Constant Companion

I never dreamed that my life would ever be built around a dog. Honestly, I've loved animals, but I've always been pretty concerned about their fur attaching to furniture and clothes, their dirty footprints on the floor, the sticky liquid that seems to ooze from their mouths, the cost of their food, and the fact that they make me feel so guilty when I'm gone. 

We first got a cat because Lisa wanted one so badly, and then I have to admit, that I fell in love with each one that we had. Cats are pretty-low key, don't tend to make that much of a mess, and their purring is really quite soothing. They bury their own waste, eat very little, and don't seem to have their feelings hurt when you're not paying attention to them.

George and I got an Irish Setter, Shane, right after we got married. He was beautiful, slept on the bed, and roamed freely around the San Luis Obispo countryside while we were out. Once we moved to Southern California, and the kids came, poor Shane never got the same attention he had been used to. I was riddled with guilt when he died suddenly of a flea bite allergy because I just had not noticed that he was suffering while I was juggling kids, my position as a Relief Society president - and on that particular day - my friend's nine children while was she was packing for a move. I was so horrified by discovering poor Shane in the garage, that I swore I "should" never have a dog again. They just depend on their owners so much, and I didn't think I was up to it.

Brett and I talked about getting an English Setter for almost four years. We researched breeders, made careful plans about having just the right circumstances for such an active dog, and waited until we moved onto our 11-acre property. Once we got everything settled, we began meeting with Melissa Newman, from Setter Ridge, and watching the litters of puppies to be able to identify the one meant for us.

We had chosen the name Isabeau before ever meeting her. It was the "pet" name Brett called ME, based upon the movie LadyHawke. Michelle Pfeiffer played the character, Isabeau, a beautiful woman who was cursed to be a hawk during the day, while her beloved husband, Navarre, was cursed to be a wolf during the night. Isabeau was going to be our first dog, and we planned to get the second, Navarre, a Flat-Coat Retriever, shortly thereafter.

Brett left when Isabeau was only 10 months old. We had had her in our home for 8 months. Although Isabeau had trained very quickly, she was not prepared for the sudden change that would come into her young life. Having once traveled everywhere with "Dad" and been spoiled and petted by both her parents, she was now going to have to get used to doggy day care, life without Dad, and Mom gone most of the time. It was quite a shock for all of us.

I was concerned for Isabeau's quality of life, and worried about the responsibility of taking care of her needs on my own. I talked to many about the idea of giving Isabeau to someone else, and thought pretty seriously that I would follow through with that plan once the house in Carnation sold. In the meantime, I derived tremendous comfort from Izzy's steady and consistent devotion and playfulness. She's forced me to keep moving in some ways: moving literally by taking her for daily walks, but also moving ahead with making plans, going to work, etc., so that I could provide for her. Although this was never something I would have planned for for my latter years, I have come to think of "taking care of Isabeau" and her needs in the way of "I've got to get up and go to work and provide for my family." Depression and despair have been constant companions in the last two years as I have coped with "what is" in relationship to what I "thought would be," but Izzy has also been a constant companion that has made me put one foot in front another. At the end of the two years, I still feel a constant grief and sorrow, but I have also accomplished a lot, and learned to provide and care for . . . us.

I think most of my friends and family would be stunned to realize how much time I spend alone. As a working woman, I'm only available after 5:00 on weekdays, and I'm relatively free on weekends. Most of my friends and family are taking care of their own families during those hours, and just aren't available. I've gone through a tremendous adjustment from my old life filled with loved ones to this new one. It's still very, very difficult for me, and some days, I really don't want to wake up in the morning and head off to a job I don't enjoy. But, Izzy helps me through all of that. 

So, now I am an official "dog" person, or at least, I am an official "Isabeau" companion. This may be very hard to relate to for those who have known and loved me. This little freckle-faced three-year-old provides me lots of hard work, mild frustration at times, and a constant sense of love and companionship. May she live a long and healthy life, and may she find the freedom she deserves.

New Camera - House Pics

Three of my readers, MaryLynne, Brandee and Joanne, are gifted photographers.  I am hoping that each of them will weigh in on this post, and help me to determine what the strengths of my new camera are, and what the difficulties may be.  I know, of course, that the person behind the lens needs to learn more than a few things, but just looking at this as a point-and-shoot, please share what you see and observe.

I bought a little Nikon Coolpix from Costco the day before Christmas.  I miss the old Nikon D-300 that went with Brett.  I particularly miss the depth of the pictures it took, and the fact that I could snap it hundreds of times and keep up with the action (this is particularly true of pics of Izzy).

I had been so disappointed with the pictures of the house that my Iphone took, that I decided to retake a number using my new Nikon Coolpix.

I had not taken any pictures of the dining room in my first post because I feel it is still a work in progress.  I am waiting for the right art piece, or mirror to take the place of the too-small picture by Waterhouse.  I am also struggling to find the right pieces for the buffet . . .

My new dining room is significantly smaller than my last.  I am still wondering if I am going to keep the formal table here, or if I am going to sell it and put my glass round kitchen table here instead.  I don't ever sit at this table by myself, but it is perfect when people come over (not often).  On the other hand, I feel the glass table is much less formal and I would definitely sit there every day - but, would have to seat guests on the sofas if I had more than six . . .

I really like the open feeling of the main floor, and that is the main reason I fell in love with this house in the first place.  The architects made good use of space, and I feel very comfortable and at home. I tried to go much less formal in this house than in the last house, hence the touches of whimsey in the lighting.

 This picture captures the scale and layout of the rooms as they relate to one another.

The living room opens into the main office; although the rooms aren't particularly large, the open cutouts make everything feel more spacious.

Below, is the main office, that I use for my design business.  I had the opportunity of taking off of Edward Jones last week to work exclusively with clients from Virginia, and it was a wonderful experience.  Each day, my "creativity bucket" was filled, and I was much happier as a result.  The 134 fabrics we chose for their home are spread over the desktop.

Upstairs, there is a large landing that accommodates several pieces of furniture from my former home:

Upstairs, is my writing library.  I haven't actually done any writing there lately, but it is certainly an inspiring place, and I am eager to get the opportunity. (The aforementioned round glass kitchen table is in this room, with it's large glass top hidden behind library shelves.)

The guest room overlooks the park (pictures below):

Kids' room (also overlooks the park):

The Master from the upper hallway:

The Master is by far the most spacious room in the house, and pure luxury.  I don't spend much time there, but when I do, I feel very blessed.

During one of my darker days, I felt the whisper of the Lord give me a two-word path to follow: "Pursue Beauty."  It seemed appropriate to put that phrase in a prominent spot to remind me on a daily basis:

My client and friend, Laura Buchthal, presented me with the house-warming gift of this beautiful chandelier.  What a luxury!

I really love my kitchen, and am particularly grateful to have gas again, after living with an electric range.

 The park across the street, and visible from the Guest and Kids' rooms:

My backyard has just been completed by the landscapers.  I hope all the tender plants survive the snow and ice!  I can't wait to see everything blooming in the Spring!!

Christmas 2012

After uploading the pictures, I see that this post is going to be quite heavily lopsided towards Faith.  That was certainly not my intention, but I suppose that Faith's antics this year just drew the camera lens more than any other subject.

As mentioned in an earlier post, all Faith asked for was a red motorcycle for Christmas.  Well, Santa seems to have heard her loud and clear.  The red motorcycle had a predominant location in front of the fireplace when we all returned from Christmas Eve mass, and from the moment it was spotted, there didn't seem to be much else that got any attention.

Faith knew exactly what she was supposed to do, and how this bike was supposed to work.  She had dreamed about it so long, that she took to it like a real natural.

How is it possible to look so delicate and yet be so tough?  This is quite the contrast: velvet and silk astride a flashing motorcycle.

If only Faith had an unlimited, wide-open space to go full-throttle:

Part of the look was a new pair of "shades" so that the rider can look really cool . . . or is that hot?

A little peek-a-boo to take a glance at the remaining presents under the tree:

Every biker chick needs to have a motorcycle jacket; and this one scores (even though it is pink):

Faith giving me her loving smile (taken from another cameraman).  She melts me every time:

Dear Austin was such a sweetheart, and didn't seem to mind all of the attention on Faith and the motorcycle.  Here, he is very happy with the remote helicopter that Uncle Travis and Aunt Carma had sent him:

 Lisa, THREE WEEKS out of surgery.  Beautiful and radiant, although still quite sore:

 

 There is something about this little elf that just keeps me captivated:

 Austin finally gets his chance for a ride, and gentleman that he is, graciously accepts a back seat:

This took real restraint on Austin's part; he was dying to have a solitary ride:

Me, draped in a Christmas scarf purchased in India:

Little Izzy, my constant companion, wishing that she could have some Christmas gifts, too.  Unfortunately, all of the photos from my camera were like this, because it had the "soft" setting on (unknown to me).

At the end of the evening, Izzy and I headed home together, grateful to have been included in all of the fun.