{"id":278,"date":"2016-02-08T22:04:43","date_gmt":"2016-02-09T03:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fayegibbons.com\/?p=278"},"modified":"2016-02-11T00:04:14","modified_gmt":"2016-02-11T05:04:14","slug":"rosie-and-beck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.fayegibbons.com\/?p=278","title":{"rendered":"ROSIE AND BECK"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"IMG_0113\"<\/a> \"IMG_0096\"<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ROSIE\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ROSIE, FAYE, AND BECK<\/p>\n

HERE IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY NEWSOUTH BOOKS CONCERNING AN HONOR FOR HALLEY:<\/p>\n

NewSouth Books
\nFebruary 5 at 10:39am \u00b7<\/p>\n

Faye Gibbons never dreamed growing up in Carter’s Quarter, Georgia, that she’d be nominated for a fiction award named after one of Georgia’s most celebrated authors. Gibbons’s young adult novel, Halley, has been selected as a finalist for the Frank Yerby Awards. Best known for The Foxes of Harrow, Yerby was an African American novelist from Augusta specializing in historical fiction. Like Yerby, Faye Gibbons focuses on historical fiction, but her novels are semi-autobiographical in nature, recalling the difficulties of rural Georgia life during and following the Great Depression. The Yerby awards are given annually by the Augusta Literary Festival – ALF. Winners will be announced on Friday, March 4.<\/p>\n

My latest book, HALLEY, awarded 2015 Jefferson Cup Honor for Historical Fiction. Awarded the Moonbeam Silver Medal for Young Adult Fiction. \u00a0 (see the following web address for more information)\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 http:\/\/www.newsouthbooks.com\/pages\/2015\/10\/20\/halley-wins-moonbeam-awards-silver-medal\/\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Available at: NewSouth Books:\u00a0www.newsouthbooks.com\/halley and Amazo<\/p>\n

Well, I did it.\u00a0 Four years after my beloved Bo died, I decided I was ready to find a new Boxer-mix dog.\u00a0 Or, I should say, we decided.\u00a0 Benjamin and I added up all the ways a dog would complicate our lives, all the ways it would be expensive, and then there is the dog hair.\u00a0 Even when you have a dog that \u201cdoesn\u2019t shed bad\u201d and even when the dog is restricted to one room in the house, and even when it sleeps outside in a well-built doghouse at night–there will still be dog hair.\u00a0 Crates of dog hair.\u00a0 Dog hair even in the room furtherest away from that area where the dog is allowed.\u00a0 We added all this up and came to the logical conclusion–a dog is worth it.\u00a0 This time we would get a small Boxer mix–two or three years old.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I went to the Boxer Rescue listings and found Rosemary and Brubeck\u2019s photos almost at once.\u00a0 The owners, \u201cMarcy\u201d and \u201cBob\u201d have two very small children, a wonderful house, and a tiny yard.\u00a0 They had decided the dogs needed more space and more attention than they could presently provide, and they hoped to place them together, since they were litter mates and great companions.\u00a0 Hmmmm–two dogs–two LARGE dogs, and they turned out to be five years old.\u00a0 Almost senior status, Benjamin and I agreed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite all this, and despite the fact that we knew we were in danger of falling in love, we arranged with Marcy to visit and meet the dogs.\u00a0 It was almost love at first sight.\u00a0 Rosie took to us almost at once, and then Beck decided we were okay too.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t close the deal on that visit, but we might as well have done so.\u00a0 We knew these were the dogs.\u00a0 They had been lovingly cared for.\u00a0 Their personalities and gleaming coats were a testament to that.\u00a0 And, we soon decided, having two compatible dogs, instead of one, was good.\u00a0 They could play together.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think I called that very evening to say, \u201cWe want the dogs.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a done deal.\u00a0 Marcy and Bob had questions.\u00a0 They liked knowing that we had a fenced area where the dogs could play unsupervised, and 70 acres where they could explore along with us.\u00a0 They were happy that the dogs would continue on heart worm and flea treatment and whatever else our vet recommended.\u00a0 Probably the fact that we have six dog-loving grandchildren worked in our favor too.\u00a0 Our adoption was approved and we soon brought the dogs and their beds home with us.\u00a0 I think those familiar beds helped the dogs feel at home faster.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rosie and Beck (We decided to shorten their names) have settled right in.\u00a0 They even know which area of the house is allowed–though Beck continues to accidentally cross the threshold at least once a day.\u00a0 Each time he acts surprised:\u00a0 \u201cOops!\u00a0 Am I in the forbidden area again.\u00a0 Sorry!\u00a0 Wag-wag.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Already they have discovered one of the joys their former home lacked–a dead, rotting mouse in a pile of leaves next to the barn.\u00a0 Our brains must be going.\u00a0 When Rosie and Beck took turns rolling in that same, exact spot, Benjamin and I said, \u201cHow sweet–they already feel like farm dogs.\u201d\u00a0 Then they came running to us, and we held our noses.\u00a0 A dog is a dog, is a dog, is a dog–forever and ever, amen!<\/strong><\/p>\n

As you can tell from the photos, they are adorable, and already right at home.\u00a0 Oh, and we have a solution for the dog hair.\u00a0 If we just make sure that all our future clothing and furniture is caramel color, who\u2019ll notice?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n