The Gods of Frolic

Dogs, I think, allow humans to be pups again. In other words, they provide us with an opportunity to play. Whether it’s jogging through the park or dressing our pets up and leading them down a red carpet, dogs let us rediscover our inner child.

Henry Ward Beecher said, “the dog is the god of frolic” and if so we are all worshippers at their scampering paws. This weekend, however, was supposed to be a working weekend for my pug, Alfie. I had decided to enter her in a match show in Waterbury, VT. I even took her to the vet today to have her nails clipped for the show. My friend, Joan, however, put a monkey wrench in the plan when she told me about another event at the same time – yes, a dog fashion show. Usually, a match would trump such fun as Alfie needs to continue her conformation training, but she is in season, a tad fat from winter and well, I don’t want to pass up the opportunity to have some fun. So, I think we are headed for the red carpet for some playtime. At least Waffles and I am. Poor Alfie, I think, will be staying at home. I hoped to bring her to the fashion show in her bloomers, which in addition to helping keep her tidy during her heat cycle, also protect her from over-eager males. Yet, after taking her out on the town today, I realized that Alfie is too worked up and in turn, exciting the boys too much to expose her to the general public. So Waffles will get her day in the sun and Alfie will be back to work at a dog show in the months ahead.

In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy myself and frolic with these four-legged gods.

Author Interview: Dog-Ma: The Zen of Slobber

I am working on an art project tonight, but wanted to leave you with this author interview with Barbara Brunner Boswell, author of Dog-Ma: The Zen of Slobber. I reviewed Barbara's book last week and decided to ask her if we could do a Q & A about memoirs, writing and dog books. I started this trend a couple of weeks ago when I interviewed Barbara Techel, author of Through Frankie's Eyes, and hope to talk to other memoirists and authors of dog books in the future. I hope you enjoy reading Barbara's answers as much as I did.

Q: Barbara, I really enjoyed your book. I am wondering if you could let readers of this blog know what led you to write it?

My initial inspiration was the grief I suffered at the loss of our first dog, Kashi. I started writing the book in my head almost twenty years before putting pen to paper. I took a break from my work life when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I sold my business; worked on getting well and found myself ready to finally start writing my little story.

Dog-Ma was inspired by my love of dogs and the need to get all of the crazy stories we had been telling at cocktail parties for decades down on paper before senility sets in and I forget them.

Q: Why do you feel memoirs featuring dogs are so popular?

Anyone who loves dogs will relate to someone else’s dog stories. All dogs do crazy things and I think readers like to learn that they are not alone in that craziness.  Discovery that their own dogs may not be the nuttiest ones on earth is comforting. Anyone who has lost a furry companion to old age, disease or accidents can empathize with the grief others feel and perhaps gain some closure. And, who doesn’t love a funny dog tale?

Q: I teach memoir writing at a small community college and many of my students would like to write a book but are uncertain where to start? Can you give them any advice?

This one is a hard question to answer because memoirs are so personal. I suppose that to write a memoir you must be passionate about your life and the message you want the memoir to convey. Find the most important central message and use it as a starting point.

I was given a piece of advice early in my writing from a bestselling author. She said to write a poignant memoir; you must start in the middle and work outwards. For me, that made complete sense. If you start at the beginning, it may be hard to grab your reader’s attention. Define the message and then tell your story.

A publisher told me that a memoir should never be told in chronological order. Yea, I threw that piece of advice out the door!

Q: What led you to choose the publishing route that you did?

I am very impatient. I knew that if I queried and followed the traditional route my chances of publishing were slim. My father was suffering from congestive heart failure and I wanted to get my book in print before he passed away. He was my mentor, guide and inspired my love of books and dogs. He was so proud of Dog-Ma and enjoyed showing it off to all of his friends and neighbors. As it turns out, I published in August of 2012 and he passed away on New Year’s Eve 2012.

Dog-Ma may or may not get discovered by a big publishing house. It is currently on the desk of a New York literary agent, not in his slush pile, so good things may happen, yet. None of that really matters in the big picture. I made my dad proud and to me, that is all that counts.

Q: What has been the most rewarding aspect of writing this book?

There are so many things that have been rewarding. The five star reviews I receive are satisfying and the people I meet at book signings are so much fun and I love to hear their personal dog struggles. The most rewarding thing, though, has been the other authors I have met through this process have become dear friends. Authors are such a supportive group. The advice and direction I have gained from them has been phenomenal.

Q: What was the most challenging?

Getting over the fear of rejection and criticism was my greatest challenge. Being able to set those fears aside has allowed me to gain experience and knowledge that have greatly benefited the book.

Q:  Izzy is the last dog you mention getting in your book and when you left us, Izzy, a terrier was wreaking havoc and beating upon your much larger dog, Morgan. How is Izzy doing today?

Izzy continues to think she can beat up Morgan. Morgan just sighs and walks away. I am always hopeful that they will one day wake up and be best friends, but reality says I am delusional.

We had a photo shoot last week with Hannah Stonehouse Hudson for the cover of my next book. Izzy and Morgan were both such hams. I think they knew they had to “out-cute” each other to see who gets the cover. Sibling rivalry rules!

One last thing I would like to share on the blog. As I said earlier, my dad was so proud of my book. When I had to pack up his apartment after he passed away I had help from several strangers who worked for the charity where I was donating all of his possessions. Someone else packed up his huge collection of books. Two weeks after I returned home to Florida I received this message on my Facebook author fan page.

"Barbara, I am compelled to write to you.... as you will see... I was recently (last weekend) in Lancaster visiting family and friends and my sister in law took me for a fun afternoon of shopping at the thrift stores bargain hunting. I adore books and although I already had a full suitcase I found myself in buying a few. One of them was your Dog-Ma. I am a dog lover and couldn't resist your title. Finally this morning back here in Boca Raton Florida I opened the book to start reading, I noticed sticker on the front inside cover -a return address sticker presumably of the person who owned the book, I removed it... and then started reading. When I opened the book I saw it had been inscribed, "Dad, Love you! B" What? I thought, what was the name of on that mailing address sticker? Robert Boswell. I am now holding in my hand the book you gave to your father. I immediately went to find you on FB and I looked up and found on the web your father's recent obituary. I want to offer my deepest condolences. I also hope you don't mind me reaching out to you.... I feel a special connection to you. As a book and a dog lover..... wow. SO, I am reading the book now, with my Rottweiler, Shasta Pearl (2 years) old at my feet. I will cherish the book -for it's wisdom and stories of love and for it's special sentimental value- and if you are ever in Boca Raton...well... I just have to meet you."

The writer of this message and I have become Facebook friends, chat daily and are meeting in person for the first time in a few days. Things happen for a reason and I cannot wait to see how this one plays out.

Book Review and Book Tour: Dog-Ma, The Zen of Slobber

Dog-Ma, The Zen of Slobber. As a dog lover you probably identify with that title and if you don’t, you’re at least likely to identify with one of the canine cast of characters in this super-packed book. Author Barbara Boswell Brunner’s book definitely targets dog owners by weaving amusing anecdotes of the life she and her husband, Ray, shared with numerous canine companions over the course of their courtship and marriage. Nine dogs of their own and many canine friends grace the pages of this book, each portrayed as a person in his or her own right. The book is full of laughter and tears as Boswell Brunner shares her dogs’ antics and sadly the heartaches of some. To me it is in these tender moments that Boswell Brunner’s writing is not only at its most poignant, but also at its best. Yes, she knows how to weave an amusing tale – who will forget her dobie's tampon ear supports, Cooper’s toy Horton emitting its endless chatter, her Turbo strolling an upscale neighborhood with a goat? These are wonderful, funny stories, but when Boswell Brunner turns to the sensitive her writing truly moves me.  I love her homage to Madison – “She saw the silver lining in every bad situation. Madison was an optimist. Madison was loved.” Beautiful.

No doubt readers will have their favorite characters – mine was Cooper and I would recommend this book just to hear about his antics with his stuffed toy, Horton, which called to mind my own dog, Vader. Other readers will certainly find their pets amidst these pages. My primary disappointment with the book is that Boswell Brunner didn’t take us deeper into her own life. Yes, we are privy to the couple's moves and career evolution and she offers us glimpses into deeper fare such as her cancer and a mother-in-law with Alzheimer’s, but she doesn’t dwell there long and I think the story would have been richer if she had. I have a feeling Boswell Brunner is a good enough writer to go there if she wants to, to fill out the details of her own life with as much heart, humor and soul as she brought to the dogs. I think in a second book, she should try doing just that. Still, there is much here and enough plain old good dog stories to make any dog lover smile.

For dog lovers everywhere.......Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple's unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You'll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books.

When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara’s cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves. 

Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided super powers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and an inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the best medicine and that the whole “nine lives thing” is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says “If you are sick, injured or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!”

Author on Facebook          Author's Website          Author on Twitter 

About Barbara Boswell Brunner Barbara grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her parents, sister and always a dog, or two or three. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from a small women's college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Meeting her husband in Washington, DC, they continued together on a journey as self-proclaimed dog addicts. In the ensuing years, she founded three successful businesses in the Pacific Northwest and is a prolific fundraiser for breast cancer research. She and her husband are retired and now reside in Southwest Florida with two dogs and copious amounts of dog fur. She is currently working on indulging her well known flip flop addiction.  

Buy the book from ....

Author's Website

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Barnes and Noble

   

printed version           ebook version 

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

Feeding the Pets

 

Today I took care of my best friend, Sheila's, dog and two cats, feeding them and letting Muck, the hound, out while she and her family were away at her son's wresting tournament. The animals were perplexed to have me in the house. Muck likes me; to be fair she probably likes everyone, but I think she knows me a bit and was happy, I think, just to have someone share the house with her for a couple of hours. Of course, once I let her out she stood on a snow bank in front of the house for awhile, pointing and sniffing the air for her family. Roxy, the more active of the cats, kept playing peek-a-boo around corners in an effort to simultaneously remain unseen while keeping me in her view. Pug, the old, fat, gray Persian, hissed and hid. All three at least seem pleased by the food.

When I returned home this evening my own two enthusiastically greeted me, wagging their tail and hoping for snacks. Today I felt a bit like a food dispenser, my worth measured by a jury of hungry animals. Their verdict however seemed positive -- I did well and might just be okay to have around.

Now

 

Now I stumbled upon you

Sitting there stone faced, waiting

Not for me,

Not really

But now

We smile

Well, I do

And, you stare

Two very different creatures

Connecting

Now

Play Bow

The sign outside the pet store read “Puppies, “ so of course I had to stop. This shop is a small rural pet store that only occasionally has puppies, relying on reputable, local breeders. It is rare to see such a sign and even more rare to actually see the puppies outside in an x-pen while it is winter. But the sun was shining, the snow melting and there sat two little beagle puppies leaping at each other and barking at passersby.

I knew I shouldn’t take the time to stop. I had been working all day at Books-A-Million’s café, writing my article on fallout from the national housing bubble burst and had only stepped out long enough to grab a bite to eat, but they don’t call puppies irresistible for nothing. So I jumped out of the car and grabbed my camera to snap a picture of the energetic balls of cuteness, when I looked up and saw another matched set. Parked alongside the road, overlooking the puppies was a pickup truck and staring out from the open window were two handsome bulldogs observing the puppies’ antics.

I pointed my lens toward the truck, peered through the glass at the driver inside and raised my camera ever so slightly to ask permission to take a picture. He nodded and smiled and I snapped away. The two remained stoic, never changing their expression while the puppies scampered beneath them.

I smiled and watched, stooping to pet the puppies. The smile was on my face, but I felt it spread throughout my body. Although snow still covered the ground, you could feel the hand of spring upon us. It was evident in the sun grazing the bulldog’s coats and skimming the heads of the frolicking beagle pups and in my own weary body that suddenly felt rejuvenated. Sitting at a small café coffee table for two days writing about sub-prime lending and foreclosures had taxed my spirits, but standing outside in the marriage of sun and snow, surrounding my canine bliss, I felt suddenly lighter. I had to return to the café and my work, but I returned refreshed. Studies show that dogs can reduce stress and lower blood pressure, they can transform the mundane into the lighthearted – a few moments spent with them and I was ready to face my reams of notes and statistics.

People question the meaning of animals in our lives and why they have risen to hold such a prominent place in our hearts. I can only speak for myself, but I know what I love so much about my pugs and dogs in general. Like children they exist in the moment, dwelling outside the past and the future. They pull us into the present and hold us there. I worry and I toil far too often. They play bow and wag their tails. When we are with them they train us to do the same.

Interview with Barbara Techel

 

Dog owners who have owned a senior dog know the telltale signs of aging – suddenly the fella that used to bound two steps at a time up the stairs, starts taking them more slowly eventually sometimes even missing a step. Instead of getting up to greet you, he may sit in his bed and wag his tale. His energy wanes. I remember when I first noticed these signs in my “Little Man” Vader and I worried. Not only did he seem to be slowing down, but his back end also seemed wobbly. I had seen his brother and other relatives suffer a paralysis of their rear legs and I worried that the same would happen to him. I tried to ignore it at first, but eventually my fears became a reality.

Initially, I dealt by carrying  him up to his bed at night, but when he grew too heavy I had to make a new bed for him downstairs. I kept him walking as long as I could, but eventually the time came to buy him a doggie cart. I had learned about Eddie’s Wheels a few years earlier when Vader’s brother needed his own cart. I purchased Vader’s custom chair in November of 2011 and while he unfortunately was only able to use it for a short time, it did keep him on his feet and walking until March of the next year when his front legs started to go as well. Even then I would put him in it at least once a day at first and try to help him stand to keep some blood flow to his ever-weakening legs.

It is painful to watch anyone you love suffer and the same can be said of a beloved pet, there is also something sacred in helping someone who is experiencing such suffering. They seem to develop a special grace.

If anyone knows the joys and sorrows of caring for a disabled pet it is Barbara Techel, who recently wrote a book, Through Frankie’s Eyes, about her own dog, Frankie, a dachshund, who suffered from intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).  In fact, Barbara’s book is not only dedicated to providing some insight into what this experience is like, but also showing what these special-needs animals can teach us. By witnessing Frankie coping with her disability, Barbara learned many lessons that she could apply to her own life, leading her to find a more authentic existence.

Recently, I had the opportunity to review Barbara’s book, Through Frankie’s Eyes: One Woman’s Journey to her Authentic Self, and the Dog on Wheels who Led the Way. On the heels of that review, I also had the chance to interview Barbara for this blog. You will find the interview below.

As a memoir writing instructor and a former owner of a disabled dog, I was very interested in Barbara and Frankie’s story and wanted to explore her journey with her. Among the issues Barbara and I discussed is the growing interest today in both memoir and dog books, the inspiration to write a memoir and her definition of an authentic life. We also touched on some of the charity and educational work Barbara was able to do with Frankie and how this sweet dachshund touched a number of people’s lives. Please take the time to listen to the interview, I think you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Also, please check out Barbara’s book. It is not only a book for dog lovers, but for anyone looking for inspiration to follow their dreams. For more information on Barbara, Frankie and her new dachshund, Joie, please visit her blog at www.joyfulpaws.com. Also, feel free to comment and let me know what you thought of the interview, I hope it will be one of many to be featured on this blog in the future.

Important Links:

• Frankie the Walk' N Roll Dogs Legacy - chip in to help other special needs dogs with Frankie's Wheelchair Fund
• National Walk 'N Roll Dog Day- A Day Established in Frankie's Honor
• Joyful Paws - Barbara Techel's Blog
• Eddie's Wheels - the place to buy dog carts
• Through Frankie's Eyes - buy on Amazon

Catherine and Waffles

My niece Catherine and Waffles. Catherine loves dogs. She has a boxer named Sophie at home, but would like a little dog as well. She is saving her money for a Maltese.

Self-Portrait # 11: Uncle Bobby

I am five-years-old. The darkness enfolds me like a warm, comfy blanket. A soft light shines from the other room. I am tucked in my cot next to my parents’ double bed in the barn wood room of my grandparent’s schoolhouse.

“Put the kids to bed and we’ll bring out the ice cream,” my Uncle Bobby jokes, but he comes in to rub my feet before I fall asleep. It is something I remember in the years to come, first, when he is my boss at his granite company and later, when our families go through a falling out. Things are better now, but in the dark times, I remembered moments like this, when he was just my uncle and I was a little kid. The thing about special memories like this is that they can be a glue and a bridge to hold relationships together and to help cross a gulf until things are okay again.

I love my uncle.

I’m not sure where this picture of us was taken, but we spent a lot of time together when I was little. He was in the Coast Guard Academy and he would bring home friends to my grandparents’ schoolhouse. My parents and my brother and I would travel down to camp out with them for the weekend.

When I was older and my uncle married, his wife Lynn pierced my ears with a needle and some ice. She taught me how to make Christmas ornaments out of walnuts and cotton balls so they looked like little mice. She taught me the words and hand signals to a song we’d sign around the campfire “His Banner over Me is Love.”

When Bobby and Lynn had children, they would come down to our house and swim in the pool and we would eat big family meals around my grandmother’s large dining room table at the schoolhouse.

I don’t remember this photo, but it is a rare shot of us together, but I have memories to fill the gap.

I didn’t have time to take a new photo with my uncle for this project, although he only lives 30 miles away. I see him often when I visit my 92-year-old grandmother, who now lives with him, and when they travel down this way to visit us. We even go out to eat together at Cockadoodle Pizza Café, our local haunt. Instead, I chose to recreate the setting and the substance of the photo, but this time with my constant companion Alfie. I love how she studies me in this photo. This is her natural stance.

Growing up, neither side of our family was particularly a dog lover. My uncle got his first dog, a black lab named Daisy about the same time I got my first pug Vader. They both died within weeks of each other. When my Uncle Bobby interacted with Daisy, I saw a side of him that was more playful, less serious. He would get down on the floor and rub her belly. My grandmother said he cried when Daisy died.

Dogs bring out the best in people. They are a catalyst for creating warm memories. In the summer, I now often bring my pugs to my uncle’s pool. He always surprises me with his warmth towards them. They seem to make him smile. His genuine affection towards these creatures and our mutual appreciation of them are another bridge and a glue that binds us. I cross it and know love.

Thinking of Vader

Dogs have a way of cheering you, even when they are no longer there. Last week in the middle of a very bad day I pulled into the McDonald’s drive-thru for a cup of tea and saw this sign: New, $1 Fish McBites. I had to smile in spite of myself. When my pug, Vader, was alive McDonald’s fish fillets were his obsession. He seemed to sense when we were anywhere near a drive-thru and would start to make tiny whines until his feast materialized. He would have loved these bite-sized morsels and just thinking about his joy brought joy to my joyless day. I had to snap a photo and capture the moment. I bet there are a lot tastier pleasures than $1 Fish McBites in the after life, but I had a feeling Vader might give them up for a spell to share this treat with me. I felt my Little Man’s presence in the car and like any good dog he brought his Mistress some needed comfort.