Dear Friends, I hope you are having a good week! I wanted to pop in with some fun dachshund memes. These are pictures I found and shared on the Doxieposse Pals page on Facebook. I like to help my Momma there - she says she could not do it without me! I hope you enjoy these funnies.
A dachshund imitates a meerkat that he sees on television.
I love bedtime, so I am not sure about this one!
These dachshunds don't like to walk in the rain. I am fine in the rain as long as there is NO THUNDER! I do make rainy day walks super, super quick though!
Not a meme, but a cute picture of a dachshund shopping with his own little shopping cart.
I am grateful I don't live in a snowy climate because I do agree with this math! I don't like snow.
This dog definitely means business!
This dachshund has a diet philosophy.
Words to live by!
I hope you enjoyed these little memes and wish you a wonderful weekend!
My Review Wild, Wild Rake is part of the popular Cavendish Heiresses series. This book tells the story of Lady Avalon Warwyck. She is a widow with a young son She is happy with her independence, including a charity helping fallen women. However, when she meets the new vicar, Devan Farris, sparks fly! I wanted to read Wild, Wild Rake because I read an earlier book in this series and enjoyed it. I love the Regency period, and this book has a prologue set in 1805 but the rest of the book is set right in the Regency period (1815). What a fun and sweet-natured historical romance! Readers are introduced to Lady Avalon when she is still in a very unhappy, abusive marriage. After her husband passes away, she lives on an estate in England with her young son, Thane. She has a strong conviction about helping fallen women recreate their lives with work (i.e. seamstresses). Lady Avalon seems a bit reserved at first, but this is very understandable given the trials of her marriage. The new vicar in town, Devan, is sent to the estate to check up on Avalon and Thane. Devan is the brother of Thane's guardian and he feels a family obligation to help as he can. At first there is some tension between Avalon and Devan, but they slowly become friends (with some real sparks of romance). Avalon believes that Devan is a rake, looking for an heiress to marry, and she believes he is not really interested in her. This novel tells the story of their romance. This was a lively read. I enjoyed the format, with little epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter. For instance:
"As you turn the other cheek, just remember that there's no rest for the truly wicked. - Mr. Devan Farris's theme for the Sunday sermon to his pious flock" (p. 67) "When life throws you a surprise, settle in, grab a bottle of wine, and enjoy. - Devan Farris" (p. 123) I really liked both the lead characters. Avalon's dedication working with women in need was very admirable. She even sets up a workroom with a nursery for the women's children on the grounds of her estate. This type of social outreach is fairly unique in historical fiction, especially historical romance. Devan is a really likable character. He's such a good guy, with kindness and support for Avalon and a genuine interest in helping her young son find his way in life. I really was pulling for Avalon and Devan to work through their obstacles so they could find happiness together. Wild, Wild Rake is an enjoyable Regency period historical romance. I recommend it to fans of the genre who like a lively, engaging read with a bit of a social message as well. Book Synopsis
Her first marriage was an epic fail.
Lady Avalon Warwyk never did love her husband. Arrogant, selfish, and
cruel, it’s a blessing when she’s widowed and left to raise her son all
by herself. Finally, Avalon can live freely and do the work she loves:
helping fallen women become businesswomen. She’s lived these past ten
years with no desire to remarry. That is, until Mr. Devan Farris comes to
town. Can he convince her to take another chance at happily ever after? Devan Farris–charming vicar, reputed rake, and the brother of
Avalon’s son’s guardian–is reluctantly sent to town to keep tabs on
Avalon and her son. Devan wishes he didn’t have to meddle in her
affairs; he’s not one to trod on a woman’s independent nature and keen
sense of convictions. But she’ll have nothing to do with a vicar with a
wild reputation–even though he’s never given his heart and body to
another. If only he could find a way to show Avalon who he really is on
the inside–a good, true soul looking for its other half. But how can he
prove that he wants to love and care for her. . .until death do they
part?
Author Bio Janna MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She
is the author of the Cavensham Heiresses series, which begins with The Bad Luck Bride.
Janna credits her darling mom for introducing her to the
happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where
compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their
equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and lives in
Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not
surprisingly, perfect pugs.
Giveaway One lucky reader will win a copy of Wild, Wild Rake. (U.S. only.) Giveaway ends midnight on March 5, 2020. Winner will be contacted by email and needs to respond within 48 hours, or a new name will be drawn. Enter at the Rafflecopter below. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Dear Friends, I've had a busy week here with my usual work and with helping my Momma more than usual as well. I just have a little short post for you today. I found a video of a dachshund and porcupine who are friends! This all happened in England. Diablo is an orphaned baby porcupine, also known as a porcupette. He was taken care of by a Cotswold Wildlife Park zookeeper, who took him home with her. He befriended her dachshund puppy Fig. The goal is to return Diablo to the zoo with the other porcupines. There is a cute short video of Diablo and Fig together:
I loved seeing them play! I hope you do too. I think I would like to meet a friendly porcupine.
My Review Resistance Women is a powerful historical novel about four women in Berlin during the 1930's and 1940's. As they come together in friendship, they also become involved in the Resistance movement against Hitler and the Nazi party. The women are professor and scholar Mildred Harnick, who was originally from Wisconsin but moved to Berlin with her German husband, Greta Kuckoff, a German writer with a complicated personal life, Martha Dodd, the daughter of Ambassador William Dodd, and literature student, Sara Weiss, who is a Jewish woman in these dangerous times. I wanted to read this book because I love historical fiction and have long been fascinated with the World War II era. I previously read (and enjoyed) the nonfiction book In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson, which was about Martha Dodd's family in Berlin 1933 - 1937, so her presence in this book intrigued me. This is a dense, history-rich novel. It begins in 1929 and spans through 1946. The author does a remarkable job of slowly setting the stage for what happens in Germany in the 1930's. Early on I found the book a bit slow moving as it traveled through times leading up to the war. In retrospect, though, I think this background really added so much to the story. By starting in happier times and seeing life before the Nazi party really took hold and before the war, readers gets a unique look at how this tragic period in history unfolded.
The novel is told in alternating chapters by the four women. I made the mistake of looking up their names before reading the book, so I knew the stories of the real life women. I would not recommend doing this! Sara is the only one of the Resistance women who was fictional, and I have to say that I was most interested in her story. It was heartbreaking and often suspenseful reading how her life changed as a Jewish woman in Berlin in the 1930's, from a graduate student and daughter of a wealthy banker to someone forced to wear the Star of David and make due with cramped accomodations and scant food. The glamorous Ambassador's daughter, Martha Dodd, adds some interesting moments in the story, including a forbidden romance with a Russian man and a horrifying arranged date with Hitler! Mildred's story is compelling because we see the events of Germany from the eyes of an American woman living overseas, teaching American literature in Germany. Although she had many opportunites to return home to America, she was loyal to her husband and committed to the Resistance cause. Greta was the most enigmatic of the characters to me. She was a student, a writer, and much of her life was absorbed in a complicated relationship with a married man who had been married over time to two sisters. She had a strong friendship with Mildred, and was especially brave with risky Resistance jobs. This is such a powerful, moving book and I found it very engrossing. I read late into the night several evenings and found time here and there during the day to read a little more, just because I really cared about these characters and their story and I really wanted to know what happened. I recommend Resistance Women for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone interested in World War II. This is a beautifully written novel that you will think about long after you finish reading. Book Synopsis One of BookBub’s best historical novels of the year and Oprah magazine’s buzziest books of the month. From the New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker,
an enthralling historical saga that recreates the danger, romance, and
sacrifice of an era and brings to life one courageous, passionate
American—Mildred Fish Harnack—and her circle of women friends who waged a
clandestine battle against Hitler in Nazi Berlin. After Wisconsin graduate student Mildred Fish marries brilliant
German economist Arvid Harnack, she accompanies him to his German
homeland, where a promising future awaits. In the thriving intellectual
culture of 1930s Berlin, the newlyweds create a rich new life filled
with love, friendships, and rewarding work—but the rise of a malevolent
new political faction inexorably changes their fate. As Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party wield violence and lies to seize
power, Mildred, Arvid, and their friends resolve to resist. Mildred
gathers intelligence for her American contacts, including Martha Dodd,
the vivacious and very modern daughter of the US ambassador. Her German
friends, aspiring author Greta Kuckoff and literature student Sara
Weitz, risk their lives to collect information from journalists,
military officers, and officials within the highest levels of the Nazi
regime. For years, Mildred’s network stealthily fights to bring down the
Third Reich from within. But when Nazi radio operatives detect an errant
Russian signal, the Harnack resistance cell is exposed, with fatal
consequences. Inspired by actual events, Resistance Women is an
enthralling, unforgettable story of ordinary people determined to resist
the rise of evil, sacrificing their own lives and liberty to fight
injustice and defend the oppressed.
Author Bio Jennifer Chiaverini is the New York Times bestselling author
of several acclaimed historical novels and the beloved Elm Creek Quilts
series. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University
of Chicago, she lives with her husband and two sons in Madison,
Wisconsin. Find out more about Jennifer at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.
Happy Valentine's Day, dear friends! Today I would love to share a few special vintage Valentines with you. They all feature dachshunds and the theme of LONG or LONGING. My Momma says that most of these cards are 1950's to 1960's vintage. I have 12 cards to share, so without further ado ... A dachshund in a yellow bow says: "I long for you to be mine."
A solid black dachshund says: "Valentine I Long 4 U."
A black and white dachshund says simply "I long." (I bet there is a continued message inside the card.)
A dachshund in a jaunty red cap and red and white sweater says: "Dog gone it! I long to see you."
This cute dachshund carries a rose in her mouth and wears a yellow blanket. "L-O-N-G-I-N-G for a Valentine."
A dachshund in a red sweater with hearts says: "I'm longing for you Valentine."
A pretty dachshund with a blue bow on her tail says: "I've liked you a long time, Valentine!"
This sweet dachshund has a blue bow around her neck. "Hi! For a long long time."
This dachshund has a white heart balloon and a blue collar. "I long to be your Valentine."
A dachshund in a yellow sweater gives a bone to a pretty poodle. "I've got a bone I'm longing to pick with you."
This dachshund wears a green bow. "I'd go a long way for a Valentine like you!"
A Valentine in a red collar stands by some flocked pink and red hearts. "I long for you to be mine!"
I hope you enjoyed these sweet, old timey Valentines and I hope YOU have an extra special day with the people and animals that you love. Love, Abby xoxoxo
