Last Day of August

see more Lolcats and funny picturesToday is the last day to enter my August contest. A comment gets you an entry. Check back tomorrow to see if you won! I can't remember what the prize is, but it should be listed under the contest tab on the menu/nav bar above.

Have you heard about Jack the Cat who has gone missing at JFK in American Airlines baggage area? It's a very sad story. The cat has been missing since Thursday. Somehow he escaped from a kennel that had been secured by a ticketing agent with a zip tie. AA didn't seem to care much about the lost kitty until Social Media drove them to finally do something about it, including contacting the owner. You can "like" this Facebook page if you want to support Jack's mommy.

I'm still writing away. At least trying. Yesterday wasn't as easy as I'd hoped it would be, but I've got my fingers crossed today will be better.

Have a nice day!

More Norwegian Elkhound Puppies

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I wonder if my cats ever think this. Yoda can be very finicky when it comes to being rubbed by anyone but me. Puppies on the other hand could care less.

I finally have some puppy pics for you. The first three are from our visit on Friday. They had grown and changed a lot in the nine days since we'd last seen them. They have much more energy now and aren't as wobbly as they walk.


The breeder emailed me a couple of pictures last night of them, too. Serious cuteness, don't you think?

Hope the pics put a smile on your face the way they did mine! Have a great Tuesday!

Monday morning

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I realized I never posted the newest Norwegian Elkhound puppy pics. I'll move that up on my To Do list. Pretty much all I've been doing is writing.

The family had a great time at the lake with our neighbors. They had fun speeding around the water all day. I was a little worried when six o'clock rolled around yesterday evening and I hadn't heard from them. Hubby called on the drive home to tell me all three kidlets were sound asleep and what should he pick up for dinner. I told him something easy and inexpensive so he swung by Wendy's.

It's hard to believe the end of August is almost here. The months keep speeding by faster and faster. I had a goal I wanted to be at with my word count on September 1st. I won't make it, but I want to be closer to it than I am right now. Time to get writing!

Hope you have a nice Monday. The temperatures are supposed to cool off a bit here this week. How's the weather where you are?

A day of writing

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The family is headed out to go jet skiing (whatever it is where you sit on a bike type thing in the water) with our neighbors. I get to stay home and write. Being disciplined really sucks sometimes because I'd much rather be with the family at the lake. Sigh...

But I'm behind on word count and still struggling to write faster due to missing Smalls. The deadline is pressing down on my so I'll do what I can.

Are you having fun today?

Cheese

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My cats would do anything for cheese! I've been thinking and praying for everyone on the East Coast because of Irene. A couple of people I know had to evacuate. One in North Caroline and another in NYC.

Yesterday turned out to be a better birthday than I expected. It was a very quiet, low-key kind of day, but a visit to the Norwegian Elkhounds really made me feel better. I didn't have time last night to upload any pics. Boy, have they grown in a week! But they are still totally cute and adorable. I'll get pics up tomorrow.

Today is all about writing for me. Must start catching up. What are you doing today?

Just another day...

At least that's how I'm looking at today. Not feeling like celebrating or doing much at all except writing. Last night hubby and I went to the animal hospital to pick up Smalls' ashes as well as her paw prints.


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But even though I'm not in a have-a-party-and-blow-out-the-candles state of mind, I really don't want to have to wait another year to use this LOLcat...



...because Smalls was a huntress. Before she became a house cat, she roamed our yard in Lake Oswego. She brought me many "presents" during that time. All of her gifts would be left in clear view upon opening the back door.

While I told the family low key was what I wanted today (if not for the kidlets I'd be skipping it completely) and gifts weren't necessary, I did want to share something with the cat lovers out there. This clip was posted on the climbing forum I belong to. It's a lighthearted look at cat videos, some of which I've posted on this blog. Enjoy!



Hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Tails and tales

Too funny! This picture reminds me so much of this. I'd woken up one morning to find Smalls' tail across my eyes like a sleeping mask.

We received the nicest sympathy card from the Smalls' vet. They must have heard from the emergency vet hospital. It included a tear off bookmark with the Rainbow Bridge Poem on it. Bailey, who sometime comments on this blog and I was fortunate to meet at RWA Dallas a few years ago, suggested I share that poem with the girls. I did, and it really helped, Rose especially. She keeps forgetting that Smalls isn't coming back and I've found her looking for her.

I think part of the reason this came as such a shock go us was that Smalls had had a full blood work up done during an exam in mid-March. The vet couldn't believe how healthy Smalls was given her age (which was more of a range then 15+.) But the hospital doctor did say this comes on suddenly. And I suppose with an old cat, you can never fully know what's going on inside of them.

Finn has mentioned more than once that he said bye to Smalls when he left to go camping, but that he never got to say a final goodbye. I think we'll need do some sort of ceremony as a commenter mentioned on yesterday's post to give him some closure.

Speaking of ashes, I received a call toady saying she'd been cremated and that I could pick up her ashes. I'd spoken to someone else there who offered to have the ashes transported to the pet hospital which is closer to me. When I mentioned that, he said he'd check then came back on the line and said he couldn't find Smalls. She hadn't been taken with today's deliver, but wasn't there, either. Wherever "there" is. I was starting to freak out a bit. He told me he'd call back, but didn't. I gave him two hours then called. Thankfully her ashes had been located.

On the good news side of things, my son had his cast removed. He's now wearing a removable brace. He can swim and play soccer again! He's so psyched. Just in time as the fall seasons will be starting soon.

I also got some words written. It's been a struggle to finish my latest tale, and I've fallen behind on my word count. No doubt the emotions as well as the fact one of my constant writing companions is missing. But Spirit has been extra attentive no matter what time of day and night. If my computer is open, she's within arms reach or touching me. That's helped a lot.

I've been very self-absorbed this week. What's been going on with you? Please fill me in!

Seventeen

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Thanks for all the comments about Smalls. I really appreciate it. I have a feeling this is going to hurt for a while. I miss her so much. I also appreciate those of you who have emailed, texted and phoned. It was hard going through this alone. Granted, the girls were here, but they're still just kids and needed to do their own grieving not worry about me. It was great to have that extra support so a big thank you. You know who you are!

Yesterday morning, I needed to do something. My girls thought it was weird, but I'm sure they think most things I do are weird. In spite of my swollen and red eyes, I drove to our vet here in town. A couple of years ago I'd had the cats' records transferred, but Smalls never went there for any appointments. Once when I needed her looked at, I ended up taking her to another vet that had an opening sooner so that other doctor became her regular vet. Anyway, I wanted to see if the records from our old vet had anything about Small's age.

The vet assistant was so nice. She went through all the paperwork (it was mixed in with Chaos' records) and let me take all of her records home. The best part—I found exactly what I was looking for...Smalls' birthday. Something I hadn't known before.

Smalls came with our first house that we purchased in Lake Oswego, Oregon in 1997. The old owners had moved about a half a mile a way. When we first arrived at our new house on move-in day, we found a bowl of cat food. A little kitty kept hanging around in the backyard. We realized she was the same small cat who had been sleeping in one of the bedrooms when we were looking at the house and doing the home inspection. Her name was Smalls.

Each time Smalls showed up, we would drive her back to her new house. But before we knew it, she was back at the house. She always hung around outside since we'd closed off the cat door to keep our new kittens, Spirit and Rocket, inside. She would climb a tree and sit on the peak of the garage roof in the back. I think she used the roof to get into the second floor when the windows were open. Sometimes the old owners would drive down the back alley calling for her. But she would never go to them.

This went on for a long time. Finally I called the old owners and asked if we could keep Smalls. A few minutes later (and I mean literally), they dropped off some vet receipts. I gave those to our vet who must have gotten Smalls' records transferred because right on the front page of Smalls' patient chart that I held in my hands yesterday morning was her birthday: December 1, 1993.

Smalls would have been eighteen in just a few months. That's older than we thought she was. Not that her being seventeen changes anything. But I found it interesting that the time she was born in Oregon was when hubby and I were just starting to date in San Francisco. And even though I'm hurting now, the fourteen years she was with us make it all worthwhile. I just wish I would have had one more night with her sleeping on my pillow against my head and purring like an engine.

Thanks again! xoxox

RIP Smalls

Tonight I had to put one of my cats down. It's the first time I had to do something like this, and it came very unexpectedly. My husband and son left to go backpacking a couple of hours before the girls and I got home from the dog show. They are out of cell phone range so I wasn't able to contact hubby about some tough decisions that had to be made tonight.

When I got home this afternoon, Smalls was having trouble breathing. I called a 24 hour vet hospital. They said to bring her in. On the drive down she started breathing through her mouth. I didn't think she would survive the drive. They took her right in, sedated her and put her in an oxygen tent.  They took x-rays. Turns out she had fluid in her lungs. That can be caused by three things: 1) Heart Failure 2) Infection 3) Cancer.

As I waited, I thought about the different diagnoses. If it was one of the first two, I'd decided to treat it no matter what the cost. The third I didn't want to put her through chemo and the other treatments because of quality of life issues.

They tapped her chest and drained 180 ccs of fluid which is a lot of a cat her size and retook x-rays.  The doctor said she saw what looked to be a mass, but we could wait until morning and have a radiologist look at it.  The doctor then had me look at the x-rays myself. With my untrained eye, I could see two masses. I decided to have her put down.

Those seven words were easy to type, but the decision itself was so painful to make. I feel as if I piece of my heart went with Smalls tonight.

They put us in a room so we'd have time together. I snapped the above photo with my iPhone while we were in there. She was upset, then calmed down, then got upset again. I gave her lots of love and had her, at times, purring like an engine. They gave me the choice to be in there or not. I choose to be in there. I don't know if it made a difference for her, but I hope it did.

I'm heartbroken over this. Everyone is telling me I made the right decision, but it doesn't feel that way. I already miss her so much.  Yes, Smalls had a good, long life. She came with our first house that we purchased in 1997. She wasn't a kitten then so we're not sure how old she was. But she was a great cat. She was a very small cat, too, which is where her name from, a name given to her by the people we bought our old house from.

Smalls was always to the left of me while I wrote. If she wasn't on the bed, then she was on the floor under my nightstand. She slept on my pillow and against my head. I feel horrible I wasn't here the last few days even though the vet said it wouldn't have mattered.

I will probably be laying low for a little bit and won't be on-line much. The girls are very upset. My husband and son won't be home until sometime Tuesday. We just need some time.

Take care. And be back soon!

Off and Table

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I've been away from home since Thursday. Although I've been surrounded by dogs, in particular Norwegian Elkhounds, I haven't forgotten about my feline furbabies at home. This picture really makes me think of Rocket who has decided the dining room table belongs to him. I've had to keep a pad on it because of him. Face it, who wants to eat off a table that a cat calls his bed?

The dog show continues to go well. Mackenna handled Astra again to another major win in Winner's Bitch. They received Best Opposite in the Breed ring. She didn't have as good of luck with Chaos in Jr. Showmanship, but she had fun which is all that matters.

This is the first dog show were we've spent the weekend away from home. Having so many other Elkhound owners and breeders around has been so much fun. We've met some great people and their dogs. We're learning so much. Of course, the "we need a puppy" cries are getting louder from my girls!

Rose is really ready to start showing. She'll be old enough for both 4-H and Jr. Showmanship. All she needs is a...dog!

Today is the last day of the show, and we'll be driving home. What are you up to?

Moose Dogs

This is another picture of Grand Finale who we met on Tuesday night! She is too young to be at the dog show, but many of her "relatives" are here.

Yesterday was the PSNEA Northwest Specialty. They flew in Mr. Nelson Huber, a judge from Texas for the one day competition. It was so much fun!

Chaos' breeder, Jan, had an amazing day. Dogs she bred won Best of Breed, Winners dog, Winners bitch. Mackenna handled Astra to her first major win. It was very exciting!

Mackenna was the only Jr. Handler competing. She won a Moose Dog leash and a beautifully embroidered apron to wear while she grooms Chaos.

After the competition, people who had rescued Elkhounds brought them into the ring to be introduce and do a little parade. It was so neat to see all the dogs now in forever homes with owners who love them so much!

From the ring, we moved to the Horse Barn where PSNEA were hosting a raffle and meal. There were so many prizes. We got lucky and won a few things. But Mackenna hit the jackpot with a huge moose statue. Elkhounds are actually Moose Dogs not Elk dogs. The statue weighs a lot and is a couple feet tall and wide. Now to find the perfect place for it at the house!

Now it's back to the Expo Center for another day of dog shows! Hope it goes as well today as yesterday!

Squee!

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I'm not squeeing over puppies, but there will be a squee or two today. The girls and I are going to the PSNEA (Puget Sound Norwegian Elkhound Association) Specialty show. That means Elkhounds galore! I've never attended and have been looking forward to it for awhile now.

But it won't be all fun and dogs. I've got my Mac and my Alphasmart so I can write during the down time. One month until the book is due!

What are you doing today?

Just a Kiss

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I had more than one person ask me if I was getting a puppy yesterday after my blog post as well as FB status messages. We will be getting a puppy at some point. Mackenna wants to show in the Breed ring at dog shows in addition to Junior Handling. The question is when we'll get a puppy. I'm guessing both the cats and Chaos hope it's a while because they were jealous when we arrived home from visiting the puppies.

I found another song for my book soundtrack. This one is by the group Lady Antebellum and called Just a Kiss.



It's a perfect song for Ryland and Lucy's romance! Now to get the book finished. I've upped my word count each day. I really want a complete by the end of the month so I have a couple of weeks to rewrite it.

I've been focusing on writing and not on-line much due to writing, family and fair last week. I'll try to blog hop later today and get caught up with people. Hope all is well with everyone!

Norwegian Elkhound Puppies Redux

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A year ago last spring, the kidlets and I drove out to Chaos' breeder Jan's house to play with three Norwegian Puppies. They were ready to go to their new homes. It was a lot of fun so when Jan told me a new batch of puppies were going to be born at the end of July we couldn't wait.

Last night, we made the trek to Hillsboro, Oregon to see the three week old puppies along with a 9 week old that Jan had recently received. All of these puppies are related to our dog, Chaos. She would be their half-aunt. That is the little puppies' mom, Cassie, the older puppy's mom, Rumor, and Chaos have the same mom, Libby, who we also got to see last night.

Because the puppies aren't vaccinated yet, we saw them first. There are seven. Four male and three female. Jan keeps track of them by tying different collar ribbon around their necks. Later they will have colored colors.

Right now, they sleep in a kiddie pool with one of the sides cut away so they can get in and out easily. The pool is surrounded by an X-pen (fence) to keep the other dogs away. Eventually this pool will turn into their potty area.

Saying they are cute is an understatement. They are the definition of cute and adorable. They fall asleep in your arms. They waddle as they walk. They make these high-pitch little sounds. They get so excited when their mom, Cassie, comes in. I took a video of them when that happened. I just don't know how to get it from my iPhone to my computer!

This little guy caught my eye right away. He has a lot of white on his paws which most likely means he won't be show quality. There are certain breed standards, including coloring. But he's a total sweetie and will make someone a great pet. He kind of looks like a little bear. So cute. He fell back asleep as soon as I picked him up.

I can't tell you how much fun it was to see these little ones. A couple of times one or two would toddle out of the pool and come up to a kidlet. The giggles and squeals from the kids were so fun to hear. Of course, they've already picked two they want. Rose likes the orange puppy. Finn and Mackenna like the green one. I don't see how they could choose. They are all so adorable!

After we saw the puppies and all of them were more interested in nursing than playing, we headed outside to meet Grand Finale. She's nine weeks old and has such gorgeous coloring. The markings on her face are beautiful.

It was hard to get pics of Grand Finale. She was always moving around. She even stole Mackenna's flip-flop to chew on. A very cute and active little girl!

I was worried when I heard her name that she would be Jan's last puppy. But the name came from the person who bred the puppies and used musical terms for each name. (Encore, etc.)

Right now I need to get some writing done before the kidlets wake up! So I'm going to paste the rest of the pics below as they arrive. They pretty much speak for themselves.  We'll be heading back out to visit the puppies as they grow so there will be more pics. I took all these photos on my iPhone and when I have a little more time I'll see if there are others to upload!

Hope you have a great day!

Always something!

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I wish this photo described my life at the moment. Everything in their place (or close enough.) But it's not even close.

Okay, that's not exactly true. The writing is going well. The good news is my editor approved my proposal revisions! With the book due in a little over a month, you can imagine my sigh of relief. I've been writing the story, but kept wondering if I'd have to go back. She only asked for two minor changes that I did last night! Now to get more words on the page. Fair put me behind a bit.

On the home front is where it's crazy. Our house is scary messy. I worked for an hour last night just to see if I could see a difference. I couldn't. At least the clothes are clean. Now to get them folded.

If you read the comments from yesterday's blog, you'd know I got a call from the doctor's office yesterday morning. They asked me to bring Mackenna in for another X-ray. I don't remember if I mentioned Mackenna hurt her foot. She's had many sprains due to dancing, but she said this felt different. The pain was not only in her ankle but shooting up to her toe. I took her in on Sunday to a local urgent care. They did a couple of x-rays and said it was a sprain. The doctor said she could go to the Fair that day, but should do RICE after that. She was told to wrap it, too, and see if that helped.

Now we're waiting to hear if this new x-ray showed anything. Given we haven't heard, I'm hoping that means there was nothing there. I'll call later this morning if I don't hear from them.

My To Do list is getting crazy again. Not just the house, either. I still have stuff to send out from the contests and order curriculum for the kidlets. For some reason my new MacBook Pro doesn't like Amazon or Paypal or anything else where I'm required to order something. It's making life very difficult.

But this is pretty typical after a busy week so I shouldn't stress out. All I can say is Fair Week is insane. I'm thinking a vacation far, far away during Fair Week next year would be a very good thing! At least for me!

That's about it. How about you?

Fair Day 7

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The county fair ended last night! At the award ceremony, we found out Mackenna placed fifth in the Dog Judging and qualified for State Fair. She was excited, especially because she'd studied so hard. I need to figure out if we can go. I have a book due two days after the competition, and there will be soccer games for the other two that same day. This is when I wish I could clone myself!

I think Spirit already wishes I could do that. My poor kitty did not have a good evening yesterday. While I was at the fair, she kept coming downstairs to look for me. She'd sit on the stairs meowing constantly. She was doing it when I walked in the door. Much to the annoyance of hubby given I was gone from 1 until 11.

I must admit I'm happy Fair is over. I'm very happy Mackenna likes it, but it's just not my thing. And next year, I already know what my writing schedule will be and it won't be possible for me to do all I did these past two years. I've already warned her about that!

Well, it's back to normal life for me. Rose has a day camp this week. Finn has altar boy boot camp for a couple of days. Mackenna will have a dog show later in the week. I have a book due in a little over a month (September 19th.)

What's your week like?

Fair Day 6

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This pic has nothing to do with what I'm going to write about. I just thought it was funny and wanted to share. I can imagine one of mine (i.e. Yoda) wanting a nice bedroom set like that for themselves.

Yesterday was more mellow at fair. The competitions are fun ones. Not a lot of pressure except for the fact neither of my girls put their costumes together until lunchtime. That's a little too close for comfort even for me (who has procrastination down to an artform!)

But it all game together.

Rose and Chaos were Irish dancers. Chaos wore an American Girl Irish dance wig. ?U=I was brought to tears by the fact that Rose now fits into Mackenna's old Irish dance class dress. She's growing up too fast.

Mackenna and Chaos were an evil super villain (complete with Calico Kitty evil minion) and a super dog. Mackenna (aka Macalico) dressed in all black with a cape and a calico stuffed cat pinned to her shoulder. Chaos had a Cape and a collar. All wore signs saying who they were including the Evil Minion. For a last minute costume she did well. Unfortunately she forgot mustache and her black pants at home. I'd post pics except I'm too tired to download them.

Rose also competed in the Pee Wee competition. She came home with so much swag from it. The woman who organizes it Barb is in charge of our club. She goes all out for the wee ones. It's very sweet and thoughtful. The youngest competitor was only 2 months old. Yes, 4-H starts them young!

Hubby stayed until the bitter end last night with Mackenna and Chaos. I took the younger ones home so they wouldn't be total exhausted today.

Fair in tonight! I love watching the kids compete, but I think the Fair experience is too long. Needless to say I'm very happy it'll be over soon.

When I came home last night, I went to a news site. I was saddened to read about the collapse of the stage at the Indiana State Fair. My current manuscript is set there. I watched a YouTube video about it and was horrified by what I saw. So sad and terrifying. My prayers to all affected.

How has your weekend been?

Fair Day 5

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It was a long day at the fair yesterday. I left home with my daughter a little after 8 am. She didn't get home until 11:30 pm or so. Hubby took over around 5 pm last night which was very sweet of him.

She and Chaos did great in Rally. They scored 96 points and won a blue ribbon. Mackenna was so excited! And Chaos...well, she's still sound asleep. Hubby videotaped it for me so I can watch!

While they were at the Fair, my youngest and I took care of the dogs my oldest is dog sitting since she couldn't leave. The two were so happy to see us. We hung out a while to keep them company. Later on when we headed over there to put them to bed, they were so darn cute. They wanted a little love then got right in their kennels.

We don't have to be over to the fair until this afternoon. It'll be a little more low key. Rose is competing in Pee-Wees. And then she and Mackenna are competing in the costume division. That is if they can pull their costumes together in time! It should be interesting.

Fair Day 4

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Yesterday was a very fun day at the fair. Mackenna made new friends with other 4-H Dog kids and Showmanship went much better than Obedience had the other day. She and Chaos won a blue ribbon. That was what she was hoping to get so YAY!

We didn't get out of there until 10:30 pm last night. We have to be back at 9 am so I need to get busy. Hubby let me sleep in when I needed to be up two hours ago!  We have to be at the fair until 11 tonight with no break. Hubby will be bringing Chaos by later since she doesn't have rally until later this evening. A long day ahead. I wish it were already over.

What do you have going on today?

Fair Day 3

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Animals have a mind of their own. They can do exactly what you want them to do , and then one day, they won't. That happened to Mackenna with Chaos during Dog Obedience yesterday.  Two things the dog has done perfectly in the past just didn't happen during the competition at Fair. They were big things, together worth 70 points. The same thing happened at the Leader Show back in June.

I've told Mackenna that when you compete with an animal you can't count on anything. They have minds of their own. All she can do is her best and hope the dog does hers, too. But Chaos wasn't going to do anything she didn't want to yesterday, including Stand for Exam (she wanted the judge to give her love instead) or the Long Sit (who knows why she decided to get up when she did and walk to Mackenna.)

A bummer, yes, but not totally unexpected. Norwegian Elkhounds are very intelligent and can also be stubborn. Chaos isn't a very obedient dog to begin with and this part of the training/practicing/competing has always been a struggle.

The silver lining to all this was Mackenna's reaction to what happened in the ring. She was very disappointed. Her dreams of attending State Fair are pretty much over due to the score she received, but she didn't get upset. There were no tears (something common at Fair ) or point blame at the dog. She handed me the score sheet with the white ribbon and shrugged it off. She showed humility and class with her sportsmanship. I was proud of her.

Fair Day 2

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This cartoon cracked me up. It's so true!

I have one cat who uses my hair as her bed. Two who uses my legs as both pillows and beds. All the things writing about the arms and hands describes how Yoda sees mine!

I spent most of the day finishing up the proposal revisions. I was working so hard I didn't realize until the late afternoon I was still wearing my jammies. After a quick shower and dinner, we headed back to the fair.

It was so chilly! I had a sweater. But it didn't keep me warm at all, and I was even in the dog barn! I'll be bringing a fleece jacket with me from now on. It's hard to believe it's August!

At the fair last night, I wrote a bit. I also read. I so love the book The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. It's published by Harlequin Teen and written in first person. I'm a little over halfway through it. I'll be taking it with me to fair this morning. Once I finish, I'll be passing it on to my oldest daughter. She's a big fantasy reader. I know she's going to love this!

I'll be rooting for Mackenna and Chaos in Dog Obedience at the fair this morning! It's not Chaos' best event who it's always a crap shoot as to what will happen. Fingers crossed it goes okay! Okay is about as good as she gets when it comes to Obedience!

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Fair is not fair

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This LOLcat made me think of a few of the food exhibits we saw at the fair yesterday. They have a demonstration kitchen where 4-Hers prepare full meals.

So we all know that life isn't fair, but does it really need to kick you when you're down? We learned something yesterday. Casts are not allowed rides at the county fair. I understand the fear of lawsuits, I really do, but if you could have seen the look on my son's face when he saw "NO CASTS" written in bold letters above the ticket window, your heart would have been breaking the way mine was.

First no Long Course Swim Championships. Then no soccer. Now no rides.

At least, he won a very cool, mega-size water gun shooting a ball at three cups. But those games are a lot more expensive than rides.

I'd pre-purchased entrance tickets, ride bracelets and ticket booklets to save money. I figured he and my youngest could go on rides while I work in the dog barn each day. Much cheaper than what I spent on a babysitter last year. So much for my advanced planning!

Hope you have a great day!

Fair Day

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I haven't climbed in so long I can't really call myself a climber any longer, but this LOLcat made me smile! So cute!

I revised and rewrote and polished my wip yesterday. I'll be doing the same this morning. Then it's time to hit the Fair. 4H begins today for my daughter. It's a crazy schedule, but I know how to manage it better after last year. I'll be taking a paper copy of my manuscript as well as my Alphasmart so I can work when I don't have a shift supervising the kids doing herdmanship duty.

All the kidlets are looking forward to the rides and the food so we'll find a time when she has nothing going on to attend as a family! I'm looking forward to that even though rides that jerk or spin or go upside down aren't on my To Do list. Do you like to ride those kinds of things?

Time to get some work done before we have to head out. Have a great Monday!

Grumpy

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I'm feeling grumpy this morning. Too much to do and too little time.

I did smile yesterday when a nice present arrived in the mail. Dru made us a pillow with a pic from our visit to Coney Island with her. So sweet! Everyone loves it. I can't wait to show it to my nephew.

Well, it's time for Mass. That should put me in a better mood!

Soccer Book

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I love commercials that tell a story and the Nike ad below is a great one!

It's also a perfect peek into the life of my current hero, pro soccer player, Ryland James. Okay, he's American, but he was plucked from the US Development Academy to play in Europe though I have him playing for Manchester United not Arsenal. Of course, he could never play for Holland, but he's on the roster of US Men's National Team in the book.



I've been having fun with this book. I've had to create some fictional MLS teams. How do the Phoenix Fuego and the Indianapolis Rage sound to you?

Today will be another writing day and trying to deal with contest stuff. I need to get everything figured out and sent before 4H dogs at county fair starts or it's not going to happen a couple of weeks.

Enjoy your weekend!

Cats in Water

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I'm busy trying to get my proposal revised and resubmitted as well as keep writing new pages. I thought I'd post a video I found on the climbing forum I read. It goes along with the LOLcat above quite well. It's called Water Cats. Enjoy!



I have two cats who don't mind the water. A little water that is. They'd never go swimming or soak in a tub no matter what I bribed them with or how hot it got!

Hope you have a nice Friday!

Terrible Twos

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Yoda is now two. But you wouldn't know it by his actions. He's still all kitten. He's bigger, but he acts the same way he did when we first adopted him. He's always getting into everything and causing trouble!

Yesterday was no different. It was warm. I turned on the fan to stay cool while I wrote, but that limited my animal visitors. Spirit is the only cat who'll brave the fan to be with me. Needless to say, I wasn't worried when Yoda didn't appear for his afternoon lounge in my general vicinity. But when he didn't show up at bedtime to chase the laser pointer, I got concerned. Yoda won't leave us alone until he gets to run after the red dot of light.

Hubby and I talked for a few minutes. Mainly we asked questions. When was the last time we saw Yoda? Upstairs? Downstairs? All I could think of was the last time he went missing. But the kids have been really good about doors since then so I figured he had to be in the house somewhere.

I checked his fave spots on the window sills. Hubby searched under the bed and up inside the box spring. The search was on.

We keep the doors closed on rooms upstairs. I checked Rose's room. No Yoda. I checked the playroom, calling for him since it's big with lots of places and toys for kitty to hide in. Nothing. As I closed the door, I heard a noise. Scratching. It was coming from Mackenna's room. He must have sneaked inside the room to explore and gotten locked inside. Poor kitty.

When I opened the door, no kitty appeared. But when I called Yoda's name he made a pathetic little sound before darting out and running into the master bedroom. I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me. He was definitely shaken by the experience. He wouldn't eat nor would he chase the laser light. He's already wandering out of the bedroom this morning so I hope that means he's back to normal.

Have a good day! I know Yoda will!

Where are my...

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I'm so nearsighted, if I don't have my glasses on I can't see. But I have taken them off for naps or sleep or reading and forgotten where I put them. Trying to find them when everything is blurry is not fun! But I've had my keys in my hand or on the top of my purse and asking the family to help me find my keys!

I heard back from editor on my newest proposal. My hero is too immature and Diva-like. I'm not surprised. I didn't know how much I could get away with since he's a professional soccer player. Not so much, I found out. So yesterday after my early morning writing, I went back to the beginning. I want to get the proposal revised and resubmitted ASAP.

Any projects you're working on?

Up Early

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This LOLcat really speaks to me this morning. Given it's a little after 4 am and I'm up could be why. I'm bound and determined to meet my daily word count this month. I'm tired of being in a panic come deadline time.

Today is one of those busy days I dread. It's entry drop-off day at the state fair. I had filled out the form to pre-order tickets and forgot to mail it in. Oops. So that means instead of just picking up tix, I have to stand in line and buy them. Add in a drive west of Portland for speech therapy and my writing time will be extremely limited.

How limited?

I didn't have to set my alarm this morning. I woke up at 4 am on my own with one thought on my mind—writing. Of course, I will crash later, but if I reach my word count now I can take a guilt-free nap!

What's you're day looking like?

Contest Winner & Scavenger Hunt

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It's time to announce the winner for the July contest. The random number generator picked #156. That was Dru with her comment on my post Animals and Inspiration. Dru, please use the Contact button on the menu bar above to contact me. I'll send you a list of books (or pictures of them) to choose from. You'll get to pick 10 titles.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered. I also never received the info I need from my June winner Sarita to send her the gift card she won. If you win, please follow the instructions on how to contact me and what I need from you. Even if you've won in the past, I need you to contact me with each current contest since not all are the same. Starting with the July contest, I've added a seven day notice for winners to contact me or I'll choose someone else. So be sure to always check back here at the beginning of the month to see if you won.

I haven't had time to think about doing an August Contest, but I do have one for you to enter whether I run one here at my website or not.

I am participating in the LASR Scavenger Hunt. If you want more info and what you need to do to enter, go here.

Again, there are some cool prizes, but you'll have to work for them:

Grand Prize: Winner's Choice of: a Nook Color or a $249 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

Other Prizes: Several $5 Gift Cards awarded daily


I hope you had a nice weekend! Ours was very mellow. I wrote and spent time with the family. A very nice time!