I am a fiction writer trying to learn how to write memoir, in small manageable bites. My dog, Cricket, is small and she bites, so I thought she could help.
Cricket is a fourteen pound Cockapoo (cocker spaniel/poodle mix), born on July 13th 2007. She has a strong grasp of the english language, when she wants to. But, most important, she is my social bridge. In the real world, she drags me outside to meet my neighbors, and random strangers with dogs who smell interesting. I’m hoping she can act as my social bridge online, as well, despite the lack of obvious smell.
update: We added Butterfly to the family on November 20th 2012. She was rescued from a puppy mill at eight years old and has added years to the life of this blog.
Butterfly before her bath
update: Miss Butterfly died at age 12 and 3/4, after almost five years of wonderfulness. It took us a year to find a new dog to keep Cricket company, but I’m pretty sure Butterfly found Ellie for us. Ellie came to us in July of 2018, a five year old Havanese, recently retired from a breeder.
I recently self published my first novel, Yeshiva Girl, with Amazon. Please check it out!
You can reach me at: cricketpages@earthlink.net
rachelmankowitz 
thank you for the like….
You’re welcome!
Thanks to the two of you for visiting!
We enjoyed it!
Thanks, Rachel and Cricket, for stopping by to read about Rex and Pepper this morning.
Cricket, you are a white version of my beloved Pepper. Seeing your picture brings fresh tears to my eyes.
Rachel, I am also learning to write my memoir. How nice to find each other as we journey on a similar road!
Nice to meet you too!
Cricket is about the size of my Betsy, a toy poodle, who died just a few weeks ago. She’s a beautiful little dog and a lovely photo of you both.
I’m so sorry you lost Betsy. I still grieve for each dog I’ve lost, but Cricket definitely helps.
I’ve been reading your stuff. Cricket is so lucky to have you, Rachel. It’s a good thing she can’t pick up the phone and call Zoe, or Zoe might hop the next train to New York.
Zoe is invited anytime. I love the idea that dogs could call each other on the phone…it would be a whole new market for cell phone technology. Paw sized buttons, and a variety of smell messages to choose from.
Thanks for the like Rachel (and Cricket). We’re looking forward to reading more about the two of you. 🙂
You are very welcome.
Your little Cricket is a cutie!! Thank you for visiting Chancy’s blog and liking it. Hugs and nose kisses
Cricket looks really cute 🙂 … all the best with your writing!
Thank You!
cricket is adorable! and what a great birthday, my (human) daughters’ bday is july 13 and was born friday 13th.
Ah, but does your human daughter eat a plate of cheese, olives, peanut butter, chicken treats and red bell peppers for her birthday? I think Cricket probably stands alone in her appreciation for that mix of flavors. Thanks for writing!
🙂 no but she eats hot Cheetos with lemon juice. she has mixed flavors of everything she can since she was a child an still does. Cricket is a lucky dog! and precious.
I think Cricket and your daughter should start a restaurant together, start a whole new trend.
🙂
Thank you for liking my post 🙂 Cricket is lovely :))
Hello. I have nominated you for the Sunshine Award. Feel free to accept or decline. No pressure, no worries.
Thank you very much!
Thank you for visiting my blog and liking “Goldilocks.” You have a cute dog, and my third dog is also half poodle. Perhaps they can be online friends!
Sounds like a plan!
Heh, heh, I trust that Cricket’s bites are small and manageable! Thanks for stopping by & liking my dog’s story. Hope that things are going well with Cricket, & that the memories of Samson are healing – I lost my cat Tigger in an unexpected & jarring manner, so I think I know something of what you mean there. Thanks again!
Nice to hear from you!
Hey Rachel! Thanks for stopping by our blog! Cricket is a cutie.
You’re welcome. Great to have you here.
Hi Rachel, thank you for coming to see my page about pets. I love your blog. It encourages me to write more about my cats and dogs… many things resonate in me. Including memories of pets lots before it was time, memories that return to renew the grief, like your Samson. I will come back again to you and Crickets. Stay well… Vera
Thank you for coming by!
Ruf ruf Cricket and hello Rachel! Super blog – hello to you from across the pond in England.
Vikki & Zola xx
Thank You!
Love your cocka. Is she as daft as a bucket of frogs like mine? Thanks for visiting Elsie’s site. She is running around in circles in delight.
Is a bucket of frogs really that daft? Cricket’s teacher actually thought she was brilliant, at resisting training at least. Cricket refuses to run in circles, so I will do it for her. Glad to have you here.
Cricket and Butterfly look like wonderful companions. Thank you for visiting and liking my post about my big red dog Bodie. We are glad you stopped by!
Me too!
Thanks for dropping by my page fellow pet lover! Happy Christmas to you and Cricket ^^
Nice to see you here!
This is cool… my blog is kodiakmylittlegrizzly.com and i too wrote a book http://www.ourbrotherkodiak.com but cant get a publisher to agree how to do it for me… don’t’ have the money and now i’m wondering if i should do it just as an ebook…
I know a few people who went the e-book route and they seem happy with it. I’m not ready to make the jump, but I keep looking into it, just in case.
thanks for the like!
You’re welcome!
That was a touching post. I also miss my Doublestuff and always will.
Thank you!
I want to nominate you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award, but don’t know how to do it. I’m trying to find out how. Do I just write it in my comments on your page? Don’t know.
You were the first to visit my new photo blog and like my first picture…of my dog Molly. I started my photo blog on November 25 as a way to remember my Molly, who passed away on November 22 (Thanksgiving). Since then I have found a lot of satisfaction in posting a picture a day. Thanks for visiting & liking Molly.
I’ve enjoyed Cricket & Butterfly & their human. I think I will stop by again.
I can never get enough dogs. It’s an addiction and I thank you for supplying some more of the drug!
Sorry to hear about Molly. Same addiction here. Doublestuff had to be put to sleep right before Christmas (almost 13 years old), due to suffering greatly from Addison’s disease. More dog pictures to come. There were 8 before we moved to an apartment which doesn’t allow dogs.
Just began a blog at http://lindaquick.wordpress.com/ also.
Thanks for liking the latest installment of the book my wife and I are blogging: “Jake, Little Jimmy and Big Louie.” I hope you will continue to follow this children’s chapter book story. It was interesting to read about your Cockapoo, Cricket. We are so enjoying our new Shihpoo (Shih Tzu/ Poodle cross), Misty. Actually, the dogs look somewhat alike even though yours is white and ours is dark – must be the poodle influence. Happy holidays!
Those poodles. They are slowly taking over the world. Happy New Year!
The bit about bites is very funny. Nice and dry.
Thank you.
Thank you for dropping in on my meanderings. S’much appreciated!
Thank you for stopping by my post “Shot from the pocket”, glad you liked it 🙂
Nice to see you here!
I am not really a dog person, but I must admit Cricket is just adorable!!
Thank you! I love your blog. I am obsessively printing out recipes right now.
Thanks for stopping by! Great dog!
Thank you!
Hi Rachel,
Thanks so much for liking my post. What cutie Cricket is! I am more a cat person but when I see a dog like Cricket, it almost makes me want a dog. I love little cuddly, furry beings – they give so much love and acceptance without wanting anything more than attention. They entertain, make you laugh, warm your heart and comfort you. May you and Cricket have a long and happy life together.
I love all kinds of animals, cats included. Thanks for your kind words!
Shiloh and Hunter say ‘g’day’ from the land down under and thank you for liking their photos!
G’day!
Greetings from Australia Rachel,
I thought your biography was very very cute indeed. I’m still smiling. Take great care and give your dogs a hug for me.
God bless
Thank you!
You are most welcome keep smiling 🙂
Because of my admiration for your blog, I’ve nominated you for The Liebster Blog Award. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers as well as discover new favorites. There are some logistics involved, so if you choose not to participate there’s no pressure, but here’s the short link; http://wp.me/p1XDRR-aD Thank you for sharing your “girls” with your readers, and perhaps this will bring you some new ones.
Thank you for the vote of confidence.
Thanks for stopping by and “liking” my new blog. I see you are also an animal lover. Cricket and Butterfly are adorable.
Thank you for the return visit. I do love animals, even mice, sometimes. Cricket and Butterfly love having visitors.
Cricket is so freaking cute. Word to the wise…don’t follow the Doggie Paddles Pet Sitting blog. That is my business site which beyond boring will be chaotic soon since I am re-doing the site. There will be lots of random sends as I try to figure out how to fix it.
Please say aloha to Cricket for me!
Pam
Aloha!
Thank you for liking my pressplaypets blog! Your doggies are soooo cute! Love your blog
Thank you!
Thanks a lot!
Thank you for stopping by to see what my family is up to today! Random question.. is your last name mankowitz? My maiden name is kowitz.. don’t see it a lot!
Thanks for being here! I think my last name is Russian in origin, though it could easily be Russianized Polish. We traveled.
Hi there! Thanks for dropping by and glad you liked 🙂 Really enjoying reading about life with your girls 😀 See you again soon!
Loving your blog too!
Thank you! And thanks for following 😀
Cricket is ADORABLE! 🙂 🙂 WOOF WOOF
Woof!
Thank you for LIKING OUR POST- http://maggiemoosetracks.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/maggiemoose-i-can-do-something/
UPDATE: PLEASE CLICK THE LINK and “LIKE” Maggie #24 AT THIS LINK: http://www.dogtipper.com/giveaways-contests/2013/01/superdogsunday-kickoff.html THIS IS THE VOTE THAT COUNTS! 🙂 🙂
Thanks for the like! I just started blogging and am so appreciating every person who visits!
You’re welcome!
Hi Rachel, I just re-read your About section and see that you’re available for writing coach work. I do the same thing and I wanted to ask you a question. Is it okay to email you? I don’t want to be intrusive if you’re too busy with your doggies.
Email away!
You and Cricket sound interesting. Proceeding to read some posts. Any Best Hiits you can suggest?
Thank you. Hmm. If you’d like to stay in the musical theme, from the Pee and Poop Songs post, there’s an older post called Cricket’s Vocalizations where she’s the singer instead of me. For more of a memoir feel, you can try Puppies in Paris, or Butterfly’s new Home. Thank you for taking the time to visit and read along.
Buster and I would like to thank you for visiting our blog and liking it! I really enjoy reading about your stories and life with Cricket. She is a cutie! It’s so nice to read about other pet parents and their love and stories of their dogs.
Thank you for coming by. Buster is adorable. I never get tired of meeting new dogs.I have a similar response to chocolate, but dogs are even better.
I like your writing and so I nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger award (details at my blog), accept or just enjoy the nomination.
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Hello, and thanks for the like!
Hello, and you are very welcome!
Thanks for the like, and reading about Ollie. Your dog looks very cute and cuddly. Regards from Norfolk, UK. Pete
Thanks for coming by!
Hello Rachel, thanks for following my blog. From reading your posts I see a lot of my dog in Cricket. I think the two of them would get along really well not to mention the mischief they would get into!
More mischief? Oh boy.