Patty Griffin is the Spitfire Songstress of My Heart....

What a difference one week can make...

So, it has been exactly a week since I pulled my veggie wagon over on the side of Briley Parkway to help a stray dog. It took a lot of treats and even more minutes to convince the dog to get in the car. There were semi trucks buzzing by. She didn't know me. She was clearly scared. I knew better than to try to lift a scared, strange dog into the car. I knew she would have to get in on her own.

At one point, I left the back door open and went to sit in the driver's seat. She had to make the choice about if she wanted to come with me. I remember sitting there and saying to her, "If you come with me, I promise things will get better. Please make the choice to get in the car." Finally, she slowly climbed in the back seat. I thought, "Good for her. She has no idea how important that one moment was in her life."

Turns out I had no idea how important that one moment was in her life either. So that was last Wednesday morning. This Wednesday morning, Miss Lucy was invited to Emmylou Harris' house. Yes, you read that correctly. What a difference a week can make! Last week she was hungry and homeless and alone. This week, well, this week Emmylou Harris told Lucy she was beautiful. This week, a very graceful and talented and kind woman fed her treats and offered to help me find her a home.

Lucy was so brave to get in my car last Wednesday morning. She inspires me. She has shown me how one leap of faith in the right direction can change your life in the most miraculous and drastic ways. I know we will find her a wonderful permanent home. I am so excited for this sweet dog (above is a picture of her winking at me when we got home today).

If you don't know about Bonaparte's Retreat, you should. Bonaparte's Retreat is a dog rescue organization in Nashville that was started by Emmylou Harris about seven years ago. It is run by the marvelous Kate, who I was fortunate to also meet and talk with this morning. Kate took a video of Lucy for the site, and gave her a pretty flower leash. This is an amazing organization. Lucy will stay with me until we find her awesome new home. The next Bonaparte's event is on Saturday in Centennial Park. Come meet the dogs! Lucy will be there. Please consider adopting one of these dogs.

Here is a link to their Facebook Page for more info about events with the dogs.

Here is a link to the website, with a listing of dogs available for adoption.

Something a friend sent tonight....

C. P. Cavafy:

To have come this far is no small achievement:
what you have done is a glorious thing.
Even this first step
is a long way above the ordinary world.
To stand on this step
you must be in your own right
a member of the city of ideas.

A Song Selection from Today's House Cleaning/Dancing....

Janelle Monae - Sucker Free - MTV Shows

Working on a grant for the book/film project....

...and ran across this.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better, it's not."
-The Lorax, by Dr. Suess

I think I found the beginning of the title of my project. (Something with the word Lorax.) Thank goodness there are people all over who care a whole awful lot. Those are the people I'm going to talk to.

I'm going to string together and tell the stories of Loraxes.

September 21st Facts

September 21 is my 30th birthday. It is also the 30th anniversary of World Peace Day! That means I was born on the first official International Day of Peace. I love that!

I just learned I also share my birthday with Leonard Cohen. Also love that.

On a more positive note....

...I bought some jeans over 6 months ago at Goodwill for $7. They were expensive jeans (almost $200 a pair new), but they were several sizes too small. I bought them anyway and they sat in my drawer for a while, then I put them in my "to donate to Goodwill" pile a few months ago, thinking I wouldn't fit into them and they were just taking up space. I was going through a stack of clothes to donate last week and decided to try them on first....they fit! Progress progress.

In other more positive news...

I like to dance while cleaning. I hate cleaning, but dancing and singing along to music makes it much more tolerable. I used to have a "cleaning the house dance mix" on my iPod several years ago. Going to make a new one now and spend tomorrow morning spinning around my house, organizing and scrubbing and singing into the handle of my broom.

"Dance, when you're broken open. Dance, if you've torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. Dance in your blood. Dance when you're perfectly free."
— Rumi