Inspirational Quote of the Week

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, “It will be happier.”

~Alfred Lord Tennyson~

Pretty low bar after 2020, but we’ll take it. Everybody loves being happier. 

We are happy, but being happier is even better. Can’t have too many blessings! Am I right?

Writing and selling and sharing the elusive Book #2 will make Mom happier. 

So will good health, good friends, good luck, and plenty of creative ideas. Fingers crossed that some of them go somewhere.

More treats will make me happier.

So will more walks,

You call this a walk?

more kisses,

more toys,

These seem like fun….

and plenty of naps.

Paws crossed that some of them are in the blazing hot street.

Here’s to a dream-come-true holiday season and a new year filled with happiness, health, friends, luck, creativity, treats, walks, kisses, toys, and naps. 

 

Inspirational Quote of the Week

“Whatever pool of possibility stands before you, jump in!”

~Marianne Williamson~

Mom jumped in and submitted a few stories in the past few weeks. We didn’t hear back yet, but things inside the wheels and gears (whatever) of the computer stand no chance at all.

With things out in the world of books, there’s a chance that something will A. be good enough, B. get into the right hands, and C. land in the right place at the right time. If none of those things happen, we are no worse off than before, and Mom will feel like she’s a writer because writers take those chances all the time.

Win or lose, we will smile through and keep on hoping. And jumping.

Mom doesn’t like when I jump from high places. She says it gives her 6 strokes and 4 heart attacks every time. But when she plops me up on top of a rock, it’s awful tempting to make a jump for it.

Ditto when I leap onto a bench. Jumping is fun.

When Mom calls me I will jump and run every time. That is not my fault. It’s what she taught me.

Once on my walk I tried to jump up and catch a bird. I have also jumped up to try and catch a butterfly, a helicopter, and a hot air balloon flying over my house. If (When) it doesn’t happen, I am no worse off than before.

So, win or lose, I smile through and keep on hoping. And jumping.

“Those who don’t jump will never fly”

~Unknown~

 

 

Inspirational Quote of the Week

Mom has been looking up at the stars a lot lately.

She imagines getting her next acceptance letter/email/phone call/telepathic message. She visualizes how it will play out and exactly how it will feel.

When a rejection comes instead, she visualizes the acceptance even harder.

Meanwhile, she reads, writes, revises, edits, critiques, and submits. She has to. That’s what writers do.

…in between playing with the peppermint ball…

I look up at the stars, too. I don’t imagine anything or visualize anything – or read or write or edit or critique or submit anything. I just look at the stars or stare at the air. Mom says, “Are you daydreaming?” and “Are you sightseeing?” and “Enough, weirdo! We’re going home!”

She is long on patience waiting for Book #2 to be accepted, but short on patience waiting for me. When she gets publisher mail, she says, “This is it!” When I am star gazing, she says, “That is it!” They are really very different…

Mom and I agree on one thing. Stephen Hawking was a pretty smart guy. Keeping your head up and your eye on the prize matters. Aiming for the stars is never a bad idea. And when you can’t take time to smell the flowers

because the flowers are sleeping under the snow, keep your head up. Stare at the air. Or look up at the stars!

 

Being Prepared

When Mom and I go for a walk, we are always prepared – treats in one pocket, plastic bag in the other.

Also, there are antibacterial wipes, house keys and the car key in my little penguin leash pouch.

I wear a harness AND a Martingale collar. Mostly, I’m fine with my harness, but if I get scared of something, Mom switches the leash to my collar so I won’t pull away. I am more obedient with my collar. Eventually….

Nope. I’m not going in…

Some places we visit are also prepared. Like this… Just in case.

In the car, we are usually prepared with some coffee.

And my travel bowl for water.

Nope. I’m not going in…

Mom likes to be prepared. Her books are framed,

and just to be ready – a couple of her favorite manuscripts are framed too. She’ll replace them with actual books as soon as book #2 or ebook #2 happen.

She thinks a lot and plans a lot for the future. By thinking and planning I mean visualizing and hoping. When she talks about her writing future, she says “when” instead of “if” and always tells herself (and me), “This is it” when she submits something. Mom thinks it’s better to be prepared, positive, and hopeful than surprised, negative, and demoralized. Me too…

Prepared, positive, and hopeful…

 

School Visits

Mom says that school visits are one of the absolute best perks of being an author.

Talking, reading, and playing with bunches of kids is one of her favorite things to do, and being an author gives her a reason (excuse) to do it.

For 35 years, she didn’t need an excuse because she was a teacher.

Teacher-Mom

I guess you can take the teacher out of the school, but you can’t take the school out of the teacher.

Mom has been to three author visits in the past month. At one of them, she helped kids understand how to accept and include differently-abled friends.

Author-Mom

At another one, she taught about how an idea becomes a story and how that story becomes a book. And the third visit was just a quick stop to see the kids she taught and pick up a thank you note and gift that they made for her.

Perfect fit on Mom’s inspiration board…

…and not a bad spot for a nap, either.

That quick stop included a cute little doggie in her flag dress who was invited along by the teacher, instead of being left behind watching out the window as the car pulled away.

It was ME! I was invited to school!!

I have dreamed about this for-like-EVER! I was petted and fussed over and had a captive audience to watch me do tricks and feed me treats. I tasted pretty much every single kid, and they were delicious! They tasted like crayons. And gum. And lunchroom pizza. And playground dirt. Everyone said I was well-behaved and cute as a buttermilk biscuit. Well, they didn’t exactly say that, but I knew it was true.

Being cute…

Mom even took a minute to talk to the kids about how to meet a new dog and how to avoid dog bites and keep from scaring or startling dogs.

And a little about the job that therapy dogs do.

Did I mention how everyone loved me and said I was cute? Yeah… That.

Countdown Wednesday

She finally did it! Mom brought me with her to a school visit. Well… It wasn’t actually a school visit where she had to talk to kids about being an author. She already talked to these kids a few weeks ago. On Monday, we were just picking something up and dropping something off for the kids.

We are counting down about our awesome school visit.

What Mom loved…

3. The teacher used to be Mom’s student a long time ago. Now she is a super-teacher.

That’s her. She’s the first one on the left in the pink jumper –  right next to Young-Mom.

2. The kids made a cute card for us to take home.

1. I was a good girl.

What I loved…

3. Everyone fussed and fussed over me.

2. Through the window, I spotted a playground with swings and slides.

1. Lots of kids gave me treats.

Over here, kids! Mom brought my treat pouch!

27B. I wore my sailor dress.

67. I ALMOST got to play in the playground. Then I got afraid. So Mom said the word, “Forget it.”

*gulp*

52. I relaxed in the back seat all the way home.

6. I didn’t take a street nap, but Mom let me rest for a few minutes in the parking lot.

I’m worn out from all that love. Plus my belly is full of treats.

21W. School visits are the BEST!

Inspirational Quote of the Week

Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin. Robert Collier

Visualizing is an important part of a writer’s journey. Mom always visualized opening a letter of acceptance. She walked herself through every bit of how it would feel. The envelope – the weight of it, the uncertainty – that wiggly feeling in the tummy, the zipping it open – the rough edges, and the finally knowing – somebody said yes. Over and over for years and years, she saw it, felt it, and believed it. But guess what. When her first story was sold, no letter came. Her publisher called her on the phone and left a message! That being said, Mom still visualizes getting an acceptance letter. Over and over. Every detail. Every single day. She says, “This will happen.” and “It can’t hurt.” and “What is going on in that tiny brain of yours?”

What time is dinner?

I visualize, too, of course.

What time is dinner?

I see and feel and believe in tons of treats, piles of toys, long walks, and playtime that never ends.   My mental blueprint shows how I will get onto the table, into the garbage, out the window, and through the door. My brain may be tiny, but it’s busy all the time. Visualizing…..

What time is dinner?

10,000

Last week, we reached 10,000 views on our blog. I’m not much with the math, but 10,000 seems like a lot, seeing as how Mom only lets me post once or twice a week. I am excited that so many people and pets wanted to see what we were up to.

Of course, about 9,000 of the views were probably Mom, looking for mistakes and reading comments and stuff. She is my biggest fan. I am her biggest fan, too!

A long time ago, Mom got a fan letter from a little girl who read one of her poems in Spider Magazine. The little girl said that Mom’s poem made her laugh.

I’d like to say Mom was excited about the fan letter, but excited doesn’t even begin to express how she felt. That letter was her favorite piece of mail of her life, until she got the contract for her first book years and years later.

Even though Mom’s book had a ton of good reviews and won The Moonbeam Award, she has never received a fan letter from any of her readers. She has lots of thank you letters from the kids at the schools she visited…

 

….but no fan letters.

If I could write, I’d send her one, but paws aren’t much good with a pencil.

Thanks to all my fans for visiting Cupcake Speaks. Every Visit, every Comment, and every Like feels like a fan letter to me!! xoxo

Nutcracker

Mom is watching The Nutcracker ballet on TV. I am too. The remote is still a mystery to me. Although one time I did manage to record a Spanish soap opera by jumping on the buttons just right.

Mom says, “I love ballerinas.” and “I wish I were the SugarPlum Fairy.” and “Stop licking the remote.”  I can’t help it.  The remote tastes like gingerbread, for some reason….

Mr. Clark, my teacher at obedience school said, “A dog needs a boss and a job.” Mom is my boss, of course, and my job is to make people happy. I’m really good at that job. I have another job, too. It’s called sit-stay-down-come-heel-bring-it-leave-it-and-don’t-be-naughty. I may or may not be barely competent at that job.

My dream job has always been to work at a restaurant. I am totally qualified to do this job. I could be a sous chef and taste all of the food to be sure it’s perfect. Even though I occasionally eat goose poop and dirt, I’m sure I’d know a yummy steak if I ever tasted one. I could also be a dishwasher. I am a very skilled plate-licker.

Mom had the job of being a teacher and now she has the job of being an author. Mom LOVED teaching, and she says being an author is a blast. Every day she writes stories, revises stories, and submits stories to publishers. Nothing makes her as excited as an acceptance letter. She likes getting ideas, writing about them, seeing her name in print, seeing her books in the bookstore, and talking to kids about writing. She says, “I have had two dream jobs already!”

Mom’s other dream job has always been to be a ballerina. Anyone who knows her (EVERYONE who knows her) knows she is TOTALLY NOT qualified to do this job AT ALL.  Sometimes Mom worries that she’ll be a one-book-wonder. She says, “If I don’t get an acceptance soon, I may be forced to look into this SugarPlum Fairy gig, after all.”

OMG, Mom. REALLY? Let’s forget her age, body structure, strength, balance, and natural grace.  Has she ever had so much as one dance lesson in her entire life?? NO!

I don’t think she knows that some dreams are not meant to come true. So if she’s ever the SugarPlum Fairy, I will look into piloting fighter jets!