Tag: Houndstooth

Recap

Strange week filled with ups and downs and serendipity and labor put into things other than writing.

I get a monthly newsletter from author Carolyn Haines. I’ve downloaded her latest Sarah Booth Delaney mystery, Bones of Holly to my eReader and will be reading it this month. In her most recent newsletter, she provided a link to a free reading of a short novella called “Junebug Fischer” by author Mandy Haynes. Here’s the description: Junebug Fischer will be ninety-six come June. She’s ready to set the record straight and let you know what really happened the summer she turned fifteen. It’s true, she killed someone, but she never killed nobody on purpose. That was purely accidental. I don’t know how long the novella will be free, but this link will enable you to either download it to your favorite reader or open it on your computer to read without downloading: link to read ‘Junebug Fischer’. I enjoyed it, and I’ll be reading more by Mandy Haynes.

December has a few challenging anniversaries, so I’m always grateful for the good stuff. A couple of high points of the week included a good update about a family member’s surgery and a photo my brother texted to a proud sister/aunt showing him with his son and grandsons. I already have that photo printed and hanging in the family and friends gallery in the hall.

For years, I’ve tried to replicate my mother’s recipe for fried corn. She gave me directions. She let me watch her do it. She told me the specific kind of fresh corn on the cob I needed to buy and how to prepare it the way she did. I have never found corn sold under that name. And I have never successfully made a batch of corn that tastes like hers. This week was no exception. I mean, the corn was fine, but it wasn’t hers. I’ve searched and tried online recipes. I’ve enjoyed Lynne’s version that she cooks the way her mother did. Even the best fried corn I’ve eaten doesn’t taste like my mother’s. I try this at most every two or three years, so it’s not a big deal, and in one way, my failure amuses me: my mother would like knowing she did something no one else has been able to do. (There are many others; even if she never acknowledged those, I do.)

In the few years before I was laid off from my job because of the pandemic, one of my holiday frustrations was not having the time to address and send Christmas cards to friends and family. I could start the process in December but sometimes didn’t finish it until my March birthday and, one year, even Easter. No more job meant this is one activity I’ve been able to accomplish since 2020 before Christmas. This year might be my earliest ever, partly because we were able to get a family photo in November thanks to Lindsey.

Yesterday, I dropped the first batch of cards in the mail when I had to pick up more stamps at the post office, and today, I’ll be sending the rest in the batch pictured here.

While finishing the task might not seem like a big deal, this particular activity provides me a much-needed feeling of connection. That’s helpful since I’ve drastically reduced texting and messaging using social media due to ongoing technical problems (e.g., wonky computers, Internet outages) but also the state of the world (watching billionaires have public pissing contests with one another on unnamed apps or millionaires detail their lives via “reality” shows or TikTok videos holds no allure for me at all; your mileage may vary).

I have three gifts to box and ship (once I do a little more shopping) that will include what I think are the last of my cards. After that, I can focus on the remainder of our holiday preparations, including Tom’s birthday on Christmas day, and maybe then, finally, my brain will assure me it’s okay to focus on my fictional work in progress. I need writing to feel balanced, too.

I’m ahead on one thing, though: I have my New Year’s Resolution all ready. =)

Happy Thanksgiving 2022

Here’s our traditional Thanksgiving greeting to you all. I reminded myself to TURN THE HEN TO THE SIDE so you wouldn’t be looking into its cavity.

I then promptly took a table photo, and….


…left you staring right into the hen’s butt. Sorry!

Another perspective of the table allows you to see what was damn near perfect cornbread dressing–the best I’ve made in years. Plus Debby being funny and putting the entire bowl of mashed potatoes on her plate.


I forgot to take a photo of the pecan pie and sweet potato pie Debby baked before we cut into them. It was a good day, and I paced myself so I wasn’t too exhausted to eat when we finally sat at the table.

Here’s the full menu: baked hen, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese (Tom requested and Debby made), squash casserole, and yeast rolls. I don’t think I left anything out. We all drank water, and Tom had some coffee with his pie.

It was great to be with Tom, Tim, and Debby at the table telling stories, sharing memories, talking current events and state of the country without any disagreements or drama. I’m so thankful for our home, our family, chosen family and friends, and our dogs. Another lovely holiday to remember.

random or not

Today was a gorgeous day here after some rainy/rainy-cold ones. It allowed me to do physical work outside–a much needed antidote to too much horrible news and too many reprehensible behaviors displayed for the world to see via news and social media.

Today’s outside work means I have a nice collection of kindling for when we use the chiminea to sit on the patio and talk when it’s both clear and chilly.

1. I know that “influencers” carefully cultivate an image much like entertainment figures do. 2. I rarely stick with reading or following “oversharers.” 3. I share selectively. I only ever got on social media in the first place because anyone with something to sell (e.g., art, books, music) was told it was the best way to find an audience. I don’t have anything to sell (these days). I don’t feel compelled to influence anyone. I still like interacting with people here, but this has become mostly a way to keep up with my days–what I do, who I’ve seen, what I’m thinking about or remembering.

I’m sort of working on something that I’m adding to the blog–but I’m “time traveling” to do it, so it won’t show up on the first page. It’s something I want to keep up with for reasons of my own, and I don’t imagine it would mean anything to anyone else.

If you’re in the States and observe the holiday tomorrow, I hope it’s what you want it to be, whether restful, busy, social, or quiet. I’m thankful for the people and animals who fill my life with laughter, love, and thoughtfulness.

Tiny Tuesday!

Minute flanked by Anime and Eva. Anime and Minute are absolute besties.

Back in early October, tiny Minute stayed with us at Houndstooth Hall for a few days when Lynne and family went to Disney World on vacation. We love having her because it livens the pack dynamic and she enjoys it. Now that she’s sixteen, she plays less, but when she rejoins the BatPack, a little of the puppy comes out in her.

Delta and Minute–and toward the back fence, you can see Pixie, too.
Minute with Pollock in the background.
Minute with Jack and Eva.

Minute also gets along well with Debby’s Stewie, another senior dog, and Tim’s Pollock and Pixie are very respectful of her.

Another tiny thing: Lynne brought me this Disney pin celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Disney World theme park. The park first opened on October 1, 1971, so Disney began celebrating on October 1, 2021, and will continue until March 31, 2023. I’ve only been to Disney World once–in 1986, I think? Other than Space Mountain–not a fan of roller coasters in general, and certainly not when that one was in the dark–I loved the park, and it cracked me up that even though I was nine hours from home, when I was standing in line for It’s A Small World, I heard a student calling, “Ms. Cochrane! Ms. Cochrane!” They always found me wherever I was.

A final coincidental note about this pin: It features Goofy and Pluto, and both are mentioned in a scene I’ve written in the Neverending Saga. Lynne didn’t know that when she got it–and still hasn’t read that scene since she’s not reading Book Six until the first section of it is finished. =)

Always there

I’m not sure these have been out since sometime before 2017. Thank you to everyone who’s colored angels with or for me over the last thirty years.

They’re all still around even when we don’t see them.

My thoughts are with those killed and injured, and their families and friends, in yet another episode of gun violence, this time in Colorado, late Saturday night.

A restful Saturday

I did wake up today at 6 AM but stayed in bed until 7 AM because I was COLD (temp was in the 40s). Once I forced myself to get up, I showered and dressed warmly, ate a good breakfast, and started working on the manuscript. Oddly, there was a lone morning glory flower blooming in the backyard this morning; no idea where that came from, and it made me think of The Compound, where they were so beautiful on the fence.


Today is also the birthday of this most fabulous human. I figured I’d use his uniform photo since yesterday was Veterans Day. A lot of years have passed since I shot this photo, but he’ll always be the first kid who made me Aunt Becky. I love you, Daniel, and happy birthday!

I’d mentioned I would have more photos to share from Thursday. Lynne had to be in Houston for a meeting. Though she’s staying with another friend, she wanted to visit Thursday night. I spent the afternoon writing outside because–except for mosquitos–it was a gorgeous day. My laptop isn’t open in this photo, but it’s on the table. You might notice the different kinds of anti-mosquito skin spray in front of it. And Anime on the bottom left. =)

We had a fan hooked up to provide a gentle breeze, and in the late afternoon, we set up a table to get queso started in the crock pot. Later, there was another crock pot with chili, because Tom grilled burgers and hotdogs, in case anyone wanted chili on their hot dogs.

Lynne arrived and set up her laptop to talk and work next to me while I wrote. Then the sun set, and the grill was put into use.

Lynne’s birthday is in late November, always near Thanksgiving, and since who knows what everyone’s schedules will be, Tom, Debby, and I decided to surprise her with an early birthday celebration, including cake and presents. (Tim is away taking care of a client’s critters and couldn’t make it, though he wanted to.)

It was so great to see her! Though I hadn’t put in all the outside work because she was in town, it was nice that Houndstooth Hall was looking good for her visit.

Some Houndstooth Hall photos


Cleaned up this side patio yesterday. When our neighbor died, her family put several items on the curb, including these red chairs. I don’t know how things are where you live, but in Houston, when you put things on the curb, you know they will likely be taken long before garbage or heavy trash days. It’s one of the things I like best. Through our decades here, we’ve put all kinds of things on the curb outside the various houses where we’ve lived, and those things are almost always gone by morning. Anyway, she and her daughter used to sit out on these red chairs while we hollered conversations across the street to each other. I miss them both very much; sometimes I like to sit out here and watch my dogs play and roll in the grass, or I catch up on social media on my phone. This is where the Hall dogs’ water buckets stay, because it’s shady there. I pulled out a tree that was so damaged in our winter storm last year that it couldn’t recover. Because of the patio’s location on the property, Lynne advised me that it would be a good place to put the pop-up greenhouse we’re planning to buy to save the plants we potted this year when cold weather comes.


Like our Kalanchoe plants, which have done very well and bloomed more than I expected them to.


And the row of potted knockout roses, lemongrass and other grasses, bougainvillea, and lantana. I swept leaves from the patio and this walkway to the Fox Den for Tom to bag last night.


This is one of Tim’s herb gardens that he can water through his kitchen window without having to deal with his nemesis, Jack. This is part of the patio that was full of leaves. They’re about to start falling again, so I thought it was time to get rid of the remainder of last year’s. Tom doesn’t clear our beds of leaves because they provide a healthy, safe environment for bugs, bees, butterflies, etc.


I missed some leaves on Tim’s other area of potted herbs and plants. Can you see Jack looking through the gate on the left? Always hoping Tim will come out so they can express their feelings about each other.


This is across from those plants (I think Tim washed this inside door mat, and it’s drying on the bench). The area was inches deep in leaves yesterday, and it was very gratifying to clean it up.


This wood has been bagged or piled up in a couple of places for a long time. The crate was another “curb gift.” My neighbor’s dog Zeus died within a few days of her. I took his crate specifically to gather and hold the wood on the carport for our chiminea. Not a conventional way to stack wood, but it adds a little of Zeus to Houndstooth Hall.

I also cleaned up Aaron’s Garden yesterday and added some new plants. Here are some shots of that.

Part of my clean-up effort was because our weather is nice and I want to sit outside and enjoy it while I can. Also, we expected a visitor this week. More on that later.

My pandemic life

I do feel like this has been most of my pandemic life since 2020. Even writing the Neverending Saga has been a means of making something more orderly and working toward a goal.

Last week, I had to buy new clothes (it was a necessity, because trust me, I don’t like shopping enough to do it if I don’t have to). Three new clothing items came in; four went out. Along with trying to purge things inside the house, we’re also working on purging things in storage. I have to be mentally ready for some of that, because it means sending things that are part of decades of family memories to consignment shops.

Today, everything was aimed toward the exterior of our home. I did manual labor trying to clean up and clear away outside. I’m exhausted and didn’t take photos. I may come back and add some to this post when it’s light outside again.

Button Sunday

The Astros are the World Series champions. I did watch the game, but I also took a page from Lynne’s book (literally, as she gave me the journal I was coloring in, and by example, as she’s been coloring while she watched the World Series) and worked on the coloring page I started yesterday. I finished it this morning with the hour the time change returned to us. Writing, coloring, cooking, and cleaning will be my go-to things over the next few days because elections are hard on my nervous system.


(covered up what I wrote in my journal, because it’s a journal 😄 )