8 State Hurricane Kate July 29, 2008

My friend Jenny Pavlovic recently published a book entitled 8 State Hurricane Kate: The Journey and Legacy of a Katrina Cattle Dog and I wanted to put out the good word for her and her book.  I just ordered the book, so I haven’t actually read it yet, but it’s a story I know well.  She and I got to know each other through a list-serv devoted to Australian Cattle Dogs (also known as Blue Heelers or Queensland Heelers.)  My dog, Jazz, is an ACD-mix (adopted from the Atlanta Humane Society) and I joined the list to learn more about their quirky, yet lovable ways. 

After Katrina tore through Louisiana and Mississippi, Jenny heard about the plight of the many dogs who were abandoned by their owners in the wake of the hurricane and felt strongly compelled to go there to see what she could do to help out (she lives in Minnesota.)  She was already active in ACD rescue, but what she experienced there changed her life and became her mission.  She shares the story of how she came to know Kate, a dog she took home from the Lamar-Dixon Animal Rescue Center in Gonzales, LA and recounts their journey together.

Jenny and I had a series of e-mail exchanges after she brought Kate home and tried to rehabilitate her.  Later, when she was writing her book, she asked if she could share some of our discussions.  I’m honored to be included in her and Kate’s story. 

I encourage you to read 8 State Hurricane Kate.  She was a once-forsaken dog who now symbolizes the heart of disaster animal rescue.  At least 50% of the book’s profits will go to the 8 State Kate Fund, which provides financial relief for animals in desperate situations.

Poem thing (language) July 29, 2008

“Poetry consists in a rhyming dictionary and things seen.” – Gertrude Stein

It’s been a while since I actively published my work, and I’ve written only sporadically in the last year or so, but I decided to put up a page on this blog linking to my poems.  It will also feature some newer poems, including my occasional work-in-progess, two for one night at the blue dragon.  I’m hoping that public flagellation, er, display of my work will encourage me to write more frequently again. 

The first poem I’ve featured on the page is what I’d like to call a “reading through” of a poem by Sharon Olds.  I don’t recall the original poem’s title at present, but perhaps someone will remind me. 

More to come soon.

Unplugged – the Danatopia story July 14, 2008

My husband, daughter, stepson and I came back last night from an eight-day trip to California.  We spent some time in L.A. with my father, drove up to Monterey and back (detouring around the wildfires in Big Sur,) visited friends of mine in Orange County and spent the day at Legoland in Carlsbad.

I decided from the outset of this trip that I was deliberately going to “unplug” myself from email and the internet as much as possible.  I still had my cell phone so I could receive text messages, but I turned off my Twitter updates and did not access my email from the web browser functionality on my phone.  The only time I got on the internet was to double-check our return flight information yesterday morning since I forgot to print out our itinerary.  I could have used my father’s laptop anytime to check email, but I decided against it.

So, what was it like?

It was actually kind of liberating.  I realized what a junkie I am about having information available to me all the time.  There was a laptop within reach most of the week and I had to tell myself, “No, you are not going to check your email!”  I even had the opportunity when I was at my friend Laurie’s house, because our friend Christina was online looking at real estate listings.  (I admit it, I looked at the listings, but only because she was.)  Wanting to know what’s going on at all times is addicting.  Yet, it was also refreshing and less stressful to be disconnected from it too.  Besides, we were busy enough driving all over CA without me having to concern myself with the latest Facebook updates. 

The only time it was a little frustrating was when we were driving up the coast and had difficulty finding information about road closures near Big Sur.  I couldn’t get any information by phone.  Once you get to a certain point on U.S. 1, there are few, if any, roads cut across to Hwy. 101. Fortunately, when we approached San Simeon, there were signs on the side of the road telling us that the road was closed about 47 miles ahead. 

That’s when our trip became more about the journey than the destination.  And I think that’s what I’d been wanting all along by deliberately staying off the internet and email.  I wanted that feeling of not quite knowing what was going to happen next and just going with what the day brings.

Driving to work one morning…in India July 3, 2008

Just for fun, I’ll let you all hitch a ride for a few minutes in the little white Indica shuttle cab I took back and forth to work every day when I was in Hyderabad.  Believe it or not, this was a very tame ride in comparison to most days. 

My husband loved watching it.  He said, “It’s poetry. So many juxtapositions of wealth and utter poverty. From within the insulations of the car you also feel a tinge of motion sickness. It’s almost hypnotic.” 

Enjoy!