Houston Blog – …on the B.L.

Pride 2020

June 27, 2020June 27, 2020 RaeAnna

We were full of Pride. | Dress | Tutus | Bow Ties | Shoes | Belt

Happy Pride Month!

It hasn’t felt like Pride because of everything else going on in the world. BLM, protests, COVID, and more have been dominating the conversation, which is not a bad thing. I’m thrilled BLM is starting to pick up some serious steam and gaining mainstream attention. Black Lives DO Matter.

The beautiful thing about Pride: it was founded in protest. It is a community of protest. The Pride community has not been up in arms about the lack of visibility this month. We’re fighting for lives. It is a fight the LGBTQIA+ community is all too familiar with. They have and continue to fight for their own lives. Trans lives continue to be questioned, negated, and criminalized. LGBTQIA+ children are still ostracized and renounced by their families. They are at higher risks of suicide, self harm, and violence. To be LGBTQIA+ is still seen as being “other” instead of “human.” The Pride community fights for visibility, legitimacy, rights, and more the same way BLM is. Being LGBTQIA+ does not discriminate based on gender or race or religion or socio-economic status. It is a rainbow community made up of everyone.

Pride matters to me for the same reason Black lives matter to me and Trans lives matter to me and every other life matters to me. Human rights matter to me. I identify as a feminist, but in reality, I am a humanist. I practice intersectional feminism because the work will not be done until everyone has the same rights and recognition as everyone else. People are different. We’re not the same. Our stories and experiences are as varied as our identities. That’s what is beautiful about the world we live in: no one is me, and no one is you.

I haven’t considered myself straight in years; I would call myself pansexual. I have always dated men, but if I were ever single again, I would date people based on who they are not their gender identity. My sexuality is nondiscriminating; I am more interested in the person than the parts they have. This is not my coming out. I’ve never felt the need to do it. Since my early twenties, I’ve been pretty aware and open about my sexual identity. When people call me straight, I disagree. I’m not straight even though that’s what I look like. I’m not hiding, but I’m not going to pretend I’m anywhere near Kinsey-Zero-Straight. Why I’ve never dated a woman: That’s a longer story.

My life and any area I reside – whether it be my physical existence or my virtual one – will accept everyone no matter gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, socio-economic background, religion, and anything else I’ve forgotten. I will even accept differences of opinions, political backgrounds, and more. I do not accept hate, intolerance, ignorance, and lack of compassion or willingness to listen.

COVID has affected so much. It has definitely put a damper on Pride. In Houston, the Pride Parade was canceled, as I’m sure it was elsewhere too. I was really excited to go this year because I was going to load all my puppies up in a wagon with their Pride gear on. We’ll all be out there next year in our rainbow extravaganza. We need to work on leash training before that happens; luckily, I have a year.

I believe in love. I believe in people. I will fight for everyone’s rights whether I belong to the group or not. I am an intersectional feminst, and every single person deserves to be seen, accepted, and affirmed for who they are. We must stand beside one another and fight for equality together, or nothing will change. Whether it be the BLM protests or a Pride parade or the Women’s March or really any other group fighting for their lives and their right to exist in peace, support in any way you can. Educate yourself. Stand up for others. March. Protest. Write. Sing. Talk. Volunteer. Vote. Show up. Open yourself up to new friendships and connections. Whatever works for you.

Do not be complacent. Do not stay silent. Silence kills.

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Blog + Dog, Style

A Ballerina Halloween

October 31, 2018June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

My pink, tulle skirt. || Beau’s pink, tulle skirt.

Halloween has never been a holiday I get really excited about. I’ve always viewed it as the gateway holiday to the real party.

Last year, Beau and I didn’t do anything because we were roadtripping to Washington D.C. Not this year! After starting Blog + Dog two weeks ago, I realized Halloween fell on a Wednesday. Brilliant!!! It was a sign we needed to celebrate. This year, we decided to be ballerinas!!! Mommy-daughter ballerinas. She took this costume to the next level of cuteness.

In a previous life, I was a ballerina. It has always been close to my heart even when I am out of shape, less flexible, and entirely unballerina-esque. Beau is the love of my life. I decided to combine the two into a matching costume!!!

Several months ago, I bought a pink tulle skirt because every self-respecting adult woman needs one. It makes me happy. I ordered mine through Amazon, and honestly it is the best $21.99 I have ever spent. It’s lined and comes with a sash, so I can wear it out without flashing anyone. All I had to do was order one for Beau! I headed over to Amazon for hers too. For a steal, I bought hers for $10.89 and had it within the week. Her’s is perfect because it isn’t lined, so she can walk and run freely. Although, I take it off, so she doesn’t pee on it. It’s so cute on her, and, oddly enough, she loves wearing clothes. It’s a children’s size. I cut about eight inches off one side, so she wouldn’t step on it. I used the tulle for a bow in my hair and around her neck. I grabbed an old pair of tights and leotard to complete my look!

One of my amazing friends is a photographer here in Houston; she did me a huge favor and took tons of amazing pictures of us. We took the pictures at The Boardwalk at Towne Lake in Cypress. We were on the dock with the lake and sunset in the background. Beau did such a good job being patient and posing. So many people stopped to watch and comment on how cute Beau looked in her tutu. Several asked if they could take pictures of her! I can’t blame them.

I had such a great time celebrating Halloween with my beautiful girl!!!

xoxo,
Beau and RaeAnna

Houston, On the Town

Buffalo Bayou & Allen’s Landing

August 18, 2017June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

As I’m trying to make my way through Houston, I realized Buffalo Bayou and Allen’s Landing are frequently mentioned and pictured. So, I wandered my way along the river through downtown Houston.

I parked the car and wandered down the steps completely unsure of what I would find. I was almost immediately met by the living incarnation of the Thanksgiving oddity the turducken. This turkey large bird had the feet of a duck and the gobbler of a rooster. It was a sight, but very friendly.

Buffalo Bayou was reopened in 2015 by Buffalo Bayou Partnership and is a intended for outdoor recreation encouraging Houstonians to walk, run, play, bike, and more. It wasn’t until Buffalo Bayou with its five foot wide kinder paths, waterways, dog parks, and more opened anew that Houstonians realized they had been missing an outlet for their outdoorsy desires. Surprisingly, in the few short months it has been open to the public, it has become a landmark for the city to adore and boast about. A real plus about the park is that it is designed for flooding unlike the rest of the city, which just floods how it pleases.

Buffalo Bayou is considered a park. A walkway runs alongside the meandering river. Every once in awhile a boat floats by on the slow current. I have no idea what they’re caring, but it looks like a peaceful job from the banks. There are brick buildings running along each side of the river and casting shadows over the water. Some date back to a time without computers and some are modern. Bridges run over the river every so often. There is a lot of concrete and very little green space.

Allen’s Landing is the true place where the city of Houston originated. It predates Texas being a part of the United States. The Allen brothers purchased a large tract of land on the banks of Buffalo Bayou where they settled in 1936 and began constructing a dock. Allen’s Landing was the original Port of Houston in 1841 and was the lifeblood of the city. What used to be a central point of Houston, it has become a small park. In 2001, the park was redone with a concrete wharf to replicate the original port dedicated to remembering this monumental site in Houston’s history.

Allen’s Landing is a beautiful section of Buffalo Bayou. It is located at the end of the park. The river keeps going past the end of the walkway, but the brick buildings continue on. Along the walkway there are steps down into the water, words of traded goods stamped into the concrete, large chains lying on the ground.

Buffalo Bayou and Allen’s Landing are gorgeous and perfect for the outdoorsy bibliophile. It has a hustle and bustle about it because it is a popular destination for the athletically outdoorsy, but it does also prove to be a brilliant reading spot. For me, there is nothing more perfect than reading to sounds of nature.

Books, Fiction

Interpreter of Maladies

August 10, 2017 RaeAnna

Read Yes
Length 198
Quick Review A collection of eight short stories exploring the meaning of disappointment and unfulfilled expectations.

I had never read anything by Jhumpa Lahiri, so I was excited to experience her writing for the first time. She did not disappoint. Lahiri explores the meaning of disappointment and the feeling of unfulfilled expectations. In most of the stories, the hopes and expectations of the characters are met in a drastically different way than they hope; driving home the message that life gives us what we want, it may not be how we want. Lahiri shows the build up, the enjoyment of living in a world filled with expectation, the realisation, and the mourning period when the inevitability of life is so painfully tangible.

The following eight short stories are in the order they appear in the book. They are each around twenty pages in length, give or take a few.

A Temporary Matter
Shukumar and Shoba were both born in the US. They are of Indian heritage; unlike Shoba, Shukumar does not have childhood memories of visits to India. They are going through a difficult time in their marriage after the stillbirth of their first child because the pain has become a barrier dividing them instead of bringing them together. They reconnect during an hourly power outtage every night for a week.

When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine
A young girl and her family open their home to Mr. Pirzada, a Bengali man working on his degree in the US while separated from his family. The girl is torn between feeling like an outsider in her own home and excitement for having a new person visit every evening. She is also beginning to understand the difference between her family’s culture and that of the one she is surrounded by.

Interpreter of Maladies
Mr. Kapasi is a driver for tourists on the weekend, but during the week he works as an interpreter for a doctor.. He is driving a young family and developes a small crush on the wife. As they begin to talk, he realizes she is just as flawed as everyone else in the world and not a perfect creature.

Sexy
A young, career woman, Miranda, began an affair with an older married, Indian man, Dev, as she listens to her coworker, Laxmi, console a cousin whose husband is having an affair. To keep her affair alive, she spends money on a beautiful dress and lingerie hoping to wear it for Dev one day. Miranda ends up babysitting for the son of Laxmi’s cousin, who is aware of the affair his father had. Through an afternoon spent with a young boy, she becomes aware of the consequences her situation can have.

Mrs. Sen’s
Mrs. Sen watches Eliot after school, as she is trying to learn how to drive a car. Mrs. Sen is learning to drive and function in a new society. Mrs. Sen hates being far away from her home in India where she has whole fish and independence without a car. She has everything her family believes the could want like a rainbow of saris and a professional husband, but she misses the comfort of home.

This Blessed House
Twinkle and Sanjeev are newly weds in a house. Sanjeev isn’t sure he loves his wife but he’s irritated by her love of finding and keeping the Christian items left throughout the house by the previous owners. At their housewarming everyone is dazzled by Twinkle, and Sanjeev realizes he enjoys the status of his new, beautiful, young, charming wife.

The Treatment of Bibi Haldar
Bibi Haldar was plagued by an illness no one could diagnose or fix – which was probably epilepsy. She dreamt of having a husband to take care of. It was her only hope, and she couldn’t stop talking about it. After a particular episode, she was prescribed marriage to ease her symptoms, but no one would take her on as a wife because of her reputation as a lune. After a difficult few months of seclusion she was found pregnant. She never married, but, instead, had a son who she cared for without being plighted by another episode.

The Third and Final Continent
He was born in India, studied in London, and worked in Cambridge at MIT. His wife Mala joined him in the US having been married for six weeks but only spending five days together. They were strangers at the beginning of their journey, but looking back on their life in Cambridge they can’t imagine not knowing each other.

Memorable Quotes
““I only spoil children who are incapable of spoiling.””
“… life, I realized, was being lived in Dacca first.”
“It means loving someone you don’t know.”
“He did not know if he loved her.”
“ She wanted to be spoken for, protected, placed on her path in life.”

Title: Interpreter of Maladies
Author: Jhumpa Lahiri
Publisher: Mariner Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Copyright: 1999
ISBN: 9780395927205

Bookstores, Houston, On the Town

Texas Independent Bookstore Day

August 5, 2017June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

August 5th, 2017 is Texas Independent Bookstore Day! BookPeople in Austin, Texas and Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Texas came together to begin this new tradition in 2017 with the hope it will become an annual, widespread celebration.

I have been in and out of Houston so much since I moved to the city, I really have not had enough time to explore the city I live in. I knew Brazos Bookstore was a place I had to see because being a part of the Bookstagram community, Houston can’t stop talking about this lovely store. I had been to Brazos the weekend before spending more than I needed to, which happened to be my first time in the store. When I found out about this celebration, I knew I had to go back two weekends in a row. So… I spent even more money!

In this ever changing world of technology and online shopping, I do my best to support small businesses especially independent bookstores. There are so many people and so few active readers, I want to do my best to support and encourage writers, the publishing industry, and bookstores. As much as I love Barnes & Noble, I love the little bookstores that feel like home when you walk in the door.

To celebrate Texas Independent Bookstore Day, Brazos had a number of events. They kicked off the day with a Texas themed family morning, the debut of their Paper and Pen Pal Club, a Happy Hour, and a vendor market! I had wanted to be there for the Paper and Pen Pal Club since I enjoy writing letters and do so as much as possible. Alas, I laid on the couch reading too long. I made it in time for the Happy Hour, but I don’t drink. So I bought two books instead. It was hoppin’! Lots of people buzzing around the bookstore looking, chatting, and buying. Nothing I love more than listening to the hum of people discussing books, authors, and what makes a good book.

I really enjoy Brazos Bookstore. It is well organized. The decor is sparse with all the walls, shelves, and tables painted white allowing the books to become the centerpiece of the shop. Every month, they highlight a different cause. This month they are honoring female writers in translation. (As a woman and a translator, I am very excited about this.) The large windows at the front of the store are currently painted with a mural of Jane Austen. There are comfy leather chairs sitting by the windows for those too eager to wait until they get home to start reading, or maybe for those who are waiting on the more inclined readers. It is evident everything in Brazos is geared toward the reader, the writer, and the reader-writer because the most dedicated readers are usually aspiring authors. The people behind the counter making the magic happen are wonderful, knowledgeable, and helpful. Shelves are dedicated to staff picks, plural because it’s impossible to pick just one. Throughout the store, there are cards with helpful hints and facts about books and authors making it easier to decide which ones to take home. The store is full of gorgeous notebooks, stationery, which is incredibly dangerous for me, and other items helpful to the reader.

Brazos does not just sell books. They foster a sense of community creating spaces for those of all ages with a love of the written word. They are currently hosting a summer long series entitled “Summer of Austen” celebrating the life and work of Jane Austen. I’m hoping to make it to their final book club if I can read Sense and Sensibility in time. There calendar is full of events from Book Clubs to Story Times to readings and things in between! I love how involved they are in the literary scene and the Houston community.

I will be back… When I can afford it.

Brazos Bookstore
2421 Bissonnet Street
Houston, TX 77005

Houston, On the Town

Colette Miller Wings

July 3, 2017June 23, 2019 RaeAnna

A week and a half ago, I got to head to downtown Houston. Specifically 1600 Smith Street. Really beautiful! Go check it out if you have the chance. There is this an awesome mural by Colette Miller. She is known for her angel wings traveling all over the country to put display them. She is a Los Angeles based artist. Extremely talented!

Normal angel wings take people off to heaven, but for me they carried me away with a book. So… it’s my version of heaven!

I am heading off on a road trip today, so I wanted to post the wings as they carry me off on my next adventure! To San Diego, Los Angeles, and the Grand Canyon. Maybe I’ll be able to track down another set of Colette Miller’s wings in her city this time.