Tag: Houndstooth

Photo Friday, No. 849

Current Photo Friday theme: Two

These two… Margot and Guinness, on St. Patrick’s Day 2007. They came to us as rescues in September 2000 and January 2001. They were so different yet became the best sisters to each other and companions to us we could ever have wanted. They were patient with all this foolish dressing up and photographing. They left us gently in November 2015 and September 2016. What fantastic lives they lived and how much love they gave and received. In the end, as dog people know, we didn’t rescue them at all. They rescued us.

Starry Wednesday


The Starry Night, Vincent Van Gogh

Following up on my recent Button Sunday post, sometime in 2019, maybe 2020, I was thinking of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, one of my favorite paintings, though I admit to a soft spot for all of Van Gogh’s work. When I went searching for it online, just to look at it again, I stumbled across a digital painting by Alex Ruiz that blew me away.

During the summer after (my) fifth grade, our parents sent Debby and me to camp for a week. Debby’s a few years older, and that did NOT fit in with a teenager’s view of how she wanted her summer to be. She hated camp (her word). I don’t remember much about it, but I do remember this. At least one night, everyone went outside and lay in the grass staring up at the sky. This was in rural North Carolina, no light pollution, and I was mesmerized in a way I never had been. I finally asked someone older, maybe a counselor, “What IS that?” and was told I was seeing the Milky Way. Had never heard of it, didn’t know what it meant, but I knew I’d never forget it, and I never have.


©Alex Ruiz, 2011
When I saw Alex Ruiz’s Starry Night, I returned to that magic moment and eleven-year-old me. Alex created it from roughly Van Gogh’s same location as an homage to the artist. Van Gogh is the person in the painting, and this is what Alex imagines he saw that inspired his “Starry Night.”

Ever since, I’ve used that image as a place I mentally go when I have insomnia: Ruiz’s meadow, the breathtaking sky, and Van Gogh in a field of flowers soaking in beauty and inspiration. Though I haven’t written it yet, when the Neverending Saga nears the last novel, I already know the chapter Van Gogh and Ruiz have inspired. It may be a while before I get there, but it’s a transcendent moment of kindness and love and a splendid night sky.

I have a print of Ruiz’s digital art hanging in the writing sanctuary. It makes a good companion to a print Debby gave me at Christmas.


©Ravens of the Night, WingsDomain Art, Photography Canvas Print, 2010

Finally, below is one of a set of four different Van Gogh-inspired cups that I think Tom’s parents gave us for Christmas one year. I’ve photographed it with today’s writing playlist.


Natalie Imbruglia, Left of the Middle; Joe Jackson, The Millennium Collection; Etta James, Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday; Jewel, Pieces of You and Spirit.

May you find beauty and inspiration wherever you look.

Button Sunday

This is true, but it implies that I mostly wear pajamas all day, every day, and that is not true. I may take one day a week as a “pajama day,” because from the time I get up, I’m cleaning or doing other busy work, then I fix brunch and start working. By the time I take a shower late afternoon/early evening, there’s zero chance I’m going anywhere, so I just put on clean sleepwear (could be pajamas, flannel nightshirts, nightgowns, pajama pants with shirts of one kind or another–it’s always a surprise to me, too).

Most stay-home days, I shower early and dress because I never know who or what might show up at my door: deliveries for any of us; exterminator; a lost soul at the wrong house; water guy; something of Debby’s requiring a signature. It stuns me how often the doorbell rings and creates utter havoc among the BatPack. Most days, I feel more productive and “take-charge” if I’m dressed when I sit down to pay bills, read email, journal, and create (writing or painting).

Today, I decided to take a little drive to be sure about an address where I’m taking Debby tomorrow. It’s close to home, in a place I’m familiar with, but not that particular building. I had long since showered and dressed, and I decided since I wasn’t leaving my car, it would be okay to keep my house-shoes on. See said house-shoes:

Except the location was next to one of the hardware stores we use, and there were a couple of cleaning things I need that aren’t in the grocery store. They are likely at Target and Walmart, but I was right next to this store, so I stared down at my house-shoes. I thought about all the times in the old ‘hood when Tim and I used to take writing breaks to go to 24-hour Walgreens and 24-hour Kroger in the middle of the night where people knew us and didn’t care what either of us might be wearing. We were all buddies there.

I bopped inside this store in my house-shoes, found the cleaning supplies I needed, and noticed they’ve put out patio furniture again (it’s coastal Texas; they’re saying winter is possibly over). Tom bought a chair last year he wanted to try out to see if we liked. We did, but when he next went back, all the outdoor furniture was put away.

At this place, I shot a phone photo of similar chairs the hardware store had in stock and texted him. He opted, when HE did errands, to check out last year’s store. They had chairs identical to the one we own back in stock, so now, we have a set of four. All because I threw my standards to the wind and shopped in my house-shoes.

Here’s what I’ve been listening to while I wrote–fully dressed in real clothes–the last couple of days.


Everlast, Eat at Whitey’s and Whitey Ford Sings the Blues; Michael Feinstein, Isn’t It Romantic, part of a package at a fundraiser; Fischerelle, Steel Innuendoes, CD likely a gift from Tom’s middle sister of a Birmingham, AL-based band; Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Ella and Louis Sing Gershwin, highly recommend; Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac, Rumors, Tusk, and Mirage.


Happy Full Moon! A good time to set your intentions for the month, especially if there are things you want to release. If it doesn’t serve you, let that shit go!

Crows on my mind

Had some drama with my website again last night as I was closing down. Seems to happen frequently these days, so I’m glad for their 24/7 customer support, but I’d be even gladder if whatever is causing these problems would be found and become a distant memory.

I had a bunch of home business stuff to take care of this morning, so I’m not getting started writing until after noon. My problem with this character is I KNOW the ultimate resolution of his story arc, but I’m not altogether sure how to get there. Since he likes to think of himself as having characteristics of a crow, I took out MJ Cullinane’s Urban Crow Oracle deck for fun.

I pulled Distance, Risk, and Balance. These happen to all be important elements of the character’s life, so I figure the message is that as long as I write him true to who he is and was created to be, we’re all good regardless of where my thoughts may be straying.

CDs are in the changer because I’m in the library, with dogs (like Eva) taking turns hogging the fire. Tonight before I stop, I’ll post my day’s playlist (assuming the site cooperates).

I hope good actions, good feelings, and tech cooperation are part of your day.

ETA: Today’s playlist. A lot of CDs. Maybe some were not as long as others, because it doesn’t seem like I got an abundance of writing done while all these played. (Of course, I also left them playing while I ordered a few household items and prepared and ate dinner.) I think I can bring the chapter to an end by the time I go to bed. The next chapter should be more fun and faster.


Lana Del Rey, Lust for Life and Norman Fucking Rockwell; The Doors, Waiting For The Sun; Eagles, Their Greatest Hits and Hotel California (my other Eagles albums were drowned and some have been replaced with albums); Steve Earle, Guitar Town (Steve Earle is so talented; this one is Tom’s, but I really like it); The Escape Club, Dollars and Sex; Melissa Etheridge, Yes I Am; Your Little Secret, Breakdown; Lucky, and Skin. Tom’s the bigger Melissa Etheridge fan, but I like her, too.

Wicked Cold Wednesday*

*As Timothy might say.


Delta, Eva Ruby, Anime

Moved work into the library so we could have a fire. (Jack is buried under covers on the office couch. It’s apparently one of his non-social days.) Since Tom is in the office and not working from home today, I’ve got the tunes (still in the “D”s) on the big sound system while I write. I’ll post the playlist when I stop for the night. One of today’s CDs I’d sing along to FULL VOICE (alone) in the car in 1992, going to and from the hospital to be Steve’s healthcare advocate. I needed a total escape, and it provided. Still love it, despite its connection to a tough time.

Have a good day, and stay warm or chill, wherever this finds you.

ETA: I’m about to save this chapter and shut down for the night. I always appreciate when I’ve made progress, and here are the “D” CDs that helped.


Miles Davis, Birth of the Cool. Pretty great to write to. Def Leppard, Retroactive. One of my favorite of the “hair” bands, and so much more to them than the hair. Loved their videos. Loved seeing them live. They’re still touring. Celine Dion, Falling Into You. I got this one because I needed the words to one of the songs used at John’s memorial service in 1996. One of his closest friends said “Fly” was the song he most thought of for John, and it is beautiful and sad and uplifting all at once. Dire Straits, On Every Street. This band’s sound always relaxes me. Clay DuBose, Rewriting History. Since members of Tom’s family are thanked in the liner notes of this, I’m certain it was a gift. It’s contemporary country, and another one that’s good to write to. Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits. I never get tired of Dylan and his influence over one of my characters is powerful. Bob Dylan, Love And Theft. I suspect this may have been a Tom purchase because I don’t know it well. I HAVE to replace more of my drowned Dylan albums with CD or vinyl, I don’t care. I just need to listen to them again. Various artists, Tangled Up in Blues: Songs of Bob Dylan. Released by the House of Blues label in 2002, as part of a series featuring 12 separate artists (e.g., Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin), and further subtitled “This Ain’t No Tribute.” Covers on this one are by Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Isaac Hayes, R.L. Burnside, Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson, John Hammond, James Solberg, Alvin “Youngblood” Hart, Leon Russell, The Holmes Brothers, Larry McCray, and The Band.

It was a long writing day in the Hall library.

Button Sunday


When a button makes me crack up immediately, that’s when I know Sunday’s taken care of. Music related, too.


As promised, yesterday’s writing session was all DMB all the time. Dave Matthews Band, Under The Table and Dreaming; Dave Matthews Band, Crash: Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Live At Luther College 2-CD set; Dave Matthews Band, Everyday.

The kitchen and pantry ceilings are repaired and look great! Now we’ll see about getting some of those pipes better insulated…

on today’s list

I think I didn’t mention on here that before Christmas, when Houston froze, our plants did okay in the new pop-up greenhouse, but we had two pipes freeze and crack in the attic. Plumbers were able to get here and do repairs in time for it not to ruin the Christmas weekend, and we didn’t lose power as we did in the 2021 freeze.

Due to the leaks from the pipes, our longtime contractor Keith hired someone to repair our pantry and kitchen ceilings. That guy came today and figured out what’s needed, and the work should start tomorrow. That means the dogs got to stay at Aunt Debby’s this morning, and will tomorrow, which they love. We’re having another cold snap, and they pile on her couch with her and snooze all warm and comfy. Since no work began today and with the little barkers being at Debby’s for a while, it was a quiet day. I really needed it after yesterday’s stress.

I didn’t write today so much as review and plan. I’m bringing back a character who “finished” the previous novel after writing 100-plus pages with other characters in this one. It’s kind of like having a really good friend, and the last time you were together, some intense stuff went down in the friend’s life. Time has passed and when you see your friend again, you’re not sure exactly where things stand. Has the friend moved past it? What has replaced it in the friend’s thoughts and daily activities? Characters, like friends, are more interesting when they aren’t mired down in something that happened months before (I’m not talking major life change stuff, at least not in the character’s life). Interesting people keep moving forward and have something new to offer us. Or maybe that’s in fiction, and we sometimes wish people we knew in real life would do that. Maybe I wish I would do that! =)

Tried to explore that something new for my character as I listened to music and thought.

Today is Eddie Van Halen’s birthday. I probably should have broken out the Van Halen CDs, but I stuck with the plan and continued in the “C” section of the first binder.


Collective Soul’s self-titled 1995 release; The Cranberries, No Need To Argue; Cream, Strange Brew: The Best of Cream; Sheryl Crow, Tuesday Night Music Club; Self-Titled; The Globe Sessions; and Wildflower.

I have three more “C” CDs. Any guesses?

…and when I’m stressed…

I handle all my email. ✓
I journal in my planner. ✓
I clean the bathrooms. ✓
I mop the library. ✓
I plan dinner. (Debby has it covered.) ✓
I try to write and can’t. ✓

SO I PLAY WITH MY CHARACTER DOLLS. Here’s a grouping, probably never to be found in novels, I call “first rehearsal with new band members.”


Guitarist and leader/founder of the band. (No band name yet–still three members to recruit before that’s decided.)


Just-signed drummer setting up.


Manager and record producer (i.e., $$$$) aka brothers-in-law (to each other, not to band members).


Visiting pianist aka big sister.


A very tall woman needs a very tall fiddle.


Moral support and candid photography.


It’s complicated.


Seriously complicated.


Complicated makes better music.

Tiny Tuesday!

The weather got a little crazy in Houston today, but we’re okay here at Houndstooth Hall, Fox Den, and Fairy Cottage. I’ve heard there was tornado damage, but I tried not to stress out about it because the dogs pick that up. Instead, I stayed in cozy PJs all day while it stormed and wrote and rewrote and rewrote again the chapter that I just finished. I think I probably can’t write any more today, though I might edit a little after I cook and we eat dinner.


This is the wee boombox that now sits next to me while I write. I also picked up the kind of old-school headphones that I like and longed for after the previous boombox got unreliable.

I continue to think having music playing while I write is helping the process. Back in the earlier years of this century, when Tim and I wrote in the same room or at least one of the two homes on The Compound, he always had music playing. But for some reason, when I’d try to write alone, I didn’t want music. Maybe I overthought what I should listen to. Now that I’m just going alphabetically through the CD binders, no analyzing required.

These were today’s choices:


Patsy Cline, 12 Greatest Hits; Leonard Cohen, More Best of Leonard Cohen; and Paula Cole, This Fire.

Yesterday…


Front and back covers of B.B. King and Eric Clapton, Riding With the King; Eric Clapton, Reptile; Eric Clapton, Me and Mr. Johnson.

That was a cool selection because it set the mood for an entirely new character I introduced.

I have an anxiety-inducing phone call tomorrow afternoon. Another day to stay away from news and social media. Please send good vibes.