Love that smile

Someone is a year older, cuter, smarter, sweeter, funnier, and nicer.

Pull up a chair

In our family, we like hand-me-downs. It must be some sort of genetic incapability to say no to anything which might be useful, because we all do it, misers and spendthrifts alike.

I've said yes to an eight-foot gold sofa with a knife cut on the side which turned out to be a godsend when we had overnight guests. I've acquired early American tables with that old fake white paint-on antiquing from the '60s, complete with six chairs. I removed the paint from every inch of those suckers, every turned post and carving. I have no idea how I managed the stripper fumes, the incredible mess scraped paint causes and sanding dust everywhere because we were living in our apartment then and didn't have a garage. They turned out to be worth every minute I spent on them since they turned out to be solid rock maple. They grace our dining room with beauty, style and history.

I'm currently painting a really cheap old desk in bright and cheery Mary Englebreit-style colors and patterns. It's turning out really well, but it's taken me seven years and I'm far from done. Something very dirty got scraped across the perfectly painted top during Gram's move. And the ancient veneer chips off every time I move it the least little bit; so it's in a constant state of disrepair. I originally looked at it as just a really big tole-painted piece that I would get rid of once I'd gotten the furniture painting bug out of my system, but I'm pretty impressed with its cheerful look and it may hold my scrapbook supplies someday instead of sitting in a yard sale.

I won't even mention numerous chairs, tables, and bedsteads that I've either pawned off on other relatives or are currently taking up space in our garage. They've taught me about the ease and indestructibility of tung oil, how get a perfect surface using wet/dry sandpaper, the beauty of electric sanders and staplers, how carpet padding makes the perfect cushy seat, and that hope spring eternal, but they have not taught me how to say no.

As my sister, Pooh is not immune to this genetic flaw. She said yes to a dining set that had been re-upholstered in a green-and-gold herculon fabric. I can see how she allowed them into her house--the wood carving is intricate and unique, the table expands exponentially, and the buffet is a treasure. Unfortunately the fabric should never have been allowed to leave Texas. Fortunately, it only took her fifteen years to find the perfect burgundy print to match her wool area rug. (And another year in which to lure us and the electric stapler to her home.) We were up till well after midnight, pulling the fabric taut, stretching the corners into smooth perfection, praying that the stapler would hit the chair not a finger. It was tiring but ultimately extremely satisfying. This before and after photo doesn't even begin to show the extent of the change from poorly padded to comfortable, rough to luxurious and ugly to gorgeous.

We did a good job! If I have nothing else to show for my summer but my sister's chairs, it's okay with me!

And the award goes to...

I'm back!

It's been a very hot summer with more 100 degree plus days than we deserved or wanted. We have no air conditioning and the computer is upstairs which is the last place I've wanted to be. Now that we're back to the moderate 90 degree temps, I've spent more time on the keyboard yesterday than I have all summer, combined.

Summer is winding down and the start of the school year is right around the corner, so it's time to achieve a little something to show for my time off--hence some actual blogging!

After a wonderful summer vacation last year roaming the Southwest and its parks for 2-1/2 weeks, this year summer events came to us. We didn't really contemplate any extensive vacationing with a new puppy anyway, but we had thought of going to visit some of the more far-flung family members who a) couldn't refuse to take the puppy because she is family too and b) are dog-lovers themselves and would understand and tolerate the chaos and ruin that our dogs traditionally bring with them. Fortunately for those relatives, they have come to see us instead.

So we've introduced them to Fanny Bridge, its super-sized trout and the beauty of Lake Tahoe. We've been kayaking and jet-skiing and rafting and rock collecting. They've spared my bottom the punishment of horseback riding and found entertainment in taking pictures of the taxidermied animals at Sportsmans Warehouse. They've helped move soil, dig, and dig some more, sod, build ponds, lug boulders, rearrange a garage and compliment the Gram's new house. We got to celebrate a 25th birthday with our son and exchange delayed gifts with a nephew and a very sweet little girl. And the summer isn't over and we get another short visit from still more relatives soon which we are looking forward to.

I did take one short little trip to visit the world's best sister while my sweetie was in another hemisphere. My nephew entertained Kharma while we attacked a tree root which was lifting her sidewalk and the Gram entertained the nephew while Pooh and I successfully recovered the Sixties-era dining chairs. We came back with the feeling of accomplishment and some black-and-blue salvia (Salvia guarantica) to try in our gardens.

But the best, most wonderful, most enchanting moment of the summer came when the phone rang at 4 pm last Wednesday and my sweetie's voice surprised me. We normally talk everyday he's gone, but cell phones don't work at 13,000 feet in the Andes. A co-worker had just brought along his satellite phone and they were giving it a try. Let me tell you, it was awesome. Crystal clear and no sound delay. I felt like I was right there beside him on the Puna, on a cold winter evening with the meteor showers overhead. I'm still smiling.

Kharma Cookies

When my brother was in first grade, my parents had just begun running a donut shop. Up to then, my dad had operated a gas station, and before that kept the books at a car dealership. Now my dad got up at 3 a.m. and made donuts and we were discovering the world of old-fashioned, French, plain, raised, jelly and bar donuts. This was a new and delicious adventure for our family.

Mrs. Columbus, the first grade teacher, asked each child for his or her favorite recipe and assembled them into a mini-cookbook. Choosing a recipe was a chore for my brother because he was (and still is) a very picky eater. I sat on him one summer afternoon, assisted by my sister and the Zink brothers, forced a spoonful of vanilla ice cream into his mouth, and held him until it had disappeared. The general feeling was that being choosy was every kid's God-given right, but that saying you didn't like ice cream was carrying the whole thing too far.

Well, my brother eventually chose a cookie recipe called Crunchy Nut Cookies. When the cookbook arrived home, we discovered that Mrs. Columbus had added a little preface to each child's selection. I remember how thrilled my mom was to read that these cookies were "from Mr. Baker himself". I guess we were new in town and it was nice to be recognized as the family who ran the donut shop. These cookies became a family favorite for all of us.

One downside of this cookie is that, if not stored immediately into an airtight container, they morph into a hardness rivalling that of a two-by-four. They still look delicious, but anyone gnawing on them risks a broken tooth. Oddly, if you leave them out for a day or so, they revert back to the chewy quotient of the perfect cookie. Also, the batter is very crumbly and so they aren't drop cookies, they are more of a scoop-it-on-the-pan-and-moosh-it-together cookie. And then too, they are called Crunchy Nut and we have never made it with nuts and never will.

My children also love this cookie, and since they travel well we've taken them (cookies and kids both) camping and on road trips. We've tried to keep them(cookies, not kids) in ziplocs and when we forget we've suffered through the hard stage(cookies and kids) knowing they are worth the wait. I've taken to tinkering with the recipe a bit, adding a bit more shortening or another egg--anything that might help keep it moist--without success.

I made them recently as a thank-you present for our neighbor who has dropped by daily to let Kharma out and play during the new little puppy stage. I have no idea what possessed me to make the changes I did, but the cookies turned out wonderfully and were the exact color of our new pup. So may I present the improved and renamed (flourish of trumpets, please)...

KHARMA COOKIES

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream 1/2 cup softened butter. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup packed brown sugar and mix well. Beat in 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. baking soda. Add 1 cup of flour and 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Gradually add water until the batter is not crumbly (not more than 1/4 cup). Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

(With only 1/2 cup of butter and 2 cups of whole wheat flour, you can pretend they are good for you, too!) Enjoy with someone you love.

Tempus fugit

I can't believe it is June already. I can't believe that in two and half days kindergarten will be over and we will have to say goodbye to our babies as they move to first grade. I can't believe that life is so busy. The last soccer practice for our first season of competitive soccer. Our last game. Getting ready for our Mother Goose Party. Getting ready for my sweetie's birthday. Getting ready for an out-of-town soccer tournament this weekend.

Maybe it's good to get away for a weekend. I won't be trying to juggle school-soccer-grammy-yard-pup.

Kharma did great on our last weekend trip and we are excited that my in-laws will get to see her as a pup. A long legged, 15 week old pup instead of our small sweet baby, but still funny and exuberant and slightly uncoordinated.

At least, I do know time is fleeting and keep enjoying the whole puppy experience. It'll be over too quickly. We won't miss the mischief and naughtiness, but we will miss the sweetness and general goofiness! Yeah, I promise to get a good photo of our growing girl and post it soon!

Headshot

Just the proud mommie's favorite pic of Kharma. She is just 12 weeks old in this photo and I think it shows how sweet she is.

At this age, it was hard to get her to stop moving long enough to capture a nice shot. She stopped chewing on the strawberry carton for a sec. This photo was one in a series of 38(!), most of which show a blur of activity and motion. Thank heavens for digital cameras--what did we do before?!

Me and the Mutt

She got her second bath this weekend and she looked so fluffy and clean that we couldn't resist taking lots of pix. We can't believe how much she has grown! She is now 14 weeks old and her legs seem to have grown overnight. Her body is much longer and she is finally putting on some weight.
I am afraid that I won't be able to cart around my "baby" much longer! She is such an adorable chunk of pup and we've enjoyed her cute puppy stage.

However, she is now officially in the "pain the rear" stage. She jumps up on us. She thinks our hands were made for her to put in her mouth as much as possible. She believes anything we are holding is a toy for her and she is entitled to jump and tug on it. She loves doing naughty things, like sneaking upstairs, because it is such fun. We love her anyway.

We are party poopers in her mind because we are telling her NO! constantly, but she loves us anyway.