Back to Normal(ish)

Hello everyone! Sorry the blog has been quiet for a week. I've been having blogging withdrawals, but   hopefully starting tomorrow things will be back to normal.

I had to take a break from the blogging mainly due to computer troubles (and also just plain being busy - we went away for a few days, it was the hub's birthday, my brother-in-law visited, my sis and I were prepping our entries for the fair - anyway, posts & pics to follow on some of that!).

The computer was definitely the BIG problem though. My laptop died and I was forced to go out and buy a new PC. I'd known I needed a new one for a while but kept putting it off because I was overwhelmed by the options (Mac or PC? Laptop or desktop? Touch screen??). But when your computer dies, your forced to do some quick shopping.

Chick Lit Chit Chat Blog Hop: What's On Page 25?

This week, I'm participating in the What's on Page 25? blog hop. If you read your way through the whole hop, you can enter to win a fabulous prize! Read on! (I'll be back to my regularly scheduling blogging next week!)

Wordless Wednesday: The Almost-Perfect Doormat

Remember the other day when I posted about bilingual dogs and the need for dogs to learn French? Well, a couple of days after that, I came across an almost perfect welcome mat for our house:

Monday Mischief: Smoothie Mischief

If you've read my novel, What the Dog Ate, you know that Maggie, the main character, enjoys a smoothie for a post exercise recovery food. She always lets Kona, her chocolate Lab, have a go at her glass when
she's done.

Kona doesn't just eat undies. Lots of things make him lick his lips throughout the story.

FitDog Friday: Dogs Don't Do Pilates

Today we are once again joining SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place for the FitDog Friday blog hop.

Yesterday I asked Rita if she wanted to go do a cardio workout with me. Of course she did! We live at the end of a street that splits off into three separate deadends, each with a STEEP hill. Luckily we live at the top of the one deadend, so we don't have to always start our walk with a long uphill slog. But yesterday, I decided we'd hit the hills in each deadend, one right after the other. It was a good little 35 minute cardio workout and we were both panting by the end of it.

But Rita didn't really care about that - she just wanted to get out and GO! She doesn't give a hoot about cardio vs. strength training, and could care less about the latest fitness fad.

Don't get me wrong. She does cardio:

"I love aerobics, especially water aerobics! Gotta get the heart rate up!"

And strength training:

"More resistance, Momma! I need more resistance!"

Of course, she also makes time for stretching:

"You can make time for stretching by stretching & noshing at the same time."

And she knows that you need to recover after a hard workout:

"This is an important part of my recovery. Every athlete knows that!"

Abby even had a great core workout that she liked to do. (You think situps work your core - try digging on three legs!)

But Rita's not worried about getting in three hour-long cardio sessions a week, plus 2 - 3 strength sessions, or about keeping her heart rate at eighty percent of her max. She doesn't need a gym membership or any fancy equipment. She doesn't need a pedometer, a chronometer or an MP3 player. She just wants to move more, get out more, have more fun.

So, get out with your pup. Toss a toy around the yard. Chase each other around the dining room table. Move more, do more, enjoy more! It's good for you and the dog!

Happy FitDog Friday!



Mirth Watch Thursday: Best Dog Body Part

What's the best part of a dog? Is it his/her tail, since that's how your pup shows love? Is it the nose - so perfect for planting kisses on? While those dog-parts are pretty great, I personally think the best part of a dog is it's ears!

Whether floppy...

Rita enjoying a cinnamon roll treat

Wordless Wednesday: Name Game Challenge

Last week, Pamela at Something Wagging This Way Comes mentioned a fun photo challenge going on at the Raising a Super Dog blog. The blog follows the adventures of Euka II, a puppy in training for Canine Companions for Independence. The challenge was to take of a photo of your pup with his/her name spelled out in kibble.

Obviously for service dogs, this is an important lesson - that not everything on the ground is there for their own enjoyment. But I wondered, could Rita (definitely not service dog material due to her fears/issues) handle the challenge? We've been working on our down/stay, so I decided to try it. 

As you can see, success!