Barbara Barth "Writer With Dogs": July 2015

Miss April in Paris

Welcome to the Writer With Dogs Bastille Day Blog Party

This post is part of A Dog Dreams of Paris blog tour with WOW! Women On Writing. Click here for the kick-off interview on The Muffin and the remaining stops on the tour, which ends July 24th.

Miss April in Paris has enlivened this household of one human and six dogs. The human stays active, but six dogs are pretty much couch potatoes. The excitement of the publication of April's diary has caused a stir with the hounds. They have been following her blog tour and wonder if perhaps sometime down the road they will each have their own book. Time will tell on that one. However, time is important today. . . . Party time that is, as the dogs plan to celebrate Bastille Day!

"I've never heard of Bastille Day." Chloe, the alpha Chihuahua, exclaimed as soon as the party was brought up. She was slightly preoccupied with her fake mustache. It tickled her nose.

"It's simple," Diva dog Miss April in Paris explained. "Bastille Day, the French national holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which took place on July 14, 1789, and was the beginning of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the power of Louis the 16th's Regime. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers. The French celebrate Bastille Day each year on July 14th, with parties, parades, food, drinks, dances and fireworks!"

"Do we get dog bones?" Bray, usually reserved and shy, was excited at the thought of more food. He slipped into a pair of cool shades and helped himself to a frosty beverage.

"Yes, and special drinks. Now, doesn't that taste yummy?" Diva April snorted, a very unladylike gesture. Perhaps she had already had a few of the special party drinks.

"I love music," Annabelle stretched on the couch, her big belly pointing up at the ceiling. The sound of a favorite pop song Uptown Funk got her up and moving. "I can make a run to the store if we need anything." While she didn't drive, Annabelle loved to ride in the car with the radio blasting tunes into the universe.

Rascal's eyes rolled. Her blue eye (for she has two different colored eyes) winked at April. "Are you wearing that old pink hat again?"

"It's my Diva hat. It's the hat that started my story. And yes, I am wearing it. You can have one of those silly party hats on the table."

"Gladly," Rascal yawned, then raced across the room to grab a hat and a party drink.

"Count me in, too!" Bertha rambled over to the table to find a pair of party glasses, both to wear and to drink from. "Let the party begin!" Bertha was especially social. She looked at her drink and wondered if perhaps she should have put the lime in the coconut. Then she barked, a loud piercing sound and shook her head, her funny mustache mixing with saliva dripping off her chops. Bertha took a sip out of her coconut and toasted the day. "Viva La France!"

Before the party gets too rowdy, the dogs posed for their Bastille Day portraits.