Day: October 21, 2013

Every likes to say three-legged dogs and cats do well, and I think this is so, but it is wrenching to see how hard this is for Minnie, how much she is struggling for her balance, how vulnerable she is. I am never entirely sure it is proper to allow an animal to suffer so much because we can’t bear to see them go. It has been almost three weeks since some animal damaged Minnie’s left rear leg so badly it had to be amputated or she would have had to be put down.  Maria is so lucky to have Maria as a caretaker, Maria is attentive and loving to Minnie, and it reminds me of the time I spent with Simon, you can see the healing powers of love on an animal. Minnie is going to be inside the house for the rest of the week at least, she is not yet able to maneuver easily or jump up.

In the daytime Minnie roams the house, sitting in my study, looking for patches of sun.  Lenore loves to visit with her and sit with her, Red seems not to notice she exists. Minnie tries to get up on things, but can’t. In the evenings, we sit with her on our laps, she loves to cuddle and she talks a lot, she has a lot to say. Minnie’s stump is healing very well, she looks alert and healthy, she is eating well and heartily. This morning, I brought Frieda in to be face-to-face with Minnie for the first time, you can see for yourself what happened. Twice a day we take Minnie outside to sit in her rocking chair next to Flo, who has little to do with her, as always. Flo is not one of those sweet cats, she is a thug.

The vet says Minnie’s remaining leg will move a big more towards the middle of her body to give her balance, she doesn’t have a lot now. She looks longingly out of the window, eager to get back to her barn. Soon I hope.

I shot a video this morning of Minnie talking, trying to walk, sitting in her rocking chair, coolly meeting Frieda. Simon brayed for good measure, come and see Minnie on the path to recovery.

On the edge of the Tulsa downtown is a chilling park, empty and surrounded by open spaces, a ball park and empty lots. I never heard of the Tulsa Race Riot until Friday, it occurred in 1921 are is consider by many historians to be the worst incident of racial violence in American history. Greenwood, just outside the central business district in Tulsa, was called the “black Wall Street” at the time, it was one of the most prosperous and successful black middle-class communities in the world.

The riots began after a young black man was accused of assaulting a white female elevator operator, that night and through the next morning thousands of whites, including the KKK, police officers and members of the state militia, descended on Greenwood, invaded people’s homes, gunned down blacks in the streets,  killed hundreds of people and set fire and looted the entire neighborhood. There was almost nothing left of Greenwood, and today there is just a tiny black of brick storefronts (efforts to rebuild were demolished in an urban renewal project). The park is eerily quiet and I was surprised that I had never heard of the Tulsa riots, this lonely and haunting park is an effort by the city to heal the wounds of that awful massacre, which continue to this day. A few years ago, the aging survivors of the riots filed suit against the city and state seeking damages, but the state courts refused to permit the lawsuits to go forward, citing the statute of limitations.

The park feels like a holocaust memorial, it is meant to be a healing place, and I suppose in many ways, it is. I thought I should share this story, the park is standing on the ashes of what was once the heard of one of the most vital black communities in America.

I wanted to share with you a lot of good news about “Second Chance Dog: A Love Story.” This Sunday, Parade Magazine published a short piece by me about the story of Maria, Frieda and me, and I see that Parade has a lot of readers. I am flooded with messages and the book has shot up to the top of many online bestseller lists, all this a little less than a month before publication. The advance reviews in Kirkus and on Amazon are very generous.

The Parade article is bringing new people to this website, and I welcome you and remind you that if you like my Facebook page, you will receive my blog daily in your newsfeed. You are also welcome to visit my new subscriptions page, the blog is my new book, my living memoir. The blog is free to anyone who can’t or doesn’t wish to pay for it, but I have begun a subscription program to get paid for my work, and I thank those many people who have subscribed. There are several easy and very inexpensive ways to subscribe, and subscriptions can be canceled at any time.

We are planning a barn-burner of a book tour – readings, visits to bookstores, blog and Facebook discussions. I am giving away a lot of stuff in keeping with the new spirit of publishing to draw attention to the book – publicity is harder to come by these days as so many newspapers and magazines have stopped reviewing books and most talk shows prefer movie and TV stars to writers.

So I’m planning a Bedlam style campaign for “Second Chance Dog.”

First I will be launching a contest on Facebook, giving away books to people who like my Facebook Frieda campaign. Then I am giving away 50 additional copies of the book to people who post on the “Second Chance” topics that will be running all through November – daily discussions love, dogs, dog training, creative aging, a meaningful life, the themes of the book. I will be recording podcasts about the book and also offering videos of Frieda in her new life.

In addition, Battenkill Books, my local bookstore, is giving away 100 vouchers for free bags of Fromm Family Dog Food. You can call the store at 518 677-2515 or buy the book on their website

Battenkill takes Paypal and they ship anywhere in the world. Maria and I will sign and personalize any books bought through Battenkill, a great independent bookstore. You can also buy the book at these outlets. As many of you know, “Second Chance Dog” is the story my relationship with Maria and of the way in which Frieda became such a central part of our search for love. Frieda is a wonderful dog, the kind of dog I have avoided my whole life, and loving her and training her has opened many windows in my life. The theme of this book is don’t ever quite on love, not at any age.

So there is a lot happening with this book, weeks before the publication date, which is November 12. Please come to this party, I think it will be a joyous ride. And thank you so much for supporting my work.