Veronica
Dec22007
Veronica has turned out to be Marlene’s spiritual sister, Blonde-Lack-of-Ambition. Those of you who read Fast Women may remember Marlene, the greatest dachshund diva known to man. Veronica out-divas her. For example, Veronica does not jump. She will moan until I put her on the couch, and then if everybody leaves, she will moan until somebody comes back and lifts her down. Miltie is half her size and leaps with kamikaze enthusiasm, but Veronica needs to be lifted. Actually, Veronica’s no dummy, dachshunds aren’t supposed to jump, but with everybody else getting off the couch without blinking, Veronica really is high maintenance. She doesn’t like dog biscuits either; I think she’s waiting for caviar. Maybe biology really is destiny. If you look like Miltie, you get off the couch by yourself and you’re all over that generic dog biscuit. But life is different if you look like this:
or this
I remember reading that women who worked in the factories during WWII wore their hair like Lake’s and got it caught in machinery, so the gov’t asked her to cut hers. She did and lost her career. Okay, so not a huge surprise that popularity in movies is based on appearance, but what’s amazing to me is how big an impact it’s having on me. Veronica is very sweet, but she mostly languishes, with time-outs to bark at Lucy and the cat. Pink patrols and barks at intruders (like Bob the Woodpecker) and Milton is very busy with the burden of being a puppy, but Veronica, well Veronica pretty much sits around waiting for someone to peel her a grape, and I still pick her up every chance I get. She’s so soft and blonde. I won’t say this is helping me understand men’s obsession with peroxide, but it might be a small window into it.
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22 Comments to 'Veronica'
On December 2, 2007 at 12:24 am Yvonne Lindsay said...
Veronica sounds like a very clever dachshund. Kind of puts paid to that blonde bimbo stereotype, after all, why lift a paw when the world can do it for you. She is absolutely beautiful, though. I can see why you’d pick her up every chance you get.
On December 2, 2007 at 12:46 am Magdiego said...
I’m in love with Veronica, even though I’m a miniature schnauzer fan, myself. Mine is all Teutonic efficiency as he trots around the house on his (self) appointed rounds.
But on a completely different tangent, is that a crochet entrelac afghan upon which she is lounging?
On December 2, 2007 at 1:25 am Jenny said...
Nope, that’s plain double crochet. It’s the pattern I did on that horrible DIY show years ago. I made up the pattern because I don’t have to pay attention to it, unlike entrelac which would make me insane, I think. I like easy things.
Kind of like Veronica, now that I think about it.
Anyway, it’s easy to do while you watch TV or think about a plot because it’s automatic, you just switch colors every four dc for two rows, then swap the colors around to make the next two rows. I usually end up doing variations on it for the border, and I use up all my scrap yarn by putting dark shades of one color in one basket and light shades of a different color in another basket and then just crocheting whatever I pick up from each, which is why the color morphs. No thought at all.
Probably also like Veronica.
On December 2, 2007 at 2:01 am Rosie said...
What a life Veronica leads! I’m keeping it quiet around here though. I wouldn’t want our dog-person Emily to find out. She’s a pound rescue that was supposed to be a small dog under 25 lbs. Now at a whopping 45 lbs she thinks she’s a lap dog. All I need is for her to find out Veronica gets lifted up and down from the couch. Yikes!
On December 2, 2007 at 4:03 am Lois said...
Jenny – I love Veronica, she is fantastic, and very smart!! She has you trained in just a couple of days!! I suspect the Pink and Miltie are also getting thier training in too in other ways!
You did a fantastic thing adopting all three and I am sure that the cat embrace the new family members into her heart soon!
It is amazing how quickly we humans jump to do our pets bidding. But who can resit their soulful eyes.
Our Rose, a Boston Terrier, has her very own “wheelchair” ramp up to our platform bed so she does not hurt her artritic little hips trying to jump up. My husband built this for her many years ago, long before they were selling those little steps on TV.
Glad you are all adjusting and learning each other quirks!! Enjoy this special time of bonding with each of them!!!
On December 2, 2007 at 5:14 am AgTigress said...
I always thought that Marlene’s character might have been exaggerated just a teensy bit for artistic effect… Obviously not.
On December 2, 2007 at 10:46 am McB said...
I hope the bid for attention lessens as Veronica feels more secure. Woudn’t want the rest of the gang losing patience.
On December 2, 2007 at 10:49 am McB said...
Jenny, how do you handle all the dangling ends when you switch colors a lot? Serious question; I’ve passed on a lot of patterns because I hate dealing with the ends.
On December 2, 2007 at 10:56 am Jenny said...
It’s only four dc, so I just carry the other color by crocheting over it. That way, there are are no ends. I know for longer stretches it’s not a good idea, but it works fine over four dc, even eight if you’re doing larger squares.
On December 2, 2007 at 11:20 am robena grant said...
You know, some women just know how to ask for what they want. How gorgeous, and what a great shot. Did you persuade Veronica to do that pose or did it come naturally. Hmmm?
On December 2, 2007 at 11:26 am Jonquil said...
Is a dog ramp in your future?
On December 2, 2007 at 1:58 pm Eileen said...
Oh Jenny- she’s LOVELY. And Miltie- I love Miltie. In fact- I love them all. What a wonderful holiday this will make.
On December 2, 2007 at 2:39 pm Diane L. said...
Oh Marlene! Marlene is very true to life. I’m speaking from the perspective of someone who has had dachshunds since age six (which means for many decaades). Fast Women was the first Crusie book that I ever read and it was the oh so realistic portrait of Marlene that turned me into a Crusie fan.
I do believe that my Mr. Darcy is in love with Veronica. He says he wants to put up a life size poster.
Also, those ramps which now come in a variety of sizes and styles, are wonderful despite not doing much for the decor of a room. I’ve been through the paralysis, surgery, physical therapy, and finally recovery process with a dachshund and also watched a friend do it. Veronica really is being very smart. (You can’t fault her self-preservation instincts; she got you to adopt her and even Pink when you were sure you just were going to get Miltie. I mean really, who adopts 3 dachshunds at once! Go Veronica!)
On December 2, 2007 at 3:17 pm Evelyn said...
This might be too much, but Jenny, pretty please post on a daily basis. It’s like being plopped in the middle of your books. It’s my affirmation for the day – your posts are just so yummy!!! They should totally abolutely positively do a reality show about you – you might even save that lost genre on TV.
On December 2, 2007 at 4:54 pm Jenny said...
You don’t have to persuade Veronica to pose. Veronica was born to pose.
Pink, on the other hand, was not. I have a lot of pictures of Pink’s butt as she runs away.
On December 2, 2007 at 6:39 pm Teble said...
How do you doggie lovers deal with so many? My big yellow lab/boxer mix is a sweetie and I’d love to give her a sister, but I don’t know how I’d manage. She’s confined to the kitchen and the fenced back yard because she sheds like crazy (and smells bad, and chews things, and gets fleas toward the end of the Frontline month, etc.). How do you keep the hair and the stink to a minimum? I love my puppy, but not the whitish hair all over my chocolate brown couch. Maybe I should just get a chocolate lab?
Veronica is a beautiful little lady and all your other four-legged babies are adorable. Congratulations on the new additions.
On December 2, 2007 at 7:05 pm talpianna said...
Are you planning to buy Veronica a Marlene-style wardrobe? (If she’s reading over your shoulder and sees this, you won’t have a choice, will you? Unless you LIKE living your life with one long moan in the background….)
And just in case you think that Ms. Lake and your new dachshund are the only case of person and animal separated at birth, check out these pics:
http://katesmith.org/kate3.gif
http://flickr.com/photos/89144510@N00/224250422/
On December 2, 2007 at 9:05 pm Jill said...
The resemblence of the Veronicas is amazing. Even the attitude.
On December 2, 2007 at 9:45 pm Georgie Lee said...
Perhaps like Fredric March who married a witch in the form of Veronica Lake, maybe you adopted a witch in the form of a very bewitching dachshund.
On December 3, 2007 at 1:04 am Jan D said...
I think the fitting title would be Lady Veronica, actually. Does she take Earl Grey tea? Anyone for cucumber sandwiches? She is just too elegant for words.
On December 3, 2007 at 2:32 am Mary the CB said...
Geez, Jenny, thank you so much. After reading this post, especially the title, I have now got Elvis Costello’s eponymous song in my head. And it’s not going away.
Veronica! Veronica! Veronicaaaaaaaaaa!
On December 4, 2007 at 3:30 am CrankyOtter said...
My friend had good luck making “special” dog treats by slicing canned food with a dedicated cheese slicer and baking the slices into crisps. She had one spoiled dog. You appear to have many, but oh, they are so lovely and quirky and fun to read about. It looks like they’ve already added extra love to the household.