dear Winnie Dixon

Thursday, July 9, 2015




































top photo is from last week

Dogs are minor angels, and I don't mean that facetiously. They love unconditionally, forgive immediately, are the truest of friends, willing to do anything that makes us happy, etcetera. If we attributed some of those qualities to a person we would say they are special. If they had ALL of them, we would call them angelic. But because it's "only" a dog, we dismiss them as sweet or funny but little more. However when you think about it, what are the things that we most like in another human being? Many times those qualities are seen in our dogs every single day-- we're just so used to them that we pay no attention.

Jonathan Carroll

Our days, Miss D & mine ... together

A post from May 2013 / our nearly 15 years worth of days are coming to an end - I'm quite sure of it. I bless her beautiful soul for rejoicing & bounding with grace & love into her 16th year and I relish in how lucky I am to have shared her company for such a very long time. But our days together, they are diminishing. I see it, I feel it, I resist it, yet I am grateful for it. I don't want to hold her back. I know how very lucky I have been to have this beautiful shaggalicious, odd, neurotic, fearful, crab killing, muskrat hunting, & extremely loving girl with me for 14 + years. Wow ! I watch her lurching gracefully into her 16th year. She, who's been with me for forever - it seems ... who's comforted me through so many near unbearable sadnesses. I love her, desperately. I cannot imagine life without her.

I love you Winnie Dixon with all my heart. Here's to our remaining days xoxo Susan
I love you & I promise I will not cling to you. & I will forever rejoice in all of our glorious days together. Always.




to live in this world
you must be able
to do three things
to love what is mortal;
to hold it 
against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,

let it go

Mary Oliver

Today, October 27th 2014 is that day - the time has come to let you go Missy D. Oh my ! my sweet girl the many adventures we've shared. You have been my constant companion for such a very long time I do find it hard to imagine my life without you, but thankfully I never will be without you because you have a permanent home in my heart and our life together will live on in words and in photos, hopefully forever, here on this blog. I adore you Winnie Dixon & I always will ! xoxo Susan

Miss Winnie (Darn) Dixon / January 1999 - October 2014

Sorrow prepares you for joy. It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place. It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. 

Rumi

(original post from Oct 2014 - if this blog is going to remain out there in the universe indefinitely without further updates I want Miss D, my Winnie Dixon and her beautiful self to be the first thing someone comes across when they stumble upon this blog - love you my Dee girl xoxo)






































































































please join us

Saturday, February 7, 2015




And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new 
and to trust the magic of beginnings. Meister Eckhart 

 Hey ! you are invited please, to a new beginning - it's all happening over here

moving - forward

Monday, January 19, 2015










a few scenes from my recent travels around Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. 
Let your tears water 
the seeds of your future happiness. 
Steve Maraboli

I'm sorry I've been so absent. I wanted to leave the 29 Black Street For Sale post up as long as possible - I, we need to sell that beautiful place as fast as possible so that we can settle into our next beautiful place ... me & the Gang. 

I find I can't think back at all anymore. I can't look back. It makes me feel sad or something that feels too much like sadness. I've always had that quirk in my character - I love moving forward. I'm ready to move forward. This blog represents the past to me, these much cherished archives of words & a zillion photos, this net of memory & love will move with us, & stay ... hopefully forever. 

I'm moving to my Susan Black Design blog. I've already begun posting my daily sketchbook explorations & by Feb 01 I hope to have completed the official move - a brand new look, more stuff, a side bar filled with bits & pieces and of course, the link to this amazing place & all the archives. 29 Black Street - oh my, such a giant chunk of my life. But  ... I am so very excited about my present and my future in this new lovely place.

What's past is prologue, 
and the world awaits. 
Lisa Mantchev

* my other new obsession is Instagram - find lots of news & happenings & cats here