It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new.
But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful.
There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
Alan Cohen
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sun and Clouds

It was one of those amazing days of sun and clouds . With a little window shopping thrown in.
Nights are getting colder, we finally had to turn on the heat. The sun shines but the air is cold, winter here is just amazing and almost always beautiful. After having lived in Portland, Oregon, we had our fill of gloom and rain . I loved Portland but I wish they had this sort of weather.
Tomorrow is the Day .. Computer day , my new computer will be set up and I will be busy with my photos and blogs and catching up.
Tomorrow night is the meeting of the Consortium.
In the US, you would call it the Tenants Meeting.
I love ours.. I love our neighbors so it is good to see everyone plus there is nothing like Argentines gathered together, discussing politics, weather, sports or in this case, keeping our administrator on her toes and keeping the building in good shape and when do we get the building washed ?
You know, the important stuff.
We are playing with the idea of sound proof windows / double glazed.
I am growing tired of weekend nights being spent listening to people in another building, laughing and making noise until around 4 or 5 am .
They have no idea how close they come to being bombarded by a screaming American woman in her nightgown, throwing eggs, rocks, water bombs or whatever is used in that night's fantasy.
So it would be good for all , if I can have a sound proofed bedroom. really.
Now.. I must go bake chocolate chip cookies.
It is this craving I have .... a result of fresh air plus cold weather .. plus the combination of my own internal Sunshine and Clouds. I worry about Pup and try not to think of what is to come, then I see him happy and frisky and I am happy too.. Chocolate is the medicine I need, other than a magic potion that will make him live forever.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Not a bad day


Today was a bit chilly, well a lot chilly and blustery and grey but we felt pretty good and decided to go to the park and take a walk.
Then we visited the vet, which was not so fun for one of us but when we got home, there were lots of treats, kisses and snuggles. And no more vet visits until next week.
All in all, not a bad day.
Tomorrow my new computer gets set up.
My photos will be back, It will be mine, all mine !!! (Obviously, I am not the one in the house that is famous for being good at sharing) ..
This weekend I am hoping we can make it to the Bibliotech for a Classical Concert.
More on that later.
Now about that missing bag of M&Ms ....

Monday, Look at this Blog



For those days when just looking at beautiful things is Enough.
There is more to it than that, but there are some of us around here who just need that little quiet time, that soothing time of looking at Pretty Things.
Not to mention, there are ideas there, waiting to be had ..
Start your Monday out with a pretty picture and a new idea .. works for me !

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Saturday in Buenos Aires

There is nothing like shopping in a Feria, with lots of people, on a bright but chilly Fall day, knowing there is a cup of hot coffee and some apple tart waiting for you.

And bringing home some pretty flowers to brighten the house and our spirits.
Happy Weekend !

Friday, May 27, 2011

Update on Everything


This will be my last update because I do not want this to turn into a sad place where you go to look for bad/sad news. I want to let you know what is going on then we will all go on as if nothing ever happened and we will not think about anything bad that can happen ..

Pup had hemangiosarcoma. This was the mass that was removed along with his spleen. Lucky for him, they were able to remove the organ that the mass attached itself to! Those cancer cells like organs like spleens, hearts, lungs and livers.
So while his heart is good, his liver and lungs are clear and his spleen is gone, he has these cells running around or hiding somewhere.
We saw an immunologist , thinking we would find new and improved ways for him to stay strong and healthy without surgery or chemo. But even the immunologist suggested chemo ...
Standard poodles live from 11 - 15 years of age. Pup will be 12 in June.
We want his last days, however many there are, to be good. We want him to enjoy his life, his walks, his friends, his playtime and his naps with his mama, while he can.
We do not intend to make his last days , days of suffering.
So he will not be getting chemotherapy .
He will be given huge amounts of love and attention and for however many days we have together, he will be as comfortable as he can be..
My hope is he will die in his sleep of old age.
So this is the news on our visit with the vets today. He had a good time at the park today, it is a bit cold out and he stayed in with the housekeeper while we went to the store and got a new computer .
Then we went to the park again. He is now napping after all the fresh air and a big dinner. He has also gained back all weight lost when sick and looks fab u lous.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Chicken & Dumplings

When you move away from the country where you are originally from and where you have lived most of your life, you leave all sorts of things behind.
Not just friends and family and everything familiar, but there is a loss of things that you liked to eat.
If you are lucky and you move somewhere like , oh, say, France, odds are you will be pretty happy with everything you eat... and finding things similar or the same as what you used to have "back home" might be easier.
Here, there are all sorts of restrictions on imports of everything and that includes foods.
So the mayonnaise is from South America , but we can get Heinz Ketchup.
We can get Dijon mustard but there is no such thing as peanut butter. Well, there is something similar to it found in Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown but it is peanut flavored sweet and extremely oily stuff .. you would not want it on bread with jelly ...
or a banana.
You never realize how much you take various foods for granted until you realize you live somewhere that those things just don't exist or are so different, they might as well not exist.
Which leads us to Dumplings. Chicken and Dumplings.
I don't know why, maybe because Pup has been so sick and I have felt so far from all that is familiar, that I had this craving for chicken and dumplings.
The weather got cold and it has rained a couple of times.
Days that are best spent inside with music and books and a warm dry Pup, who is growing stronger and better every day.
But I wanted to put a pot of chicken and dumplings on the stove and fill the house with those warm comforting scents.
In the old days, I grew lazy and made excellent dumplings using Bisquick .. there is no Bisquick sold here.
So how lucky am I that my daughter sent me the recipe to make Bisquick ? !!
I have made pancakes, just like home ... I decided to try the dumplings.... Just like home.
So I am going to share the recipes here with you, since Kelly asked .

"Bisquick" recipe:

5 cups flour
1/4 cup baking powder
2 T sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
Cut in butter until the mix is crumbly.
Store in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

Chicken and Dumplings

*Dumpling batter*
1/3 cup milk
1 cup "Bisquick" mix
Stir until soft dough forms, drop by spoonfuls into hot broth.

In deep pot, saute chopped onions (shallots) in butter.
Add diced celery, carrots or leave them out . ( I left them out this time)
Add chicken cut into bite sized pieces ( I used chicken breast cutlets)
Add liquid ( you can use water but I used chicken broth) .. enough to cover everything and to accomodate the dumplings... maybe 4-6 cups.

When the chicken is cooked through, add the dumplings by big drops from a large spoon ..
Cook at low heat uncovered for 10 minutes.
Cover, cook 10 minutes longer.

They will pop up and be light and fluffy when done.

Please, if anyone makes this, let me know how it worked for you and if you liked them.



Autumn


At last, Autumn has arrived, full blast if you count how cold it was this morning.
How hard it was to get out from under the covers. The fact that some of us are wearing flannel pajamas and others of us walk around the house with a blanket draped over us like some ghostly pup apparition.
It is cold. People are finally wearing coats.
They always wear scarves, very French in my opinion, they wear them all year round , but now they need them.
You know when it is really chilly when the little pups wear their little coats and sweaters too. Or as someone might comment, the lady that owns that little pup must be cold..

There was quite a bit of rain for a couple of days.
With the air of recuperation and rejuvenation at home, the feeling was, Why go out ? Let's stay in and be warm and snug and not get chilled , we don't really need anything out there, do we ?
Books are being read, once again I would like to thank the gods for Kindle , and photos were taken on walks and much cooking has been going on !

The Southern Girl in me came out full force about 2 nights ago when Chicken and Dumplings were on the menu.
My North Carolina grandmother would have been proud! This is where winter gets dangerous. All those recipes and what is more comforting and warm than a cozy kitchen with delicious scents coming from it ?

Today we will venture out . A store named after a fruit is expecting us.
My days of sharing the computer with the most generous of people might be coming to an end.
As generous as he is, I am sure he is looking forward to it too.
I have all sorts of plans as to some Photo work I wish to do.
This will not be a Boring Winter.
It will be a Healing and Happy Winter and hopefully we will be looking forward to some visitors.



Tuesday, May 24, 2011

the Present

Someone is feeling better.
Everyone else feels better as well.


Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery.
And today? Today is a gift.
That's why we call it the present.

Alice Morse Earle


Monday, May 23, 2011

Monday, Look at this Blog


Lovely.
How lovely to be able to leave your work behind and go to France, to go to school, , to learn to ... Cook !
How lovely to be the children of a man, who does this in order to teach his children to eat and cook well.
And how lovely for us that he decided to blog it all.
Oui ! I say ~

Sunday, May 22, 2011

A Rainy Day in BA Town


After not being able to fall asleep until after 4 am, thanks to the party that was going on in another building, behind ours, but the party goers were out on the terrace and loud.. very loud. Causing me to lie in bed and imagine if I could spray them with a hose, throw eggs at them, call the police .. go to a hotel.
But it quieted down and I slept.
Pup apparently had no problem sleeping, he was curled up in the same position as when I said good night to him.
My husband is blessed with the ability to sleep through Everything.
I guess I make a good Look-out, I am the one who will be sitting there, all night, eyes wide open.
Staring into the dark ... argghh!

We woke to a rainy day. Lots of rain and a bit of thunder and wind and I guess this is a sign that Fall is on it's way out, making way for Winter.
There are leaves on the ground, blowing around the streets, we walked to the Park with Pup and enjoyed being the only creatures to venture out. I loved it, so did Pup. My husband , I think, would rather have been back at home with a good book.

We get Film & Arts here, on the television. We are currently enjoying a great concert from somewhere in Europe, with a young conductor Gustavo Dudamel from Brazil and the music is Ritmos De La Noche ( Night Rhythms )...
So all in all, a Perfect Rainy Day in Buenos Aires ..

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Enjoying every minute.

I should create a book of photos of just the skies in Buenos Aires.
I never get tired of looking at and photographing the skies here.
I can be found most days, at some time of the day, with the camera to my eye, looking straight up.
I am sure there are people passing by, shaking their heads, figuring I am just another one of those dotty women wandering around ..
The weather is spectacular these past weeks, with chilly nights that require comforters and sometimes even heat has to be turned on to take the chill off rooms with such high ceilings.
The trees still have most of their leaves and some are golden and some dappled brown and gold and green .. flowers are blooming.
Seems Spring and Fall is flower blooming time here.. just another part of the enchantment of Buenos Aires.
We have been taking a lot of long walks and or short walks with a long time spent on a bench .. watching Pup enjoy the fresh air or just watching people .

There have been a few sightings of mimes and acrobats lately as well as a few musicians in the parks.
Weekends when the Feria sets up, there is always some sort of entertainment. Since we live close to it all, we can't help but see them every time we go out.
I still think it would be a hoot if I put a red clown nose on Pup and a ruffled collar around his neck, or let him wear one of his favorite tee shirts and let him just walk through the park .. wonder how much money he would make ~

Holidays are approaching.
Monday, the Obelisk on 9 de Julio will be 75 years old.
A fabulous landmark, such a wonderful sight especially in the middle of that vast fantastic street ..
There will be a celebration, there will be Tango in the streets.

It is a lovely time to be here .. but actually, if we stop and think about it, just about every minute so far has been a lovely time to be here.

photo:argen-travel.com



Friday, May 20, 2011

Time

Friday.
2 weeks since my computer crashed.
Almost 2 weeks since Pup had his spleen removed along with a large tumor.
3 days since the vet told us that it was cancer.
11 years 9 months since we brought Pup home to live with us.
4 years 1 month since we moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1 hour since Pup woke up, smiled at me and followed me down the hall, blanket trailing behind him.



You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by; but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by. ~James Matthew Barrie


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Parks, Pups, Pears .....


After a futile visit to Apple today, we took Pup to the park.
Busy parrots, a happy Pup and the beautiful trees and flowers are enough to make anyone cheer up.
Tomorrow his stitches come out. That is the extent of the plans for this week.
I have joined Pup in recovering from the surgery and stress.

I did take a bunch of photos along the way , walking back from Apple.
I love these small houses .. I wish they had Open House tours or something here.
Stopping at the produce market for some sweet pears and ripe tomatoes ..We have been eating so much good fruit and veggies lately !
Not to mention sweets each day from the new Pastisserie, sandwiches of Roast Eggplant and Gouda, Rasberry Tarts and Banana Nut Muffins .. good thing we walk everywhere !




Monday, May 16, 2011

At least a Surprise a Day ..

Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry
When I take you out in the Surrey ........

Yes, it was a surprise, waiting to cross at the light, waiting for the gazillion cars zooming past to stop, just long enough for the 3 of us to hurry across the many lanes of the wide beautiful Avenue Libertador.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

A Lovely Fall Sunday

Aside from a minor meltdown over the loss of my computer, we had a lovely fall day.
We wandered the Feria with Pup, protected him from overly amorous dogs who were off- leash and un-controlled and enjoyed wandering the neighborhood and relaxing.
The weather is perfect ... I love Autumn, with the chilly nights, sunny days and no rain.
Tonight there is a Moon that looks like it will swallow the Earth.
I started to close the shades in the kitchen and there was this monster Moon shining out there !
Fabulous and I did not even attempt to get a photo .. moons are tricky .. they always just end up looking like a light in a black space.
We got another opinion on the state of the Computer Affair and the consensus is, there is no fixing it.
Tomorrow is another day, some smart woman said , I will figure something out and manage with things the way they are.
Now that Pup is feeling better, there is more freedom to wander farther away from home, I expect to do some wandering this week.
" Does my nose look big ?"

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Fall Back



Wherever we have lived, especially in New York, I have loved Autumn.
I missed it in Florida and while it was nice in Oregon, it was sort of wet.
So imagine my delight when we spent our first Autumn in Buenos Aires... it was a little longer than "up North" and while the trees do not turn the same fantastic colors, they do change color and they do lose their leaves and it is still crisp and cool and beautiful.
After what always seems like the Longest and Hottest Summer Ever ..
Autumn here is a gift.
This Autumn has been full of anxiety and worry and now that that is over, I am ready and willing to be out in the fresh , cooler air and to enjoy it while it lasts.
Pup is getting stronger every day and he is enjoying his time spent in the parks with us. Today we ventured a little farther, from one park to the next, taking photos, enjoying the fresh air.
I got a kick out of the sight of the wide avenue that has about 5 lanes of fast moving traffic, having a horse drawn carriage moving along at it's own pace, never mind the cars and motorcycles.
The produce markets are full of pears and blueberries and baskets of persimmons and strawberries.
I am in the mood to bake, so far we have a Blueberry Buckle in the fridge and tonight a Bread Pudding joined it.
I just got word of a new Indian restaurant that only provides take-away or delivery.. how did they know that is exactly the way I like it ?
So while you are basking in the Spring sunshine this weekend, remember us , way down here, relishing the crisp fall days and snuggling in the blankets in the cool fall nights.


Friday, May 13, 2011

Apple Lets Us Down

Before coming to Argentina, my husband bought us Apple computers .. mine is a desk top, a lovely white computer with a nice big screen so I can see the photos I take every day and post them on my blog and send them to my family and friends, far far away.

And now, 4 years later, my computer died, bit the dust, passed on .. The people here say that the computer is "discontinued" .
How can a computer that "old" be discontinued? And there are no parts ?
If we were in the US, would there still be a chance to get the hard drive / logic board ? or even ... get it fixed ?? but being here at the bottom of the world, Apple has let us down ..

Now someone tell me, where is the Logic in this ?
If you sell a product, should you not have the parts available ?
If you sell an expensive product, should it not last longer than 4 years ?

I see no logic in this.
I do not Heart Apple today.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Recuperating Pups and Good Scents



The Good News is that Pup is better each day, walking farther, more spring to his step and going longer without pain pills.
He went to see his vet and she was thrilled with how well he is progressing , stitches will come out in 10 days and then he can have a bath. News that delighted a couple of people who live with him. He doesn't smell doggy, he just looks pitiful, all scraggly and droopy. The shaved spot by his ankle doesn't help ..

The weather is fantastic .. imagine late September, sunny, warm but the nights cool off nicely.

I , for some reason, have offended the Gods of the Machines so my iPhone has quit .. it works as a phone still, thank goodness but something is trying to prevent me from emailing. I am hoping that this, my husbands laptop, is not hit next with my bad internet karma.

We were considering buying a new computer, but why pay about 3 times more ? We will see if there is anyone at Apple who will fix it .... again.
So we get to haul in a desk top computer, by taxi, tomorrow.
Hey, we have hauled a large dog around this city for the past few weeks, that computer will be a piece of cake.

I want to see Woody Allen's new movie. Paris .. ahhh.
I am still waiting to go shopping for shoes and clothes but who can squeeze those pursuits into the short amounts of time there is left from lugging computers around town and nursing post-operative Pups ?
I have always used L'Occitane products and recently purchased some soaps and got a little sample envelope of the Almond Hand Cream .. I am now addicted to the scent and must have a little pot of it .. if I can just get to the store !
It is not a long walk, but it seems everyday there are only a few hours alloted to shopping time. Something is so wrong with that !

I am also considering buying Verbena soap, Lavender and perhaps Cinnamon.
Do you like L'Occitane? just having the soaps in the bath, scent the room.
We rented a house in the Berkshires in Massachusetts one summer and in our wanderings, we found this shop, that was part antiques, part plants and gardening paraphenalia and scented Things. Soaps, lotions , all with the scents of spice and flowers and herbs, just up my alley.
I cannot find that sort of thing here. There is one shop that sells Chocolate soap. A friend mentioned that she bought it here, I have to go find it. I hope I don't sleep walk one night and wander into the bathroom, drawn by the scent of chocolate and take a bite out of the bar of soap.

Now it is time to cuddle a pup, complain to my husband about unreliable internet people and watch a movie on television. Thankfully, that still works.



Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Waiting

I hate to wait. I dislike waiting for things I want, things that I see that I think I cannot live without and especially for things to get better.
I want Pup to be himself again, Now.
He is much better, but we are in the early days of recuperation from a major surgery and I am already impatient for him to be his old self.
I want to see that smile. I want to see that jaunty trot down the sidewalk.
I want to see him pouncing on his chewy bone and inviting some other pup in the park to play .
He stays in whichever room I am in, he keeps an eye on me and still wants to go when we are walking out the door, but he is so fragile seeming.
But he is eating and getting stronger and I will wait for him to be himself again.

He is good at waiting.
He waited for our furniture to arrive with much more patience than I did.
I think it is because he enjoyed the big empty rooms with the slidey floors .. I guess he thought This is home and settled in.

I knew it needed a few things so I was impatient and always on edge, we need this and we have to go find that .
Spending days looking for the stores, then finding the right thing in the stores, it was all an adventure but there were days that I really wished there were just a big Bloomingdales down the street that I could pop into and get some things, or Bed Bath and Beyond .. the stuff of my dreams now ! I have to wait until I find the facsmile of BB&B or Nordstroms or Crate & Barrel.
While I might sound whiney, I actually do enjoy discovering the South American counterpart .. if only it didn't take so long to find it.

There is a place called Paul in Palermo Soho. Paul being a designer of hotels and such. The store is entered through an alleyway that is lined with plants and trees and bird cages .. opening into a garden space. To one side is a glass house where they sell .. only tea. Yes, Tea. All kinds of Tea. Lovely.
The shop is all glass fronted and crammed full of tables and chairs and sofas and pillows and fur covered things and dishes and lamps and all sorts of scented things and glass things and treasures. I never get to spend enough time there, which is probably good because it is always fun to go back, I know I will see something new and interesting.
As soon as someone is finished with his recuperation, I think I will go to Paul's and spend a few hours.

I am mourning my computer. It is dead.
My photos can be saved. I just have to wait. There it is again. That word. Wait.
I will get a new computer I think. No point in having the old one fixed and having it break again in 6 months. But I will have to wait for that too. Wait.
But I am so very thankful that all my photos can be saved on a disc.

Fall is definitely here. The leaves are falling. The trees are turning yellow and brown and ivy on the walls is turning bright red.
The mornings and nights are chilly, the days are bright and sunny , but you need a light jacket or sweater.
Perfect weather. Perfecto.
And all I had to do was wait a few months for it.



Monday, May 9, 2011

"Home"

So, in case I haven't mentioned it lately, the people in Argentina, at least those we have met in Buenos Aires, are generally speaking, some of the kindest people we have ever met. Just walk over to a taxi with a dog on a leash, a blanket over your arm and ask him to drive you to the vet. They even try to speak English to you and want to know all about the dog.
Not one word about the cleanliness of a dog on the way to the vet, the hair ( which Pup doesn't worry about, he doesn't shed being a Poodle) but there have been plenty of taxi drivers in past lives that would not dream of having a large dog in their car.
Here, they do it with a smile and there is even a little love talk between driver and dog.

We had to go to a new vet office, I really liked the neighborhood.
As you get away from our area, the buildings are lower, there are more tree lined streets and it has much more of an "old" South American city look.
I like the idea of living in a house here. They all have walls and gates that lock and the gardens are always in back , hidden from view and safe and secure.
They have tiny houses here as well as grand large ones, I think it would be nice.
But then I would not have the Porter and neighbors who know us and speak for us when we are in need.
Which has not really happened , but I like to think of it as a back up in emergencies.

The vet said Pup is doing very well, stitches come out in about a week.
Biopsy results are not in and I am not even going to think about that. . nope, not one think.
He is also expected to wake up more.
I am keeping him fairly doped up on the pain pills but after tomorrow, he will probably need less and will be a little more perky.
And then I will sleep better and will be a bit more perky too.

Today driving home from Palermo, where the vet was located , we drove towards our neighborhood on this huge avenue called Libertador and you could see the high rises and big buildings ahead of us .. the sun was setting and the buildings all looked gold.
Driving down this very wide laned avenue, towards the gold buildings, it felt like we were on the way to the Enchanted City or some equally charmed place... well, actually we were, Buenos Aires has an air of enchantment about it.
It is Old World and it is Modern and the people have the manners and behaviors that some of us associate with "Old" days and times when people were more polite and well mannered.
I was very happy to be on the way home with the Pup and my husband and looking forward to a rest, today was stressful in a zillion little ways ..
I did not feel at all homesick or missing anything.
"Home" was just up the Avenue, waiting for us.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Resting and Healing


photo.JPG
I am happy to be able to tell you that Pup made it through his surgery today with no complications and actually, in less time than was expected.
The Taxi came on time this morning, we were of course, already standing out there waiting .. the people at the hospital were great.
I can't say enough good about them. They all spoke some English, more than enough for us to know exactly what was going on at all times.
There were no surprises , unless you count his being finished earlier than they expected.
He had nothing else to worry about in there with his spleen which is now gone and he woke up nicely after he came out of his sleep.
He just opened his eyes and looked at me.
The vet said that some dogs will be so frightened and upset when they arrive at the vets, that they are so agitated that when they wake up, they wake up frightened and screaming.
Pup just opened his eyes and looked at me...which is how he went to sleep.
We stayed there for at least another hour while he warmed up and was checked every few minutes. We had 3 doctors working on him and checking on him.
And two of the most fabulous huge German Shepherds watching over the hospital while we were busy.
The taxi ride home was fast and easy with a sweet driver asking if Pup was okay and being really good about getting to the curb so we would be able to lift Pup out easily.
I guess the next few days will be mostly rest, take a pill ( 6 altogether) , rest, eat, rest, walk to the park, rest.
I will be sure to do it all with him so he is not lonely, I like the eat and rest parts the best.
Thank you all for your sweet emails and comments .
After this short intermission, we will be out in the streets of Buenos Aires again and will have lots of good stuff to talk about.
**
My computer is still crashed and I feel horrible at the thought of all the photos on that computer that might not be saved. Monday my computer Wizard will be here.. cross your fingers ~
muchas besos..

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Crashed and Other News


Hello from my husbands computer !
My computer, newly out of the hospital with new logic board etc , decided to scream at me this morning , quickly followed by dead silence.
Crashed is what I call it.

Yesterday Pup had his radiology appointment and it was a breeze.
He was in good spirits and frisky.
Today he continues to be cheerful and seems comfortable.
We are treasuring every moment.

Saturday morning he will have his surgery. We are promised that he will come home with us in the afternoon, evening.
They will not budge me from that hospital unless the Pup is with me.
Going to the telephone store today - did I mention that in my slightly muddle headed state this past week, I put my jeans in the wash with the cell phone in my pocket?
I realized it as soon as I heard that noise of something knocking on the washer window to be let out. But I was too late, it drowned.

So today we grabbed a taxi to go to the phone store and I think we got a good one this time.
The drivers name is Miguel and he has a dog and says that we can call him and ( he speaks English) he will come pick us up.
So he will be our Saturday ride.
His dog is an Argentine Dogo .. I am not anxious to meet her.
But he is very nice and drives a mini van sort of taxi that is perfect for the 3 of us.

This upcoming surgical event combined with the crashing of the computer, means that I am taking a little break.
I will be back , with more about Life in Buenos Aires and less about Vet appointments and nerves that are near the breaking point.
I think that is only fair to you all.
Muchas gracias for all of your comments !
See you soon .. besos...

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Riding in a Car


Today we went to the park. You know who loves the park, no matter how he feels.
This is what is going on ...
Pup has a mass on his spleen and has to have his spleen removed.
So we have been sort of shell-shocked by this.
He has been having tests every day.
He had a sonogram, echocardiogram and today was the radiologist.
Today was more important than we knew, when we went back to the vet to give her the films and she said with a smile, he has no metastasis ..
But he still has to have surgery. We will know in a few days or after the weekend, when.
I am bouncing from one emotion to another but today, without our even realizing it, the test was very important. So Pup still has some unpleasant days ahead and I might be taking some days off but there you have it.

The upside of the day for Pup was riding in the car.
We took a taxi to the radiologist and home. Pup loves riding in the car. He is a veteran car rider.
From the day when he was 3 months old and came home from the breeder with us, throwing up in my lap along the way, to driving from NY to Florida, from Florida to Oregon when we decided to try living on the West Coast and then he had to say goodbye to his car when plans were made to come to Buenos Aires.
Believe me, I tried to keep that car.
But we found out that duty on a car from the US to Argentina would cost about as much as the car cost new.
So we kissed it goodbye and got on the plane.

Pup was delighted to find that taxi drivers in Buenos Aires like him and don't mind giving him a ride.
He is a bit larger than your typical dog passenger... that might be a Schnauzer or a Mini-Poodle or even one of those pocket sized Yorkies.
But I never see the big dogs in taxis, well , I don't think many people do... you should see the looks we get when we zoom past in our taxi, back window open, Pup's head out the window, wind blowing his ears back , smiling big .. beeg smile.
And it is fun to see the smiles on the faces of the people we pass who see him.

Imagine spending your time with a creature that , without doing much of anything, just makes people smile.

So his test was done quickly and gently and he got to ride in the car.
He is blissfully unaware of worries and fear, just happy he got to ride in the car.
So we will be happy and try not to worry and maybe take him for another ride soon.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Birthdays, Wrinkles and such


Today is my daughters birthday.
She looks the same, a beautiful girl.
Why do I feel so old ?
I know there is a wrinkle there that wasn't there last night .
My son had his birthday in January. He looks the same.
I got another wrinkle then too.
Something is not right .. I don't see why I should get the wrinkles and they look like kids.

Pup will have his birthday in June. June 21. He will be 12.
I had better not get one new wrinkle.

Winter seems to have arrived in Buenos Aires.
We finally had to turn on the heat.
It might have had something to do with the inability to get out from under the covers that convinced us that there was a need for heat in the house.
It seems like just yesterday or at least last week, the air conditioner still had to be used.
From one day to the next, Winter has arrived.
Luckily, the skies here are fantastic in winter. Bright sun, blue sky, white clouds, just colder.
I believe there is also a need for shopping .. sweaters and such.
I happen to like Winter in Buenos Aires the best. There is rarely a day so cold that you want to stay in. The nights are crisp and the skies star filled and you can smell the smoke from a million fireplaces and restaurant parrillas.
Long walks ending with a stop at a cafe for coffee, tea or a meal.
Long dinners ending with a walk home to burn off some of the lovely hot food that will keep us warm until we get inside.
Concerts on weekends, ferias on weekends, Winter isn't so bad here.
Now about those Birthdays .. let's start doing it every other year, maybe the wrinkles will slow down.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Today.... by Pup


This morning, Mom and Dad took me to see the Vet.
She is nice. She gives me a lot of cookies. I like her.
There was a man there. He was nice too.
He put jelly on me and ran machines around on me. It tickled.
There was a lady too. She had a machine and the thing with the jelly.
She was nice but she made mom cry.
I have to go to the hospital and have an operation.
They are going to remove my spleen.
Mom told me today that she won't let anything happen to me so I am not worried.
I hope she will keep giving me peanut butter.

We went to the park and Mom took more pictures. She is always taking pictures !
I wonder if the lady at the hospital will give me cookies too.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Taking Walks in Places ....

This morning, Pup and I were talking about how we miss taking walks in places like this.
I think he liked the idea of running into the water and then hearing me make those noises that meant I was going to have to get sand out of all those curls and wet feet. He has a wicked sense of humor, that pup.
But then I reminded him of the walk we take each day, where there might not be water and sand but there is plenty of grass to roll around on or just to lie in the shade and take a nap.
Everywhere we go there are statues of people and animals and angels. Lately we have been paying more attention to the angels.
This face looks down on us each day as we walk to the park.
Today is just a lazy day, it is raining. Everyone slept well and woke fairly perky. Some of us have less perk in the morning than others so all in all, the day has been fine. Tomorrow we see the cardiologist and hopefully, if all those angels are doing their job, the right medicine for what ails Pup will be dispensed and we can get back to feeling like dancing ... or just playing in the park.


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sunset in Buenos Aires

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