February, 2010 | Ann Leary, author of The Good House

If It Ain’t Broke – It Ain’t Mine

February 28, 2010 by Ann Leary 76 Comments

Somebody very kindly posted my (Leo) horoscope yesterday or the day before and I’ve been scanning all the comments because I’m wondering if it warned that I would break a tooth and then a computer in one weekend. I still can’t find the comment with the horoscope, but did get a new laptop today. Mine has been on it’s way out for a long time. It didn’t close and I had to tape it shut when I traveled with it. I guess you’re not supposed to keep dropping the laptops on the ground. And it wasn’t really my tooth that broke, on Friday, just a veneer. On one of my front teeth. Oh, you thought those were my real teeth? No, no, my real teeth have been filed down to scary little nubbins in order to make way for the veneers. You see, I had a less than perfect smile. I had a big gap between my front teeth that somehow looked cool until I was 35, and then, overnight, made me look like a witch. I’m not sure how that happened but the exact same thing happened to a friend of mine when she turned 35.

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Horses, Hags, Bats, etc, Husband, Stuff I Did Tagged With: dogs, hags, Husband

Tune In!

February 27, 2010 by Ann Leary 32 Comments

All this talk about Raven has almost caused me to forget something very important. I am going to be interviewed on Animal Radio this afternoon at 3:00 EASTERN time. They capitalized EASTERN in their email to me, so I’m doing same for you!

Seriously, I really almost forgot about this. It’s on XM and FM radio I believe. If you click on the link, you can find out how to tune in. So, if you’re sitting around, watching the snow fall, tune in!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Quoth the Raven: More dogs, More

February 26, 2010 by Ann Leary 105 Comments

Last night’s chat was great fun. Have spent the morning looking for the “Blaize” reference, which Alan insists is the name of the young Mrs. Mrs. De Winter . Still haven’t found it.

But now we must discuss something more important than all that. We need to talk about me. At what point does one become a crazy dog lady? After 4 dogs? 5? We have 50 acres – a small farm -which makes 5 dogs not seem entirely crazy, but all the dogs prefer to spend most of their time on my bed-desk, which even I know is crazy.

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Horses, Stuff I Did Tagged With: dogs

Book Chat Tonight

February 25, 2010 by Ann Leary 54 Comments

Just a reminder that this evening, at 8:00 Eastern time, we will be discussing Daphne DuMaurier’s REBECCA.

I’m so looking forward to this. It’s supposed to be a stormy night here in New England, which will be the perfect atmosphere to discuss this moody tale.

I was going to post a link to a video clip from the Hitchcock film of Rebecca, but decided not to, as some of you have not seen the film. If you want though, go over to YouTube and look at the clips. Look at how Hitchcock used shadows so eerily, as he always did, but also the way he made everything at Manderley gigantically overscaled. Everything of Rebecca’s was HUGE! Her closets, her room, her brushes. Her house. The young Mrs. DeWinter had to almost reachup to grab a doorknob, like a young child.

Filed Under: Literary stuff Tagged With: books

The Separate Rose

February 24, 2010 by Ann Leary 62 Comments

Photo by Moses Pendleton

THE SEPARATE ROSE: I
by Pablo Neruda

Today is that day, the day that carried
a desperate light that since has died.
Don’t let the squatters know:
let’s keep it all between us,
day, between your bell
and my secret.

Today is dead winter in the forgotten land
that comes to visit me, with a cross on the map
and a volcano in the snow, to return to me,
to return again the water
fallen on the roof of my childhood.
Today when the sun began with its shafts
to tell the story, so clear, so old,
the slanting rain fell like a sword,
the rain my hard heart welcomes.

Filed Under: Literary stuff Tagged With: beauty, poems

In Snow

February 22, 2010 by Ann Leary 97 Comments

Today, as I drove around our charming little town in search of a USB cord (didn’t find one, but if you’re looking for candles I can show you ten shops within spitting distance of each other) I realized that I need no such cord, as I have several Moses Pendleton photos that I’ve not yet posted. Quite a few actually. There are are a series of red roses that I absolutely refuse to post here because they are rich and sensual and textured and beautiful, and the photos really do lose something when I reformat them for the blog. I just can’t do it, but hope to get prints of them from him someday. I know exactly where I will hang them, Moses, if you ever figure out how to print them.

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Horses, Just Nothing (really, nothing) Tagged With: country life, dogs, horses

Go Blue!

February 21, 2010 by Ann Leary 92 Comments

Meg (not my sister, but the other Meg who sometimes comments here) sent me this incredible news clip about a dog that stayed with a lost three-year-old and kept her from freezing overnight. Love happy endings:

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Horses Tagged With: dogs

Flowers Everywhere

February 17, 2010 by Ann Leary 111 Comments

Photo by Moses Pendleton

My friends Moses Pendleton and Cynthia Quinn have returned from Rome, where their dance company, Momix launched its European tour of the show, “Botanica.” It was a very exciting trip for them, as the Italians love nature, beauty, music and dance and the audiences and critics went crazy over the show. So many amazing stories from Moses today. But most exciting to me is the fact that Moses exhibited many of his flower photographs at the theater because the art director of the show, in Italy, had seen Moses’s photographs online. Where? Right here, that’s where! On this very blog! And now Moses has been asked to do a show at a museum of contemporary art in Rome! Of his botanical photographs! I can’t remember the name of the museum, but it’s very famous and I wish Moses would comment here and tell you all the stuff that he told me today, because it was all so exciting that I was literally levitating off the bed-desk, and then when I hung up the phone I had forgotten all the details.

Filed Under: Literary stuff Tagged With: beauty

Indulge Me

February 16, 2010 by Ann Leary 69 Comments

I’m a little hesitant to blog about our puppy AGAIN. You all will tell me if I’m getting to be a bore, right? I feel like the annoying mom who keeps showing pictures of her baby to all her friends. But just …please :

This was Holly before our hike today. Yes, she likes to sleep on the center console of the car! Here you can see how she rests her hind feet on my legs and sleeps against the gear shift. I think she likes the vibration:

I know. I know.

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Horses Tagged With: dogs, friends

Women and Horses

February 14, 2010 by Ann Leary 62 Comments

Photo by Andrew Sullivan

Since yesterday’s post was so depressing, I thought I’d follow with something cheerier. Here are a couple of animals who are not at risk of finding themselves in a kill shelter anytime soon. And, as you can see, they are not exactly malnourished – in fact the horse looks like it is about to have a foal, but of course, he is not, because our Snoopy is a gelding. He likes to offer some inspiration while I type. He nibbles dreamily at the lawn and then breathes sweet-smelling thoughts into my ear. Oh, the breath of a horse is so nice and earthy and sweet. All they eat is grass and clover and hay and grain, nothing disgusting like meat. Our horse Gabriel is so repulsed by meat-eaters that he won’t touch his water trough if a dog has drunk from it. And they digest their meals slowly and thoughtfully and so when they breathe out through those big soft nostrils, it’s just lovely warm huffs of meadow and air.

Filed Under: Dogs, Cats, Horses, Literary stuff Tagged With: horses, writing

If It Ain’t Broke – It Ain’t Mine

Tune In!

Quoth the Raven: More dogs, More

Book Chat Tonight

The Separate Rose

In Snow

Go Blue!

Flowers Everywhere

Indulge Me

Women and Horses

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