Flapping in the Wind

Some kite flying kids had an early end to their fun spring day. Their kite got stuck in a tree.

They threw stuff at it, but no luck. It just stayed up there, flapping in the wind. Of course they didn’t throw as much stuff at it as the kid in the book Stuck (one of Mom’s all-time favorites), but they gave it a shot.

I get stuck sometimes. Never in a tree – not yet, anyway. But stuck nonetheless.

In the back seat

Between pillows

Behind my blanket-bed

Below the dugout bench

On a wall

Inside the sheets

Or under the bed

Mom isn’t stuck with her writing, but she’s stuck in a rut of not submitting anything. Since, apparently, nothing gets published on the dining room table, she has a plan. She will submit 10 stories and/or poems in the month of July.

Once things are “out there” then we will have some suspense and something to look forward to. Book 2? Maybe. Ebook 2? Possibly. Something fun is bound to happen.

Meanwhile, I will look forward to ….cake

and kisses.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

Five Word Friday

Today’s 5 words are about rest.

1. Couch-Nap – I like a good couch-nap. When Mom leaves me alone, the couch is my napping area of choice. Also the floor, my bed, the rocking chair,

 

and the butterfly rug in the bathroom.

2. Street-Nap – In the summer the asphalt in my neighborhood gets blazing hot. Those are the perfect days for a street-nap. I lie on my belly and my side and sometimes I flip over and squiggle around like a wiggly worm.

Aaahhhh…

3. Laziness – Mom has been kind of lazy lately. She hasn’t been sitting at her computer and talking to herself! That means no writing in a few days. I thought she was a “full-time” writer. This week, she’s been a writer at rest.

Z-z-z-z-z-…

4. Excuses – She makes excuses like, “I have an appointment.” and “I’m swamped. It’s a super-busy day.” and “How can I write if you drink all my coffee?” I can make excuses, too. “You left your cup right where I can reach it.”

and “I couldn’t decide which toy to play with.”

and “I was lonely eating in the kitchen by myself.”

5. Back-on-the-horse – Yesterday, Mom sat at her computer and said she was getting back on the horse. I have never seen a horse. Mom saw one in Manhattan and showed me the picture. It looked like a big dog. A really, really, REALLY big dog. I hope she doesn’t love that big guy more than she loves me.

Woof!

 

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….

This is Not About Me

This post is not all about me for some reason.

It’s not even all about Mom. It’s not a birthday party for Mom’s old book, Keep Your Ear on the Ball.

Or her ALMOST new ebook, What If I Don’t.

Today, we want to say “Surprise!” and “Happy Birthday, Pam!” to our bloggy-friend Sammy’s Mom.

If you don’t know Sammy or Pam, you can visit them here. If you want to see ME (and a bunch of bloggy friends) in a special happy birthday video, click below. Hey, wait a minute…maybe this IS about me, after all!

Something New

Every month, Mom starts something new – a new story for her 12×12 Challenge. This month, she is working on a story that she is determined to finish, even though she doesn’t even like it. She said, “This story is weird.” and “I have no idea where this is going.” and “Let’s get out of here. We’re going to the park.”

I LOVE when that happens!

Recently, we started something new at the park, too. It’s called Geocaching.

We learned about it from our blogging friends Finn and Gizmo.

Mom read the web site, watched the YouTube video, signed us up, put the app on her phone, and off we went. When we got to the park, we looked at the flowers, and then sat on the bench for a while.

C’mon, Mom! What are we waiting for!?

Mom checked out the app and it said that there was a cache .3 miles from where we were sitting!

We weren’t too hopeful, since the park was all torn up with noisy construction vehicles, and a lot of the shrubs and plants were gone.

But we walked along, following the arrow on the GPS and the compass. At the end of the construction fence, there was one shrub left.

Mom said “This must be the place.” and “Get out of there before you get stuck.” and “OMG! There it is!!”

It’s behind my right ear!

I helped her find it! “Uh… You’re welcome, Mom….”

It was the tiniest little container with a paper to sign inside.

So we signed and put it back exactly where we found it.

Our first find. First of many, I hope!

There’s always a new story to write and always a new geocache to find.

Cool off with some lemonade, and then click here to visit some more GeoDogs – like 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

Summer Camp

I am at Summer Camp. …well, sort of…

I have never been away from home without Mom. But for the next few days, I will be staying with my dog-friend, Lila

and her mom Victoria.

Mom decided to get her sore knee fixed up at the hospital, so it won’t hurt so much when we walk. She promised me that she will come home as soon as she can and then we will take loooong walks together. I can’t wait!

Meanwhile, I will play with Lila and cuddle with her mom and try to be a good girl till things get back to normal.

I wonder where Victoria keeps the treats…..