A quiet evening at home

(Hint: when an otherwise good photo turns out blurry, I’ll apply an artistic filter to distract you.)

While we ate dinner last night the boys gathered next to the sliding glass door here and commenced barking and howling at whatever was happening next door. They didn’t go outside, they just stood there and barked, drowning out our fascinating dinnertime conversation. So Phillip got up, opened the door and pushed them out. Can you guess what happens next? Correct, they galloped around the corner to the doggy door and ran back inside. This is not an uncommon occurrence. I love dinner at home.

Can you hear me know?

Phillip was never much of a telephone talker until he entered politics, at which point he went throttle up and full speed ahead. His favorite place to talk is in the car (hands-free!) and often when he gets home he’s not done with the conversation so he continues it outside. Which looks a little like he’s conducting because he always talks on speaker phone. Phillip! Dinner’s ready!

Don’t tread on it

Remember when the UPS man ignored the tape at the bottom of the driveway and left footprints on his way up? Well, they’re gone now! We had the driveway done on Saturday and fortunately no UPS packages were scheduled for delivery. We had to stay off it for two days but now it’s fine. Although as you can see, Sherman didn’t get that memo.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

It’s kind of a shame that we don’t have a good view of the canal from our house. But the boys manage to eke one out through the bushes and trees. If they see someone from here walking south, they’ll tear around the house into the backyard to continue the barking. The other day Phillip was walking the boys on the canal and he called me just before he got to our house. I went down to say hello and the beagles were like, “WTF? There’s mom but there’s all this WATER in the way!”

Woof

Phillip and I sat out on the Taj Ma Patio last night after dinner. The weather was splendid and there was not a single annoying insect to bother us. Stanley tried to get Sherman to play with him, but as usual he was rebuffed. So Stanley played with a stick for awhile and then burst out into song. By which I mean annoyance barking at any movement coming from next door. As Phillip says, “Stanley! Turn on your shut-up!”

Passover

It’s amazing how much stuff you have to pack just for one night when you’re bringing the beagles. The crate, two beds, dog food hidden way up front under the seat. This year we started a new tradition of going to Phillip’s niece and hubby’s (Gabrielle and Chad) home in Connecticut.

Chad is allergic to dog hair but the dogs were welcome anyway, with the proviso that they stay off the furniture. I swear, we did our best. This was during the seder. Moses did not arrive until just as we were leaving so I’m sorry I can’t share photos of him.

But how about this cute baby? He’s Coleman, Gabrielle and Chad’s 18 month old son. Who is going to be a big brother this summer…of twins!

And this is Shannah, Gabrielle’s sister. She just got married last month in New Zealand!

Welcome to the living room

When we moved into this house, the living room was split not into a dining area and living area as it is now, but rather into two empty living areas where you could hear the ocean if you leaned against the wall. It went nicely with the shag carpet in the kitchen. That awful stonework around the fireplace extended up to the ceiling. I lobbied Phillip to cover it with the wall and mantle so it wouldn’t look like we lived in a ski chalet. I’ve probably told you all this, so please feel free to skip ahead. But the best thing we ever did to this living room was to buy the leather couch and loveseat. I believe we’ve had them for about six years now, and they still look great (no scratch marks despite beagle digging), except for a bit of sagging where those two gargoyles are perched. But they’re such cute gargoyles that we have learned to accept the sagging.

And joy rang out across the land

Ask away

I’m having some writer’s block and thought it might be useful to solicit questions from you and turn my answers into future posts. So ask away, anything goes. Thanks!

Push over!

Phillip and I were ensconced in the closet on Sunday, pulling out summer clothes for our upcoming trip to Jamaica. There was no room for the boys so they settled into the crate. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them like this. Phillip had to close the door briefly while I went downstairs for the camera.

Look at those cute ears. They should help you through this Monday, I’m sure.

P.S. Phillip made the crate!