Once upon a time, in a little urban cottage, lived a peri-menopausal woman and her adolescent daughter. The daughter liked to wear black. Her mother liked to wear green, blue, and brown, the colors of the earth. They were both somewhat lonely, though not horribly so, because they had each other and the two tails. (We’ll come back to the tails in a moment.) You see, the woman’s prince charming had turned back to a frog after twenty years of marriage and left to be with a younger woman. (That’s all I’m going to say about that, lest I seem bitter.)
The two tails were attached to two dogs. One was a big golden boy with the heart of a lion. His tail looked like a plume and would often catch things like leaves, twigs, and Christmas tree ornaments. The other was a mongrel of medium size whose tail was brown and long with a white tip at the end. The woman and her daughter both loved the dogs and their tails that wagged easily when the humans came home from a hard day at the office and the classroom.
The woman met other princes who were not princes at all. One was a creepy old toad who briefly appeared confident and smart, but alas, he had way too many demons running around in his head and would not even try to slay them. The other was better, with a big smile. He seemed like the court jester at first, but sometimes he could be, shall we say, contrary. Too contrary. And he was not a good fit.
The woman decided that maybe she was better off with just the two dogs with their plumey and tippy tails. They were not much trouble and better company than the men who had courted her. But she sometimes still wished for a partner, a knight in shining armor who would not turn out to be a frog. Someone who would be a good fit. At the top of her list was that he MUST LOVE DOGS.
Well, right around the time her daughter graduated from high school, she got a message from her old flame, from long, long ago and far, far away. He found her again when the time was perfect. The old flame, as it turned out, loved dogs! He had three dogs each with their own special tail. One was shy and neurotic and shook every time it thundered. His tail was black and shaggy with white on the end. One was a tall hound, obsessed with food. Her tail did not wag much because she had been traumatized at an early age, before the man rescued her. But later, she became a happy tail-wagging hound, especially at dinner time. The other dog was “Beep the Horrible.” She loved the man so much, she would tear things up when he left. She did not want to share him at first. Her tail was short but could wag fiercely.
When the old flame and his dogs came to live with the woman, after an appropriate and romantic courtship, the dogs did not all get along well. But walking together as a pack and vigilance at mealtimes, eventually brought the blended family together. “Beep the Horrible” fell in love with the adolescent daughter. The woman and her old flame, who really was her knight in shining armor, got married and lived happily ever in the little urban cottage with their five dogs with wagging tails.

My Golden Boy, Jesse and Mary Moo

Oreo the Vibrating Dog

Doodle the crazy coon hound

Beep the Horrible
…
If you’d like to read the full-length version of this story, buy my book! Or enter to win a free Kindle e-book in Goodreads Giveaways Feb. 12 – Feb. 20. Stay tuned for details!
Today’s prompt for the Saturday’s Stream of Consciousness was to tail/tale. For more tales of the Stream of Consciousness kind, visit Linda’s blog at:
https://lindaghill.com/2018/02/09/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-10-18/
Here are the rules:
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
8. Have fun!
February 10, 2018 at 2:26 am
Lovely story, I really like the way you’ve written this. Sort of wry, worldly-wise view on the happy-ever-after tales. And I love the descriptions of the dogs’personalities!
February 10, 2018 at 10:14 am
Thank you so much for this feedback and affirmation. I wanted to immortalize the dogs a bit. We’re down to just Doodle and Mary the mutt, now. as the others are wagging their tails on the other side of the rainbow bridge. I was going to write about that, but I didn’t get to it. I appreciate your comment!
February 10, 2018 at 4:10 pm
Oh that’s sad to hear, but you have definitely given them a lovely tribute. Sure you’ll never forget them!
February 10, 2018 at 9:30 pm
A tribute is what I was aiming for without consciously realizing it. Thanks for that word. I will never forget.
February 10, 2018 at 3:12 am
Love this post because I think it is true. Like the fact that it has dogs in the story which makes it so much more appealing. I am a sucker for any pet story especially true ones.
February 10, 2018 at 10:52 am
Oh, it’s all true. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks, Yvonne!
February 10, 2018 at 3:45 am
Bravo!! Oh I just love a beautiful love story. You have put a smile on my face this morning! ❤️
February 10, 2018 at 10:53 am
Yay! Now, I have a smile. 🙂 Thank you! ❤
February 10, 2018 at 4:16 am
I am so happy for you! What a wonderful tale!!!!
February 10, 2018 at 11:02 am
Thank you, Bee!
February 10, 2018 at 11:04 am
You are very welcome and thanks for sharing!
February 10, 2018 at 6:05 am
lovely tale and tails
February 10, 2018 at 11:06 am
Thank you, Fallon!
February 10, 2018 at 6:47 am
I like Beep. I had a dog in my ex-marriage that would tear something of my ex-wife’s up at different points.
February 10, 2018 at 11:56 am
Thankfully, Beep did not tear up my stuff. When David moved here, he didn’t work for a while, so he was with her a lot while she settled in and expanded her possession of people.
February 10, 2018 at 8:38 am
Beautiful story JoAnna 😀
Your dogs look very kind and like they do enjoy life.
February 10, 2018 at 12:21 pm
Thanks, Irene. Glad you liked it. Three of the five have passed on over the rainbow bridge, so I hope they are happy on the other side. Mary is almost 16 and Doodle is 11. Yes, I think they have a good life.
February 10, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Then you have pensioners now, JoAnna 🙂
My cats are pensioners too, they are brothers and will be 15 years old in June. My dog Odin is only 5 years old, so he keeps all of us awake.
February 10, 2018 at 1:38 pm
Ha! I like that about keeping you awake. Doodle is pretty lively for her age. She has a loud baying voice. 😉
February 10, 2018 at 1:41 pm
I’m grateful to be allowed to keep my animals for so many years and I take good care of them. Earlier I have tried illnesses, as ended their lives much too early. Doodle sounds like fun 🙂
February 10, 2018 at 3:07 pm
It’s hard when they leave us, but worth all the love they give.
February 10, 2018 at 3:12 pm
I agree.
February 10, 2018 at 9:15 am
Best story ever! Happy Endings and all that! Fairy Tales really can be true!!
February 10, 2018 at 12:24 pm
Yes, they really can! Especially if you’re young at heart! https://youtu.be/anlz3EuuhWo
February 10, 2018 at 10:25 am
I love happy endings, especially when they involve fur babies. Oreo is adorable! She may be shy, but I bet she is also super sweet.
February 10, 2018 at 1:32 pm
Oreo was sweet and is on the other side of the rainbow bridge with Beep and Jesse. They were approaching old age when they joined the family. I was going to write about that, but didn’t want the post to be too long. Thanks, Mary. 🙂
February 10, 2018 at 10:43 am
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
February 10, 2018 at 1:32 pm
Thank you for the re-blog!
February 10, 2018 at 10:43 am
A really wonderful story. I love also your style “…the woman’s prince charming had turned back to a frog”. LOL
Have a good weekend. Michael
February 10, 2018 at 1:33 pm
Thanks, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 I hope you have a good weekend, too.
February 10, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Dogs make every story better!
February 10, 2018 at 3:07 pm
Oh, yes! 🙂
February 10, 2018 at 5:20 pm
Hey JoAnna, Namaste 🙂
Having paused my paws I had to stop by, admire the gentleness of the story and a doggy-doo called Oreo, which is great name for a vibrating dog.
So pleased the tale told has a happily wagging end 😉
Namaste 🙂
DN
February 10, 2018 at 9:32 pm
Thank you, Dewin. Oreo was a sweetheart. Glad you stopped by! 🙂 Namaste.
February 10, 2018 at 9:42 pm
As am I JoAnna:, thank you 🙂 A gentle story for a lazy Saturday evening, just perfect.
I do like the name Oreo..no doubt a real charmer. I’ll squeeze his name into a poem 🙂
Take care of one and all. Best wishes.
Namaste 🙂
DN
February 10, 2018 at 11:32 pm
Thank you! Peace to you.
February 10, 2018 at 9:56 pm
That was utterly charming. I loved plumey and tippy tails — cute! It’s a good tale of tails 🙂
February 10, 2018 at 10:47 pm
Thanks, Joey. I’ll never forget the time Jesse walked next to my parents’ Christmas tree and an ornament hitched a ride on his tail. So glad you enjoyed my story. 🙂
February 11, 2018 at 10:49 pm
I am currently at the stage of dating toads. And I also am thinking about just dating my dog., as it has started to seem a bit hopeless. Luckily, I’ve read your book and have learned to never say never 🙂
February 12, 2018 at 9:17 pm
Oh, I do hope you enjoyed the book! I thought of my dog Jesse as my boyfriend during my celibate years. He was safe and not so stressful. I have a feeling there is a good, compatible human partner somewhere in your future when the time is right.
February 14, 2018 at 10:26 pm
I’ve been saying that phrase in my head ever since I read this comment 2 days ago… “when the timing is right”. It brings a sense of calm to me😊
February 15, 2018 at 1:34 am
I’m so happy to know that, Jami. ❤
February 12, 2018 at 7:51 pm
Great writing! Such a great story.
February 13, 2018 at 12:52 am
Thanks! I had a lot of fun writing it. 🙂