First Fourth in Providence

No, this isn't about yet another dumb name for a merged banking conglomerate. It's about food and people getting together.

Until recently the weather here in this corner of New England has been beastly: hot, sunny and sticky during the day and hot, cloudy and sticky overnight, but muggy and hot generally. The Fourth of July, Independence Day here in the US, brought an end to this bit of meteorological unpleasantness: it's been rainy and slightly cool for the past couple of days. Much needed relief, believe me. Freedom from the heat I suppose.

It's been a good couple of weeks, though, the weather notwithstanding.

Almost two weeks ago Susie and I drove up to Whitinsville, MA for a party at the home of a local artist. Gracie's catered the food and Susie was invited by a young woman who works at the restaurant and whose mother was hosting the event at her home/art gallery/studio. The place was packed with local folks showing their support for Alternatives, a local organization that seems to help those with serious disabilities lead productive lives. It was a grand evening -- lots of happy faces and of course the food was incredible.

A week ago Sunday we drove over to Gracie's, for another party. Although normally open on Sundays, the restaurant closed for the first week of July -- lots of restaurants in town close about the same time, particularly since "Restaurant Weeks" takes off in full force from July 6-19. (Lots of places in Providence offer a 3- or 4-course prix fixe menu at greatly reduced cost. Eating at a few of these places, like Gracie's, can be an incredible value.)

Anyway we went to Gracie's for a party: Brendan the wine guru and bar manager at Gracie's is moving on, in this case to California, where he will pursue his love of wine and work on his Master's of Wine. He asked if I would take photos and so I did. 

So Gracie's has been closed all this past week and Susie has been at home most of that time, reorganizing her voluminous recipe files. Since she also feels compelled to be baking during much of her waking hours, she has been using her family as guinea pigs for the next set of sweeping changes to the dessert menu at the restaurant. Since we planned to join Dick and Dorothy at their home on the Fourth, along with Susie's sister Mary, their Uncle Frank and Susie's other sister Joyce and her husband Carl (more of that later), Susie agreed to bring dessert.br />Or rather three desserts: plum financier (brown butter almond cake) with lemon creme anglaise, chocolate cake with chocolate ganache swirl, and a mango and milk chocolate mousse with homemade ladyfinger -- as you can see in the photo this was actually like a "mousse" cake ringed with ladyfingers.

The group agreed: all three were delicious -- now the question is which one gets the nod and goes public?

My week went fast -- the holiday cut it short of course, and Thursday was a short day at the office where I spend most of my time. The web content is flying now -- temps have been hired and have already started entering our edited content into the website production system. It amazes me how much has happened in the two short months since I started and the things I have learned -- these kids, and they are all so very young, these kids know an incredible amount of stuff: whether it's about contemporary music, photoimagery, or web design architecture, I'm continually amazed at the breadth and depth of their knowledge. To top it off, Brad, one of the full time web editors, and who has been head over heels into this project since last fall, is about to become a father at any minute. Still, he manages to keep it together. Incredible.

Closer to home, we will soon have a new neighbor: the apartment directly beneath ours just closed last week, Monday in fact, and the new owner, a young woman and her roommate will be moving in in the next week or so. That makes half the units sold. We, the five of us present owners, will soon have to assume full control of the association -- right now our builder and his partner are president and treasurer, for what it's worth, and they want to hand over control as quickly as possible. It should prove to be an interesting year as we evolve into real condo home owners.

Sadly, there were no wine flights at Gracie's this past week since the restaurant is closed for the week, but we are eagerly awaiting this coming week's offerings, whatever they may be. Dick and Dorothy will join us this time and we'll find some place funky in town to eat afterwards.

Speaking of D & D, we had a wonderful Fourth of July dinner at their house yesterday. Lots of good food, delicious grilled chicken, cool white wine, plenty of scrumptious salads and of course Susie's grand desserts. Mary dropped by and Uncle Frank too -- although sadly his wife Cathy was under the weather and didn't come. She's such a funny person and just makes you smile when she starts talking. Brother-in-law Carl had just picked his wife Joyce up at Logan airport. Joyce had been in Texas visiting her daughter Christina and granddaughter Kiera and had stayed a bit longer than planned -- but it all worked out since they could join us all for the holiday bash.

Our plans for returning to Paris in September are now pretty firmed up. We have our tickets -- Delta from JFK to Paris -- and will be staying at Drea's apartment on Rue General Renault, a 10-minute walk from Pere Lachaise cemetery and an easy Metro ride to just about anywhere else in the city. We rented her apartment last fall and I suppose it is only fitting we do so again -- seriously though, she was most kind in making the space available. It's absolutely perfect for us and we loved the neighborhood.

OK, I admit it: we pretty much love just about any and every neighborhood in Paris. There, I said it and frankly feel much better having gotten that off my chest. I've come to grips with it and embraced it. I'm now centered, at peace with myself and all of humanity (excepting the Republican Party) and ready to return to the place of rebirth.

But a lot is going to happen before we head east for the Land of Parisii: July will fly, and then August will find us making a long-awaited (and long overdue) trip to Colorado to see Stan and Margie -- where we will also celebrate 25 years of marriage (yes, yes our anniversary if you must know), followed by a quick trip to NYC to work Gracie's Beard House dinner (quite an affair that).

Then Paris.

I hope you're up for it all.

I know we are.

Wish you were here,

Steve

Looking for a place to stay in Paris

Once again we're looking for a place to stay in Paris, this time for 10 days. Right now we're hoping to return to the apartment we rented in the 11th -- but if that doesn't work out we've found a place that sounds quite nice, in Le Marais, in the 4th.

The plan is to fly in to CDG, and take the RER into the city -- if we return to the 11th we'll change to the Metro at Gare du Nord, otherwise we'll transfer at Chatelet -- my least favorite Metro stop in the entire city. It's confusing, loud, long and hot and seems to be where the entire population of Paris can be found together at any given moment during the day.

Cyd Charisse; can this woman dance?

Whether it was with Fred or Gene, this woman could dance - and need we say she was stunning in any color, Singin' in the Rain:

Returning to Paris!

That's right, on Sunday we got our tickets -- Delta nonstop out of JFK thank you very much -- for our return trip to Paris in September. Ten glorious nights -- like the marketing agents would say I suppose -- ten grand and glorious nights in the city of light, love and incredible things to see and do.

We not only have a handful of Metro tickets left but Susie and I still have our carte l'orange! We ready baby!! Now, all we need is a place to stay. . . Stay tuned!

When your pet dies - saying goodbye to an old friend

I grew up with dogs and as a young man had a couple of dogs that became good friends -- I recall a Lhasa Apso by the name of John Milton in particular. He was less than two years old when I lost him. One minute we were playing on the floor of my parent's basement and the next he was gone -- a burst cerebral aneurysm I was told later.

Just recently we learned that a couple of old friends in Michigan lost one of their best friends, a standard poodle that went by the name of Charley. I don’t think I’ve ever known a more pleasant or friendlier creature than Charley and can only imagine the pain his loss brought on our friends. In fact, I think it's probably safe to say that a good companion and friend taken from us is never an easy loss to bear.

“People love their pets,” writes the Humane Association of the United States, “and consider them members of their family. Caregivers celebrate their pets' birthdays, confide in their animals, and carry pictures of them in their wallets. So when your beloved pet dies, it's not unusual to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your sorrow. Animals provide companionship, acceptance, emotional support, and unconditional love during the time they share with you. If you understand and accept this bond between humans and animals, you've already taken the first step toward coping with pet loss: knowing that it is okay to grieve when your pet dies.”

The HAUS reminds us that the death of a family pet can be particularly hard on seniors. “Those who live alone may feel a loss of purpose and an immense emptiness,” notes the HAUS in their handy online guide (see sidebar). In addition, the loss of a pet “may also trigger painful memories of other losses and remind caregivers of their own mortality.”

According to the Humane Association, it is absolutely essential “that senior pet owners take immediate steps to cope with their loss and regain a sense of purpose.”

One solution is to adopt another pet of course, but that poses other dilemmas for the senior: the pet may outlive the caregiver and of course a new pet may strain a person’s physical and financial abilities to provide adequate care.

Humane Association recommends several things to help cope with the grief that comes with the loss of a family pet: write about your feelings, call your local humane society to see if they offer support services, and explore the internet for pet loss support groups. You might also consider preparing a memorial for your pet, sharing the importance that "Metronome" or "Gwitty" or "Bandit" had on your life.

So, how can you go about honoring the memory of your old friend?

One way is to plant a special tree or shrub in your yard. You might also create a scrapbook of photos and give it a special place in your home. Or you might consider holding a special service at a nearby pet cemetery where you can even donate a tree or bench with your name and the name of your pet on it.

According to the International Association of Pet Cemeteries there are more than 600 active pet cemeteries in the United States, and many operate in conjunction with other pet-oriented businesses such as boarding kennels, grooming centers and the like. Established in 1896, the Hartdale Pet Cemetery in New York is the oldest operating pet cemetery in the US. The largest is reportedly the Bide-a-Wee Home Association, also located in New York, with supposedly more than 5,000 burials in one of their cemeteries alone.

In the Rhode Island area there are a handful of choices: you can check with the Potter League in Middletown (see sidebar); and there is Rose Hill Pet Cemetery in Peace Dale, RI. Angelview Pet Cemetery and Crematory in Middleboro, MA provides a large number of services, including memorials, memorial services, burials, and various funerary items as well.

One of the more curious pet cemeteries in Rhode Island is on the grounds of the K9 Instincts boarding and training facility in Portsmouth, RI. The cemetery was originally opened in the late 1930s, making it probably the oldest pet cemetery in the state. It is also the final resting place of Pookie, the “good friend and faithful companion” of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Pookie apparently passed away while the family was visiting Rhode Island in 1956.

Whatever you choose to do, one thing is for certain: the loss of a treasured member of your family will be something you’ll remember for years to come. I suspect that it's not just the loss of a "good walking pal" or a "playful puppy" that has left such a large hole in so many lives. I wonder if what isn't really missed is the loss of the utterly, absolutely unconditional love and loyalty that is second nature to the family pet; attributes that many believe they may never ever find anywhere else.


Websites:

The Humane Society of the United States - http://www.hsus.org/
Information on pet cremation - http://www.angelashes.com/petcremation.htm
The International Association of Pet Cemeteries - http://www.iaopc.com/
Pet cemeteries in Rhode Island - http://www.pet-loss.net/resources/RI.html
Pet cemetery in Portsmouth, RI - http://www.k9instincts.com/
Angelview Pet Cemetery http://www.angelview.com/
Potter League in Middletown, RI http://www.potterleague.org/