Tag: compound

Sleigh bells ring…


Longtime readers may remember that each year I order a Wallace silver-plated sleigh bell for the holiday season. When I mentioned it to Tom, he said, “Do you really WANT to remember 2020?”

Sure I do. It has shone a light on many things. Yes, that includes plenty I’d rather not exist, but knowledge is power. This year has been a teacher of ways to appreciate many good things, too, if I can see challenges as opportunities.

Happy 50th Anniversary, sleigh bells. I’ve added you to our homes since 1992. You have been there for many family celebrations and sorrows. You’ve brightened Christmases with friends who are still here to celebrate with us again one day, and friends who are gone but never forgotten.

Thank you for being shiny and for ringing in each new year with us.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I believe you all remember that Margot was the Queen of I DO NOT WANT CHANGE DO NOT LIKE.


Margot on the chair that became known as The Throne.

Guinness was a lot more easygoing.

You can not imagine how much I miss these girls. I love all three of our dogs and their unique personalities, but I always feel a little wistful for the ones who shared so many wonderful years with us. I’m glad that Anime got to know both Margot and Guinness, and glad Delta shared some time with Guinness.

The chair and settee they are pictured on took a lot of beating during the flooding. Water on the legs, of course, and being piled against wet or damp furniture. They just seemed dark and sad to us.

We decided to have them cleaned, repadded, and reupholstered. Tom and I had a lot of fun one day looking at fabrics at the upholsterer. It was one of the first things we did for our house after the apartments were nearing completion, and it felt so optimistic and forward moving.

We just got them back this week and love the way they turned out. We are 100 percent sure Queen Margot would not have given her blessing, though.

If you need furniture reupholstered or repaired in Houston: Jack Johnson Upholstery

Button Sunday


Yes, the season is upon us, and this is about the silliest button I could find.

We’ve started decorating at Houndstooth Hall. Here are photos of the more nostalgic ornaments on our new, larger tree so far.


The ornament that celebrates the year we moved into The Compound. We had almost almost twenty great years there and infinite happy memories. I don’t miss it the way I thought I would because Houndstooth Hall has been so good to us.

I do miss these two very much, however.


Sweet Guinness and wonderful Margot. I don’t think a day passes that Tom and I don’t talk about them. Strangely, Anime has taken on some of Margot’s qualities, and that can be fun to observe.


There are people I miss, too. Lynne has this same ornament, and this one belonged to her sister Liz. When Liz died, Lynne gave it to me.

This is the tree as it looks currently–it’s a work in progress.

Wondering about that picket fence? It’s there because of another work in progress, Jack. Have you officially met Jack yet?

Jack, or Just Jack, as he is more often called, is a BARC dog we adopted. Jack has some issues. He’s brave around us, but has some fear-based behavior, which most often manifests itself in his being mean to Pollock, Tim’s largest and goodnatured (thank goodness) dog, as well as to Tim. I think maybe Jack had a bad experience with someone who Tim reminds him of. Jack is also young enough to still get into trouble, and I was sure the Christmas tree would provide him plenty of opportunity. Lynne suggested putting some kind of fence around it, Tom found the picket fence and modified it to work, and I hung those small stockings I’d bought after some Christmas past when they were on sale.

Is it working? Well, here’s some of Jack’s work we’ve found throughout the house. Hopefully features have since been added to stop Jack from expressing himself so destructively.

Visitors Minute and Paco are not impressed with Jack’s shenanigans.

And neither is that two-headed dog at the other end of the couch.

Oh, wait. That’s Delta and Anime. Sorry, girls.

Even though my blog readership has plummeted since I killed Facebook, just in case ‘Nathan ever drops in, I’ve kept up his tradition by decorating while wearing holiday socks.

And what the heck. If you DO read this dusty ol’ blog still, here’s your daily cow. You’re welcome.