Author: Becky

Is it fall yet (no)

This year, the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere lands on Sunday, September 22, at 7:44 AM central time (the zone I’m in). This has little to do with Houston’s weather. These are the seasons as I’ve observed them at Houndstooth Hall:
•hot, wet, and mosquito-filled
•hot, dry, and the palmetto bugs want to come indoors
•OMG, was that…a breeze?
•call the plumber, your pipes froze and split in the middle of the night

Hurricane season is a myth, as it can put in an appearance during any of those first three seasons.

The other day, while outside with the dogs, I spotted this on the ground and thought, “Fall!”

Then I decided it probably was brought here by a migrating bird who came from a place of real seasons bearing a symbol of hope. Thanks, bird!

It has been cooler here this week, but my mind hasn’t been at ease. For two years now, we’ve been on the receiving end of advice, suggestions, harassment, warnings!!!!, that we need a generator to alleviate the impact of power outages. If you’ve read here during the worst of our winter storms and the extended power outages of this year in particular, you know it’s a sound idea. If only the people who sound off wanted to contribute to the Houndstooth Hall Generator Fund. I’ve spent the last few days since we got our quote figuring out how to budget the cost with other steep and unexpected expenses this year. Whatever. We’ll figure it out. It can’t be done before “hurricane season” ends, but it will happen.

In the meantime, we’re still in OMG, was that a breeze? season, which means summer continues, as does RomCom Summer. Here are my most recent rewatches from the past few days when I’m not nervously crunching numbers (and Nacho Doritos).

An argument can be made that 1990’s Pretty Woman is the definitive film in the RomCom genre. The original screenplay was much darker, and one version even included the demise of Vivian. Not on Héctor Elizondo’s watch! The chemistry between Vivian and Edward, as played by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, is off the charts. There are so many quotable moments and memorable scenes in this film: Rodeo Drive, the polo field, the boardrooms, and the restaurants. Each viewing, I remember I adore Elinor Donahue as Bridget and Patrick Richwood as Dennis the elevator operator (he and Héctor Elizondo team up again in The Princess Diaries, which deserves a rewatch, too).

Others might argue that the RomCom trend near the end of the previous century was kicked off by 1989’s When Harry Met Sally. Maybe, but rewatching this one wasn’t as fun for me. The humor’s there, the snappy dialogue’s there, but ultimately, I think I like Meg Ryan’s Sally and Billy Crystal’s Harry better as friends. I’d totally forgotten Harley Jane Kozak played Harry’s ex, Helen. As always, Carrie Fisher, who plays Sally’s friend Marie, is outstanding. (This probably means I’m going to need to rewatch Postcards from the Edge because of her excellent writing–as well as the cast’s performances.) This also got me in the mood to watch Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail. Unfortunately, a DVD issue brought that to a screeching halt after the first forty minutes, so my viewing has been postponed.

Instead, I watched 1982’s Tootsie, and just giving that date stuns me. FORTY-TWO years! I do thoroughly enjoy the entire cast that supports Dustin Hoffman as Michael and Jessica Lange as Julie. Rewatching this sent me on a deep dive of the other movies Sydney Pollack directed (he was also sometimes a producer, writer, and actor–in fact, he plays Michael’s agent in this film). These are some of my favorites from among them: This Property Is Condemned, Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Electric Horseman, Absence of Malice, Out of Africa, and the remake of Sabrina. Kudos to the late Mr. Pollack, and I was reminded of an incident from my deep past. I was at McFarland Mall in Tuscaloosa one day, and on a whim, I went solo to a matinee at the mall’s theater. This would have been 1977, and I know this not because of the movie I saw, which I don’t remember, but because after that movie, a poster on another wall compelled me forward.


All my brain could process was Michael Corleone!! (1972’s The Godfather, 1974’s The Godfather II, as well as the title character of 1973’s Serpico). Unfortunately, those were my days as a poor student, so I couldn’t spring for another movie, even if it was directed by Sydney Pollack. I never saw Bobby Deerfield. Maybe one day. I do own both those Godfathers and Serpico, though. =) Spoiler: There’ll be another favorite RomCom rewatch with Al Pacino soon.

My rewatch to wind down last night was 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary. Again, great supporting cast and side stories, and Renee Zellweger as Bridget, along with the ultimate RomCom face-off between Hugh Grant as Daniel and Colin Firth as Mark, are all brilliant casting. It was announced in April that there’s to be a fourth movie in the Bridget Jones franchise. =)

Stay tuned…

Photo Friday, No. 925

Current Photo Friday theme: Many


Many Pennys.

Created in 1963, and sold as late as 1970, by the Deluxe Reading/Topper Toy Company, the Penny Brite doll was intended to be a solution for parents who wanted their children to play with fashion dolls who looked younger than the dolls in the Mattel line. In 2007, Charisma Brands reintroduced the doll, along with additional outfits and a carrying case, for $69.95. I don’t know what her original price was, but likely in the three- to five-dollar range.

The Héctor Elizondo Effect

I found an article, “Your Cynicism Isn’t Helping Anybody,” completely by accident, and finally, I have a succinct, orderly explanation for why I often call myself a skeptic and why, for many years including right here on this website, I have denounced cynicism. (I think my earliest mention was on Christmas Eve 2007, when I quoted Carol Burnett’s interview on “Inside The Actors Studio,” wherein she said her least favorite word is “cynicism.” INDEED.)

The article I found is from Time, and I know people very often don’t click on links, but you can read it in five or fewer minutes here. I don’t dare post it in its entirety, because I don’t want to violate copyright. In the article, Zaki rebuts and questions the following MYTHS: that cynicism is clever, safe, or moral. In fact, he says, cynicism is a trap that makes us underestimate and distrust others.

Damn near everyone I know, and believe me, that group covers a range of beliefs and attitudes related to the “forbidden” topics: sex, money, politics, and religion, keeps bringing up in our conversations, and on their social media, the same questions these days: why is everyone so mean now, why is everyone so divided and disconnected, and why does no one trust anybody? I agree with the take in this article, that “cynicism,” and the way cynicism is used against us, is at the root of these problems. I’m not a cynic, but possibly I’ll end up getting Zaki’s book, Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness, because that’s how much this article resonated with me.

The many forms of art and creativity can offer us several things. Art can confront us with what’s wrong and destructive in the world and challenge us to make things better in large and small ways. Art can remind us of our common connections and give us hope. Art can elicit our humanity by giving us the opportunity to laugh, weep, and wonder. I’m grateful that during a challenging few months, I’ve had movies to remind me of all of this. My most recent rewatches have been:


1991’s Frankie & Johnny, 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding, 1999’s Runaway Bride

Along with their humor, all three of these movies illustrate what a difference believing in oneself and others, or NOT believing in oneself and others, can make in their characters’ lives. Relationships that endure make room for apologies, forgiveness, and changes. Once again, the lead actors inhabit the lives of their characters skillfully, and Héctor Elizondo is in two of the three films, along with others I’ve already watched. If he ever plays a bad guy, I don’t want to see it. =)

In clover


Have you ever heard the phrase “happy as a cow in clover?” Simply put, a cow with lots of clover to eat is a happy cow, so the simile is an obvious one. In time, the idea was shortened to the phrase “in clover,” as in, “You’re in clover here,” or “If we win the lottery, we’ll be in clover,” making it a metaphor instead of a simile (like The Dude in The Big Lebowski, The English Teacher abides).

I can still remember the first time I read the phrase “in clover,” including the book it was in, and though I had no awareness of that old happy cow connection, I knew at the very least, it meant lucky. This could have been because as a child, I was encouraged to look for “lucky” four-leaf clovers. Or it could have been because a 1927 song, “I’m Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover,” was often sung on variety shows in the 1960s and 1970s (Mitch Miller, Lawrence Welk, Donny and Marie), plus both Bugs Bunny and Tweety Bird sang variations of the song in cartoons. As recently as 2013, actress/singer Emmy Rossum included it on her album Sentimental Journey.

Clover continues to be a plant I think of as happy, and it’s one of the few things that survives in our yard, even during drought years. Fun fact: shamrocks never have a four-leaf clover, so if you find one, you’re either looking through white clover or a similar ground cover.

The photo at the top of this post shows some of the clover in our yard. It’ll happily jump right into our pots to keep plants company, too. Like its theme song and use as an idiom, The Clover abides.

Tiny Tuesday!


Eva Ruby, the tiniest member of the Batpack, did start coughing less over the weekend, so we thought things would be okay. Then yesterday, her appetite went away, and in the evening, we feared we saw a little blood in a liquid-y stool (sorry; dog people overshare). Off she went with the Supreme Ruler of Her World, Tom, to the emergency vet. After x-rays, bloodwork, and no coughing for the doctors, she was thought to be on the mend from whatever caused the cough. For a dog her size, eating even a blade of grass could have irritated her throat. She had no fever, nothing too alarming in the x-rays, but her bloodwork showed she was severely dehydrated. So she got sub-Q fluids, anti-nausea meds, and about four hours worth of monitoring before Tom brought her home. Now she’s on a bland, small-portion diet several times a day, and the credit card bill is not so tiny. Worth it for that smile and our peace of mind.


There is one topic about which Eva is serious and wants to have a word. (We think it’s from hanging out in a house with too many fashion dolls.) She says, “This is the day after Labor Day. Pack those white shoes away immediately. You’ll see them again at Easter and beyond. Yes, Florida, even you. If Texans can pack away their white boots and strappy heels, so can you other coastal fashionistas.”

Into the closet. See them next spring!
Approved year-round choices.

She does, however, make allowances for sneakers, tennis shoes, running shoes, and gym shoes. This is not simply because they’re sporty. They’re also optimal dog-walking shoes. Priorities…

As for me, I tried to rewatch this 1998 movie while Tom and Eva were at the ER. There was a lot of stopping and restarting because of ongoing texts. It was still fun seeing Sigourney Weaver play Katharine, a treacherous boss, and Melanie Griffin play Tess, who’s smart, sweet, and sexy. As she tells Harrison Ford’s Jack (why are so many RomCom leading men named Jack?), “I have a head for business and a body for sin.” A stellar supporting cast portraying working women (Joan Cusack is gold, as always) and sleazy men (though there are good guys, too). Bonus: A brief but good appearance by Olympia Dukakis as a personnel director at an employment agency is one of several characters who show the value of women mentoring women in the workplace.

Sunday Sundries


Little boxes. Their value is in who gave them or that they contain small gifts of nature from loved ones. Not all boxes are square, right?1

Here were today’s RomCom rewatches from 2005 and 1991. As with many of these movies, the number of years since their release dates often stuns me.

1From The Polymer Arts, 2013, “Today’s thought on boxes is pretty simple: a box does not have to be square. It doesn’t even have to have straight sides or be flat on the bottom. A box is basically a container used to hold or store things and has a lid. That’s a pretty wide open definition, which is great for an artist.”

Yesterday Once More

Since I was only able to get about three hours of sleep Thursday night, even though I managed a couple of short naps during the day (the dogs approve of this lifestyle), my brain was too tired to offer me much that was productive. I posted to Photo Friday, paid some bills, and got the dogs in and out between rain showers, but mostly I gave myself over to two RomComs. Nor did I try to atone for passive entertainment by coloring or researching for the Neverending Saga. T.I.R.E.D.

First up was 1996’s One Fine Day with Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney. George was looking mighty young in this film. At one point, his newspaper reporter character Jack describes Michelle Pfeiffer’s architect character Melanie as “luminous,” which is how I’d still describe her. Movie cameras love her. The one scene I always remember from this movie is the first time (of several) Melanie’s son stains her shirt. She carries a leather bag (how Jack envies this bag) filled with things a mom-on-the-go needs, and grabs one of her son’s T-shirts, emblazoned with a dinosaur, switching it with her shirt. TINY woman! But enough about their looks. The movie is frantic with the pace of two busy New Yorkers trying to balance work with parenting. They meet; they bicker; they negotiate; they commiserate over children who are sometimes maddening, sometimes wonderful; they give each other some grace with a lot of sass; they fall in love–all in the same day. It would take me hundreds of pages…or many books…to write such a thing. =)

Then after dinner last night (and an episode of the funny TV show “Ghosts,”), I wanted to keep myself awake long enough not to go to bed too early and then be wide awake in the middle of the night. I chose the 1995 Sandra Bullock (playing Lucy)/Bill Pullman (playing another Jack) RomCom While You Were Sleeping, about a misunderstanding taken to an extreme. Can anyone play more likable characters in this genre than Sandra Bullock? Equally likable is Jack, and unlike in Sleepless In Seattle when Bill Pullman lost the girl, this time, he’s the lucky guy. The talented supporting cast is by turns funny, sweet, and ridiculous. It’s a good comfort movie to see before bedtime, and YES! I slept six hours, woke up for a while, then slept again off and on for at least another two hours. SO GRATEFUL to feel rested in the morning.

Cats and dogs (both my Coventry novels have dogs) are always good in RomComs. These movies both featured cats. In One Fine Day, the newspaper editor keeps a cat, Lois Lane, in his office who is important in a couple of plot points. At one point, Jack’s daughter chases a stray tabby cat, who she follows into a store, where she finds the cat has kittens, including one named Bob. These cats, too, are all part of the action and plot development.

In While You Were Sleeping, Lucy has a cat named Mel (played by rescue cat actor Princess) who provides some amusing moments. When Lucy realizes that Peter, hospitalized in a coma, has a cat which no one in his family knows about (he was only catsitting), she gets into his apartment to take care of Fluffy, providing more comedic moments with Jack.

This afternoon, Tom and I both had hair appointments with Larry in our old ‘hood. That’s three hours in the shop, the drives there and back, plus picking up dinner for us and Debby on the way home. We wanted to thank her for sitting with our dogs for those hours. We’d been a little concerned about Eva, who was hacking and coughing periodically before we left. We gave her some warm water with honey, which can sooth an irritated throat. She didn’t have a fever, and none of the dogs have been around any other dogs who could have given them anything like kennel cough, but since she wasn’t interested in breakfast this morning, we wanted to be cautious. Debby said she only coughed a couple of times, though she did cough a lot when we got home–maybe she was over-excited, because Tom is her whole reason for existence. Seriously, she starts watching the front door an hour and a half before he gets home from the office. But she ate her dinner with no problem and hasn’t coughed so far since dinnertime. Fingers crossed!

My hair is very short! Which is fine, but strange to see in the mirror. And since last night’s film got me in the mood for more Sandra Bullock, tonight’s DVD rewatch will be 2000’s Miss Congeniality, with Sandra Bullock as FBI Special Agent Gracie Hart, Benjamin Bratt, Michael Caine, Candice Bergen, William Shatner, Ernie Hudson, and John DiResta among the cast. After the movie, I’ll read a while before I get another hopefully good night’s sleep on this Labor Day Weekend. If so, tomorrow: WRITING!

Writing prompt

Today has been a research day with only a small bit of writing. My character has wanted something she can’t get, and now she will be meeting the person who thwarted her. When she takes the time to listen to a bit of this person’s family history, she begins to understand. The problem is, I’M the one who has to come up with that history, and it’s taken many hours of research and thought. I’ll be ready to dive into writing it all tomorrow, I hope.

In the interest of writing something, I grabbed this book and opened it to a random page, where the prompt read, Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets? I thought of another of my characters who finds late afternoon and early evening the low point of his day. He gets that from me. Sunrises. Definitely sunrises, never more so than when we have power outages, and I get to experience what I wrote below. Don’t know if you can read it, but feel free to share your own preference in comments.