Microfiction: They're Just Pumpkinheads

Good Monday morning, and Happy Halloween!

Grandma's Goulash graciously hosts Succinctly Yours, the wonderful meme for those of us addicted to microfiction. The trick is to write a story in 140 characters or less using the photo below as inspiration. To add to the challenge is the word of the week, "eerie."  My stories are below.

 “This is eerie! I’ve developed x-ray vision—I can see your ribs!” Sadly, Jack continued to deny the ill effects of too many margaritas.  (135 characters)

 *          *          *          *

“Want another slice of pumpkin pie?” Bill asked “I think not,” Edgar declined, rubbing his belly. “Just look at me! I’m stuffed!”   (129 characters)

To read the microfiction stories of others participating in this meme, please click HERE.

Thanks for visiting! See you on Wednesday for the naked truth about . . . .OPPORTUNITY.

Have a great week!
Lisa 

Book Blurb #35: Warrior

TGIBBF!

Welcome again to Book Blurb Friday.  If you're a newbie, here's the scoop so you understand what follows.  Please click HERE or click the tab under the blog header for details of the Book Blurb Friday meme.  This is the shortened, abridged version:

Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

Below is this week's "book cover," generously offered for our creative blurbs by Ashley Ortiz.  My blurb follows.

Warrior

(150 words)

Sister Gabrielle keeps a watchful eye on the teenage girls in her care. She knows the kind of life awaiting them outside the gates of the orphanage and refuses to lose them to the mean streets she escaped.

When three of the girls go missing, the police write them off as runaways. But Sister Gabrielle disagrees, and when she finds in their room a silk bag containing frankincense and myrrh, her blood runs cold. It means the Magus has found her and the girls are his bait.

Gabrielle's chosen name means Warrior of God, and she vows to live up to it---with a fierce and fiery vengeance.

Shedding her nun’s habit Gabrielle returns to the seamy underworld of her past. But this time she is armed with more than just her wits, and she will stop at nothing to bring the girls to safety and see the Magus destroyed.

Thanks for a great photo, Ashley!

To be sure that others can read your blurb, please put your name and link in Mr. Linky, below, if you are participating in Book Blurb Friday. If you have no blurb to share, please do not install a link. It will be treated as spam and removed. Thanks.

Please scroll past the Linky widget to see our "book cover" for next week.

Here is our "book cover" for next week's Book Blurb Friday #36, graciously provided by my daughter Christina Claro.

Thanks for participating in Book Blurb Friday. If you have any photos you think would be appropriate as a "book cover," please send them to me via email (writinginthebuff@hotmail.com).

Have a great weekend! See you next for Monday's microfiction.

Lisa

Now Showing: Me!

Clip art courtesy of Webweaver

Last week, I told you the naked truth about "schmoozing." This week my naked truth topic is schmoozing's ugly sister: "self-promotion."

Technically, schmoozing is self-promotion, but it’s self-promotion within a like-minded group of people. But plain old self-promotion, the kind I’m talking about, is what we do outside the schmoozing scenario. And as difficult as schmoozing is, straight self-promotion is harder—and every bit as important.

As writers, we just want to write. It’s tough enough being bogged down by the normal responsibilities of daily living without adding a sales job to the must-do list. But here’s the thing, buttercup.  If you don’t promote yourself as a writer/author, who will? How will the word get out? It’s fine to hit the schmooze button every now and then and chat it up with other writers, but if your dream is publication, you better be building a groundswell of readers.  Your future publisher will expect you to arrive with an entourage.

Some obvious means of self-promotion include maintaining a website and/or blog, joining Facebook and Twitter; passing out your business card to anyone and everyone; getting to know librarians and bookstore owners/managers; attending open mic nights for poetry/short story readings.  Brainstorm and you’ll think of plenty more.

So what about me? Here I am on a rant about self-promotion and the best I have to offer is my little blog and a static website. I don’t even tweet! (Honestly, I’m still patting myself on the back for schmoozing last week.) The whole self-promotion thing is still a puddle I’m learning to splash in. I know I have to do it, and I will. But just like at the neighborhood pool, I’ve got to start small, toes first.

What about you? Do you spend time promoting yourself and your work? Besides the usual methods for self-promotion, have you developed something brilliant you’re willing to share? C’mon, buttercup. How do you self-promote? Tell us. Schmooze a little.

See you next for Book Blurb Friday!

Lisa

Microfiction: (Pumpkin) Seeds of Truth

Grandma's Goulash graciously hosts Succinctly Yours, the wonderful meme for those of us addicted to microfiction. The trick is to write a story in 140 characters or less using the photo below as inspiration. To add to the challenge is the word of the week, "ambivalent."  My stories are below.

Seeds of Truth #1: Out of His Gourd

(139 characters, and the word of the week) 

Ambivalent about eating new foods, Ed let his pal Gourdon talk him into something new.  Ed was fine until he learned the main ingredient.

*          *          *          *

Seeds of Truth #2:  The Ultimate Show (of displeasure)

(131 characters)

When Larry, who dreamed of becoming a performance artist, discovered his horrifying destiny, he protested the only way he knew how.  

 *          *          *          *

Seeds of Truth #3:  Peter, Peter . . .

(140 characters)

Shamed to the core, Peter's friends and family abandoned him when his cannibalism was promulgated through a most unfortunate public display.

To read the microfiction stories of others participating in this meme, please click HERE.

Thanks for visiting! See you on Wednesday for the naked truth about . . . SELF-PROMOTION.

Have a great week!
Lisa

Book Blurb #34: Just Beyond the Bend

TGIBBF!

Welcome again to Book Blurb Friday.  If you're a newbie, here's the scoop so you understand what follows.  Please click HERE or click the tab under the blog header for details of the Book Blurb Friday meme.  This is the shortened, abridged version:

Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

Below is this week's "book cover," generously offered for our creative blurbs by Becky Povich.  My blurb follows.

 

Just Beyond the Bend

(145 words)

Freesia Kane knows all about bends in the road—she photographs them. From Paris to Pekanbaru, her photos of winding country drives, snaky city streets, and spiral mountain paths receive accolades everywhere.  Except the one place that matters . . .

When Freesia learns her estranged mother, Alice, is dying, she journeys home to repair old rifts. But fixing a relationship that was always broken may not be possible.

To soothe her spirit, Freesia begins photographing the streets of her home town, talking to people who knew her mother “way back when.” A collage of unexpected images emerges, illuminating a side of Alice that Freesia never knew.

Freesia races time to complete the project before Alice’s death. The past may be irreparable, but Freesia yearns to show her mother there is always a chance for something beautiful, lying unseen . . . just beyond the bend.

Thanks for a great photo, Becky!

To be sure that others can read your blurb, please put your name and link in Mr. Linky, below, if you are participating in Book Blurb Friday. If you have no blurb to share, please do not install a link. It will be treated as spam and removed. Thanks.

Please scroll past the Linky widget to see our "book cover" for next week.

Here is our "book cover" for next week's Book Blurb Friday #35, graciously provided by the lovely Ashley Ortiz.

Thanks for participating in Book Blurb Friday. If you have any photos you think would be appropriate as a "book cover," please send them to me via email (writinginthebuff@hotmail.com).

Have a great weekend! See you next for Monday's microfiction.

Lisa

Schmoozing for Dummies (like me)

According to Merriam-Webster:

The definition of schmooze (intransitive verb)

: to converse informally : chat; also : to chat in a friendly and persuasive manner especially so as to gain favor, business, or connections

Schmooze. The word sounds sleazy, doesn't it? In an onomatopoeia kind of way.

Me? I’m a terrible schmoozer, too busy trying not to hyperventilate to dig down for the Charm and Wit. See, here’s the thing about effective schmoozing. It requires exhibiting ooh-gobs of the aforementioned C&W. And talking. To strangers.

Some writers are plenty chatty, but I’m not one of them. Well, okay, that's not entirely true. I’ll talk your ear off if we’re pals (just ask Debra Mayhew, my friend and roomie at last weekend's WIK conference), but I’m circumspect if we share only acquaintance status.  My problems with schmoozing include shyness (my friends would never believe it), claustrophobia in crowds (a terrible malady if one wants to work a room), and general self-consciousness (“Holy cow, what if I have broccoli stuck in my teeth?!”).

So what is a non-schmoozer to do? Well, in a perfect circumstance, someone like me can still give out and collect a respectable number of business cards. Unfortunately, those perfect situations are hard to come by. But! Fortunately for me, this past weekend’s SCBWI/WIK (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators/Writing and Illustrating for Kids) conference was such an environment.

When I walked into the dessert party on Friday night, my shield was up. Oh, I smiled and nodded—and wondered how soon I could escape. But I’d forgotten a key factor.  Writers are, as a rule, a warm and friendly crowd.  And, hey, I'm a writer! I can do warm and friendly.

So, before Saturday’s keynote speech and workshops and manuscript critiques, before any of those things designed to teach me about the business of writing had even begun, I learned something important: One doesn’t have to be a born schmoozer to schmooze. 

To be a successful schmoozer you need only three things:

1. A sincere interest in learning about others.
2. A genuine desire to listen.
3. **An authentic smile.

(**If your fear of The Schmooze has your smile resembling the red lips from the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" posters, circa 1975, you need more help than you'll find on any blog. Good luck!)

As it turns out, buttercup, those three things will get you through, even if you’re not a schmoozer. In fact, they are a great substitute for that elusive C&W. Maybe even better.

So, are you a born schmoozer, or do you require a "Schmoozing for Dummies" manual? Do you enjoy "The Schmooze" or do you avoid it like anthrax? If you are a schmoozer, do you have any tips?

See you next for Book Blurb Friday!

Lisa

Microfiction: Summer's End

Good Monday morning!

Last Monday I offered a "thank you" to Michael Gettel-Gilmartin, and now I owe him another big "thanks!" Michael pens two wonderful blogs, The Year of Writing Dangerously and Middle Grade Mafioso, and he recently participated in a blog-hopping blogfest. Michael recommended my blog to his readers as a worthwhile place to visit. Thanks, Michael, for highlighting Writing in the Buff.  Your encouragement and kindness is deeply appreciated. 

That leads me to a heartfelt, "Welcome!" to my new followers. I hope you'll find your visits here worthwhile, and I look forward to learning more about you. Thanks for hopping over from Michael's blog.

Grandma's Goulash graciously hosts Succinctly Yours, the wonderful meme for those of us addicted to microfiction. The trick is to write a story in 140 characters or less using the photo below as inspiration. To add to the challenge is the word of the week, "toil."  My stories are below.
 

Summer's End #1:  Taking That Last Hurrah a Little Too Far

(139 characters)

Jay stomped the sandcastle with unbridled delight. After hours of toil to build the thing, his irate sister stomped on him with equal glee.

*          *          *          *

Summer's End #2:  That Last of Carefree Days

(115 characters)

Sun-drops glisten on ocean peaks;

diamonds strewn upon the sea.

Gifts of bliss belong to me;

caressed by God’s own hand.

To read the microfiction stories of others participating in this meme, please click HERE.

Thanks for visiting! See you on Wednesday for the naked truth about . . . schmoozing.

Have a great week!
Lisa

Book Blurb #33: Dorian

TGIBBF!

Welcome again to Book Blurb Friday.  If you're a newbie, here's the scoop so you understand what follows.  Please click HERE or click the tab under the blog header for details of the Book Blurb Friday meme.  This is the shortened, abridged version:

Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

Below is this week's "book cover," generously offered for our creative blurbs by Lynn Obermoeller at Present Letters. My blurb follows.

Dorian

(150 words)

Young archaeologist Bree Lightfoot is thrilled to participate in the exploration of an ancient pueblo site in the Chihuahuan Desert, and to work with the famed anthropologist, Dr. Evan Lachmann.

Work progresses uneventfully until an ancient grave site is discovered. Seven skeletons are uncovered, their bones estimated to be a millennium old. But testing reveals a shock: one skeleton is dated at a mere 50 years.

Dubbed “Dorian Gray” by the media, the bones are a mystery. How did a 50-year-old skeleton become buried in a grave that has not seen the light of day for centuries?

Lachmann handpicks a small group of archaeologists, including Bree, to remain at the remote desert site and gather evidence. But one by one they meet a gory death, until only Lachmann and Bree remain to solve the mystery . . . if they can survive the machinations of a creative, motivated killer.

Thanks for a great photo, Lynn!

To be sure that others can read your blurb, please put your name and link in Mr. Linky, below, if you are participating in Book Blurb Friday. If you have no blurb to share, please do not install a link. It will be treated as spam and removed. Thanks.

Please scroll past the Linky widget to see our "book cover" for next week. 

Here is our "book cover" for next week's Book Blurb Friday #34, graciously provided by the very talented Becky Povich.

I'm fortunate to be attending the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Southern Breeze writers' conference (WIK - Writing and Illustrating for Kids), this weekend in Birmingham, Alabama, so I'll be off-line until Sunday. I promise to read and comment on your book blurbs then. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Lisa

Bailey's Story - The Naked Truth About IVDD

Every so often I allow one of my pets to take over my blog. For today, I’m handing the reins to Rigby, our wise and happy Lab who you might remember from last April’s A to Z Challenge.  Rigby—you’re on!

Hi! I’m Rigby, a yellow Lab mix and member of the Claro family pack. This means I’m loved and spoiled which really rocks, especially at snack time . . . although lately Mom’s handing out carrots instead of Beggin’ Strips. What’s up with that? Anyway, I was rescued a few years ago, and as it turns out, in addition to being a great squirrel chaser, I’m also a pretty good blogger.

Last Wednesday Mom promised you an inside look at the life of Bailey. He’s a sweet Dachshund who suffers from IVDD (inter-vertebral disc disease), and Mom met him at the Howl-O-Weenie festival. If you missed that post, click HERE.  I’ll let Bailey tell his own story (shhh, don’t tell Mom . . . she didn’t okay an amateur writing on her blog), but first, here’s a little general information.

Hansen I (ruptured disc) IVDD is most often found in the little guys with short legs, like Dachshunds, Beagles, and Pekingese. Hansen II (bulging disc) is more often associated with big guys like me---Labs, Golden Retrievers, and Rottweilers. Hansen II sets in over time and can usually be treated conservatively with rest and anti-inflammatory medications.  But the onset of Hansen I can be scary. It comes on suddenly, can be quite severe, and commonly causes wobbly gait or paraplegia.  Surgery is often required to relieve the spinal cord pressure.

What causes IVDD? Well, when the cushioning discs between the vertebrae of the spine rupture, material from the disc breaks through, causing compression or damage to the spinal cord. This leads to swelling of the spinal cord which inhibits the operation of normal neurological signals. The result is pain and possible damage to nerve function; paralysis may also occur, leading to incontinence of bowel and bladder.

What do you do if you suspect your dog is suffering from IVDD? If you share your life with a big guy like me, you’ve probably noted development of the condition, so a treatment plan has evolved accordingly. I’m only four, so I don’t have any problems right now. But if you live with a furry old guy and suspect a spine problem, take him to the vet. (Um . . . your dog, not your husband. I'm guessing your husband will need a different kind of doctor.)

Now, if your furry kid is afflicted with sudden onset, the first thing you should do is crate him so he’ll be safe and quiet, and contact your vet immediately. In severe cases where he is unable to move, take him without delay to a veterinary surgeon, especially one with the ability to do a myelogram (an x-ray that allows the disc material to be visualized).  

All of this sounds really scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Mom says learning about stuff is a good way stop being afraid, so I visited these websites. You should too:

Dodgers List

DREAM (Dachshund Rescue, Education, Awareness and Mentoring)

Clark's Fast Facts: IVDD (inter-vertebral disc disease)

 Pet Wave

Dachshund Club of America, Inc.

Go Pets America

One of the most important things I learned is that dogs with IVDD can live happy, healthy lives. Even “down dogs” (paralyzed) can have wonderful lives. This requires a willingness on the part of you, the human, to make special allowances. What kind, you wonder? Well, I’ll let Bailey tell you all about it.  He’s an expert.

Thanks for visiting with me. Now, here’s Bailey!

Hi there! My name is Bailey, and I’m a 9-year-old Dachshund who got really lucky back in July of 2007. Well, first I got really unlucky. Here’s what happened.

I was only 5 back then, but IVDD left me immediately paralyzed. It was like, one minute I was fine and romping around, and then—boom!—an acute disc extrusion paralyzed me. I was hurt so bad that I couldn’t move my rear legs or even feel them. That was really scary. The lady who loved me was disabled and couldn’t care for me with my injury, so she brought me to the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, VA. The neurologist at VMRCVM performed emergency surgery, but my initial spinal cord injury was so severe that my rear legs never got better. I was left paralyzed.

Now here’s the lucky part! My rescue Mom, Renee Barber, was a 4th year vet student there! She fell in love with my sweet disposition and handsome furry self.  She brought me home and worked with me, doing physical therapy with me in the hope that my legs would get better.  It didn’t work. I’m still paralyzed, but I get around just fine and—hey! Do you want to see my wheels? I love these things! You should see me go---zoom, zoom! Like the wind, baby!

I use the wheelcair mostly when we go for walks and to play outdoors. I don’t use it much in the house. It's kind of bulky and gets caught on furniture sometimes, so it’s easier for me to ditch the cart and pull myself around without it when we’re inside. It’s all cool. My chest and front legs are very strong, and I’m able to get around just fine. I have developed calluses on my legs and feet that keep my skin protected when I pull myself around the house.Yeah, I know. I'm a macho kind of guy.

 
My life is awesome! I’m part of a loving pack. Here I am with my furry brothers and sisters.

The first month or so that I was home with my new pack was tough on all of us. See, being paralyzed doesn’t bother me, but I need special care and it took time and patience to establish a routine, especially since I can’t control my bladder or bowels.

This problem is true for a lot of us with IVDD, and our humans must learn to manually express our bladder. That sounds icky, but it only takes a couple minutes a few times a day, and once learned, it’s no big deal at all! I do get urinary tract infections sometimes, because I can't potty by myself. That means Mom has to check my urine for infection periodically to keep me healthy. She’s great at it, and I’m a very happy, healthy boy!

Because I’m so happy, I get excited sometimes. That means I have to wear a couple diapers so I don’t accidentally mess up the place. I wear a baby onesie to keep the diapers in place, and baby wipes, baby powder and baths all keep my skin healthy and my fur sweet-smelling. In fact, sometimes I wish I didn't smell quite so nice. It cuts into my macho image, you know?

The diapers get changed whenever Mom and Dad empty my bladder. Dad loves me so much that he built me a special stand out of PVC to help with the process and keep me comfy. Look at this crazy contraption! Isn’t it cool?

All of this sounds like it would take a long time, right? But it doesn’t! It only takes a couple extra minutes a few times a day to keep me healthy.    

And just look at me! Aren’t I adorable?

I hope my story has shown you that you don’t have to be afraid to keep and care for a dog like me with IVDD.  You'll only spend a few extra minutes each day, but your IVDD pet will give you love and devotion and licky-kisses and snuggly-cuddles all the time.  It’s true. Just ask my Mom!

My rear legs may be paralyzed, but my heart? It beats perfectly, and it's overflowing with love.

Thanks for visiting Writing in the Buff. And special thanks to Bailey and his rescue Mom, the amazing Renee Barber, for being so generous with photos, information and inspiration. Bailey is proof that IVDD does not mean a death sentence for your pooch. There are choices and options. Learn and love.

See you next for Book Blurb Friday -
Lisa

Please note:  Photos courtesy of Anne Yarborough Photography are so noted on the photos.

Microfiction: Naughty Nana (Oops...Lost My G-Rating)

Good Monday morning!

I'd like to send out a big "thank you" to Michael Gettel-Gilmartin, who stands at the helm of two great blogs, The Year of Writing Dangerously and Middle Grade Mafioso. Michael recently offered a contest, and I won the book "We Are Not Eaten by Yaks: An Accidental Adventure" by author C. Alexander London. Although this book is intended for middle grade readers, I have to say I'm enjoying it immensely. Thanks, Michael!

Grandma's Goulash graciously hosts Succinctly Yours, the wonderful meme for those of us addicted to microfiction. The trick is to write a story in 140 characters or less using the photo below as inspiration. To add to the challenge is the word of the week, "resplendent."  My stories are below.

 

Naughty Nana - Piece of Brass

(139 characters)

Nana was upset when she discovered the loss of her favorite brass cane with the Hell's Angels insignia. It was such a conversation starter!

*      *      *      *

Naughty Nana - Piece of Ass

(137 characters)

Feeling resplendent, Nana asked her granddaughter to walk far ahead so as not to upstage her arrival at the Retired Pole Dancers Reunion.

I apologize if anyone is offended by the second microfiction.  I was overcome with a fit of the giggles, and that's the only explanation I have. That and a twisted sense of humor.

Thanks for visiting! See you on Wednesday for the naked truth about . . . IVDD (intervertebral disc disease), a happy, wheelchair-bound dog named Bailey, and the special humans who love and care for him.

Have a great week!
Lisa

Book Blurb #32:

And here we are again at Book Blurb Friday.  If you're a newbie, here's the scoop so you understand what follows.  Please click HERE or click the tab under the blog header for details of the Book Blurb Friday meme.  This is the shortened, abridged version:

Write a book jacket blurb (150 words or less) so enticing that potential readers would feel compelled to buy the book.

Below is this week's "book cover," generously offered for our creative blurbs by Kathy Matthews at Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy My book blurb follows:

Angel Baby

(148 words)

The fire blazed for three weeks, cutting a terrible swath through the Northern California forest.  Expectations for life are nonexistent.

A cry in the wilderness . . .

                                

Fire Chief Duncan McCall is touring the blackened remains when he hears the most unexpected sound of all: a crying child.

Untouched . . .

She is dubbed Angel Baby Doe, a 2-year-old waif found in what was the epicenter of the devastating blaze. She is pristine in spite of the smoldering ash, and how she came to be there is a mystery.

It soon becomes apparent she is no ordinary child.

Duncan is determined to discover her origin. Is she the pawn in a great hoax or a bona fide gift from God? Menace or miracle? Duncan’s values and beliefs are tested again and again as he unravels the mystery and the final soul-wrenching revelation that is Angel Baby.

 

To be sure that others can read your blurb, please put your name and link in Mr. Linky, below, if you are participating in Book Blurb Friday. If you have no blurb to share, please do not install a link. It will be treated as spam and removed. Thanks.

Please scroll past the Linky widget to see our "book cover" for next week. 

Here is our "book cover" for next week's Book Blurb Friday #33, graciously provided by the very talented Lynn Obermoeller:

Thanks for visiting! See you for Monday's microfiction.

Lisa

Howl-O-Weenie 2011

Warning! In keeping with the subject matter, today’s post is looong, but you’ll be rewarded with some cute dog photos, like these of my grand-dogs Special Agent McGee and Federal Agent Chutsky:

Special Agent McGee and Federal Agent Chutsky -- on a stakeout.

Catching some Z's after an exhausting day of fighting crime.

Today Writing in the Buff offers the naked truth about wieners---those long, strong, lovable Dachshunds. Here are a few fun facts:

• Dachshund means “badger dog” in German, which is fitting since they were originally bred to hunt badgers and exterminate vermin in general.
• Dachshunds are one of the most popular small dog breeds in America.
• Dachshunds are bred in three different coat varieties: smooth, wire-haired, and long-haired. They can be miniature, up to 11 pounds, or standard, 16-32 pounds.
• Dachshunds are playful and energetic.
• Dachshunds require only moderate exercise and adapt well to most living environments.
• Because of their instinct to burrow, Dachshunds will tunnel beneath your blankets and pillows, and sometimes under your shirt.
• Dachshunds love to cuddle and are extremely affectionate.
• Dachshunds adore the company of other Dachshunds.

The following quote on Dachshund temperament is direct from the American Kennel Club, and is so true of my daughter's two mini Dachshunds that I laughed out loud when I read it. Please note that the words in parenthesis are not part of the actual quote, but are those of my grand-dogs, thrown in for good measure:

Temperament
The Dachshund is clever, lively and courageous (“Why, yes, I am!”) to the point of rashness (“I must protect my human mom from that 100 lb. Rottweiler!”), persevering in above- and below-ground work (“I’m not hiding under the blanket to avoid a bath; I’m badger hunting!”), with all the senses well-developed (“Did you hear that? Three blocks from here someone just flipped the cap off a can of Easy Cheez!”).  Any display of shyness (“Is that even a real word?”) is a serious fault (“Fault? You must be talking about the neighbor’s Chihuahua.”).

That quote explains why the Howl-O-Weenie Festival is possible. Picture a field full of Dachshunds costumed for Halloween, all ready, willing and able to participate in contests such as Dunking for Wieners, Tail Wagging, Face Licking, and Best Costume. Oh yeah, and there are Weenie Races, too.

One of my posts in October of 2010 detailed last year’s Howl-O-Weenie Festival. If you missed it, you may want to check out the photos. Here’s the link:  Click HERE.

Howl-O-Weenie is sponsored by DREAM (Dachshund Rescue, Education, Awareness and Mentoring). This organization does an amazing job of rescuing, fostering, and finding forever homes for Dachshunds in need. My grand-dog, Federal Agent Chutsky, is a DREAM rescue, just one of the hundreds of furry companions saved and protected by the loving volunteers who keep this non-profit organization humming. For more information on DREAM, click HERE.

This Festival is such fun, and the dogs, along with their human companions, are a joyous bunch with whom to spend a fall afternoon. It’s hard to beat Dachshunds when it comes to good, goofy fun. These little furries are game for just about anything. Without further ado, here are some photos we took at the 2011 Howl-O-Weenie Festival.

 

Captain Jack Sparrow

Why, that little doxie -- she's a barmaid!

 
  

The Red Baron

This good-natured Great Dane enjoyed himself.

Ahoy!

Las Vegas showgirls.

Clever take on that mysterious airline hijacker.

The littlest soldier.

Thinking inside the bun.

Thinking outside the bun.

Thinking about the bun.

"I could've sworn my Harley was over here somewhere!"

Livin' the label, baby. Livin' the label.

"Maybe Mom will dress me up next year, after I grow into my nose."

 

So now you know the naked truth about wieners. Well, the fun stuff, anyway.  I didn't mention that 1 in 5 Dachshunds has the potential to develop back problems, some severe enough to require a wheelchair. The dogs don’t know they’re disabled and continue to live joyful, loving lives, but of course special treatment by their human companions is required.  For more information, visit Dodger’s List by clicking HERE.

Please check back next Wednesday for the true story of Bailey, an endearing  Dachshund who suffers from IVDD (intervertebral disc disease). He doesn't recognize his disability, but knows a lot about love. Here's a pic of Bailey, enjoying Howl-O-Weenie:

Thanks for visiting! I hope you had fun.

Lisa

P.S.  There are many organizations available to pair you with a pooch if you're looking to bring an animal companion into your home. DREAM is one of these, if a lovable Dachshund is your choice, but consider also Collie Rescue, Golden Retriever Rescue, Labrador Retriever Rescue, and many others.  And please don't overlook mixed breeds.  All furry kids need a good home!

Microfiction: Big Brother Trouble

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

For my writer pals, I have a link that will interest you. It is an awesome website called Word Hippo.   I LOVE this site. It is easy to use and offers synonyms, antonyms, language translations, rhyming words, and examples of sentences with your word of choice. It is the best thesaurus site I've found. Check it out! I know you'll be glad you did.
 
Grandma's Goulash graciously hosts Succinctly Yours, the wonderful meme for those of us addicted to microfiction. The trick is to write a story in 140 characters or less using the photo below as inspiration. To add to the challenge is the word of the week, "pugnacious."  My stories are below.

Fireman Jim knew he’d be suspended for this infraction, but it was worth it. His pugnacious little brother deserved a good soaking.  (132 characters)

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Ty argued against having the County cookout next to the firecracker factory, but those government officials thought they knew everything.  (138 characters)

Thanks for visiting!. See you on Wednesday for the naked truth about . . . wieners.

Have a great week!
Lisa