SPECIAL BOOK GIVEAWAY! One lucky commenter will win an ARC of Hank's upcoming book, The Wrong Girl.
ROSEMARY HARRIS: Not petting parties (if anyone's old enough to remember that expression!) Pet Parties.
Happy Anniversary, Max. Nine years ago this week my husband and I fell in love. Not with each other - with a sloppy, two year old red golden retriever named Max.
We had lost our beloved Patrick four months earlier and didn't think we'd have room in our hearts for another dog so soon. But I got the itch and contacted Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue in Hudson Massachusetts.
After an interview process that I imagine could only be rivaled by the adoption of a child from the Ukraine (including providing personal references and submitting to a home visit) we were deemed suitable.
It was determined there were two candidates. The first was a skinny golden mix. Very energetic. Very nice. Next.
The second dog bounded away from his handler and delivered sloppy kisses all over my face. It was love at first slobber. Particularly since Patrick, another rescue dog, had been a little standoffish.
Max was two and his previous owner was, we were told, a young woman who could no longer take care of him. I'm not surprised. I wouldn't recommend a two year old golden to anyone with a full-time job. Not because they're so demanding - you will want to spend hours a day playing, canoodling, retrieving your own socks and dish towels from your pet's hiding places and simply snuggling in the big brown chair with your furry friend.
So nine years later, we will make Max an anniversary hamburger (maybe a rawhide candle) to celebrate the day he joined our family.Fess up - have you ever celebrated a pet's birthday? Anniversary? Summer haircut?
Share your pet's homecoming or party story.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Pets. Pets. My dear cats Lola and Leon, RIP, were both fabulous, hilarious, and lived together for 14 years without acknowledging each other's existence. Now, we don't have pets, there's no way in the universe we'd be able to take care of anyone, we can barely handle ourselves.
But! We do have an animal anniversary--every year, on March 14,--amazingly, almost exactly on March 14th--the ducks come back to our pool. I know the date because I was looking for a picture of them, and discovered two year's worth--each first one taken on March 14. How do they KNOW?
We love them so much--and we feed them. But they are fine without us. And that works out well.
LUCY BURDETTE: Oh happy birthday Max! Love the story Ro:). I don't really have a pet party story, but how about an adoption story? We adopted a dog too, and after that, another, who is my devoted Tonka.
But the first Australian Shepherd in our life was named Poco--his family gave him up when he was eight because their son was leaving for college and they wanted to travel. Can you imagine? I really can't. And neither could the Aussie rescue lady--she was horrified, and so happy to find him a good home. And he opened our hearts so we were ready for Tonka six years later, who was much younger and livelier. He's still a handful but I wouldn't trade either of those dogs for all the trips in the world. RHYS: Alas we have no pets. We are never in one place long enough. But Jane's dog Sunny does come to visit quite often and is thoroughly spoiled when she's with us--we'll have her for 2 weeks when Jane goes to England next week. And she does get her own stocking at Christmas from me, so I guess I'm a pet softie.
HALLIE EPHRON: Pet parties? No. Never. But I don't think it's at all weird, and if you want to invite me to yours, I'll even wear a party hat.ROSEMARY: I might have a party just to see Hallie in the hat....
Well, here's the perfect present for your doggie if there is a party in his future - the 2014 Yankee Golden Retriever Calendar. It's a terrific organization and we thank them every day for Max! http://www.ygrr.org
Oh...and those bitchin' tank tops - well by popular demand EVERYONE wants to see Jack in one - so he gets one, and since the Reds are nothing if not generous Shizuka and Denise Ann also win. Please send your street addresses to me at rosemary@rosemaryharris.com Shirts will ship on Aug. 27.
