Good Zoe!
She stayed in the back all the way home and got to walk home off-leash. Note the lovely orange bows on each ear that I’ll remove as soon as Jim comes home and sees her. She certainly was groomed and trimmed and probably had a few pounds of undercoat taken out. She looks gorgeous and is sleeping the afternoon away after having spent the morning with her new buddies playing ball, her favorite sport.
Jim keeps telling me that we don’t need the barrier to keep Zoe in the back third of our “new” SUV. Today she did great en route to the groomer. I arranged it so she could play in daycare for two hours to tire her out before the nail trim, bath and undercoat grooming. She knew something was up as she was breathing heavily and her heart was pounding.
So she got her first ride in the car. I took her favorite sheepskin liner from the trunk of the Honda and shook most of the fur off of it, then lined the back of the SUV. Then I went back and got her and lifted her in. She seemed fine, was looking out the windows and I kept telling her she was good.
Then I parked, told her to stay and went around back to get her. She vaulted into the back seat, no doubt scratching the leather. Told her to stay again and she went up front.
My drycleaner is right around the corner so I asked if I could leave the car there as it’s an impossible (not to mention ridiculous) drive. As I brought Jim’s shirts in, Zoe was outside with friend Peaches and others. I said hi as I purposefully strode by. En route back to the car several minutes later, Zoe looked for me and followed me along the fence and sat there looking for me.
In a car she doesn’t yet recognize, I drove by her and she was still there, the lonely girl looking for her mother. It felt like that first day of kindergarten all over again, when the big kids wouldn’t let me off the school bus so I sat alone in the back seat while the driver took the bus back to the lot. When he got to the lot my mother was on the phone and the dispatcher said “there’s the bus now. Yes, there’s a little girl sitting there.” Today, I drove around the block and Zoe was still there looking for me. Heart wrenching.
A while ago I called to see if she was OK. They brought her inside and put a ball in play and there she was, literally “belle of the b-a-l-l.” And I was afraid I raised a sissy dog! I do miss her when she’s not here with me, tripping me while I take laundry out to fold or getting underfoot in the kitchen.
Hope to pick her up soon but am waiting for the cable guy to come as we’ve had no cable for over 24 hours. I had to depend upon email and blogs to give me the Alaska Senate results!
I’ll try to let Zoe get out more with her friends, and be a better dog mom. Hope y’all are having a great day. Dee
For the past few months I’ve had a welcome sign on our front door with bluebirds and leaves and a small cow bell that rings every time we open the door. Husband Jim said he was tired of the bell clanging so I put up our holiday wreath of red sparkly balls that does not clang.
That was not enough. I decided it was time to change our ecru duvet cover. For the first time in a year, I put on Mom’s red paisley duvet cover she gave us a few years ago. It brought back some warm, and some sad, thoughts.
It made me think of Scotland and the town of Paisley, which I never went to but the Glasgow airport was on the outskirts. It made me think of flowers.
Flowers and food. I haven’t been without flowers since Mom passed about six weeks ago. First it was funeral arrangements, then small table arrangements, birthday, etc. Yesterday I bought bright yellow spider mums and arranged them with orange and yellow alstroemeria (sp). Mom did impart to me a love of flowers and since I can’t grow them, I buy them.
As to flowers and food, I have the following advice. If it’s a table arrangement, make sure your guests can see each other around the table. Avoid flowers with an intense aroma (cinnamon fragrance from star lilies, that will also stain great-grandma’s linen tablecloth). As with scented candles, they can overwhelm the food. Your guests are there for the food and company, not the flowers or candles.
Sometimes I buy long-stemmed unopened roses, cut about an inch off, and display them for a few days. Then before guests arrive, I cut them way down and put them in a small vase on the table when they are perfectly open. I’m no Martha Stewart, but do have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and though I’m a guest, I need to prepare spicy almonds and cashews and a few other items. We’re staying with Jim’s parents, about a five-hour drive each way. Thanksgiving is at Nanny’s, with probably 60 in attendance this year!
I have to Zoe-proof the new car (Jim doesn’t want me to get the dog barrier and thinks she’ll stay in the back on her own – his mother has already submitted an opposite opinion) and get her groomed and nails clipped so she doesn’t tear the seats when she inevitably jumps the seats to get to the front passenger seat to be petted by Jim and sleep at his feet.
We had a quiet weekend, with errands and home-improvement chores and driving about town, cleaning the car et al. Now it’s time to get back to business. Hope you have a great week and have your Thanksgiving menu planned. Order your turkeys now! Dee
All these months blogging. Actually I started at the tail end of May, and it’s barely November 1 so I really only have five months. Still a newbie. And an older one, so give me a break! AARP messed up my account so unless I get on it Monday I may not have my membership, which is what I really wanted for my 50th.
What has been learned in blogging? Not enough for me. Writing and hearing from you is a pleasure but real life cut into learning opportunities, so I’ll try to do better.
What has been learned in life is another story, a series of long ones that may take another blog. I must learn more about making this one better, first.
Much love goes to my husband Jim, family and friends and dog Zoe who keeps me company and “herds” me throughout the day.
Zoe time. Time to have her dinner, 1/2 cup Purina exclusive Lamb with no meat by-products (keeps her used to it for hurricane evacuations) and two frozen lamb medalliions with chicken broth.
Her friends don’t come out to play until at least 6:00 so we have a few moments before dinner and when we go see Bella and Peaches and Sofia and Blanco and Willow and Wilma, Warren, Dylan and everyone else.
As Zoe lives in the “now” she has no clue but that when she goes out, her buds are there. If she eats and goes out too early, she’ll be disappointed.
It’s been a long sad week and I hope at least one decent movie has come out, because I’d like to get back to some semblance of routine.
I never got to the pork roast today, but believe it’ll be even better marinated overnight. Tonight it’s cheater spaghetti and meatballs, Jim’s favorite meal. Y’all have a great weekend! Dee
It’s time for some happy thoughts. Friday afternoon Jim gave Zoe a bath. Why, don’t know, must be so she would be clean for the hurricane.
He took her out and all her friends were frolicking in the Bayou right next door. Surge was coming in. Winds picking up. He had Zoe on leash, eager to be with her buddies in the dirty fast-moving waters.
I said no, as I’d already done about four loads of wash including her bath towels. At the time I heard the Police Chief talking about one of his patrolmen seeing a kayak in a nearby bayou and being very upset that these people weren’t taking the hurricane threat seriously.
On the phone with Jim I asked if I should call and ask if having our dogs swim in the next bayou was acceptable! No way.
After I got the information we needed I headed downstairs where a pool party was in full force. Lawn furniture in the pool to keep tables and chairs from becoming projectiles (see earlier post, Aftermath) and dogs chasing tennis balls in the pool.
Someone asked how you prepare a dog for a major storm/hurricane. Pool party. Zoe and Jim slept through the night while Nervous Nellie here watched the storm and stayed online. They snored. Zoe didn’t even come out to my desk to see how I was doing, she was so tired from chasing/swimming.
That’s my Sous Chef, and my better half. Signing off, Dee
So, my younger sister called from California and while we were talking, Zoe took out her rawhide she’s had for about a week (taken from Trish’s stash, thanks Trish) and walked around with it for five minutes.
Sneaky Zoe
Yes, she got to sleep on Jim’s pillows last night instead of the foot of the bed. I think she still wants him to come back home later today, though. So she took over Jim’s side of the bed last night. Off to run errands.
for I have a dog, named Zoe. Jesse just wrote in today, a great photographer who actually liked one of my fireworks shots. We’ve invited other guests to meet and take photographs, including Anderson Cooper’s crew.
We learn more from their art every time. Sure you can take the family picture in front of a fountain or leaning in front of the leaning bell tower of Pisa, but making a memory of a photograph is an art and I know photographers and restorers and rest assured, I’m an interested neophyte.
I’ll continue to foster these artists, scientists and fellow amateurs. After all, when cooking one wants to nourish the soul as well as the other senses. My art is cooking, so perhaps we can learn from each other.
Art is what you make of it, Dee
Zoe introduces me to the most interesting people. D
Zoe’s instincts as a herder kicked in and she went in looking like a scared pup, barked fiercely a couple of times, ran around the goats with no purpose and was sent out of the gate scared once again by baby goats.
Last night she saw the goats through the fence in the pen, and barked fiercely, once.
This morning we packed up to go home and she hates being left behind. Our car was right in front of the goats. Even for a couple of days we pack heavy to go to the farm, with extra clothes in case of a business trip, food and other items.
Well, before we had the car packed, Zoe zoomed out of the door, and ran to the car, no goats in mind at all though she was running right to them. She jumped into the back seat, paws in between the driver and passenger seats with her tongue out. She stood there and would not be moved for anything.
It’s good to know that she gave up her 20 second career as a goat herder to herd her family back home. As to that, it took us all day to get back home. It’s all work from here.
Jim’s Mom is growing tomatoes and many herbs. I made Boursin (this post) also Cuke Salad (same) with her herbs, and pickling cukes with my grandmother’s recipe. There’s nothing like fresh cukes.
I love picking out fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden, so that’s what I did with my FIVE year-old nephew (I was corrected as to his age), picking tomatoes and cucumbers together with a basket to catch all the goodies. Joseph is such a joy to spend time with, and a handful!
Where we live, we can go to a farmer’s market but on the farm one uses what one has. That is a philosophy unknown to urban wanna-be growers.
My heart goes out to all farmers for what you do to feed this country. Not to mention other countries. If you want to have an eco-tourism adventure ask about going to a farm. Before you book at a picturesque one in Tuscany, consider your own country.
Learn how they live, because they’re making you breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every day.
Eat low on the hog,
Dee
Cooking with Dee 