...where every woman over 50 is TOP DOG!

Friday, January 28, 2011

WOOF: Dog Tails - You Call That A Watchdog??



WOOF kicks off our series, Dog Tails with one of our favorite WOOFers, Shelly Murphy.

“You call that a watchdog?” Our neighbor out walking his Doberman teased, when he saw my new Peekapoo puppy. The tiny white ball of fluff was a Christmas surprise from my husband that morning.

Bridget was a sweetie and everyone loved her. I recall only one mean thing she ever did: as a puppy she chewed up our daughter Laurie’s new stuffed kitten made of rabbit fur. She was a good house pet since she minded well and was easy to train. She loved to be groomed with colorful bows over each ear. Though Bridget accepted our friends, a ringing doorbell or stranger would send her into a barking frenzy.

Years later, two weeks before Laurie was to receive her master’s degree from Vanderbilt, she drove to Oxford, Mississippi, where we lived to attend her great aunt’s funeral. When she was about to leave she asked, “Can I take Bridget back to Nashville with me? Y’all can pick her up when you come for graduation.” Laurie and Holly lived in one of three apartments in an old house near campus. Since she was adamant, I let her take the dog.

Four days later the phone rang at the crack of dawn. Near tears, Laurie said, “Mom, I’m o.k. Bridget saved my life. Last night Holly was at a friend’s house and I was sleeping when Bridget woke me up growling and barking. Through my doorway I saw a man’s silhouette in our kitchen! When I screamed, he ran back through Holly’s bedroom and climbed out her window.” Cold chills ran down my spine.

The police came with dogs, convinced it was a rapist when they found Holly’s nightgown tied in knots. Since the invader left his windbreaker, the dogs traced his scent over and down several blocks to a vacant house where some men who were in prison once lived. According to the police, within the past couple of years two older women had been raped and murdered in that area. To our knowledge they never caught the culprit.

Bridget sat on my lap all the way back home. With tears in my eyes, I thanked God again for using this little creature to save our daughter’s life. Hugging her tightly, I whispered in her ear, “You’re the best watchdog anyone ever had—and the reason you’ll forever be our favorite dog.”

Shelly Murphy is a WOOFer, writer, master gardener, member of the Carrollton Creative Writers Club and one of the funniest storytellers we know!


For more Great Dog Tails, BUY WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty!


Submission guidelines for:
"Dog Tails:
Stories About Women & Their Best Tail-Wagging Friends”

How to tell your story:
Whether your special canine buddy is still with you or not, we’re looking for nonfiction stories told in first person with action, dialogue and an emotional pivotal ending. Make readers laugh, cry, get chills!

How not to tell your story:
Stories should not be political in nature or preachy. We want original, unpublished stories that are 400 words or less.

How to submit your story:
A Word document e-mailed to GreatDames@WoofersClub.com
(Remember to save a copy for yourself!)

How to submit your picture:

Jpeg or Gif submitted to GreatDames@WoofersClub.com

Monday, January 24, 2011

WOOF: Media Monday - To Kill A Mockingbird - Award-winning Documentary


Reading To Kill a Mockingbird is something millions of us have in common. In a documentary and accompanying book, Mary McDonagh Murphy explores the novel’s power, influence and popularity. With reflections from Anna Quindlen, Tom Brokaw, James McBride, James Patterson, Wally Lamb, Oprah Winfrey and more, the documentary and the book chronicle the many ways the novel has shaped lives and careers. Harper

Lee has not given an interview since 1964, but Murphy’s reporting, research and rare interviews with the author’s sister and friends add new details and photos to the remarkable story of an astonishing phenomenon. Read the Book: Scout, Atticus & Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird or see the documentary film Hey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill a Mockingbird.

We were fortunate to meet Mary Murphy at the Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend, in Jefferson, TX, and had the privilege of viewing her award-winning documentary.

Please check out Mary Murphy's website to preview the documentary and get pre-order information.


You can also buy Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A celebration of Fifty Years of 'To Kill A Mockingbird' on Amazon

And, don't forget about WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty! Buy on Amazon

Friday, January 21, 2011

WOOF Digs Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend!

Diana & Mary with Mary Yetta!

A howl a minute!

Pawsitively tail-wagging!

The doggonedest thing ever!

11th Annual Tiara-Wearing



Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend.

Boas. Books. Beauty.

Everywhere you looked!



So who in the world thought up this wild adventure in sisterhood & literature?
Kathy Louise Patrick.

Kathy in one of her many fabulous hats!


Diana & Mary with Fannie Flagg!



Mary & Diana on a fun panel!




Carrollton Pulpwood Queen Book Club

went home with the Best Table Award

thanks to the design efforts of Ginger Bailey(far right)




















Thanks to all the Pulpwood Queens for sharing their pictures!




WOOF co-authors

Diana Black & Mary Cunningham

at Girlfriend Weekend!

Jefferson TX, Jan 13-16th.












WOOF necklace on black multi-cord chain was donated to the
Dolly Parton Imagination Library silent auction. JoAnne Efeney won it with the highest bid! We so appreciate her bidding on the necklace...and enjoying our book!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

WOOF: WOOP- WOOP Wednesday: Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder



Recently, I was diagnosed with AAADD - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.

My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the cup of coffee I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the coffee aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The coffee is getting cold, and I decide to make another cup.

As I head toward the kitchen with the cold coffee, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye-they need water.

I put the coffee on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

The car isn't washed

The bills aren't paid

There is a cold cup of coffee sitting on the counter

The flowers don't have enough water

There is still only 1 check in my check book

I can't find the remote

I can't find my glasses

And I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail....

For help with this very serious disorder, we recommend a good howl. WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Follow WOOF on Facebook during 11th Annual Girlfriend Weekend!



WOOF co-authors
Diana Black
&
Mary Cunningham
at Girlfriend Weekend!


The event took place in
Jefferson TX, Jan 13-16th.

Diana & Mary signed books
and took part in author panel discussions with the likes of Pat Conroy, Mark Childress, Cathie Beck and Fannie Flagg!







WOOF necklace on black multi-cord chain was donated to the
Dolly Parton Imagination Library silent auction. JoAnne Efeney won it with the highest bid! We so appreciate her bidding on the necklace...and enjoying our book!

Friday, January 7, 2011

WOOF: Furry Friends Friday - Chicken Thieves and Dogs



When I saw this picture on LOLDogs I couldn't help but think back to my Basset hound, Wilbur who once snatched a chicken quarter off the cabinet, then stood at the back door wagging his tail, waiting to be let outside.

You see, he knew better than to eat in the house. Guess it never occured to him that chicken thievery was a no-no, too.


For more stories about Wilbur and other special WOOFers, read:


WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty!

And, don't forget to submit your favorite DOG TAILS! (click for details)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

WOOF: Woop-Woop Wednesday: Dance Like It's 1896

This beautiful dance was filmed in France in 1896. Hand-colored magic.
At the Modern Museum in NYC.

WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty!

Monday, January 3, 2011

WOOF: Those Doggone Resolutions!



1. I will read LARGE PRINT books in public.

2. I will eat a mid-day snack so that I can hold off dinner until 4.45 PM.

3. I will stop telling everyone I'm shopping for much older sister on senior discount days.

4. I will clean out all the AARP literature under the shrub next to the mailbox.

5. I will donate my high school mini skirt to a worthy cause...

6. .... YOUR TURN!!!