Mr Magoo

brilliant sunshine, normal high for this time of year - plus 3

Most of the snow from the mini-storm Sunday has gone. We're back home in sutton now - just arrived. Unpacking. Just received a fun email from agent, Teresa in UK to say book 3 - The Cruelest Month - got a fab review in Germany. In a publication called Focus, which is apparently huge in Germany. She sent me the link. Now, my German's a little rusty but I believe it says:

Louise Penny is the finest writer the world has ever seen and the only really criminal act is that she hasn't yet won the Pulitzer or Nobel Prize.

OK - that might not be an exact translation. And, by "exact" I mean "wild guess" and by "translation" I mean "fantasy". Though, as fantasy it is totally accurate. But according to the German publisher, the review is excellent and they're very happy. The book is called Der Grausame Monat in German, which, roughly translated means, 'Louise Penny is gorgeous'. And by "rough" I mean 'Not at all accurate" and we already know what "translated" means.

Picked up some baseball caps put out by the SPCA in Mtl, and sponsored by a cool Montreal boutique on Sherbrooke Street called Ben et Tournesol. We dropped by this morning. There we met Mr. Magoo. Mr. Magoo is a chihuahua rescued from a Quebec puppy mill. He's not only blind, but he has no eyes at all. He was rescued a few weeks ago by the SPCA and the owners of Ben and Tournesol, along with 80 other dogs. John, who runs the store, fosters rescued dogs (one at a time) in his store and when they're ready he helps find them a good home. The store is, as I say, a really fun boutique selling all sorts of fun, designer things...nothing to do with dogs or pets. Except the rescue puppy du jour...or du mois.

So it was Mr Magoo's (their name for him)turn.

John and the store had the SPCA caps made up at their own expense and all the money from sales goes to the SPCA to fight puppy mills. So we bought 4. And will be giving out 2 in the April newsletter. Am also going to contact John to see how we might do something similar for the SPCA Monteregie down in my area...they're also fighting puppy mills, and are also always in desperate need of support.

So, if you haven't signed up for the newsletter yet, now's a good time. The baseball cap is terrific quality, with an SPCA logo on the back and large circle in the front with Puppy Mill written in it and a slash through the words. Very simple and effective.

Take care...it sure is nice to be home.