Inspirational Quote of the Week

“There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now.”

Hugh Laurie

In case Mom’s weekly writing challenge isn’t challenging enough this month, her writing group named LindaVijiConnieLaurieJenandOtherJen is also having a June Challenge. Everybody in the group is working on a new (or old) story and posting new versions each week for everybody to look at and share about. Ready or not!

Mom had a new story already started with 2 pathetic sentences. Two sentences! It sat there and sat there till the challenge. Now it is getting attention and making progress. It’s pretty lame, but it’s getting better.

Speaking of lame- I sniffed this gigantic, weird mushroom outside this weekend. I checked underneath it to see if any sprites or fairies lived there. They do not. It’s just a big, nasty mushroom – serving no purpose.

Mom thinks my street naps serve no purpose, but I say street naps warm me up.

Ditto my sidewalk naps,

grass naps,

and naps under cars.

I think learning new tricks serves no purpose, but Mom says tricks help my tiny brain stay sharp.

I smell Cheerios! How does this thing work?

So I bowl,

play Tic-Tac-Toe,

and ring my bell for cookies.

I guess purpose is relative. In Mom’s stories, her characters have to have purpose. So do their actions. Maybe they should take a street nap…

 

 

 

Five Word Friday

Today’s five words are about prizes.

3. Winner – Mom was one of a bunch of winners in a giveaway on Tara Lazar’s blog. She won the opportunity to have an agent look at her work. That’s a pretty huge jump out of the slush pile.

18. Slush – Once I played in snow and slush and it about froze my tiny paws to icicles.

Mom decided I would be safer with boots on my paws. Wrong. Just really wrong on so many levels.

6. Looking – Mom is excited that an agent will be looking at one of her new stories. I am always excited to be looking at something new. New things can be outdoors…

Hairbrush? Seriously???

…or indoors. But they’re always fun.

127. Entering – Mom and I enter lots and lots of contests, competitions, and giveaways. Mostly, we don’t win, but now and then we do. Once we won a box full of cat toys. It was fun to win, but we donated the toys back to a kitty who could use them. I don’t really need any toys…

5. Gratitude – We are grateful that Mom won this lucky prize. Gratitude is a big part of every day, but this is a special week for giving thanks.

I have a ton to be grateful for – like treats,

love,

my furever home,

The first 5 minutes at my new home. #occupythecouch

walks,

 

and naps.

And did I say naps?

Prizes

I have been awarded a couple of prizes by my bloggy friends recently. My Quirky Writer friend named Sandra thinks I’m Really Neat.

And one of my doggie friends named Noodle thinks I’m Inspiring!

Thanks, friends! I think you are neat and inspiring, too!

For the Inspiring Award, I must tell 7 things about myself.

1. I like getting dressed up because it usually means something fun is going to happen.

82. I shiver when I am cold, afraid, or when Mom is about to leave me alone to live her life for a while.

35. I was afraid of my toybox for 5 years, but now I can actually take out a toy or 2 or 58.

941. Sometimes, I need a toy to help me sleep.

7. Mom bought a PetziConnect camera to check on me when she’s gone.

I’m afraid of it. I’m pretty sure it wants to kill me.

I’m not sure when the checks or the prizes will arrive for these awards, but I can’t wait. Wait. What? Oh. No checks. No prizes. But certainly feel free to share these with me if you don’t already have them.

For some reason, Mom DOES think I’m inspiring,

Working at the VA.

but does NOT think I’m neat. Go figure….

Every writer needs inspiration. I am that for her. But when I am not enough, she leaves me here and gets out into the world, sometimes in a school or with other humans…

Human friends…

…or in a spot that will give her ideas or will let ideas float into her head.

Personally, I get ideas from this.

The woods by my house. Mom says the word, “Off limits.” and “Too dark.”

 

And this.

Mud puddle. ‘Nuff said.

 

Prizes

The ALA Awards were presented last week. There were a LOT of winners. Mom wasn’t any of them. Not only did she not WRITE any of the winning books, she has barely READ any of the winning books. I think she needs to step up her game. She has printed out the list, so that’s a good start.

Meanwhile, I have been winning awards left and right over here.

Our friends Wallace and Samuel  and Coccolino gave us the Best Blog Around the World Award.

Around the WORLD – Hear that, Mom?

Our friend at Trifles gave us the Cracking Chrispmouse Bloggywog Award

and the Opposites Attract Award

See, Mom? I spread joy, peace, cheer, and stuff like that all over the place.

 

And our friends Little B. and Granny at Angelswhisper gave us the Excellence Award. Excellence, Mom. Not just-OK or good-enough or kinda-nice or a Rate-Your-Story-4.

Thanks to all of our bloggy friends for sharing these awards.

And Mom, it’s seriously time to step up your game.

Less this….

…and more this!

Countdown Wednesday

Today we are counting down about winning. Not the Charlie Sheen kind which was kind of weird, but the writer kind. And the blogging-dog-of-a-writer-kind.

Mom is a Winner

3. Mom’s book won a prize once. It’s called The Moonbeam Award. It shows as a badge on the cover of her book. I think it would look better shaped like a dog bone.

2. In 2013, Mom’s story Show and Tell Surprise was in Humpty Dumpty Magazine. That was a winner. Plus, magazines taste delicious.

1. Mom also had an acceptance from MeeGenius for her first ever ebook, named What If I Don’t. We can’t even wait to see that one in the MeeGenius Bookstore. BIG winner. Plus, inside my head, I often think, “What-if-I-don’t?”. I hope someday to say it out loud.

78. Mom is a winner in the 12×12 Challenge. She wrote 12 storybooks in 12 months. Just barely by the skin of her teeth, but she did it.

I am a Winner, too!

3. Hutch a Good Life awarded me the Sunshine Award. Yay! I love sunshine. Plus I am afraid of the dark.

2. Along with Nikitaland, Hutch also gave me the Blog of the Year Award. I have seen friends that have this award, and I am in good company with it. Plus stars are my favorite shape – except for dog bones.

1. Bacon and AngelsWhisper both awarded me the Friends and Followers Award. I love friends and followers. So, thanks, friends! And thanks, followers!

67. I will give myself the Biggest Rule Breaker Award.

Something smells good in here…..

I always ignore rules, so if you are reading my blog, you deserve an award. Feel free to share my bling, and also take a minute to click my friends’ links and check them out. Then maybe you can be a Rule Breaker, too.

Mom left a cup of coffee for me. Yay!

Countdown Wednesday

Today, we’re counting down my latest awards.

My friends at Dog Daz Zoo sent me the Dragon’s Loyalty Award. I won it once before right here.  Thanks, girls!

Nikitaland sent me the Versa-tail Blogger Award or something like that. Yay! Thanks. I have never had that one before. I think it means my tail is pretty, and not a freaky monkey-tail, like Mom says.

Whether you have a tail or not, feel free to add some bling to your blog and share either one of my awards.

Both awards want me to tell seven things about myself. I’m not much with the math, but I’ll try, and maybe I’ll even let Mom tell one or two things about herself, too.

Seven Things

1. I love sleeping under the covers on Mom’s bed.

2. My birthday was in September. I’m seven.

3. Sometimes, I try to hatch my toys like eggs.

4. When my feet touch sand, I run in circles like I am a deranged lunatic.

5. One day, while Mom was driving to the VA, there was a devil in her rearview mirror.

6. I like lollipops.

7. Mom read a book that had a dog named Cupcake in it. It wasn’t me.

92. Mom is falling behind in her reading challenge. She planned to read 200 picture books this year. She is not on target, but plans to catch up. We’ll see.

46. Speaking of falling behind, she also missed the month of June in the 12×12 challenge, so she’s hoping to do her June manuscript in December. We’ll see.

21. Mom promised to take me to the park today. I’m really tired from working at Read to a Pet Night at the library last night.

Being a good girl, listening to a story…

Plus it’s really cold outside. I’m not sure I want to go to the park. ….We’ll see….

Exploring

Check out the brand new award I got from my friend, Misaki!

Explorer! Me! Thanks, Misaki! I think it’s because I like to explore what Mom has in her dresser drawers.

And her laundry basket.

And her purse.

And also because I am a GeoDog!

I am allowed to give this award to 5 blogging friends, plus I have to answer a few questions. Simple. I don’t know exactly what 5 means, so if you’re a blogging friend, this award is for you!

Now for the questions:

• What is your favorite place to explore? I like the playing field by my house. Lots of geese live there, and they leave me delicious candies in the grass. Mom says the candy is disgusting, which I’m pretty sure means delicious.
• Have you ever found anything exciting/interesting whilst exploring ? Well, the goose poop, I mean candy is pretty exciting, but when I went Geocaching, I found a tiny cache in a tree. …..And once I found a pork chop bone by the dumpster.

• What do you like exploring best beach or park? I have never been to the beach, but I got close a few times. Sand scares me. I know that because sometimes, Mom brings me to the baseball field at the park. When I step in the sand, I turn to stone. What IS that stuff??
• What is your favorite post you have written (link to it)? I like all of my posts, of course, but I especially like one from long ago named Turtle.

That post talks about the name of a magazine and the name of the turtle we used to have. His name was Leave-The-Turtle-Alone. Names are important. Mom was named after her grandmother. I was named Cupcake because I am so sweet. Mom always thinks of fun names for her stories. Some of her recent stories are named: Ms. Oberman Overslept, Josephine Dances Her Head Off, Meanwhile, and Vacuum Sweet Vacuum.

Just FYI – the vacuum is NOT sweet. It is evil, and I’m pretty sure it’s trying to kill me.

Countdown Wednesday

Today, we’re counting down some favorites. My friend, Little Binky gave me the idea when we were both nominated for the Favorite Things Award. Thanks, Little B. and Granny!

For this award, all we have to do is tell 6 of our favorite things, and then pass the award on. Feel free to take the badge and tell 6 of your favorite things if you haven’t already done that.

My Favorite Things

6. Bacon treats. Or chicken. Or liver. Or beef. Or cheese…..

5. Stuffed toys. I don’t always tear them up. Only sometimes….

4. The park. I love swinging, walking, sitting, sniffing, eating things from the ground when Mom isn’t looking, and people watching – especially little-kid-people.

3. The car. Every road trip is a good road trip.

2. Street naps. The hotter the better.

1. Sun puddles. Aaahhhh…..

Mom’s Favorite Books to Read Aloud When She Was a Teacher

6. The Trumpet of the Swan

5. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

4. All About Sam

3. All the Money in the World

2. Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Fruitcake

1. The Chocolate Touch

Honors

I have been honored again! I’m sure I don’t deserve it, but I LIKE it! My friends at Praying for One Day nominated me for the Shine On award. I think it’s because my fur is so shiny.

And my friends at Collies of the Meadow nominated me for the Super Sweet Blogging Award. I think it’s because I’m sweet.

Thanks, guys! If any of my bloggy friends would like to share these awards, feel free!

I have also been honored to be the Fur Friend of the Month at My Three Moggies. What an honor to actually be featured after reading the stories of other fascinating Fur Friends there. The moggies told my story and also showed my cuteness in pictures. Wow!

Mom has been honored, too. She has received letters from an agent, a couple of magazines, and a picture book publishing company. All rejections. Yay. That’s a good thing…. Right….?

At any rate, Mom has finally decided she hates the mailman. I been trying and trying to tell her he was evil….

Breaking Rules

As a dog, I know without a doubt that rules are made to be broken.

I broke some rules last week, when Mom decided to take me out to breakfast. The restaurant allows dogs at the outdoor tables, and Mom has often seen dogs snoozing under chairs, snacking on table scraps, and generally chilling beside their family. She thought I’d be great at all of these skills. I wasn’t. There was something about the metal chairs scraping on the sidewalk, the window shoppers walking by minding their own business, the motorcycle zooming past, and the firetruck 2 blocks away that just set me on edge.

I twirled and twisted, shivered and struggled, pulled and panted, jerked and jumped,

and eventually sat down IN the water bowl that the waitress gave me.

After Mom choked down part of her bagel and gulped down half of her coffee, we went back to the car. Mom said, “I think my shoulder is dislocated.” and “Why can’t you be normal?” and “You are never leaving the house again. Ever.”

Since when is Mom such a rule follower? She breaks rules all the time in her writing. She loves using sentence parts instead of whole sentences, the picture book rule of three sometimes turns into the picture book rule of five, she calls herself a full-time writer, but she only writes for one hour a day, and once she even wrote a story BACKWARDS. Maybe I should ask why SHE can’t be normal??

Now it’s time for me to break some more rules. I want to thank the blog friends who have so graciously nominated me for awards. If you know anything about me, you know I love winning. I will break the rules of the awards by saying that if you’re reading this, I am nominating YOU to take and enjoy whatever award(s) you like. Post them and follow their rules, like a normal person (or pet). Or not. Normal is definitely overrated.

Thanks to my friends Wallace and Samuel for calling me family with the WordPress Family Award.

Thanks to one of my favorite positive thinkers, Shaun for sending over the Shine On Award.

Thanks to the most mellow and most golden golden retriever, Miss Harper Lee for the Sunshine Award and the Super Sweet Blogging Award. See my answers here and here.

Thanks to a newish friend Nikita (and Val) for a newish award called the Dragon’s Loyalty Award.