* Books * Dogs * A Give-Away *

It's been such a long time since I've had any kind of contest or give-away, I decided the time is NOW!

Do you love books?

Do you love to read books?

How about dogs?

Do you love dogs?

Do you love to read books about dogs and the people who love them? 

~~~

If you answered YES to any of these questions, please keep reading!

A true story I wrote about our first dog, Rocky, ("Rocky Loses by a TKO") is included in this fun and fabulous anthology. I will give one away in a random drawing consisting of people who leave a comment (and also become my follower if you aren't already) on this particular post.

My oldest son, Scott, & Rocky - 1982

We got Rocky when he was just a pup! 

And, boy, did he get into all kinds of trouble!

A couple of wedding photos that Rocky tried to eat! 

I mention this in my story.

Rocky and me - 1988

By this time, my youngest son, Mark, was 6 months old.

Rocky and Mark 1988

When we brought little, newborn Mark home from the hospital, Rocky immediately became very protective of him. They were pals until the day we had to say good-bye to Rocky when Mark was 10 years old. 

If you read my blog post from May 1st,you'll remember Tracie Hotchner, the Radio Pet Lady. I'll be calling into her show It's a Dog's Life ** A Brand New Show **"Your Dog's Best Friend" tomorrow evening, May 23rd, around 7:05 pm (CDT). If it's at all possible, please be sure to listen to the live podcast!

You don't have to listen to be part of the give-away, though! (If you'd like, you can always listen to show archives on Tracie's site, too.)

* Adendum Thursday, May 23rd 10:35pm CDT:
As you can see, I crossed out the name of the originally planned show, and added the Brand New Show: "Your Dog's Best Friend", which had its first broadcast this evening! I was "on" between 7:30 to 7:43pm. Please listen to the archive show, which should be posted on the podcast archives soon!
In this case, the "best friend" of your dog, is Sarah Hodgson: "dog trainer and people trainer for dogs"!

SO.....what do you need to do to be included in the give-away drawing? I'm making "the rules" very easy. You don't have to repost it, twitter it, facebook it, or go to any trouble. 

I just ask that you leave a comment at the end of this post, and become my follower, if you aren't already. That's it! 


Comments can be left until midnight Saturday, May 25th. (CDT) I'll make the random drawing after that and post the winner on Sunday's post. Any questions? Just ask!

Thanks and maybe you could tell your dog-loving friends about it, too! 
~~~

P.S. If you're a writer, the publisher, Publishing Syndicate, is accepting stories for a multitude of various upcoming anthologies. Check it out!

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ Anatole France

* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

Where has the time gone? It's been four weeks since my previous Nostalgic Sunday, and seven weeks since we moved. Along with the unpacking and deciding what goes where, The Ronald and I have also come across items that we "brought along" that really "don't belong." So....more trips to Goodwill. (I really like the newest one in our area. It has a Drive Up & Drop Off Door!☺)

It's been interesting how I've felt about giving away and/or selling furniture and decorative items that used to mean a lot to me. This move has been much more than just a physical move. It's also been serendipitous.

I've taken time to sit on our deck, enjoying the beautiful trees and flowering bushes as they sway in the breezes.......and the birds chirping back and forth with their loud conversations.....and to almost meditate about life....the past, present, and future. 

And that, of course, brings the memories from the past, and thoughts about my memoir. I still have no definite publication date, but I can assure anyone who is interested, that it WILL be sometime fairly soon.

I've always proclaimed that patience is not one of my virtues, but during the past couple of years, I've learned to at least accept the concept of patience! 

Ahhh, and here's a bit of nostalgia to share!

Seen on the Adair County Free Press facebook page

"My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather."-- Loire Hartwould

Here's What You've Been Waiting For!

I'm only posting these photos now because I know my family and friends will understand my non-perfect house! So far, the only two rooms that are showable are the living room and the kitchen! 

One wall of the living room. This is my favorite part of the room! A comfy chair, large bookcase, and behind the chair is a small radio/CD player. The paper wreath over the chair was made by one of my daughters-in-law! Click on the photo for a larger view. After my book is in print, she's going to make a different one from its pages!

Another wall in the living room. As you can see, to the right is the kitchen and to the left is a hallway. The three pencil sketches above the love seat were drawn by my deceased sister, Jo Ann, in 1973. I had them hanging in the upstairs hallway in our previous house, which was silly because nobody ever saw them.

Another wall in our living room...complete with Vern on the couch! The Peace Sign blanket is his personal one! From the moment I saw that framed picture years ago, I was in love with it! But again, it had been hanging in a room where it wasn't seen very often. It's as if we have new furniture and accessories here!

Here's one view of our kitchen. I really love the huge windows we have in every room. (The Baker's Shelf is NOT finished being "decorated." Right now, it's full of junk!)

~~~

That's about it for now. Every day seems to fly by and I get a few more things accomplished. It's probably going to be a LONG time before I can post any bedroom/office photos!

* Welcome to my newest follower McGuffy Ann, from McGuffy's Reader. It hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! *

"A house that does not have one worn, comfy chair in it is soulless." -- May Sarton

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." -- Jane Austen

"Housework is what a woman does that nobody notices unless she hasn't done it." -- Evan Esar

"Home is where you can say anything you like 'cause nobody listens to you anyway." -- Author Unknown

Live! Online! It's Wednesday Night!

~~~

Hello Everyone ~ especially all DOG lovers! Tonight, online at Radio Pet Lady, you can listen to a live broadcast about....you guessed it....Dogs! This particular show is "Dog Travel Experts." It begins at 8:00PM Eastern, 7:00PM Central. (Although the website states different times, those haven't been updated yet.)

Radio Pet Lady Network = Tracie Hotchner (daughter of the brilliant, St. Louis born author, A.E. Hotchner, whom I've mentioned before on my blog, and had the privilege to meet!) 

Please check out Tracie's website. She has so many wonderful programs, articles, and interviews about pets, I don't know how she keeps up with them all! So much to listen to, so much to read, so much to learn, so much fun!

She invited me to be a "Special Friend" of Cat Chat & Dog Talk and that's how I received the new blog button. 

Tracie is also the author of two books: 

THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know 

and 

THE CAT BIBLE: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know.

~~~

One more very important detail about Tracie......She is the woman I wrote about on April 29th. The generosity and support of others continues to find me as I write, following my bliss as I go...

Thank you, Tracie! 

~~~

Don't forget to listen to Tracie's show tonight!

Writerly Advice & Calls for Submission

Two weeks ago, I met online a most amazing, writerly woman. She is very talented, funny and supportive...and I'm extremely grateful for some advice she gave me concerning my memoir. More on that at a later date.......

~~~

*Calls for Submissions for NINE books:

From Chicken Soup for the Soul

Click on the link above for complete information on each book. Surely at least one of these book titles has your name all over it! ☺

Miracles 
The deadline for story and poem submissions is July 31, 2013

Multitasking Mom's Survival Guide 
The deadline for story and poem submissions is July 31, 2013

O Canada The Wonders of Winter 
The deadline for story and poem submissions is June 15, 2013

Overcoming Challenges 
The deadline for story and poem submissions is October 31, 2013

Reboot Your Life 
The deadline for story and poem submissions is November 30, 2013

Stories about Cats 
The deadline for story and poem submissions is August 31, 2013

Stories about Dogs 

The deadline for story and poem submissions is August 31, 2013

The Dating Game! 

The deadline for story and poem submissions is July 15, 2013

Think Positive for Kids (Stories to be written by adults about their own childhood, or about a child they know now.)

The deadline for story and poem submissions is June 30, 2013

*Give it a try! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! If your story (or stories) are chosen, you receive a check for $200, plus 10 free books! (for each story that is accepted)

~~~

Another busy week has flown by and there's always something that still needs to be accomplished.....Hopefully, I'll have photos to share soon.




"The only way to learn to write is to write." -- Peggy Teeters 

* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

It's been a LONG time since I've posted a Nostalgic Sunday. There's no particular reason, really....I've just been so busy......

Carrying boxes from one room to another
Unpacking & putting things away
Writing
Doing some laundry
Walking Vern
Writing
Eating
Walking Vern
Sleeping
Writing

The Ronald and I worked in the living room a lot today and it really is beginning to look like home! (Our son, Mark, came over and helped a lot, too!)

What about this post makes it a "Nostalgic Sunday" post?....

Well..since we don't have TV yet, I've been watching some Andy Griffith Show DVDs.

I've been feeling very nostalgic because I've been going through old pictures to include in my memoir.

And....below is a picture of the wall plaque I mentioned on April 13th.

I wanted y'all to see that I did cross out "Begins" and wrote "Continues!" ...and that makes me feel nostalgic.

I promise I'll post pictures when boxes aren't overtaking rooms!

* Welcome to my newest follower Susan J. Reinhardt . I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! * 

"Home is the nicest word there is.” -- Laura Ingalls Wilder

* IT COULD ONLY HAPPEN TO ME *

I didn't plan on writing another blog post so soon, but something happened shortly after noon today, that I just had to share.

* I swear all of the following information and photos are real *

Vern had a 1:00 pm appointment with his favorite vet: Dr. Brister. (Actually he only has one vet, but she's the best around in both our opinions!)

Okay, SO....since we're still unpacking and finding things that we really don't need or want, I have quite a few items in my car to take to Goodwill.

As I opened the door on the driver's side of my PT Cruiser, I noticed The Ronald had put two large, decorative plate holders in the back floor, on the passenger's side. As I held the door open,Vern jumped into the backseat and settled onto his pillows. Right away I could see he didn't like the looks or the rattling of those metal contraptions. SO......since I didn't want Vern to be traumatized on the ride to the vet and back....I closed my door and walked around to the other side to pull them out.

I could only open the passenger side door a few inches because stacks of boxes were in the way. I still easily reached in and grabbed both at the same time and began to pull. I had to walk backwards a bit, as I tried to yank them out at a 90° angle, which obviously didn't work since they were hard metal and not flexible.

Somehow during those few seconds, the black plate holder got stuck in the one and only crevice that was there. Plus, by that time, the gold one had latched onto the black one and they were both stuck, and I do mean stuck.

* SEE PHOTOS BELOW *

View from the front of the car

View from the side

View from the back

Another from the back and side

Close up view: Look a little below and to the right of the red piece of fabric. The  black part that is stuck is hard to see....it's kind of horizontal, right under a large, funny looking, kind-of-a-"C".

I yanked and pulled and cussed as poor Vern watched from the back seat. So, I put his leash on him and we went outside for a walk. I called the vet's office and told the receptionist I couldn't make the appointment and that she would NOT believe my excuse. She and I both laughed as I attempted to describe it all to her.

I also called The Ronald to see if he was anywhere near home, but he wasn't. I kept explaining the situation and he kept saying he couldn't visualize it. I don't blame him! He said he'd come home as soon as possible and take a look at the situation...Hmmm.....

Thank goodness the car is in the garage because it's been raining off and on all day. BUT, since the car door obviously won't shut, my battery may run low.......

* Tuesday 4/16/13 Addendum: The Ronald and I both worked together to get the tangled mess untangled, and I was able to drive Vern to his rescheduled vet appointment! (Also, since I changed my template back to a Blogger design, I'm now able to reply individually to comments. I love it!) 

Ahhhh.......Life is full of fun and surprises! I had a very good laugh today, and at my own expense!
I leave you with two quotes from one of my favorite comedians.....



"You can't have everything. Where would you put it?" -- Steven Wright

"Is it weird in here, or is it just me?" -- Steven Wright

* HOME UPDATE *

Hello Blog Friends!

I'm alive and well, still unpacking boxes, still donating more items to Goodwill, and not nearly finished. But one day at a time, right? The Ronald, Vern, and I are all loving our new place of residence. The second or third day we were here, I told The Ronald I feel like a newlywed, unpacking and deciding what to put where. ☺

I've only hung four items on walls so far because I have no idea where or if I'll want to hang the rest of the paintings, plaques, drawings, etc. 

The four I've hung:

A clock on a kitchen wall

A calendar on a kitchen wall

A very small plaque that says Home: Your Soft Place to Fall

A larger plaque that says Home is Where Your Story Begins 

(I think I'll cross out the "Begins" and write "Continues" on it. What are your thoughts on that?!)

I've taken a couple of photos, but haven't downloaded them onto my laptop yet, and of course I can't locate the camera and case at the moment.

I miss visiting your blogs and I'll get back into the swing of things when I can!

P.S. I did find my hairspray and makeup, but would you believe I haven't used any of it yet?? Whenever I do need to go anywhere, I just plop on my white baseball cap!

There's nothing better than being happy where you are and with what you have....

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." -- Denis Waitley