The Middle Name Game

Diane (Scout's mom) tagged me for a meme that uses your middle name.

I'm glad I have a middle name. Not all dogs have them. My middle name is Poppy. It's because of some silly video game The Alpha used to play, but it's also nice that a poppy is a flower. And around our house, it means a puppy, but all grown up.

Here are the rules:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.

2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name or your mother's maiden name).

3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person (or blogger of another species) for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged.)

P is for Pretty. There's no doubt about it, I'm a good-lookin' dog.

O is for Overjoyed, because I have a really sweet deal here with my family! Sometimes they tell me to get a job and pull my own weight, but I know they don't mean it.

P (this time) is for Prissy. I don't like to admit it, but there it is all the same.

P (again!) is for Protective. I do a lot of good guarding work, even when nobody wants me to.

Y is for "YES! What is it?" Which is what I answer every time I hear a question that starts with, "Cub, do you want a..."

And, I tag Whistle, Tiria, Molly, Phoebe, and Grendel, who has had a surprise houseguest this week.

Six random things

LawAndGospel tagged us for a meme! The rules are:
--Link to the person who tagged you. (done)
--Post the rules on your blog. (here they are)
--Share six non important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (we'll do three each, since we were both tagged)
--Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (we've tagged folks on this one before, so we'll just let you decide if you want to play...)
--Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. (Let us know if you play by leaving a comment!)

So here are the six non-important things/habits/quirks about me/us:

The Typist's turn:
1) When I give Cub and Angus good-dogs-go-out treats, I like the treats to be the same color. The Alpha makes fun of me for this, and I don't blame him.

2) I knitted a hat for the first time last weekend (thankfully, the yarn is pretty forgiving). It was a baby hat to match a blanket I'd done for a friend, and can be worn cuffed or un-cuffed:

3) I've watched more DVDs this weekend than I had so far all year.

Cub's turn:

1) The Alpha cut my toenails today. I was very good, and I got a treat after each paw was done (and all the treats were the same color).

2) During my nap today, I was chasing bunnies.

3) I have a habit of going On Patrol in the back yard. I cover the perimeter, then I sit sentry by the back gate. Sometimes a motorcycle goes by in the alley and I yell at it.

Scout gave me an award!

My friend Scout gave me this award! Isn't it nice of her? I've always thought I was special, but it's nice to know others think so, too.

And another cool thing about this award is that I get to share it! So I give the So Special Award to Zorra and Amie, and Princess Mindy (who got some wonderful PantiPalooza publicity this week), and Spooky, a cat who has started coming by to visit my blog lately. (I'm not very good with cats in real life, so I try to be extra-nice to them on my blog.)

I made The Typist help me give out my awards before she left this morning for a very long day. I don't like it when she's gone for very long days, especially when it's supposed to be her work-from-home day, where she sits at the computer and I come up and she pets me. And I hear tomorrow will be another very long day away from me, too. I don't know what it means to interview candidates for bishop, or what a bishop even is, but it seems like it probably won't be much fun if The Typist can't hang out with dogs while she's doing it. I'm just sayin'.

Day-Making Award

Spooky gave me an award! It's the You Make My Day Award. Which made my day! Here it is:


The award says you're supposed to give the award to 10 other bloggers, but as you may remember, I run out of counting paws at four. So, I give the award to:

Zorra, who prays for me a lot. (Her dog Amie is the same breed as The Boy, which is how we met.)

Mid-Life Rookie, who is way nice to me, even though dogs pretty much freak her out. She knows how much The Typist loves me, which helps. (Also, she and The Typist got really excited this morning because a bishop commented on MLR's blog. I don't get it, and neither does The Alpha, but MLR and The Typist assure us it's a very cool thing.)

Grendel, who spreads the word that Gravy is Love.

Molly, who started visiting my blog a long time ago and is a great blogpal (although I think if we met in person I might be scared because she's taller than me).

I have other blogfriends who make my day, too, so if you want to give out the award, consider yourself tagged!

Tagged for my 250th post!

Yes, we all know I can't count past 4 because I run out of paws after that, but The Typist says 250 is a lot of blog posts (even if she did throw in a few without me). So, happy 250th post to me!

For this special occasion, I've been tagged by my friend Rowan. Here's how it works:

- Link to the person/dog that tagged you.
- Post the rules on your blog.
- Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (I really like this idea, because we have had way too many important things going on around here lately, and it wears a girl out!)
- Tag six people and at the end of your post, link to their blogs.
- Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1) I'm not really ready to go to sleep for the night until I have a nice big sigh. Sometimes The Alpha and The Typist sigh after I do. They are mocking me, but I don't mind.

2) I like being a groupie. The band was over again tonight, so I got to hang out with them. The Boy doesn't like being a groupie so much. He usually hides under the coffee table or back in the bedroom.

3) My licking speed is so fast (Fastest Tongue in the West, they call me) that I can sometimes lick things thumb-havers would rather not have me lick, like their teeth and their eyeballs. I licked Miss Julie's teeth today. She was very surprised!

4) There's a couch in the den where I'm only allowed to sit on one end of it. But I like the other end better, and that's where I go when nobody's looking.

5) I like licking the holes in the compost bin. The Typist thinks this is disgusting and it gives me bad breath. She just doesn't get it.

6) I think any time is a good time for some yogurt. It's my favorite thing in my new menu. Except maybe the chicken. Or the cottage cheese.

I'm tagging... anyone who wants to play! Thumb-havers, dogs, other RevGalPetPals. Just let me know if you decide to play.

New year resolutions Friday 5

Sally over at RevGalBlogPals writes: Well it had to be didn't it, love them or hate them I bet you've been asked about New Year resolutions. So with no more fuss here is this week's Friday Five:

(It'll be a tandem play for us this week -- good thing, because it's been a while since either of us played!)

1. Do you make New Year resolutions?
The Typist: I used to, but I've been trying to stay away from them.
Cub: I have made and kept resolutions in the past, but I don't feel the need to be so formal this year. My fellow RevGalDogPal Scout says it well: "Silly! Dogs don’t have New Year’s resolutions! We live in the moment. We don’t regret the past. We don’t hope to do better. We know we are always doing our best."

2. Is this something you take seriously, or is it a bit of fun?
The Typist: Well, if I make a resolution it can be any time of year, and yes, I'd take it seriously. But for New Year stuff, nothing special. For a bit of fun, though, Questing Parson has a nice set of resolutions this year.
Cub: As a dog, there's not much that I take too seriously.

3. Share one goal for 2008.
The Typist: To behave at General Conference in a manner that honors God and my fellow delegates.
Cub: To be the best girl I can be.

4. Money is no barrier, share one wild/ impossible dream for 2008.
The Typist: Using about twice the vacation time I have available so I could not only go to the RGBP Big Event and GC2008, but also to things I've had to skip this year, like Perkins Theological School for the Laity, various locations in Alaska, and a visit to my niece in graduate school. And, while we're dreaming, have Cub with me at all of those things.
Cub: Frosty Paws every single day!!!!

5. Someone wants to publish a story of your year in 2008, what will the title of that book be?
The Typist: Confessions of a Church Nerd: Admitting That Following My Instructions Wouldn't Fix Everything
Cub: Bad Liver, Good Life: One Dog's Journey With the Thumb-Havers Who Would Do Anything For Her

Quincy's meme

Hi -- The Typist here, having been tagged by Law And Gospel, who writes: Dave over at Here I Stand posted on a sad note, that they had to put Quincy, the family dog, to sleep. Certainly, we pray for Dave and the family because we all know that pets are people too. Their stories are our stories. One thing that can guarantee good conversation is a sharing of the antics of our animals. So, in honor of Quincy and all of our animal companions past and present, I thought I would post a couple pet antics from our house and create a new meme.

1. What is an amusing anecdote about a pet friend in your life (past or present)?
When we brought Angus, a.k.a. The Boy, home, we pulled a fast one on Cub: we had some friends bring The Boy in through the front door instead of bringing him in from the garage as if he had arrived with us (which he had). She thought she was getting someone to play with for a little while, which was cool. Then our friends went home -- without The Boy. For the next 48 hours, Cub would stare at him, then at us, as if to say, Wasn't he supposed to be leaving? But things settled in after a while, and they're quite the pair these days.

2. What is a gift a pet gave to you when you really needed it?
There's nothing like a muzzle-nuzzle and a cuddle from a dog who understands that you're sad or upset. She may not understand why you're the way you are, but she knows how to be present with you and comfort you.

3. Share a picture of one or more of your pets - extra points for amusing photos.
I just happen to have a new amusing photo of Angus, a.k.a. The Boy, from our New Year's Eve celebration:

We were all hanging out around the fire pit, and he got thirsty. It was only ginger ale and pomegranate juice, or I wouldn't have let him drink it. (Certainly not with the existing canine liver problems in this household.)

And, just because she was so cute we could hardly stand it, here's a picture from the day we got Cub:


Isn't that sweet enough to rot your teeth?

Big grown-up Cub is having a liver biopsy on Monday. Please pray for her, if you're the kind of person who prays for dogs. (And if you're not the kind of person who prays for dogs... just don't tell me that, okay? I'd rather not know.)

Gracious God, we thank you for all of your creation. We especially thank you for the animals that grace our lives. May we learn the unquestioning love they share with us. Bless all of our pets, and those who care for them. Amen.

Now, I tag... Janie, Mary Beth, and SpookyRach.

Blog-Blessed!

Scout has a blog of her own now, and she blessed me over there! Thank you, Scout!

Here is the big explanation so I don't have to re-type it, and I can hurry up and get to the blessing!

The idea… it’s a game of tag with a difference, rather than looking inwardly, we look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for one blog friend. By participating in this endeavour we not only make the recipient of the blessing feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We’re going to see how far the bloggin’ blessings can travel around the world and how many people can be blessed! Recipients of a bloggin’ blessing may upload the above image to their sidebar if they choose to. If you recieve a bloggin’ blessin’ please leave a comment on this thread so that we can rejoice in just how many blessings have been sent around the world!

Okay... here are the three I'm blessing and praying for today:

I bless Whistle and everybody over at his place (Fish, Sister, Dubby, Andy, thumb-havers). They have had a really big year, and I pray that with Fish's leg all healed, everybody stays healthy and happy.

I bless Molly, too. She and I both have had not-feeling-good times this year, and I pray she keeps feeling better. Also I pray that Sam quits eating stuff he ought not eat.

And, I bless Zorra. I know Scout already blessed Amie through Zorra's blog, but I want to bless Zorra herself, too, because she helps The Typist pray for me and they have big email discussions about me and Amie. I pray that Amie's raw spot where she likes to lick her paw gets all better so Zorra doesn't have to keep worrying about it.

And please keep praying for me, everybody. I had another test yesterday (too many rides with needles at the other end lately!), and I think something else is coming up soon.

Love and poppy kisses,
Cub

p.s. to Grendel -- Over Christmas, I learned from my grandma that, like Gravy, Eggs are Love. You might want to check them out.

Meet Charlie

Charlie is a real coyote who lives with a thumb-haver. He was an orphan, and she took him in when he was wee tiny. Go see him!

Candy Cane Monday (Thursday, actually)

We got tagged by Zorra for this meme! She invited both of us to play. I'm going to let The Typist go first.

So, Typist, name five of your favorite all time gifts, either given or gotten:

1. This one's a little bit of both giving and getting: for our 10th anniversary, The Alpha and I gave each other a trip to Alaska. (Far better than one of those bits of jewelry the diamond cartels want you to buy, at least as far as I'm concerned. And definitely more memorable.)

2. The portrait of Cub that my sister painted. She has a truly amazing talent. Nobody else could have done it so well.

3. A thick book of children's stories given to me by a retired school teacher who was one of the saints of my childhood church. The book is now almost 100 years old, and Miss Gertrude used to read out of it to her students. By the time I got it in the 1980s, the back cover and spine were gone. I don't keep it out with other books because of its condition -- I keep it in a fire box. But it's very interesting to read and see how harsh many children's stories used to be!

4. Giving The Alpha an electric chainsaw for Christmas turned out to be loads of fun, even though he figured it out early. Or maybe it was fun because he figured it out early. He was so excited that I just enjoyed watching him react instead of being miffed that he guessed the surprise. It was amazingly cute!

5. Rufus, a stuffed toy dog, the first gift The Alpha ever gave me. Also known as Fake Dog, ever since we adopted Real Dogs.


Okay, now my turn to name five of my favorite all time gifts, either given or gotten:

1. SQUIRRELY! I don't have very much of squirrely left now--just a tail pelt--but I still like it. And I think I may be getting another one for Christmas.

2. I love giving thumb-havers poppy kisses. I've got the fastest tongue in the West (whatever that means).

3. My canvas teddy bear. I'm not allowed to play with it anymore because I tore all the stuffing out, but Aunt Lidna gave it to me after my hip surgery. It was very nice of her to do.

4. My friend Tux gave me his ropey Kong because he didn't play with it much. It's an Outside Toy. I really like it, and I even share it with The Boy. Sometimes we play tug-of-war with it. I usually win.

5. The Typist is kind of embarrassed that she knitted me a scarf, but I really do like it. She says that her knitting homework just happened to fit me, not that she did it on purpose. But I like it no matter what she says.

Does anybody else want to play this game?
Tell us if you do!

A prize from Mindy

The Typist here, reporting that I got a lovely prize in the mail when we came back home from our weekend adventure with the dogs! Thank you, Mindy!

Here it is:


And guess what? It's reversible, too!


How great is that? Oh, and it smells nice, too.

I'm going to have to wear purple to work as much as possible this week so I can show off my nifty-cool headband that my fellow RevGal made. Thanks again, Mindy!

Fab Four Meme

The Typist has been tagged by Zorra! This one is all about fours, but not my four paws... her answers in groups of four:

Four jobs I've held:
receptionist
junior advertising writer
public relations account representative
part-time church staff member

Four films I could watch over and over:
The Blues Brothers
The Muppet Movie
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
A Christmas Story

Four TV shows I watch:
Dirty Jobs
The Daily Show
Saving Grace
Doctor Who

Four places I've lived:
Clinton, CT
Hot Springs, AR
Conway, AR
Dallas, TX

Four favorite foods:
waffles
strawberries
vegetable steak soup
cheese fondue

Four websites I visit every day:
revgalblogpals.blogspot.com
www.umportal.org
www.methoblog.com
www.thepioneerwoman.com

Four favorite colors:
green
tan
red
gray

Four places I would love to be right now:
Seward, Alaska
New Mexico
Colorado
Right here at home

Four names I love but would/could not use for my children:
Forrest (immediate mental thought is "I'm Forrest, Forrest [insert our last name in place of Gump]")
Temple (love the name, but I will always remember what happened to Temple Drake in William Faulkner's Sanctuary)
Bartholomew ("Nothing rhymes with Bart!" --Homer Simpson)
Talkeetna (don't ask; I'm running out of ideas.)


I tag Mindy, Mid-Life Rookie, RevHRod, and LawAndGospel.
Hope y'all haven't already been tagged by somebody... this one's going around!

The Phoebe Interview

This is Phoebe. She lives Out West, and normally doesn't blog herself, but avanta7, a friend of The Typist's (they go way back, she says), is going to let Phoebe answer my interview questions. Isn't that nice?

So, here we go:

1. Phoebe, you are very fluffy! How does this trait affect your fur maintenance?
2. I understand you have cats. You look like you're about the same size as these cats. Is that the case, and if so, how do you cope?
3. What is it like to live Out West?
4. The question for all dogs: What is one secret of a blissful life that you'd like to share with your thumb-havers?
5. Wet or dry food? Explain your answer.

UPDATE: Phoebe has posted her answers.

If anyone else would like to be interviewed, please see the rules included in previous sessions and post a comment with your request. This has kept me busy blogging lately!

Two More Interviews!

Wow, this interview thing is interesting! I have had two more requests, one from a thumb-haver and one from a dog. This time they aren't in the same house, though: Aunt Lidna, from around here; and Molly, from far away where it snows more, and where Songbird lives with her.

First, for Aunt Lidna:
1. Why don't you live with a dog?
2. Sometimes you smell like chili. (The thumb-havers can't smell it, but I can.) Why is that?
3. Will you please share a St. Francis story?
4. Do you love me more, or The Boy more?
5. Dog on floor, or dog on lap? Explain your answer.
UPDATE: Aunt Lidna has posted her answers.

Then, for Molly:
1. You are a Ministry Dog. What is your favorite kind of ministry?
2. Like me, you have a dog brother. But you also have human boys and a human girl. What's that like?
3. Is the floor slippery at your church? Some places in my church it is, and I slide all over.
4. Same question I asked the other dogs: What is one secret of a blissful life that you'd like to share with your thumb-havers?
5. Frosty Paws: ever had them? If yes, share your opinion; if no, do you plan on trying them?

Please see my previous interviews for the Rules On What To Do Next, you two!

AnotherNother Interview: Bandy

Wow! The dog interview circuit is the place to be! Bandy has just requested an interview, too. Here we go:

1. I really loved swimming in your pool. How come you don't swim?

2. I'm sorry I knocked your tooth out... Want to try getting along with each other again some time?

3. You're a trim and pretty dog. What's your secret?

4. Same question I asked the other dogs: What is one secret of a blissful life that you'd like to share with your thumb-haver?

5. Walks or rides: which are your favorite? Explain your answer.

Now, when you've finished your interview, post it on your blog. Include this invitation at the end, for anyone who would like to be interviewed by you. These are the rules:

1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave a comment on my blog saying, 'interview me.'
2. I will respond by posting five questions for you. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post with your answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Thanks for playing, Bandy!

Another Interview: Amie the Cattle Dog

I've had another interview request! My friend Amie the Cattle Dog, pictured here with her thumb-haver Zorra, wants to give it a try. So, Amie, here we go:

1. You are the same breed as The Boy. Can you give me any insight into what goes on in his mind?

2. How did you get your name, and do you have a middle name, too, or any nicknames?

3. You look very happy in your picture! What is it that your thumb-havers do that makes you the happiest?

4. Same question I asked Cletus: What is one secret of a blissful life that you'd like to share with your thumb-havers?

5. Toys that make squeaky noises: yes or no? Explain your answer.

Now, when you've finished your interview, you have to post them on Zorra's blog with this invitation at the end, for anyone who would like to be interviewed by you. These are the rules:

1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave a comment on my blog saying, 'interview me.'
2. I will respond by posting five questions for you. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post with your answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Thanks for playing, Amie, and thank you Zorra for letting her share your blog for a little while!

UPDATE: Amie has posted her answers.

Interviews: RevAnne and Cletus the WonderMutt

Fellow MethoBlogger RevAnne agreed to be interviewed, and has graciously included the non-blogging Cletus the WonderMutt! So, here we go, with five questions for each:

RevAnne...
1. You're part of a clergy couple... what is your favorite thing and least favorite thing about you and your husband having the same vocation? (Yes, I know, big question coming from a dog, but I do have an intellectual side.)
2. How did Cletus the WonderMutt come to live with you?
3. Have you ever had a blogger meetup? If yes, how was it? If no, what would you like a meetup to be like?
4. I have one costume, Ace the Bat-Hound, to go with The Alpha's Batman. The Typist says I'm not getting any more costumes. (I'm kind of relieved by that.) Have you ever dressed Cletus up in a costume? Why or why not?
5. It's getting to be the St. Francis Day time of year. Do you ever do Blessing of the Animals?

Cletus...
1. "Paraclete Duke" -- how did your ever-so-stately name come to be?
2. How much do you weigh? I can't tell how big you are from your picture.
3. I hear you live with a cat. I sometimes wonder how I live with The Boy, who is also a dog... cats are only long-distance blog-friends for me. How on earth do you live with a cat?
4. What is one secret of a blissful life that you'd like to share with your thumb-havers?
5. Bandannas: yes or no? Explain your answer.

Now, when you've finished your interviews, you have to post them on your blog with this invitation at the end, for anyone who would like to be interviewed by you. These are the rules:

1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave a comment on my blog saying, 'interview me.'
2. I will respond by posting five questions for you. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post with your answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Have fun!

UPDATE: They've posted their answers.

Interviewed by Rowan

Rowan did an interview, and he asked who else would like to do one. I said I would, so here are the questions he asked me:

1. I can see from your photo that you like chewing on sticks. I do too. Here's the question: Which is better, a good stick or a belly rub? Explain your answer. Well, this is a tough question... I think it might be a two-part answer: outside, in the wilds of the backyard, I really think I like chewing a good stick the best. But inside, on the couch or the floor or (when The Alpha's out of town) the thumb-havers' bed, I think a belly rub really is more satisfying. Both are nice relaxing and rejuvenating pursuits for dogs, though. I recommend them.

2. I am a Methodist too! It’s a good religion. But, if you could practice any other kind of faith what would it be and why? Wow! My other dog-blog-pals are UCC and Lutheran and stuff. The cat-blog-pals are mostly Presbyterian. Molly is always blogging about how she loves everybody and they let her come to church a lot, so I think I'd pick UCC. (I've been to church a few times, but not when very many people were there. Don't tell anyone.)

3. What is your favorite thing about being a dog? I have lots of favorite things about being a dog! Let's see... I can take a nap whenever I feel like it. I never have to wear pants, and in fact, I look rather stylish without them. I get to greet almost everyone who comes over. My thumb-havers sometimes make jokes about me needing to pull my own weight around here, but I know they don't mean it (I would be a horrible sled dog, with my hip problems). I get by just fine on being an extra-cute girl and patrolling the perimeter a few times a day.

4. It looks like sometimes your guardian uses your blog to post her own stuff. I would never let my guardian do that. How do you deal with it? Well, since she does all my typing for me (she is The Typist, after all), we have an informal arrangement that if she really wants to post on her own, she can. But not too much. She really just wants to comment on other people's blogs more than she wants to blog herself. Also, now that she blogs for work, it means less nosing in on my posts.

5. If you could tell your guardian one thing, what would it be? Don't worry so much! Even the stuff that doesn't seem good is actually okay. We love each other and God loves us, too, and that means a whole lot. All shall be well.

Thanks for the interview, Rowan!

Now, if anyone -- dog, cat, thumb-haver -- would like to be interviewed by me next, these are the rules:

1. If you are interested in being interviewed, leave a comment on my blog saying, 'interview me.'
2. I will respond by posting five questions for you. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with a post with your answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Who's in?

Another well-duh quiz

On the Muppet Personality Quiz, I -- a dog -- am Animal.

Who's surprised?

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

New DogBlog friend

I made a new friend this week! Go over to BabyDog Bandy's blog and say hello!