Sundays With Ingrid
Ingrid went downstairs, skipping the last few, skidded around the corner and into the kitchen. Mom and Ty were already gone; Dad sat at the table, drinking coffee and reading The Wall Street Journal.
“Someone’s feeling pretty good,” he said.
“Who wouldn’t, Dad? I got the part.” She almost couldn’t stop herself from saying it again. I got the part.
He smiled at her. “Have some breakfast.”
Ingrid glanced at the clock. “No time.”
“That’s all right,” Dad said. “I’ll drive you.”
“Yeah?”
“Got to go in early anyway.”
Ingrid fried up an egg, toasted an English muffin, spread it with lots of butter and raspberry jam, sat down.
“What’s in the paper?” she said.
“Interest rates are going up.”
“Is that good?”
“Not for business.”
“Then why are they doing it?”
Dad looked over the top of the paper. “Not much choice,” he said. “It’s like surfers on a wave—they can change the direction they’re going a little bit, but they can’t change the wave at all.”
“So the economy’s like out of control?” Ingrid said.
“Depends who’s doing the surfing,” Dad said, and turned the page.
Ingrid took a big bite of her English muffin, toasted to perfection, the butter partly melted, the jam still cold from the fridge—that first bite, just heavenly. “How did the Ferrands get so rich?” she asked.
“They got in early on some nickel mines in Canada, back in the thirties. Angus Ferrand, Tim’s grandfather, I’m talking about.”
“But he must have had money to start with.”
“Not much. But he married a Prescott.”
“From Prescott Hall?”
“Right,”
“And who did they marry?” Ingrid said.
Dad laughed. “I don’t know. Their money goes way back to the Civil War. They had a foundry right below the falls where the Little League complex is now. Made shovels and shipped them down the river.”
“The Prescotts got rich by making shovels?” Ingrid said.
“For burying the dead,” Dad said.
“Hey.” There was so much killing, you could get rich making the shovels to bury the dead? “Why don’t they teach us this in school?” Ingrid said.
Dad shrugged, spooned more sugar in his coffee. He liked lots.
“What happened to the Prescotts?” Ingrid said.
“They kind of dwindled away,” Dad said. “I think one still lived up in the Hall when I was a kid. He took off for Alaska or someplace.”
“Did you ever see the Prescott Players back then?” Ingrid said.
“Going to a play?” said Dad. “Does that sound like Grampy to you?”
Ingrid laughed.
Dad got a look in his eye. Every once in a while, especially if encouraged at all, he told a really stupid joke. One was on its way.
“What do you call a guy who jumps off a bridge in Paris?”
Ingrid waited.
“In Seine,” Dad said.
“Please,” said Ingrid.
From Down the Rabbit Hole.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
Welcome Nopso, Bentley, Two Buddies.
Tags: Echo Falls Series
This entry was posted on Sunday, June 19th, 2011 at 8:28 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
8:48 am on June 19th, 2011
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads, Pops & Grampas Enjoy your day!!! And to Everyone Else, Good Morning!
8:51 am on June 19th, 2011
Good morning, y’all! Mom’s off to church, then the whole family is going to do something for Father’s Day. Not sure what, but it probably will involve me sitting home while they go do something fun. There’s one thing I could do — the local baseball team is inviting the nation within a nation to come to the ballpark tonight, but Dad’s not sure I could make it through a whole game, especially since it’s supposed to be really, really hot today, and I’m a air-conditioned kind of guy. I say try it and see!!!
8:58 am on June 19th, 2011
Ingrid: Dad can be excused for that joke – it’s his day (and I always thought it was kind of cute anyway)
Hey, Kirby! Aren’t you the guy who was “in the dog house” yesterday for that little chewing episode?
9:08 am on June 19th, 2011
Good morning and Happy Fasther’s Day to all the guys to whom that applies.
we had a rain storm with hail last night, but it seems like everything in the yard is ok.
Kirby, hope your folks have forgotten about that little chewing episode last night.
9:14 am on June 19th, 2011
Macy: That photo of the posh Kat hotel from last night was great & Super Husky too.
Happy Dad’s Day!
9:57 am on June 19th, 2011
Happy Father’s Day to whom it may concern!
I looked at Chet’s new friends and, at first, I thought Nopso had a frozen goose. His second picture showed it was a stuff animal.
Love bad jokes. They’re the only kind I can remember. Much to the chagrin of my guys!
Going to finish last nights! BBL
10:09 am on June 19th, 2011
Loved the pictures of Super Husky and the Cat Hotel! Thanks Macy!
And KirbyT, that’s the way to make your mom and dad feel guilty!
Riö, about the Chef’s hats. hmmmm. Not being the book designer I would have to
pass the bucktalk to Liz.Or you could try
bribingtalking to Liz!An even better idea!
10:13 am on June 19th, 2011
Happy Father’s Day.
For those of you BBQ’ing today there was a blurb on the news about safety and at the end some cheerful news. Eyebrows, eyelashes and hair do grow back.
I’m off to earn some money for the auction.
10:40 am on June 19th, 2011
Lessons from Dad: What the Super-Rich Teach Their Kids:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/
10:41 am on June 19th, 2011
Lovely cheerful news Dawson!
I’m about to show Dan how to find things on his new account on the computer.
Then I will download what of his own writings he wants on to his iPaw.
Then we might both take naps!
10:41 am on June 19th, 2011
We especially liked Warren Buffett’s advice.
10:42 am on June 19th, 2011
Happy Father’s Day Spence…and all other fathers here.
Good morning all.
(Do the French pronounce the Seine with a long “a”? I’ve always pronounced it with a short “e.”)
11:18 am on June 19th, 2011
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there.
11:18 am on June 19th, 2011
and a special Happy Daddy’s Day to our daddy, the best in the world.
11:18 am on June 19th, 2011
UUGGH Buddy used our avatar.
11:35 am on June 19th, 2011
Macy, Love the picture of the Siber Husky! Thank you
Happy Father’s Day to all our dads of the two-legged and four legged variety!
We won’t be grilling outside for the holiday. The latest weather forecast I saw was using the word, “fierce” to describe the wind today. This is so not normal for this time of year. A new wildfire started yesterday afternoon just NE of Santa Fe. It will move in the opposite direction of Santa Fe toward wild country, but hikers and campers have to get out. We could see the towering smoke plume from my backyard yesterday afternoon. In a straight line, the fire is around 50 miles away from us. Neither the fire or the smoke will come in my direction.
11:37 am on June 19th, 2011
I’m having a cup of the new coffee I bought yesterday. I can’t taste the cherry, cedar or grapefruit but it has a bit of a twang. It’s delish! I’d call it a peppy cuppa joe….perhaps not the best language for tasting notes.
Thank you for the info last night Wookie–regarding the iPad. I’m glad you’re feeling better.
Macy: The pictures are wonderful!
12:11 pm on June 19th, 2011
Sorry to hear about another fire. Wish they would get our “fierec” rains. That could help.
Bee, Barb loved good wine, and loves good coffee, but never quite got the descriptions for either. A cup of coffee does not have hints of grapefruit, at least she never thought so.
Wookie, glad you are feeling better. Get lots of tummies today.
Barb’s son just put a hex on her washing machine. He was telling her that their washer broke yesterday and they bought a new one last night. Barb has an almost new Sears washer and she was doing laundry at the time. She came into the laundry room, and her washing machine was broken. Rotten kid!
Barb says Molly’s salad dressing is excellent. She thinks it could double as a slaw dressing. May try that today.
12:19 pm on June 19th, 2011
Happy Sunday to everyone. And Happy Father’s Day to those of paternal persuassion.
Our Gramp has been having a fun day so far. Breakfast out, then church in his new jacket, where the minister announced his birthday and the choir sang Happy Birthday to him. And then they gave him the flowers from the service.
And now, its time for cake and presents and the start of the cards.
BBL – have a good day all!
12:44 pm on June 19th, 2011
Happy Birthday to T&G’s Gramp.
1:01 pm on June 19th, 2011
Paw!… I can’t remember my pa…sniff!… I can’t even remember my ma. I do remember I had a big brother…snort!…I was the runt of the litter you know. That’s why she chose me. Now she says, “Runt, my ass!”….sneeze! ….She’s upstairs making a special meal for her mother today. It’s that Case Noodle stuff that they both love so much. I smell German Sausage cooking too!….Wooooooo!….Happy whatever day it is…heh!snort!
1:03 pm on June 19th, 2011
T & G, How old is Gramps, if we may ask? Glad his day is going well.
Has been raining here, so we are curled up on the sofa with Coyote Waits by Tony Hillerman. Even thought the book was written in 1990, it really isn’t dated, except for the lack of cell phone usage. They use pay phones.
1:08 pm on June 19th, 2011
B&M There is still no cell phone service in a big part of the country that Hillerman wrote about. In certain directions, cell phones stop working about 50 miles from my house.
1:23 pm on June 19th, 2011
Barb and Maggie Gramp is a very young 81. Sometimes he does so much he puts the rest of us to shame.
Siber. So many people don’t realize that the is no service in many areas out there. Someone once asked us to telephone an artist friend of ours out on the reservation. We explained that there were no phone lines out there. So they then asked if we couldn’t call their cell phone. Once again we exam Ed the lCk of technology to remote locations. So these people then asked us to just send off an email and ask our friend to call when they got to a phone
sigh……
1:27 pm on June 19th, 2011
Make that “explained the lack of technology”
Dam ipaw
2:05 pm on June 19th, 2011
IPaw, right . . .
That reminds me of the big ice storm here and the electricity and the phones lines were broken in MANY places.
Our across the street neighbor’s mom fell and hurt her head. I had to go 6 miles away to get a cell phone signal.
I’d like to report an emergency. (gave name and address of neighbor and that his mom had fallen and was bleeding)
Are you with her now?
No, I’m 6 miles away making the phone call.
stunned silence, why?
Ice storm. Lines are down.
Then we went on this idiotic conversation about how yes there are places even in MA that have no cell phone signal.
Upshot?
Next time I’m walking down the street, 1/3 of a mile, until I get to a first responder’s house and telling him.
2:21 pm on June 19th, 2011
We have next-to-nonexistent cell coverage at our farm also, in Pennsylania!
Siber and Rio, we are hoping you get some relief out there. The fires are terrible.
2:41 pm on June 19th, 2011
Siber-H: Last night I heard about the strong wind gusts expected today. That’s all you need is more wind. The poor firefighters must be exhausted battling this inferno. 50 miles away-yikes! I pray it is contained soon. Stay safe!!!
T&G; Happy 81st to Gramp! Wow, a birthday and Father’s Day. BTW: how did he like the new flat screen tv?
Cell Phone Coverage: Pretty non-existent 3G coverage here on my end of the Island. If I didn’t have a cell phone tower I’d be out of luck.
2:43 pm on June 19th, 2011
Bear, you have your own cell phone tower?
2:50 pm on June 19th, 2011
O.Howlers: Yes, the cell tower is hooked up to the broadband connection. Sprint sent it to us free when we got the new smartphone earlier this year. Without it there would be zero reception. Of course, if the power goes out it’s a domino effect. If that happens, fortunately we have a land-line that doesn’t depend on electricity.
B: I believe that was Wolfie who gave you the iPad/keyboard advice last night.
3:00 pm on June 19th, 2011
Trying to link to the Snowhook FB page from my FB page.
Anyone know how to do that?
3:02 pm on June 19th, 2011
Tired!….Well, me and my friend are tuckered out from all the stuff we do all the time…heh!… Lunch was fab! I got some sausage! Now the game is going to start and all my friend wants to do is curl little bits of paper and watch the game downstairs….sniff!….Her mother was talking about going over to my other house and bringing back kitchen appliances and small furniture…gah! ….We are not up to all of that right now, or ever!…grump!
3:12 pm on June 19th, 2011
Melanie: I know Snowhook doesn’t have a “like” button, which is the only way I know to link up. Maybe we could ask Rebecca to add it, if it is possible.
Rebecca: I sent you my first auction item – 2 more will be completed within a day or so. Let me know if you need anything from me.
Wookie: Thank Dog! Only one more treatment and you will be feeling tip top for the big camping trip.
3:14 pm on June 19th, 2011
Rebecca: One of the upcoming auction items will be from me. I didn’t want to get left out!
3:23 pm on June 19th, 2011
Melanie: I just got on the Snowhook Kennel FB page by typing Snowhook in the search box on top of my FB page.
Bear: Mollypop, Wolfie and Wookie all gave me advice regarding the iPad. I thanked each of them but I thank all of them again.
3:25 pm on June 19th, 2011
Auction!… Rebeccer, how many items have you received so far?…snort!snort!… This is getting very exciting to say the least …..gruff!….Even Kats are sending in Items. I didn’t think Kats liked to share or give away stuff…sniff!…Well, neither do I, but that is beside the point….heh!
Yea!…We get to stay home and rest this afternoon!…wooooo!…Someone is very relieved as her back aches, her arms hurt and now her feet are killing her from standing for hours and hours making lunch…snorkel!…So her mother took pity on her and we get to rest, watch the game and she can twirl paper all afternoon….wuffle!
3:29 pm on June 19th, 2011
B. Stover: I can get on the page, but I’m trying to get it so if I write the name “Snowhook” people can press that and immediately go to Snowhook.
Riö, did anything happen with the would be renter?
3:57 pm on June 19th, 2011
Melanie: If you go to Snowhook FB page, scroll down and on the left there is a list–click on “share.” You’ll get another window so that you can comment and then post to your FB page.
3:59 pm on June 19th, 2011
Melanie: I just did that on my FB page. Now people can click on “Snowhook Kennel” and go to that page.
4:06 pm on June 19th, 2011
Dog Bless You” says,”Rest, relax, eat a steak – Enjoy your day”
4:16 pm on June 19th, 2011
Siber, In some of the later Hillerman books we have read there are cell phones, but he talks about how spotty the reception is and how they can’t be used in certain areas. He also talked about the limited electric in many remote areas.
4:17 pm on June 19th, 2011
Happy Dad’s Day to everyone!
Mom and Dad went to church and mom is making a stew and they are taking it to Dad’s dad. We are like Kirby; we get to stay home in the air conditioning. Mom is jealous; she wants to stay home in the air conditioning also. It is very hot here.
4:23 pm on June 19th, 2011
B: Have you been having better luck with the iPad? Seems it takes a while to get used to new things, whatever they may be. I always have to “make friends with it” first.
I have always pronounced Seine as “sane” Is this the French pronunciation?
4:26 pm on June 19th, 2011
Bee, we love our ipaw! Here are some helpful hints:
There is a user guide on the bottom of the Bookmark section. (It looks like a book opened up.) It is searchable.
I was really bugged because there are no arrow keys. But then I learned that it you place your fingertip on a word, it because magnified and you can move your curser where ever you want, forward or backward. It is a cool feature.
The free APP, ipad forums, has all kinds of useful information. The people who post there really know what they are doing.
4:35 pm on June 19th, 2011
Melanie!… A would be what?….sniff!… Renter? All I know is my friends best friends girl is getting married soon and she needs a place for her and him to live…grunt!…They can’t afford the rent though. So this gal’s little brother decided he needs a place to stay too, so all three of them will be …sob!…moving into My house come Sept. 1st….gruffle!…My friend is seriously happy about this because she has known these guys all her life and she says they are very good people. The only guy she doesn’t know is the girls fiancé….snort!… He lives in another country right now. Don’t ask me where, I do not remember or care to even know…sniff!
4:39 pm on June 19th, 2011
Wolfie: Thank you. I’ve cut and pasted your instructions so that I can get to them easily.
Bear: Yes, I’m getting acquainted with the iPad. I’ve downloaded iBooks, the International Harold Tribune, the Audubon bird book, the Solar System app, The Waste Land app, and Kindle books. It’s fun!
4:45 pm on June 19th, 2011
A short story for Father’s Day:
Luna, the matriarch of the kennel was born to mother, to nurture, but it was not Luna who saved the pup’s life.
*****
Placing my fur-lined hat on my head I married the Velcro lengths of chin strap together, drew my neck gaiter up to rest on the bridge of my nose, the fleece and fur soft against my skin. I would not leave much skin exposed to the cold night as I prepared to face the frigid temperatures that held at forty-three below zero.
Before tending to my evening chores of feeding, watering, scooping and love I had a priority by the name of Noel. Expecting her first litter we had prepared a space, a nest for her in the dog barn. She refused the accommodations insisting that her dog house was where she intended to have and raise her brood. I lifted the roof to her dog house insulated with foam board and cushioned with extra straw to find mama curled around five freshly hatched pups. “Oh, beautiful girl, look what you’ve done!” I patted her head, “May I?” The new mother watched as I lifted one pup after another, closed eyes, pink paws and noses, warm little tummies and heads that searched for mama. All but one searched for mama, all but one had a warm tummy. It was cold and stiff, but still had the shallowest of breaths.
I replaced the roof of Noel’s house leaving her with four pups to feed and clean. I rushed to Luna with hopes that she would know what must be done for the pup. She sniffed, she nuzzled and then she walked away. Damn! Tears threatened to freeze to my already frosted eyelashes.
The sprint from kennel to house felt more like the pace of a leisurely stroll with the weight of boots and winter clothes. I could hear the footfalls of paws crunching in the snow behind me. I was thankful for the change of heart from our kennel matriarch. Opening the door, the dog pushed past me and as if I had advertised my destination and ran upstairs to our bedroom. I kicked off my boots, and switched the pup from hand to hand as I doffed my winter wear. I placed the pup against my skin inside my shirt and held him tight to my chest as I skipped every other stair.
Not bothering to turn on the lights, I slid between the winter layers of our bed covers with the pup lying on the flat plain just below my collar bones. Come on little one, come on. The pup had stopped breathing. No! I sat with a shot and turned on the lamp. Placing my lips over snout and mouth I exhaled what I hoped would be the breath of life. Again. And again. The pup started to breathe. The breaths were shallow, but they were breaths. With relief I realized it was not Luna that sat with me and the pup. It was Tenzing, his eyes intent on the treasure I held against me.
I placed the pup against my skin again. Within in moments, Tenzing started pawing at my shoulders, careful not to touch the pup. I pushed him away. He would not yield. More insistent he pawed the covers from the pup and I, pushing my hands with his nose. Both of us growing impatient with the other, he barked once, “Mama! Please!” In the moment’s pause for him to bark, I realized the pup was in distress. I withdrew the pup from my chest, and with a gentleness and grace that I cannot fully describe to this day, Tenzing took over.
Teeth to scruff, Tenzing lay on the bed and enveloped the pup in the long fur under his chin. As if the regular flexibility of a dog’s neck was expanded Tenzing contorted, his mouth directly over the pup. He opened his mouth and began to breathe. Different from the short, reactive nature of a pant, the breaths were long, hot and deliberate.
Through blurry eyes, I watched as the pup’s limbs start to move, slightly at first. And then, the pup began to cry. High squeaks became a continuous rhythm in the cold house that night. “You go ahead and cry all you want little one. It lets me know you’re ok,” I stroked the pup still curled against Tenzing’s body, blanketed in the long fur of my first sled dog.
“Go finish your chores.
I’ve got this one.”
I kissed the blaze on Tenzing’s forehead before leaving pup and grandfather alone.
4:46 pm on June 19th, 2011
Rio: That’s great about the new renters.
5:13 pm on June 19th, 2011
Bella that is *sniff* so beau*sniff sniff*tiful it makes me*sob sob sob* want to *boohoohoohoo* cry.
5:13 pm on June 19th, 2011
Bella, Bella, Bella, that one brings tears to my eyes!
And also relief that when we do have litters it’s not 43 degrees below zero.
5:20 pm on June 19th, 2011
Sniff. Sniff. Bella, what a beautiful story.
Thank you for sharing.
Sniff.
5:21 pm on June 19th, 2011
Oh my goodness, that was touching! sniff, sob. I would have guessed that it was a mama dog helping out. Beautiful!
5:33 pm on June 19th, 2011
Rebecca: That’s a wonderful story. It’s amazing that Tenzing knew just what to do.
6:00 pm on June 19th, 2011
B. – There’s a Kindle app you can load on the iPad that lets you read on the Kindle and then pick up right where you left off and continue on the iPad. And then back on the Kindle. This is handy for Mom because she likes to read the Kindle outdoors during the day and the switch over to the back-lit iPad for the evening.
6:01 pm on June 19th, 2011
Rebecca, Thank You for the beautiful Fathers Day dog story!
Mom just re-read the biography of James Herriot and your story is the perfect companion to that book.
6:01 pm on June 19th, 2011
Thanks B. Stover for the FB info.
6:23 pm on June 19th, 2011
Chores!….We’ve got to go over to the other house, maybe, unless it rains and water some bushes….sob!sob!sob!…sniffle!
6:27 pm on June 19th, 2011
Mollypop: I think I already have the Kindle app on the iPad. I click on the icon and choose one of the books I’ve downloaded from Kindle and it puts me on the page that I’m on on the Kindle.
6:46 pm on June 19th, 2011
B. – You work fast!
6:47 pm on June 19th, 2011
Melanie: I am a novice when it comes to Facebookie. In fact, AJ had to hold me at rubberband point to get me to establish an account for the kennel. He said it would be a good idea, and that I could do brief race updates when I was too pre-occupied or tired to write for the blog. (whispering) Turns out he was correct.
Auction: I recieved auction items from Bear and Wookie today. Thanks!
B. Stover: The instinct of dogs amazes me. Tenzing displayed the same instinct of care when his son began having seizures, and both Luna and Tenzing were there when I fell of the snowhmachine and injured my shoulder. Tenzing got AJ’s attention and I woke up in the snow to Luna licking the shoulder of my coat with the right amount of pressure that made it hurt and burn less. Such special creatures…
7:13 pm on June 19th, 2011
“rubberband point” snicker
You guys are definitely a Pack!
7:17 pm on June 19th, 2011
Rebecca – sniff, sniffle…..bwaaaaahhhhhh!
sniff, sniff, swallow….
Oh my, that was a lovely story.
8:08 pm on June 19th, 2011
What a beautiful father’s day story Rebecca. Thank you!
8:12 pm on June 19th, 2011
IMPORTANT REMINDER!!!!! There is an entirely new Poirot on PBS tonight. It starts at 9:00 pm EDT, not sure about other time zones. We will definitely be watching here, with frosty paws in hand (or paw).
Great story, Rebecca. It brought a smile to both my mom and dad’s faces. And a warm feeling too.
Wookie
8:16 pm on June 19th, 2011
Thanks Wöökie, we will watch it tomorrow on the computer.
Goodnight Irene, goodnight.
Goodnight Irene.
Goodnight Irene, Goodnight Irene,
I’ll see you in my dreams.
8:17 pm on June 19th, 2011
Wookie!…Does “EDT” mean Eastern Downtown Time?…snort!… I’m trying to figure out how late I have to stay up for Poirot since the Rockies lost already today…grump!
8:21 pm on June 19th, 2011
Rebecca: I am off to bed, albeit in tears, after that wonderful, wonderful story. Your writing continues to delight and amaze me. The tales of AJ, the dogs and the kennel always touch my heart. Thank you for that.
8:22 pm on June 19th, 2011
Rebecca – what a beautiful story. Just lovely. I love the narrative, it makes it so easy to visualise.
8:25 pm on June 19th, 2011
Thank you Wookie. I’m going to watch it.
Rio: EDT is Eastern Daylight Time.
Mollypop: Is it the same app? I can put everything from the Kindle onto the iPad.
8:27 pm on June 19th, 2011
MDT!… So am I on MDT?…snort!… Is it still two hours difference?…gasp!…There is no way she will let me stay up till 11:00 pm to watch Poirot…crap!…We need a DVR player…dammit!….I keep telling her. Does she listen to me? NO!…growl!grump!
8:35 pm on June 19th, 2011
Kirby!… We here are watching the 2nd show of the Next Food Network Star…heh!…Do you guys watch this one? It is one of our favorite foodie shows…snort!
8:48 pm on June 19th, 2011
Rio. Recalculate (as our GPS lady–we call her Gerty– would say). I think 9:00 pm EDT would be 7:00 pm MDT. If that is just too early for PBS Mystery in Colorado to be on, it could well be on at 9:00 MDT too, and while that would happen to be 11:00 pm EDT for me, it would still be just 9:00 pm MDT for you. Hope you can follow that. Wookie the chronomitist (I just made that up, but amazingly the IPaw didn’t try to correct it)
8:53 pm on June 19th, 2011
Wookie!….For some reason the whole time dimension is making me crazy lately…sniff!… It doesn’t compute. Although, now that I see your reasoning, I may indeed be able to watch the Poirot any minute now…heh!…I will have to grab the remote and try to turn the channel while she is upstairs snagging a few case noodle…wheeze!
8:56 pm on June 19th, 2011
Wookie: You probably don’t know, how could you?–that from time to time when I’m having a bad day or feeling low I read the letter your mom and dad sent to Snowhook a few months ago. Life is okay after I read that letter. In fact, I saved all the letters and even the messages on post-it notes that have accompanied each of the sponsorships we’ve received. They all make me smile.
Tupper & Gilly: Did your Gramp like the T.V.? It sounds like he had a special day. I just got off the phone wishing Coach, my father a happy Father’s Day and he asked about the Plunderers and told me to tell you hello. So, ‘hello’ from Coach.
8:56 pm on June 19th, 2011
Hey, y’all! Mom and Dad just got home so I could get on the computer again. For those of you who were wondering, I seem to be out of the doghouse today. Luckily, I think Mom and Dad have short memories. Thanks for everyone’s support!
Rio: Yes indeed, we are watching Food Network Star. We’ve seen the first two episodes, and the third will start in about five minutes, so I’ll be on and off the computer for awhile after that. I keep telling Mom she needs to get a laptop computer so we can keep up with the blog when we’re watching one of our shows! The office is a loooong way from the living room! (Especially for my short legs!)
8:57 pm on June 19th, 2011
B. – I think we’re talking about the same app. It says Kindle in big letters and has the silhouette of a person reading under a tree. That will download your Kindle books on to the iPad.
8:59 pm on June 19th, 2011
Liz: Mom said she thought of you today. While they were driving they went past a street sign for “Cricket Run.”
Rebecca: I don’t know if you ever said — what did Coach coach? And where?
OK, I’m off to see my cooking show — don’t worry, Rio, I won’t give away the ending — so I’ll be in and out the next hour or so!
9:04 pm on June 19th, 2011
Kirby T: I’m glad you’re out of the dog house. Short memory or no, I still contend that they should have asked to use your chew toy for something other than your intended purpose. Coach was the head football coach at a JC in Idaho for 20+ years. He then took a coaching post in Southern UT and retired from there a couple of years ago—now, he has moved his pursuits to mastering the strategy of the Iditarod trail from that of the grid iron.
9:17 pm on June 19th, 2011
Coach!…Wow! That’s the first time a real life coach said “Hi” to us….snort!…Kirby, your paw is a Coach, but I don’t remember him saying, “Hey” anytime….heh!…So now we have two Coaches, only one who likes us…snorkel!…Back to our cooking show! …waffles!
9:18 pm on June 19th, 2011
Wow, does every team have such an experienced coach?
Our Angie brought over some banana pudding cake balls. OMD they were good, or so mom says. Did Angie bring any for me? She did not.
9:19 pm on June 19th, 2011
Gah!…Commercial! Poirot is on at 9:00 MDT here too….grunt!….We may or may not stay up for it…drat!… That damned Busy-Place makes her go to bed way too early in my pug opinion…grunt!
9:23 pm on June 19th, 2011
Yes, Mollypop, that is the app I have. It’s really fast and convenient.
9:27 pm on June 19th, 2011
Kind of hard to see, but these are the cake balls. Cake, with bananas and pudding, crumbed up, mixed with buttercream frosting and vanilla wafer bits, rolled into balls and dipped in white chocolate. Lollipop sticks added, along with wafer pieces on top. This batch did not have the sticks, but the stick ones were great at the party last night. It made it easy for people to just grab one as they walked by. (I did not get to go to the party either)
9:36 pm on June 19th, 2011
Balls!…Are these going to be in the Dishlickers Cookbook per chance?…snort!
9:38 pm on June 19th, 2011
B. – Mom’s favorite iPad app is Star Walk. It uses GPS so it will show you the stars exactly where you point it. If you point it at the floor, you will see the sky in the southern hemisphere.
9:41 pm on June 19th, 2011
Macy – those look great….we’ll be right over. Gilly can stand on my shoulders, then you can stand on her shoulders, and by then we should reach almost table height and you can snag the platter and pull it down on the floor.
Our Gramp did have a great day. His tv was all wrapped in the box, and he didn’t really get excited when he took the wrapping paper off, since in this household, we tend to save boxes and use them again. So you never can tell what is in a box, just because it SAYS its a tv, doesn’t mean there is a tv in the box. Except when there is.
When Gramp opened the box up and saw the styrofoam and wrapping and realized it really was a tv, he was speechless. Its all set up for him now with the zapper programmed and the special sound system. We haven’t seen him since. tee hee
We’re just really glad he had a nice day.
9:47 pm on June 19th, 2011
Mollypop: That app sounds like fun. I’m going to get it.
9:47 pm on June 19th, 2011
Gramps!… I can relate to gramps enjoying his new TV. After that comcastic guy finally got our tv to work it was a miracle…snort!… Only we haven’t had much time to enjoy much of anything on it…sniff!…She has an old favorite on Netflix she’s been wanting to watch called Chinatown….huffle!…An old classic with Jack Nicholson ….sniff!…Maybe sometime this week we can pop it in and have time to enjoy the story…grunt!
9:55 pm on June 19th, 2011
My pups’ father is not around anymore, so I will celebrate Mother’s day again.
9:58 pm on June 19th, 2011
OUCH!…grunt!…I’m glad I’m not a Mother…sniff!
9:58 pm on June 19th, 2011
T&G, I’m very glad also that gramps had a nice day. You guys made it special for him.
Those cake balls look like they would make great dog treats…in my wildest dreams, I know.
10:00 pm on June 19th, 2011
Wow a new TV. Mr.Staff is…ummm well prudent is the polite term. He is prudent with his money. He has an huge TV for him. It is a 27 inch one about 10 years old with the huge back and probably tubes in it for all I know. At the hotel this week he had a 42″ HDTV and he was in love. He watched some golf on it and was totally in awe.
I don’t know if he will let some of those moths out of his billfold because where would he put that huge clunker of a TV that (he says) still works?
10:07 pm on June 19th, 2011
Our Dad had a really nice day today too. He got a phone call from a wonderful young man whom he loves dearly. Although they aren’t related by blood, they are very close. And this wonderful young man, this sweet and good and loving young man reached out today and called our Dad to say Happy Father’s Day.
It made our Dad’s day.
And with that, we are going to say g’night all. Real life returns tomorrow.
10:11 pm on June 19th, 2011
(whispering – Staff, Goodwill, Salvation Army, nursing homes, women’s shelters and a few other places are always looking for televisions. They don’t mind big old clunker tv’s with big boxes in back. And think of the lovely, warm feeling Mr.Staff would get for making such a nice donation.
Let the mothies go free!)
10:19 pm on June 19th, 2011
Macy, that’s such a cute picture! I’ve never seen a mother do that standing up…
And cakeballs – serious yum! What is the ‘pudding’ that you say they have in them, is that an instant thing?
KirbyT, Cricket Run – cool!!
10:20 pm on June 19th, 2011
T&G,
I will mention it to him. It weighs more than he can lift and it is a 108 mile round trip to the nearest donation site in Fargo so it isn’t the easiest thing to do when you live in the country.
10:21 pm on June 19th, 2011
Oh – and – Mollypop, you can see the stars that I look at? Whoa!
10:23 pm on June 19th, 2011
Moths?….There are a lot of Moth Items around this joint, let me tell you…snort!…Even I know when something should be given away or taken away for good…grunt!… Slowly but surely my friend is working wonders..sniff! …One day this place won’t be a museum and it will be livable and comfortable too!…heh!…I’m good as long as I have my bed, the big bed, the couch and the chair downstairs…grunt!
10:26 pm on June 19th, 2011
Staff – wow, that is big, and that is far. Any churches or shelters in your area that might like to have it?
MollyPop – we want that one too!
Now, we really are going to bed. g’night again
10:33 pm on June 19th, 2011
My grandmother was from Fargo.
Night T&G!
I think the Snowhook stories would make such a good TV series. Not reality TV – proper TV, fiction. The stories are so interesting and it sounds so romantic with all those lovely pups. Cold though – how does anyone live with -43? (Has anyone seen CHarris?)
10:37 pm on June 19th, 2011
Liz – That Star Walk app is the only way I’m going to see the southern cross. Mom has the app on her iPhone as well as her iPad.
10:39 pm on June 19th, 2011
Liz!…I read your post and the first time through I thought you said, “all those lovely pugs”….snort!…I went “huh?” Then I read it again and you said “pups”…heh! … Living in –43 below is something C Harris tells us about all the time, but alas, she has been missing for a long time…sniff!… I sure hope she is okay and will touch base with us soon…gruffle!…She has a bunch of guys to take care of at her house. I also hope they are okay…sniff!
10:43 pm on June 19th, 2011
Liz, yes, it was instant pudding, not prepared, just the dry mix, I think.
I did not want to do that standing up. At that age, they just latched on every time I came in the room!
10:53 pm on June 19th, 2011
Scary!….I had a few scary moments today when her mother saw an ad in the paper for a puppy mix that she thought would be “adorable”…grunt!….Luckily, she forgot to call the number to go look at them…sniff!…My friend did not encourage or remind her either knowing me and how I would ‘be’…heh!snort! ….Sometimes, she actually works for me..sniff!
10:57 pm on June 19th, 2011
That’s too bad, Mollypop. It sounds like a great app though.
Lovely pugs – ha! that’s a good one!! I remember CH talking about that cold but it still didn’t register with my brain how you can actually live somewhere like that. It’s about 7-10 degrees celsius here most days, plus a bit of wind chill, and that’s TOO cold.
Fiji… tropical islands… palm trees… sigh…
11:07 pm on June 19th, 2011
Good night all, going to read for a a few minutes, and then bed.
T & G, that is so nice that the wonderful young man called your dad. Bet it meant the world to him.
11:15 pm on June 19th, 2011
Bed!…I’m off to my bed and I will probably fart a lot and snore just a little in between coughing and sneezing…heh!heh!…Just so all you facebookie types know what the hell I’m doing every damned minute of the freakin’ day or night…grunt!
12:25 am on June 20th, 2011
thank goodness you told us Rio. How we would get to bed without that knowledge I can’t imagine.
goodnight all
PS, The Twins have won 13 of their last 15 games!!!YIKES!
12:30 am on June 20th, 2011
Sorry I didn’t get back on earlier — Mom was working on her auction item and didn’t let me back in the office. It’s after midnight here, so I’m going to call it a night.
Goodnight, y’all!
12:38 am on June 20th, 2011
Like we didn’t know that’s how Rio spends his nights!
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