I just came across this draft of a blog entry that I started while we were in Paris, but never finished. Am posting it now because I fear that the blog has become too “doggy” for some.
Ann Leary, author of The Good House
Author of The Good House
Let’s Name the Puppies
October 29, 2009 by 75 Comments
Devin and I visited Charlotte yesterday to check on the puppies. They’ve really grown in the past week and it’s clear that their father(s) outsized their dear little mother, Peanut. They’re almost half her size already and they’re only four weeks old.
The puppies need names. I’ll introduce you to each and we can help Charlotte think of appropriate names. Also, all five four puppies are still available for adoption. Charlotte will only consider very good homes. She’s asking for a $50 adoption fee which she will then turn around and use to pay the adoption fee at the kill shelter where she finds dogs to rehome. So, for each of Peanut’s puppies that finds a new home, an older, perhaps needier dog will be rescued.
A Good Mother
October 25, 2009 by 55 Comments
The other day, I visited my friend Charlotte. Why? Because Charlotte rescues dogs from a kill shelter and one of her recent rescues just had a litter of puppies.
As many of you know, Denis has put a freeze on the acquistion of new dogs in the Leary household. The kids and I are always whining about getting a new dog, but Denis always brings us around to his sensible viewpoint, which is that we have a very amiable pack at present, never a growl or raised hackle between them. They’re all trained and relatively well-behaved and there is almost enough room in the bed for Denis and me to stretch out between them at night.
Where The Wild Things Are
October 15, 2009 by 57 Comments
Awwwwwwww!
We’re having our bathroom done. First, the shower needed to be fixed, and then we determined that the shower needed to be replaced and now the entire bathroom is being gutted and rebuilt. It’s the bathroom next to our bedroom. I really hate the term “master” bath, I always have, since I was a child, but it’s the bathroom attached to our bedroom.
Oliver With a Twist
September 18, 2009 by 25 Comments
Remember Oliver? I last photographed him when he was two days old:
Well, his mother, Jen, sent me some new photos of four-month old Oliver the other day. I hasten to inform you that I’m not one of those people who calls the owners of dogs, cats or horses, “moms” or “dads.” Oliver really thinks Jen is his mother. This is why:
(It’s a sad story, sorry, but there’s a happy ending)
And Now For Something Completely Different
August 19, 2009 by 64 Comments
I don’t think that Britain asked to be involved in our national debate over healthcare reform, but recent comments from certain members of congress, such as Republican Paul Broun of Georgia who claims that the UK and Canada “don’t have the appreciation of life as we do in our society, evidently,” have put some Brits on the defensive about their National Health Service. In fact, a recent “trending topic” on Twitter (I know, I promised to stop hanging out there) was “We love the NHS”. Thousands of British citizens felt compelled to defend their health service, on, Twitter, from the likes of Representative Broun and Sarah Palin. I don’t know what personal experience Congressman Broun has with Britain’s NHS, but I’d like to share ours.
Clever Bitches and Cheeky Baa-studs
August 3, 2009 by 12 Comments
In my book, An Innocent, A Broad, I wrote about a our experience having our first baby, in London, by accident. In one of the chapters, I discussed the fact that in 1990, there were only 4 channels available to most British viewers: BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel 4. It didn’t matter to me that there were not hundreds of satellite channels available then because a) I was nursing an infant every two hours and would have watched programs about paint drying if that’s all they had and b) British television is, and always has been, far superior to what America has to offer, in my opinion. Here’s a little excerpt from my book in which I discuss some of my favorite shows from that long hot summer.
I’m in Love
May 30, 2009 by 33 Comments
His name is Oliver.
He’s two days old today.
He belongs to my friend Jen Carolan who breeds sport horses.
He’s a very friendly little fellow:
I’m afraid you’re going to be seeing a lot of him around here, I could watch this little guy all day:
Happy New Year
December 31, 2008 by 14 Comments
The other day, my friend Helena sent me a poem called A Summer Day, by Mary Oliver. The poem ends with these lines:
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
I’ve only had a few hours sleep, so I’m a little ragged and these words are bringing tears to my eyes, right now, as I think back on this year.
What else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
