Here comes Kelliieee..............

When our first  grandchild was born, that little "button", she had a full head of black hair.  We attribute it to her maternal Grandmothers heritage.  Was that not yesterday?   Is  Kellies love and fascination for dragons  a part of her genetic background I wonder?  Her gift and talent for drawing and painting these amazing creatures was not something we came to realize right off, but soon enough.  My mother used to call her,  "her little Chinese Viking", with great pride and pleasure!

As so many American mothers Leslie went back to work when Kellie was VERY young.  No Maternity Leave for a year with 80 percent of your salary there!  It is hard for me to recall exactly how old but my guess is when Kellie was around twelve  weeks.  During that first period Jan, Kellies Grandmother, and David, who came to be known as Boompa took turns caring for baby Kellie on Thursdays and Fridays. At that time Davids work schedule was such that he had every Friday every other Thursday off.  That meant that Kellie grew up as part of "the pack" as we at that time had Chico the 125 pound Rottweiler and Marias tall, gangly Deer Hound Silas as  our family members.  Boompa would hike with the three of them over the Almaden hills, when the weather allowed, carrying Kellie in a back pack!  Those were the days!

Kellie grew and prospered and was of course the worlds MOST adorable very plump baby with arms and legs reminiscent of the Pillsbury dough man.  She always liked going to feed the horses, loved the zoo and our cats.  Later on after we had moved to Mariposa she became equally fond of Maria and Rays' cattle.  We had for a period of time two head of cattle grazing on our property there.  The first two, Rosa and Fernando became Kellies friends.  When she would come to visit there, she would first always put a red and white pot holder on her head, thinking it was a hat!  With that on her head she would go out and spend time grooming those cows, brushing and spraying.......... aaahh, those are memories all right!  Later on her fondness for animals would come to include chickens, pea fowl, guinea fowl, goats, deer and all the rest.  A special chapter in all of our lives, looked back on with great fondness.

Kellie is beautiful both inside and out.  A very confident, resourceful, talented and well travelled young woman.  We continue to be both proud and impressed.

Kellie, now a graduate from Santa Clara University since June,  has come to Sweden and has worked as an intern in Stockholm at a prestigious advertising agency where Robert, her second cousin works.  A job made possible only because of him.  Allowing her to "live her dream" as she herself says!  Fantastic experience making a week long side trip to Paris possible as well.

Photo by Ashley Batz

We get Kellie back next week.  Able to have her here for a few precious days before she goes back to California again, to start her new "REAl" life!  Treasuring every moment........ waiting for what will come next!

Great Minds Think Alike

Up early.  Out with the Ralle Nalle (bear).  Stuffed the bed sheets and pillow cases into the washer.  Light breakfast, a few chores.

Oh, beautiful morning!  Off to the shopping center, traded my just finished book "The Girl With Snow In Her Hair" with " The Swan Thieves" by Elizabeth Kostova at the Academibokhandeln.  Then on to the Wine and Spirits store for a bottle of Grappa di Chardonnay to have in our dessert tonight as I am fixing "Affogato".   Ralle, always so patient in the car, he absolutely loves going with us, needed to have a walk. So, on the way home this gorgeous early afternoon we swing by Svedbergs Kullen a forested hill close to our house.  Who do we run into?  Charlotte, Lars and their Chocolate Cup Cake, no no-- I mean their Chocolate Lab!  Ralle thinks Imma is a cup cake though, then coming around the bend is Paula our neighbor across the field, whom you might recall is Melkers Mom.  She has Smillan in tow, another "girl friend" of Ralles, an oooooh so beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog.  So there we ALL are!  Almost the entire  "hood", with our collective dogs this bright and sunny day!  How neat was that?  What were the chances....... other than GMTA as I said.

Ralle greets Lars one of Ralles' favorite friends

Yesterday too was a fun day.  No work for David, so he came along on the Friday morning shopping round.  Fish market, cheese shop and ICA.  Then a quick dog walk by the harbor in Höganäs.  As we come around the corner of the restaurant we meet some Japanese business men who were in total awe of Ralle.  Could they take his picture they asked in their so typically polite Japanese way.  Of course they could!!  Suddenly Ralle and David were totally surrounded by what turned out to be an entire bus load of well dressed Japanese business men............ it was too funny, they ooooohed and aaaaahed touched, nuzzled and patted this dog and took ooodles of pictures.  It was pretty cute.  We left there full well knowing that their visit in quaint little Höganäs would probably be best remembered by their meeting with the Great Pyrenees! Where was Davids' camera, when we needed it most? How typical.....

Tonight after a fabulous dinner, a bubble bath and some good wine, perhaps not in that order, into the bed with the clean sun and wind dried sheets, oooh sheer luxury.  How lucky are we??

It ended up being + 20 some degrees C today!  Changed the menu, BBQed instead.  Flexibility is good. One must take advantage of EVERY day when one can use the Weber!!

Water and Wild Roses

When I was a little girl Moster/Auntie Helmi, who turns ninety six years old today, would take us kids out on our bikes into the forrest to pick rose hips.  She would dry them in pillowcases hanging above her wood stove.  Securing a fresh supply for rose hip tea and rose hip soup to enjoy  during the winter.  I thought of her as we walked along the ocean with Ralle yesterday!

Rose Hip Bush

What a beautiful day!  What a remarkable woman she is, my Auntie. I have learned so much from her!

Nice memories, nice vistas, nice dog, nice neighborhood!