Lucy and the iPhone 7

The doggy didn't get an iPhone. But my husband did. So Lucy had her portrait done. We're quite pleased. Well, my husband is quite pleased. His new iPhone 7 gives him the option to play with depth of field. When he takes pictures of Lucy.

Lucy is a funny dog. Full of sweetness, (I'm not sure I've known a dog to hug like she does), and spice -- she runs the German Shepherd off her territory, which may be the whole house, at whim.

Free. Because she was a friend's dog's puppy. Costly. Because she ate almost every pen, pencil and sock she could find (we tried to get them all but she managed to find them) and saw the vet more than once for said practice. She pushed the puppy limits for sure.

My Dear wasn't completely sold on Lucy as the addition to the family when she joined us. My daughter and I were certain. My son fell in love. But Dad held out. Until her sweetness and her desire to be near him melted the borders and he too fell for her sweet and sassy charm.

On the awful day we came home from losing her best friend and mentor (read about Max here) to an irreversible illness, it was Lucy who softened the landing. She attended to each of us the way doggies do, with love and licks and gentleness. We all believe we owe her a debt of gratitude for offering her foot or just laying on us during that first week of numbness and sadness.

A month later we noticed the toll his absence was taking on her. She was so quiet. Sad looking. Wandering. It was then we decided to bring Ace home. He's her new best pal. Kinda. They're still figuring it out, but that's a different story.

This is about Lu and a phone camera.

So, what do you think?

Writing my way.

Today I asked Amanda how I'd know she's a writer. I wanted to hear about when and how she writes. She went right to journalling and blogging and how she is rather on and off with it. Cycles. And I thought two things: right! and then, wait a minute. I write just about everyday. Journaling, Artist's Way and I drifted (everyone is now talking in the rooms - back and forth - about her writing and the whatever else) and I think, I've never excelled at anything I did cyclically. They were just things I did.

At some point Chris said, "Vicki should have a blog."

I thought, (really), "Mercy. I have a blog." I said. Oh, yes. I do.

Then I went back into the drift and wondered, what am I doing? What's so important? Where is my writing. My art. My stuff. And it occurred to me, things don't become cyclical (other than seasons and things like that) we lean into them in cycles. I learned to be a cook by cooking everyday. Writer by writing everyday. Violinist by playing everyday (until I stopped).

What are the everyday things?
What are the joys and actions we love and have to do?

Rest.
Consider.

A week before my birthday I picked up a wonderful small book by Claire Diaz-Ortiz: DESIGN YOUR DAY. On my birthday I started reading it. I had to stop because she asks that the reader (that would be me) stop and take the required time to find ONE WORD to hold in focus for the year ahead. For me that is not the literal 2016, which, as you likely know, is 5/6 over. But for the seasonal year ahead. The one that follows the season of my birthday. So I'm doing that.
And somehow,
the considering
of what
makes up the
ABCs of me
is all
a part of my
pondering my way
into focus.

I have a blog.
I have a voice.
I love to write.

Stillness.
Resting.
Considering.