Oven!!!

The news is, “Greta is Pregnant“!!! Our Vet examined her and felt at least three little bundles of puppy love inside! There could be more, but it is too soon to tell. Another thing we learned was that Miss Greta has to cut back a little on the vittles! She has already gained 3 pounds!!!

I’m so excited about this and I am ready to call everyone on my cell phone list and then in my personal phone book.

The Mind Is A Mysterious Thing

Friday is the big day. Greta goes to the Vet and we will get the word on “if” she is pregnant. Oh how I wish I had experienced fingers! I could feel my girl up and just know if she had “biscuits in the oven”! Alas, my fingers are not so learned, and although I “think” I feel a hard little mound in her belly, there is part of me that worries that she is just getting fat!

I’m like that, you know. When presented with almost irrefutable evidence of a condition, I always come close to convincing myself that it’s nothing.

A few years ago when I lost the vision in my left eye as I was instant messaging with my friend Uschi, I immediately suspected something serious. I actually called the doctor and when told to come immediately to the hospital I got in my Jeep and headed to the hospital. Half way there, I had convinced myself that it was nothing and that the doctor would be angry that I had wasted his time.

I know, you are thinking I am a nut case. Blind in one eye and then convincing myself it was nothing. As you all know from this entry, I had a detached retina. So it wasn’t all in my mind. It was real.

Even with this history it doesn’t stop me from thinking that perhaps I am wrong about my Greta and that this

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is just my imagination.

I take her in at 10:30 in the morning. I will post as soon as I get home and let you all know.

Thursday 13 #27

thursday 13 TV
Thirteen TV Shows From the 1980’s That I Watched

1. Three’s Company
2. M*A*S*H*
3. Happy Days
4. Newhart
5. Dynasty
6. The Cosby Show
7. The Golden Girls
8. Cheers
9. The Wonder Years
10. Roseanne
11. Moonlighting
12. Taxi
13. Magnum PI

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.


Kathleen Alynne November 8th 1978

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My youngest daughter Katie was born 28 years ago at 5:29 AM. She weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces, and was 23 inches long. She had little red curls and green eyes.

As Katie grew she was best friends with her sister, Amanda. They went everywhere together, did everything together and more than anything loved each other deeply.

Katie was a happy child. I enjoyed her sense of humor, her quick smile and her silly little giggle and the dimples she had in her cheeks! They somehow suited her red curls and green eyes, making her look a bit like an elf!

I was lucky to have her in my life for 6 1/2 years. Yes, it should have been more, many, many, more, but I am grateful for the time we had and for the love we shared.

So, today on her birthday I will think of her with love, and yes, an ache too. Until the day when God reunites us, our love will remain, somehow frozen in time.