Central Coast Book and Author Festival

Rosie and I spent the day at the Central Coast Book and Author Festival, held every year at this time, right after the Cuesta Writers' Conference. Dennis Young, photographer, (DennisEamonYoungPhoto.com) was on hand to snap pictures of authors and their books. Thank you, Dennis! From 10 to 4, I talked to lots of folks out enjoying the beautiful day and the myriad books available for sale. I shared a table with Sue McGinty, murder mystery writer from Los Osos, whose second book, Murder at Cuyamaca Beach, was released last week. Rosie submitted to pets from just about everybody throughout the day. She's a good sport at these book events, always taking her popularity in stride with an air of indifference. We sold 24 books and were pleased as can be. For those of you who couldn't make the festival and would like to have Rosie's book, My Name is Rosie, go to www.mynameisrosie.com and order it online. On hand to help the writers set up and break down their tables were cadets from Grizzly Academy here in SLO. Thanks to Dominick Olgin in particular for his tender care of Rosie all day. I appreciated the help and so did Rosie. At one point, Rosie fell asleep with her muzzle on Dominick's boot. Really cute!  

My Name is Rosie Reaching Far and Wide

Readers!  Orders are coming in for My Name is Rosie from as far away as Australia! Rosie is capturing people's hearts with her sweet account of her daily life. Thanks to Brian Anderson of JSol Software here in San Luis Obispo, our presence on the web is ever-increasing. Take a look at Rosie's slide show on the site, www.mynameisrosie.com. And while you're at it, order a book or two or three! My Name is Rosie makes a wonderful gift for a dog-loving friend, even more wonderful for a Corgi-loving friend. The price is right and remember, part of the proceeds go to Woods Humane Society in San Luis Obispo. 

Woods Humane receives check!

Readers!  I delivered a check to Woods Humane Society the other day. Part of the proceeds from the sale of My Name is Rosie go to Woods, and this check was generated from the sales of the book since it came out in December. The more people buy Rosie's book, the more Woods will benefit! So encourage your friends and family to visit www.mynameisrosie.com and to purchase the book. 

Rosie on youtube!

Hi, Readers!  It's been awhile since I last wrote. And Rosie and I have news for you. Take a look in BARK Magazine's April/May issue to see our ad in The Marketplace. BARK also has a digital version complete with videos and slide shows and Rosie's slide show will be available there for your enjoyment. New readers of Rosie's book, My Name is Rosie, are cropping up all the time. The other week I got a call from Chaucer's Bookstore in Santa Barbara to say the books I took them in January sold, and could I bring down ten more. Chaucer's is a huge independent bookseller almost 100 miles from here, and I don't know anybody in Santa Barbara; so the book has its own appeal. Meanwhile, my web master, Brian Anderson, of JSol Software, has put together a slide show for youtube, which will be available soon. You can also visit www.mynameisrosie.com to see the slide show and of course to purchase Rosie's book. The Queen of England has one!

Rosie's latest quirk is fear of the linoleum in the kitchen. The fear strikes unexpectedly. I'll hear her whimper, go to see what's up, and find her stranded, stiff-legged, in the middle of the floor. Usually I lift her up and move her just a few feet, put her down, and then she can move again. It's the oddest thing. Her brother, Rudy, has never liked the linoleum, and every time he visits, he has to get over it again. Funny, it's one of the things that endears him to us!

Picking Daisies in SLO

Readers: I've been meaning to tell you for some time about a fabulous product made here in San Luis Obispo: 100% pure cotton napkins for everyday use, manufactured in the showroom/factory of Picking Daisies in downtown SLO. Rosie and I regularly go into the Picking Daisies shop to visit the three sisters who own the company. They are busy measuring and cutting the latest fabric, sewing the tidy mitered corners of each napkin, ironing the napkins for display and sale, and of course selling these delightful creations. I have a collection of more than three dozen of these napkins in beautiful colors and designs. At my house we use Picking Daisies napkins for every meal. I especially love to bring out an assortment of them when I have a dinner party. The napkins make a lovely yet practical and environmentally friendly gift, too! The cotton fabric is unbelievable - soft, yet durable, machine washable again and again and again. The napkins last for years and retain their vibrant color and soft texture. 

The Picking Daisies colorful and stylish showroom is an art gallery, too. The shop features local artists and hosts their opening receptions in SLO's Art After Dark, the first Friday evening of every month. Rosie and I deliver a basketful of cookies for these events! (Did you know I have a catering business called Kate's Kitchen? Call 805.458.4438 for more information on my delectable edibles, both savory and sweet!) Drop into Picking Daisies some time. The store is located in The Creamery on Higuera Street in SLO and is open Tuesday through Saturday. And visit Picking Daisies' web site at www.pickingdaisiesinslo.com. You'll be glad you did!

Birthday Time for Two Welsh Corgis!

Today is Rosie's birthday!  And Rudy's, too! For those of you who have read the book, My Name is Rosie, you know that Rudy is Rosie's brother. The two Corgis have grown up together. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, LITTLE CORGIS! This morning we got a birthday call from Rudy and his family. Rudy has been healing from a knee injury for the last six months, so play together has been minimal to keep him from prancing around too much. We've missed him. But he's better now! He goes to swim therapy every week and loves it. And we'll see him this weekend when he comes over for a birthday dinner with his family, Angela and Lenny. There's nothing cuter than two Welsh Corgis hanging out together. I can understand why the Queen of England enjoys her five Corgis so much! They are so intelligent and affectionate and engaged with their people and the world. Perhaps this can be said of all dogs? Corgis strike me as particularly so. My Name is Rosie is available online at www.mynameisrosie.com for only $8.95 plus S/H. Partial proceeds go to Woods Humane Society in San Luis Obispo, California. Written in Rosie's voice, the book offers snippets of her everyday life, with beautiful pen and ink drawings by artist Chloe White. Join the Queen. She has the book!

Missive from the Queen of England!

Readers! Back in January, I sent a copy of My Name is Rosie to the Queen of England, the world's most famous Welsh Corgi lover. Actually, I sent it to her Royal Secretary, The Right Honorable Christopher Geidt, along with a letter asking him to please give my gift to Her Royal Highness. I had Chloe White, the book's illustrator who is also British, review my letter to make sure I followed the proper protocol. I signed the book to the Queen's current five Welsh Corgis, whose names are Monty, Emma, Linnet, Willow and Holly with love from Rosie.  Great names, aren't they? I knew it was a long shot, sending a gift to the Queen. Would she get it? Well, apparently she has!! Last week I received a very personal letter from the Queen's Lady-in-Waiting, Annabelle Whitehead, saying how much the Queen appreciated my gift. I was ecstatic! I cried! And to think I almost threw the envelope in the recycle bin. I thought it was junk mail. Then I saw the "Royal Mail" emblem and realized it was a letter from England. The stationery is embossed with Buckingham Palace at the top and the greeting and sign-off in the letter are hand written in black ink. How totally wonderful! Now, I wonder. Has the Queen actually read the book?? It would please me so very much to know she held it in her hands and took a look and saw her dogs' names in the front. You, too, can read Rosie's book. Go to www.mynameisrosie.com to order her book online. 

That Scary Wind

Santa Ana-like winds blew through San Luis Obispo this week and Rosie was not happy about it. If you've read My Name is Rosie, you remember the snippet titled That Scary Wind where Rosie shares how much the door slamming, chimes clanging, and trees wildly pitching every which way scares her. In fact, at night she tries to sleep on our heads! I would say she's gotten a little better about the wind lately in that she cuddles extra close but not on our heads any more. That's a relief for my husband and me. During the day, when a big gust of wind comes up, Rosie rises from wherever she's lying and comes to one of us asking to be picked up, sometimes standing on her hind legs and begging for a lift up. It's very sweet, really. I try to reassure her in a calm voice that everything's okay. My daughter thinks it's a hoot how scaredy-dog Rosie can be. She's usually such a tough girl, so rough and tumble. I guess she's not any different from all of us, is she? We all have our particular fears. On windy days, Rosie is especially happy to go in the car with me - getting out of the house and away from the wind sounds is what she wants. Go to www.mynameisrosie.com to order the book and read more about Rosie's daily life. 

I'm a dog magnet!

Everywhere I go I meet dogs and their owners and we talk and talk about our dogs. Rosie is usually with me, and people are happy to learn about the book, My Name is Rosie, especially after meeting Rosie in the flesh. I give them Rosie's calling card that's got the cover of the book on one side and the web address on the other so they can go home and order the book online. That address is www.mynameisrosie.com.  

I was on my bike today, so Rosie had to stay home. At Joe Momma's Cafe in Avila Beach,  I met Jo-Jo, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who was visiting with his owners from the Bay area. Jo-Jo is Rosie's age, 4, and spends a good deal of her time being a therapy dog at her owner's dental practice. The owner told me this particular spaniel was bred originally to sit on the laps of kings and queens and keep them company as well as warm! And Jo-Jo does just that with some dental patients who are particularly uneasy about visiting the dentist. Isn't that cool? Her disposition is sweet and her brownish-red and white fur is especially soft to the touch, so I can well imagine the calmness she brings to an anxious patient. Jo-Jo's owner wants to write a little book like Rosie's that would be titled something like Jo-Jo at the Office. I say go for it! Write that book! If Rosie's book inspires someone else to write a book, I'm happy! Then there was Ingrid with her wire-haired dachshund, Deirdre. That's a most interesting name for a dog, isn't it? Ingrid, too, confessed she's got a dog book in her mind. I hope she writes it.

Off to the dentist!

Today I took Rosie to get her teeth cleaned by a group that specializes in cleaning canine teeth without anesthesia. (www.petdentalservices.com) This is Rosie's second time. My vet, Linda Powers, brings a specially trained dental technician to her veterinary clinic a couple of times a year. All day long, owners bring their dogs to have their pearly whites scraped and polished, all without anesthesia! Dogs who have serious dental problems or who are the snarly type are not candidates for this service, Dr. Powers stresses. Rosie sits quietly and lets the tech do the job, then lands a "Good dog!" or "Sweet dog!" on her chart. I'm so proud of her. I purchased some doggie toothpaste, salmon-flavored, and a little kid's super soft toothbrush for continued dental care at home. The importance of dog tooth care is right up there with keeping our own teeth healthy. While I was dropping Rosie off, I visited with the other dogs coming for a cleaning: Sterling, a 7-year-old black Lab therapy dog who planted a big wet kiss on my face and whose tail thumped hard against the floor whenever I said his name; Emmie, a shy and dainty 9-year-old Sheltie who stared me down and finally let me pet her; and Rooney, a wiry terrier mix who was only too happy to introduce himself to me. He practically jumped in my lap. What fun! And while I was there, Sterling's owner, Kathy, bought my book, My Name is Rosie, and felt especially pleased because she got to meet Rosie! Anyone can purchase Rosie's book online at www.mynameisrosie.com. I told Kathy to read this blog and she'd find herself and Sterling in it. I had to pull myself away from the dogs to get to a yoga class. On my way there, I passed an outdoor cafe in Shell Beach where a man and woman were seated with two dogs - a big black Newfoundland and a Corgi! Of course I had to stop and introduce myself to the Corgi, another Pembroke Welsh Corgi like Rosie. I asked his name and Karen, his owner, told me "Jones." Interesting origin, that name. Karen's husband's family is Welsh and many are Joneses! So it seemed fitting. What a love, that Jones. He sat and smiled at me and let me pet his head - the kind of pet where you cup the dog's face in your hands and push the ears back - that kind of pet. He loved it. If I stopped to pet Raider, the Newf, Jones would let out a little woof as if to say, "Hey, you were petting me!" I can't tell you how much I love running into dogs, learning their names, and talking with their people about them.  

Mondays with Evelyn

Every Monday Rosie and I visit my 95-year-old friend Evelyn. Evelyn and I sit together in her neat little house where she still lives independently and sip tea and chat while Rosie sits patiently, sometimes impatiently, at her feet waiting to play ball. I can't say enough about this incredible woman. She's tall and slender with impeccable posture and can bend over and pick up a tennis ball as easily as I can and I'm many years her junior. Her mind is sharp and she remembers everything. Once the tea and biscotti are consumed, Evelyn invites Rosie to play ball by throwing it across the room. Rosie jumps happily at the invitation and brings the ball back. She drops it at Evelyn's feet. Sometimes it rolls under the chair so that Evelyn can't reach it. Rosie scoots under the chair, grabs the ball, and drops it again at Evelyn's feet. Evelyn throws it and the two of them go on like this for about ten throws, bringing much joy to both of them. 

Rosie has come to expect this weekly visit and carries on excitedly when I say, "Let's go see Evelyn." If I couldn't drive and Rosie could, she'd know exactly how to get there!  

Pushups!

You've got to see this! Rosie exercising with John. Tess captured it on video. That dog! She's such a good sport. Something you need to know is that John tucked Rosie's frisbee under his shirt hoping that would keep her on his back as he did his pushups. An extra twenty pounds makes a better workout! 

Bath time!

Because Rosie has short Corgi legs and is low to the ground, she needs a bath on a fairly regular basis! Lucky for John and me, Tess loves to bathe her. The love is not returned by Rosie. She tolerates but does not enjoy a bath at all. As soon as we say, "bath time," her ears go back and she skulks around hoping we'll change our minds. But Tess entices her with kibble and plops her in the deep utility sink in the garage, too deep for Rosie to ever jump out. The entire bath process takes about an hour from beginning to end, including the drying and brushing after the bath. There's nothing more pathetic than a little dog doused with suds wanting to be done with it. And nothing cuter than two Corgis in a sink having a bath together! The last time Rudy, Rosie's brother, was here visiting us, Tess squeezed the two dogs into the sink and bathed them together. Double cute. 

Another Corgi book signing

Rosie and I had another book signing of My Name is Rosie: Snippets of a Corgi's Everyday Life in Her Own Words on Saturday at Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay, California. Lucky for us, the sun came out after five days of fierce Pacific storms. Main Street in Morro Bay hosts a farmers' market on Saturdays, so between that and the sunny day, lots of people were out and about. I signed 17 books, which the owner said was very good for a post-holiday signing. I was happy. I met lots of wonderful people and heard enthusiastic responses to My Name is Rosie. 

Rosie is a special Corgi. She sat patiently by my signing table for three hours - it was impossible to miss her. When people slowed to pet her, we'd talk and I'd tell them about the book. One customer, a man whose Massachusetts accent I recognized immediately, came back to my table later (after buying the book) to share with me his hopes of writing a book about Maxie, a cat he rescued as a kitten who then lived almost 20 years with the Boston Fire Department where the man worked. I wish I could remember the man's name. I hope he gets in touch with Rosie and me when he writes that book! Photo by Dennis Young. Check out his gallery at www.DennisEamonYoungPhoto.com. 

Sent a Corgi book to the Queen!

Today I sent My Name is Rosie to the Queen of England, the world's most famous Corgi lover. Presently she has five Corgis whose names are Emma, Linnet, Monty, Willow and Holly. I signed the book to those sweet dogs from Rosie and me. I know it's a long shot, but I fervently hope her royal secretary, whose name is The Right Honorable Christopher Geidt, will present the book to the Queen. It is my gift to her, one Corgi lover to another. I let Rosie give the package a good sniff before I mailed it - $33! in postage. Should arrive by next Tuesday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my little Corgi book will be seen by Her Majesty.  

My First Post

This is my first post. Isn't this fun! Thanks to Brian this is all happening.

Here's a 2-year-old picture of Tess and Rosie in the Sierras. What a sport that dog is! She rode around in that bike basket and actually enjoyed it.