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For me, it starts with the wayward hair that won’t go easily into place. From there, it progresses, to a split end… and then many, many more… ends that are split. Time is something that passes, without bold indication, but rather with small changes; mostly undetectable, until suddenly they are, detectable… and bothersome.
I awoke this morning to a sound, rhythmic, familiar. It sounds like this: tststst…tststst…tststst…? I know this sound, so I don’t even question it, the sound. I was still asleep. Later on, it occurred to me, my hair was having a very bad day; how long had it been since my last cut?
And later still, I am cooking, chop, chop, choppity-chop, chchchop…love to chop…; I was in a groove. Then thwack-a-thwack, thwack, thwack. Hate the thwack in the distance! But then enters the tststst…tststst…tststst! What the Hell is going on? I of course know and turn knowing what I will see.
Thwack-a-thwack, thwack, thwack. I look to my left and there sits Ginger… so busted! Itching her ear. Itching, itching but then getting up and walking… tststst…tststst…tststst… really? Buddy is following close behind… tststst…tststst… The clackers, we call them the clackers because of the sound that their nails make, now, as they cross the hardwood floors, it reminds us of the high heels of a clacker.
It’s been 6 weeks, 3 days and several hours since we last dropped off our beloved clackers at the boutique in Ballard, where on Wednesday, Ginger and Buddy will be spending the day. I know this because… of tststst…tststst…tststst… the sound that tells me we will be visiting Victoria soon; time to de-clack.
Buddy: “Hey Ginger, do you think we are getting shaggy?”
Ginger: “You are Mr. Stinky, but my hair looks good long.”
Buddy: Ya, well I can hear your paws from the other side of the house.”
Ginger: “Do you think we are going to see Victoria soon?”
Buddy: “We like Victoria.”
Like clockwork… yes, clockwork, for them, it starts with the wayward hair that will not brush easily from their eyes. From there it progresses to the shagginess that starts gradually, almost undetectable, until the twigs begin to attach themselves, following Ginger and Buddy in from the yard. Finally they look a few inches rounder; their slim frames hidden beneath their new coat. And then comes the clacking, the inevitable sign that we are quickly approaching seven weeks from their last cut. The toenails have once again given them away and served as a reminder that we will soon be making a trek to Ballard and perhaps eating out at one of the many places we love to eat at in that part of town, perhaps Staple & Fancy, Bastille…or Delancey?
Ginger: “I am feeling restless, do you feel like going for a run?”
Buddy: “No, I’m comfy.”
Raw beet & asparagus salad
This is just the kind of thing Ginger and Buddy like to eat.
Buddy and Ginger are big fans of salad but for some reason, they just don’t like the lettuce (unless it comes fully dressed, and that’s not on their diet). So, I thought this might be the perfect meal to send them off for a day at the spa. Asparagus is in season and available locally right now so I love to leave it raw; the flavor is crystal clear. I like to peel the thorns from the stems but to many people, this would be considered fussing. The beets are also in a nice state right now so I opt to keep them raw as well. I make up a little dressing for Tom and I but Buddy and Ginger require none.
For the dressing, I put a pinch of sea salt, a few grinds of pepper, a little chopped garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice and a spot of Dijon mustard into a mini jar (only a few inches tall by half as wide), filled it the rest of the way with olive oil and shook it up until it became creamy.
I then carefully peeled a golden beet and sliced it thin on my mandolin. The asparagus got stemmed, the tips reserved and the thorns lightly peeled away. Next, at a diagonal, I sliced them thinly into pieces.
I had a fresh container of Buffalo mozzarella which I squeezed of excess moisture. I divided some of the beets and asparagus onto two small plates for Buddy and Ginger then tossed the rest in a bowl with just enough dressing to lightly coat the vegetables.
This was then divided onto two, slightly larger, plates for Tom and I. Next came torn pieces of the mozzarella, scattered over all of our plates, and a drizzle more of the dressing with a sprinkling of sea salt for Tom and I.
Ginger: “Do you see what I see?”
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Don’t worry, their next course involved fish.
But…
Oh, If you are curious as to what became of the asparagus tips (Tom’s favorite part), I roasted them off to eat with our Easter lamb (Buddy and Ginger, gently and with supervision, licked the bone).
Oh Stacy , I just love reading your blog and I have tried your glorious food. In person even. Always delicious! One request however, I want to be one of your dogs! :). ๐ The adoption process should be simple! LOL
Oh thanks Margo, glad you are reading. What was your recent try?
I could start the adoption process but be warned that Buddy and Ginger have pretty strict requirements…
Love this post, Stacey! Ginger and Buddy are too cute. You’re lucky they enjoy being groomed. Poor Bailey hates baths and hates being brushed even more. As for your beet and asparagus salad–my goodness the colors are so pretty! They pop right off the page. Mmmm tasty!
Thanks Patty, so weird, I replied to this (and others) but it didn’t go through.
Ginger used to hate being brushed but now loves being brushed. Buddy used to attack the brush. Victoria has tamed him because now, he lets me brush him after baths and is eager to see Victoria at “Looking Good”. Maybe Bailey will grow out of his dislike of baths and brushes. He always looks so fluffy and clean, so you have obviously found a way to manage.
Bailey is just photogenic, I think. He always seems to look cleaner and fluffier in pics!
He is definitely photogenic (and cute).
Excellent post, so cute ๐ And I love seeing pictures of those pups!
Thanks, glad you like my pups too – just can’t stop taking pictures of them.
๐ very entertaining post. I’m still stuck on the idea that your dogs actually like salad though. Hugo spits out anything that’s even vaguely green. I once gave him a casserole to finish with peas in it and he picked out every single pea and spat it out. Your dogs sound far more civilised than mine. By the way, the salad sounds TDF…
Thanks. I was a little surprised at first too because Buffy wouldn’t touch a piece of veg, carnivore all the way. I am glad they like to eat so many healthy things though because it gives them a nice variety of eating (and who doesn’t want that?).
Loving these photos! You really capture the Easter spirit and your food photos look delish!
Thanks, the “kids” were certainly due for a groom but they are so happy to finally hang outside. Mimi is so darn photogenic ; is she a Maltese/ terrier mix?
Yes, she is a Maltese & Yorkie mix ๐
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