BOSCO’S GETTING A PUPPY!

by Lisa Lipkind Leibow, Author of Smart Women’s Fiction

After my post about my new hobby (trapezing), you already know I’m a little whacky. I spend my life with 3 sons, a husband, a dog, two turtles, and a slew of fictional characters gallivanting in my mind. I routinely characterize my life as happy chaos. Why then, am I compelled to add to the chaos by getting my dog a new puppy?

Well, look at this litter! How could I resist?

The breeder is the same woman we bought Bosco from. He’s six years old now and we thougth a puppy would perk him up a little.

There’s still another month before a little one can leave his mom to join our clan. In the meantime, we’re having fun trying to decide which pup will fit best into our family. Their personalities are still developing, so the jury is still out. We like the look of the one with the “meantball eyes” like Bosco’s. They’re ALL adoreable. We have chosen a name for the new puppy.

My writer’s tool kit cam e in handy here. Brainstorming! Hooray! Did you know brainstorming as a family is even more fun than it is alone? We started by thinking of white or fluffy things:

Chrystal

Powder puff

Snowball

Marshmallow

Fluffernutter

Snowflake

Cotton

Ice cube

Marshmallow seemed a favorite with a plan to call the dog “Mello” –the temperament of a typical clumber spaniel.

That was BEFORE the breeder chose her litter theme. She keeps track of the litters by choosing a theme. The mother of the litter is from a “lettuce” litter. Her name is Raddicchio and they call her Rita. Bosco was from a pasta litter. His registered neam is “Rigatoni di Bosco”

Are you ready? The theme for this new litter of pups is singers/dancers.

Immediately we thought of MC Hammer of Eminem, where the “M” stood for marshmallow. Nope! We missed the mark. The breeder had a nostalgic time in mind. She is looking for Fred Astaire of ginger Rogers. I suggested Mel Torme. She nixed it. Apparently, the Velvet Fog didn’t dance.

Back to the drawing board. My husband said, “Just choose anything. We can still call the dog Mello if we want.

“I guess you’re right. But it’s nice if there’s some connection.”

I mulled. I googled. I mulled some more. I lay in bed at night. Mind tapping through names of old singer/dancers. My imagination combed through Sammy Davis Jr., Fred Astaire, Zeigfeld, Al Jolson, Bob Fosse, Donald O’Connor …

Then it hit me… SINGING IN THE RAIN… melody. Gene Kelly’s Melody.. aka Mello. Perfect!

Stop by again soon for updates on the clumber puppy project. There’s got to be a story in there somewhere!

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