You know… that Blog?

Gah, she got me!

Written By: Jenn - Apr• 07•11

Broot, my Kiwi soul-sister from Craving a Little Perspective honoured me with this Versatile Blogger award a few days ago – thanks Broot!

Awards are a nice way to show folks you appreciate them, don’t you think? Certainly made me smile, even though it comes with a little bit of work if you choose to accept it… which, of course, I did.

versatile_blogger_award

The Versatile Blogger Rules:

1. Thank the person who awarded you and link back to them in your post.
2. Tell 7 Random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to 15 new found bloggers. (15, really?? Half the people I know won’t accept it!)
4. Contact each blogger you want to pass the award on to and let them know you’ve done so, and let the giver of your award know you accept it… or not. :-)

Oh man. 7 things about me? What haven’t I already shared with you?? Ok, lets see here. Hrm.

  1. My best feature is my feet. It’s all I have left that hasn’t fallen, or changed shape.
  2. I love to prune trees! A happy property is a tidy property. I once put a spike growing on a crack pine right through my hand as I was pruning it. Small victory for the tree.
  3. I find it very difficult to give up control of any situation. That said, there are a couple people in my life that I gladly give that authority to, but you might be surprised who they are. (The Hubby is not usually one of them).
  4. Even though I spend every waking hour literally surrounded by technology, I would like nothing better than to retire to a log cabin with few amenities and live life a great deal more simply. Well, maybe a beach house… ;)
  5. Cleaning copper and silver is a huge pleasure for me. Seeing the dull, oxidized metal turn brilliant is so rewarding.
  6. I am easily overwhelmed these days, and have been doing my best to reduce the amount of things I agree to take on in recent months. Stress is highly overrated!
  7. I’m not a good sleeper – noises drive me batty. I can’t process them into “white noise” or learn to ignore them. Did I mention that the Hubby snores?

Ah, now the fun part… who to tag, who to tag. I must admit there are not too many “new” bloggers I can choose from – I have so little time to wander around the Blogosphere and mingle these days! Most of the time they find me, and I really appreciate that, believe me!

Perhaps a mixture of known and new will do. And… fewer than 15 to be sure. I’m not going to tag anyone I know full well won’t accept it, either. In no particular order, please enjoy the following Awardees!

  • The first person who springs to mind is Mary of One Perfect Bite – I’ve seldom found a food blog that has inspired me to actually make their posted recipes, but Mary is different. She puts up gorgeous yet simple (simple is good when you don’t enjoy cooking as a rule) fare, and most of it appeals to my family! Slowly but surely, Mary is helping me get past the “ugh” of wondering what to make for dinner. Past that I just really enjoy her as a person :)
  • Mama Zen is someone I enjoy too – and she is indeed very versatile! You never know if she’s going to be talking about farm porn with applomb or reviewing your next must-read novel. She’ll probably be shocked at this nomination because I am shockingly BAD at leaving comments and often just zip through using my reader and not making the actual trip to the blog itself. Yes I know. I suck. I’ll try to do better.
  • My favourite shrink who has a thing for Coffee Yogurt (don’t think we get that here in Canada) is a must-read. She’s a “tell it like it is” kinda Texan gal, which makes her my kinda gal.
  • Jade at No Longer 25 holds the singular distinction of being the only blogger (who wasn’t first my IRL friend that is) that I’ve actually had the pleasure of meeting in person. She writes with such joy about everyday life and her travels around the world!
  • Who could forget Betty? I love to read about her life in Paraguay, and share in her joys and experiences as she chronicles a different way of life. Sometimes she shares the most delicious Mennonite recipes too!
  • Another Mama! Mama Milton is a great, feel-good read. I love her take on things that make her smile. Invariably they make me smile too.
  • Drat, Broot, can’t I tag you too?? You’re definitely a soul-sister, my Kiwi friend! So strange the amount of things we have in common.
  • Not sure if she’s mad/angry, mad/nuts, or mad/Madeleine (yeah probably that last one), but you’re sure to get a chuckle from Mad Kane‘s humor blog!
  • Ria has accused me of choosing just the right haiku prompts to mirror her life (and thus stab her in the heart, etc) in any particular week… does that mean we’re psychically linked? Things that make you go Hrmmmmmnnnn…

You have to know there are dozens more bloggers I’d love to tag, but it would be futile at best – they won’t play! Besides, I’m running short on time and have to get ready for rehearsal..!! Sure hope I remember to let my recipients know ;)

 

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Written By: Jenn - Apr• 06•11
Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Welcome to “Sensational Haiku Wednesday!”

Click here for info and background on this weekly event!

The basics:

Haiku is simple! It is 3 non-rhyming lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (a great way to use your fingers!)

This week’s theme is: Growth

    Confusion of thought
    Enlightenment, new reason
    You are not for me

Reaching for the stars
Touch nothing; figurative
Expand horizons

    Look back and see it
    Missing all too obvious
    Appreciate past

Thankful for guidance
Hard won praise, respected man
Look to the future

Folks, a quick note about comments: I do visit everyone, but a few of you don’t have Name/URL enabled on your blogs, and I CAN’T comment in that case (and prefer not to have to email). Take a moment to enable that, will you? There are other ways to combat spam and still allow people with their own domains to leave their homage to your greatness ;)

Next week’s theme: Attention


Note: Nothing makes me happier than to see new people getting “hooked on haiku”! Keep it going to make it to the Hooked on Haiku List

To participate in this week’s event, please use the following code in your post on your own blog (if you don’t have a blog, post your Haiku as a comment):

 

Guest Post: K9 Crazy

Written By: Jenn - Apr• 04•11

Second in my Guest Post Monday series is a good friend of mine, who I met when she and another friend of ours did a home visit before placing Sadie with us – almost exactly 7 years ago today in fact!

Tracy is a passionate dog advocate, and one of the folks we’ve come to refer to as our “Dog People” friends. :) She has 2 Giant Schnauzers and a German Shepherd, and all three are extremely well trained, happy, and healthy dogs.

Tracy is an avid GeoCacher – something I joined years ago and have not yet made the time to get in to! I couldn’t keep up with her anyway ;) Her dogs are trained to aid in recovery of the caches, which is as impressive as it is thrilling to watch!

Please welcome my good friend, Tracy – AKA K9 Crazy!


The cost of responsible dog ownership

Responsible dog ownership involves more than just love.

Food, water and a clean shelter are essential. Vet care can’t be avoided. You must provide mental and physical stimulation in the form of exercise and training, socialization and a good diet. It’s up to you to keep your dog safe and teach it to become a good citizen.

Responsible dog ownership involves money.

In some cases a lot of money. If you can’t afford a dog then it is not responsible for you to get one. You also must remember that in general, bigger dogs cost more than smaller dogs in food and vet care, and two dogs cost twice as much as one.

How much money are you talking?

Let’s look at the first year of one healthy puppy’s life. The numbers provided below are approximate, they could be less or much more depending on your location, the size of dog and how much you are willing to spend.

“Free”-$1,500+ First you have to buy the puppy which is the cost most people are concerned about, yet in reality is not the biggest equation to consider over the lifetime of a dog. Buying from a reputable breeder may save you thousands in vet bills over the dogs life, with animals there are no guarantees.

$30 Leash and Collar

$100+ Crate

$30 Dog bed

$20 Food and water bowls

$10+ Toys, each

$20-$100+ Food per month. Depends on size of dog and diet. Keep in mind that a more expensive but higher quality food can save you vet bills in the future.

$1-5 Training treats, per package

$30+ Basic grooming supplies (brush, nail clippers, shampoo)

$25-$100 Hiring a groomer, depends on breed

$20+ Boarding one dog per day

$15+ City dog license

$90-$300 Training classes per 6-8 week session. This is not optional. One training class MINIMUM is what I recommend, if at all possible it’s better take classes for the entire first year of your dogs life. The time and money spent at this stage will be rewarded in full by a well-trained, obedient and happy pet. The shelters are full of animals who were surrendered due to preventable behavior problems. Don’t let your cute puppy be one of them, that is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

Vet costs:

$45+ Each time you walk through the door for an exam

$20 Vaccinations, puppies usually get 3 sets

$25 Fecal analysis

$35 Heartworm test

$50 Microchip

$115 Blood test

$70 Flea, tick & heartworm prevention for 6 months

$200-$500+ Spay or neuter

After the first year.

So you’ve bought the essentials, the puppy has grown and is settling nicely into your family. Congratulations! The regular costs involved at this stage are for food and vet care, toys, boarding and grooming.

Saving for an emergency.

Emergencies happen. Emergencies are almost always expensive and it is up to YOU to plan for them. Emergencies range from broken bones to long-term health problems like allergies or epilepsy. As your dog ages the likelihood of a health problem cropping up increases. Don’t find yourself in the situation of not being able to provide for your pet because of your financial situation. The unexpected should be expected and saved for. Add it to your budget! Another route some people choose to take is to get pet insurance. If you can’t afford this you should not own a dog!

As an example of what emergencies can happen and how much it can cost I’ve included the Top 10 Claims Paid in April by PetCare Insurance: Keep in mind that your chosen breed may be prone to some of these:

$5,000.00 Neurological Problems
$4,982.56 Anemia, Immune-Mediated
$4,626.65 Tachycardia (Heart Condition)
$4,391.48 Kidney Problems
$3,949.64 Gastric Torsion (Bloat)
$3,661.47 Cruciate Ligaments
$3,512.84 Osteosarcoma (Cancer)
$3,000.00 Uro-genital Problems
$3,000.00 Lymphoma (Cancer)
$3,000.00 Intervertebral Disk Disease

It’s not a pretty picture, is it? So plan for it.

Our best friends may cost us, but what they give in return makes it all worthwhile.

K9 Crazy