Poetry Friday: Rug Hug

August 3, 2018 by Sally

Some weeks it takes me ages to come up with a Poetry Friday post. Other times it’s easy. This week was one of those.

Last Friday, as I read and commented on fellow Poetry Friday-er Kimberley Hutmacher‘s poem about her granddaughter’s Blanket Buddy (you can read her poem here), the opening line of my own rhyme about my own blanket came to me. See, although I am maybe too old (what? never!) to carry a blanky around me, I DO have a ruggy, which I make good use of cold days to snuggle on my recliner. So, I just had to write about it. Then, as I wondered how to get a good photo of my rug to go with my words, I remembered that only a week before I had snapped a photo of Murphpup who, very naughtily, had borrowed my rug for a hug of his own. Perfect!

Here’s the result.

The guilty look on his face is because he was caught – but how could I growl at a (slightly scruffy but nevertheless cute) face like that? And its is very wintry here at the moment.

This week’s Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by Mary-Lee at A Year of Reading. I’m snuggled up under my rug, ready to explore lots of poetic goodness.

Five Minute Promo: Day 20

July 20, 2016 by Sally

Phew. This is my twentieth post for the month about quick promotional tasks you can complete to get word of your book out to the wider world. If you’ve just joined me, feel free to scroll back through the other nineteen posts (and extra posts in between).

Not THAT kind of layout.

What possessed me to undertake a month of daily posts about promotion? My new book, Sage Cookson’s Sweet Escape, which came out on July 1, leading me to wonder what things I could do to promote the book that weren’t so time-consuming that I didn’t have time to work on the fourth book in the series (which has now winged its way off to the publisher), work on my Doctoral project, travel to two conferences, and myriad other things.

So, over to today’s task.

Five Minute Promo #20

Write a blog post about design and layout. What you focus on will depend on your particular book and your unique knowledge. I’ve chosen, for example, to focus on the cover design and, more broadly, on the role other people played in my finished book. You might talk about how illustrations and text are placed, or which font was used, or why the index is in a different font than the rest of your book, or anything else you can think of.

Remember, it’s a quick post – though of course you can take as long as you like. Clock’s ticking, so off you go, and I’ll see back here tomorrow. In the meantime, leave me a comment, if you have time, and let me know how you’re getting on with all this promo.

A Tale of Three Dogs

October 3, 2014 by Sally

Meg Aug 14 There is a Murphdog sized hole in our house and our hearts. Meg (Murphdog) was with us for more than 15 years, joining us as a frightened puppy and growing into a gentle, loving, loyal companion to the whole family. She played with the children, protected them from snakes and strangers, and kept us all company. In the time we had her she had other companions – for a year or so, sausage do Pooch, who was killed by a snake, for a few months Eddie, an exuberant kelpie cross who we looked after till he found a home, and for the last couple of years Jonah (Murphpup), a maltese-shitzu who she grew to tolerate, maybe even love.

Not everyone loved Meg. With Jack Russel in her, she loved to bark at snakes, lizards, and people walking by. This is not always fun for neighbours. She also had an aversion to men with boots and/or ladders – we suspect a particular workman had kicked her when she was young – and so would snarl ferociously at visiting men.

But we loved Meg, and everyone who got to know her seemed to, too. She was gentle with the puppies she had, loving to her people and, in her later years, really didn’t cope with being apart from us (which is how Murphpup came to be added to the mix). She was a family member, and a big part of our lives.

Jonah needs extra cuddles.

Her death wasn’t sudden, and was seemingly peaceful, and that’s a blessing. We are also blessed with many memories and, of course,her friend Murphpup, who is adjusting to life as an only dog.

Quite by chance, this week we have had a second dog in the house, keeping Murphpup company. My daughter is off on a walking holiday, and has entrusted us with her little pooch for the week. Did I say little? Hmm. Murphhound (his name is Sos) is a rescued greyhound, and the biggest greyhound I have ever seen.

Sos Sep 14 I had always thought greyhounds were a beautiful looking dog, but I really didn’t realise how very placid they are. Sos doesn’t bark, or yap or whine, and is happy to lie on his bed – or outside in the sun – for much of the day. But when we go out, he greets us on our return with an enthusiastic trot to the door or gate, and a very exuberant wag of his very large tail.

The Murphlets have been walking the two dogs each day – the tiny white dog and the huge black dog – and I’m guessing have provided a bit of amusement to onlookers. Apart from this, I can’t say that they’re best friends, but they seem to tolerate each other. Murphpup has no fear of the hound – but Murphhound does look a bit nervous when the little yappy one is being vocal.

In a few days Murphhound will be gone and Murphpup will once again need to adapt to life as an only dog., and Meg’s absence will probably become more noticeable as we adapt to the new normal. Still, I’m counting my blessings. Aren’t I lucky to have had her in my life for fifteen years – and to have other dogs in my life still?