November 25, 2014

Wordy Wednesday: Thankful! #ShareGratitude

Thursday is one of my most favorite days of the year here in the US: Thanksgiving!

So, in the spirit of a holiday that is all about gratitude (and FOOD - one of me and Rita's fave things!), we are joining the Share Gratitude hop!

I hope you don't mind if I get a little wordy, while I share a combined list for Rita and me.
The Things We're Most Grateful For

Our familial unit - I hope Rita is as happy with the family she picked as we are with her.
We love our BunnyRita!
Living by the beach - although we live in a big, crowded city, seeing the ocean every day makes everything feel a bit more... calm. We love a big blue ocean. (Even if Rita is afraid to go in. But then, so am I! There's creatures in there! And it's cold!)

Food! Especially ice cream - 'nuff said

Friends - Rita is thankful for her best girlfriend, Dakota, and her best little buddy, Reggie.


As for me, I'm so thankful for all my blogging buddies. I've learned so much from y'all! From Peggy at The Writer's Dog who taught me how to host a blog hop, to Jodi from Kol's Notes who showed me how Rafflecopter works, to Sugar & her mom at Sugar the Golden Retriever who showed us how easy it is to watermark our photos, to Ann from My Pawsitively Pets who taught me how to figure out the exact color I wanted for my PicMonkey text, to Elizabeth at Chronicles of Cardigan, who taught me how to add the social networking links to my blog AND how to drop the "blogspot" from my blog title! And so many more!!

Plus I want to give a big MWAH (that's a big air-kiss) to all of you who have reviewed my books and/or posted about them over the last year and a bit! Thank you thank you thank you! You're support is pawesome! So a big thank you to: Felicia from Jones Natural Chews, Jan from Wag N Woof, Peggy again, Jodi from Heart Like a Dog, Elizabeth again, Caren from Dakota's Den, Emma & Joy from My GBGV Life, Molly & her mom from Molly the Wally, Andrea from Rocco's House, Donna from Donna & the Dogs, Roxanne from Champion of My Heart, Denise from Denise's Dog Dish, Sue from Talking Dogs Blog (Rita sends a special shout-out to Jeffie!), and Taryn from A Tail of Two Cardis! And thank you again to Sugar & her mom for creating an awesome video trailer for Rescue Me, Maybe! I hope I don't miss anybody!

While I'm thanking my blogging buddies, I just want to send special shout outs to:

1) Carol at Fidose of Reality for the wonderful review she posted the other day for Rescue Me, Maybe! She writes: "...when Jane Bailey lost both her husband and her dog to cancer, I wondered how many of my heartstrings Bouchard would tug at within me. The answer: All of them, in a very good, uplifting, I so want to go hug my dog and be happy for the life I have kind of way." Isn't that sweet? AND she made this fabulous graphic!
Thanks to Fidose of Reality for this great graphic!

2) Sue at Talking Dogs and Dog is Good for the Dog Codependent giveaway that I won!

My prizes included:
A hat - which Rita wasn't super thrilled about modeling, but better her being the model than me!

A car magnet that says "I cannot live without my dog." Yup.

And a cool Dog Codependent mug. (Click to bigify and read the mug. Cute!)

I couldn't possibly name everyone who's blog I enjoy visiting (cuz it's a long list, and I have a terrible memory!), but I want y'all to know how nice it is to be part of the blogging community! We laugh and cry together, and hopefully all learn things from each other. Thanks to all of you who stop by to read the blog!


And... THANK YOU for letting me be wordy on Wednesdays!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

A big thank you to Oz the Terrier, Cascadian Nomads, Loved by a Collie and Kitty Cat Chronicles for hosting the Share Gratitude hop, which is open through Sunday, November 30th. Please join in (visit one of the hosts to join)!

And thanks to Blogpaws for hosting Wordless Wednesday!

41 comments:

  1. Looks like you have much to be thankful for. And how lucky we have an entire day to celebrate the fact.

    I love that you appreciate the water despite not wanting to spend time in it. There's a new book called Blue Water that talks about the effect water has on our spirits. Sounds like you've found that for yourself.

    Happy Thanksgiving.

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    1. I'll have to check out that book. I love the sight, smell, sound - but don't really feel the need to touch it, beyond ankle deep. Rita feels the same! :)

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  2. Great blogging community out there indeed, we agree to. The beach is nice but the water is too cold

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    1. Yes, the water is WAY too cold! I got spoiled when we lived in Bermuda!

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  3. Jackie that is a great list. We don't get to the beach enough - funny how 30 minutes of traffic is a deterrent - but as you know Ted and I like to get in the water. Not Toby though. Water is for drinking, not swimming. Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. Traffic is HUGE deterrent. I kinda plan my whole life around traffic. It's nuts. Rita and I agree with Toby! :)

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  4. So much to be thankful for! I a sure Rita is as happy and grateful as you are that you are all one big happy family! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
    Cairn cuddles,
    Oz

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    1. I hope so... sometimes we're not too sure what she's thinking. :)

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  5. I love the ocean, too! A quote I love: "The voice of the sea speaks to the soul." That's the nice thing about our place in Myrtle Beach, the ocean gets quite warm June through September....bath water really :-) But, it wouldn't take too much coaxing to trade it for San Diego!

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    1. Great quote! I love a bath-water-y ocean! That's how it was when we lived in Bermuda too. So nice!

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  6. So many wonderful things to be grateful for. I love the codependent stuff, how cute. And you books are wonderful. You are going to be a famous writer someday making millions of dollars and movie rights and everything.

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    1. Oh... I hope you're right! I would love to get a movie rights deal - how fun would that be?!

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  7. Thank you for sharing all of your loves with us. Blogging is alike having a big wonderful family.
    stella rose

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    1. It definitely is one big wonderful family. And not even too dysfunctional, like the real-life kind can be. :)

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  8. What a wonderful post! Happy Holidays to you too!

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  9. Rita is a lucky girl. Enjoy your family time this Thanksgiving!!!

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  10. What a great post, I love the things you are grateful for!! And thank you for the shout out, I really enjoyed Rescue Me Maybe! It was an awesome book and I appreciate you letting me review it.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

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    1. And I appreciate the support! So glad you enjoyed the book! Happy Thanksgiving back atcha!

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  11. I second all of these things except for the family unit that I am most grateful for doesn't fit in such a cute photo! I had never thought before about how living by the beach makes living in the crazy, but city bearable but that rings so very true. Even though Jason and I both grew up here, I lived by the beach and he lived by the lake. So when we were shopping for a house together, I had to make it clear that I had to be within walking distance of the salt water. Though until now I never had an exact reason why besides the wonderful smell! That was enough of a reason anyways since I can smell the sea right now and am about to walk the dogs to the beach. Hooray! There is just so much to be grateful for. Thank you for joining the Share Gratitude hop, for giving thanks and for being one of our favorite blog friends too (especially Reggie- when I saw the blog hop thumbnail with him I cried "oh, Reggie!" out loud and sent my dogs into a barking frenzy... Thanks for that too, I think...)

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    1. I grew up by the beach so couldn't wait to get back to it after living in Canada and philly for 3 years! It's so nice to be able to take the dogs to the beach. That's so funny that the dogs went nutty when you said Reggie's name! :)

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  12. Thank you for thinking of us, and what a nice, kind post. We enjoy your blog and knowing you and Rita in Blogville. There really is so much to be grateful for in the world, one just has to stop and think about it. Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. Yes, it's true. If we all just stop and think about it I'm sure we all have many things to be grateful for.

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  13. My humans and I are codependent, too! :D

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  14. Happy Thanksgiving!! Thanks for the new blogs you showed me today. Can a favorites list get too long? Becky

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    1. Lots of good blogs on that list! Happy Thanksgiving!

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  15. Thanks so much for mentioning me, I am always happy to review your wonderful books! I agree that blogging buddies are the best, so supportive and helpful.
    I love your and Rita's list....I think Rita is pretty happy that she picked you and your hubby. We are so jealous that you live by the ocean! You certainly don't have to go in it to enjoy it. :)
    Happy Thanksgiving!

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    1. Oh thanks, that's so sweet! Hope you and your crew have a great Thanksgiving!

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  16. I love the beach photo! Sounds like you have lots of wonderful things to be thankful for.

    Hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving!

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  17. You? Wordy on a Wednesday?! Say it ain't so! Happy Leftovers Day!

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  18. We all have so many things to be grateful for. Thanks for sharing your list.
    The sayings on the Codependent dog mug are so true!

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  19. Many things to be grateful for, glad to have found your blog and books. Have a great turkey day weekend.

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  20. hello pooch smooches its dennis the vizsla dog hay that is a wunderful list of things to be thankful for and i am shoor rita luvs her famly as mutch as her famly luvs her!!! thank yoo for the tip abowt the oshun having kreetchers in it i am totaly in agreemint with yoo that oshun waters are best avoyded and i wil point this owt to dada the nekst time he thinks abowt ventchering into them!!! ok bye

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  21. Be completely sure Rita's happy with her family :) You must be so grateful for being so happy together!

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  22. I'm grateful to Midge Raymond for introducing me to "you". It was great getting to meet you! I love your posts and books! Thank you for introducing me to the blog paws community, your ongoing advise/support, giveaway and the shout out. It's easy to write a review on books I so thoroughly enjoyed!

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  23. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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