Our pets are a big part of our families. And, so, it’s only appropriate that they should have some representation on your Christmas trees. My trees hold a variety of ornaments associated with my family’s pets. Bertie, of course, has quite a presence. Amongst the many dog-themed and Westie-inspired ornaments are a collection of ornaments that Bertie has been given. When picking out an ornament “for” a dog, you’ve got to imagine what it is that he’d like.
One recent Christmas, Bertie was presented with this cheerfully colored ornament which seems like something he’d be quite interested in—a hot pink hippo. I think Bertie would rather enjoy a hot pink hippo. If we were to see what goes on in Bertie’s head when he’s sleeping, I’m pretty sure this is what he’d be dreaming of. I grin every time I see it.
Every year, my mother and father host a wonderful birthday party for their grand-dog, Bertie. Each year, “Bertie’s Birthday Burger Bash,” reaches new heights of perfection. Of course, there are presents. Bertie loves to get presents. He very much enjoys sticking his head into a gift bag and pulling out his toys and treats. This year’s presents all had a circus theme! Bertie is the ringmaster.
And, of course, no “Birthday Burger Bash” would be complete without hamburgers—sliders to be exact—adorned with assorted cheeses, avocado, spinach, tomatoes, pickles, and sun-dried tomato cheese spread. Bertie had his own—sans roll since he’s on Atkins. These were accompanied by lovely oven roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes. During dinner, we discussed the fact that if any dog were to be created a knight by Her Majesty, it would have to be Bertie.
Now, we all know my mother’s sheer brilliance with a cake. And, you’ve seen past examples of Bertie’s birthday cakes. So, you know he always gets a very special cake each year. This year’s cake was truly exceptional! Shaped like one of Bertie’s favorite toys, a pink hippopotamus called the “Pink-o-potamus,” my mother carved the shape from Bertie’s preferred sunshine lemon pound cake. To do this, she first made a drawing of the finished cake, and then, cut a full-size template out of craft paper to use as a guide. Very, very clever, I say.
The Pink-o-potamus is iced with bright pink and subtle pink butter cream icing which gives the impression of the toy’s “fur” The pound cake was cut into two layers and filled the lemon curd! Perfect for a twelfth birthday. Black and white icing gives the hippo some lovely detail.
But, this wan’t all. No hippo cake is complete without ice cream. My mother made some homemade strawberry icecream in her Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. This was topped with a homemade strawberry sauce made with macerated berries and cassis.
As most dogs do, he especially enjoyed the “birthday song” and the blowing out of the candles. I helped him a little with the latter. So, after blowing out his candles, Bertie enjoyed his own piece of cake—very small, and a tiny scoop of ice cream. By the end of the day, we had one tired, but very happy dog. And, really, that’s the most important thing.
We couldn’t be prouder of Bertie. He deserves a party every day, as far as I’m concerned. So, the very least we could do was to make sure he had a special “twelfth-ish” birthday. I think the mission was accomplished.
From the bequest of Dame Joan Evans to the V&A, we see this exceptional
brooch of crimson guilloché enamel, Persian turquoise and a bezel-set
pigeon's blood ruby.
Made in 1892 for Fabergé by Viktor Aarne, the brooch was originally
commissioned by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) as a gift for
Princess Alexandra (later Queen Alexandra) after she discovered his scandalous
affair with the entire female cast of Chu Chin Chow. Though Alexandra
loved this addition to her collection of Fabergé animals, she found that she could
not wear the piece because of the painful memories associated with it.
She wrote to her sister-in-law, Princess Victoria in 1893:
"Dearest Vicky. I am deeply grieved that I did not spend more time
with you during your most recent visit with Fritz. I did not know you
were here because I didn't hear you come in. Bertie has been at is usual
business. He presented me with a lovely scarlet water animal which, here,
they call a hippo. It's such a dear thing with a sweet little red eye,
yet I can't bring myself to wear it as it puts me in mind of his
indiscretions. Mama says she will take it from me. However, I've
noticed May eyeing it and want to get it out of the house before it finds its
way to the bottom of her reticule like so many of my other jewels.
Since May and Georgie will be married on 6 July, I'd best act quickly.
Yours...Alexandra."
Curiously, Princess Alexandra tried to present this brooch to her
mother-in-law, Queen Victoria, but found it missing. Later, Princess Mary
"May" of Teck was spotted wearing it. No one knows through what
circumstances it ended up in the collection of Dame Joan Evans.
APRIL FOOLS!
This brooch from circa 1962 is a costume piece that my mother purchased as a
young teen. You can tell it wasn't in the V&A since no one has
written on the back of it!
This Sunday’s meal was a delicious summer frittata bursting with the flavors of fresh herbs and vegetables nestled in a delicate bed of egg and cheese. Accompanied by pancetta, and a beautiful salad of garden greens, summertime fruits, assorted nuts and rich blue cheese, it was the perfect meal for a blisteringly hot day.
The crown jewel, however, was the dessert—an elegant and beautiful trifle. Look at it! It’s magnificent! You see, when my mother made Bertie’s birthday cake this year, she saved the remaining pieces of cake which were left after she carved the hippo shape. These pieces emerged from the freezer, ready for a new life, and became the base for this gorgeous trifle. Layered with pastry crème, peaches (seasoned with cinnamon) a sauce of raspberries and brandy, crème de cassis, strawberries, Bing and Rainier cherries and whipped cream, the top of this deeply delicious dessert is adorned with raspberries, blueberries and piped rosettes of whipped cream.
I’ve had many a trifle in my day, but, I must say, this is one of the best. With each bit, you get a different combination of flavors—each fresh and independent, but each a perfect companion to the others. You, too, can treat yourself to a trifle by using piece of cake which you’ve already made (or bought from a store) and layering them in a large bowl, trifle dish, or individual cups, with your favorite fruits, jams and creams.
Perhaps one of the most popular attractions at the London Zoo in the 1850’s was Obaysch the Hippopotamus. Obaysch had been presented to the British Consul in 1850 by the Viceroy of Egypt. Visitors to the London Zoo flocked to see this creature—the likes of which they’d never seen before. Seen here in this 1852 salt print laid on card, Obaysch doesn’t look terribly happy to be in the zoo, but the spectators seem rather interested in him.
Obaysch was such a sensation that he even inspired a sculpture by Carl Fabergé which was acquired by Queen Alexandra in 1900.
Here we see a sheet music cover for “Whoa! The Animals.” The song was written and composed by A.J. Mills (1872-1919) with Frank W. Carter. This printing was published by Francis, Day & Hunter, circa 1898. The company, on the reverse, lists other comic songs in their catalog.
The front piece is printed with a background of pale blues and greens with the title a gold oval with a gold border. From behind this, a group of animals, including: a pig, a lion, a tiger, a hippo and a nasty snake, look out. The snake’s tongue reaches for the tall hat of a gent who is most likely meant to represent the singer of the song, one Frank Coyne.
As regular readers of the site know, every year, my mother and father host a wonderful birthday party for their grand-dog, Bertie. Each year, “Bertie’s Birthday Burger Bash,” reaches new heights of perfection. Of course, there are presents. Bertie loves to get presents. He's not so interested in seeing other people receive gifts, but, when they're for him, he's quite thrilled. He very much enjoys sticking his head into a gift bag and pulling out his toys and treats. This year’s presents all had a food theme. He received a plush hot dog, tea pot and hamburger as well as many cookies. Speaking of hamburgers...
Of course, no “Birthday Burger Bash” would be complete without hamburgers—sliders to be exact—adorned with assorted cheeses, delicious homemade guacamole, greens, tomatoes, olives, pickles, caramelized onions and mushrooms. Bertie had his own—sans roll since he’s on Atkins. These were accompanied by lovely oven roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes.
But, then, came the cake! Bertie's cakes are always very special and my mother spends days planning and baking them. He's had cakes shaped like himself, like a monkey, and most recently, like his favorite toys. Last year, we had a pink hippo, but this year, we had "George and Gracie." I should explain. Among Bertie's toys is a plush duck with rather Vaudevillian markings of plaid and polka dots. I took to calling the toy, "George and Gracie," because of this and the fact that it's feet are two different colors. One is George, the other and Gracie. Furthermore, Bertie enjoy watching the George Burns and Gracie Allen program and have a special fondness for the Burns and Allen song, "Love Nest." So, it only seemed fitting to offer this dual homage to the yellow ducky.
Knowing my Bertie's fondness for George and Gracie, my mother created this year's birthday cake in it's image. Over twelve hours of baking, carving and icing gave us this remarkable confection. A moist poundcake topped with a white crumbcoat and icing in the colors of the toy, the cake looked exactly like Bertie's beloved plaything. Of course, he had his own (very small) piece which he much enjoyed. And, in fact, I enjoyed it, too. We all did!
I don't really know when Bertie's birthday is. He was a rescue dog, and his birthday was listed as 06/11. That was only the day he was taken to the vet for his shots. So, it's the day we use as his birthday. In light of that, any day can be Bertie's birthday, so, I'll repeat to my favorite four-footed, little man, "Happy Birthday." You're my best decision. And, many thanks to my parents for making a special day for him from the monumental cake to the puffy parrot decorations!
Here we see a sheet music cover for “Whoa! The Animals.” The song was written and composed by A.J. Mills (1872-1919) with Frank W. Carter. This printing was published by Francis, Day & Hunter, circa 1898. The company, on the reverse, lists other comic songs in their catalog.
The front piece is printed with a background of pale blues and greens with the title a gold oval with a gold border. From behind this, a group of animals, including: a pig, a lion, a tiger, a hippo and a nasty snake, look out. The snake’s tongue reaches for the tall hat of a gent who is most likely meant to represent the singer of the song, one Frank Coyne.
