In celebration of that most 1950′s-esque, American-as-apple-pie, Eisenhower-and-nuclear-family-ish holiday that is Memorial Day, here I present a triptych of three Valley homes, all built in the ’60s, in the same subdivision, on the same template, and now all drastically different from one another.

Click thru for more.

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Found in the east Valley (gets hella bigger with a click):

I particularly enjoy the hard horizontal line of the edge of the roof, occasionally broken as an awning extends forward; the vibrant blue of the stucco; how the grey of the roof matches the windows in shadow; and, of course, the grid of thoughtfully-placed lawn ornaments, almost as though a tiny little cemetery had been built into the front yard & each grave marked by a fake Canada goose or potted plant.

Behind the jump, a gem of a find…: Read the rest of this entry →

So our fearless leader Sean has a hairy problem. Well, two. They also have claws and soft little ears. They are Kira & Pig. They are about to be homeless.

These little ones actually belonged to our friend & former metblogs author Caryn, who recently moved to England. She thought she’d found a home for them, but after she’d left to cross the pond, said potential home flaked. LAME. Now Sean is stuck cat-sitting, and he’s running out of time to find them a new home, especially with his constant traveling and impending move.

If you, or someone you know, has ever thought, “Maybe I should get a cat? I wonder…”–this is your chance to get two loveable, snuggly and sweet kitties. It’s not their fault that they’ve gotten stuck in this conundrum, and they’re really at the mercy of the people around them. They need someone with a big heart to take them in & love them. That love will pay in dividends.

Our furballs in question are 14 & 13, respectively, and very attached to one another. Sean tells you all about their personalities here. At a time when many people are trying to change the meaning of the holidays from a celebration of excess to a celebration of love & charity, this would be a true act of kindness: opening your home to a pair of little animals who really depend on us for survival.

You know you have space in your house & your heart. So drop me a line and let me know–lucindamichele (at) gmail (dawt) com.