Scottie Dog

Tomorrow is Mutt’s Day - a day to celebrate dogs of mixed breeds everywhere. You’ll never see them at Crufts or the American Kennel Club, but mutts are believed to be more intelligent and healthier than pure breeds. All my dogs have been mutts. The first was a Basset/Spaniel mix named Jake. His whole body existed to propel his nose. Years later I inherited a Cocker/Maltese/Poodle mix called Bitsy. Not the brightest crayon in the box, she would wind her leash around a tree or lamppost and get hopelessly tangled. But I’ve never met a more loyal, loving dog. The mutt I walk these days is Duffy, a Westie/Schnauzer mix. He’s smart as a whip and obedient, unless you throw a squirrel into the equation. We’ll celebrate the day with a long afternoon walk, a game of catch, and a belly rub at bedtime. Just like every other day.

Paddle Wheel

Mickey Mouse made his film debut 83 years ago today. Steamboat Willie was the third Mickey Mouse film to be produced, but the first to be released. Plane Crazy and The Gallopin’ Gaucho were both made before Willie, but were released after. In all three films, Walt Disney himself provided the voices of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse. I don’t think there was much of what you’d call dialog in these three shorts, but there was lots of music and plenty of fun noises. Coming just months after the first “talkie,” Steamboat Willie must have been really impressive. My great-grandfather ran the only movie house in Richfield, Utah during the early 20's. That was probably a bit before Mickey’s time. He would have been more familiar with the stars of the silent films, like Buster Keaton, Lon Chaney, Gloria Swanson, Bela Lugosi, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks.

July

July is anti-boredom month, and it needs to be. School is out and the weather is just right for bicycling, roller skating, skipping rope, running through the sprinklers, slippery sliding, setting up a tent in your backyard, making and flying paper airplanes, splashing in a wading pool, selling lemonade, making mud pies, or giving the dog a bath. It’s a great time to learn to play marbles, build a tree house, walk to the park, make home-made hand-cranked ice cream, erect a sand castle or see how high you can swing. Right now, instead of sitting in front of a computer or television screen, you could be out having some REAL fun. July is almost over, and summer will be gone before you know it. In fact, there are only 56 days left until autumn begins. And school will be back in session long before that. What are you going to do about it?

London Square

A year from today the 2012 Summer Olympics will begin in London. I’m not making plans to see any of the events, but several of my neighbors are. A lot of the preparations now underway remind me of the Salt Lake Winter Olympics in 2002. I got to see Alpine and cross-country skiing and the closing ceremonies. I would like to have seen the speed skating or bobsled competitions. It was fun to explore the Olympic Square downtown, and to see the buildings draped with massive banners - photos of Olympic competitors. For me, the real highlights were watching drunken Germans trying to do “the wave,” and seeing Kiss performing Rock and Roll All Nite one last time. In 2001 I’d signed up to be an Olympic volunteer, but when the training day was announced I had a prior commitment. I wish things had turned out differently. I’d probably still be wearing my volunteer parka.

Friendship Card

This block looks like a cross between a traditional Card Trick and a Friendship Star. When we first moved to England we were warned that we’d find the English very reserved - to the point of seeming unfriendly. Even before our furniture arrived, a woman in our new church announced from the pulpit that she refused to make friends with Americans. “They never stay long enough,” she said, “You get to know them and they’re gone.” I’m so glad to find she didn’t mean that. In fact, she’s become one of my dearest friends. Even passers-by have been surprisingly warm and welcoming. Not long ago we were walking the dog when one of our neighbors crossed our path with a punnet of fresh strawberries. He must have seen us drooling, because he offered us three. I’ve never tasted anything more delicious. And we don’t even know his name!

Cobblestones

York is one of our favorite haunts. One of the things we like about York is nothing seems to change here. This place was first settled by the Romans in about 70 A.D. They called it Eboracum, which might mean something like “place of the yew trees.” If you ever run across an ancient Roman, you can ask him. The York Minster is built on the foundation of their fort, and you can see bits of Roman towers incorporated into the city walls. After the Romans left it was called Eoforwic by the Anglians and Jorvik by the Vikings. Most of the roads in York still wear their Viking names, even though the Normans took the town from the Vikings more than 1100 years ago. Our favorite part of York is called The Shambles. It’s a narrow, crooked cobblestone lane with timber-framed buildings that have leaned against one another here since the 1300's.

Ice Cream Cone

Nearly everyone loves ice cream, though we each may prefer a particular flavor. Most of us can agree on vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. I have a good friend living in Sweden who says when she first moved there, ice cream came in vanilla, chocolate, or pear. Last summer the Build-a-Bear in Copenhagen called their mint/chocolate chip bear “Pistacie” because Danes apparently don’t eat mint/chocolate chip. In Japan you can buy fish, squid or eggplant ice cream. I’ve heard Denny’s new maple/bacon ice cream is all the rage. My dad used to ignore the wide assortment at Baskin Robbins in favor of black licorice. I love their daiquiri ice, though I haven’t had it in years. Generally we just buy vanilla. It goes with everything from apple pie to fudge brownies. If you whip it with a banana, peach or mango, it makes a terrific smoothie. Not a bad way to celebrate Vanilla Ice Cream Day.