Lynn Flewelling's Blog, page 43
April 24, 2011
Daisy, Day 2
I've been brushing up on introducing a new puppy to other dogs. We've been doing pretty well-- separate feeding, keeping "jealousy causing" toys away, giving the "old" dogs lots of love and personal time.
At first things looked hopeful. But now Em and Jack are figuring out that Daisy is not just visiting and reacting accordingly. Emma is non aggressive, but her nose is quite out of joint. She won't sit on our laps and is currently curled up in a tight, sulking ball on the love seat. Jack is more of a problem. He's doing a lot of growling and snapping when I'm not right there to manage things. He's grabbed her by the back of the neck (not damaging) a couple of times and growls whenever she's near him. From what I've read, this is normal and he's teaching her her place in the pack, but he's so big and strong that I'm worried he might hurt her. Lots of supervision.
Any advice, dog people?
At first things looked hopeful. But now Em and Jack are figuring out that Daisy is not just visiting and reacting accordingly. Emma is non aggressive, but her nose is quite out of joint. She won't sit on our laps and is currently curled up in a tight, sulking ball on the love seat. Jack is more of a problem. He's doing a lot of growling and snapping when I'm not right there to manage things. He's grabbed her by the back of the neck (not damaging) a couple of times and growls whenever she's near him. From what I've read, this is normal and he's teaching her her place in the pack, but he's so big and strong that I'm worried he might hurt her. Lots of supervision.
Any advice, dog people?
April 23, 2011
Introducing . . .
Those of you who have had children may know what I mean by "baby fever", that moment when suddenly you just have to have another one. Unfortunately, there's no tubal ligation corollary for "puppy fever". My latest bout of it started several weeks ago, and fight it as I might, I found myself, once more, at Petsmart on rescue adoption day. There's something about holiday weekends-- Father's Day, Christmas, now Easter. I don't know.
Long story short, meet Daisy Flewelling. Her mom is a boxer, her daddy was a travellin' man. Probably a local lab. She has webbed feet and a long snout. She is sweet as can be, very alert and people oriented, and tries to stay in contact with one of us at all times. A beautiful rich brindle with white on feet, head, chest, and an irresistable white tip on her waggy tail.
Emma adopted her on sight. The jury is still out with Jack, who has done a little growling, but also lots of tail wagging butt sniffing. We're keeping a careful eye on them all, especially at feeding time.
Long story short, meet Daisy Flewelling. Her mom is a boxer, her daddy was a travellin' man. Probably a local lab. She has webbed feet and a long snout. She is sweet as can be, very alert and people oriented, and tries to stay in contact with one of us at all times. A beautiful rich brindle with white on feet, head, chest, and an irresistable white tip on her waggy tail.
Emma adopted her on sight. The jury is still out with Jack, who has done a little growling, but also lots of tail wagging butt sniffing. We're keeping a careful eye on them all, especially at feeding time.
April 22, 2011
Random Moment
It all began because Herry's (my HHR) gas tank is on the right. Our local gas station is crowded and inconvenient, and on a busy corner. People pull in from all directions and the chances of getting to a pump on the proper side are iffy, so you grab it when it comes along. (Why don't car makers put the gas tank on the same side in all cars?)
So I headed into the pump bay and a huge pick up truck pulled in the other direction at the next one in the same bay, so we were playing chicken for an instant. The older bearded fellow and I exchanged a nod and went about our business, filling our tanks. As I was filling mine, I joked with him about our game of chicken. He in turn, reached into the back of his truck and produced a perfect red long-stemmed rose, which he presented to me, then flirted a little, and we went our separate ways.
So I headed into the pump bay and a huge pick up truck pulled in the other direction at the next one in the same bay, so we were playing chicken for an instant. The older bearded fellow and I exchanged a nod and went about our business, filling our tanks. As I was filling mine, I joked with him about our game of chicken. He in turn, reached into the back of his truck and produced a perfect red long-stemmed rose, which he presented to me, then flirted a little, and we went our separate ways.
April 20, 2011
Playing with Pictures
I've been playing around with the Color Splash app on my iPhone.
April 18, 2011
Found on Twitter
This is from a link by @cupoporn on Twitter. Love it!
Today's Tea
Not feeling well today, but have my new earth toned teabowl (which I helped David make!) to cheer me. Here it is with Norbu Tea's Jade Earring green gently unfurling.
New Tea Bowls
Back in January I visited potter David Porras and helped him design a matcha bowl. Saturday I met up with him and picked it up, together with a few others. Christened it with Hibiki-an's Matcha Super Premium.
April 17, 2011
A defense of Game of Thrones, with a bit of Your Humble Author thrown in.
Recently reviewers at Slate and NYT laid into HBO's version of Game of Thrones, saying all kinds of ugly things about it, and about fantasy in general. Salon writer Matt Zoller Seitz wrote a great rebuttal, and in the process included my name in a pretty impressive list female fantasy writers. Here's his article, with links to the nasty reviews.
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/04/16/game_of_thrones_review_of_reviewers/index.html
On my brand new Salon blog, I wrote the following response:
"I'd like to start this new blog off with a confession. I'm here because Sharon Shinn informed me that Matt Zoller Seitz referenced me in the above article. An author's ego being what it is, I hied myself over to see what all the fuss was about.
Matt, you did a great job and I thank you both for the mention in such company, and for your well reasoned rebuttal.
Snarky reviews of fantasy by self-appointed guardians of all things cultural are nothing new to me, or my peers in the field. Neither are those, like the ones in Slate and the NYT, that so glaringly display the subtext of the author's ignorance of the subject at hand. These 'lit'ry' lions wouldn't read enough fantasy to talk intelligently about it with ten-foot opera glasses. And I know this because they proudly proclaim their willful ignorance, most often wrapped in a litany of what they wrong-headedly think fantasy embodies as they look down their ivy covered noses into my peculiar little ghetto. Not only that, but they vaunt the fact that they don't LIKE fantasy, though how they would know this baffles me, given their aversion.
Basically, having critics such as these in charge of reviewing that which they neither appreciate nor understand is like sending a vegan to review a rib joint."
http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/feature/2011/04/16/game_of_thrones_review_of_reviewers/index.html
On my brand new Salon blog, I wrote the following response:
"I'd like to start this new blog off with a confession. I'm here because Sharon Shinn informed me that Matt Zoller Seitz referenced me in the above article. An author's ego being what it is, I hied myself over to see what all the fuss was about.
Matt, you did a great job and I thank you both for the mention in such company, and for your well reasoned rebuttal.
Snarky reviews of fantasy by self-appointed guardians of all things cultural are nothing new to me, or my peers in the field. Neither are those, like the ones in Slate and the NYT, that so glaringly display the subtext of the author's ignorance of the subject at hand. These 'lit'ry' lions wouldn't read enough fantasy to talk intelligently about it with ten-foot opera glasses. And I know this because they proudly proclaim their willful ignorance, most often wrapped in a litany of what they wrong-headedly think fantasy embodies as they look down their ivy covered noses into my peculiar little ghetto. Not only that, but they vaunt the fact that they don't LIKE fantasy, though how they would know this baffles me, given their aversion.
Basically, having critics such as these in charge of reviewing that which they neither appreciate nor understand is like sending a vegan to review a rib joint."
New Czech edition of Luck in the Shadows
Here's the new Czech cover for Luck in the Shadows, painted by Jan Patrik Krasny.
April 12, 2011
Mixed Feelings
It's a damn good feeling to package up the e-files of a book and hit "send" to the editor.
It's a less good feeling, a week or so later, to start looking for the editor's editorial letter in your inbox. In professional parlance: bracing for impact.
It's a great feeling to have family come visit, especially when you haven't seen them in over a year.
It's less good to realize that you haven't written anything in over a week. Already the pressure is building to get that Next Big Project on the loom and start weaving.
It's a great feeling to connect with your parent as an adult.
Not so great to know that some of the old childhood tapes are still playing in the background.
It's great to lose weight and know that every day in every way you're getting smaller and smaller. (well, not every day, but there's a general trend.)
It's a sucky feeling that it's not enough to impress your slim parent.
It's a great feeling when your parent starts reading the Current Book and likes it.
No downside to that one. :-)
It's a great feeling to know that I have another book to write.
It's typical that I have no idea what it's going to be, beyond a hazy concept.
It's a great feeling to know that thousands of readers love your work.
It's a scary feeling to wonder what they'll think when I start doing something different.
It's a less good feeling, a week or so later, to start looking for the editor's editorial letter in your inbox. In professional parlance: bracing for impact.
It's a great feeling to have family come visit, especially when you haven't seen them in over a year.
It's less good to realize that you haven't written anything in over a week. Already the pressure is building to get that Next Big Project on the loom and start weaving.
It's a great feeling to connect with your parent as an adult.
Not so great to know that some of the old childhood tapes are still playing in the background.
It's great to lose weight and know that every day in every way you're getting smaller and smaller. (well, not every day, but there's a general trend.)
It's a sucky feeling that it's not enough to impress your slim parent.
It's a great feeling when your parent starts reading the Current Book and likes it.
No downside to that one. :-)
It's a great feeling to know that I have another book to write.
It's typical that I have no idea what it's going to be, beyond a hazy concept.
It's a great feeling to know that thousands of readers love your work.
It's a scary feeling to wonder what they'll think when I start doing something different.
