What a day! What a party!

Bao's Portrait Party had an international flavor -- our friend Marlene drove up all the way up from Mexico especially to join us. And Bao's beloved Aunty Char and Uncle Bill came, of course. Friends, neighbors, art lovers and dog lovers sipped wine and nibbled sandwiches and waited for the magical moment.

Artist Russell Recchion did himself proud. He had Bao's portrait framed and varnished, and mounted on an easel covered with a red velvet curtain. When everyone was here, I made a little speech. Bao has always been a good little dog, I said. He is a joy and a comfort, and I wanted to honor him, to honor his existence.

(By the way, Bao seemed to know that this was all about him. He spent the entire afternoon posing)

Russ removed the velvet curtain, and there was a collective, Ooh!

It is gorgeous. It truly is. It is just the most wonderful, wonderful portrait. I wish you could all see it in the flesh. It's hanging in my study, and Bao -- exhausted by his day of fame and hors d'oeuvres -- is sleeping at my feet.