Who let the blog out?

Join the Pet Blogger Challenge Jan 9th, 10th and 11thHard to believe, but this is the sixth year I’m participating in the Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by Go Pet Friendly. I’ve devoted more than a few lines in those posts to discussion of Phil Collins and my disgust for navels. These things happen.

As always, there is a list of questions to answer in your post. Sometimes I abandon the preferred format in favor of a rambling narrative. Although last year I decided to play by the rules, I’m going to return to my roots this time around. (You can see all of the questions here.) Onward to the introspectionContinue reading

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Lists and the women who love them

Last year was a busy blogging year for me… just not on this blog. I launched my webcomic, which – like a shiny, new toy – has gotten the lion’s share of my attention. I’ll admit that I’ve found myself missing this space and hope to give some more attention to my first blog-child in the coming year. (We’ll talk more about that later this month – stay tuned.)

With that in mind, I wanted to start off the new year with a new post. When a friend told me about 50 Happy Things, I just knew that this was the perfect way to kick off 2016 (and to help me find some positivity in a year that seemed to be full of sad news from the world at large). Plus, I love lists. I have a list of the lists that I keep. It’s like list-ception.

You can visit Tales from the Motherland for the full lowdown, but here are the basics:

  • Set a timer for ten minutes.
  • During those ten minutes, write a list of 50(ish) things that made you happy (or that you were grateful for) in 2015. (After time was up, I went back and added some links, comments, and photos – you know I can’t resist a good link roundup.)
  • Add your post to the list of bloggers participating in this flood of gratitude. (Don’t have a blog? That’s okay! You can do this on your own – either just for yourself, or to share with your friends in another format. Also, if you want to tell me some of the things that made you happy in the comments, I’d love to hear them!)

I armed Tavish with a stopwatch, which he promptly ignored in favor of going back to sleep. (Hosting people for New Year’s Eve is exhausting, apparently.) So, looks like I’m on my own. Here we go… Continue reading

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18 more punny pet names

If you’re popping over here from Buzzfeed, welcome! Lovers of puns must stick together, after all.

via giphy.com

(If you’re a regular reader, thanks for not abandoning me. You are, truly, the wind beneath my wings. Or, you would be if I had wings. You get the idea.) Continue reading

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Hey, Blog… how you doin’?

Okay, I admit it. I’ve been neglecting my first blog child in favor of the new kid on the block. I’m obviously a terrible blog parent who is easily distracted by shiny new toys.

(Seriously, Blog, you know I love you, right? We’ve shared a lot of special memories and have a bond that the new site will never understand. I hope we can move past this bump in the road and adapt to the changes in our relationship. Oh, yeah… I did just link to the new site in my apology. Don’t be mad, Blog. That didn’t mean anything. Total accident. I just want you two to get along.)

Anyway, if you’re still reading (instead of trying to figure out who to contact about the troubling fact that I’m attempting to engage in conversation with my blog) – hey there. How’ve you been? What’s new?

I don’t really have much to report at the moment, to be honest. I’m still being discriminated against by my furry boss, who continues to believe that he can only turn left because our home is some sort of racetrack. He’s a regular Licky Bobby.

Anyway, my furry boss has informed me that I’m slacking on showcasing his epic amounts of cuteness. So, please consider this a shameless attempt to get back on his good side. This post will be emailed to him along with a shameless bribe gift certificate to the local canine bakery.

Tiny troublemaker via wantmorepuppies.com

Hey, lady – you’re letting my fans down.

I’m going to attempt to make things a little more lively here on my Original Recipe Blog. We’ll start slow, with a couple of posts per month. (Famous last words, right? Pretty sure I’ve said that before…)

 

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When belly buttons attack…

Pet Blogger Challenge Jan. 10Once again, the time has come to engage in a little bit of omphaloskepsis.  I’m still firmly in the anti-belly button camp, but I’ll try to gaze at my metaphorical navel without getting too grossed out.

Anyway, that’s a long-winded way of saying I’m participating in the annual Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by our friends at GoPetFriendly.com.  Every year, the Pet Blogger Challenge gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past year and look forward – it’s a chance to deliver our own little State of the Blog address. Continue reading

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You can’t go wrong with The Poodle (and Dog) Blog

Pet Blogger's Gift ExchangeIt’s that time again, my friends.  Trees have been knocked over by intrepid feline Magellans and claimed by dogs confused by the sudden appearance of decorative indoor toilets.  Stockings have been knocked off the chimney with care by cantankerous cats and then been mistaken for dog toys. Traditions abound.

One of those traditions? The Pet Blogger’s Gift Exchange (or, as I like to call it, the PBGE) hosted by the brilliant Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes.  Instead of gifts wrapped in paper and bows, we exchange compliments, encouragement, and love.

I’ve been paired up with some pretty fantastic bloggers in the past, and this year is no exception.  You may be familiar with Jan from The Poodle (and Dog) Blog.  If not, you’re in for a real treat today – prepare to find a new blog to add to your must-read list!  Jan’s been blogging since 2005, showing us all how it’s done.  She’s smart, funny, and generally just the greatest.

So… today, I’m dedicating a link roundup to The Poodle (and Dog) Blog and all of its awesomeness.  Join me as we explore some of the many reasons to love this blog (and, at the end of this post, find out how you can help me make this gift really special).  I’ve picked some links from 2014 to highlight, but trust me when I tell you that all of the archives are worth checking out. (Chuck Norris agrees.)

via giphy.com

Ready? Continue reading

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Wanted: One groove

As you may have noticed, things have been pretty quiet around here lately. Or maybe you haven’t noticed, since it has been slow since May (aside from that stint in August), and you have given up on visiting.

I have to admit – I like to think that you still check back here from time to time, hoping to see some new content.  I won’t flatter myself by thinking that’s actually true. However, if you have stuck around and are reading this post… I’m glad to see you. Thanks for not giving up on the blog while I spent some time figuring out how to navigate the changes of my life. (Paging Stevie Nicks. I’m obviously going to spend the next few minutes serenading Tavish with some sweet Fleetwood Mac tunes before I finish this post. I’m sure he wishes that I would not.)

Anyway, it’s December, I think it’s time I give this whole blogging thing another shot. After all, if I don’t get this thing up and running again, what will I do with all of the caroldies that get stuck in my head during the holidays? What will I do with all of the Tavish pictures that populate my phone?  Who will pretend to enjoy (or at least tolerate) my punny pet names? How will I convince you to check out that long-gestating webcomic that I’ve got in the works once I finally hit publish?

I might start slow, but bear with me. I can at least promise you some of this adorable little guy along the way:

Tavish is back - wantmorepuppies.com

You need to get something back, Ma? Here’s my back!

Next time, I’ll even convince him to face the camera… I hope.

Anyway, consider this my attempt to channel Stella and find my missing groove. (I can only hope that my journey also involves a trip to a tropical island.)

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When puppies make puppies…

Blog the ChangeThis post is part of Blog the Change for Animals, a quarterly blog event dedicated to shining a spotlight on animal causes. I originally had another post planned for today, but it’s still in limbo due to a nasty case of writer’s block. So, I decided to share a post I did last year (with a few tweaks) about a topic that never seems to go out of style.  (Just ask Bob Barker.) 

From time to time, I write about some of the more interesting search terms that bring people to this humble blog. One of these search terms inspired today’s post. Those fateful words? “I want a puppy that makes puppies.” Well, dear searcher… what exactly do you mean by that? I kind of hope you’re looking for some sort of child’s toy that I haven’t heard of yet. Or a puppy prodigy that spends his spare time building Lego replicas of other puppies. Continue reading

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Caring for Critters: Dealing with kidney disease

Caring-For-Critters2-200

This post is a part of the Caring for Critters Health Issues Round Robin hosted by Heart Like a Dog. As the adorable graphic suggests, pet bloggers will be sharing their personal experiences, health problems their pets have faced, and how we dealt with them. While we consulted veterinarians and specialists in determining our own course of treatment, we are not vets and nothing shared should be considered medical advice. Got it?

I’ll admit – I had trouble deciding what to write about today. My beautiful Bella had numerous health issues over the years, so choosing one was difficult. I also wasn’t necessarily motivated to revisit some of those issues in light of our recent loss. However, inspiration finally hit, and this post is the result. Continue reading

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