June 30, 2015

A New Cover, Some News, and a Thank-You

A New Cover
About a month ago via my quarterly author newsletter*, I shared the new cover for Rescue Me, Maybe (due to be re-released on Aug. 25). I just remembered I never shared it here! So, here it is:
Final New Cover

June 28, 2015

An Experiment Goes As Expected

Last week, Jodi at Heart Like a Dog, who frequently writes cute posts about the funny or sweet things her dogs do that make her smile, wrote about how her boy Sampson stops eating his Kong and stares at it, "knowing someone will help [him] get the goodies out..."

She said that he will "either bounce the Kong until he gets the pineapple out, or he just stops all together. "

I commented that "Rita would look at me like I was insane if I put fruit in her Kong." Jodi asked if I'd ever tried pineapple, conjecturing that Rita might actually like it. I said I was "100% certain Rita will give me a look of disgust if I offer her a piece of pineapple." And an experiment was born.

June 24, 2015

A Book To Help You Survive Losing a Heart Dog

My blogger friend Roxanne Hawn of the award-winning Champion of My Heart blog recently published a non-fiction book called Heart Dog: Surviving the Loss of Your Canine Soul Mate. It is based on her own experience losing her beautiful heart dog, Lilly.
Isn't that a beautiful cover?

June 23, 2015

A Pet Pit-Stop at the Airport

Recently I shared pics of our trip to Hawaii. There were a couple I didn't share though.

While we were at the San Diego airport waiting for our flight, the hubs and I stopped to use the restrooms. Between the men's and women's bathrooms, this sign hung on the wall next to a closed door:

June 21, 2015

Mischief at the Office

Friday, June 26 is Take Your Dog to Work Day

Luckily, I've been working from home since 2000. For a long time I worked as a research analyst, and now as a writer. Our girls - angel Bailey, angel Abby, and Rita - have all enjoyed getting to "go to work" with me every day, even if my commute is just to the office down the hall.


We did try taking Bailey to the dog-daddy's work a couple of times -- but only on the weekends when very few other folks were around. 

Good thing too, because the very first time we took her there (the hubs just needed to quickly stop by the office for some files), she sensed immediately that this was some sort of enchanted land. As soon as we opened the door, she took off running. We had her off-leash, assuming she'd just cruise along with us - but no. She had other plans!
Angel Bailey

June 16, 2015

Less-Wordy Wed.: Celebrating the Dog's Birthday!

Rita turned four on Tuesday. Well, we don't really know her exact birthday, but June 16th is the day we celebrate. Based on the age Baja Animal Sanctuary guessed at for her, we figured her birthday was around mid-June, and since 6/16 is her angel-cousin Lou's birthday, it seemed like a perfect day to pick for Rita.

Rita wanted a party with pony rides and a clown (to bark at) for her birthday but we decided on something a little more low-key.

We started the celebrations on Sunday night, when the whole unit went to In-N-Out burger and Rita got a Flying Dutchman! (Which is 2 burger patties with cheese. Yes, I know - so decadent, but she only gets one on her gotcha day in January and her bday in June.)

June 14, 2015

Monday Mischief: Pom Wonderful - and Pom Confusing

This weekend the hubs came in and said we had 7 pomegranates growing on one of our trees.

This was news to me, for 2 reasons:
1) I didn't know we had a pomegranate tree. We've lived here almost 5 years and never seen any fruit on the trees so we didn't know what they were. Turns out we have two pom trees! Yay! Pom wonderful! 

2) I thought pomegranates were only in season in winter, since we always only get them from our CSA in January. (I Googled it and according to the Pomegranate Council they usually only grow in No. America during late summer and early winter. Maybe our tree is confused since our weather was so hot in winter and has only just lately felt like early winter!) Pom confusing!

We all went outside to check it out. (I apologize that these are blurry!)
"Hmmm. What's this?"

June 11, 2015

See Beautiful: Volcanic Edition

A couple of weeks ago when I posted about the hubs swimming with an Iron Dog, I mentioned we'd gone to the Big Island for my Big Birthday. Today I thought I'd share some of the beauty of Hawaii with you!

We spent a few days in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and it was amazing! (It would have been even more amazing if the rain had let up a little more often.)

Here's a picture of the Kīlauea crater during the day (during a rare break from the rain!).

June 9, 2015

A Tribute To A Cancer-Fighting Warrior

I have some sad news to share.

Last week we lost a cancer-fighting hero - Charley, the chocolate Lab.
Photo courtesy of Ellen Venturella-Wilson

June 2, 2015

Yard-Saling Dogs - On the Sell Side

Remember when I posted about yard-saling dogs last month? Well, last time the dogs were on the buying side, but this time they were on the selling side.

My sisters and I met up last weekend to hit my one sis's 'hood's annual garage sales event. It was a lot of fun, and there were a lot of cute dogs.

This little girl was selling cute, and she was selling it hard! (And I am always in the market for cute!)