Who knew there was a cavalry of eight horses on the Seattle Mounted Police Unit? Michael and I sure didn’t! In our collective forty years of living in Seattle neither of us had seen nor heard of their existance. So it came as a delightful surprise when out walking with a friend to stumble on Mounted Police horse trailers, and later to find them in “action”. We met six of the team (three human and three equine) on the more or less deserted University of Washington campus. In the shade of the infamous cherry trees of the quad we chatted with the friendly unit. They were charismatic police embassadors and encouraging of us to pet Sherman as ridden by Officer Chase. I was a huge fan and Lady Kitty was not shy. It was the highlight of our walk, (and my day), so I was thrilled to be able to share this with you, dear reader!

To read more about the Mounted Patrol from the Seattle Police Foundation here is a short synopsis.

Steal your neighbors magnolias. Psst, they will forgive you when you give them a platter of these sweet floral delicacies!

Tempura Magnolia Recipe

By Maria Taipale

1 egg beaten,
2 Tsp flour
1 Tsp powdered sugar
Beat until you have a smooth batter – you might add a little more flour and powdered sugar
Wash flower leaves, pat dry, pull leaves through batter on both sides, fry in half butter half vegetable oil until golden brown, then sprinkle with powdered sugar! Bon Appetit!!

I was introduced to these unique sweets while visiting friends of friends in Düsseldorf and there was a magnolia tree on their apartment patio. The wise and talented Maria Taipale whipped up a few platters of these delightful tempura battered flower petals! This memory has recently been jogged back into the forefront of my mind as our neighborhood magnolia blossoms rain down daily in the wind. As I watch them glittering against the blue blue sky while breastfeeding Lady Kitty or later sweep the beautiful petals up off the front walk, I daydream of Düsseldorf.

If you try the recipe please let me know what you think!

This anecdote is written by “Uncle” Clarence from his visit yesterday. He’s part of our quarantine family. It’s really too funny not to share. So enjoy some dating/life wisdom from an almost four year old. Written by Clarence Ladd Cantillo.

Oh! I remember something funny about Lake @ “Tom” Park yesterday that I failed to mention.

Standing about the middle @ the Park’s Pathway intersection, I asked Lake which one does he want to take and I’ll follow. He said this one (Left).

Lake walked for a bit then he turned about and took the path on the right. I said; “Lake, I thought you wanted to go this way?” Lake answered; “No, I changed my mind. I want to go this way.” I noticed that he was looking at a Looker of a young lady who stood up from her Beach Towel. Lake was transfixed!

Then I said; “Lake, you’re walking off the path.” Lake answered; “Sometimes you need to walk on the grass!” And all the while never taking off his gaze from the young lady.

The garden Nana and Lake planted when Lady Kitty was born is starting to sprout. Likewise is Lady Kitty sprouting. She looks older than her stated age. She and her brother are growing taller by the minute. Happy Easter! I hope you and your loved ones had a special day filled with joy and remembrance of rebirth, as well as a few cookies!

Feeling glum? Feeling tied down at the moment? No where to go? No friends to see?

Hopefully the warmer weather is enticing you outside and is cheering you up! It’s essential business to turn that tied down feeling around— for a change try feeling tied up instead! All tied up with fun!

Do something silly! Sunday morning we put on baby clothes for fun, looking for one that would fit an almost four year old. It was heeeee-larious! “I’m getting heee-larious!” Lake exclaimed with absolute five star glee. This cos-play is not reserved for toddlers. Anyone can be silly with costumes! Clown around by donning on your kids’ clothes, your partner’s clothes, your old Halloween costume! You’re bound to get a laugh!

Lady Kitty is the most incredible diurnal (active chiefly during daytime) baby! She will take little cat naps in your arms, but otherwise she saves up her big 12 hour sleep for the nighttime, and does it practically all in one go and cannot be woken for love or money. She doesn’t get out of bed for less than a million dollars, as the saying goes. Milkies will do, though! She’s really out like a lightbulb, usually by or around 9pm. She likes a snack around 5am, and then will continue sleeping until 9am or even 10am! So, unsurprisingly she’s not a big daytime napper. I’m really not complaining and I hope there’s no regression coming soon!

Breastfeeding, eating, changing diapers, washing dishes… organizing, darning, getting around to finally sewing on that missing button… These are the activities that occupy my mind and my days as one bleeds into the next. We are slowing down and pacing ourselves. What we initially took for a sprint or an underwater swim (“hold your breath!”), now is looking like a marathon, or more likely, an ultramarathon.

As the natural world is waking up all around us, we’re being tasked to find our hibernation mode. Spring is turning out to be an exercise in slowing down. Mining the deep well of our inner worlds, our creativity, our imagination and drawing up memories to savor of travel and dinner parties and visiting friends.

We are brushing up our “bakes” while baking bread, cooking up big pots of soup, and going for lots of walks. Having home-improvement projects and deep organizations going on at least in the background, if not the foreground, I find helps too.

All told, we painfully miss our friends and family, especially grandparents! The thought of shelter-in-place orders continuing throughout summer creates a social reality difficult to imagine, yet appears a seemingly likely possibility. In the meantime, we remain extremely blessed to be healthy and joyful, with good humor and plenty to focus on right here at home.

Hello… new baby! If slowed down enough, it is nearly always revealed to be A Perfect Day. I’m so glad I spent it with you, darling.

Yesterday afternoon Lake was playing doctor’s office. He’s “a doctor of animals (a “vegetarian”) and people…” offering appointments (“insurances”) in his office for Mr. Silky and Lady Kitty. “Lady Kitty is a beautiful name,” he told her during her well child checkup. And then, “you look good. Everything looks good. Come back the day after this day.” He went off to sleep in his room at the hos-pi-tal (carefully pronounced and beautifully enunciated, though I missed the whimsical “hopspital” of the past few years).

Lake is imaginative and creative and a really hard worker. He’s adjusting to being the Big Brother practically unfazed and he’s almost four but he’s still only three. Our little guy… We’re asking a lot of you right now to quickly adjust to so many changes to your routine and you’re rising with your characteristic stoicism to the challenge. You can be so proud of yourself, Lake! We love you Lake! Lady Kitty is one lucky baby sister to have you as Big Brother for life!

As the saying goes, April showers brings May flowers, or as was observed last year, April showers bring April flowers. As we launch this month under continued stay at home orders, we dash outside at each opportunity for a brisk walk or run in between rain drops. Our neighborhood is veritably *bursting* with flowers. Flowering trees—what an invention! We love it! Truly my favorite time of year in this area!

We wish you a beautiful April, full of health, vigor and the renewal generated from showers and flowers! Much love from us!

PC Chamonix Browne, The Happy Film Company 🙂

Lovely Lady Kitty has a “Resting Grump Face”! At this stage she primarily likes to eat all day and sleep all night. If you have the rare opportunity to glimpse her in between these favorite activities, you may be rewarded with Resting Grump Face.

Of course, she manages to capture our hearts completely!