Monthly Archives: November 2016

And maybe I’ll wait a little longer for the lows. Some of them are shared: the violence around the world, people fleeing for their lives or standing up to superior forces to protect their futures; the memory of a horrific war; the realization we just don’t seem to learn from those horrific wars.

Some of them are personal: that litter didn’t happen, and I had to say goodby to a dog that was born into my hands thirteen plus years ago. It was for his benefit, and I was there at the end, with him. But it doesn’t get any easier.

I left my freaking geraniums out one night too many, and it looks like I’ll need to replace them. Doggonit, I’d kept them going for more than ten years. Oh, well.

But

I was ringside, in Pueblo, the day my dear friend attained a championship with her dear friend. Silly  me I didn’t grab a photo then but the next day I watched her show, and managed a few with my phone. Yeah, I had that expensive camera with me…in the motor home. Fat lot of good it did, right? But our phones fill in the need, sometimes. So I was able to capture this lovely  moment. Lark, multi talented, multi titled, and now an AKC champion. The photo wasn’t taken up close enough for detail but the love and trust is there. And it is beautiful

Her win prompted the margarita tradition we started this year and hope to continue many years to come. Our dogs bring us joy and sorrow and wonderful friendships.

And isn’t that enough to encourage us to celebrate life?

November is jammed full of ‘feels,’ with Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, family gatherings (or not) For writers we add the intensity of NaNoWriMo. And for dog people in the Southwest, November means Pueblo, Colorado.

Pueblo’s a smallish place, rising up from economic difficulties. Here’s a great overview. What matters most to me is the Colorado State Fairgrounds. I know, it’s a bit bizarre to have such an event in a smaller town! But the Fairgrounds themselves are great for a single woman traveling alone to show her dogs.

You can’t beat the drive!

That’s the doggy mobile, waiting at a rest area in Colorado

I was meeting up with a friend I mostly know on line or over the phone (I won’t share her picture, but it was a GOOD one since her Whippet became a champion. That was a plus. And she was there ringside…heck in the ring helping, when Biddy achieved her last two needed points for her own championship. A long journey with a cautious little girl who took a while to learn to enjoy herself after her person died. Here she is with her brother, outside the main building. Isn’t that landscaping gorgeous? My friend took this picture, and suggested the site since Biddy (that’s her in front) does not like the fuss of formal photos.

Another BIG huge about this show site is the snack bar. Seriously, the place we generally visit when we have no other choices. I found out several visits ago, this snack bar is a cut above the standard dog show fare partially because (blushes here) they offer wine. Beer too, this is a sports venue! But I don’t drink beer much. I’ve always been able to get a decent glass of red wine here. Except, not this year. And we had SO MUCH to celebrate. Soooo, margaritas? My friend agreed.

It was doubly fun since we celebrated two days in a row. WOOT. We each took home one of these great new title ribbons.

Yeah, dog people can be pretty easy to please sometimes. These highs can sometimes offset our lows of day to day life. But I’ll share that tomorrow. For today, let’s just…enjoy.

Biddy, happy to be back in the motor home.

NaNo? Oh no, we’ll talk about that tomorrow, also.

Hope you are having a wonderful holiday, however you enjoy it.

This has been a favorite of mine for so long.

Never seems to be enough time but we still end up wasting time on things that maybe don’t really matter. Don’t worry, I get a bit off center with any of the time changes. My body usually tells me within a brief margin of error what time it really is, especially when I’m at home. Messing with my input throws me off. So, yeah I get a little cranky. Or crankier?

Let’s talk about someone who is making the absolute best use of her time. For years Brenda Novak has held an auction to raise funds for Diabetes research. This year she’s changing things up with a great book/cookbook offer you don’t want to miss. This specific offer ends SOON so click now or forever…you know!

20% offer!

Wandering down a path I’ve meandered along before. All writers are asked where we get our ideas and most of us have to shrug. Our greatest problem is how to choose what we’ll write about next.

Because…story ideas? How can we find the time to write about all of them? Especially when songs like this sneak up through our memories to grab our attention?

I chose Natalie Cole’s version mainly for the lead in. Most of the others start right off with “I wish you bluebirds” How much more poignant to hear “this is where our story ends, never lovers ever friends”

***

Goodbye, no use leading with our chins, this is where our story ends,
Never lovers ever friends.
Goodbye, let our hearts call it a day, but before you walk away,
I sincerely want to say.

I wish you bluebirds in the spring, to give your heart a song to sing,
And then a kiss, but more than this, I wish you love.
And if you like lemonade to cool you in some lazy glade,
I wish you health, and more than wealth, I wish you love.
My breaking heart and I agree that you and I could never be,
So with my best, my very best, I set you free.
I wish you shelter from the storm, a cozy fire to keep you warm,
Most of all, when snowflakes fall, I wish you love.

***

Who hasn’t been ‘friended’ by the person we thought would be the love of our lives? Or maybe heard from that person that they feel a calling to live in an ashram and find their inner selves.

Mmm Hmmm. Yeah.

Well it did all work out well in the end, once the drama dust blew away.

Winter’s coming, the bright shiny days are slipping away and I’m getting a lot done while ignoring my NaNo commitments. Tomorrow. Really. I think you’ll love this story I’m working on!

Yep, Winter’s on the way