Philadelphia

If you recognize the view of this Noguchi sculpture from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and this snippet of Chinatown, you will know that our Girl Scout troop was headed toward Philadelphia, PA.






We saw so many things and visited so many places while there. Here are just a few photos of places we visited. Here are Anna, (my)Laura, Megan and Kaitlin outside Betsy Ross's House. She lived in a rather small, rented house. General George Washington actually visited her to commission the flag. The stars and stripes were his idea, but it was Betsy's idea to make the star with 5 points rather than the 6 that the General had suggested. He thought a 6 pointed star would be easier, but Betsy quickly took a scissors and a piece of fabric and with a quick snip snip snip she showed him how easily she could create the 5 pointed star. See? sometimes it takes a crafter! :) She had to hide upstairs in her bedroom when sewing the flag or she could have been arrested by the British and killed for treason to the crown.

Ads for the awesome John Adams mini-series were found here and there. I'm so glad I was able to watch it before our trip. It made it that much more special. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it!

Here is a little bird friend who shared a shortbread cookie with me while waiting outside Independence Hall for our tour time.







Inside Independence Hall, it is awe inspiring. The architecture alone is worth the visit. However, it is the history that transpired there that brought tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat. I must say that our National Park Rangers who work there are very informative, seem to love their job and are not jaded by how many tours they have given to the thousands of visitors.

We found these little guys here and there on the streets (literally!) of Philadelphia. I figured it must be some form of street art. I did a little research when I got home (since no one we asked seem to know) and found out he is called 'Reflectorman.' The artist must spend time between New York and Philly.























We had a special candle lit dinner at the City Tavern; another historic stop. I highly recommend a visit here. The food was so delicious we bought the chef's cookbook; but more about that another time :) This cake was made using Martha Washington's chocolate mousse recipe. Everything was presented so beautifully. Everyone was happy with their dinner. The adults would have liked to sample the $4,999.00 bottle of wine that was on the menu but alas, it was not in our Girl Scout budget. I wonder how many cookies the girls would have to sell....






















We wrapped up one evening with the 'Lights of Liberty' walking tour. They give you a headset and a tour guide and as you walk through the historic section of Philly, you listen to the story of the birth of our nation while images are projected on panoramic screens set into parks and on historic landmark buildings. Our tour guide encouraged shouts of 'Huzzah!' as the Continentals prevailed and we were happy to oblige. There are loads of wonderful things to see and do in Philadelphia. It is truly a place where today and yesterday happily converge. -CS ^..^

And a wedding....

Last Saturday we attended a lovely wedding. If you are a long-time reader of this blog, you may remember this post about our friends who have 'The Lighting' every Christmas. It was David's wedding. He married a lovely girl named Wendy. You've gotta love a girl who chooses this hysterically funny wedding cake topper (the bride is dragging the groom by his collar!)...

Catching the garter frenzy:

Congratulations, David and Wendy! May God bless you both as you begin your lives together! xo xo xo -CS ^..^

The Battle of Ridgefield...

Late morning last Sunday we headed over to Ridgefield, CT for a re-enactment of the Revolutionary War Battle of Ridgefield. The 'living history keepers' made an encampment early in the morning and by afternoon hiked over to the park for 'the battle.' There were quite a few people there.

My kindred spirit friends will recognize the reflector oven or
'tin kitchen' as Tasha Tudor would say. Notice that the musket
training did not interest Stella. In true Corgi style, she is following
her nose straight to the chicken. Hmmm... perhaps there is some
tracking in her future?

Here we have some Loyalists and Redcoats, Militia and Patriots....

Some pretty colonial style dresses...

Stella making friends....for who could resist a Corgi's charms? -CS ^..^

Where have I been?

This past week has been filled with exhausting yet lovely events. I will work my way backward from Sunday! Sunday was my mom's birthday. We took a ride up to the Pompeii & Caesar restaurant at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. She knew she had a reservation for dinner as she was staying there overnight, but didn't expect to see us all sitting in the restaurant for a surprise dinner party! Oh my, the food was not only delicious, but almost too pretty to eat. I had the roasted heirloom beet salad and the lemon risotto. A birthday cake--chocolate cake with raspberry mousse filling iced with whipped cream--was brought in specially. Just the look on her face alone was well worth the hour and a half + ride up and back after dinner. Although staying overnight was seriously tempting, we had to get home. Corgis and critters to take care of; you know how it is.......
(more to follow after I have 40 winks!)-CS ^..^

You just crack me up!

I gave Amy a nice bath this afternoon. Since it is so lovely outside, we brought the grooming table and everything outside for a blow dry. She'll be getting a manicure next. Since it is her spa-day; I asked her if she'd like anything else...perhaps a bedazzled collar, some pink nail polish, or a tiara like the little dogs wear? Apparently, the mere thought of it just cracked her up! -CS ^..^

Signs of Spring

Well, it seems that Spring has decided to grace us with her presence. Last night was the second night it was actually too warm for a little fire in the wood stove. This morning on my way home I was flagged down by an enthusiastic group of little girl entrepeneurs with handmade signs reading, "Lemonade~50 cents." They were wearing brightly colored tee shirts...not a sweater in the bunch. As you can see, the small stream in front of my house is no longer icy; but mossy and flowing again. Weebles is inspecting some of the tiny seeds I planted in these little jiffy greenhouses. She knows there is catnip planted amidst the tomatoes and flowers and herbs. I told her that watching it won't make it grow any faster; but she is a stubborn kitty. I bought a couple of ranunculus when picking up the seed starters. I am always drawn to this flower. It reminds me of a cross between a gorgeous peony and a rose I think. Enjoy the weekend. I'm off to throw open the windows and do a bit of Spring cleaning ~ as soon as I finish my lemonade!-CS ^..^

Sparkly Suds...

If I have to wash dishes, I may as well do it with a sparkly sponge. I found these yesterday when I ran in to D'agostinos to pick up some veggies. I know, pretty lame to get excited over a sponge. What can I tell you, I'm a sucker for sparkly. -CS ^..^

Allie & Zabar

There are times when I open my email and it just makes me happy. This is one of those times. These photos were taken by my friend Daphna Strauss Bernstein of her little gingersnap....I mean daughter, Alexandra and their Corgi, Zabar (Cezanne's Zabar Lox-n-ZZ, UDX, PT) The last one of them laughing is my very favorite. These two best friends have the same expression on their faces! Happy~Happy~Joy ~Joy!

Thanks, Daphna! -CS ^..^

The latest in decorative kitty pillows...

Does anyone else have one of these? How Weebles can comfortably sleep in a little ball like this is beyond me! -CS ^..^

Hedgie Fashionista...

New Original miniature Christmas Corgi painting! (Click photo to enlarge) -CS ^..^

Sold! (sorry, painting more!)

Ebay

Thank you to all of my lovelies who emailed me about one of my 2004 'dog show cartoon' paintings on Ebay. The painting was originally owned by a wonderful Corgi breeder/owner who recently passed away. From what I can tell, it was probably purchased at an 'estate sale.' It made me sad to see it because I remember when the original owner won it she was so excited and I remember her telling me that the 'hair on the girl in the painting reminded her of her own.' Funny, the things we remember, right? But it does seem to be in good shape from the listing photo. I'm guessing the seller has the original certificate of authenticity with it since she lists info that can be found on it. I hope the painting finds a wonderful new home. CS ^..^

I've got a sharp knife and I know how to use it...

Lord knows I don't need an excuse to go to a dog show. However, should you feel the need to justify how much time you spend at dog shows to family or friends, try multi-tasking :) Occasionally I will bring my good cooking knives with me to have the 'scissors man' sharpen them. On Saturday, I also brought a good scissors that my Grandmother had given to me. They were supposed to be used only for fabric, but somehow they ended up being used to cut paper at Christmastime and they became dull. The scissors man made them good as new. So, now with my freshly sharpened knives, making dinner tonight was a pleasure. Baby portabella mushrooms, elephant garlic and asparagus sauteed in olive oil and served over angel hair pasta with fresh grated romano cheese. Sharp knife + fresh veggies = good dinner! Whew! Dinner is saved, all thanks to the dog show and the Corgis...what would I DO without them? -CS ^..^

Happy Easter to you all!

Everybody's just chillin' out...

Amy in a 'frog leg splat' after a 2 mile walk with John and Laura tonight....she looks like a little chubbette in this pic; but she's really a lean mean Corgi machine! Weebles just hanging out in deep thought...
For some reason, I have my days and nights mixed up lately. I feel like I want to stay up all night and sleep all day if only the Corgis would let me. Hence this 1:00 AM post. I've watched the HBO mini series John Adams at least 4 times, episodes 1 and 2 so far. It is wonderful. The part where they read the Declaration of Independence was lovely and brought tears to my eyes. Paul Giammati is fantastic as John Adams and I love Laura Linney's portrayal of Abigail Adams as well. (Don't you just love that name? Abigail?) I love American history, especially from colonial times. Our founding fathers were truly brave, brave men. By the very act of signing the Declaration they were committing high treason to the crown of England and could have been hanged. Well, I'm signing off to try and sleep. If not, maybe I'll clean out the fork drawer.....CS ^..^

A Blogworthy Salad...

Happy Sunday afternoon, everyone! My salad and I are off to a bridal shower. This is my incredibly delicious and incredibly easy sundried tomato pasta salad. It is worth growing basil just to make this salad! Recipe below! Let me know how you like it :) Cathy's Sundried Tomato Salad

Toss a pound of bowtie (or your favorite) pasta, cooked (aldente!) with a pinch of sea salt in the boiling water, drained and cooled, with:

*sundried tomatoes, loads of fresh basil, a pound (more or less) of fresh **mozzarella and your favorite home made ***balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing.

*for 'dried' sundried tomatoes: I bring them back to life by letting them simmer in a small saucepan with a little water, olive oil and dried oregano for about 3 minutes. They can sit in the pot while you prepare the rest. You can use the ones in jars of oil, either whole or julienned, also.

**if you don't have fresh mozzarella cheese, you can use polly-o or sargento...or your favorite.

***Extra virgin olive oil or a light olive oil and the best balsamic vinegar you can find. This salad is slightly 'sweet' because of the good balsamic and fresh basil. You can also use a half packet of good seasons italian basil dressing mix if you prefer a greater 'zing' but try it first without it! I usually add a good sprinkle of dried oregano and a couple of cranks of cracked black pepper when tossing.

Adding grilled chicken to this makes a delicious meal. Serve warm or cold! -CS ^..^

Chocolate!

OK, so how cute are these!? Tiny little Lindt chocolate lambs for Easter. I usually pass by the milk chocolate in favor of the dark, but I couldn't resist these little cutie pies. They are (were? Laura and I ate them...yum....) less than 2" high. Pure chocolate cuteness! And, while we're in chocolate mode, how about some warm fudgy brownies fresh from the oven? Have a lovely weekend, everyone! -CS ^..^













p.s for those wondering about the Corgi dishcloth: it is a Linda Ozelis design, embroidered by Sharon Lofley! Sharon's website is: www.nardiscouture.com
So cute, right?

Corgis by candlelight...

Oh my goodness did we ever have a storm here over the weekend! John and I decided to take a ride into town to pick up a few things at the grocery store. When we were done, we stopped to get a little Chinese and Japanese take out (yes, both!) Suddenly on our way home it was like the scene from the Wizard of Oz. I was expecting Miss Gulch to fly by on her bicycle with one of my Corgis in her basket. Tree branches and things were flying everywhere. We were almost home, half way down our street when we saw a police car and a bunch of flares on the ground. A huge tree had fallen, completely blocking the street and taking the power lines with it. We had to take a back way home. Luckily, we had a flashlight and some candles near the front door (it was pitch black inside and out!) Mary Elizabeth had given me a couple of these really awesome stay-cool plastic battery powered light bulbs one year with a Christmas gift. They surely came in handy! -CS ^..^

The nose knows....

Two things are inevitable when one goes to a dog show: Shopping, and coming home to wash dog towels. Sue King turned us on to these made-in-the-USA rawhide retriever sticks from http://www.whitedogbone.com/ We usually order them online but whenever they are at a dog show we pick them up while we are there. The Corgis love them. We take them away when they get too small or gummy to avoid any problems. Amy (a.k.a. The Lord High Investigator) has discovered them on the table and has informed the others of her find. The crazed look on their faces says it all...

Happy Monday, everyone! -CS ^..^

Uh....what?

One has to be prepared when Mary Elizabeth utters words like, "come over, I want to show you something," or "want to take a ride with me?" For example, who knew you could fit a miniature horse in the back of a mini van? I always tell Mary Elizabeth she is like Snow White...all of the animals just love her. I believe they can sense how much she truly loves them and what a gentle spirit she has. ANYWAY, as her friend I should probably try harder to prevent her from adding another beastie to the menagerie. But really, who could resist this little face? Her first mistake was walking into the animal shelter just 'to see.' Anyway, this little rat terrier puppy or whatever she is now lives at Mary Elizabeth's. She has a purple sweater; a new soft fleecy bed and toys and her name is Brazen. I have a feeling you will see this little one in agility before long! -CS ^..^

The Birthday Girls and New Original Corgi Art!

New mixed media miniature Original painting in a lovely silvery frame. Click here to see art auction, but do check out the birthday girls below before you go! -CS ^..^

Sold! (painting away.....)

Sunday

Today is Stella and Amy's 1st birthday! We plan on having a little celebration after dinner and before watching the Oscars :) Right now I have a pan of chicken parmesan in the oven and a pot of water boiling on the stove for some angel hair to go with it. The Corgis have all had their dinner, but their little noses are still working overtime as they pass in front of the stove. Such little chow-hounds, aren't they? -CS ^..^

Madame Fifi's...

New Original Corgi Art, now on Ebay! Click here dahling...
(sold! sorry, more in the works!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Have a lovely day, everyone!-CS ^..^

Annie & Tina

We are so excited for Annie Baker whose lovely black headed tri Corgi, "Tina" won Best of Breed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this morning under breeder judge Andy Carter. Tina is Ch. Merthyr I Thought So Too. Congratulations to Annie and to Tina's breeder Lesley Chalmers. We are so happy for you, Annie! Whoo hooo! Congratulations also to Nancy Boyd, who won a Maxwell award last evening at the Dog Writers Association banquet for her Corgi Cryer article "Pembrokes In Other Lands." We are so happy for you, Nancy! Whoo hooo again!-CS ^..^

Puppy Pics

It has been a while since we took a few stacking poses of the girls. Mary Elizabeth and I took a few Corgis to a local OFA hip/Cerf Eye clinic early this morning (yawn!) that was sponsored by a Golden Retriever Club. We were the only Corgis there. By the time we got back to my house, the morning snow had melted and the sun was mostly out so what do 2 Corgi maniacs do? Go inside and get warm? Of course not, we take pictures! Out came the table, the camera and some chicken. Well, the girls were somewhat cooperative but they really wanted to play instead. The clouds made some shadows, but we were too cold to move to another spot! Have a lovely Sunday!
-CS ^..^

Let's Have Tea!

I have friends who are coffee drinkers, and friends who are tea drinkers. We enjoy both here in the Santarsiero household. For some reason every day around mid-afternoon we always reach for the tea. Sure, there are some great teabags out there; but for some reason it justs tastes better when we brew the loose-leaf tea. Now before you go ahead and think that we are sitting here with our pinkies up; I will tell you that tea time around here every day is pretty informal. Most of the time I have to make sure I am dipping my juicy paintbrush into my water glass rather than into my tea/coffee cup (come on, I know you other artists out there have dunked into your drink a time or two!) I picked up this little box of 'scone mix' from Williams-Sonoma at Christmas time. They were pretty good, actually. Of course the strawberry preserves and clotted cream didn't hurt either. My daughter and I are very fond of these personal sized 'bee house' teapots. They have a mesh insert where you put your tea and then you simply pour in boiling water from the kettle, brew for 3 minutes or so and voila! Aren't those little tea cozies darling? They are made by Susan at one of my very favorite haunts in Connecticut. http://www.tpartyantiques.com/ She uses vintage fabrics and antique buttons and they are just the perfect size for these little pots. Actually, it was Susan who gave me the idea for my 100th post blog giveaway...I was the winner on her blog! Oh, you'll find me on their blog somewhere, they wouldn't let me leave without a photo! (We bloggers are obsessive about photos!) I am becoming addicted to 'Susan's Blend' tea. Completely delicious. Well, better head off before a Corgi eats the scones! -CS ^..^

NEW YORK GIANTS!

Giants vs. Packers, Eddie Murphy knew it........

Whooo hoooo!

ALL HAIL THE NEW YORK GIANTS!!!