The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

I had expectations for this book.  I bought it for my husband for Christmas, but truth be told; I was the one looking forward to reading it. 

Just this year we brought into our very busy lives a pound pup.  She was from the local Humane Society and she was found abandoned at 8 weeks in a ditch.  (Who can do that???).  We always knew that we wanted to add a dog to our family but my husband is the true "dog" person and he was leaning towards a breeder.  Thankfully our 8 year old daughter consistently begged to visit the Humane Society.  On this particular day, my husband was driving and he pulled in to appease her.  Once they walked in the front doors they were greeted by the sight of a penned in area with a cute little puppy scrambling around trying to escape.  The puppy ended up coming home with us and we named her Sadie.  She has been the brightness in our family this year in a time when we needed it.  We love her and she is now a part of our family.

So, knowing that this book was essentially about a relationship with a dog (or many) I was keen to jump into the story.  It enveloped me.  It consumed my husband first and he had a hard time trying not to look over my shoulder to experience along with me for the second time. 

The Sawtelle dogs are special and so is this story.  It is haunting, adventurous, suspenseful and inspiring.  It is a coming of age story and a story about communicating...the many ways of communicating.  This is a book that you don't want to put down, and one that you don't want to end.  It is a book that I need to share. My high expectations were filled.  Give it a go.   

Quiet Still Moments

Turned out the lights to honour the earth.  With that, we honoured each other.  It is these quiet, still moments where gratitude is fostered.

Spring is like a Perhaps Hand

III

Spring is like a perhaps hand

(which comes carefully

out of Nowhere)arranging

a window, into which people look (while

people stare

arranging and changing placing

carefully there a strange

thing and a known thing here)and

changing everything carefully

spring is like a perhaps

Hand in a window

(carefully to

and fro, moving New and

Old things, while

people stare carefully

moving a perhaps

fraction of flower here placing

an inch of air there)and

without breaking anything.

e.e cummings

(via poets.org)

Spring is like...

  

Spring is like a perhaps hand.  We walked and watched it unfold.  We felt young and carefree.

Grown Up Giggles

We laughed so hard.  Grown up Giggles. 

They Still Said Thank You

Today I had to work for it.  Some classes flow freely from my body, others seem to get muddled in my mouth.  They still said thank you.

Horn Lake in Six Words

We spent the weekend up north at Horn Lake, a family cottage.  We went for a winter weekend, but it turned into spring right before our eyes.  A lovely reminder why we choose to live where we do...the changing of the seasons. How I would miss this miracle!  The last evening at the cottage, our bellies full of good food and wine we decided to play with words.  The challenge was to describe our experiences or feelings around Horn Lake in six words.  Not a word more, not a word less.  Turns out A., my 10 year old son had quite a knack for the challenge.  We think he may earn a living making up jingles.  This is what we came up with.


"Heard a crack.  Run for shore."


"Closer than Tait, far from home."


"Can we bring Sadie next time?"


"Bring a basket, berries are ready."


"Happy to arrive.  Sad to leave."

Reading Labels

Seeing him across the room, I remember why I love him.

Headstands and Chess

So my day started with headstands and ended with my little man beating me in chess.

Oatmeal Cookies circa 1957

Recently my Nana passed away (well it has been six months now but I still feel like she is away visiting my Aunt in California).  I miss her but haven't come to grips yet that she really is not coming home.  Through the process of losing her, I have been given the privilege of having her old cook books.  I love them.  I thumb through them often and I love seeing her hand writing, spills and stains in the margins of the books.  They make me feel warm and that she is still with me.  So I bake, and cook with her recipe books. with her stoneware bowls and wooden spoons.  Everything always tastes better when it comes from her.  The funny thing with this baking morning, the cookies disappeared before they had their turn in front of my lens.  You will just have to take my word for it that they were yummy and always the best when eaten warm!

Quick Oatmeal Cookies
(taken from the Personal Recipes 1957 edition.  Sponsored by St. Paul's Women's Church Year, Brockville, Ontario).

1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. hot water
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

Cream the shortening and butter, add sugar and cream together well.  Mix soda with hot water, add with rolled oats and flour, vanilla and nutmeg.  Mix together well.  Mixture should be quite thick.  Place small teaspoons of mixture, one inch apart on well greased baking sheet.  Press down with fork.  Bake for five to six minutes in 375F.  Yield 3 dozen cookies.

Julie & Julia

As a self-acclaimed "foodie" and fellow blogger, I couldn't pass up reading this book by Julie Powell.  I am happy to say that I read the book first (really hate seeing the movie before reading the book), and just this evening, watched the movie with my husband.  We took bets on how long he would last before he fell asleep.  I bet 10 minutes, he bet 4 minutes.  He won.

It seemed like a good night to watch the movie but after enjoying a bottle of red wine with dinner, even I fell asleep for a part of the movie.  (I think it was the part when Julie and her husband get in a fight and he storms out of the apartment.  By the time I woke up, they were happy and in love again.)

It was a good read.  Not a great read but I did find it enjoyable for the most part.  I have since gone back to look up parts of her original blog and I suspect that her blog would be more entertaining.  What the book did accomplish for me was a curiosity for French cooking.  It made me wonder if I could actually do the same and if I could actually cook and eat that rich food for one year and still be able to walk up a flight of stairs? 

I know what I was drawn to was watching Julie Powell change her circumstances.  I love watching or reading about individuals who set their lives off on a different course not by methodical and logical planning but rather by listening to a quiet little voice inside that is encouraging and simply saying the word "yes".  I love that she struggled, cried, swore her ass off, doubted, felt pride, enjoyment, peace and a sense of accomplishment and ultimately, it lead her to a place that she was meant to be in from the very beginning. 

I thumbed through a copy of The Art of Mastering French Cooking by Julia Child yesterday at the book store.  It looked retro and appealing.  I just wasn't sure that the recipes could make it into a regular part of our lives.  I will let you know if I do venture down the French culinary path.  I'll add photos and let you know how much butter we consume and if I too, pull out a few "f" bombs along the way.

"They enjoy the goal but not the process. But the reality of it is that the true work of improving things is in the little achievements of the day."

from Before Sunset, film 2004

Sssss...

Night time routines and the house begins to settle.

via CDRyan