Tag: photos

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.

 

Dog Day

Saturday, I asked Tim if I could go with him to hang out at the Scout’s Honor tent at the Meet and Greet Adoption Event in the Heights. I told him I wanted to shoot pictures. As it turned out, the person who usually takes photos of their dogs didn’t have her camera, so it worked out perfectly. Because Scout’s Honor doesn’t have a facility, their dogs are fostered by volunteers, and a gathering like this is a great chance to get photos of them. Since I can’t take every dog home–I would if I could!–it was gratifying to feel like I could offer something to such a worthwhile cause.

It was a gorgeous day outside, and the dogs were loving it. Set up next to Scout’s Honor was a Basset Hound rescue group, and on the other side, I saw what I think was a Husky rescue group and a Golden Retriever rescue group. The dogs from Scout’s Honor represented a few breeds and a lot of mutts (that most wonderful breed of all). I thought you might enjoy–from at least a few of the hundred-plus photos I shot–some of the dog energy I got to experience. It’s one of the best things in the world.

Not everyone should have a dog–that’s clear by the ones abandoned, neglected, and abused. But if a dog is right for you, there’s nothing like opening your home to a rescued dog. A little research and some one-on-one time will help you find the breed (or mix), age, temperament, and gender that will be your ideal match. I love it that Tim is fostering EZ until she can find her forever home. And when I look at Margot, Guinness, Rex, and Sugar–all of them rescues–I can’t imagine missing out on the love, laughter, and loyalty they offer unconditionally every single day.

dog love here

BOO!

A happy Halloween to all of you from The Compound, where:


two little ghouls and a goblin are intent on carrying out
the master’s evil orders (i.e., “Sit. Stay.”).


Well, mostly.

And FrankenAnkle just wants to run the grounds and guard us from children of the corn
and other scary things.

Pictured: Margot, Rex, and Guinness, then EZ the Miracle Dog.

Hump Day Happy

Dear Readership:

I know the only way to keep you coming back is to give you something to actually read–well, that and post photos of Tim, but I think he retired from my LJ in late 2007, and I haven’t yet found a good enough bribe to lure him back into camera range. I’ll try to be better about posting, because I miss your comments. And your fondue.

As you may have surmised, this woebegone Compounder has been sick and demanding my attention for a few days:

 

 

Guinness has been as poop-shy as Tim has been camera-shy, which means I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors cajoling her (with an equal lack of success). When I went out this morning, I noticed the tiny, TINIEST, little bits of green on the part of The Compound lawn that had been nothing but dirt on Sunday, when I last posted a photo.

 


Look HARD for the brand new baby grass testifying to Tim’s hard work. 

Throughout the day, I’ve returned to find that each time, there’s a little more green. There are some other nice sights, too.

 

Last January, Lynne gave us a potted azalea, and it has suddenly bloomed:
 

The morning glories are so in love with the newly moderate weather that they’ll stay open most of the day:

And there’s this beauty, blooming outside Tim’s apartment:

 

While shooting those for you, GREAT HAPPINESS arrived at The Compound when Guinness finally, FINALLY left a gift on Tim’s new grass. Because I cherish you, I won’t force you to see a photo of that. Instead, I’ll give you an odor-free skunk:

 


and the opportunity to comment with a page number between 1 and 611, and another number between 1 and 25, so the skunk can give you something to be happy about. (Please feel free, as always, to keep commenting for as many days as you wish. Happiness has no expiration date.)

 

Done

Late afternoon, looking east on West Gray, the sky was a vibrant blue.

Looking west, the sun had my eyes running.

Believe it or not, I knew who most of these people are and their positions:

before I went inside and cast my ballot.

Despise me if you must–I don’t feel that way toward those who disagree with me–
because afterward, I swung by campaign headquarters to pick up something for the yard:


where EZ, a single-issue dog, wonders,
Can these guys help Tim’s new grass grow?

Dare to dream, EZ. Dare to dream.

LJ Runway Monday, Final Collection

RIP, Mr. Blackwell

At last, I present my final collection for LJ Runway Monday. It amazes me that this all began because I bought a Summer doll to use in a promotional photo for my forthcoming contemporary romance, A Coventry Wedding. It’s been wonderful to do this with Mark and Timothy, and amazing fun the way Marika supervised it all as Heidi Gunn, Greg and Rhonda took on the roles of permanent judges Miranda Priestly and Michelle Hors, all the guest judges treated it with a wonderful blend of respect and humor, and so many loyal and new readers checked our blogs every Monday to see what was new and maybe a little crazy. LJ Runway Monday was done with respect for Bravo’s Project Runway, and I think my fellow designers and I have a new appreciation for the creative processes of PR’s contestants.

I love Mark’s art-influenced and Timothy’s fashion-forward designs, and I’ve been surprised every time I won a challenge because I think they take bigger risks than I. So often when I’ve seen their posts on Sunday nights/Monday mornings, I’ve gasped with admiration. Every week, their knowledge and creations have inspired me to learn a little more and try a little harder.

Since this did all start with my novel, I wanted to finish it that way, too. So this week, my inspiration is my characters in A Coventry Christmas and A Coventry Wedding. Rather than try to create couture, I had fun imagining how these characters would dress in ways that reflect their personalities and lifestyles.

A look into ‘The Tiny Town with the Big Heart’

Birds!

Whenever anyone talks about Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, I always think of my friend Geof, who does a great impression of Tippi Hedren from that movie. You can’t imagine the self-control it took for me not to buy this* when my sister and I were on our recent trip:


I especially like the three birds who are on her.

*This does not mean you should buy this for me.
I don’t have room for it.
You know who you are.