Monthly Archives: February 2020

My friend’s paintings in the gallery are inspiring me. I’ve always loved her work, from the first minute I saw it, years ago at Hardy and Nance. It’s a luxury to be able to enjoy it at leisure now, to observe and analyze it, and let it motivate me to make something quite different thanContinue reading “Summer on the Island”

Today I mostly rested. I could still feel the tingly green pepper from last night’s Szechuan, and I felt happy. The weather was finally nice, and in the evening my friends and I decided to go to Caracol, sit outside, and celebrate Go Texan Day. The evening turned chilly and our waiter brought over notContinue reading “Feral Hog”

When I was in NYC earlier this month, I wanted to revisit a Chinese restaurant I’ve only been to once, when I was 19, with my parents and their friends. I still remember what I had there. It was walnut shrimp. It was delicious and I’ve never found it anywhere since. I asked an oldContinue reading “Walnut Shrimp”

Today I was happy to spend my morning in the gallery with my friend’s paintings. They go well with mine, and are such a nice presence. I was in a good mood when I got in my car to drive to the Island. I’d decided to go there for no other reason than wanting toContinue reading “Must Be Doing Something Right”

This morning, during my happy writing hours, I found a passage of Storms of Malhado I decided to work into a drawing. Later, I went on to have a really productive day. I finally gathered all the documents I need for my taxes, found a place to change the oil in my car that doesn’tContinue reading “Making Room to Make Room”

I didn’t really do much today. I woke up late. The weather was warm but rainy. I ate leftover king cake for breakfast. I froze most of it – including the baby – but saved some for two decadent mornings. I wrote a little bit, puttered around online, added some stuff to my online store.Continue reading “Sorting Fabric”

There are two horses in my upcoming novel, Storms of Malhado, that survive the Great Storm of 1900 by climbing up the stairs of their master’s mansion and watching the deluge from a bedroom window. I’m pretty much obsessed with horses in general, and with these two fictional horses and their survival story in particular.Continue reading “Survival Story”

Today I actually had a really good day, and one of the great things about it was volunteering at a Magpies and Peacocks. There, while sorting fabric, I eyed a magnificent gold dress by designer Jerri Moore, and I just had to try it on. It was beyond magical but a little out of myContinue reading “Mardi Gras”

It was so cold today, the kind of cold that gets into your bones no matter what because it’s accompanied by the most insidious humidity. The kind of cold where you can’t even get comfortable in your house with the heat on. It sneaks in through nooks and crannies. It is evil. My silver foxContinue reading “February Sucks”

Ok, so perhaps things are far from ideal. The weather was miserable today – the kind of wet and cold Houston winter day that gets into your bones – and taxes suck and there’s a lot I still don’t understand, but the truth is that my favorite part of any day are the coffee-fueled hoursContinue reading “My Work Makes Me Happy”