A new rescue dog, contemplatings a tattoo, and a "lazy" summer.

When my last dog died, I actually felt my heart feel cracking open. Yes, it was sadness, but also like it was a new dimension in feeling. Like I was ushering into the next realm her being. By this time she was at least 12 years old and we had celebrated her latest birthday with homemade liver cake and a sad sad attempt at singing her a song.

I loved this gal. Named Layla by the Boxer Rescue Los Angeles that I had adopted her from. I added “Rose” to her name, thus Layla-Rose. A nod to the street where my then clothing boutique was located - Rose Avenue in Venice, California.

In the past few months, I have been looking for another “perfect” dog. Not a puppy, not too aggressive, but just right for us - my husband, daughter, and cat. After being the loud “pick me” adopter at a boxer rescue based in Spain, we finally have a new gal coming. She’s 6, has been rescued from breeders, and is called Laly. We will soon be changing it up to Dolly. But for now, she will be called Laly Dolly. Fingers crossed!

People are asking me where we will meet her - and all I know is that I have to rent a car and meet at a roadside stop outside of London to pick her up. She will arrive on Thursday morning, 23 July am in a transport van from Spain amongst other doggies that are on their “freedom ride”. It feels like a scene from a movie that has yet to happen. Since Spain just won the World Cup, I am taking it upon this gal to bring all of the glory and excitement to our family that her country of origin is feeling. A breath of fresh air. I’m practicing how to say “Buena Chica” and all of the basic commands for the arrival of our spanish gal. Stay tuned!

In other news - I don’t have any tattoos. I always thought that I would get bored of them. But a day or two after our last doggie gal passed, I have contemplated one that simply says “Layla-Rose and the Rockstars” in my own scratchy handwriting. A tribute to our last dog and all the pets that came before her. I’m 58. This feels like a last minute attempt to be cool but is still on my mind several months later. I will wait til I have a window of time for it to heal - when I won’t be lap swimming or tempted to dip in the ocean this summer. Thoughts? Anyone a late adopter of tattoos?

Speaking of summer - the workaholic “go go go” in me is giving myself a bit of a break. I’m not sure what it is - but I really want to soak up the summer waaaaay more than I have for many years. I have a laundry list of things to do - update my website, created new art collections, paint walls in our place, clean out the refrigerator, organize and throw out endless plastic bins of paper ephemera, slow stitch my old sweaters, blah blah blah. What I really want to do is not a lot.

I spent several days earlier this month in a seaside town called St. Leonards, a pebble beach town an hour and a half train ride from London Bridge station. My friend Vivienne and I stayed in a cute AirBnB that was walking distance to the train station, up a hill to the top two floors of a cute Victorian flat that overlooked the pretty waters. We then walked into town, to the beach, and visited the towns on either side of this coastal gem. I love a good getaway. A place I’ve never been before, that honestly awakens the senses and doesn’t feel like a tourist trap. There were vintage clothing shops that I could afford, coffee shops with vinyl records, and not a chain store in sight. Love it.

I bought an original piece of art, a pre loved designer sequin skirt at the nicest vintage shop, and drank lots of fake beer at a world renowned beach bar. Nice! I found myself in that same sense of awe that I used to have when I opened up my clothing boutique in Philadelphia, and then later Los Angeles. That sense that things were possible, people loved to shop in person, and that local streets weren’t all swallowed up with letting agents and betting shops. Since I’ve been home, I find myself perusing the real estate listings and dreaming of buying a place to live there. Part-time, even. It’s good to dream.

There are several changes that feel like they’re brewing under the surface, and dreaming keeps me going. Our teen daughter switched recently from full time in person schooling to a hybrid model - 4 days online, 1 in person. We have flexibility. That and the company that my husband was working for announced that they are filing for administration, essentially bankruptcy. So there’s that. I’m hearing more and more of people losing jobs, the shifting economy meets Gen X who have been working for years. We are tired. We don’t have to prove anything anymore. And it’s nice. Let’s soak up the sun. Fall will be here before you know it!

Thanks for reading. You can view and purchase at all of my current art offerings here.