I'm so sorry...

Yesterday in an effort to make the puppies a little more comfortable in the heat and humidity, and to shave 4lbs off Sadie (so the vet wouldn't shout at me), I had the dogs groomed right down to a puppy cut. They looked so cute and neat afterwards, as well as thinner and younger. People stopped to ask if we had a new puppy as Polly's grey had been left behind on the groomer's floor. I was delighted (and sure the vet would be impressed, too) until sometime in the late evening when I realised something was missing; my shadow had disappeared. Sadie almost never leaves my side but right now she seems to be suffering from extreme embarrassment over her new haircut and (rightly) blames me for it. She's taken to hiding in another room, any room other than the one I'm in.
I can't believe I'm being guilted by a dog...

Next to no-cost maintenance

A quick round up of the week's chores. In addition to fixing the pool skimmer covers so we can lift them up without breaking nails, fingers or bits off the brick we:


Restore(d)-A-Finish(ed) six doors - and they look excellent - cat and dog scratches disguised, walnut colour revived. Love this product, I've invigorated tired furniture, trim and now doors.


Fixed the elephant in the room Sub-Zero just as it was exiting its warranty, thus saving me $529+labor. Tell me: How can a condenser last less than 5 years? I've known fridges go decades without needing to do anything but defrost the ice box.


Fixed the exterior light outside the front door by banging my fist on the underside of the housing. If you remember banging my head on it was how the lights went out in the first place. (The Awesome Designer says she'll help when the house burns down because our wiring is loose).

The total fix for the pool skimmer handles was just under $40, and that was the most we spent on repairs all week. We did splurge and buy two new hosepipes 150' and 75' at $34.99 and $24.99 - not cheap but not prohibitive either. The other repairs were cost free.

Connected!

What connects a cleat, boats and the Cool House pool?


Take a boat or dock cleat. Fasten it to two 3-4" long screws


Push screws through pool skimmer cover (don't forget to clean skimmer basket while you have it open!)


Screw on a back plate, secure with nuts... and voila.


One handy handle to lift the skimmer covers that lies flat when not in use. Safety first around the pool. Ingenious!

And the most likely place to use a 3" cleat or a boat? To secure the 1/4" line that runs up the pennant

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with suggestions.

Almost connected

Three days running around. Three hardware stores to find one that sells the correct screw size; one swimming pool supply store who sent us to the boat yard next door, who sent us to West Marine who sent us to Coney's Marine in Huntington who had a near-enough match for the cleats.


The hunt is now over. We have the requisite hardware assembled to effect a repair to the... What? No-one has found the connection yet. Last clue: It's not used as a tie-down for anything in our pool. And every last vendor has described the use as "ingenious".
One last chance, interwebs, before we fix the cleats in place: What do we use them for? What purpose would a 3" cleat normally serve on a boat?

Find the connection: Clue

Re: the connection between the object (identified correctly as a boat or dock cleat) and the pool, plus the purpose of a 3" cleat on a boat. Does this help solve the puzzle?

What should have taken less time to fix than the internets are taking to identify a connection is turning (as things tend to do when tackled by yours truly and The Guy) into a marathon search for the correct doodad. Currently trying to locate the right size of screws. And no, none of the 14,325 screws we have in jars at the Cool House fits. Quelle surprise!

Find the connection

Between this


this



and these

Bonus questions: What is the object in the first photo? What do we use it for? Where can I find a replacement?

File under: We learn something new about the house every year

Peeping modernemama

I always peep here to see what's through the fence. Today it was geese. Tomorrow? Who knows...

The Bastille Day 10

In honour of Bastille Day and a few hours spent looking at photos culled (mostly) from old albums - very 20th Century. Here are 10 places I miss in France:


La Trinité sur Mer near Carnac in Brittany. The fishing boats


and the beaches.



St Malo, a walled city in Normandy.


The sense of desolation at Aigues-Mortes in the Camargue. And the wild horses, pink flamingos and black bulls of the surrounding delta.


photo: wikicommons

Arles, for its Roman Arena and links to Vincent van Gogh.


photo: wikicommons

Colmar, for all the pretty flowers and all the vins d'Alsace.


photo: wikicommons

The Catalan area of France, Languedoc-Roussillon, for its climate, food, people and the ancient towns of Perpignan, Sète, Béziers, Nîmes and Carcassone.


photo: wikicommons

L'Ardèche. The river valley cuts through limestone cliffs making it one of the most scenic areas of France with superb kayaking.


Dijon, heart of Burgundy... and the Burgundian way of life.


The Loire Valley,


its chateaux and its wines.


and of course, Paris.

Desert Steel

Just a taste of the work of Donald Wexler, architect of the part pre-fab, part customised Alexander Steel Houses in California. From the documentary "Journeyman Architect: The Life and Work of Donald Wexler" by award-winning director Jake Gorst.

Razed

Eleven months after fire ravaged one of the loveliest Victorian beach cottages on the north shore of Long Island, it was finally demolished.


This was the scene on August 7 2008 after a severe thunderstorm caused a lightning strike, sparking a fire that rapidly spread through the home. It soon became apparent that the house could not be rebuilt and plans were made to raze it and start afresh.


On July 6 2009 the wrecking crew moved in. Most of the structure came down in a day but the chimney remained for a final twenty-four hours, the patterned wallpaper a poignant reminder of the beauty and charm of the old house. Soon a new house will be built, and a year from now maybe I'll be able to post a photo of the phoenix that has arisen from the ashes.

(Follow Friday - Go see what Hooked on Houses is up to... and Heidi wants to know what YOU are up to this weekend)

Still in Vacation Mode

Normal service will be resumed unless I find a way to join this boat on its voyage to... who knows where.....

If You liked KC You're Gonna Love Kansas

So by now you have realised that I was in Kansas City for a couple of days. The raison d'etre for the midwest excursion was a little business and a visit to the renowned Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art but I grabbed the chance to take a side trip into Kansas to meet with home builder and food blogger Marilyn of Simmer Till Done in the "coolest college town in the US".
I've been following Marilyn since her house blogger days, admiring her design aesthetic and vicariously enjoying the thrill of the chase as she tracked down plumbing fittings, vintage hardware and decorative items on ebay. What kept me reading was her writing; her turn of phrase and wry humor that permeated every post. Towards the end of construction she began to post the recipes and mouth-watering photographs of food that eventually became Simmer Till Done.
Let me tell you that in real life she doesn't disappoint. Meeting Marilyn was like catching up with an old friend; so many stories to share, experiences to expand upon, blogs we love and bloggers we know. We talked as we toured the town, I learned the history and fun facts (the town grid is made up of numbered streets crossed with states in the order they joined the union); we chatted as I explored her beautiful house and met her lovely family including the famous Cleo and wandered back into town for coffee. Five hours later we were still talking. Here's just a taste:


Perfect bites of happiness: She baked Rugelach and sent me home with a doggy bag full.


She's a bit of an alchemist, turning simple ingredients into homemade Limoncello and other flavored liqueurs - smooth and sweet with an unexpected kick at the finish


She showed me this breadboard in real life


and took me to a bank to eat artisanal antipasti and salad. A side note: Do you know how difficult it is to eat when you just can't stop talking?
Another fun fact to finish? Her town has some 90,000 residents. Marilyn seems to know each and everyone personally - either that or it is also the friendliest town in the midwest!

Guess Where I Was: Part II

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art


Shuttlecocks


Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art


Louise Bourgeois Spider


Kansas City kicked my butt, culturally and culinary-wise.


Martini with olive and a twist


Jack Stack Barbecue smokey BBQ ribs


Pulled Pork and Hominy Pizzole with Carrot and Cauliflower Salad and a Sandwich at Café Sebastienne at the Kemper Museum



Inside-Out Burger at Blanc Burgers and Bottles

Guess Where I've Been: Part 1

Europe?


Seville?


Not Geneva - though there was a fountain


Maybe Tuscany for the Boar?


Florence?


Not Venice - although there were gondolas...

All will be revealed in due course. Happy 4th!

Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauce

It's been a while since I posted anything food-related on the blog. A combination of laziness, greed (do you realise we have to wait to eat while I take shots?) and twitter. Blame twitter. It's so much quicker to post 140 characters online than mess around with html.
Anyway, I am actually inspired by this lack of summer to make some dishes rather than the usual "Go to store, pick up salads, cheese and pate, open wine and call it a picnic" meals we eat this time of year. Yesterday I used up leftover polpo, peppers, rice and tomatilla salsa with frozen prawns, sauteed garlic and 1/3 bottle of white wine for a simple, summery lunch and made a Panna Cotta with fresh berries for today's dessert. I had planned to serve it with red berry coulis and fresh cherries but then I saw something that made me think why not drizzle it with a little Caramel Sauce? Heaven.
Panna Cotta is one of the easiest desserts to make. Really! It's just cream jelly (Jello). I'm not even going to bother to write out a recipe, there are hundreds around, each as simple as the last. Try David Lebovitz's below. And if you have any doubts about making your own caramel sauce go and see Marilyn at Simmer Till Done. She will hold your hand, mop your fevered brow and guide you through the process for perfecting sweet, buttery and slightly salty caramel. You'll never go back to a jar again!

Panna Cotta
David Lebovitz has a perfect recipe with tips
(If you oil the molds as he suggests you won't have to do what I did and ease them out with a knife, see photo. Do as I say, not as I do!)

Caramel Sauce
I told you: Go see Simmer