(Besides the Obvious) 5 Reasons I'm Happy to to Be Home From the BlogPaws Conference

For the most part, conferences (especially when they're in popular vacation spots, like Las Vegas and Nashville, for example) are fun. So much fun, in fact, that I need about three days to recover after returning home. 

(Note: Recover = sleep and minimal mental exertion = for example, {to child} "No, I can't drive you to X place at 8 a.m." and {to husband} "Sorry, but am I going to have to actually get up, get dressed and talk to the irrigation people when they get here? Or will they just remember what you told them on the phone, do all the work and leave quietly?")

The good news is that it's been three days since I returned home from the BlogPaws Pet Blogger and Social Media conference in Nashville, TN, so I'm refreshed and raring to put to use some of the many things I learned! The bad news? I have to deep clean my whole house in preparation for events surrounding my daughter's graduation from high school this weekend, so those ambitions will have to wait until next week. (Also, yes, I am aware that it's almost Friday, which doesn't give me a lot of time for chores. Let's just say the "deep" in "deep clean" is relative.☺)

That's me, walking the red carpet before the BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Awards gala. My blog was a finalist in two categories: Best Blog Design and Best Humor Blog. I did not win.**  I was, however, awarded a certificate of excellence for my blog's About page.
image courtesy BlogPaws and bybecka.com

Here is the full, live-streamed Nose-to-Nose Awards ceremony, if you care to see it. The video will start (I'm sorry, I'm just so thrilled my little blog was mentioned, I had to cut it right to the chase!) where the Best (pet blog) About Page is announced.

But back to BlogPaws for a bit: Holy dog and cat, what a flipping good time! There is so much I could say about the learning (in acclaimed author and Vietnam veteran, Lon Hodge, aka "Mr. Gander's" creative writing session, titled, The Raccoons Stole My Peanut Butter; award-winning writer and blogger, Maggie Marton's authenticity in writing session; and the Web-building genius, Jill Caren's advanced SEO session, just to name a few places). But, I won't - because I'd bore you and you'd leave, and I don't want you to leave because I have an important list for you to read. (In only 3.5 more minutes, I promise!)

And, don't even get me started on the fantastic people (I can't name them all, so I won't even try. If I talked to you at the conference, consider yourself included. Except for that one person who looked at me like I was a five-headed alien...KIDDING! No one looked me that way {not to my face, anyway})! ☺ 

Then there were all the pets...oh my gosh, SO many (besides my own, who were chilling at home)! Here's just a small sample (shot with my cell phone). 

So this is Adorable Sleeping Foster Kitten (I don't know his real name, nor who was holding him, because I was running. If someone else knows, please let me know in comments so I can correct!)

And here we have the lovely (and terribly modest) Luna and her mama, Jessica S. (fellow Virginians, I will add), from the budget-conscious and DIY dog-blog, Beagles and Bargains. 

(Nope, I am not sh^tting you.☺) Any Instagram-ers out there? If so, you might recognise Priscilla here! She and her bro, Poppleton (who is smooshed down in the stroller beside her), the mini-pigs are BIG Instagram stars, with nearly half a MILLION followers! (@prissy_pig) (I still can't believe I saw these two at the conference.)

And last, but not least, for Corgi Nation...

This is the lovely Eve Corgi Coulter (aka "VP of Princessology"), who, along with her brother, Ty Coulter, are the stars of the popular blog and Facebook page, Corgilicious! (Miss Eve was the ONLY corgi at the conference, and meeting her made my whole day!)

Y'all, this was my fourth BlogPaws conference, and let me tell you, it takes massive will-power (and practice, I've learned) to get anything "serious" accomplished with all the critters running around! And they are all so well-behaved!

Do you wanna know a secret? I started pining for Jon Farleigh, Dewi and (most of) my cats by the second night. Yep. Turns out it's hard for me to sleep un-cramped in a queen bed, in relative silence (relative to the humming of the kitchen exhaust fan, just beyond the balcony). So even though I had a wonderful time in Nashville (including getting out on the town for a day), it was really good to get home to my furry family (and, I suppose, the un-furry family, too). ☺

That's not all. I've realized, this week, a few other (less-obvious) reasons I'm happy to be home, too. Perhaps you can relate. 

5 Less-Obvious Reasons I'm Happy to Be Home From the BlogPaws Conference

1. No more loneliness in the bathroom! Seriously. I never know how much I appreciate furry potty-time companionship until I'm without it for a stretch. 

2. (And speaking of potty-time...) REGULARITY! As in, it's back! (Can someone please tell me what it is about not being able to go when one is away from home? Especially when one has a roommate? I mean, it's not like (in my own experience) I eat any less, or fewer fiber-rich foods (I might even eat more fiber), or that I'm actively trying to will off the urge for several days straight - it just simply DOES NOT HAPPEN. But when I'm home? {hurry! insert mental image of baby foxes in a hollowed out log, to cancel out the other...image of a baby panda in a bamboo thicket!}

3. Less-than-casual Fridays are back! OK, less-than-casual ALL the days! (Less-than-casual = pajamas or too-embarrassing-for-even-the-grocery-store sweats. Oh, and no makeup.) Hoorah!

4. (Here's one that many of us probably take for granted...) I'm the best blogger in the room! (I'm just saying, there should be an award for that. And if you're NOT a blogger? Well, just insert whatever it is that you ARE: freelance writer, mom, bookkeeper, painter, 900# phone operator, WHATEVER! If you're the only one in the room, you're the BEST! ☺

5. And, finally (this one is pretty confined to my personal situation, I have to say), 99.42% confidence (after all the learning I did in the advanced SEO class at BlogPaws) that NO ONE is going to find this blog post through a Google search! (.58% of me is still hopeful that someone will look up "SHY BOWELS WHEN AWAY FROM HOME + BLOGPAWS," because then, I win! Woo!) 

And to Dorothy...you were right: There's no place like home! (♪♪ Dun dun dun dun dun...dun dun dun! ♪♪)

OK, what did I leave off the list, you guys? Anything? Did you go to BlogPaws (or any other conference, ever)? Why are you glad to be home?

* BlogPaws '16 is going to be in Phoenix, AZ! Will you be there, too? 

** The Nose-to-Nose award for Best Blog Design went to Jessica W. and You Did What With Your Wiener. The award for Best Pet Humor Blog went to Jennifer C. and My Brown Newfies & Me. If you haven't already, check them out!

Talking About Awards Can Be Precarious, Don't You Think?

Feel free to award it to yourself for being awesome!
(Or not. It's butt kind of ugly, if I say so myself.)

Notably, when one is talking about them in relation to one's self, as in one is either a) campaigning for one, b) in the running for one, or c) just won one. Why? Because in doing so, one runs the risk of coming across as a puffed up blowfish, who when squeezed, it turns out, is full of nothing but sardine-scented hot air.*

* Yes, I know there's no air under water. I also know that sea sponges don't wear pants and flip burgers for crustacean restaurant owners.

So anyway, what I'm trying to say, delicately, is that I need to talk about awards for a bit. My own. And, I've decided I'm not holding anything back, despite how big and fat I look with all that fish air inside me. I've also decided to write the rest of this post in French.** (So not kidding.) But don't worry, if you must know what I'm saying (in your probable native English), and the accompanying images don't give it away, I've installed a handy Google translator widget (at the bottom of this post). Just click it.

Thank you. Also, I ♥ you. ☺

DIS DONC, vous tous! Je suis totalement finaliste pour DEUX BlogPaws 2015 Animaux Blogs et Les Médias Sociaux Prix Nez-à-Nez! On aurait soufflé mon esprit seul, mais deux? Et je n'ai pas moi-même propose la candidature (comme je aurais pu le faire une ou deux fois avant)! Quelqu'un d'autre m'a nommé, et je suis tellement reconnaissante! Mais attendez! Voici les catégories!

Best Pet Blog Conception et Best Pet Humour Blog! Dis donc!

Je suis totalement dit Debbie G. (aka Glogirly, qui m'a doué avec cette conception de blog douce. OK, peut-être ce ne était pas un cadeau cadeau. Je veux dire, elle est douée, mais je ne l'ai payer pour cela). Que si je gagne, je vais avoir besoin d'elle pour faire le discours! Je ne pense pas qu'elle pensait que je étais sérieux!

Et d'être reconnu Comme finaliste Dans HUMOUR?! Je ne pouvais tout simplement éclater dès la sortie de mon jean! (Si je suis honnête, la taille is juin sorte de coupe dans mon estomac maintenant.) Ou chanter!

♪♪♪ La pluie en Espagne reste principalement dans la plaine. La pluie en Espagne reste principalement dans la plaine.

Sur la plaine! Sur la plaine! En ESPAGNE! En ESPAGNE! ♪♫♪

(Remarque: le verset aléatoire de la comédie musicale My Fair Lady.)

Vous, les gars! Et les gens dans les catégories avec qui je suis nominé sont tellement talentueux! Leurs blogs air si bon! (Si vous cliquez sur l'image plus grande de BlogPaws, vous verrez la liste complète des finalistes.) Je ne peux même pas croire que ça arrive! Je pourrais monter cette haute l'an prochain!

Tu? Une finaliste? Dis donc!

Il y aura une cérémonie rouge de tapis à la conférence BlogPaws à Nashville le 30 mai, où les gagnants seront annoncés. Je serai celui dont le visage est obstruée par le sac de papier brun, elle respire dans. Dans le hall comme le lion lâche d'Oz!

Peu importe ce qui se passe là-bas, même si, je dois vous dire que d'apprendre à utiliser ce moyen non seulement comme un exutoire créatif, mais pour faire avancer la cause des animaux de compagnie - se il se agit de sauvetage ou tout simplement la joie plaine de les avoir autour de - et d'avoir rencontré tous les gens incroyables que je ai le long du chemin, est à peu près plus que je ne aurais jamais pu rêvé pour moi! Merci pour votre soutien! Et si vous êtes en train de lire cela en anglais, pour votre sportif exemplaire!

Bonne chance à tous les finalistes dans chaque catégorie!

** Je l'ai écrit en anglais d'abord, et utilisé Google pour traduire en français, OK? Mes capacités français-écriture sont limitées à des peines de trois mots à un niveau préscolaire.
*** L'outil se traduit littéralement, mot pour mot; par conséquent, certains de leurs significations pourraient être perdus.
**** Si votre langue maternelle est le français, ou vous parlez couramment, vous savez ce que je veux dire! Whoops!

UPDATE 12:42 a.m. ET, 3/7: OMG! If you use that translator down there, be prepared to either laugh your A off, or be dumbstruck, depending on your mood. (As it so happens, I laughed. Because translated, it's like me, only with seriously bad, broken English {Borat}.) If you'd like me to translate anything further (Glogirly, ahem) just ask! Oh yeah, and "dis donc" means "I'll be darned!" or "You don't say!" It has no literal English translation. (My gosh, no wonder English is so hard to learn!)

FOR ENGLISH, USE TRANSLATOR BELOW!

Tacky Cardigan With Words on It: The Wisdom of Obscene Gestures

Or, perhaps that title should read, "The Absence of Wisdom in Obscene Gestures." 

Well, do you have a better explanation?! ;)

If you'd like me to consider a photo of your pet(s) for a Tacky Cardigan, just post it to the Facebook page!

Oh, hey, WAIT! Now seems like a perfect opportunity for me to tell you that nominations just opened yesterday for this!

I miraculously got picked as a finalist in Humor two years ago; here is my badge:

[insert mental image of a badge]

Isn't it cool!? OK, fine, my badge is in the "shop" getting a logo makeover (or it's gone forever, and I've been reduced to telling tall tales about it. Either way, I sound like a blathering boob, so never mind). 

But really, if you have a blog that you'd like to recognize for "standing out" (in a good way, and that includes your own blog, if you have one), why not take five minutes to nominate it?!

Here are the categories for the 2014 BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Pet Blogging and Social Media Awards:

<> Best Blog Design
<> Best Pet Blog Video
<> Best Pet Blog Photo
<> Best Blog Post 
<> Best Humor...
...GASP ack ack ack gag ack gasp AHEM ugh, excuse me, I opened up my mouth and a big bullfrog jumped in! Oh my gosh, UGH. So sorry. Where was I? Oh yeah...
<> Best Humor Blog
<> Best Dog Blog
<> Best Cat Blog
<> Best “Other” Blog (bird, hamster, fish, etc.)
<> Best New Pet Blog
<> Best Cause Blog
<> Best Pet Microblogger
<> Best Use of Social Media by a 501(c)3

Click HERE (or the Nose-to-Nose image above) to nominate someone by February 12!  

And if you wanna know what happens during the awards ceremony, here's a video of stills from last year!

☺

To Be Honest, My Childhood Dreams Involved Being a Vet, not Getting Adopted in My 40s

Well, who dreams of that (getting adopted in their 40s)?! Not me.

No, when I was a kid - like plenty of other little animal-loving people - when I wasn't staging elaborate drama productions with my pet Siamese cat and 376 (named) stuffed animals - I hunted for toads...and wanted to grow up to be a veterinarian.

Hey, Mom said we get to do blood and gore today!

We look like we beat up a jar of grape jelly, you fur-brain. 

Or a zoo keeper.

Or (briefly) Hayley Mills in the (1965) Disney movie That Darn Cat!.

Of course, I also wanted to have 12 kids and live on a farm. And on that farm, I'd have every kind of farm animal imaginable.

As pets.

moo.*

bleat.
(Rare Welsh Longwool Butt-Head Ram)

And all 14 of us (humans) would greet each day with bated breath, frolicking with the animals in the fields, milking cows and making homemade ice cream and apple pies. ;)

But, back to that vet thing. Yeah, so I had lofty aspirations, but then I got distracted, and fell in a hole...left my homework on the kitchen table...joined the YMCA...threw my shoulder out...burned dinner (to the 10th power)...saw some Corgis running in a field...had a joyous out-of-body experience...drove the wrong way down a one-way street...used explicit language...with my kids in the car...

And, well, you know, I never became a vet.

Thass kewl.

But, a few years ago (after many years of waiting for the right time), I got two Corgis - I believe you know their names. Thankfully, they got along (mostly) with my herd of rescue cats.

Then, a few months later (because I was desperate to to share them with the world), I logged into Blogger and created The Chronicles of Cardigan.

'Member when we looked like this???
(snapshot via Wayback Machine)

And then, while still a struggling new pet blog author, I found myself at a blogging conference (called BlogPaws), from which I gained a few (cherished) blogging friends, had loads of fun with the dogs, and (notably, among several pet brands represented) exchanged cards with Jane, a producer for Petfinder.com ("...the searchable database for hundreds of thousands of adoptable pets from more than 14,000 adoption groups from across the U.S., Canada and Mexico...").

I might have mentioned them (Petfinder) in a few of my blog posts in the years since that day. OK, so I've mentioned them (along with a few homeless pets available for adoption) in like 19 separate blog posts (before today). (All because of that simple card swap with Jane at BlogPaws in 2011, which got me on a partner list, and afforded me advance notice of Petfinder programs.) I consider it (helping Petfinder help animals find forever homes [and they have helped more than 20,000 of them since 1996]) a privilege. Especially since I'm free to "help" in such a delightfully (offbeat and sometimes odd) creative way!

We went.

So, a couple months ago, when Petfinder announced they were looking for 10 bloggers (with a demonstrated dedication to helping animals in need) to "adopt" (read: honor with a $200 Visa gift card [to offset conference costs], a private lunch with Petfinder's editorial and PR team, a sneak peak at Petfinder's upcoming Summer campaign, and some cool new Petfinder branded goodies) during this year's BlogPaws, I nearly broke my good typing hand filling out the contest application!

And when I learned that I was selected to be one of the 10 bloggers "adopted" at BlogPaws?? It was, well, like a dream. And yet, I couldn't have dreamed it in my wildest childhood dreams (as those - along with being a vet - mostly involved Pop Rocks and Shaun Cassidy).

Funny, how dreams work like that. ;-)



Hmm, you know, the only thing missing from that blog bling up there is a Tiffany-blue box.
Petfinder probably doesn't have those, though. Nope.
But, you know what they do have, that's even better??
Well, I'll tell you:

This gorgeous senior Siamese girl named Tiffany, in front of a Tiffany-blue background!

Precious Tiffany is an adoptable cat in Germantown, MD.

Did you know that you can search for pets (among other ways) by name at Petfinder? Yep, and as of this moment, there are 118 (cats and dogs) named Tiffany waiting to find their forever homes!

*****

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some toads to hunt (love those warty buggers), elaborate animal productions to stage (how do you think I come up with half of the stuff I write?), mouths to feed and pies to bake (not).

Click here to read the official "Adopted Blogger" article - including a complete list of winning blogs and a group photo - at Petfinder.com. 

* Prop product placement credit: Dewi's cow catbell was generously donated to me (at BlogPaws 2013) by the talented Debbie G., aka Glogirly, owner of both the award-winning cat blog of the same name, and Glogirly Design, where, if you hire her, she will pimp your blog (or business cards, logo, etc.) like nobody's bizness. (And by pimp, I mean customize with class, yo.)

Coming up next...Lots more photos and captions from Jon Farleigh and Dewi's (plus select cats') "veterinary infirmary" and "farm animal" photo shoots!



Note: Petfinder did not, nor will they ever, compensate me for mentioning them on this blog. I do it for the animals, and because it's so FLIPPING FUN!

Calling All Versatile Loggers! (in Which Forestry, Pets Named Paul Bunyan, Blogging and Fudge are Oddly Related)

Disclosure/Disclaimer: I am not, nor have I ever been, a logger (as in the forest). The following subject matter is--as I discovered partway through writing it--highly conducive to puns and/or euphemisms; however, I absolve myself of intent. Therefore, any instances you might think you see (of the aforementioned) cannot be held against me.

Hello. My name is not Paul Bunyan; however, I play him on Etsy.

And you can call me Babe (not him, silly, THE DOG).
But if you do, I'll call you something much worse.
(Image and Babe-the-Blue-Ox costume via Etsy)

So first of all, in celebration of Earth Week, I would like to recognize all loggers (actually all forestry professionals and stewards) who champion (not just in word, but in deed) sustainable forestry research, education, training and practices. You rock!

And as a small token of appreciation, please feel free to copy this "Versatile Logger" badge and paste it wherever you like. (Full confession: The badge/award used to say "Versatile Blogger*," but I edited it in Photoshop.)

Oh, and also (contrary to most blogging "awards"), there are no "rules" tied to accepting the badge. Nope. So if it suits you, it's scot-free! Yay!

However, I will now share 3 random (previously unshared) things about me (just for fun - since, especially if you're an actual logger [20 years from now, under a blue moon], this might be your first time here):

1.  I have a problem with profanity. In that every time I start to use it, "fudge" comes out.

[Insert 3 seconds of silence while Elizabeth contemplates rewording that last sentence. OK, nah.]

And by fudge, I mean the word "fudge."

2.  I am banned from using the word "fudge" (as an expletive) in my own home. Scout's honor.

3.  I prefer my fudge dark, hot and syrupy (as in a condiment) or frozen (as in a Fudgsicle), as opposed to the malleable, loaf-like varieties.

Anyone else want some fudge, now, too? :) Yum!

AND THIS IS WHERE I SEND YOU OFF WITH A LOAD OF LOGGER, AKA "LUMBERJACK," POP CULTURE TRIVIA

Hello, my name really is Paul Bunyan (and don't ever forget it).

In a recent study conducted by the career guidance website CareerCast.com, lumberjack is the 2nd worst job in the U.S. for 2013. Newspaper reporter is #1. (ouch.)

On a much lighter note...

These statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, in Bemidji, MN, are on the
National Register of Historic Places. 

For some reason, in folklore, lumberjacks like to eat stacks and stacks of flapjacks. The folks at Hungry Jack (a Pillsbury brand) believed (in the 70s) that lumberjacks also liked eating mountains of Hungry Jack (refrigerated dough) biscuits.


ca. 1970s Hungry Jack biscuit commercial "...they gobble 'em down and the plate comes back for..."

Image via Wiki

The fast food giant, Burger King Corp., in Australia (and in no other country), calls its stores Hungry Jack's. This is because the name Burger King was already trademarked there. (Also, the "Jack" is for Australian franchise owner, Jack Cowin, not a lumberjack.)

Image via Brawny Towels (a Georgia-Pacific brand)

The Brawny Man (a lumberjack) has never had a real name and is purely fictional. In 2003, after years of research, Georgia-Pacific gave the (nearly 30-year-old) Brawny Man an updated (not so 70s) clean-shaven look.

And if you're wondering why the lumberjack at all? As cited in a 2003 story on USA Today, "research found women love him."
Well, well. :)

And with that, friends,
Happy Earth Week!

(Now, make like a lumberjack and split.)


* All thanks to Julie at The Daily Dog Blog for bestowing the "Versatile Blogger" award upon me, without which, this celebratory blog post would not exist.

P.S. Thanks also to Coralee at Bark and Chatter for the "Super Sweet Blogging" award. I now know that it must have been due to my proclivity to all things Hershey fudgy. ;)

The Art of Losing Gracefully, with Jon Farleigh and Dewi

Hi, it's us. We probably don't need to introduce ourselves. But in case you have short term memory loss, we're (l to r) Dewi and Jon Farleigh.

Excuse the bad photo; we're up at the top of the stairs (where we aren't allowed to go) and there isn't a whole lot of light.

Alright, we're gonna make this quick:

We didn't win the most humorous pet blog or blogger Nose-to-Nose award at the BlogPaws festival shindig conference this past weekend. The top honor went to our fellow nominee, a blog called Cat vs Human, which pretty accurately (and artistically) portrays the hilarity in the relationship between the humans and their selfish tyrannical silly cats. Yeah, you should go right over there (as soon as you're done reading this) and get your laugh on. We highly endorse it. ;)

So, like the title of this post says, we'd like y'all to know that in addition to being cute and good at eating and articulation, we are also good at sportsmanship, UNLIKE in that movie our mom likes to watch, Rutabaga Nights, the Ballad of Rikki Tikki Tavi, when that Rikki says, "If you ain't first, you're last." Which is just the most absurd thing anyone has ever said. (And who watches movies about mongeese mongooses driving Nass cars in a town named after a nasty root vegetable, anyway?) Sigh.

With that said, however, we'd just like to make a suggestion, like that maybe next time - if there is a next time - maybe there should be a Nose-to-Butt awards, because we have that down to a science, as in this one example here.

So that's it. We feel better now that we are see-through a transparency.

Oh, and by the way, speaking of those Nass car racers, mom says to come back tomorrow because she's gonna talk about the dog- and car racing-related book she just finished, The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Bye!

Bust Prevention Week - Enter to Win a Full BlogPaws Conference Pass!

While the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has designated it as National Dog Bite Prevention Week (and we are all for being educated about that!), we are also designating this week as (exclusively on our mostly dog blog)...

INTERNATIONAL BUST PREVENTION WEEK!!

What is bust prevention, you ask? 

Well, we know there are some of you out there who are in danger of BUSTING because you want to go to the BlogPaws (Pet Blogging and Social Media Conference) REALLY badly, but you're not exactly sure where to find the money tree.

So...instead of letting you bust (ew), we're giving away (this week to one lucky entrant) a FULL BlogPaws conference pass (worth $199)!! Yippee!

Here's how to get one entry into the random drawing:

1. LEAVE US A COMMENT (ON THIS BLOG POST) and state what you look forward to the most about attending BlogPaws next month in Salt Lake City.
(Note: Only one comment per person, please.)

2. If you don't already, follow/like us somewhere!
(Hint: Click one of those coffee cups at the top of the blog, or click "Join" on the Google Friend Connect widget.)  

That is all you need to do!

I'll announce the winner Saturday (5/26) morning on Twitter and our Facebook fan page (so pay attention). ;)

Good luck!

Disclosure: We were awarded (and are choosing to give away, because we can't go) one full BlogPaws conference pass (worth $199) for being selected as a Best Humor Blog finalist in the BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Pet Blogging & Social Media Awards.

Today's Grammar Lesson: Misuse of the Word 'Literal' with Respect to Major Pet Blogging Awards

Incorrect usage in a sentence:

OMG and SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Our blog was just named a BlogPaws 2012 "Best Humor Blog" finalist for the literal Nose-to-Nose Pet Social Media & Pet Blogging Awards!

What I just said, in pictures:

Mom, is this funny enough for you?
How long do we have to stay this way?

Moooooommmm!!!! Tell them they can KEEP the dang nose-to-nose award!!
This blows!

Now, remove the word "literal."

OMG and SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Our blog was just named a BlogPaws 2012 "Best Humor Blog" finalist for the Nose-to-Nose Pet Social Media & Pet Blogging Awards!

What I just said, in a picture:

The Chronicles of Cardigan is a:

Click image to see the full list of categories and finalists.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go mumble a few more cable TV words.
(You do know Animal Planet animals have dirty mouths, right? Uh huh. Literally.)

;-)

P.S. CONGRATULATIONS to all the other finalists (in all categories); it's an honor (and so humbling) to be counted among you. Just wow!

P.P.S. Have an awesome weekend, everyone!

'Tis Time for Me to Acknowledge the Awesomeness of People

For starters, these award-winning bloggers:

• 2 Brown Dawgs' mom at 2 Brown Dawgs  - owner of two beautiful and talented Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, and awaiting the addition of her third, a puppy
• Ellen at Pupparoos - super blogger (she has three) and parent to Stewie, a mighty little rescue dog, and Tucker, a fuzzy baby Sheltie who will make you gasp (he's that cute)
• Irene at Harlequin - mother, animal lover and talented digital scrapbooker in the Czech Republic
• Janet at Basset Momma - servant of Basset Hounds, Fred and Gloria - what more can I say?
• Lauren at Life with Desmond - doting parent of crazy (her word) rescue dog, Desmond, and dog trainer-to-be
• Leslie at Bringing up Bella - passionate dog rescue volunteer and patient parent of Bella, a recovering former street dog transplanted from far-away Puerto Rico
• Mary at Bermtopia - brilliant writer and dog mom to Ben, an adorable Aussie blend with a piercing dry wit
• Scrappy's mom at Yorkie Tails - typist for the born-Irish and now Minnesotan terrier, Scrappy, who just brims with inspirational anecdotes
• Sue at Greyhounds CAN Sit - lover of life and dogs, namely her grand Greyhound, Beryl, and handsome pigdog (her word), Frankie, in the stunningly beautiful coastal town of Feilding, New Zealand

So as I was saying, they're all award-winning, each snagging at least one of these three noteworthy blogging awards:

Norwegian origin

Passed to me from the Czech Republic

German origin, translated "dearest" or "beloved," designed
to recognize "up-and-coming" (less than 200 subscribers) blogs

And, each of these people has generously passed one of these awards to me, along with the privilege of paying it forward.

(For the record: I suck for not doing this in early December - before duplicates happened. But, on the other hand,  if I had, then I wouldn't have been able to introduce you to all these great blogs.)

A few things you should know:

• Most blog "awards" come with at least one rule.
• I have already followed one rule.
• I believe some rules are meant to be broken. 
• That's all I'm saying about the rules. :)
  (but if you must know them, try Google-ing the award names)

~~~~~

But, before I call attention to a few more awesome people with blogs, for fun (smile), here are a few random, previously unpublished things about me and my dogs:

• I once wrote and edited in HTML, hundreds of online reference documents for a large company. And to this day, I enjoy hand-coding lists (especially multi-level ones), including many of the ones you see on my blog.
  I also enjoy diagramming sentences.
  I am strange.
  
  
• Jon Farleigh had a twin puppy brother named Luke.
  Luke lives in North Carolina.
  

  

  Jon Farleigh is on the left (he has less white on his muzzle).

• This is what you'd see while seated on the toilet in my guest 1/2 bathroom.

  

  The toilet humor doesn't end with the blog. :)

• Dewi, although higher energy than Jon Farleigh, is the snuggliest of my two dogs. He will climb in your lap in a chair and spoon you in the prone position. Jon Farleigh, in contrast, snuggles in bursts (but will lick your face off). :)

~~~~~

And now a confession: The reason I have waited to accept these generous honors until now is because it is painfully difficult for me to select new recipients. I subscribe to over 100 outstanding blogs, and I consider all bloggers I subscribe to awesome people. So tell me, what's a girl to do?

Get over herself and advertise some (lesser-known-to-my-readers) great blogs, that's what. :)

Starting with "kreativity"

• Two French Bulldogs - Benny and Lily. They. Are. Crazy. Funny. Their mama could take this act far, if she set her mind to it. Make haste over there to check these cheeky Frenchies out, especially on Ba-da-bing Tuesday! 
• Happy Bark Days - The Adventures of Miss Little Red Maple Leaf - The author of this blog is a Canadian transplant in Singapore who writes about her life with Miss Maple, an adorable red toy poodle. She also writes intriguing travelogues and her photography is stunning.
   

Then on to the "lovelies"

• Peaceful Dog (Which could just as easily be called Peaceful Blog) - Kirsten, the author of this blog, is a professional dog trainer, dog owner of Lamar (a handsome Anatolian Shepherd) and foster parent to two adoptable pitties-in-training, Fozzie and Sandy. Here, you will find everything from dog training tips to photo journals of outdoor adventures with dogs in the Mid-Atlantic (US)-area wilderness. And, she has a soothing writing style that will make you want to curl up in front of a fire with a cup of hot cocoa.
• Ruffly Speaking - A previously well-kept secret of Cardigan Corgi people, this blog is a pleasure fest for the eyes and mind. From the remarkable photography, to the hilarious storytelling, and ending with the vault of expert dog-rearing information, this blog simply should not be missed. I promise, you will not be sorry you went there. 
• Daley's Dog Years - Chandra, the author, created this blog as a eulogy to her beloved dog, Daley, who at age 13, developed Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), a spinal cord disease that targets older dogs and for which there is no standard treatment or cure. A champion for the precious senior dogs of the world, especially those who find themselves homeless, Chandra uses this space to spotlight local dog causes and to provide valuable information to people who care for senior dogs.

And finally, the liebster "up-and-coming"

• The Daily Dog Blog - Julie, a self-employed graphic and web designer, created this space for sharing her beautiful pets: Cali, the 12-year-old Aussie x Golden Retriever, and three rescue cats, Monkey, Ashley and Zuni. Julie is in love with animals and it shows. Hint: I lifted this quote off her "About" page: "How is it possible that there are people in this world that are not “pet people”?"
  This just in: A new Labrador dog girl, Saydee, has moved in while her human (Julie's brother) is on assignment.
• Ozzy's World - Ozzy Oswald is a Min-Pin who was abandoned by his first owner, and through a twist of fate, came to find his forever home with the author of this blog - a DUDE. :) There are no pictures to speak of, other than the little photo of Ozzy in the sidebar, but the descriptive writing makes up for it. I love that this blog is from a man's perspective, but it's the funny stories that hold my attention. And hey, if you go there (please do!), do me a big favor and leave a comment. This guy's been writing his hands off with no comments to speak of (not even mine - that is, until I tell him about this award.).

~~~~~

Thank you again to all the bloggers who tapped me for this honor. You rock!

To the new recipients: Feel free to copy your award image and post it on your blog! If you choose to pay it forward, great! If not, that's okay, too.

Now, go find yourself a new blog to follow!

(Note: Since I'm posting so late today, and because this is way long, and I want people to have time to read it, there will be no post tomorrow. See you back here on Thursday!)

Cute Festival Dogs and, oh yeah, 'Who are you calling a giddy dog mom?'

So on Friday, I left you all hanging (indulge me) about whether or not Jon Farleigh and Dewi would be repeat contestants in the battle for "Cutest Dog" at ChesterFest. But before I reveal the answer, allow me to direct your attention back to some verbiage from my last post:

"...I think I might like to see some other giddy first-time-contest-entering-puppy-mom get to pose with her dog's blue ribbon this time around." 

Okay, well aside from that being an obscenely stereotypical (however probable) statement, I confess that it was also a fib. See, what I REALLY meant to say was:

 "...I think I might like to see some beefy, Chihuahua-toting real man dog-DUDE get to pose with HIS dog's blue ribbon this time around."

Because that's what happened.

Behold Cornelius, ChesterFest's newly reigning "Cutest Dog":

Look! My dad can hold me with only two fingers, and tweet about me at the same time!

...And you over there, my dad says good things come in small, fluffy packages.

We DID enter the contest, by the way. And, I'm glad we didn't win. :)

*****

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the ChesterFest "doggie" photo dump!

If Hearts Could Glow Like Stars

My blog friend, dog lover and passionate animal advocate at the Talking Dogs Blog recently honored The Chronicles of Cardigan with the unique "award" pictured at left. In case you're like me and aren't fluent in Spanish, I'll translate: "Prize - bright flashes in the sky - black cats." I added the "black cats" part for today's post. :) 

This past Tuesday, in honor of Petfinder's Less-Adoptable Week, I dedicated "The Versatile BlDogger" award to black-furred dogs everywhere, and promised that the black kitties would receive equal treatment. :) So today, in their honor and to thank Talking Dogs for recognizing my blog, I'm dedicating this lovely "bright star award" to black (and mostly black) cats everywhere.

Note: All the beauties appearing in this post are available for immediate adoption (here and here) in Richmond, VA.

=^--^=

For Eva 

If hearts could glow like stars in a black sea...

Flora

Twinkles

...would you look up and see me?

Jenna

I wish I may, I wish I might...

Madison (I have food allergies, but I'm still easy.)

Help your heart glow like a star tonight.

Titan

I know hearts can glow like stars in a black sea.

Mady

Rascal

Isis (I have two black brothers: Set and Ramses.)

Tess (Please read what my foster mom says about my unique Tortoiseshell coat.)

Because you should see how my heart will glow when you pick me.

*****

Do you have a black (heart) cat story?