HAYESVILLE NC, BOOK SIGNING AT THE MOUNTAIN VALLEY COUNTRY STORE

The Mountain Valley Country Store, route 69, Hayesville, NC will hold their Christmas Extravaganza on Saturday December 20.

Shirley Uphouse will be signing her book My Dogs My Friends starting around noon.

Glenda Beall will be signing copies of the anthology, Cup of Comfort for Horse Lovers edited by Colleen Sell and published by Adams Media.

This book is filled with stories that celebrate the extraordinary relationship between horse and rider.

Both books make great last minute gifts for animal lovers.

The store has a great selection of items for dogs -- toys, leads, bones and of course, food.

Horse enthusiasts will find jeans, boots, hats, saddles, bridles and grooming tools here.

Saturday, December 20th is the annual Mountain Valley Country Store Christmas Extravaganza! THE EVENT MASTER, Gary St. Pierre, with his all new Christmas Show. The store will be open late with STORE WIDE SAVINGS -- food and refreshments from 4 until 8. Register now for a $500 Shopping Spree to be given away at 7:00 pm. You must be present to win !!!

Shirley and Glenda invite anyone in the Clay and Cherokee area of NC and the folks in north Georgia to come by.

My Dogs, My Friends reviewed by Peg Russell

Shirley and Fanci

Joe, Fanci's pup

In her book, My Dogs, My Friends, Shirley Uphouse writes short chapters about her dogs and their adventures together. Pictures of the dogs illustrate the book.
Often she prefaces a chapter with interesting factual information about the breed. The chapter about Yogi, the Old English Sheepdog, for example, tells us that their nickname, Bobtails, came about because in England, the dogs' tails were bobbed to show they were working dogs and free from taxation. Docking or bobbing of tails is no longer legal in England or much of Europe.
Shirley's humor threads through the stories, as illustrated by her training of Fanci not to dig up her garden. When she found plants flattened with stems broken, she realizes, 'I warned her about digging in the garden. We hadn't discussed rolling in the garden.' Appreciation of each dog's personality, the joy of working with dogs so they achieve recognition, and stories about patient rehabilitation of an abused or neglected dog and its response are entertaining and moving chapters.
Perhaps the most moving chapter was 'Paws Up' which describes Fanci's visit to a nursing home and the response from the residents to the friendly dog. A nurse said, after a woman in the Alzheimer's Unit smiled and reached out to Fanci, that it had been a long time since the woman had acknowledged anything or smiled.
This upbeat book would be a good companion for trips, a cheerful gift for friends in the hospital, and even for younger readers.
Shirley Uphouse teaches writing at Tri County Community College in Murphy, and is active in North Carolina Writers Network West, editing the Lights in the Mountains anthology and organizing and holding two writer's conferences.
This week she held a benefit book signing at the Humane Society Thrift Shop, donating a portion of each sale to the society. Fanci was a special attraction at her table.

Peg Russell writes short stories, articles and essays published in e-zines, newspapers, and magazines. She lives in Murphy, NC

Book Signing at Curiosity Book Shop in Murphy

Saturday, July 26, from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 pm Shirley Uphouse, author of My Friends, My Dogs, will sign her book at Curiosity Book Shop in Murphy, NC.

She is past Program Coordinator for Netwest and is a well-published writer of personal essays and short stories.

Uphouse has trained and exhibited her dogs for over forty years. Some of the breeds have been Beagles, Pomeranians, an Old English Sheepdog and currently two Australian Shepherds. She competed in conformation, obedience and agility. Uphouse has judged AKC shows for twenty years in twenty-five states from east to west coast and in Canada. Her book My Friends, my Dogs, offers many pictures and stories of the dogs of her life. There are also stories of dogs she has rescued. She looks forward to meeting other dog lovers.

First book by Shirley Uphouse, dog show judge and trainer

My Dogs, My Friends written by Shirley Uphouse and published by Lulu Publishing, is now available. She has included in her book, 21 pictures of the many dogs she has lived with from the time she was a baby. Stories include several well-loved mixed breeds both owned and rescued by Shirley. She bred, trained and exhibited her dogs for forty-five years. For the last twenty years she has judged AKC dog shows from the east to the west coast and in Canada. She has judged more than thirty years for the Australian Shepherd Club of America.

Shirley shares some excerpts from the book which include this from the chapter about Molly, One Small Puppy…The air-cargo warehouse at the Atlanta airport was huge and noisy…iron-wheeled carts and the roar of a large machine was heard from somewhere out of sight. I hugged her once more holding her warm body close. With my face buried in her baby fur, I felt her soft tongue on my cheek.
Speaking to the attendant. “She’s just a baby” I said “can’t you put her someplace a little quieter until she goes out to the airplane?”

From Yogi, My Cinderella Dog…How could I let this gallant dog die for the lack of a good grooming? He had lived ten months in a box stable in a barn with no grooming. With mats six to eight inches deep, no one wanted to take him home.

From Tommy…The neighbor told Jim, at the shelter, that Tommy had been beaten with a hoe when he barked. He was the Keeshond that never knew a kind word or a gentle hand, that cringed leaving a wet spot should anyone walk within five feet from him. Tommy’s time at the shelter was up.

From the story when we wanted to check the herding instincts of our young Australian Shepherds…One glorious autumn afternoon we loaded the pups in the van and drove into the mountains in pursuit of the woolies…Suppose they showed no interest in the sheep? Suppose they ran from the flock? Suppose Jack sneered at these worthless show pets? There was no turning back.

Shirley has included several stories of dogs she and her husband rescued and have placed in good homes. Currently she lives with two Australian Shepherds. Books can be ordered from Shirley Uphouse, 316 Ridge Cliff Road, Marble NC 28905, shirl@dnet.net, 828-837-6007. $14.95 includes shipping.

Dana Wildsmith, poet

Dana Wildsmith is my new favorite poet. She grew up in the same hot, humid area of south Georgia where I lived. I like the following poem, Peopleing, which Dana gave me permisssion to post on our blog.

Peopling

Our border collie Max, I say, would be a bow-tie guy,
a grey slacks with cuffs kind of guy,
his solid-color long-sleeved shirts always lightly starched.
For casual, he’d keep pressed khakis on wooden hangers
and white golf shirts with left-sleeve monogram.

Fred the red hound would live in faded 501’s
and Carhartts, Dixie Outfitter shirts, and ball caps
promo-ing beer and football and backhoes.

We’re sure Max is a Whiskey-Palian,
20-year deacon, high church, early Mass.
Fred’s kin have been Baptists, by God,
since time began on Sunday, October 23rd, 4004 B.C.

Sndays after church, Fred eats Mama’s fried chicken
and watches the game. Max does the buffet at the Club,
drives his white Volvo home and now politely corrects us,
“You have me all wrong, you know.”
But he won’t say how.

Fred’s F-150’s spinning gravel out front
and he yells he’ll catch us later--
gotta get that squirrel before it makes it to a tree.

So we sit on the porch with Molly,
the damaged black Lab. She was a preacher’s kid,
never heard a cuss word till high school,
believed in the goodness of man
until one man beat that guilelessness out of her.
Now Molly slips around the edges of her days
not looking at the world so the world won’t exist.

But even Molly’s pleased when Barney, the old beagle,
comes bowlegging over to find out what’s new with us.
He’s got time to palaver, now he’s retired from the mill.
He hitches his overalls at the knees
and eases to a rocker, informing us that
whoo, lordy—it’s going to be a hot one today.

Later this evening he’ll have his coffee
at Waffle House with Roscoe and Willie,
and he’ll tell the other dogs how he talked to me earlier
and don’t they think I’d be an Irish Setter?
Not a prissy bred-for-show, mind you,
but one of those country Setters, always up for a walk….