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The puppies were born on August 28th,
2001, two weeks before September 11th. Of course I was proud of them
and visited the barn almost daily to talk to Ruby, our chocolate lab, and to
cuddle her brood of satiny black puppies.
But
after September 11th, the puppies became more than just seven little
squirming bundles sent to entertain us. They represented life and peace and
safety: all the things I felt had been torn from our country in a senseless act
of violence. Many days I escaped the harrowing news accounts by wandering down
to the barn to visit the litter of puppies.
Even
minor details about the puppies still stand out in vivid relief. When the
puppies were born, their little faces were squished in to the point that they
didn’t even look like Labrador retrievers. Their tiny ears were soft as velvet,
and when held close, they would snuffle softly until going to sleep in my arms.
When
nursing, survival of the fittest ruled. Of course, I kept a wary eye out for
the runt, positioning her so that she got her fair share of milk. As their
stomachs grew full, they would curl into a ball, snuggle together, or simply
roll away from Ruby, so satiated they didn’t even know they were in the world.
Little pink tongues stuck out between tiny pearl teeth as they dozed off to
dream of fields of rabbits and squirrels and quail.
The puppies all thrived on Ruby’s milk
and grew healthy and strong. Many times my children would join me, and we’d
laugh at the puppies’ roly-poly stomachs, their comical attempts to walk, and
Ruby’s quizzical expression as she kept an eye her litter of pups.
As the puppies grew bigger, they began
to explore their world among the hay bales we’d fashioned into a makeshift pen.
We’d call to them, and they’d come running, tumbling over themselves, sending
us into gales of healing laughter.
The puppies even got manicures at one
point. When Ruby wouldn’t let the puppies nurse, I was concerned that she might
have milk fever. But I soon discovered that the puppies were clawing her,
leaving painful welts on her tender underbelly. I tried making little socks out
of the fingers of gloves, but when that didn’t work, I took the fingernail
clippers and gently clipped off the tips of their claws. Ruby, the puppies, and
I, were all much happier after that.
My
family and I spent many hours with those puppies, letting their exuberance and
love of life heal our hearts and souls. For a moment in time, life became
crystal clear. It’s not about the hustle and bustle of the outside world, but
about family, about laughter, about being delighted by the simple gifts life
has to offer.
It’s
about puppies.
Our puppies were a gentle reminder of
what’s good and right in this world, and I’m glad my family experienced that
reminder at a time when we needed it most.
Pam
Hillman was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her
teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her
daddy couldn’t afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so
Pam drove the Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted
to bale hay, she told him she didn’t mind raking. Raking hay doesn’t take much
thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her
head. Now, that’s the kind of life every girl should dream of! Claiming Mariah
is her second novel. Pam loves puppies, kittens, newborn calves, foals, and
babies of all kinds. Almost without fail, she includes at least one or more in her
books. www.pamhillman.com
~
Pam is thrilled to announce the release of her second novel,
Claiming Mariah
Claiming Mariah Amazon link: http://tinyurl.com/apnzl5n
Claiming Mariah B&N link: http://tinyurl.com/ays6fq7
Claiming Mariah CBD link: http://tinyurl.com/bvjx3m7
Claiming Mariah Goodreads link: http://tinyurl.com/d9u2k6j
Claiming Mariah 1st Chapter: http://tinyurl.com/ageh54r
To celebrate, Pam is giving away two eReaders
(choice of Kindle Wi-Fi,
6" Display, or Nook Simple Touch)
Two Winners: One on facebook. One through
Pam’s Newsletter.
Registering both places is not required but
will double your chances of winning. Also keep in mind that you will receive
updates more often being connected on facebook than through the newsletter.
Just sayin’
Contest runs from January 1st until March 31st, 2013.
And....that’s
not all! There will be prizes offered randomly throughout the tour.
(3
Pewter Bookmarks from Deirdre’s Handmade Jewelry PLUS 40% off coupon at
Deirdre’s online store. Click link to register and for coupon code)
PREVIOUS STOP ON TOUR:
March 1st: Audra Harders
NEXT STOP ON TOUR:
March 5th: The Borrowed Book
Aw, what a sweet story. It's amazing how much love doggies have to give. Don't know what I'd do without mine.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it such a sweet story? I loved the pictures of her pups! :) Thanks for stopping by, girl!
DeleteHello Lindsay and Ashley, don't you just love puppies? :)
ReplyDeleteThe Chocolate Lab in the pics was dear old Ruby. We lost Ruby a couple of years ago, and you could see in that pic that she was getting on up in years. I have some pictures of some of her pups but that was before I got a digital camera, and I would have to dig through thousands of photos to find them!
The puppy pictures that are included are pups that were born this past year to Dakota, our black mouth cur. They were her first litter, and they were cute, fat, and cuddly. She really surprised me and ended up being a great mother. The cute cream-colored pup went to live with my sister-in-law on December 26th and was dubbed Holly in honor of the Christmas season.
I'm pretty certain Holly is spoiled rotten by now...
I love the name Holly! What a cute idea! Don't you just love finding other dog people? There's nothing like the true friendship a dog offers. :)
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