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

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy WOOFer Thanksgiving!


Photo courtesy of Wag Reflex

Happy Thanksgiving from the WOOFers!

And remember to keep some money from Black Friday to spend at your local stores during
Small Business Saturday!



Friday, November 18, 2011

WOOF: Furry Friends Friday - NOV is Adopt A Senior Dog Month!

WOOF & the ASPCA presents 10 reasons to adopt a senior dog!

1. What You See Is What You Get

Older dogs are open books—from the start, you’ll know important things like their full-grown size, personality and grooming requirements. All this information makes it easier to pick the right dog and forge that instant love connection that will last a lifetime. If you’re not so into surprises, an older dog is for you!

2. Easy to Train

Think you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Hogwash! Older dogs are great at focusing on you—and on the task at hand—because they’re calmer than youngsters. Plus, all those years of experience reading humans can help them quickly figure out how to do what you’re asking.

3. Seniors are Super-Loving

One of the cool parts of our job is reading stories from people just like you who have opted to adopt. The emails we get from pet parents with senior dogs seem to all contain beautiful, heartfelt descriptions of the love these dogs give you—and those of you who adopted dogs already in their golden years told us how devoted and grateful they are. It's an instant bond that cannot be topped!

4. They’re Not a 24-7 Job

Grownup dogs don’t require the constant monitoring puppies do, leaving you with more freedom to do your own thing. If you have young children, or just value your “me time,” this is definitely a bonus.

5. They Settle in Quickly

Older dogs have been around the block and already learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack. They’ll be part of the family in no time!

6. Fewer Messes

Your floors, shoes and furniture will thank you for adopting a senior pooch! Older dogs are likely to already be housetrained—and even if they’re not, they have the physical and mental abilities to pick it up really fast (unlike puppies). With their teething years far behind them, seniors also are much less likely to be destructive chewers.

7. You Won’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

There are those who yearn for a doggie friend of their own, but hold back because they worry what might happen in their lives in the years to come. And they are wise to do so—a puppy or young dog can be anywhere from an 8- to 20-year responsibility, which is not appropriate for the very elderly or those with certain long-term future plans. Providing a loving home for a dog in her golden years is not a less serious commitment, but it can be a shorter one.

8. They Enjoy Easy Livin’

Couch potato, know thyself! Please consider a canine retiree rather than a high-energy young dog who will run you ragged. Not that older dogs don’t require any exercise—they do—but they’re not going to need, or want, to run a marathon every day.

9. Save a Life, Be a Hero

At shelters, older dogs are often the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized. Saving an animal’s life offers an unparalleled emotional return on your investment, and you’ll feel the rewards every day you spend together.

10. They’re CUTE!

Need we say more?
ASPCA Website
The Senior Dog Project
1 Lucky Dog Rescue
2nd Chance Animal Shelter


WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty!


 

Friday, November 11, 2011

WOOF Honors Women Veterans

WOOF wishes to thank those brave women who have served this amazing country. 


Our History is Our Strength video from the Center for Women Veterans pays tribute to the millions of women who helped create a better world for the times in which they lived as well as for future generations.  Knowing the challenges these women faced, grappled with, and overcame can be an enormous source of strength to all of us.  The stories of women Veterans’ achievements are integral to the fabric of our history.  Learning about their tenacity, courage, and creativity throughout the centuries is a tremendous source of strength. Knowing women Veterans’ stories provides essential role models for everyone.  And role models are genuinely needed to fact the extraordinary changes and unrelenting challenges of the 21st century.  This celebration, designated by Joint Resolutions of the House and Senate and Proclamations by the American Presidents, is an opportunity to honor and celebrate women’s historic achievements. Click here to view video.



WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty!

Monday, November 7, 2011

WOOF: Media Monday - Interview with Louise Gaylord


WOOF is thrilled to welcome Louise Gaylord, an acclaimed national award-winning author who established herself with her very first book, a suspenseful murder mystery centering around a young, sharp female Assistant District Attorney. This was the cornerstone of what has become her popular Allie Armington mystery series, the idea for it sparked when Louise herself spent three months on a grand jury panel.

The series has grown to four novels, with stories ranging from the Southwest (Anacacho and Spa Deadly) to New York (Xs), to the most recent (Dark Lake) featuring her beloved Adirondacks. Her next Allie Armington mystery will be set on a cruise ship.

Her first Allie Armington Mystery, Anacacho, won the 2003 National Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Mystery/Suspense sponsored by Publisher’s Marketing Association in Los Angeles. The San Francisco Book Festival awarded Louise with best audio book in 2010 for Spa Deadly. And most recently Recipes from Camp Trillium won the Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards, in which Julia Fairchild and Spa Deadly were also finalists.

A world traveler, Louise divides her time between her homes in Houston; Santa Barbara, California; and Old Forge, New York in the Adirondacks.


Read an interview by Dark Lake author, Louise Gaylord:

How did you create Allie’s character?

LG: I served on a grand jury panel in Houston and the Assistant District Attorney was so lazy. I decided that a woman could do a much better job. Your mystery novels have brought us to the Southwest (Anacacho and Spa Deadly) to New York (Xs) and now with Dark Lake to the Adirondack Mountains, where you also spend a lot of time at your camp.

Why is the area so special to you?

LG: The first time I came up here I hated it. My husband’s brother said we were going to the club. A club to me meant a place for a dress and heels. They took us out to a camp with no electricity or running water for five days. It was quite a shock and I didn’t want to come back. But then I came back again and again and again, for over 40 years. It became my heart’s home. As a successful, award-winning mystery writer, you stepped out of the genre to work on a few other books, including Recipes from Camp Trillium.

What’s your favorite dish to stir up in the kitchen?

LG: Grandma Betsy’s Chicken. My mother put Lawry’s seasoning and Worchester sauce on everything. This made a nice, simple one-dish meal to serve all. To make it, you just need chicken, Worcestershire sauce and Lawry’s® Seasoned Salt. Then add any vegetable of your choice. Cut up potatoes, mushrooms, onions or red bell peppers, carrots, almost anything except greens. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Quarter the chicken or cut it into single-serving pieces. Place the chicken skin side up in an aluminum foil-lined pan. Throw the vegetables all around it. Douse it with Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake that for 25 to 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Now it might be impossible, but if you had to choose one place from everywhere you have traveled or lived, where is the best food? Answer: I love Paris and I also really love Venice, but those are so obvious. You can’t beat Santa Barbara. They have many different kinds of fine restaurants – and lots of Italian. You studied art history in college after your grade-school teachers encouraged you to do something with your painting skills.

How has painting helped you write?

LG: I’m a very visual person. So I can imagine a scene as if I’m painting it and portray that in words on page. A lot of people who write also paint. I noticed though that I never had a problem dropping the paintbrush to go play tennis or golf. But once I start writing I can’t leave. Your mystery novels are known for having very unexpected twists and surprise endings.

How do you keep readers on their toes?

LG: I don’t outline so sometimes I even surprise myself! I really write to amuse myself. One of my writing instructors said I should have fun when writing. I have a friend who writes a chapter here and then a chapter there. I can’t do that. I write in a linear fashion. There is a fifth Allie Armington mystery in the works. Can you give us a sneak peek as to what we might find? Answer: Another murder! My husband and I took several cruises together, and I recently took my whole family on a cruise. It was so much fun, so I thought, “Why not? It’s still fresh in my mind.” This next book will be set on a cruise ship leaving Venice and going to Rome.



And, don't forget to buy your copy of

WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty!