Tag: links

Independence Day 2015

Looking out the library window today at Houndstooth Hall.

Our rescue group had a No Show Picnic. For the pleasure of not enduring ants, food that tastes of starter fluid, sunburn, and other such picnic activities, you could make a donation. I was delighted about this, because we really wanted a quiet day and a night in.

First, I made collar covers for our three hounds and Tim’s three just to show we did celebrate the spirit of the holiday.

Margot
Guinness
Anime
Pixie
Penny
Pollock

They are all rescue dogs, ranging in age from almost two to almost sixteen, and they are very loved. As you may know, July 4 is the night of the year when more pets run away because they’ve been scared by the sound of fireworks. The Houndstooth dogs are not fans of the noise, so I donated to our group to stay home and play music to block out the noise for these six. I even offered to donate more if anyone could guess the night’s musical choice. And while the guesses were good–Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac, Beatles–okay, maybe not Whitney Houston–no one guessed America’s band! You can hear them in the video posted below. I’ll still add to my donation even though no one correctly guessed whose music I’d play. In addition, here’s a link to a bonus 20-second video on Instagram. Marika said she’d donate, too, if I’d play one of my least favorite songs and say something nice about it. A snippet is all I’m willing to share of that one, because the rights belong to a very protective estate. Enjoy!

Six dogs completely undisturbed by the sounds of fireworks that are still going on!

Button Sunday

As those of you who lived through it may remember, I spent 2011 pulling words from my various Magnetic Poetry® kits to create a poem a day. Back in July of 2014, Dave Kapell, founder of Magnetic Poetry®, presented an idea for taking the poetry from the refrigerator to the table top and asked his Facebook friends if they’d have any interest in such a collection. That concept became Wood Words, and I tossed my name in to be one the first fifty purchasers.

Yesterday, less than a year later, my set arrived, and it’s beautiful. Leisure time is almost nonexistent for me these days, so being able to indulge my creative side by spilling some of these beautiful tiles onto the table will give me an opportunity to let my mind play. I need that to replenish my energy and get a break from the harsher realities of this planet and the people who dwell on it.

My first poem from the set.

And you can turn the tiles over, too, to see what poem chance has created for you.

Thanks, Dave. I’m honored to be #45 and grateful not only for what you create, but who you are: one of the good guys.

Photo Friday, No. 450

Current Photo Friday theme: Road Trip


I do have photos from road trips, but I’m dedicating this Photo Friday to Linda (Raven Moore) Gentile, one of the loveliest people I never met.

I first became acquainted with Linda through mutual blogging/online journaling friends. Over the years, I admired her gentle nature, her nomadic spirit, and her lovely humor. I wrote in my own blog about my enjoyment of her book A Little Twist of Texas, the tale of a road trip she took on her motorcycle, Beastie.

Later, she and her husband Don put most of their stuff in storage and began living on the road in their RV, Harvey. Linda’s passion was finding historical landmarks and historical markers, and she and her fellow travelers recorded them on her website Markeroni. Somewhere along the way, when she found out about my collection of Barbie dolls, she offered to dig through that storage room the next time they were there and send me the two Harley Barbies pictured above. In typical road trip fashion Linda could appreciate, the dolls were lost for a while en route, and we’d both given up on their ever making it to my house, but finally they did.

Harvey became one of the inspirations for part of my novel A Coventry Wedding, which reminds me of another way Linda was generous with me. When I had book signings, she encouraged her Houston-area friends to come see me and buy my novels.

In her quiet, graceful fashion, when Linda became ill with metastatic melanoma, she shared the news with only her family and a few close friends. Since I was a reader of her blog (the link no longer works), I wondered why she’d grown quiet, and my heart ached for Don, her family, and friends when he shared the news of her death in March in an email. As Don said, On the custom of flowers or contributions in her name, she preferred that flowers be left to grow, and suggested we simply “pay it forwards.” Linda’s mindset, intentions, and actions often included “paying it forwards” – altruistically redirecting repayment of her good deeds to others, increasing them, rather than back to herself.

I will think of her now whenever I see wildflowers and historical markers along the highways I drive. I will think of the adventurous spirit that drew her to the United States from England, to build a life with Don on a road less traveled. I will never have the opportunity to meet her in person, so I choose to think of her continuing her journey–not without a few misadventures. Those were the moments that tested her and that she rose above, choosing to look back on them with humor. She had a big heart, a sharp mind, and a gift of sharing both with her readers.

Thank you, Linda, for your many gifts. As the old Irish blessing goes, “May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields.”

THANK YOU!


This is Freida. You’ll see a few more photos of her before she leaves for Colorado on Thursday. Freida is terrified of noisy places, crates, and cages, so she was really happy that Flint made his trip to Colorado last week so she could have a place to be her happy self for a few days at Houndstooth Hall before she travels, too. She has been SO MUCH FUN, playing with Anime and Lynne’s dogs Minute and Paco. She’s a really good girl, and thanks to a transporter, she got her ride out of BARC so we could foster her just hours before she was scheduled to be euthanized.

Freida reminds me of why so many people are working tirelessly to improve the save rate of Houston’s homeless pets. She also reminds me that I need to say thank you because at this moment, I’m at 101% of my fundraising goal for the 2015 Savings Pets Challenge. The challenge [link redacted after campaign ended] continues until Friday, June 5th at 1:59:59 pm ET, and believe me when I say that ANY amount is welcome, so don’t feel shy if you want to give five dollars or five thousand (heh!). (Freida says $5 buys FOOD and she LOVES FOOD!)

Help a fundraiser out

I never do these things because I’m convinced that I will raise zero dollars. But how can I not at least try to help this organization that has saved around 7000 who have no voice?

Well, FLINT has a voice, trust me, but he mostly uses it to say, “Let me in!” “Let me out!” “Let me eat!” “Let me eat more!” “Play with me!” Even though he’s loud and persistent, thanks to our rescue group, his voice wasn’t silenced forever a couple of weeks ago.

So I joined the team of fundraisers to try to make sure there are more Flints, more of all the dogs it’s been my pleasure to foster, and another 7000 dogs and cats, too.

Is that worth $5 to you? $10? Matching my starting donation of $50? I can promise you, NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL. I’ve seen what this group can turn even five dollars into. It looks like a LOT of this.

You can donate to my fundraising page by clicking here [link redacted because campaign has ended]. Thank you!

Photo Friday, No. 445

Current Photo Friday theme: Moving

Last week on the day of the rescue’s ribbon cutting for their new clinic, we received an early visit from Clutch the bear, the Houston Rockets’ mascot. He was SO MUCH FUN! Along with his other antics, he danced with Tim. I love this organization, my job, Clutch, and the Rockets. More than 6600 dogs’ and cats’ lives have been saved thanks to the efforts of so many supporters–that is mind-boggling. This movement is helping rewrite the story for Houston’s homeless pet population.

Button Sunday

No matter where you live, there are always dogs and cats who need homes. Rescued pets are awesome. You know who agrees?


Toota and Chap, siblings who not only received their freedom rides from BARC today from Tom and me, but will be staying with us until they travel to Colorado. They’ve already had baths, dinner, and a good snooze with their new friends Margot, Guinness, and Anime.

Our rescue group’s fantastic fosters constantly inspire me with the compassion and care they show toward the dogs and cats in our program. It’s just that so many more are needed so we can continue to make a difference–the way we already have to more than 5000 dogs and cats!