Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

After 14+ years of letting our BEST DOG EVER, Gordon Oliver Cahn, sleep with us - we decided it was time for Gordie to get his own beddie. All those Martha Stewart PETSMART advertisements really got to me!

We put Gordie in the car with us so he could choose his own beddie. Like when we took Emily shopping for her new bed!

Gary chose this plush, velvet, burgandy in color, dog bed!

Here are the photos!

Fall is coming - I keep saying this as we're going thru yet another heat wave! BUY SOME MORE TIES PLEASE!

Best,
Jane M

Fall is quickly approaching

and in honor of the coming season I have baked up my first apple pie for 2010!

Russ and his friend were looking for a fun activity yesterday. Russ finished up his camp counselor job and his EMT classes and so he had a FREE day yesterday! I suggested apple picking and that they did! They had so much fun picking apples as well as petting the sheep on the farm. After a long day of Gary and I enjoying our weekend, I decided to bake up this pie. Russ had the 1st slice this morning - I've not tasted it yet but it sure looks good!

Our Emily was home for the week and now back in DC soon to start her SENIOR YEAR OF COLLEGE! We all can't get over how quickly this time has gone - and want her to enjoy her last year before the real world starts! Emily had a terrific summer writing for the Houston Chronicle and is now gearing up for her Editor position at the college newspaper.

Russ doesn't go back to his University until after Labor Day. We are starting to think about packing up his stuff as well. Then Gary and I will be empty nesters once again.

Best,
Jane M

A post about some of my likes and dislikes

I'm writing to you after our journey home from the Chicago Collective - and I thought I'd blog about my likes and dislikes. I can't be completely negative now CAN I? Just kidding!

1. I dislike getting to the airport (Chicago O'Hare) at the crack of dawn and because the lack of passengers for an Airbus having the 6:00am flight cancelled! BOO!

2. I dislike stand by. Can you tell we didn't get on the 7:00am flight?

3. I like that I cart around 2 sets of headphones in my pocketbook (that's purse in NJ).

4. I dislike crying babies on flights that are 1.5 hours LONGER because said airline (UNITED) cancelled the 6:00am flight and bad weather came in to the Midwest corridor which made us sit on the tarmac for 1 hour. Our flight had to wait for only 20 planes ahead of us to fly up through Canada and down to avoid bad weather.

5. I dislike turbulence of which we had NONE because of the Canadian route we took! WOOT WOOT - United pilots ROCK!

6. I like the restaurants we went to in Chicago. We never get a bad meal when we come to show our ties at the Chicago Collective in the Mens Merchandise Mart.

7. I like Bruce Schedler because he loved our Private Stock booth (#3019) because it takes 2 hours to put up and 2 hours to take down!

8. I like going to Trade Shows so that I can meet our wonderful customers and put a face with the voice on the phone.

9. I like going to Trade Shows to kibitz with our wonderful sales force and show them how to sell the new line of neckwear of PRIVATE STOCK!

10. I like Nordstrom's in Chicago on Michigan Avenue because it's so much bigger than "MY" Nordstrom in NJ. I enjoy shopping there!

So all-in-all I think this blog post is more POSITIVE than NEGATIVE! I can't wait to ship out all the orders you placed with me and Gary. Look for your biscotti in your shipments! Good lord I have a ton of baking to do!

Here's to a great Fall selling season FOR ALL!

Best,
Jane M

Gordie turned

14 today! Oh Gordie we love you! In honor of his 14th I baked him zucchini cupcakes with ZUCCHINI FROM MY "GARDEN"! I have the word garden in quotes because of all the deer, ground hogs, bunnies, raccoons, foxes and other assorted varmints - I must grow my vegetables up high where none of these pests can get at them!

Please enjoy pictures of Gordie enjoying his birthday and my "garden".

It's almost August...I'm looking forward to Fall. This summer has just been TOO DARN HOT FOR ME! We need a pool in our backyard - NOT!

Best,
Jane M

I've got some weird

looking cukes growing! Don't you think?

I've also seen so many recipes for the zucchini blossoms all over the internet. I'm wondering if I pick off the flowers if I lose the chance of maybe getting a zucchini to grow? I doubt anyone in my family would enjoy eating a blossom so I guess I'll leave them on my plants.

Here are some more pictures of Gordie. If I'm outside he's out with me. He's such a great dog! I know I write this all the time.

Over the weekend we were invited to friends house for homemade pizza. Joe worked all night rolling out the dough and baking pizza after pizza. WAS IT GOOD! Wish I had a slice RIGHT NOW!

Time to start my din-din. Pork on the grill with rice and a salad.

By the way, has anyone else out there got sucked into watching Deadliest Catch? You can come clean as I just saw in the newspaper today that it was the #1 cable show last week. Well count me in a voyeur - as well as I watched re-runs last night. WHY DO I WATCH SUCH SADNESS? Wish I was smart enough to just change the channel! It's not like I have to get up off the my comfy couch to switch the station like in the olden days! Oh well - WHATEVER.

Best,
Jane M

Our first HARVEST!

LOOK we picked our first zucchini. I guess we could have left it on the vine a bit longer, but I was TOO ANXIOUS - as usual! I could also pick this nice red tomato - I think. I'll do that later before I get dinner together. Kind of measly pickings - 1 small zucchini and 1 tomato - that won't feed the 2 of us! (Russ just left for the day - he's heading down to the Jersey Shore with the rest of NJ on this 100 degree day!)

Last night we went to friends house who made pizza for us for dinner. WOW - WOW AND DOUBLE WOW WAS IT EVER GREAT! Our host made the pizzas all night long - the oven was on at 500 degrees for 2+ hours! The air was on so it was fine. He uses a slab of granite to cook the pizza on. Me, whenever I try to get the dough OFF my pizza peel it all sticks. I'm told that the red sauce must be COOL in order for the dough to slide off the peel and onto the granite. Maybe I'll get brave and try again. I also noticed he did not load the dough with sauce and I'm thinking that helps too.

The dog pictured is named Lucy. In this picture she was talking to Gary. She is just a puppy - about 18 months old. She was looking for a slice of pizza herself!

All righty then - hope all is well. If you missed us in NYC at MRket, come see us in Chicago.

Best,
Jane M

While We Were Working

at MR these past few days - MY GARDEN HAS BEEN GROWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So not only was I so happy with meeting and selling all our fine customers, but we're going to have ripe vegetables soon!

For those who looked at the line and bought the ties, THANK YOU!

Can't write now, have too much work to catch up on.

Best,
Jane M