Yes, that’s us. Husband, dog Zoe and me. It was his birthday so we had to celebrate. I did make him a nice dinner but his birthday present was………
an apple. If you ever saw the film with Steve Martin, Martin Short and Chevy Chase you would know that there was a villain named El Guapo.
Once El Guapo asked if he had a “plethora of pinatas.” I bought my husband one apple I’ve never seen before. It is a pinata. If he likes it, perhaps we’ll have a plethora of pinatas! Happy holidays, Dee
Posted in Uncategorized
Some define it as “containing several items.” As in a multi-trillion dollar US budget we pay for and lots of candy for legislators and their districts. Like ships the Navy never asked for. A new Coast Guard cutter that was never asked for.
Over a billion dollars in REIT’s that casinos asked for.
Isn’t that just a sweet term, omnibus? Just a few little things. Teeny things that make sure you won’t make your mortgage this month, or car payment.
We elect these people, reader, and expect them to put our collective thoughts in mind before they add even more pork to the budget for which we pay. Not just getting a ship built in a local harbor that is not even wanted, in order to put people to work for something that is not needed.
I want this for my district. I want that for mine. Let’s just bill the nation for our little pet projects like the Alaska bridge to no-where. Let’s just put bridges over all the Great Lakes, also the Atlantic Ocean. While you’re at it, let’s put an escalator above the bridge between Mexico and San Diego without Customs personnel. Great ideas? Now let’s double the salaries of our senators and congresspersons and give them all Washington D.C. homes made of 18K gold. Not a happy thought, Dee
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This neighbor brought me boughs from their tree. He wants us to come and see their tree, which has a papier mache horse head at the top (I’ve seen it in past years) but he says this is an interesting year.
If only he could stop cutting off boughs for us! First year we met they’d misplaced all their ornaments. We didn’t have a tree so lent them mine/ours. We had a lot of swirly artisan aluminum ornaments we bought in Vermont years ago with my in-laws and they needed some kind of attachment to the tree. He used fishing line.
I went to storage this morning, found the box and got out a few precious ornaments. Two wooden stockings from the first months my husband and I met. Tagboard ornaments from kids and friends from an event I created 20 years ago, and there is one I added to the table that I keep by my desk every day.
It’s a golden retriever with a halo, my dog who died in 2001. No, she was 3,000 miles away from 9/11 and died earlier in the year. 9/11 is how I met my husband and we’ve been together over 14 years. I try to get us ornaments every year so we can know who we are and where we’ve been over the years. See
Close Your Eyes.
We will ask our neighbors over this weekend to share a glass of wine, from a bottle my father sent for my birthday last month. The caveat is that we need to see their tree. Also, for them to see what I’ve done decorating with the boughs. With thanks to friends and family I remain, Dee
My mother was taught that if she ever peed in a public pool a purple cloud would surround her. That is what she taught us.
Then we had our own pool. We kept it clean as I tested the water every day and added whatever chemicals we needed and never soiled something for which I and my sister took care.
We had to wear bathing caps and keep toads out of the filter basket. I cleaned that as well. A dead toad is worse that a few strands of hair. Then we went to the beach. We were required to wear bathing caps. I thought I rightly asked, “why, so our hair doesn’t go down the drain in the Atlantic Ocean?” In a well-choreographed skit my little sister and I dove down under a wave and ditched those caps under the sand.
Years later in another location I tried to get permission from the government for legal leash-free areas for dog owners. What did the government say? There will be poop. No. Because responsible pet owners pick up after their own pets and others. We had limited success after a six-year travail.
We pay taxes for those parks and should be allowed to use them. I wanted something for our park that worked perfectly, before and after hours when no-one else was there, no fence. At the end every child in the tot lot called out my dog’s name and ran to pet her. She was abused for a year, and left to a shelter. I rehabilitated her. She was afraid of men (especially the Deputy Sheriff who abused her) and children, because she was kept in a fenced yard and kids used to throw rocks at her. She died during this cause and I am only sorry that I spent so much time at community and government meetings and not with my girl.
In this case I believe the opposition (five people vs. 2,000) gave a few hundred dollars to campaigns and mostly beat us by consigning mud holes and studio apartment-sized areas. I wrote a great piece back then. When I find it, if you’d like I’ll share it. Oh, dogma, Zoe, is on my side of the bed with my husband. I’ll move her into the middle soon.
Every animal in the ocean eliminates. No-one cleans up after them, so why should we be required to wear bathing caps and not be allowed to have our dog chase a ball for 20 minutes when they’re well-behaved and we do clean up after them and the kiddos love them? Quandary.
There is something to be said for compromise and lack of hypocrisy. I had to tell a seven year-old that my dog was gone. He was on the other side of the bushes, away from his older brother. He demanded me to tell him what happened. I did, he cried. Going outside the bushes I advised him to tell his big brother and his older friends that he cried because Dee yelled at him for ……. That is not lying, it’s friendship. I hope he’s having a great time in college. They got a dog through me, and I hope they are good young men. Dee
Posted in Editorial, Uncategorized
A pup, that is. Can I raise another? Today I answered a neighbor’s challenge and his pup is in my care for a few hours.
My near 12-year (dog years, in people’s she’s a great-aunt) Zoe was very kind with H, nosing him when she needed to do so and putting a paw down on him to put him in his place. No teeth, no barking. Especially good great-aunt behavior as the pup’s needle teeth are loosening and he likes to bite on hands and arms. Mine. He also barks and does not like to be told “no.” No is a “tch” with a finger that he then tries to bite. He also chewed my Zoe’s leash. No harm, no foul.
I’ve worked with shelter animals for over 20 years. Today I got H and Zoe to a comfortable place. H peed twice in our place. Finally Zoe and H came to an agreement and they both snored away for at least an hour. Shhhhh, they’re still snoring. Let’s leave them be.
H’s pet sitter will be here soon and will re-crate him. Today he peed twice outdoors, twice indoors (I’ve the magic stuff that gets rid of stains and smells). He is sleeping inside by our balcony so he can see out the windows.
I don’t know. Between peeing and teething I don’t know if I can go through it again, especially as our 12 year-old has several years to live and I would not bring in a pup while she depends upon and herds us 24/7.
We’ll see after I get the bandages off my hands and arms! Exaggeration and elimination and eating difficulties. Puppy then dog 101. Extensive training ,food, vet bills. It’s a conundrum. I’m bleeding from his puppy teeth as he does not take no for an answer. No corporal punishment, just a firm “NO” or a Cesar “tccch” that primed him to go after me.
He tried to eat four of my shoes. One of each so four pair would be ruined.
Now H’s parents want info on pups. They’re newlyweds and have read some about breeds and training and they got a good pup. They just have to turn the pup into a great dog. He holds promise. Cheers, Dee
ps H just peed twice more in the house. Three now, one on the welcome mat. He’s going home soon. He went on my den’s carpet. Not a good thing to do to Aunt Dee. Yes, now he wants to sleep in my office five feet from where he just peed. Go figure. He got his teeth into and ripped my brand new sweater. He swam in Zoe’s water bowl. I saw both his front paws in there.
Part of me says no. Part of me says yes, that when Zoe is gone, I’ll still be able to take a pup out 8X per day, feed her 3X per day, train her (I have male cats, female dogs). Now it’s time to prepare dinner, after taking the bandages off my hands and arms from puppy needle teeth. He’ll be a tough one to train as he doesn’t take no for an answer. Here’s to newlyweds and puppyhood! Dee
Posted in editorial pets, Uncategorized
Our neighbor showed up with a Menorah today, donating it to a facility that until recently did not accept Jews.
I don’t do anything halfway, if it’s one of my 3:00 a.m. wake-up ideas I go with it and make sure it makes a lot of sense and a lot of money for the future, not just the event. It has to do 3-5 mission-critical items for the organization.
Kids for kids. Buy out the house. Donations (free entry with something on the list of a local charity, juice boxes, snacks et al). We did a tree with tagboard ornaments by local kids, and gingerbread people from supermarket bags sewn by talented volunteers decorated by local kids at the charity we were befriending.
The tree and ads were donated. I looked into a menorah but it was a theater so the Fire Department did not wish for someone to yell “FIRE” in a crowded theater. The donor was Jewish. She said “Don’t worry, I’ll find an electric one.” Really? CW came through.
We had a full house for three performances and a menorah, tree and Kwanzaa all out in the lobby for all to see. I didn’t save a gingerbread person, but have three special tagboard ornaments I use every year, memories and the knowledge that I help save a moribund institution by rejuvenating their youth education program and helping them to prosper through audience and student development.
Plus, I got to tell my neighbor the story as he donated his electric menorah. Years ago, the Youth Director was very pleased, as were the young actors and they all signed a program for me that is framed in our home and dedicated to very special folks.
I like good stories that bring people together. Happy holidays, Dee
My husband has been working from home a bit, driving me nuts. He now wants to help me in the kitchen. I made spaetzle the other day for a stew. Permit me to say that my husband is not allowed in my kitchen for other than ice, water, or Dr. Pepper. He can’t even make a grilled cheese sandwich.
He gets into something like lemonade, yogurt, strange fruits and ice cream but this pasta/pancake thing needs to end.
We’ve made pancakes twice this week, today he didn’t help out at all as he didn’t say he was working on a mathematical spreadsheet for portions of the batter. He chose 3/4 recipe today before he did the calculations. His were pancake souflees. He asked me to use Italian OO flour instead of all-purpose as a test. It’s all-purpose from here on in. And I’d rather do eggs and bacon and toast and jam because it doesn’t use every pot and pan in the house and I can make it, while he is in the shower, in under ten minutes. With juice and herbal tea.
We made fettucine twice this week. He wanted to test the hand-crank pasta maker I’ve never used. Tonight it was to go with a random restaurant dish he had last year with pasta, chicken and artichoke hearts in a cream sauce with a salad with who knows what, 2,000 miles away. Talk about pulling something out of my hat. He did love it and has more for tomorrow. I will make rice. No, not from scratch!
Now he wants steak for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow we have another skirt steak with chimichurri for lunch, and today’s chicken with rice for dinner.
I’ll plan Thanksgiving in the morning and decide whether I’ll cave in to steak. I do want Brussels sprouts. Cranberry…. chutney? Perhaps. Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving, Dee
I have made my life of both. I can write, and appreciate art.
As to my muses, one light has gone out. She taught me how to appreciate and love art. I’ll stand in line for the Uffizi (no, actually I know how to get tickets) but she started it when I was in grade school.
No, I am not an artist but an art lover. And another muse grieves for her. He taught me not only words, but to think for myself. To be myself.
Dad taught me music, well just as a father gives driving advice to me I was given a violin and tuned all the violins and violas before class. Yes, perfect pitch and great teachers.
Today our educational system denigrates and has de-funded arts, music, writing. This is an insult to our intelligence as a species. My art and music are stunted in their growth. I had a band at age 12, guitar with two friends who couldn’t sing their way out of a paper bag. I actually had the audacity to allow us to sing at a school concert. Big mistake.
Art? Age five I composed a picture from crayon of the characters from The Wizard of Oz. My aunt sent it to me two years ago saying it deserved to be framed, and it is. My husband’s favorite work of art. I also excelled at perspective (math) and copper tooling because of my grandfather. That was it for art. Now I’ve an eye for framing, with assistance from the framer.
I gave up violin and voice (and ballet) before age ten so for my 50th birthday bought a guitar and private lessons. I’ve more respect for Johnny Cash, CSNY, Bob Dylan, PPM, James Taylor and other legends than I ever had as a kid.
I have to send my mentor a photo of the epitome of my crayon prowess in memory of his wife. We used to run over to the only neighbors who had a color TV just to see The Wizard of Oz turn to color. Right across the street. I lived there through age seven. With love to my neighbors on H Street. I miss you and those days.
There are horses of different colors. Kids like us never got that reference. Thank you, G and J, for opening my eyes to education and opportunities. Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving to all! Dee
We made the most leaden whole wheat pancakes to get rid of a mix on the pantry shelf the other day.
This morning we turned the corner and served up tasty, fluffy pancakes with pure maple syrup.
Mix dry, yolks and sugar, then bring the egg whites, after whisking to medium peaks, to the mix. Cook. Voila. Hello, maple syrup, you’re supposed to be on stage! What? She left for another audition?
The magic is the egg whites, whipped up to medium peaks and folded in at the end. The pancakes, with Grade A maple syrup, were sublime. I actually prefer Grade B but that wasn’t on sale that day, months ago.
If you’d like I’ll send you the link. Happy Thanksgiving! Dee
I knew the kiddos would be disappointed today. We got a lot of snow that melted into slush. I put on hiking boots today to take the dog out about seven.
All I thought about was what I would feel first snow of the season as a kid, ready to make a snowman or sled down the hill.
As a snow native I know what kind of snow we have in the great lakes and in the Rockies. I know a powder day and that is reinforced when all skiers call in with a cough and say they’re “under the weather.”
This was slush. Boots did well for traction because nothing was done to streets or sidewalks. I felt bad for the kids because there were not snowmen/women to be made and there was no sledding down the big bowl because it was just too wet.
Good things. I did see beautiful trees and missed photographing them with hanging snow as it melted before I could get my camera. Yes, there was a little snowman, about 2′ tall, we saw en route. And because the kids couldn’t sled the bowl, the parents devised some sort of game below so they forgot about sledding. Great parents!
The kids see inspiration. Parents see perspiration. Isn’t that a lifelong rule of success? Cheers, no snow day here as I’ve a great car and snow tires. Cheers! Dee
Cooking with Dee 