I won this one. Or maybe to win is to lose. Or to lose is to win. It remains to be seen. But WynnSome, a 10-week-old brindle and white Cardigan Welsh Corgi, arrived at our home on August 31st. And she is indeed winsome.
Suddenly Senior says 70 is a good age to adopt a pup (we’ll let you run the numbers to figure out why). Let’s just say we overshot that by a bit, but we were seizing the “Wynn-dow” of opportunity.
It’s been almost 2 years since Ancho Antwerp Walden Hill was to arrive at SFO – bound for our Sonoma home. A red merle Australian Shepherd puppy, with much the same bloodlines as our beloved Oakley Devine. But Fortuna intervened and she went to Maine instead of Glen Ellen. So we’ve had two years of “should we?” “could we?” “maybe yes?’ “maybe no?” There’s been many talks around our dinner table….about puppies.
Even after 54 years of marital bliss (if you believe that, I’ll tell you another funny story), Andy and I still manage to have some pretty tense exchanges. And getting a new pet is certifiably guaranteed to cause a little huff and puff and drama with us both. Our cat ChocoLatte’s entrance into our family is a case in point. After we had put him – a scrawny 8-week-old kitten – back into his cage at Sonoma’s Pets Lifeline, having decided he wasn’t something we were meant to have, we turned and walked, slowly and sadly and sans new kitty, back to our car. And then I burst into tears. And then we went back and got Choco.
Of course you know that there are two kinds of Welsh Corgis – the Cardigan and the Pembroke. And, of course you know that Queen Elizabeth is famous for her Pembroke Corgis. And Queen Elizabeth was WAY over 70 when she got her two most recent Corgi puppies. Guess you could say we’re just living like royalty!
WynnSome is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, unlike the Queen’s. These little Welsh herding dogs, who always have a tail, date back centuries and are descended from the Dachshund family. What a surprise! We’re already impressed with Wynn’s intelligence, speed, and determination – and her love of good (or even bad) food! She’ll clearly fit in well to this foodie family.
As for her name, read today’s Andy’s Corner. It reveals the complexity of animal-name-choosing in our family. The fact that “Wynn” is an old Welsh female name – which some sources say means “joy” or “friend” – certainly influenced our decision-making.
As we enter into this new phase of our life, with fingers crossed, I want to dedicate this “Cat” Stevens song not to our cats but to Andy (and to WynnSome). Here’s hoping “I love my dog as much as I love you.” You’ll have to listen to the next line of the lyrics to fully appreciate the message. 🙂
Our recipe choice is an obvious one – in many ways. We’re SO looking forward to traveling again, and New York is our favorite destination – followed closely by Mexico, but we’ve done lots of Mexican recipes. And New York adoptable dogs are being seriously looked at by our New York kiddos. May their next dog be a winner – not a wiener. (OMG – save me from the corn – but keep the corn dogs!)
New York Dogs
New York Dog Onion Sauce
- 2T vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions, cut into 1/4″ slices
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 c ketchup
- 1 tsp Frank’s Hot Sauce (or 1/2 tsp chili powder)
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 c water
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, sprinkle with a little salt, and cook until soft and slightly browned. Stir in the cinnamon, ketchup, hot sauce, pepper, and water, and bring to a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed – less than 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately, but bring back to room temperature before serving.
New York Dog
- 4 hot dogs (we like Nathan’s)
- raw sauerkraut (good probiotic)
- brown mustard
- New York Dog Onion Sauce
- Hot dog buns
Add water to a medium cast-iron skillet until it rises about 1/2 inch up the sides.
Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the water begins to boil.
Add the dogs to the pan along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Turn the dogs frequently until the water has boiled off and the dogs are plump and beginning to brown.
Remove the dogs from the pan and place the cut side of the buns in the pan just long enough to heat a little and absorb a little juice. Then slather half the bun with the mustard and the onion sauce; add the dog and then the sauerkraut. Top with the other half of the bun – and enjoy.
Adorable pup!
Joanne Brattain Sent from my iPhone
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