Quiet Charlie

We have some big news: a new puppy! He is a purebred Border Collie, eight weeks old. His parents are working dogs from a small sheep and cattle ranch in Gunnison, Colorado. R named him Quiet Charlie.



We have waited so long for a dog. Our beautiful Border Collie Gracie died when R was two, and Gracie was almost 15. It has been a long time without a dog in the house. R has always been an animal girl. She has known how to behave around dogs since she was a toddler. But we wanted to wait until she was old enough to help with the training and have it really be her dog. She has been begging for a puppy for years. She really earned this one, and she is very calm and kind as she trains him and plays with him. She is so happy she cries, and asks us "Are you sure Quiet Charlie doesn't mind happy tears?"

Charlie is a gem of a little dog so far. He is getting used to his crate at night and at naptime, and hasn't had a single accident in the house. He is a genuine Border Collie, all the mannerisms and intelligence and affection and eagerness to work and to please. It's already all there, just in a tiny package.

Ginger nectarine ice cream

I had a bowl of ripe nectarines, so I made this ice cream from Epicurious.com. I added fresh ginger to the infusion. It's always half melted by the time I take a photo.

Then we had a beautiful firey sunset just at dusk.

Close-up:

And thick and fast they came at last, and more and more and more

I always think of that line from Lewis Carroll's "The Walrus and the Carpenter" when the garden finally starts cranking out vegetables.

And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more --
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.


Our first Brandywine tomatoes

Elegant Japanese eggplants

Zucchini and lettuces. Big bare spots where the rabbits have eaten new lettuces down to the ground. For the longest time, they didn't bother anything, and then they made up for lost time.

Zucchini

Picking greens for dinner.

The first zucchini harvest! Now there is a thrill that will not linger.

Rainbow chard and onions

I planted sunflowers on either side of the walk going to the shed, thinking they would make a little house for R when they get tall and I tie the tops together. There are morning glories twining up them, but they are closed up for the evening and hard to see. Most of the sunflowers were bent to the ground by a giant gullywasher of a rain we had two weeks ago. I staked them up, and we'll see if they survive and set flowers.

Front yard garden. Peppers and zinnias in the foreground.

Charentais melons, in the back with the pumpkins rambling behind the sheds.

Pumpkins.

Dinner was penne pasta with tomato sauce, organic chicken sausage, zucchini and basil from the garden. There was supposed to be swiss chard but I forgot about it sitting in the salad spinner.

Salad with our lettuces and nasturtium.


And best of all, dinner al fresco tonight!

The garden is taking off!

Finally--the melons and pumpkins and cucumbers and peppers and tomatoes--it's hot enough for them to start growing.

I took a lot of garden pictures tonight, because almost everything that has been sitting there sad and dreary for two months, has taken off in the past weeks.

There are lots of pictures to go through. In the meantime,

Tonight, in front of the garden



Next year I will grow even more collard greens. They are so fat and green and fast-growing, and they light up in the late evening sun. We keep picking them and eating them, and they grow back even faster.

Rest in Peace Foon Ah (Frank) Wong

My friend Katarina lost her father very suddenly on Sunday morning, at age 86 after a massive stroke. Frank Wong was an extraordinary man. Gentle and kind, but fierce when it came to his family. Smart and funny and generous and brave. I always loved to hear Katie's stories about him. Katie says in her email announcing his death:

"For those of you who didn't get a chance to know my dad, he was a wonderful man who, in a houseful of boisterous and opinionated women, presided in a quiet but good-humored way.

My dad was extremely proud of his military service to this country. He arrived here at 16 during the Chinese Exclusionary Law and so loved his new homeland that he enlisted for 3 terms during WWII and the Korean War, earning a Bronze Star for valor in the latter. Despite this incredible achievement, my dad was extremely modest and he would practically have to be begged to talk about any of this.

My father also dearly loved animals and seemed to always have his pockets filled with treats when he visited my sister's home -- often much to her dismay. In one year alone we swear he was singlehandedly to blame for her dogs putting on 5 lbs each.

Most importantly, he was a caring and loving father and husband."

My favorite memory of Mr. Wong is at the rehearsal dinner before Katie's wedding in Annapolis. One of their friends had a small baby who was crying outside on the patio in her carrier. I was the only other person on the patio, and he may have thought it was my baby. He had a very soft heart, and he could not stand to see something so small crying. He also had a presence, a quiet authority, and I could not figure out why he was sending me these meaningful and commanding glances. His innate politeness would not allow him to say what he wanted to say, "would you just pick that baby UP!" I was 22 years old and had no idea what he meant, or what to do with a baby. It was such a funny dance of his manners and kindness matched with my cluelessness. As soon as it dawned on me, "he thinks that's my baby!" the baby's mom came out and comforted her, and Mr. Wong visibly relaxed.

We don't live anywhere near Katie, and I don't know how I can help her. We have been praying for Mr. Wong by name each night since we heard the news. My parents pray for him and remember him at daily Mass. We told R who he was and some stories about him, so we could celebrate his long and happy life together. Each night since we heard the news, we have raised a toast to him at dinner. Tonight after the Our Father and the Hail Mary's were done, I asked her if she had a prayer of her own for him. She said, "Dear God, take care of Mr. Frank Wong and bring him quickly into Heaven, where it is always bright. It is always light in Heaven, did you know that. I heard that he loved dogs and did you know, I love dogs too. I hope there are dogs in Heaven for him. I am sure there are. Dear God, please take care of all the dogs in Heaven too. (then I asked her, can you say a prayer for his family, who are sad right now because he has left them) and she said, "Dear God, please make their hearts not hurt so bad, because he is all in the brightness and the dogs are happy to see him. Please make them know that he is all in the brightness and they shouldn't be sad."

He is all in the brightness. I know that's true.

Donations can be made in his memory either to the Disabled American Veterans (www.dav.org) or to the Humane Society of Naples Florida (www.collierhumanesoc.org).

We saw the most beautiful white butterfly on Monday night, coming home just at dusk from a walk. It was very small, but pure white. It landed on the white flowers in the front yard and for a minute you couldn't see it. Until it took off again, bright against the dark blue sky. R was totally delighted, she laughed as it flew away and ran after it. It gave me such a sense of peace and hope, I thought, I am remembering this date and filing that one away. Then that night, we got the news of Mr. Wong's death.

July 4 Party at the Pool

Sack races

R and her little friends

Very dramatic water balloon launch.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

We have been experimenting with the small Krups ice cream maker we got at the thrift store last year for $5.00.

D asked for his favorite, mint chocolate chip. It's a custard base, and you infuse fresh mint into the milk as you heat it. It's really good. It's a rich, golden custard color, with the palest tint of green from the mint. I would have put bigger chunks of better, darker chocolate . . . but D likes Nestle's milk chocolate chips. It's his favorite and his request, so he is entitled.