Bookmarks

The Battery Books and Music, South Pasadena

Today I begin a regular Saturday feature on writing, reading, and books. Not just my books, but also guest authors, libraries, book shops, ideas, writing tips, and fun stuff. I'm just busting to talk about this stuff. I'm calling it "Bookmarks," and I welcome your suggestions.

I won't limit it to Pasadena, though of course I'll include a local photo. (That's the rule, and I obey the rules, most of the time. It's easier to get away with being bad when no one expects it.)

And what better way to kick off this feature than with footwear? Chain mail--or maille--running shoes for the knights of Camelot & Vine. Or maybe not. So much for literature.

Actually, literature is doing fine. The publishing industry is changing, but reading isn't going away. Just like we changed the way we listen to music (I wish I'd kept those LP's), and the way we watch movies (have you seen a VHS tape lately? I don't miss those), we're reading in new ways. TV wasn't the end of the movie business, and ebooks aren't the end of publishing. They're just another way of reading.

I'm keeping my books, though.

For now, enjoy the documentary Bad Writing, streaming free for the month of January only. I owe thanks for the link to Karin Bugge, the excellent writer known as the Altadena Hiker.

Boz (Not Boz)

Oooh, the face.

How many times have you said, "I wish I could have a dog like Boz, but there's only one Boz in the whole, wide world!"? I know! You're like a broken record! How many times have you wished you, too, could have a mild-mannered, easy-to-handle, calm-as-can-be Boxer like Boz?

Well, now you can! Yes, you, too, can meet Vinnie the Boxer at Boxer Rescue! He's available for adoption today!

Here's what Karin the Altadenahiker had to say when she walked Vinnie: "He was happy to mosey on the leash, but every so often would break into a sweet but tame happy dance. He wouldn’t lunge at other dogs who said rude things behind fences, but he wasn’t afraid of them, either. Was curious about everything, but not insistent about it."

Wow. "...all a boxer has to offer without the exuberance," as Karin says. Sounds like Boz to me. And Vinnie comes with a bonus even Boz can't match: he's an actual Boxer (Boz is actually a Mixer).
Here's another shot Karin took of our guy:**

I love that far-away look in his eyes, don't you? Soulful. So Clark Gable.

Vinnie (you can name him Boz once you take him home) is 7 or 8 years old. I highly recommend a mature dog, especially if you yourself are not a spring chicken. Puppies are great if you have furniture to spare and if you are free 24/7 to train your young piddler and walk him/her several times a day so he/she will please god sleep for chrissakes. But Karin and I picture Vinnie with someone who appreciates the finer things in life--at a slower pace.

"In all the [dog] walks I’ve taken," says Karin, "I've never met a dog so well behaved and affectionate." And Ms. Hiker has walked more than her fair share of dogs as a volunteer at Boxer Rescue.

To learn more about Vinnie, read Karin's piece on Altadena Patch. Then call or visit Boxer Rescue and take Vinnie home with you. Then you, too, can have your very own Boz!**

Boz the Mixer, photographed by John Sandel

I guarantee it--you'll be so glad you did.

**Leash and tags sold separately. Available in colors shown. Boz not included.

Lincoln Heights: Views

I took this photo near a playground. I can just hear this kid at the end of the day: "I don't remember where I left them, Mom! I took them off to play in the sand, and..."

Today's our last day in Lincoln Heights. Tomorrow we'll return with Zen Monday and our regular PDP programming (and one blessed photo a day!). I've enjoyed this adventure. It's heated my wanderlust to a boil. 

Lincoln Heights is my kind of place. It's got fun, food, art and architecture. Clearly, too, it's a neighborhood poised for change.

And that's exciting. (click this one to enlarge it)

Yet like anywhere people have lived for a long while, the past clings in traces like vines to a fence and not all of it is pretty. To me, though, the history and underbelly are part of the fascination of any urban place.

Many thanks to Karin Bugge, the Altadena Hiker, for getting me in on this tour. And especially to Manny Rodriguez, our host with the most, who shared his stories, his opinions and his lifelong home with three local tourists who couldn't get enough.

Mr. Boz

He's not much of a talker. He can't read. He slobbers when he eats, he snores and oh god, does he have gas. But he comes when I call, he loves me more than he loves any other woman and when I gaze into his big, brown eyes I love him right back.

Here's one of the first pictures we took of Boz, when he first came from Boxer Rescue to live with us. Look at that lean, mean, fightin' machine! But of course Boz is no fighter. He's a lover to his core.

Boz was shy at first, just trying to figure out where he fit in the pack. But gradually he came out of his shell. He's a great communicator with a distinctive personality and a vast array of emotions. I had no idea how much I was going to love him. It amazes me how deeply we've bonded with him and how naturally his presence transformed a couple into a family.

I'm posting photos of Boz today to encourage you to read Giving Thanks for Animal Rescue by Karin Bugge at Altadena Patch, where bloggers local and worldwide pitched in words and photos of their adopted darlings. I also hope you'll adopt a pet if you're looking; as was mentioned in the discussion at Patch, you can find any kind of dog at local rescue shelters--purebred, mix, adult or puppy. Start at petfinder.com. There's no need to perpetuate puppy mills when these wonderful animals are already available.

It's been seven and a half years since Boz came to us from the shelter. The neighborhood kids know him; sometimes they ring our doorbell to ask if he can come out and play. He's a fun guy with a great personality, still learning new tricks, the dog of my dreams.

He's growing old now and I treasure every moment with him because I know he won't always be here. I often tell him, "I love you." He knows what it means. It means he's a good boy.