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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Paw & Order: SVMew

Before we dive into today’s links, a quick plug if you live in the northern Virginia/DC area… this Saturday (the 27th), Friends of Homeless Animals (giver of Tavish) is hosting its annual Barktoberfest. Stop by for pet contests, music, food, drinks, fun, puppies, kittens, and more… check it out!

Now… let’s do this.

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Rawr-iska Hartigay (star of Paw & Order: SVMew) and Ace Hentura (bird detective, obviously).
  2. Speaking of Olivia Benson, I think Mariska Hartigay is my soul mate. (H/t Hey Love Designs for sending this one my way!)
  3. Move over, Ace Ventura.  This little dude is my new favorite pet detective.
  4. Furry pet detective aside, there appears to be an actual and altruistic pet detective in Canada.
  5. I need a detective (pet or otherwise) to help me solve these mysteries. Anyone?
  6. Is your dog the Hooch to your Turner? Take this quiz and find out which fictional duo you and your pet are most like. (My result? Apparently tiny Tavish is a giant St. Bernard at heart, and I’m a nerdy adolescent boy. Who knew?)

Holy crap, you guys. Agatha Christie’s first dog looked like Tavish. Doggelganger alert!

(I realize that the “holy crap” portion of that sentence might not accurately capture your reaction, but I promise you that was mine. My mom loved Agatha Christie, so I have a soft spot for all things A.C.)

Anyway, check it out:

Fascinating, yes? Authors are kind of like rock stars to me, so I loved that video on many levels.

In closing… take a look, it’s in a book.

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Aye, there’s the rub…

I planned to sit down and write today’s post after dinner. (So far, my #NaBloPoMo has been defined by a failure to plan ahead.) However, while eating dinner, I heard the news about Robin Williams. He died today at the age of 63, due to an apparent suicide.  As I sit down to write tonight’s post, I find myself unable to write about my originally planned topic.  Continue reading

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Living on the hedge(hog)

It’s time for another installment of your Friday linkage…

  1. First up, your punny pet name: Kenny Hedgehoggins.
  2. Speaking of the king of 80s movie soundtracks, the world needs an all-hedgehog production of Footloose, don’t you think?
  3. This hedgehog seems to be inspired by a different movie legend – Ricky Bobby.
  4. I cannot resist a snaggletooth. I simply can’t.
  5. You know what else I can’t resist? An adorable animal odd couple involving a hedgehog and a kitten.
  6. I call this one “leave it to hedgehog.”

Finally, I give you today’s video. This hedgehog is on a highway to the danger zone, but I’m not sure he’ll get there anytime soon.

That video is a total hole in one. (Sorry, I needed to work in some sort of Caddyshack reference, but I ran out of ideas.)

via giphy.com

Finally, in case you missed it, here’s what was happening on the blog this past week:

Happy Friday! Get out there and enjoy your weekend!

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How is this blog like Molly Ringwald?

(Before you get too excited, the answer is not that my blog spent a Saturday morning in detention leading to romance with a young Judd Nelson.)

You might have noticed that it’s been quiet around here lately.

I’m not quite sure why, but I’ve been suffering from an epic case of writer’s block. When I can convince myself to sit down in front of the laptop (which is a challenge in and of itself), I can’t seem to find the motivation to write a post.  Continue reading

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It’s maybe perhaps just a little bit chancy, but today is the time for flights of Seussical fancy

You may recall it’s an annual tradition, my writing a post for Seuss-ian recognition. (If you are new to this blog of the furry, or if your memory is just a bit blurry, you can find posts from a past calendar year by vigorously clicking first here and then here.)

A dramatic reenactment of the creation of today’s post, via giphy.com.

  1. We begin with names that are loaded with pun – I just pray that this practice does not make you run. Although I do slightly fear your reprisal, I’ve already done puns based on dear Mr. Geisel. So today’s offerings relate to the Academy knock – without further adieu, meet Sandra SeaGullock.
  2. Speaking of puns in a Seussian vein, this Seusstastic menu board is awesome and mildly insane.
  3. Although the concept might sound kind of loose, this guy’s pretending to be celebrities reading Dr. Seuss. If the imitation game strikes you as a scam, here’s an actual celebrity reading Green Eggs and Ham.
  4. A word of hope – don’t fear the task of seeking publication. Seuss was rejected many a time before his eventual proliferation.
  5. Given that flights of whimsy were often his wont, I bet Seuss would approve of this fun elefont.
  6. If you’re thinking of writing in classic Seussian style, you might use these animal sounds for the extra mile. (Then you can read it to a homeless dog or a cat, and they would totally appreciate your doing of that.)
  7. If celebrating this man’s birthday would fill you with glee, make sure to decorate with Sneetches and a Truffula Tree.
  8. In addition to the birthday of this wordsmithing light, the Oscars are airing on this Sunday night. If this awards show news fills you with great jubilation, you might want to make it a pun-filled celebration.

Finally, I share today’s video installment. I’ve selected some Pugs for your viewing enjoyment. (I did consider sharing a feline film instead, but I flipped a coin that landed right on its head.)

We’re now at the end of this year’s novel-length rhyme. I hope that you had a splendiferous time. Should you want to leave words of a commenting type, I’ll remind you that the time for poetic license is ripe!

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DOGma: How to get rid of your guilty pleasures once and for all

Class, please open your self-yelp books to Chapter 7. Today, we’re going to talk about our dirty little secrets – those things that you hate to admit that you really like.

Get your minds out of the gutters, kids. I’m talking about guilty pleasures. Continue reading

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Animal Odd Couples 2: Eclectic Boogaloo

I like animals who break the mold. Those who refuse to conform to peer pressure and boldly look outside their own species for friends. After all, who am I to argue with generations of Disney movies saluting interspecies friendships?

via giphy.com

(And yes, I’m totally aware that I have done way more than two posts about animal odd couples. However, the number three bazillion didn’t yield any catchy rhyming titles with a completely random pop culture reference. I’m sure you understand.)

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Fawn Luc-Picard and James Flea Kirk.
  2. Never was there a story of more aww than that of Meowliet and her Droolio. (Or Drooliet and her Meowreo if you’re so inclined.)
  3. I wonder if this pair just plays that “let me tell you ’bout my best friend” song on repeat. If not, they should.
  4. I wish I could go back in time and show Tod and Copper that there was hope after all. You could have made it work, guys!
  5. Ever hope that a Rodent of Unusual Size would find love in this crazy world? (I mean, this is a thing that normal people think about, right?) As you wish.
  6. Well, this little guy is basically an odd couple in and of himself. It’s like a chick and a hamster had an unexpected love connection. Or a duck and a gerbil?
  7. Speaking of unexpected combinations… Sir Patrick Stew can moo, can you?
  8. Also rather moo-ving: “At first, it was all about the milk, but then… then I realized I was really just coming here to see you!

Let’s take this to the next level. Coming soon, to a theater near you: in a world of cats and boxes, one cat followed his heart and declared his love… for a bag:

What can we learn from today’s linkage? Follow your heart. The resulting friendship might just be adorable.

Oh, and in case you missed anything, here’s what we’ve been up to on the blog lately:

Have a great weekend!

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Weird (and fluffy) science

Well, here we are. It’s the first Friday of 2014. I was feeling kind of lazy on the post-drafting front, but it just didn’t seem right to start the year off without some Friday linkage… so, let’s get to it. (Against all odds, the topic of today’s post is science. If you knew me, you’d realize that in and of itself is weird.)

  1. First up, your punny pet name for this week: Albert Whinestein.
  2. So, apparently science has discovered that dogs do their business in line with the earth’s magnetic field. I do have one question: who funds these studies?
  3. In less weird scientific news, we’re one step closer to hanging out with Dug from Up. I can’t wait.

    via giphy.com

  4. Let’s be honest. Dogs know us better than we known ourselves, right? (That’s because dogs are awesome. Even cats can’t argue.)
  5. I’ve heard that a dog a day keeps the doctor away. Unless the doctor is a dog, of course. (Seriously, what can’t dogs do?)
  6. Also, rumor has it that dog lovers make awesome friends. Science wins again. Go science! (I’m sure science appreciates a little cheerleading every now and then.)
  7. I’d also like to thank science for finding cute new animals for me to squee about.

Speaking of important discoveries, scientists have discovered the theory of cute-itivity.

I melt (and I’m not scientifically savvy enough to come up with a theory to share here).

Anyway, in case you missed anything over the holidays, here’s what we’ve been up since the last round of Friday linkage:

That’s all for today, folks. See you next time!

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What’s on your must-watch holiday list?

I’ve been having trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year. However, a wise doctor (okay, me) prescribed a steady diet of holiday television. My condition has been upgraded, and I’m well on the way to recovery.

What programs are essential to my Daily Recommend Intake of Holiday Television (DRIHT… totally a catchy acronym)? Every year, I must watch at least the following ten things or I’ll get a case of the Grinchies:

  1. A Garfield Christmas Special  – Absolutely essential. I am singing this song right now. Right. Now.
  2. White Christmas  – Possibly my favorite holiday movie ever. It seriously has it all.
  3. A Charlie Brown Christmas  – An equally essential choice. Dance it out.
  4. Mickey’s Christmas Carol  – Probably my favorite of the Carols. I get giddy just watching the opening.
  5. The Muppet Christmas Carol  – Almost tied with Mickey. So many good songs.
  6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas – I am a Max the dog fangirl.  Cartoon version only, please.  As far as I’m concerned, that Jim Carrey thing never happened.
  7. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – This was always one of my favorites growing up.  Mice! Saving Christmas!
  8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – I still refer to the Island of Misfit Toys on a regular basis (possibly as often as once a week).
  9. Elf  – Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?
  10. It’s a Wonderful Life  – Oh, George Bailey. You get me every time.

Oh, and I also need to watch these two things:

These two via wantmorepuppies.com

The most essential viewing of all.

So, tell me… what do you absolutely have to watch to get into the holiday mood?

(Oh, and if you happened to notice that there was no linkage yesterday, have no fear. I’m hoping to post a non-Friday installment in the near future to make up for it!)

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