Writing is like being able to put life into a snow globe. It takes the things that are too big and scary and reduces them into a form that I can put away when I want and look at from a distance. It also takes all that’s good in life and captures it into something I can take out when I want and look at close up and keep forever. It makes the bad things into something I can hold…and the good things into something I can hold onto. Both help so much that I need that little souvenir of life.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Succinctly Yours Week 223: Skunked


It’s time again for Succinctly Yours, a weekly meme made possible by the lovely Grandma of Grandma’s Goulash. Each week, Grandma posts a photo with the challenge to come up with a story of 140 words or 140 characters or fewer to go with it. The bonus word this week was “gargle.” Ouch, Grandma! My second offering is the true story, written in 140 words, that inspired the first offering, written in 140 characters. Phew. Or is that, pew?                                                                                                                         






Gladys planned to steep a dead skunk in the wading pool so she could gargle before meeting the handsome new dog next door. She wanted to be at her best; that Dane was great.  140







She was Buddy’s best girlfriend ever, a blonde shepherd mix named Amiga who appeared from time to time in our yard sporting a new bandana that signaled a recent bath. She was a big gal who could handle his obnoxiousness and keep him in line. When she needed to rid herself of that spring-fresh smell, she knew he could be counted on to dispatch the insult toute de suite. The two of them made a great pair, leaping and snuffling and gargling in each other’s slobber. Then she’d go prancing back home, bandana torn and covered in dog spit.

Once she got skunked along the way and was thoughtful enough to return the favor. It was a skunking-by-proxy. After two baths, I had to resort to V8 because I didn’t have tomato juice.

It had been love at first sniff.   140





True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice. ~Ben Jonson

12 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    Oh these are delightful Tammy!!! - having to skip this week as am 'out of office'....YAM xx

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  2. Oh, I will so miss your contribution this week, Yam! Thanks for visiting, anyway!

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  3. Your true story made my heart melt. I could see them and smell them.

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  4. Your heart melt and your eyes water, huh? ;) Thanks, Linda!

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  5. Tammy--"That Dane was great." Hilarious.

    I guess that was Amiga's walk of shame--going home with a torn bandana and another dog's slobber all over her?

    The stinkier the smell, the better dogs love them. (By the way, I think you should write a story about Buddy and Amiga's adventures--a story to submit somewhere.)

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    1. Dare I say it? With an actual bitch, the walk of shame is on the way over. There's no shame on the way home. ;) Thanks so much for the suggestion!

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  6. I think you should run with this concept, and develop a line of pooch perfume/cologne for those leash dogs who live in high-rise apartments and whose foot-pads rarely touch a blade of grass. If you concoct it, they will come.

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    1. Hmmm.... I believe you just inspired another list. The dogs would love it for sure. Those high-rise owners, maybe not so much.

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  7. Gosh, you know how I love dogs! This cracked me up, because my two (a male and female) are constantly rolling in stinky stuff in the back yard. These two take turns rolling in stuff. ugh!

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  8. Oh, I can only imagine. Two dogs together are about four times as bad because they egg each other on!

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  9. Oh, Tammy! This is adorable and oh so clever, as usual :) I'm backlogged on reading my favorite blogs (yours being at the tip-top of my list!), and this post gave me just the lol I needed.

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  10. I know the feeling, Theresa, and I just appreciate any visits you can spare!

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