Awards from Friends Old and New

Way back in January, Dennis the Vizsla dog sent me a nice bunch of hearts. I like the chalk marks on it. I don’t like having to decide who to give it to. Eight blogfriends, eh? Oh, arg.

Well okay. Based on my perception of my most ancient and consistent commenters, from the dawn of Lavenderbay’s history through to current times, I’d have to say… in alphabetical order…

• Goodbear
• Gina
• Alyson
• Livingisdetail
• Seabrooke
• Urban Thought
• Elizabeth  and
• Shelley.

Congratulations each and everyone yeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaay! (This applause has been brought to you by Kermit the Frog. )

…and, of course, Thank you.

Dennis the Vizsla himself is obviously a longstanding, constant blogosphere companion — if you look at my sidebar, for example, you’ll note that he’s awarded me with something every month but one since last June. If I ever get an award from somebody else, Dennis, I promise to pass it along to you!

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The other thing I’ve decided to nab is S. Le’s proffered “Nice Person Award.” (I’m going on the principle of “act as if”.) S. Le created it from a lovely photo of her lovely kitties having a lovely snuggle in their lovely cat bed. She has offered it to whoever wants it. If you would like to decorate your blog with this award, hie yourself over and make friends with S. Le!

Nice Things for a Monday

Hi people!

I’m catsitting somewhere, keeping the kitties company while I enjoy a beer. Beer always works much better before supper, much more efficient. And I’m convinced that hops or malt or something is good for me, because I’m always happier after having a beer than after having a scotch or a liqueur or any of that crap. Wine’s okay too, but it’s for Sundays. Or lamb. Or company.

Never mind. Back to business. “Time Team” is on tonight, so I’ll want to have today’s blog entry published well before that.

Today’s business is, Good Things for a Monday.

At the top of the list, Gina’s husband Cliff has a new job, after — what — two weeks of unemployment? Wow! If you’ve got any leftover good luck dust, Cliff, would you mind blowing it E.g.’s way? Thanks.

Next, E.g. has found another job to which to apply! That makes three jobs in less than three months! Well okay, put that way, the stats don’t sound all that great, but on the other hand, a fresh injection of encouragement is a good thing. I think. Anyway.

Third thing, Turtle has been given two more awards! Both from Dennis the Vizsla Dog. I think one of these days he and I will run away to Budapest together. It should be a snap, really; I can count to ten in Hungarian, and can also say “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “brethren”, and “forever” in that amazing non-Indo-European tongue. What more do we need?

Anyway, the awards:

1. The Perfect Blend of Friendship award.

The award sez “Trust, Kindness, Honesty, Caring.”  Now you all KNOW that my blogroll contains only blogs with these characteristics, but I am to choose only five recipients. Lessee:

1. Gina — that was obvious! When I die and go to heaven, I hope her mansion will be next door to mine;
2. Alyson – always there for me, when she isn’t busy dislocating appendages;
3. Livingisdetail — she’s all that; her warmth shines through her words;
4. Julie – she cares for the earth and her family, and is honest about the failures in her suburban garden;
5. The Aged Cat — heartbreakingly honest, meltingly kind writing; a lo-ot of us miss her.

Then there’s the Kreativ Blogger award. It comes with rules. Here they are, in Dennis’s handwriting:

• list six things wot mayk yoo happy
• pass the award on to six bloggers wot yoo consider to be kreativ
• link to the blogger wot gayv yoo the award
• link to the blogs reseeving the award
• notify the resipients

Um, all right, Six things that make me happy:

1. Beer.
2. Watching “Time Team”.
3. Birdwatching.
4. Hiking.
5. Singing.
6. Cuddling on the sofa with E.g. and the dogs, sipping a beer, and singing along to the opening credits of “Time Team” after a weekend spent hiking and birdwatching.

So now, presenting the resipients of…

2. The Kreativ Blogger award.

1. Almostgotit, for her humorous writing style and wonderful mixed bag of blog entry topics;
2. Tom K, creator of the delightfully imaginative “Checkers’ World” (btw, we miss you) ;
3. Eyegillian, for her original poems and photographs;
4. Bobbie, because anyone who can write about Commerson’s Frogfish with a straight face has got to have a deep sense of humour;
5. She, for her poetic moonstruck prose; and
6. The Orange Phoenix, for her poetry and white-knuckle tales of imperfect dates.

And it’s “Time Team” in 15 minutes! Gotta go. See you tomorrow!

C.O.L.A.: The Creators’, Observers’, and Lovers’ Awards

Good morning, everyone!

With yesterday’s blog entry/wine-and-cheese running to 700 words, I decided to leave the admin details till this morning. Here are the rules and regulations accompanying each award that was handed out yesterday, along with the lists of recipients repeated for your convenience.

Oh, and by the way, those “musts” and “have tos” in the regulations apply only if you decide to hang your award on your blogden wall; I have no intention of giving you all chain letters!

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First, for the Arte y Pico award:

1. PICK FIVE BLOGS THAT YOU CONSIDER DESERVE THIS AWARD FOR CREATIVITY, DESIGN, AND
2. INTERESTING MATERIAL AND ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BLOGGER COMMUNITY REGARDLESS OF LANGUAGE.
3. EACH AWARD HAS TO HAVE THE NAME OF THE AUTHOR AND A LINK TO HIS/HER BLOG TO BE VISITED.
4. EACH AWARD WINNER HAS TO SHOW THE AWARD AND PUT THE NAME AND LINK TO THE BLOG THAT HAS GIVEN HIM/HER THE AWARD ITSELF.
5. AWARD WINNERS AND THE ONE WHO HAS GIVEN THE PRIZE HAVE TO SHOW THE LINK OF THE ARTE-Y-PICO BLOG (HTTP://ARTEYPICO.BLOGSPOT.COM) SO EVERYONE WILL KNOW THE ORIGIN OF THE AWARD.
6. IN COMPLIANCE WITH SAID RULES, THE AWARD WINNER MUST SHOW THESE RULES.

The Arte y Pico recipients are:

Celtic Memory Yarns

Checkers’ World

Dog Daily Photo

We Three, Ginger Cats’ Tales   and

Wondering Eye.

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Second, the Superior Scribbler award:

1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

4. Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit This Post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

The Superior Scribbler recipients are:

Huckleberry Days

The Marvelous in Nature

The Right Blue

The Unwound Road  and

Urban Observation.

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And third, the I Heart Your Blog award:

Apparently, the rules for this one are lost in antiquity. Accept the award, refuse it, covet it, pass it on to whomever you will. Just keep it away from the teacher’s eyes.

The I Heart Your Blog recipients are:

Almost Got It

Cody Bear’s Friends

Gina’s Public Diary

Laugh in the Sun

Pennycat’s Weblog

The Aged Cat

The Chawed Rosin

Towards Sustainability

Wearing Stilettos   and

Yasashiikuma.

Have a good weekend, everybody!

Creators, Observers, and Lovers

How’s that for a catchy title?

Welcome, blogroll members! This is a Friday Festival of Blogfriends, with doorprizes for most of you and nice words for all of you.

I’ve been given some awards lately. One of them is not mine to pass on, although it is yours for the taking if you enjoy the underwater explorations of The Right Blue as much as I do. I was specifically named as a Friend of the Right Blue, I think, because I suggested John Denver’s “Calypso” as a theme song for Bobbie and Jerry’s blog. Please go visit their blog if you haven’t, and learn about their “Right Blue” badge in their November 9th post.

Another award, the Arte y Pico,  was given me all the way back in August by Elizabeth, Wearing Stilettos and Living on a Farm. She must have wondered why I never posted it or passed it on, but the reason is this: On checking its raison-d’être, I found it was originally intended for creative people — specifically, for handicraft workers. This award’s purpose is to acknowledge “creativity, design, and contribution to the blogging community.” Okay, I can stretch the definition a bit to include creative writing or photography; but in August, I felt that I hadn’t yet proven myself. Now, however, with just over six dozen bits of creative writing or camera pointing on tap, I graciously and humbly accept the award, Elizabeth. Thank you for your encouragement!

On November 16th, Dennis the Lovable Vizsla gave me an I Heart Your Blog award — for the second time! (Dogs truly are the gifts that keep on giving. ) The first time, in early October, I wimped out and unofficially handed it off to everyone, so I think I should more properly award ten bloggers today.

As you can see, most of my blog awards emphasize my — er — soft skills. Generally, I think, my writing makes people want to smile and give me a little scritch behind the ears. Sometimes the entries are funny; occasionally they’re fierce; always they come from the heart. Like many of you, though, I harbour a secret, insane fantasy life in which I fancy myself a writer. It was with great pleasure, then, that on November 19th I found myself the recipient of the Superior Scribbler Award, handed out by Alyson at Laugh in the Sun.

So. This is the last time I’m ever gonna be able to pull this off, but — there’s an award for each of you. Sort of. Dennis and Livingisdetail, because you were co-recipients with me (Dennis from Elizabeth, and Livingisdetail from Alyson), and because of the categories I see you in, you’re gonna hafta carry those awards around tonight, as you make your way between the ale and the Oka.

Here we go:

I. The Arte y Pico award is for the Creators, the spinners of yarns, the wielders of cameras, the designers of comics and the mythifiers of the moon. You are:

• Celtic Memory Yarns
• Checkers’ World
• Dog Daily Photo
• We Three, Ginger Cats’ Tales   and
• Wondering Eye;

(and the sixth Creator is Dennis’s Diary of Destruction ) .

II. The Superior Scribbler award is for the Observers, the examiners of Nature or of Human Nature, the reporters of secrets, histories, small parts and large trends. You are:

• Huckleberry Days
• The Marvelous in Nature
• The Right Blue
• The Unwound Road  and
• Urban Observation;

(and the sixth Observer is One Little Detail ).

III. The I Heart Your Blog Award is for the Lovers, of which there are many types: the passionate and the compassionate, the advocates and the next-door neighbours, the pet people, the people people, and the plant people. You are twice five:

• Almost Got It
• Cody Bear’s Friends
• Gina’s Public Diary
• Laugh in the Sun
• Pennycat’s Weblog
• The Aged Cat
• The Chawed Rosin
• Towards Sustainability
• Wearing Stilettos   and
• Yasashiikuma.

Enjoy the party, everyone! In a separate entry, I’ll post the award icons and the rules that go with each.

Turtle Wins the Tartar Plaque!

Okay, I made that up. It’s not even a very funny dentistry joke because, as I learned today, plaque is the soft stuff that regular brushing and flossing can remove, while tartar is the same stuff after it’s hardened. Prize-type plaques should be solid and hard to chip, like dental tartar, not gross and gooey, like dental plaque.

But never mind that. What I did receive was this, from Dennis the Vizsla:

Dennis passed this award along to eight other bloggers besides me. Three of those recipients are also members of my blogroll. If I were to subtract them and  Dennis, there would be twelve blogs left on my roll. Of those twelve, four blogs are currently dormant. That leaves eight blogs.

So, shoot, never mind the formalities: I’m passing on my award to TOUT LE GANG ! Everybody!

And if that sounds a bit flippant, please look at it this way:

I read slowly. I subvocalize. So if I’m going to put that much time and effort into any reading material, it’s got to be good. It has to be well written, carefully edited, deep, observant, informative, funny, warm, sweet — not all of those things together, maybe, but at least two or three of them.

• I won’t read most popular novels because they’re not well written. I like your blogs better than Stephen King.
• I won’t read the business section of the paper because it’s so cold. I like your blogs better than Dilbert.
• I won’t read most magazines because they’re so vapid. I like your blogs better than Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, or the Vegetarian Times.

So please, blogfriends, if your blog is not already decorated with one of these happy little I-Love-Your-Blog awards, be my guests.

And now I’m off to read my Elections Canada workbook on how to be a poll clerk. Wish me luck.

Big Red Puffy Things

Today’s entry is threefold. I will discourse on three things puffy, two bad and one good.

I. Happy, Happy Birds (a bad puffy thing)

Bon Echo Park was filled with birdsong last week. I was pleasantly surprised, since it was already July, well past migration season and most of the nesting. It was quite clear, however, why there were so many happy, happy birds, and what it was they were singing about. The dear little peepers were whistling songs of thanksgiving for the abundant harvest. There was more than they could reap! No matter how much they stuffed their chubby beaks with mosquitoes, they could never quite catch them all. The cornucopia spilled into our campsite, our tents, our car, showering our arms and our doggies’ noses with shining red blossoms. We played connect-the-dots on our forearms with washable marker, we studied our star guide to determine how many constellations we could find on one another’s necks. We were beside ourselves with the joy of it all.

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Evidence, laid out on a Cardi coaster.

II. The Eleven-Hundred-Dollar Pine Cone (a bad puffy thing)

Fergus dismantled a pine cone. He ate bits of it — I don’t know how much — while I wasn’t looking. I arrived on the balcony to see a mess that would do a red squirrel proud. That was on a Tuesday. On Thursday he was still throwing up, so we got him a morning appointment with our vet.

“What seems to be the trouble?”

“He ate a pine cone two days ago.”

“Hmm… I better run some blood tests, and take a few x-rays. Come and pick him up at 3:30.”

Five x-rays and some blood work and a bottle of antibiotics later, we were forking over more than half a grand for the diagnosis that Fergus has megaesophagus. Now I don’t have a degree in veterinary medicine, so at first all I could do was accept the verdict. I do, however, have a strong grounding in grade seven math, part of whose curriculum taught us about probability. The probability of a very rare disease, which is even rarer in Cardigans, showing up in two dogs within two years and both ending up in our home, is awfully slim; but apparently vets don’t need math.

I called Shelley anyway. She combed Cai’s and Fergus’s pedigrees to see if there were any hereditary link; she called her vet, and the provincial veterinary college, and me again, more than once. Her vet said Fergus’s esophagus was probably inflamed from the pine cone. Shelley also told me the signs of bloat, because I told her Fergus’s stomach was swollen. She also said she would like a second opinion.

Our vet didn’t say anything about Fergus’s big puffy belly. Our vet said Fergus would be fine going with us on our camping trip in three days. Fergus wasn’t fine. He threw up copiously all the way to Bon Echo, and gradually lost his energy (let alone his food and water). On the third day in the Park, we made an appointment with the Hastings Veterinary Hospital in the village of Stirling.

“What seems to be the trouble?”

“He ate a pine cone. A week ago. He threw up some bits of it, but he’s still vomiting.”

“His stomach is swollen and sore. His esophagus is probably raw from swallowing the pine cone, and remaining sore from the acid when he vomits. He’s really lethargic, too. May we keep him here for observation? Here’s what it would cost for the stay… and this treatment… or this…” Did I know a vet could consult with me ahead of time about costs?

The initial consult at this veterinary clinic lasted from 3:30 until ten after five! They had our vet’s record faxed to them, and dared to disagree with it. They kept Fergus in for two nights, IV-ing him and feeding him hourly. Gillian phoned them from the park payphone at 8:00, noon, and 3:30 each day; they supplied us with anti-vomiting pills already cut in quarters, another med, five cans of low-residue food, and their detailed care record decorated with two puppy stickers. Everyone was friendly, helpful, and professional. And Fergus was so happy to regain his puppy exuberance, his formerly floppy left ear was now up!

We were much more willing to pay this clinic’s fees, which were lower than our own vet’s for about twice as much care. Besides, they got the diagnosis right. Hastings Veterinary Hospital, in our opinion, is stirling.

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III. A Big Red Puffy Heart (a good puffy thing)

While we were away in the woods, Dennis the Vizsla sent me a Big Red Puffy Heart. Dennis is such a sweetie! He also sent Shelley one, which is probably timely, seeing as she had the worry of little Fergus added to her usual routine.

I’m supposed to pass this on to five other bloggers, but I would really like to give one to the folks at the Hastings Vet Hospital, just because I can.

As for the other four… Shelley and Goodbear got one from Dennis, and Eyegillian got one from Shelley, and not all my fellow blogsters really go for the sentimental mushy stuff, so there remains:

• Alyson, who deals with all things mushy: leftover cereal, chook poo, dog drool…;
• Livingisdetail, whose work is always from the heart; 
• Checkers, because if you squint at it the right way, the heart could look like a squeaky toy or maybe a ham sandwich;
• and
• The Aged Cat. Just because.

The Good Kitty Award

With all the awards flying over the blogosphere waves lately, I think Cuca deserves an award of his own. So today, I’d like to say a few words in praise of Cuca, our Curious Cat.

First, Cuca was born on the streets of Toronto, and left his mama at a tender age when Jack found him and we brought him home to stay.

When Cuca grew up, we spent a few months with a woman who doesn’t particularly like cats, and never let Cuca into her room.

Before Cai the puppy came home, Cuca suffered a bad scare from the unsecured exercise pen crashing to the floor beside him.

Subsequently, a strange beast came to live in the cage, eliciting first fear, then curiosity, and verry grradually a purring affection from our street kitty. I think it was the first time puppy Cai washed Cuca’s ears that Cuca’s heart finally melted.

Then we moved.

We have more friends now, including Julie the cat-chasing foxhound, who stays with us Monday evenings while her daddies go out to supper.

Lately, we’ve gotten another little monster. Cuca was just getting used to Fergus when we took away Fergus, Cai, and ourselves for ten days.

Shortly after the family reassembled, workers came to wreak havoc on our eardrums by sawing, drilling, and hammering replacement railings onto our building.

And just to put its two cents’ worth in, when the construction noise finished for the night the sky would rip open and pound us with thunderclaps.

And through it all, Cuca has stayed cool. Incredibly cool. He has nibbled his kibble, shown delight in his morning half-tin wet food, hopped on the table for his treats. When the noise has escalated to racket, he has crouched beside my computer for my companionship. He has accepted Fergus with little fuss, knowing already what a friend the puppy will grow up to be. Cuca has never once thrown up or missed his litter box. I AM SO PROUD OF CUCA!

Here, then, is his “Good Kitty Reward Award”. For all of you who think your cat might deserve one too, feel free to steal my picture and tell the world about your wondercat!