A little dog in the front porch in the sun. A little dog who is actually not so little. A little dog who does not look at all as though she would leap snarling at two loose dogs who approached her at the foot of the driveway at the end of our walk last night, but let me tell you, she did leap snarling at them. She was Out For Blood, this nice little dog. Fortunately the loose dogs were disinclined to mix it up with her, but it was with some difficulty that we dragged her away.
And this is why this nice little dog never goes outside except on a leash. She does not need to be roaming the neighborhood, not least because if she encountered another dog on a leash, she would be very much inclined to mix it up. Better for all of us that she leads a life of some containment.
I need to take her out in a minute (hoping that we avoid other dogs), but thought I'd drop a few quick lines here before I do. My plan today is to
*walk dog
*cut back dead foliage in front flowerbed for winter
*work on essay on the Elizabethan sonnet-writer Fulke Greville for Tuesday's Substack
*wash hair
That's basically it.
So what I'm wearing right now is a departure from my usual M.O., because I'm going to be gardening and don't want to tear up any dresses.
*Secondhand Eileen Fisher cardigan coat (I will switch this out for a regular jacket for gardening), bought September 2024, last worn yesterday. Default top layer.
*Secondhand Patagonia base-layer men's tee, bought fall 2022, I think. Not worn all that often, but sometimes it's just the thing.
*Secondhand bamboo-cotton leggings, bought fall 2021, dyed green by me in the summer of 2023, last worn November 8.
*Secondhand Xero Oswego sneakers.
I don't usually wear leggings as trousers, and I wouldn't wear them out without a long layer over, but sometimes I just can't be bothered with anything else. It's Saturday, I'm not really going anywhere, and while I'll probably put a dress on after I bathe, this will do for now, for the activities I intend to engage in.
Off I go now to do these things.
LATER:
Well, I cleared one section of the front bed before getting defeated by vinca and grass --- I was rather ratty about it all when I came in, even though the situation was nobody's fault, except possibly mine for neglecting it so long. Sometimes I really wish for zero yard, just a nice big patio that I could turn into a container garden . . . but this is envy and discontent talking, and it should shut up.
Anyway, I came in and took a bath and washed my hair, so now I feel somewhat better. Now wearing something a little more in my usual line:
*Wool& Brooklyn dress (S/Long) in Pacific, bought May 2023, last worn October 31 at Notre Dame. Total wears this year to date: 18? I might have missed one somewhere.
*Secondhand Allbirds tencel-merino leggings in gray-blue. Bought January 2024, last worn November 11.
*Secondhand Pure cashmere cardigan, bought spring 2024, last worn October 20.
*Secondhand Birk Mayaris, a default shoe even in November, as it turns out. It's nice out right now, cool but still warm enough for sandals.
Tired and doing some fiddling around. Ordered myself a handheld steam cleaner --- I do so want to clean things and have them be really clean.