We are being teased with spring-like temps here in the middle of the US. Up and down — from cold and snowy to warm and sunny — like a roller coaster. Today is sunny and about 66. Tomorrow will be rain, then freezing rain, and then snow. Hmmmmm.
The fashionista got some great news last week. She has been promoted to counter manager for a particular skin care line made in France at the department store in which she works. She moves from fragrances next week. She will be going out of town a week after that for a two day school. She is both excited and nervous about this new venture. I am sure she will do well.
We went a little further south this past weekend to visit my father and his wife. The fashionista wanted to go to a Saks store that had advertised a big cosmetic event — to purchase several items and also to see how their cosmetics department functions. She was rather disappointed with their lack of customer service. I pointed out to her that it is a good lesson on how to do things the right way. And the gift with purchase was not quite what she expected. We also wandered around Anthropologie and Pottery Barn and had a coffee at Starbucks. The weather was gorgeous — people in shorts and flip flops and it seemed that everyone had a dog on a leash with them. Anthropologie had aprons similar to those that I have been sewing and a blanket stitched from wool sweater parts which is something I have been planning to make one of these days. I think I may have to find some time to go wool sweater thrifting. After the shopping we returned to my father’s house for happy hour and then it was off to the new Wolfgang Puck Bistro. The butternut squash soup was very good, the olive tapenade on toasts was very tasty. My father ordered a greek salad which he said was very good. His wife had a salmon cream cheese dill pizza which was served room temperature, as it should be, but she thought it should be hot. The fashionista ordered the roast chicken and garlic mashed potatoes which she said were very good. I decided to try something I would not normally order — the viennese beef goulash. The meat was very tender, the spices were just right, and the noodles cooked to a good consistency. There was more meat than anything else — and since I tend to eat very little meat, it was too much for me. Everyone was pretty full after the meal and everyone except my father was taking food home. The fashionista wanted to try a dessert and chose the butterscotch pudding. Everyone had a spoonful, and it was incredibly good. Butterscotch pudding is one of my favorites and I simply must find a good recipe for it after trying that one. Yum!! Talk about diet sabotage!
The trip was short. Drive down Saturday morning and head for home late Sunday morning. On our way out of town, we stopped in at Whole Foods (we need one in our fair city!!) and purchased a few items. A vegetable pot pie (which we shared for dinner with a salad and it was excellent), natural beef hot dogs, bulgarian yogurt, tiny containers of black truffle butter and white truffle butter, parmagiano reggiano butter (some of which we ate on peas — yum), and several other food items that we are unable to get in our town — we love to try new foods.
The city the fashionista is considering moving to in the fall has a Whole Foods and is getting a Trader Joes — I will be driving up monthly to buy groceries. I will even go if she doesn’t move there. It would be worth it.
An old man pug has joined our little family. I know. Three pugs now. I can’t believe it sometimes myself. When the fashionista was young, she badly wanted a dog and I always said no. We were way too busy to stay home with a dog, and I don’t believe in getting a dog and then not spending any time with the dog. She got Lola Jane Fonda without asking me nearly three years ago and that has worked out well. Then we got Coco Chanel a couple of months ago. Now we have an old man pug. His name was Chance and then Chang. The fashionista refers to him as Old Man River and/or George Clooney. The old man pug is what I refer to as a special circumstance. He is 13. He was adopted through the animal rescue organization for which my mother serves as a volunteer and foster person 10 years ago. The people who adopted him and gave him a home for 10 years are getting a divorce and neither of them want the dog. It was not that neither of them could take the dog — neither of them want the dog. I was astounded when my mother told me about the situation. 10 years!! Most people fight over who gets custody of the dog. Not these people. Instead, they return him to the rescue organization. Who returns a dog after 10 years? So, of course I said we would take him. Who is going to adopt a 13 yr old pug? And why should the 13 yr old pug be subjected to being passed around to various foster homes and being shown at the local PetsMart? No, I think not. So he is now living with us. He is a sweet, well-mannered, fairly active dog with a very calm disposition. I think he may be a good influence on the two girls.
Old Man Pug
I will be working at the church coffeehouse tonight. Extreme Home Makeover is in our city this week building a home for a very deserving family. One of my friends has been doing design work for the master bedroom which is Ty Pennington’s secret room. He said he was filming with Ty this morning. I can’t wait to hear all about it tonight at the coffeehouse.
KnitRMusic 