Posts tagged ‘Karma’
Every Dog Has Its Day.
There was an item in the New York Post this week about an Australian fellow who hosted thirty of his closest friends and family at his wedding – to his Labrador retriever. ”You’re my best friend and you make every part of my day better,” he declared in reciting his vows. Makes sense to me.
On the other hand, this might be stretching it: the new Barkley Pet Hotel and Day Spa in Westlake Village, CA. We visited one day a few weeks ago and were alternately thrilled and horrified by what we saw.
The logo, inlaid marble, of course
Word has it that you can engage the Barkley limo to take your dog to McDonalds for a snack
The red carpet
Barkley park. Did I mention there is also a bone-shaped swimming pool on the premises?
"Rodeo Drive" a la Barkley. Of course.
Pup in residence
And don't forget: "Kitty City"
Just in case you think I’m making this stuff up, here is the web site address: http://www.thebarkleypethotel.com/ And it’s not just California excess. There’s one in Cleveland, Ohio in addition to the Barkley on the West Coast.
Lest you think our own pooches have been less than pampered in our absence, fear no more:
Victoria's family took our girls on an ocean bluff walk on Thanksgiving Day. Nice life!
Karma, thinking deep thoughts and pretending his life is any less perfect than Soho and Chloe
35 degrees here in NYC this morning. There’s a faux Thanksgiving parade going on in front of our building, complete with balloons and extras lining the streets. Apparently for an upcoming Ben Stiller/Eddie Murphy film. You heard it here first. Happy weekend!
Greetings from the Arctic!
It’s that time of year again – cold, cold, cold! Wait a second – that would be EVERY time of the year here in coastal southern CA, wouldn’t it? Winter, high temps in the 60′s; summer, high temps in the 60′s.
Summer clothes remain stowed deep in the closet; I sit at the computer swathed in a sweater and wool socks. How I long for that 100 degree weather in NYC that everyone was complaining about. Just to prove I’m not making it up, this from yesterday’s LA Times:
The 68-degree low at Los Angeles International Airport broke the old record low for the day, which was 70 degrees in 1991. Santa Barbara (68) and San Luis Obispo (69) broke records as well.
Speaking of northern climes, here are two stunning photos that Emily sent from her recent trip to Iceland:
a volcano - that's not fog, it's steam!
The Arctic Ocean - looks warm compared to southern CA these days!
We braved the cold and ventured out to see Inception Monday night with a crew of young friends. The movie was an edge-of-your-seat serpentine stroll through the subconscious. Leonardo DiCaprio with furrowed brow, Ellen Page in her Juno outfits but sans the snappy comebacks, a smoldering Marion Cotillard, and a subdued performance from one of my favorite actors, Cillian Murphy. Remember him as the creepy bad guy from Batman Begins?
Cillian Murphy
The movie was fun, but having dinner with Daniel, Hannah, Victoria, Alexandra and her friend, Rick, (see, Rick, I told you you’d be on the blog!) was even more fun:
Daniel, Rick and Alexandra
Victoria and Hannah
Daniel returned to NYC on Wednesday to enjoy the city for a few weeks (and the warmer weather!) before he heads to South Korea to visit his friend, Amber. It was so nice to have him home!
Daniel's farewell breakfast included an egg sandwich. Guess who provided the eggs...
Saying good-bye at the airport
Granny mentioned that the chicken blog has been a bit short on chicken updates lately, and the girls agree. We brought them crickets this afternoon to atone for our negligence.
"I prefer caviar with my crickets, thank you"
"And don't forget the toast points"
While we were at the pet store buying crickets, a volunteer with B.U.N.S. (Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter) http://www.bunssb.org/ was on hand with a darling young rabbit who is seeking a home. You can only imagine how quickly the CE ushered me out of the store after he spied me in deep conversation about bunnykeeping.
I hope somebunny adopts him soon!
We acquired a new addition to our chicken decor collection this week. Granny’s friend, Edie, brought us an egg box – I can’t tell whether it’s a reproduction or an original, but either way it’s very cool, and has a wonderful likeness of Amelia on it!
Thanks, Edie!
And there was another acquisition this week: I bought an ipad! My friend, Tara, has one and showed me the “Words with Friends” app that allows you to play a virtual Scrabble game online. Had to have it! Of course, the next day I saw a Wired magazine article entitled “iPad Owners Are ‘Selfish Elites.’ Critics Are ‘Independent Geeks.’ “
According to the article, ipad owners are “six times more likely to be “wealthy, well-educated, power-hungry, over-achieving, sophisticated, unkind and non-altruistic 30-50 year olds.” As unflattering as that portrait may be, I have to say I am thrilled just to be considered in a 30-50 year-old age group. Hopefully, that is not the only part of the profile I don’t fit in…
Meanwhile, instead of endeavoring to be more altruistic, I’ll be brushing up on my Scrabble skills so I can be worthy of a game with Tara!
The CE continues to cool his heels, so to speak. He’s had his appointments with the two surgeons we’ve been told are tops for performing the procedure he needs, and he is now deciding which one will wield the scalpel. Interestingly, each doc has a slightly different approach so it’s not as straightforward a decision as we would have expected. In either case, however, the CE is looking at two months on crutches, one of them with a full cast. Yikes! The dogs have not suffered in the least - they’ve enjoyed runs on the beach and lovely walks with some of their favorite friends.
Victoria gives Chloe a rinse after a beach outing
Vernon went, too!
Katherine and Karma came to pick up the girls this morning
"Sorry you can't come with me, CE"
Sitting pretty
After the walk
Karma says goodbye
Down but not out: he can still wrangle cats!
One thing is for certain: the upcoming surgery means we won’t be visiting NYC anytime soon. A disappointment, for sure. Victoria painted this city scene for us as a surprise – it will be our consolation until we’re able to see the real thing.
Scenes from a Tarty Party.
Lovely food, plenty of drink, the sun came out and Soho reveled in the attention. The cards and gifts were, as ever, over the top. On alternate years, we make a donation to an animal organization to offset the bevy of bling and surfeit of swag Soho receives at her party. Good thing dogs can’t really be spoiled, right?
It may not technically be my party, but basically, every party is my party, so I keep smiling.
The Tart dons her tiara.
Jessica has been in the Tart's life from the day we picked our pup up at LAX.
Cathy (and Kirstie) keep Soho and Chloe looking beautiful.
Katherine and Karma. Please note the black bow tie.
Bernadette gets some love.
Karen, Kirstie and Cathy
Dave and the CE
Annabelle and Mia
Some of the yummy food!
By way of explanation, the biennial event has become known as the “Tarty Party” because Miss Soho, like every proper diva, has a nickname. When she flatters a human by jumping up to sit next to them (yes, we know she’s just trolling for pizzles but we think it’s about us anyway) she does not jump and she does not leap: the only way to describe it is to say she pops. Hence, she is known among her intimates as Miss Pop Tart, which begs shortening to Tarty. There has occasionally been confusion over this moniker, although we won’t name names, will we Bernadette? There are those who have heard it as “Tardy” rather than “Tarty” and since Miss Tart is quite punctual, never late, there are some who interpreted the nickname as meaning, well, that perhaps Soho is not as bright as some of the other dogs on the block. Or in the universe. How such a rumor could get started I cannot imagine. She’s actually quite smart. She just doesn’t want to show off. Don’t let all that fluff between her ears fool you. I’ve caught her reading Proust when no one is looking.
Ellie and the birthday girl/
Soho in her tiara cuddling up to Dave
Jo and John
Teri and Ellie
Just have to include another photo of Karma.
Happy Anniversary, Pam and Kirk!
Victoria and the Tart.
Bernadette and Annabelle
Colleen and Raoul
He is fearless around the chickens!
Michael tries a cupcake
Too many presents! Chadd presided over the gifts.
Chloe and Kirstie
Family photo: Michael, Marie-Christine and Victoria
Dave and Karen
A very tired - but happy- Tart.
Thanks to all you dear people who do not pass judgment over us for having a birthday party for a dog…and for not telling us if you do.
Hi Calories!
They’re everywhere, it seems, at least this weekend. We were fortunate to wine and dine repeatedly the last few days, and in grand style.
Bernadette invited us to her temporary aerie high above the city, where we ate like kings and queens and gazed down upon our kingdom, faithful dogs by our side.
Living like royalty for a night
HRH's Katherine and Soho. All that's missing are the crowns...
And, of course, His Grandness, the ubiquitous Karma
Yesterday I finally saw Julia for the first time since her wedding. Mrs. Davis is still radiant a few months later, and she brought an album of stunning photos from the wedding. She also brought a few treasures from her honeymoon to Thailand. If you go, she says, don’t miss Phuket. She said it was beautiful! At the bottom of Julia’s bag of presents was a freshly-baked loaf of bread for the CE! Calorie ca-ching ca-ching but who could resist? Between us, I think Julia and I managed to sample pretty much everything on the menu at the Montecito Cafe, one of our favorite places for lunch. If you go, ask for Barbara, waitress extraordinaire. And, regardless of your waistline, order the Vanilla Semifreddo with Vanilla and Raspberry Sauce. Nothing like it anywhere.
Just a few hours later I am horrified and delighted to report that our family, including Granny, sat down to a sumptuous feast prepared by Victoria and her mother. These two French cooks completely outdid themselves. Chicken (CHICKEN!!????) Tangine – a recipe from the Eiffel Tower restarant cookbook I brought to them from Las Vegas -along with a lovely composed salad, and the piece de resistance (we worked on our pronunciations at length with our bilingual guests) was an apple tarte tatin. My only contribution was to open a bottle of Cain Concept cabernet – a 2006, I think, that was like an applause to this perfect meal. It was so much fun to sit with Victoria’s parents and learn more about their lives and home in France.
The salad!
Victoria's father, Michael, shared his wine with a new friend
Now we see where Victoria gets her beauty and charm...
The only downside to all this eating, eating and more eating, is that I’m headed south to that great temple of shopping on Topanga Boulevard today, yet another dress size larger after this dining marathon. Ah well, what is the quote? Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may all be fat? Au revoir for now!
I wouldn’t want to be the bobcat.
Man’s best friend – and ours – the fabled Karma, was minding his own sweet, dear, noble, elderly business one afternoon when the attack took place. A bobcat emerged from the creek bed behind Katherine and Dan’s home and mistook Karma for a late lunch. Luckily, even though he was injured and developed an abscess, brave Karma is doing well, other than possibly taking offense at his owners’ new nickname for him – they’ve been calling him “Frankendoggie” as a result of his post-attack appearance.
A baby picture of Karma that Katherine sent me
Apparently, bobcats are more rule than exception in semi-rural southern CA. We just received a newsletter from our homeowners’ association with a warning to take measures to protect against bobcats and coyotes. I’ve never seen one in our part of town, but they are brazenly present in Katherine and Dan’s neighborhood:
That, folks, is a bobcat in Karma's driveway!
The bobcat may have had his say that afternoon, but in the long run, I think he chose the wrong prey. After all, the whole idea of Karma is that what goes around comes around, right?
“Dogs are miracles with paws”
Appropriate to what are known as the “dog days of summer”, we invited some of our favorite canines to lunch yesterday, and told them it would be fine to bring their people along if they’d like. Isn’t it just like a dog to do the gracious thing? They all let their people come along!
We began, of course, with a tour of the chicken coop.
Katherine and Pamela
Karma, Dan and Katherine
Kirk and Pamela
Pamela brought treats for the chickens
After the chickens were duly admired, we had lunch outside. For once, I was not complaining about the weather – it was a gorgeous summer day! Victoria volunteered to cook for the group and after consulting with her mother (a splendid French cook!) turned the menu I had suggested into an epic meal. We started with various Cheese Toasts, then Chicken Pasta Salad (our favorite family stand-by), Chilled Pea Soup with Mint (I’m going to ask Victoria for the recipe), and then the most amazing Coconut Flan, and Chocolate Mousse served in “spoon bowls”. Here is the www.epicurious.com recipe for the Bleu Cheese toasts we all loved:
Parmesan-Blue Cheese Toasts with Green Onions
Gourmet | November 2003
by Tina Thompson, Orlando, FL
Combine mayonnaise, garlic, ground pepper, and cayenne pepper in medium bowl and whisk to blend.
Mix in cheeses; season with salt. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Brush 1 side of each bread slice with oil. Place oiled side down on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread slices until almost golden, about 5 minutes. Spread 1 generous tablespoon cheese mixture on each bread slice on sheet. Bake until cheese topping starts to bubble and toasts are golden at edges, about 10 minutes.
Transfer toasts to large platter.
Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve warm.
Thank you, Victoria!
Soho and Bernadette
Dan and Katherine thoughtfully brought a box of “Frosty Paws” for the dogs to enjoy.
Katherine shows Tahoe how to enjoy Frosty Paws
Karma in Nirvana
I think Soho is actually smiling in this picture!
It was a good day to be a dog and a good occasion for this quote by Roger Caras:
“Dogs have given us their absolute all.
We are the center of their universe.
We are the focus of their love and faith and trust.
They serve us in return for scraps.
It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.”
And I know it’s not Christmas…
But after that last picture, you need something pretty to look at. Here’s a photo of the aforementioned Karma, as, according to Katherine “one of the lesser-known” of Santa’s reindeer.
Ho ho ho
This is actually more timely than you might think, as I just finished reading Canto XX of Dante’s Purgatorio where, of all people, Santa Claus showed up. Not as the fat man in a red suit, of course, but in his streetclothes, as St. Nicholas, the fourth century Bishop of Myra in Lycia. As the story goes, St. Nicholas had a poverty-stricken neighbor whose three daughters were destined for a tawdry life on the streets. Nicholas secretly threw bags of gold in the neighbor’s window at night (thus the tradition of gifts coming down the chimney and stockings being stuffed on Christmas Eve) so that the daughters could avoid shame and afford to marry respectably.
Nicholas was evoked in Purgatory as an example of generosity as Dante and Virgil traverse Cornice V of Mt. Purgatory, where the souls of the covetous work out their penance. He has absolutely nothing to do with chickens, however, but neither did the last photo I posted here. Angie was the only brave soul to offer a guess on the identity of the two creepy winged creatures in that picture. No, they aren’t baby bats, but that was my first guess, too. They are baby buzzards. I hope to never, ever see one in real life!
A slight disappointment on the chicken front. I’ve heard from multiple sources that chickens love table scraps, particularly fruits and vegetables, and most particularly, watermelon. We saved some watermelon and green beans from Sunday supper and I presented it to the girls on Monday morning. They stared at it and discussed it among themselves, then walked away from it and studiously avoided the area until the CE cleaned it up.
“Where are the mealworms?”
I guess next time we’ll try foie gras…
Good Karma.
Karma
Karma is a Rhodesian Ridgeback who lives the life to which we all aspire. He has loving parents (“owners” being so poorly descriptive of the relationship between dogs and their people, I think) who provide him personalized dog treats and a fine Baluch rug to call his own.
We know this because the Chicken Emperor, eschewing social protocol, helped himself to an examination of these folks’ rugs. Apologies may be in order, but it was interesting to learn a bit about the rugs made by the Baluch (or Baloch) tribe. Karma’s particular rug features a border made from horse hair, which, the CE explained, is used due to a traditional belief that snakes will not cross horse hair, and therefore, whomever sleeps on the rug need not worry about creepy crawly nocturnal visitors. Sweet, serpentless dreams to you, dear Karma!
According to an article on www.farsinet.com, “the Baluch people are very kind and simple and weave rugs mainly to express themselves and follow an ancient Persian tradition, which dates back thousands of years. Colors of Baluch rugs are usually predominantly a rich burgundy with some very dark navy blue and accents of ivory. They frequently have either an overall pattern, or a prayer rug design. Any Baluch Persian rug is one of a kind and has absolutely no duplicates anywhere in the world.” Members of the Baluch tribes can be found living in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
The article goes on to explain that Baluch rugs are of excellent quality and can last for many years. Favored colors are dark red or blue contrasted with splashes of white, yellow and orange. Powerful blues predominate, with ivory as a contrasting color.
A Baluch rug
We had such a fun time that we’re hoping to plan a reunion lunch at our house soon. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a meet-and-greet with the chickens, as well. We’re looking forward to seeing them all again soon, as we can most certainly benefit from a bit of good Karma now and then.
Our lovely hosts, Katherine (sp?) and Dan
Bernadette, patron saint of pet-sitters and catalyst for yesterday's lunch
The amorous Charlie, who also attended
A tired Tart, after much ball-chasing fun
Chloe, of course
