Tag: friends

The nagging Aries

I know I’m early to talk about Christmas. However, holiday music has been playing in stores since before Halloween, so I see no reason for restraint.

First, this is Harley.

I’m excited because this is my new nephew. My sister met Harley on Thursday, the day he was neutered, and was allowed to pick him up from his adoption agency on Friday. He’s almost two years old. He came with all his toys, bowls, and bed from his previous home (where he was loved, but was reportedly a little too much dog for them).

Debby said that last night, Harley brought his toys upstairs one by one and put them in her bed. I think he knows he’s home. They’ve already enjoyed walks together, nap snuggle time, and–not really by invitation–Harley joined Debby in the bathtub. She says he’s sweet, energetic, funny, and has a ferocious bark–all qualities she wants.

It makes me happy that Harley has found a good home; his story could have been different.

I’ve been involved in no less than five conversations lately in which people have wondered why the media are focusing on the Obama family’s search for a dog. Frankly, I’m glad for the media attention, particularly since Michelle Obama has announced their intention to search for and adopt a rescued puppy. There are many challenges and stories involved in a new administration, and this one could easily be lost among them. But if one quality of leadership is setting an example, this is a good one to set. And actually, this isn’t an unusual interest; stories and information about White House animals have always appealed to people, particularly when they involve children. In honor of today’s date, I’ll mention Caroline Kennedy’s pony, Macaroni, a gift from VP Lyndon Johnson. In return for being a good companion to Caroline and a great photo opportunity, Macaroni had unlimited access to the White House grounds and received tons of mail from besotted Americans.

There’s a Presidential Pet Museum in Williamsburg with items, photos, and stories to preserve this facet of presidential lore. Thanks to them, I now know that:

• Millard Fillmore was a founding member and president of the Buffalo chapter of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and

• Andrew Johnson left flour out at night for a family of mice playing in his room during his dark days of impeachment.

I also learned that the gift of a dog to the Trumans caused controversy during his presidency. It’s rarely a good idea to give a puppy as a surprise gift. Many dogs and cats given at Christmas end up in shelters and pounds that don’t have no-kill policies. Black dogs in particular have a hard time finding new homes.

If you’re thinking of getting a dog or cat for yourself, please check local animal control facilities as well as rescue groups. Consider taking an older animal who seems well-suited to your environment, schedule, living situation, and temperament.

Avoid commercial breeders and puppy mills. Breeding is an activity best left to experts, who breed for optimal health and performance. Irresponsible breeding to make money is another reason animal shelters are full.

Some grim statistics from animalworldnetwork.com:

• For every human born, seven puppies and kittens are born.

• One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in seven years.

• One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in six years.

• More than 12 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year. Millions more are abandoned in rural and urban areas.

• Approximately 61 percent of all dogs entering shelters are killed.

• Approximately 75 percent of all cats entering shelters are killed.

• As many as 25 percent of dogs entering shelters each year are purebreds.

If you want a certain breed, check for breed-specific rescue organizations. People should research the qualities of any dog’s breed(s) before getting one: their adult size, their most likely temperament, diseases to which they are susceptible. No matter where you get a dog or cat, if it’s unaltered, please, please get it spayed or neutered at the earliest opportunity. If cost is an issue, check into low- and no-cost clinics in your area.

I know Tim and I talk about our dogs (and his cats) a lot on our LiveJournals, but we’ve tried to be responsible about balancing our fun stories with the more serious ones: River’s astronomical vet bills, Margot’s traumatic incident with rat poison, the stitches near Rex’s eye after an altercation with EZ, EZ’s story of mistreatment, rescue, and medical challenges, Guinness’s and Rex’s clever ability to get into things they shouldn’t, like ham, Halloween candy, and coconut cake. Being a responsible companion to an animal requires thought, time, energy, and financial and emotional commitment. I applaud all the organizations and people who work tirelessly as animal advocates and caregivers. Many of my friends are among them.

Welcome to the family, Harley.

I wouldn’t forget this…

Thank goodness LJ managed to reappear so that I could recognize that today is the birthday of venusunfolding. In your honor, Johnnie, I’ve shot Jazzie (who recently played Keelie on Runway Monday) wearing a vintage Mattel coat (with matching purse) over a sweetheart of a dress made for me by my mother, lo those many years ago when no one thought it was bizarre for me to play with dolls.

And you, my friend, STILL don’t, and for that, I thank you, and celebrate your kindred spirit. Happy birthday!

My sister and Bobo

Thursday night, I was hoping that Lynne was going to spend the evening at The Compound and visit with my sister, but she wasn’t able to come. I’d bought a family-sized pack of chicken breasts, and when I actually opened the package, those things must have come off a group of Victoria’s Henhouse models. I quickly called Rhonda and Lindsey to see if they’d made plans, and since they hadn’t, they agreed to join us for dinner–which turned out pretty good for one of those last-minute, thrown-together meals.

Debby let us in on a little-known facet of Rex’s personality. Apparently, they’ve formed a fast bond of friendship, and he likes for her to call him Bobo. Here’s Bobo sitting next to his new best friend and showing Rhonda some love.

Also, I didn’t know that Lindsey, like Debby, is a big fan of coconut cake. She proves it here.

This evening, my nephew Aaron is coming to Houston so he can see his high school in a football playoff game tomorrow. I don’t know if Bobo is jealous that he’ll have to share Debby’s attention with someone else, but he looks a little worried today.

Hump Day Happy

Lynne caught Miss Lila in the pumpkin patch at the Oil Ranch. This photo is one of the happiest parts of a good week.

 

 

If you’d like something to be happy about, comment with a page number between 1 and 611, and another number between 1 and 25, and I’m sure our little friend here will mooooooove her way through the pages and find your answer.

 

“Lila” by Lynne.
Cow by book.>

Button Sunday

Using certain tags, I’ve gone through four years of LJ archives to fix bad photo links. I know this doesn’t matter to anyone other than me, but when one of my reasons for keeping a LJ is to publish photos, it’s kind of ridiculous to think of people ever meandering through my archives only to see “This photo is no longer available.”

Please, if any of you ever stumble over a missing photo or dead link, let me know. I try to keep this place always at the ready for that moment when one of you wakes in the middle of the night–or the middle of the day for some of you–and MUST FIND THAT PHOTO OF THE KENS WITH BAD HAIR. How tragic if you should be denied seeing it. Not that I remember seeing it when I was fixing things. It could be missing for all I know. My brain is fried from looking at old posts, and what I want to know is, WHY are you people reading this thing? Has anyone ever been more random and unfocused and needlessly verbose than I am?

I figure you’re here for the man and dog photos. So from the true archives–the ones from the shelves in the study–here’s a shot from April of 1999, when Stevie became the first of The Compound dogs to adore Tim. Whenever he was here, she was all his.

Hump Day Happy

You know those moments in your life that you look back on and remember exactly what you were doing when you heard about [fill in the blank]. I’ve got a few of those in both happy and sad columns But Tuesday night…

I did try hard to stay away from the news. Tim even made appointments for us to get our hair cut with Larry, because that’s always a happy couple of hours with someone whose company we enjoy.

 


Tim, during the process… 


Pile o’ Tim hair.

 

Yeah, I know you want “after” photos, but I can’t give you all the good stuff at once.

I did some errands and drove by several polling places hoping to get photos of voters in long lines. However, that early voting thing really works out for Houston, because there were no lines. Later, Tim and I went back out with the dogs, and as we drove down West Gray, I got this shot of some people who caught me in the act and seemed okay with it.

 

I read and enjoyed your comments about your voting experiences on my last post, then I started cooking dinner to stay away from the TV. I began having all kinds of computer issues, so obsessively checking for news online wasn’t an option. I also had my news-avoiding movie selection at the ready: My Best Friend’s Wedding, because I haven’t watched it for a while and Julia and the so-hot Dermot Mulroney are always a good diversion.

We ate. We watched our soap, a little CNN, a little Fox, a little MSNBC. I took some phone calls. I couldn’t forget the last two presidential campaigns, so I refused to be lured into anything like confidence and especially not complacency. I was more than willing to watch the one-hour Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert special, because I figured it would be at least a couple of hours before we were anywhere near hearing an outcome.

Then arrived that moment, the one I’ll always remember, when after goofing around and trading barbs, Jon Stewart quietly said: “At eleven o’clock at night Eastern standard time, the president of the United States is Barack Obama.” It took me a minute to realize he wasn’t kidding, and I immediately started crying, and it was quite some time before I could stop. I’ve never felt such a profound sense of history. I know many of my friends are skeptical and don’t feel the way I feel, but this is a day I didn’t think would come in my lifetime, a moment when everything seems to move forward and stop looking back, and I wish my parents could share it with me.

Both my phones were ringing, I knocked my can of Dr. Pepper over, the dogs were crazy, and Tim arrived to say that John McCain was expected to give his concession speech within minutes. And when he did concede, I was so proud of him. It was exactly the kind of moving and gracious speech we hope for from a statesman. I looked at that crowd of disappointed McCain supporters, and I understood exactly how they felt. However, in my heart, I truly believe what President-Elect Obama promised in his speech. He will be a president for ALL of us, he will listen to ALL of us, particularly those with differing opinions. This will be such a dramatic change from the last eight years.

Thank you to everyone who called and commented and sent e-mails–from all over the world! We have a lot of work ahead of us, and if there’s anything I could wish for, it would be that instead of divisiveness, we’d all start acting like friends and neighbors again. The following is my best attempt to use what I had on hand to represent a spirit of unity and to show that happiness is NOT a partisan issue. We can always use more happiness and more than a little silliness, so please comment with a page number between 1 and 611, and another number between 1 and 25, and the elephant and donkey will work together to find your answer.

 

Button Sunday

Back in late July when I went out to visit my friend Pat in Small Paradise, she gave me a button that she’d gotten many years before when serving as a delegate. Do you know how torturous it was to wait until the Sunday before the election to share this?

I wasn’t born into this world as a Yellow Dog Democrat, so I must thank Nixon and his cabinet and conspirators, the Reagans, the Bush family, and especially Dick Cheney for transforming me into one. Good job!

The Ford family gets a free pass.