This is the point where, with a massively awkward silence, I look at the blog I've had to let rot and say to a subset of friends, "Can we talk?" The reality, though, is that you probably know what this post is about, and even if you don't know for certain, you have a sinking feeling, deep down, that you already suspect what I need to say.

Let me put it plainly, then, so we can move on:

In the end, it was indeed Tenzing's heart. It was likely quietly giving out for some time, just as we'd been told two years ago it would, and what ended up starting it all was a thrown blood clot somewhere around his right shoulder. 

As the day went on, fluid started building up in his lungs. He struggled to breathe, even with sedation.

I rushed Tenzing to the vet's this morning. It doesn't look good. He was carrying his right front paw limply and screeching to wake me up at 5am today, and I hoped it was just a physical injury. The vet believes we are looking at either a catastrophic neurological problem, a stroke, or something physical like a slipped disc that would cause numbness.

I've been trying to answer the tough question of "what do you do when you're on vacation?" given that I'm starting to think about an upcoming trip, and giving my hosts ideas of what I'd want to see. It occurred to me that what I find interesting might overlap with what I tend to photograph while traveling, so I made a list of things that seem representative.

I don't talk much about wishes or dreams. It's not my way. There's a life list, but I don't say much about my plans to cross things off of it. Right now, though, I have a big one in my crosshairs, and I figure it'll make some people smile if I talk about it.

One of the things I love most about working with fabric: the infinite number of designs that can be put on it! Every designer has their own take; every culture has their own style. I've vented a few times before about the differences between "modern design" as a movement versus "modern design" as an aesthetic. The movement is one I love, but the design aesthetic is only one of several that I adore.