Antiquing in St. Paul

Had another fun day antiquing with The Girls this afternoon. We started off with lunch at The Liffey (fried fish and pickles, beef sliders, sammich, maybe some drinks) and then made our way down 7th Street to a few shops.

We started at Wescott's and then moseyed across the street to Grandma's. We couldn't go into John's because they closed at 2:45. Not 2:30 and not 3:00, but 2:45. On a Saturday. Weird.

Since I was the only one who didn't really NEED anything, it stands to reason I was the only one who purchased anything. Naturally.

I did have a list of things I'd keep an eye out for...nothing too big, but just some stuff I've been thinking I could use. Mason jars, old horse bits, organizational items, antique cameras were all on the list.

While I came across a couple of old accordion cameras – for cheaper than I've ever seen them, no less – I wasn't truly enamored with either of them so in spite of the low price tags I didn't end up with either. Couldn't find any horse bits but ran across a LOT of rusty horseshoes for sale. Funny, since Mom and Dad have a ton at home they could evidently be selling.

Got some cool, old boxes for organization – including a little Coca-Cola box – and even a set of three mason jars for good prices (it's amazing how location has such an impact on pricing, even for antiques).



I also found a couple of old crocks. I'll use one as a water dish for Zada – I think crocks make great dog dishes – and while it's a different color than her food bowl, it's the same style and the perfect size. The other holds pens, pencils, scissors and the like on my desk.




I've been toying with the idea of making some sort of "craft" necklace – a long chain with some keepsake-y type things on it. To that end I bought an old skeleton key and some random museum token with a hole in it. We'll see how that pans out.



They weren't on The List, but I did pick up a couple of old books, too: Wuthering Heights and Gone With The Wind. I love books in general and antique books are even better.


Then comes the pièce de résistance: the one thing I didn't need nor intend to buy but just had, HAD to have.


Another trunk.

Yes, I realize I've already purchased an antique steamer trunk...and my plan of using this uber-cool, authentic trunk as a coffee table in a place of honor in the living room backfired when I realized how AWFULLY the thing reeked of mothballs. I think Clint still hates it (although almost 2 years later it's finally not smelly anymore...at least, not 'til you open the lid).

This "new" trunk is an immigrant trunk (from the late 1800s) that's entirely hand-made: from the wood down to the hand-forged "nails" and hinges. It's super-cool. Even Clint likes it (plus it doesn't smell :). Oh, and the only reason I was looking at trunks in the first place was because one of The Girls is looking for a trunk to use as a coffee table. Turns out she didn't quite like this one so I snapped it up :)

Where did I find this treasure? On the corner of Selby and Fairview in St. Paul. Bought it from Terry (good guy  – funny). He says he bought two of them at the same time and the "twin" of mine was painted and dated 1865. While this one doesn't have any dating or writing that we can find, he says it's exactly the same as the other...hence we assume 1800s. Either way, it's really old, totally hand-made and oh-so-cool.


While Clint's not hyper about me bringing home a bunch of stuff from antiquing, we both sat and ogled the thing for about half an hour. Plus, you can only open it by using the ginormous skeleton key so that's cool.

All in all, a great day of shopping for antiques in St. Paul, Minnesota!

My New Vacuum Really Sucks

Recently I kind of busted our vacuum cleaner. It was one of those bulky, heavy vacuums and it didn't have anywhere to carry it except for the actual push handle itself. So, it broke. Truth be told I was secretly glad since the thing was a pain to haul around and it hurt my back to use it.

Luckily, we had a back-up. It was much lighter and easier to use – although still bulky – but it had about half the sucking power of the old vacuum...which means it didn't really do much at all.

'Twas time to get a new one. After asking for recommendations from friends and randoms in the Twitterscape and on Facebook, everyone seemed dead set on me buying a Dyson. After reading reviews and various information, it seemed that yes, Dysons were powerful vacuums and everyone who had one would never, ever own another kind.

Problem is, the best reviews for these vacuums were for the version that costs $600.00. While I'm sure it's the Cadillac of vacuums, let's be honest – there's no way I was ready to fork over that kind of money for a vacuum.

On my way into Target to peruse the selection, I happened to be on the phone with my sister, who just happened to have purchased a new vacuum two months ago...she'd had her husband do the research, and the guy's thorough. He looked for the Dyson "comparables" and came up with The Shark. She was adamant: this vacuum sucked. Like, literally, it sucked up EVERYTHING in its path.

Plus, it was only $170.00. Sold.

So I brought home my new, little Shark, put it together and started vacuuming. And entered a whole new world of housecleaning.

First of all, it's lightweight (only 18 pounds). While at first I was taken aback by the small vacuuming surface (about 12 inches), I quickly realized how handy it is – I can get around, underneath and closer to the base of couches and chairs than I could with either of my two big, lunky vacuums. Also, there's no need to switch the "level" of the vacuum for different types of carpeting/flooring! No bending over and making sure the vacuum is in its locked and upright position while struggling to get the perfect height to vacuum.

There's a setting on the On/Off switch for bare floors, and one for carpeting. That's it. Having trouble pushing the vacuum over your shag area rug? No problem! On the handle there's a "suction release" valve that lessens the suction for easier movement across thicker pile (which, by the way, I don't even need to use over my shag area rug).

Also, in the "carpeting" mode (with the brushes engaged) the vacuum sort of pulls itself forward, so all you have to do is pull it back.

Easy.

Okay. So it's put together and I'm excited about how easy it is. Then I vacuumed the entire house. And emptied the canister THREE TIMES. Now, it's not a HUGE canister but it holds a LOT of hair and dirt.

Here's the kicker, though...the next day I actually cleaned the entire house (dusted, vacuumed, the whole works) and after dusting I vacuumed again – this time with chairs up and really getting into corners, etc. – and I had a full canister after just the upstairs. AGAIN. After having vacuumed the DAY BEFORE.

Now, my German shepherd – correction, German SHEDDER – sheds constantly. This I know. But to have THAT MUCH hair in my carpet that I didn't even know about...YEESH. No wonder my allergies have been so bad in this house (the Minneapolis house has hardwood floors).

After vacuuming the downstairs, I had ¾ of a canister...yikes. I was at once disgusted and ecstatic. What a vacuum! Then I detached the canister and used it to vacuum the stairs – super-easy! – and finally got the deep clean I needed (my little Dirt Devil is easy to use but it doesn't have the suction of The Shark!).

I've vacuumed twice more since then, and each time my carpets look like they were just professionally cleaned. I'm in love.

Thank you, Shark, for sucking so much :)

If You're a Dog Owner, You're a Dog Trainer

I'm a dog trainer.

Sounds cocky, doesn't it? Well, I am a dog trainer because I'm a dog owner. That's right: if you own a dog, you're a trainer. WHAT you're training might not be the "right" thing, but you ARE training. Always.

When you get home after a day of work, if the first thing you do is excitedly greet your dog using a high-pitched voice, frenziedly petting him, you're training that dog "when my owner gets home, I'm to get immediately riled up!"

If you give your dog a treat every time you go into the kitchen, that dog will start LIVING in that room (or following you around hoping for your feet to carry you into that magical place).

Pretty simple stuff.

I've heard dog owners tell me, "well, I HAVE to play with her or she won't leave me alone." What? Really? Who's training whom here?

I might not be a professional trainer, but I do know obedience is obedience and the key to having a well-behaved dog is consistency and clear communication.

Since we humans don't speak the same language as dogs, it's important to have a good way to communicate to them when they've done something right. I've found the most effective method of training is the clicker – and before you roll your eyes and say, "that doesn't work," remember back to whether or not you've ever met my dog.

OH, right. The well-behaved German shepherd (yeah, she's not perfect in every aspect, but she IS a good dog). I trained her – correction, I TRAIN her – with clicker training. That's really just a "junk term" for operant conditioning, but for the sake of argument let's just call it clicker training.

If you know how to modify behavior by communicating with your dog via clicker, you can train anything the dog is physically capable of doing. Literally. Anything from teaching a dog to sit to teaching her to stand on a ball are within your grasp with this simple training – and communication – method.

And why use a clicker, you ask? Why can't you just mark the dog's behavior with some word of your choosing? Well, you certainly can – but dogs trained with clickers as markers learn much more quickly than dogs trained with voice markers. Why? Because our voices vary in pitch, tone, volume, etc. while the clicker is a consistent sound.

How do you begin? Well, first, you have to have a dog, a clicker and some form of "treat" the dog really loves (this can be anything from actual treats to a favorite toy to scratching a good spot; it depends on the dog). Then, once you've charged the clicker (i.e., taught the dog what it means), you can have at it.

Happy training :)

House for Sale in North Minneapolis

My cute little house is for sale on Russell Avenue in Minneapolis again. The price has dropped but you'd better hurry – there's a showing this afternoon and I'm feeling lucky. This charming, well-built little number has cute curb appeal and is move-in ready.

Quaint 1920s Minneapolis House for Sale:

• 3 bedrooms
• 2 bathrooms
• 1½ story
• ~1,050 finished square feet
• Original hardwood floors
• New roof
• Eat-in kitchen
• Stainless steel appliances
• Unfinished basement with laundry & plenty of storage
• Spacious, light front porch
• Back mud porch
• Fenced-in yard
• Detached, one-car garage
• 10 minutes from Uptown / Downtown
• Central/forced air

Great for a single person, a couple or even a small family, this single family home is conveniently located near bus stops, a gas station and only five blocks from Victory Memorial Parkway – a perfect place to stroll.



Relax on the sunny front porch in the mornings with a cup of coffee or hang out on the backyard patio in the shade of the old oak tree on a summer evening.



The main floor has a nice, bright living room with two bedrooms separated by a full bath.

The eat-in kitchen has plenty of cabinets and a big pantry for storage.




Upstairs, there's room for a home office or craft area that leads into a big, carpeted bedroom with its own full bath.

 The basement, while unfinished, is spacious and light (several small windows line the perimeter), with plenty of storage space and a big laundry area that boasts a washer, dryer, laundry tub and cabinet.

This space is ready to be finished, with drain tiles and sump pump already installed – no fear of flooding or dampness!

If you're interested in seeing this little jewel in person, please contact my real estate agent for a showing.

Once inside I know you'll find it as homey and warm as I do :)

My Kozies Shepherd Has Hip Dysplasia

I know I said I wouldn't waste any more time thinking and opining about Mark Kozitza down in Mankato, MN, but since Zada's health has taken a turn for the worse I feel inclined to dissuade other German shepherd lovers from falling prey to this backyard breeder like I did.

While I live in St. Paul – in a town home, no less – and Zada is a "city dog," I have her out for 1½ to 2 hours of exercise per day. I have her off-leash quite a bit so she can run; I'm constantly playing fetch with her (she never tires of chasing sticks or balls); we go for daily long walks around the neighborhood and I walk fast (she trots the entire time); and I also work her physically/mentally by down-staying her and hiding her stick or throwing it into the woods and releasing her to "find it" (she absolutely LOVES this game).

Long story short: she's in great shape. You can see her muscle definition through her fur, which for a longer-haired dog is pretty impressive. I keep her lean and she's never been over-weight.

She's Lame...Again

In spite of all that, she came up lame a few days ago – this time on a hind leg (she's had chronic problems on her left front for years). Since the only weakness she's ever shown on a hind leg has been attributed to her luxating patella, I assumed this was the same thing. I took her to the vet clinic and the veterinarian said she didn't think this limp was due to any problems with Zada's knees and suggested I get x-rays. Of course I said to go ahead, even though it was late evening and I didn't want her to be groggy for the rest of the night (turns out they didn't even have to sedate her...my good girl :)

I wasn't prepared for the news that came back: my European-line German shepherd has hip dysplasia. Not only that, she also has arthritic changes on two of her vertebrae: lumber 7 (L7) and her sacrum. The vet said the spinal arthritis was more concerning than the hip dysplasia, since it will not only get worse over time (same as the hip dysplasia), but could end up impinging on nerves and could cause permanent damage.

If You Don't Want a GSD with Hip Dysplasia or Arthritis, Don't Buy From Kozies Shepherds

I was devastated. Zada's only five years old and already I was thinking of the years to come of playing fetch, horseback riding through the woods with her at my side, hiking for hours and how that would affect my poor girl's hips and spine.

For someone who purports to breed German shepherds of European working lines that have good genetics and are "structurally sound," Mark Kozitza sure struck out with this breeding. I've heard from a few other people who own Kozies shepherds and between the four of us our dogs have quite the list of afflictions.

Known Health Problems of Kozies Shepherds

• hip dysplasia
• spinal arthritis (transitional vertebra)
• EPI (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency)
• aggression towards children
• luxating patellas
• dog-dog aggression
• limping on a front leg after exercise
• bad teeth

I've noticed that Zada's dam (also the dam of two of the other dogs I'm mentioning above) has been completely taken off the breeder's website. One of the other dog owners (who has a female half-sister to Zada) told me that Zada's sire was supposed to be the father of his female but at the last minute Kozitza changed the breeding. When I asked if he knew why, this dog owner told me "because the dog went sterile."

This is obviously hearsay but it seems like too much of a coincidence for me – plus I have the vet bills to prove the bad breeding practices of Kozies. If anyone wants to see Zada's x-rays, I'd be happy to share.

All of Zada's temperament issues aside – which can result from genetics AND environment, I know that – these problems (especially hip dysplasia) are solely a product of poor breeding. There's nothing I could've done to prevent this other than NOT get my German shepherd from Kozies shepherds. Period.

Dog-sitting Miss Tesa

While Mom and Dad spend the month in sunny Puerto Vallarta, their golden retriever gets to stay with us here in the cities. Being a country girl, Tesa is used to being outside all day, running hither and thither and doing, well, pretty much whatever she wants.

Here in St. Paul, we don't have a yard so the only time she gets to go out is under supervision. I do have Zada out every day for a couple of hours, and she's used to a mostly-indoor life...but when Tesa's here I feel bad that she can't be outside more often like she is back home.

However, I've put my guilt aside and realized she's just fine...as evidenced by the amount of sleeping (and snoring) she's done while staying here.

Me thinks this is the face of a content pooch. Well, except she was waiting for me to stop snapping so she could get on with her nap :)

Homemade Wooden Dollhouse

Now that Dad's partially retired he's finally got some time to work in his shop. Since the beginning of the year – when his schedule changed – he has worked at his sawmill, chopped and stacked plenty of firewood, built a shelter out in the woods for the grand kids to go hang out in during the summer, and made numerous smaller items.



He hand-made several beautiful boxes out of various types of wood (I stole one of those) and he even put together a surprise for The Girls when we were all there in January: a wooden dollhouse.



While it's only made out of wood scraps, he put a lot of work into making it...even taking the time to carve out a window in the front door and several pieces of tiny dollhouse furniture.



This dollhouse rocks: it's got a hinged roof for easy access, two windows, a kitchen, dining area, and even a loft ("that's for the kids," says Dad).




And of course, we can't forget the furniture...he even added small details that I'm surprised his man fingers could handle. He made a cute little table and chairs, put burners on the stove (my favorite!), carved out drawers on the dresser, drew cabinet doors on the tiny hutch, and even gave the beds little wooden pillows!


Dad really enjoyed making this dollhouse, and The Girls absolutely L-O-V-E-D it. They played with it constantly the entire weekend. I think Dad even plans to add to it, saying the front window ledge needs some flower pots :)



So see? You don't have to head to a department store and buy an expensive dollhouse; you can make one yourself they'll love just as much – if not more – because of all the love put into the details.

I'd like to give a shout-out to Dad, our very own handy-man, for making this homemade wooden dollhouse. Wonder what he'll make next???

Motley Crue Thinks Justin Bieber is a Girl

Even if you're not a huge Mötley Crüe fan, you're familiar with one of their signature songs. The motorcycle revs and instantly you recognize the Strippers' National Anthem: Girls, Girls, Girls.

Performed live, the song is even more powerful, with chiseled females dancing and flipping their hair about on stage while larger-than-life images of even more beautiful women flash on the screens behind Vince, Nikki, Mick and Tommy Lee.

We had tickets to the first and second shows of their 13-show residency in Las Vegas – they're playing at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel – and while the first night was fun, they definitely pulled out all the stops the second night.

The first night, when Girls, Girls, Girls came on, of course the crowd went wild and everyone screamed along to the lyrics as the gals gyrated and danced and the images flashed onscreen. Imagine our surprise when, for just a split second, we saw – or thought we saw – an image of Justin Bieber on the screen, sandwiched in between hot girls. Knowing that the Crüe members aren't big fans of the Canadian singer, we figured it was a one-time subliminal message.

The second night, even though I'd seen it before and figured we might see it again, I was shocked to find I'd captured that exact second in a photo.

I'd like to think it's a one-in-a-million shot, but of course now that Mötley Crüe fans know it's coming, we'll most likely be seeing more of this not-so-silent jab at Justin Bieber and his girlish good looks.

Well done, Mötley :)

Framed Collection of Sophia's Paintings

I finally went to Michaels and bought a shopping cart's worth of frames and mats. I needed to get my Europe paintings (both oil & water color) framed and hung out in the open, instead of lurking in the closet like they have been since I moved into this town home.

Well, after a couple nights of putting those together and trying to figure out where on earth to hang them (some are still waiting patiently...), I realized I had some other artwork I'd accumulated but never displayed: a few water color paintings Sophia painted for me way back when.

They're just fun, abstract, throw-some-colors-onto-paper paintings but after I framed three of them and hung them together, they look like a collection I paid money for at an art gallery. So says the proud auntie :)

You might think I got this idea from Pinterest (my newest and most favorite of all social media endeavors), but that's not true. I'm not sure where I got the idea, but I know I've been hanging on to her paintings for a couple years and just hadn't gotten around to framing them until now. I'm glad I did. (Learn the easy steps for a do-it-yourself art gallery using child's art.)

While at first it might sound mean, about the only place I have left to hang things is in our enclosed stairwell...but I'm liking the look they give to the uber-white, plain-slate space and I'm looking forward to putting up more in the staircase – of course, I might need Clint's help since I could barely reach the hammer up to get the top frame in place :)

I told my sister that one of her daughters had framed artwork hanging in my house, but it'd be nice to have the other daughter represented, as well.

"Have her paint me something," I said, to which she replied, "Will do. She's into drawing ooglie-eyed monsters with boogers." My response: "Okay then. We'll put HER collection in Clint's bathroom!"

Happy National Peanut Butter Day

I know, I know...I don't "believe" in National Days. Or do I? It seems that maybe I'm changing, since I celebrated with a s'moretini on National S'mores Day and Granny Bernier's spaghetti on National Spaghetti Day.

It was brought to my attention at lunch that today is National Peanut Butter Day. I love peanut butter, but I'm not head-over-heels for it or anything. I'll consume the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup sitting at my desk in honor but I don't know that I'm inclined to go much farther in celebration.

However, for those of you gung-ho about National Peanut Butter Day, here's a little ol' recipe for peanut butter pretzel bites that I noticed on Pinterest today if it strikes your fancy to bake something special. 


On second thought, maybe I'll give Zada a peanut butter kong in honor of this special day. She'll like that...she, unlike me, is gaga for peanut butter.

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

Looking for homemade powder laundry detergent? 

I moved it, sorry for the inconvenience!

How Google+ is Affecting Search Results

The latest buzz the last couple of days on the search scene is all about Google+ and how it's affecting search results. Danny Sullivan did some research and wrote up a nice article about how Google's definitely pushing Google+ in the SERPs.

I decided to run my own little experiment this morning, just to see what I could see. At first I merely compared results from searches performed when I was logged in to Google versus not.

First up: searching for myself ("Sarah Bernier Danks"). This one is interesting because I had JUST been messing around with my Google+ profile, so I figured that's why it was suddenly showing up front and center (it hadn't before), and without me even getting more than "sarah b" typed into the search bar...

And here's without me being signed in (notice I had to type in my full name here):

Then I decided to type in a co-worker's name – well, I guess he's a friend...whatever – while signed in. Interesting that although I'm searching for someone ELSE, my own Google+ profile is the second result, just because I mentioned him:

(Thanks for the picture, Dennis :)

Here's without being signed in (and I'm out of the picture):

Okay, that's interesting enough but I wanted to try more general searches, so I tried "actors" while signed in:

And then once more without being signed in...hmmm, same thing:

This got me to thinking, why are THOSE actors showing up (and why are Britney & Snoop showing up for "music")? Here's a (slightly) less "famous" search:

Interesting how Rand's Google+ profile is showing up right in the suggestions. So I thought, maybe that's not a fair comparison, since Rand is huge in the search marketing/online world. Let's go back to celebrities. 

I did a search for, well, you know...and here's what I got:

Obviously, I reasoned, he's not on Google+, since that result's not showing up like it does for Rand Fishkin...I mean, Rob has to be AT LEAST as popular as Randfish, does he not? But, upon further searching, here he is, alive and well on Google+:

I got the same results for Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron – nothing showed up in searches for them, either, even though both have Google+ profiles. What the hell, Google? Why're you picking and choosing who "gets" to have their Google+ profile show up in your suggestions?  

Breathe. Relax. Try another search ("Minneapolis ad agencies") while signed in:

While it's fun to see ThinkSEM (a really great search marketing company based right here in the Twin Cities) show up for this search, is it the most relevant, considering the context in which ThinkSEM deals with ad agencies, versus actually BEING an ad agency? 

So here's my SERP without being signed into Google:

I'm finally getting to a point that'll hit closer to home with those of us who like to call ourselves Search Engine Marketers...what'll this do to the amount of time (in the near future since this has all started happening) we'll have to spend on the phone and in meetings with clients patiently explaining (and re-explaining) WHY we – the experts they're paying for optimization – can't control the SERPs and "how come at home I'm showing up NUMBER ONE and at work I'm NOT??" Or whatever else they're going to come up with whilst they continually while away the hours Googling themselves...

Only time will tell if Google will continue to "get away" with promoting Google+...and what affect it'll have on the way we search and optimize moving forward.

A Lovely Way to Spend a Cold Minnesota Evening

With The Husband out at an event, it's just me and the dog this evening...I had to cut my walk short because, damn it was cold out! I know it's all "relative," considering the winter we had last year, but still. Unbelievable.

So now while the wind whistles outside I'm in comfy clothes, the dog's fed and happily snoozing and I, well I think it's time for a little "me time" -- some wine, a nice fire and a tasty, heaping plate of chorizo nachos.

Hiking with Dogs in the Country

While up at Mom & Dad's for the Christmas weekend I took the dogs out every day for a couple hours...it's so lovely walking through woods and fields with nary a sidewalk in sight :) I get my daily exercise, the dogs love it and I get to pretend I'm a country girl again.



I used to bring my SLR with me on these walks, but it's so bulky and I'm always afraid of ruining it (sometimes I end up on trail-less land, clambering over/under/through brush, etc.), so I started slipping my new point-and-shoot into my pocket. Clint got it for me as a birthday present – in September – and I have yet to read the instruction manual, which is more than likely the reason why I haven't mastered its settings.



I say that because we sometimes fight about where the focal point should be and whether or not to use flash. I guess I could go ahead and read up on how to use it...


Regardless, it comes with me always in my purse (you never know when you'll need a camera) and of course while hiking in the country with the dogs. Zada is a pretty poser but Tesa...well, Tesa does some really weird stuff that's fun to catch on card (I can't say "film" anymore, although that makes more sense to me).

Unfortunately, while I had the camera with me I didn't have a free hand to capture her weirdest moment that weekend: diving head-first down a hole in the hay bales to chase after a stick. She's gamey and will do just about anything, but she didn't quite think her endeavor through...I just happened to be close enough to grab her tail as she kept falling and then got stuck. My sister and I hauled her out and she was fine, but it still would've been a funny picture (the mental one we have is hilarious).

Other than that, it was mostly a lot of tramping around in the woods, across fields, along the river, on lonely trails connecting backwoods plots of land, and in the horse pasture (to check the fence line).

This winter has been mild – for Minnesota – and there was barely any snow on the ground (not much more than a dusting), with temps in the 20s and 30s...perfect for hiking (in my country-girl opinion).

Hogan, Tesa and Zada were my constant companions while outside and I think they loved the walks as much as I did. While there wasn't open water for them to drink (like there was on the river over Thanksgiving weekend), they got bitefuls of snow here and there.

One of the things about these dogs – well, Tesa & Zada, anyway...Hogan's 10 years old, after all – is that no matter how long they've been out running around, they're always ready to go. If you're putting on your boots, they're whining at the door, excited to head outside again.



And if all the humans are inside, poor Zada resigns herself to lying on the porch (with an ever-ready stick at her disposal), waiting patiently for someone to come out and play :)

National Spaghetti Day

Evidently yesterday was National Spaghetti Day. I know it's true 'cause I read it on Facebook. Then I confirmed said fact by checking on The Google and Wikipedia stated that January 4th is, indeed, a day of national celebration in honor of spaghetti.

Now, I'm not a fan of National Insert Whatever-the-hell Here Days (hang on, I guess I sort of celebrated National S'mores Day by drinking a delicious s'moretini), but I AM a fan of food. Especially pasta. In true I'm-justifying-this style, I opted to make spaghetti – okay, okay, I used linguine noodles but let's not split angel hairs – in order to give the day its due.

Of course, one cannot have any type of Italian food without consuming wine to complement it, and since this was a red sauce I opted for (of course) a Pinot noir. Bogle's, to be exact. Quite tasty.

I'm sure you're wondering what I put in my spaghetti sauce. I shall divulge (and confess) that it's a knock-off of Granny Bernier's recipe she learned from the Italian woman ("Mrs. Palermo") she lived next to when my dad was young (this was in Chicago, I believe).

The real recipe calls for tomatoes and onions grown in one's garden to start the sauce; my family sort of skips that old-school stuff and begins with a plain tomato sauce for a base (Mom prefers Old World Style Ragú, which is what I also use).

After that one needs to add the following ingredients:

• onions,
• garlic,
• Worcestershire (pronounced "woostah" in Massachusetts) sauce,
• oregano,
• some sort of hot sauce (Mom uses Tabasco; I use Sriracha or chili paste),
• a hefty splash of red wine (that's my addition),
• pepper (I think that's my addition, too) and
• Italian sausage (browned).

Now, the ORIGINAL Granny recipe calls for mild Italian sausage links cut into "coins" and browned before being added to the sauce...since I'm a rebel I totally get the HOT Italian sausage (ground). I mean, who's got time to cut evenly-sliced coins, anyway? I'm sorry, Granny. 

After all these yummy ingredients are in the pot, it's best to let them simmer – so the flavors can "marry," as some chefs are wont to say – for at least an hour.

I put this meaty sauce over wheat noodles, serve it with some yummy garlic bread and pair it with a nice red wine (again, most often it's a Pinot noir...mainly because that's our favorite kind). After finishing that meal, it's mostly lying back on the couch watching TV because there's not much else one can do with a fully distended tummy.


Bon appetit, pasta lovers...I hope your National Spaghetti Day was as delicious as ours!

Naughty Zada

In five days I'll have had Zada for five years. Kind of hard to believe that much time has gone by and she's THAT old...

Since the day I brought her home, we've definitely had some ups and downs but overall I think she's a great dog. Other than a few idiosyncratic tendencies, she's a well-behaved, friendly dog and I love her to pieces.

Let me preface the following tale with some back-story: I grew up in a family of large dogs (mainly German shepherds, though recently my parents have decided they're more partial to Goldens). We lived in the country so our dogs were always indoor/outdoor and while they spent the evenings in the house, they were never, ever...EVER...allowed on the furniture. That's just not the way we Berniers roll.

Imagine Clint's and my surprise, then, when today we rang in 2012 with quite the surprise: Zada evidently spent the night on our guest bed downstairs!!!

I can honestly say this dog has never been on the furniture – she's never been invited up, she's never tried to get on it, and if she HAD managed a sneak foray onto the couch we'd have known instantly (she sheds year-round and leaves a plethora of guard hairs wherever she may roam).

However, the evidence is there, plain as day...I might not've cleaned recently, but I keep a neat house and the guest room is always ready to go at a moment's notice: tidy, with clean sheets and a very wrinkle- and – until recently – dog hair-free bedspread. Not so much now.

I WILL say that after Clint and I got back from our December trip to Puerto Vallarta, I noticed a LOT of hair on that same bed and called my cousin (who'd watched both Zada & Tesa) in a panic, gasping out, "were the dogs up on your bed?!" She said that no, definitely not, but she HAD kicked her covers to the floor and not made her bed, and the dogs had lain on the bedding while it was on the floor.

I did believe that story, since Tesa does exactly that every time Mom makes the bed back home (as soon as the old sheets come off, Mom says Tesa's right there to nest in there and take a nap). That seems to have been the prelude to full-blown doggy naughtiness since Zada now assumes this bed – which is a futon and therefore much closer to dog-level than our own bed – is there for her snoozing gratification.

I'm NOT happy about this turn of events but other than catching her in the act (unlikely) all I can do to deter her is close the door to that bedroom, which has almost always been her favorite to hang out in (on the floor, of course).

While I was in there taking the evidence – I mean, pictures – she wandered in after me and when she passed by The Spot, she got very close and gave it a nice long sniff...probably thinking, "I can't wait until bedtime tonight!" I gave her an admonition – "No, don't you DARE" – and she lowered her ears and kinda slunk off...I think she knows she was naughty.

What do YOU think?