Summer Miscellany

Apple Pie!

 Tea Party

Cousins

Rosie's 4th Birthday

Gromma Time

 Father's Day

Gus celebrating 7th wedding anniversary 

Happy and Adorable Siblings

A day at the vineyard

Celebration

 Dueling Artists

Rosie's first month at preschool

Dog Day : The 20th Anniversary

Today is Dog Day.  Dog Day was established when Bear was born on September 1, 1995.  At the time we had Oppey,  Buddy & Jezebel -- Bear was the last in that long line of great Labs.  Rather than celebrating so many birthdays I declared September 1st as Dog Day.  The celebration has continued throughout the years, even after the incredibly sad loss of Bear.  It has become less a birthday celebration and more a day to honor all dogs and the place they share in our lives.  In spite of the name, the day is also for cats, indeed any pet, because they are all members of our families, and they all give us great joy and comfort.

Dog Day is a celebration so today I will remember Bear and Buddy and Oppey and Jezzie.  And I will both mourn and remember Blackie the Brown Dog who I lost in 2012, and my sweet Lucy who I just lost this past April. I will remember them all with love and gratitude for all they have given me.  

Blackie (the Brown Dog)

Lucy

Lucy was my last dog.  My new life is no longer suited to caring for large, rambunctious Labs.  But I now have the adorable Mister Pip, still a kitten but already a member of my family.

Mister Pip

So in honor of Bear, and in honor of all our fur-friends past and present, please celebrate a very happy Dog Day.

First Day of School

First day of school for Gus, Rosie, and Roland!

Mom's Birthday

Mom would have been 94 today.  Sadly this is the 11th year without her here to celebrate.  And she did love to celebrate.  She loved getting presents.  It didn't much matter what the gift was, she just loved getting them.  One year I got her a canary from Woolworth's -- poor little thing didn't last long but she so enjoyed his singing in her kitchen.

She always wanted a picnic in the backyard, surrounded by her gardens.  We would have all of her favorite summer foods on the oilcloth covered picnic table.  Burgers, well-done as only she liked.  There would be thick slices of homegrown tomatoes, thin slices of red onion, a plate of pickles (sweet gherkins, dill, and olives), and the ever-present bag of Wise potato chips.  We would have corn on the cob with plenty of salt and butter.  Along with iced tea there would be birch beer, root beer, and 7UP.  Even though it was her birthday she would make her German potato salad (never recreated though we have all tried).

I miss those picnics.  I miss Mom.  

Silly Pair

Last of My Portland Pictures

These are the last pictures I took while with Gus, Meara, and the kids in June.  I love, love my iPhone.  I didn't expect to but I so enjoy being able to take pictures without having to get the camera out and hope the batteries haven't died.  Yay for technology.

 

Sleeping baby on my lap.

Gromma bliss.