Harper Ann Is a Year Old! - April 16, 2014

It hardly seems possible that a year has gone by since the night we spent at the
Sutter Roseville Birthing Center waiting for my grandchild's arrival.  While Laura 
labored, her mom, all three of my boys, and another friend passed the time 
alternately chatting, snacking, and dozing, until, shortly, right before 7AM,
everyone but my son, Alex, Laura, the OB nurse and the obstetrician remained
for the big event.  

April 13, 2013 

The proud father-to-be, Alex Vukasinovic, with his brothers,

Shawn Smith ( the short one ) & the Jeremy Vukasinovic

Shortly after 7AM, we were called back into the room where, thrill of thrills, I met
my beautiful GRANDDAUGHTER, Harper Ann Vukasinovic, for the first time.

Of course, to me, she was the most beautiful baby ever and I was so happy to see a

little girl after having raised three sons!  Uncle Jay was already making plans to take

her fishing and to teach her to shoot a gun and to take her to a 49ers game while I

was picturing her in cute dresses and taking ballet!

I only got to see her for six weeks before it was time for my return to India.  Alex

dutifully downloaded Skype but he wasn't so great at staying in touch so I could see

Harper.  Laura did send videos of the major firsts...her cute smile, rolling over, etc.

I did get back home December 3 and I've been staying with the family in West

Sacramento, luxuriating in four months now of being a full time grandmother.  It's

been a delight seeing this baby crawl, learn new words, grow by leaps and bounds

and bond with her Nana.  If I am not out in the morning, she will crawl outside my 

door and howl until I respond, then she is all smiles.  She has a voracious appetite

( like her Nana ) and there doesn't seem to be a food that she has been offered 

that she doesn't like ( except, perhaps, raw mushrooms ).

The night before Harper's birthday party, Harper's two uncles, her "abuela", Elmira,

who had taken care of Uncle Jeremy and her dad almost from the time they

were born and Uncle Shawn's friend, Kim, came for dinner.  Uncle Jay

brought the most incredible cake his friend from Genintech made for

Harper.

It was almost too beautiful to cut but, believe me, it was so delicious!

Her first birthday party was held this past Sunday, the day before her birthday.  Her

Uncle Shawn was home from six months in Kuwait so we were all together for the

occasion, just as we were for her birth.  It was a lovely event, on a bright sunshiny

day, held in her Nene's backyard in Antelope, California.

I decided to wear an Indian outfit for the occasion.

Uncle Jay was all smiles.

Uncle Shawn was catching up on his beer drinking after six dry months in Kuwait.

Here come Mom and Dad with the cake!

Harper was lovely in her frilly pink dress and she enjoyed playing with her

cousins and was wide eyed at all the gifts.  Most of all, she seemed to delight

in devouring her birthday cupcake and frosting.   All the hoopla was a bit 

exhausting, though, for a little one-year-old.

Welcome Home, Shawn - April 10, 2014

Tuesday night, my oldest son, Shawn Smith, who is with the USAF Reserves, landed at the 
Sacramento airport, with part of his squadron of the AFRC 945th, based at Travis AFB,
California.  Shawn, who is a master sergeant, has been a reservist almost twenty
years now and had been deployed with his group to Kuwait for six months.  I
hadn't seen him in nearly a year, though, since I went to India in June.

We often miss each other like that.  In fact, Shawn, who was supposed to be best
man at his brother, Alex's wedding, was deployed to Germany one week prior and,
since the whole unit had to fly together, he wasn't allowed to delay for that special
occasion.  That's life, however, in the military - and he has spent a lot of his reserve
life on active duty - not that he's complained.  He likes the Air Force and has
enjoyed his years there, moving up the ladder to his present rank.

This is a photo of all three of my sons taken a year ago the night

Harper Ann was born.  Shawn, who some think resembles George

Clooney, is the shortest of the three.

I didn't get any pictures Tuesday night as they landed about 10:40PM.  Alex picked them
up at the airport while I stayed home to fix one of his favorite cocktails - also, my
favorite from New Orleans nursing school days: the Sazerac.  Before I moved out
of the house we shared when my job ended, it was often enjoyed when we weren't 
planning on driving anywhere.  One Sazerac is best when one doesn't have to 
drive and a good night's sleep is soon to follow!!!

Laura made chocolate chip cookies which were a perfect accompaniment to the
drinks and Shawn presented his niece with her gift from Kuwait:  a stuffed camel!!
Harper Ann woke up when she heard all the commotion.

For those of you who have never had a Sazerac, I am including the recipe I use.
One should really use rye whiskey, NEVER bourbon

I've adapted several recipes to my taste and this is how I make my Sazerac.  I
normally use Old Overholt Rye Whiskey ( 4 yr old ).  Another good rye is 
Rittenhouse.

-1 teaspoon absinthe or more, or Herbsaint (a New Orleans brand of anise liqueur)

  Two good absinthe brands are St George, Kubler from Switzerland and St.

   George from San Francisco.  Avoid absinthe from the Czech Republic.
-1 teaspoon of simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar) -

  I prefer the simple syrup since it dissolves completely - 1-1/2 parts of sugar to 1

  part of water brought to a boil and cooled - can be stored in the refrigerator for

  future use )
-4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
-1 small dash, a scant drop, of Angostura bitters (extremely optional; some feel it 

 helps open the flavors, but traditionalists may leave it out).
-2 ounces rye whiskey.
-Strip of lemon peel

Fill old fashioned glasses with ice to chill.  Discard ice and swirl absinthe in glass to

coat completely, then discard.  Blend with whiskey, bitters, simple syrup and an ice 
cube and stir.  Twist the lemon peel over the glass so that lemon oil cascades into the 
drink, then rub the peel over the rim.  The twist should NOT be put into the drink or as 
Stanley Clisby Arthur says, "Do not commit the sacrilege of dropping the peel into the 
drink." ( funny, but, most of the time, when I get a Sazerac in a restaurant, the lemon
peel is IN the drink! ).  Remember that the flavor of the absinthe should be there, but in 
the background.  It should not dominate.  If mixing ingredients in a cocktail shaker, stir 
gently but don't shake!!!

We enjoyed a couple of rounds of these and sent Shawn on his way back 

to Travis AFB, with a designated driver.  I had no problem sleeping Tuesday

night and dreamt of long ago student nurse days, Dixieland jazz, raw oysters,

and good times in New Orleans.

The following morning, Harper Ann was up bright and early, enjoying her Kuwaiti

camel from Uncle Shawn.

Good grief, Nana, isn't that enough pictures!!!

No Coal in My Stocking But a Flare Up of Kidney Stones - December 3013.

I spent the last two Christmases in far off India so I was looking forward to a 
change of pace and sharing the holiday with my bouncing, cheerful 
granddaughter, Harper Ann.  While all three of my sons would not be gathered
for the occasion ( Shawn, the oldest, is on Air Force duty in Kuwait ), Jeremy,
my youngest, drove up from San Francisco and we had a special Christmas
eve dinner at Laura and Alex's.  Harper Ann, of course, was the star of the
evening in her "waiting up for Santa" pajamas - though she was snug in bed
about 9PM.

I added a "baby's first Christmas ornament" with Harper's name on it to the 

tree which smelled wonderfully but was fast losing it's needles.  At 8-1/2-months,

Harper was easily diverted from the gifts by a shiny red bag filled with gold paper 

which kept her amused, no matter how often she reached for it.

Needless to say, with my three sons, football is going to be part of this young lady's

life.  Here she is sporting the San Francisco Forty Niners hat her Uncle Jer gave

to Laura.  Nicest of all is that Uncle Jer won the fantasy football pool this season

and donated it to start Harper's college fund.  I can't imagine what college will 

cost when she is a freshman.

Slowly but surely, there is a little bit of hair sprouting on that head.  She has bright

blue eyes and, for the most part, she's cheerful and happy - HOWEVER, Harper

can certainly exercise her lungs and let you know when she is displeased.

I just couldn't resist this little outfit - though she only got one day's wear out of

it.  After all, there is just one FIRST Christmas in a granddaughter's life.  I am so

glad I was home for the occasion.

Much to my dismay, however, early in the wee small hours of Christmas day, as

Santa was still soaring over the tree tops, I'm sure, I woke up with the first twinges 

of right flank pain.  They kept increasing in severity and, even after medication 

and drinking a couple of gallons of water, I knew I was in for a bout of renal colic.

I've had kidney stones for about fifteen years, have had lithotripsy twice withour

success, and have learned to live with them, for the most part.  If I stay adequately

hydrated, I'm usually fine but I guess I had been remiss with my water intake.  

For most of Christmas day and the next, I stayed in bed, missing most of the

festivities.  I did, however, manage to get up long enough for unwrapping of 

gifts and enjoying watching Harper Ann tear into the paper, ribbons and nibble

on all the gift tags.  While the rest of the family went off for Christmas dinner,

I stayed home with the granddogs and thanked my lucky stars I, at least, 

didn't have to head to the emergency room.

"Unlce Jer - sometime I call him Uncle J - says he is going to teach me all the

important  things like how to crab and fish and shoot a gun.  I ike it because he

reads to me from the Spanish books my mom buys.  He speaks Spanish

better than Dad or Nana."

"I know Nana was glad to have a granddaughter...she tells me that all the time.

I think she is worn out from having three sons.  Besides, I can wear cute clothes

like purple hats.  I like all my presents but I really liked chewing on the tags."

"Nana REALLY does take a lot of pictures...not just of me but of everything."

"Ohhhh, I knew this was a Spanish book - "El Camioncita Azul" or something

like that - because Mom said Uncle J had to read it to me.  Nana said that,

someday, he will take me to Barcelona, one of her favorite cities or, maybe,

even to Cuba!"

Well, that was my Christmas.  I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and that

it did NOT include coal or kidney stones.

Blessings and may 2014 be filled with love, properity, happiness and peace.

Happy 43rd Birthday, Shawn - December 17, 2013

Well, my dear first born, it seems like we are missing each other on many of
life's important occasions.  You missed Alex and Laura's wedding by about a
week because you were pulling Air Force duty in Germany.  At least, when Harper 
Ann was born, all of us were there, camping out in Laura's "birthing room".  I will, 
forever, cherish that photo of you, Alex, and Jeremy, my three sons, camped out, 
awaiting the arrival of that precious little girl.  

Your two younger brothers tower over you by about six inches but you never let them 

forget who is boss - and, rightly so, since, for much of their lives, you played both

the father, as well as big brother role.  I could not have managed without you.

It's kind of sad that, this year, with me home for Christmas, Uncle Sam has you in

Kuwait!!  Oh, well, that's life.  We will really be missing you at the festivities and 

we are certainly thinking about you today on your 43rd birthday.

I didn't have time to go through storage to find baby pictures of you and, sadly,

in last year's computer demise in India, many that I had were lost.  I found a few

that I am including from recent years here.  You always did say I was death on

computers but I think the last was because of all the summer power outages

during Jaipur's monsoon season.

Even though you've always said you'll never marry and have children - "I've 

already raised two sons ( in reference to Alex and Jeremy ), I think you look quite

fatherly in this short with your niece, Harper.

You may not remember this shot but it was taken a few years ago when Alex was

down and brought the dogs to visit.  You were tormenting Bucky with your guitar

playing.  For some reason, in his opinion, music did NOT soothe the savage beast

and he did not stop barking till you stopped playing.

Just to make you homesick in far away Kuwait, here is a photo from Christmas

2010, before I started making my trips to India ( forty pounds ago!! ) and pre-

Harper.  We'll drink a toast to you this holiday and celebrate when you get back

( though I will probably be in India again - but not for six months this time.

Be safe, son.  I am blessed to have you and your two wonderful brothers.  We are lucky

that Alex chose Laura and now we have the most precious baby in our family.

What a special 43rd birthday for you and a wonderful Christmas for our family.

I love you!!!