Proud to be Canadian

Today is Canada's 143rd birthday and I'm pretty excited about that, aren't you? Well, maybe if you live in another country it might not mean as much but you get the idea. You all have your special days that are meaningful, too.

I guess Queen Elizabeth thinks it's a special birthday too since she's in Ottawa today celebrating. Good ol Liz. Wish I could meet her. Even if she prefers corgies to huskies, she still sounds like a great lady and is pretty spry for 84 years old. Wish I could meet her and lick her hand. Brian got to see her drive by yesterday when he was walking in Ottawa. He's so lucky. I never get to go anywhere or see anything like that. Good thing I enjoy reading about the world as I don't get to travel much. Still, I am a dog who focuses on the positive so I don't dwell on my situation or blame anyone. One day I'll break off my chain again and have a good tear around the neighbourhood. That'll be fun.

Anyhow, back to why I like Canada before my two or three readers dwindles down to no one.

I think I live in a great country with so much to offer. Sure we have our problems like too many taxes with a new one starting today in Ontario. Aren't we lucky? Geesh. *looks in wallet and weeps*

Since I'm a dog who lives in the moment and focuses on the positive, I want to talk about what makes Canada such a great place to live.

I love all the wide open space and the clean air. Since going for walks is just about the best thing there is aside from jumping in a mud puddle, I would say that Canada is lucky to have an abundance of space. How lucky we are to have clean beaches, forests, oceans, lakes and rivers to visit any time of year. How lucky we are to have trails to hike, mountains to climb, rivers to paddle, and parks to enjoy.

I love the freedom, too. There are no police or soldiers roaming the streets harassing us for every little thing or demanding bribe money. There are no landmines to worry about stepping on. No gunfire to dodge. I'm a lucky dog not to have to worry about such things.

There is also not a lot of crime compared to some places in the world where people fear for their lives and belongings on a daily basis. I can't even imagine what that must be like.

I feel so grateful for those Canadian soldiers serving in those parts of the world that are unstable and unsafe. They risk their lives daily in their quest to bring freedom and security to other countries. Thanks soldiers for all you do for us.

In Canada, we are lucky to have lots to eat unlike some places where people are starving. We have lots of land for farmers to grow food and raise livestock. There are lots of farmers around where I live. They're the best! Thanks farmers for all you do for us.

One of the best things about Canada is how caring and accepting Canadians are. Sure, there is some racial intolerance and hatred around but for the most part, Canada is a caring nation. We help each other and welcome people from other countries, helping them find their way in a new land.

We live side by side, with different religions, different languages, and different cultures. And it works!

Canada is a great place to live and I can fully understand why people from other countries want to come here.

I'm a lucky dog to be Canadian.

"Oh Canada, our home and native land
True Patred Love in All thy Son's Command
With Glowing Hearts we see thee rise
The True North Strong and Free
From Far and Wide Oh Canada
We Stand on Guard for Thee."

Enjoy your poutine, your Tim's coffee and donuts, your barbecued hamburgers and hotdogs, your butter tarts, your flipper pie, your lobster, your feves au lard.

Enjoy whatever you like to eat to celebrate this day. I'll be thinking of you as I tuck into a bowl of dog kibble. (Woohoo, the excitement of it all. YAWN!)

And go see some Fireworks to end this wonderful day with a bang. Wish I could go the fireworks here. Maybe Brian will take me. A dog can only hope, can't he?

WOOHOO! Canada is the greatest!

Life is like doing laundry

Watching Cathy put out laundry on the line this morning got me pondering as I often do.

I am a deep thinker as you know.

That family sure does a lot of laundry and the Tide company must love them.

I'm glad I only have my fur to worry about. So much easier.

Did you ever realize how our lives are a lot like doing laundry?

There is that continuous pile of things that get thrown at us. We work through the pile and manage to get caught up with a fresh clean pile of clothes as proof of our efforts. Then bam, another dirty pile cascades down on us to take its place and the process starts all over again.

Some loads are particularly grimy and need rewashing. Even then, some stains never come out. That's just the way it is.

Some folks' laundry is much dirtier than others. Best not to air your dirty laundry with others as the saying goes.

And of course socks go missing and no one never knows where they've gone. (No, I don't have any in my doghouse.) *whistles and stares up at the sky*

Then there is the never ending sorting and folding that needs to be done again and again. Our basket is never empty and we always miss something.

But when you catch sight of those brightly coloured clothes flapping in the wind on a sunny day and catch a whiff of the fresh clean scent, how can you not feel happy to be alive?

I know I do.

Happy laundry day, everyone!

Love Loup

Favourite Movies

I saw this on another blog of children's book reviewers and thought it would make a good topic to talk about. Since I'm not much into book reviewing, I'd better not post on their blog unless they want my views on Proust or Balzac.

I'm not much into children's books like they are unless it's the story of "Balto" or "Husky in a Hut". That's Cathy's area of interest. Also it might confuse them to have a dog posting and I don't want to scare all those nice people. Then again, it might stir things up. Heheh I know. I'm wicked. Mwhahahaha

If anyone else wants to talk about their favourite movies, feel free.

Oh NOOOO! Cathy is bugging me to say what her favourites are. Geesh, that girl. Go get your own blog is what I tell her.

Well, I did say people could share what their favourite movies are so I guess I'd better let her post.

If anyone has a blog, why not link it to mine and we can share about our favourite movies. Sounds like fun. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. And I like my belly scratched too while you're at it. *rolls over onto back for a belly scratch*

Eight Below is such a great movie with all those clever huskies starring in it. And what a heartwarming story, too. That guy was so terrific going back to Antarctica to rescue his team. Awwwww. It really is my most favourite of all.



I enjoy Snow Dogs, as it is great fun and those dogs really show the owners who's boss. It makes me laugh every time I watch it. I wish I had a role in that movie as they looked like they had a great time making it.

I'm clever enough. I could easily have been in both movies. When is a talent agent going to spot me and make me a star? Guess not much is going to happen when I'm hidden away in the backyard. Even more reason for me to blog this way. Self promotion and establishing a platform is the key to success according to everything I've been reading.

Cathy has insisted that she post a few of her *Gag* favourites, too. YUCK! That girl has absolutely NO TASTE!


Cathy just adores "Jane Eyre" and has watched it umpteen times. She says that Toby Stephens as Mr. Rochester is the absolute best. Cathy can't resist him wearing those riding breeches and boots. Much sexier than any of the other actors who have played the role. Drool, drool, drool. Her words, not mine! *Rolls eyes at Cathy's immature behaviour.*

Cathy loves the book and the whole story of orphan Jane finding happiness with the lonely and brooding Mr. Rochester.

Her words not mine. Gag! Gack, this girl needs to get out more if this is what her favourite movie is. Sigh.

Her other favourite movie is no other than the sugary sweet movie of "Sound of Music."


Cathy recalls going to see it when she was 12 years old and being so captivated that she went back the next night to see it again. She has the music and knows all the lyrics to the songs. Heck, she could probably recite all the dialogue too since she's seen the movie so often. This girl needs help, I tell you! GAG!

So what's your favourite movie? I'd love to know.

Feeling unmotivated? Me too!

Ever had one of those days when you can't seem to get going on anything? I get those occasionally. Lack of motivation and procrastination sneak in and before I know it, the day is gone. YAWN!

As a dog, people probably don't think I accomplish much anyhow but I'll have you know that I'm very productive and I'm a deep thinker. I might not say much but I'm taking it all in whether you think so or not.

I read Proust and Balzac. I've even started a book by Stephen Hawking, the brilliant physicist who writes about black holes. Boy, if he wants to see some black holes, he should visit the back yard. I've got some beauties back here. I'm hoping that Tanner will fall into one eventually and be sucked into oblivion. A dog can always hope, can't they?

Anyhow, in an attempt to cope with this lack of motivation, I've turned to the trusty Internet for help as I know I'm not alone in my affliction. Surely someone out there in the virtual world can offer some advice for my plight.

I found a few helpful hints in coping with this condition that I'd love to share with you.

1. Create goals and deadlines to achieve them - Yes, those deadlines can be a powerful motivator. Cathy swears by them she says. She says she needs that adrenalin rush. Looks too exhausting for me.

2. Get some exercise and a change of scenery. Go somewhere out of the routine and see how it changes your perspective. Oh Cathy, how about a wallllk? Huh, huh? I promise I won't dislocate your shoulder yanking you down the street.

3. Carry a notebook for ideas - Geesh! Where am I supposed to carry it? Dogs don't have pockets. Who wrote that dumb idea? Good thing I have a great memory and keep all my ideas intact to write on Cathy's laptop later.

4. Try something different. Take up a new hobby or join a club. I've always wanted to try sky diving or bungee jumping. Kinda hard when I'm here in the backyard though. I never get to go anywhere. *POUTS*
There's always the historical society. They might not like me chewing on all their artifacts and destroying their fragile documents though. I know! The gardening group! I'll help them dig holes for planting their flowers. Only problem will be getting me to stop digging.

5. Get enough sleep and eat properly. I never have trouble with either of those except when Mr. Skunk happens by like he did last week. I didn't sleep a wink after that. PHEW! What a stench!Or if Cathy forgets to feed us when she's engrossed in writing one of those dumb stories she likes to write. I tell you, I'm the real writer in this family but I never get much recognition just cause I'm a dog. It's not fair.

6. Surround yourself with supportive friends. Avoid those negative types who drag you down. Tanner is one of those types. He constantly aggravates me. I'll keep digging that hole and hope he falls into it one of these days.

Why do we put up with those types? I really wish there was that Facebook feature in real life where we could hide or block aggravating dogs/people or better yet, just Delete them out of our lives completely if they were getting us down. Wouldn't it be great? I wish Tanner was on Facebook just so I could delete him off. Mwhahaaha!

Thank goodness for good friends Tyna and Al. There are also my casual buds in the neighbourhood who like to meet for a "sniff the butt" break (equivalent to a coffee break for you humans, don'tcha know?) There are also those annoying ones who like to pick a fight with me. They should know better than to pick a fight with Loup. I'm tough. I've lived on the streets. GRRR! *BEARS TEETH* Don't mess with me!

And I do appreciate my online furry FB pals, Winnie, Jody and Thio (Even if she is a cat, she's OK!) They're always there to encourage or support me. Thanks, guys. And my human friends Caz, Jen, Wendy, Marie-Andrée and Jane are great too. I love having all my women admirers. It's true. I am pretty fantastic after all. *Puffs out chest*

All this advice about motivation has totally exhausted me. I'm off for an afternoon nap. Talk to you all another time. Hope you all have an active and productive day. YAWN! ZZZZZZZZZ!

Novelty or Nostalgia?

The boys bought a record player at the church yard sale this weekend. They managed to find a few old records to try and I could hear the music pouring out of Rory's room at various speeds as they flicked the speed button up to 78 and down to 16.

They think it's the coolest thing since they've never seen one before. It's such a novelty for them. Cathy can't understand the novelty but it does make her nostalgic and she remembers her youth spending many angst filled hours in her room with her record player for company. She'd play her single 45s with the little clip in the middle that always fell out. She'd sing along with the Carpenters and play her flute along with movie soundtracks. Okay, Cathy. You can stop now. I think my readers get the idea. They don't need to hear about everything you listened to. Don't want to scare them away or make them fall asleep.

Readers tell me I'm getting a little heavy handed and serious with my posts lately so I will try and lighten up a little. I am a fun loving dog after all. Must be all that Proust I've been reading lately. That guy sure can get serious about the most mundane daily experiences. I must say I'd like to try a Madeleine Cookie though. They sound yummy. Wonder if I'll revel in nostalgia about it like Proust does. I doubt it. Maybe a dog biscuit would do the trick.

Cathy gets very nostalgic lately. Must be part of the aging process. She is getting on in years, it's true. I try to tell her that looking back at the past too much isn't healthy. Live in the moment, girl! That's all you've got and you have much less of it left than you did in your youth. Don't waste it in the past. Oh, I'm getting heavy handed and preachy again. Sorry.

Interesting to see how old things like record players make a comeback again. "What goes around comes around" One of Cathy's friends said that. Seems especially appropriate when talking about a record player. BOL! Sorry. Can't resist a good pun though it might make some of you cringe and stop reading. I apologize. Or maybe you stopped reading before this.

The boys saw some record players for sale in the stores with new features like mp3 conversion capabilities. Things from the past get recycled like gadgets and clothes. The young people view them as a novelty while the older folks revel in nostalgia.

Nostalgia gives an idealized view of the past as a happier, gentler time "the good old days" as they call them. Like a faded photo with fuzzy edges, nostalgia tricks us into thinking that times were simpler and happier. The painful parts are forgotten.

I suppose one day I'll be like Cathy when I'm older and be thinking about the good ol days when Tyna tried to steal my paddling pool from under my nose and Tanner picked a fight every chance he could.

It's hard for me to be nostalgic when I'm only three and haven't been on the planet that long. Plus I live in the moment and don't think about the past much. I'm having too much fun now! Everything is a novelty for me.

Wanna ditch the nostalgia for now and come play "old sock tug-of-war" with me? I'll be waiting!

Gratitude

Gratitude

Today I'd like to focus on gratitude. What does a dog know about that you're probably wondering? Well, I am quite brilliant and have a great self-help library as well as all the classics in English and French so bear with me.

Every day I try to practice gratitude as a habit.

I'm grateful for having wonderful owners like Brian, Cathy, Rory and Eric. Some of my fellow dogs aren't so lucky and suffer neglect and abuse.

I'm grateful for Tyna most of the time. *rolls eyes* except when she's acting possessive of me or stealing my pool.

I'm grateful for Alex who is growing old with dignity. Hope I can do as well when I'm 15.

As for Tanner, welllllll... No comment. GRRRRR. As for the cats welllllll. Again, no comment. I'm not much of a cat lover. Hey, it's in the DNA. Can't help that much.

I'm grateful that Brian took me in and gave me a good home or I might still be wandering the dusty back country lanes seeking my fortune.

I'm grateful for my doghouse and for my food and water. Some dogs aren't as lucky. Some people, too.

I'm grateful for being healthy and robust, able to endure most things. They don't call me "Husky" for nothing.

I'm grateful for living in a great country such as Canada though the extreme temperatures are a bit hard to take but hey, I'm tough, I'm a husky as I said.

I even have a gratitude journal I write in. It's a little muddy and "dog" eared (Cathy just groaned when I wrote this) but I still write in it. Even people like Oprah keep gratitude journals. I think they're a great idea. If you're feeling grateful for what you do have in your life, you're not focusing on what you don't have.

If you're constantly thinking of what you're lacking in your life, you're bound to be miserable. We're especially guilty of this with the constant urge to have new things. Consumerism and materialism constantly make you feel you're lacking unless you have the latest fashion, the latest gadget, the latest technical gizmo. We keep buying in our quest to feel happy about our lives and try to fill that void that never seems to get filled.

That ol "keep up with the Joneses" syndrome is bound to leave a person feeling inadequate and lacking. So what if your neighbour has a brand new car and you don't? They probably have a lot of debt and have to work long hours to pay for it. It all breaks eventually and that new car will end up in a junkyard soon enough.

Comparing yourself is a self defeating behaviour, too. I never compare myself to others but then I'm pretty great so why do I need to? I've never wanted to trade my life with any dog but I know some dogs do, poor things. I know some dogs would love to be me and I fully understand it. I'm pretty fantastic, it's true.

Maybe that other person looks like they're richer, slimmer, smarter, prettier, and happier but are they really? Appearances are deceiving. They have their problems like everyone else and they're definitely not perfect even if they seem that way from outward appearances. The grass isn't always greener as they say. Cathy says to cut out all the tired cliches like "appearances are deceiving" and the grass is always greener". Sorry about that, Cathy. Them's the breaks. That's the way the cookie crumbles. Every dog must have its day. Those cliches, gotta love 'em!.

So practice a bit of gratitude each day and don't be surprised if you instantly feel happier and more content. It's a good life and we have much to be grateful about.

Gratefully yours,
Loup

Confidence

Cathy often asks me how I can be so confident. Since it comes so naturally for me, I had to stop and think a while.

When you're as good looking and smart as I am, lack of confidence and low self esteem aren't problems for me.

I've been told I'm sometimes arrogant but hey, when you got it, might as well flaunt it, right? *puffs out chest and struts along*

I present myself with confidence and I think that is one of the most important steps to feeling confident.

Stand tall and look people in the eye. Speak clearly and don't be afraid to ask for what you want. Works for me! Uh, Cathy, isn't it my breakfast time? Honestly, where is she? It's 9:30 am already!

Where was I? Another thing is to focus on the good stuff in your life and not dwell on the bad.

Think of your strengths and achievements. That's what I always do. Be happy with who you are and get rid of that negative voice lurking in your head who tells you that you're no good. I don't have an inner critic myself but I've heard they're a big pain to have. A real nuisance. Kind of like Tanner who is always a thorn in my side. (Pardon the cliche! Hey, I'm a dog, not Proust. ;))

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here...... Oh sorry, I got carried away. I just love that Desiderata poem and the music is great. Cathy played it for me once and now I have that song stuck in my head.

Here is the Max poem to end this post. I'm sure you're all just drooling in anticipation. I know I am. Or is it that I'm hungry and thirsty. OHHHH, CATHHHHHEEEE! WHERE ARE YOU???????? TIME TO FEED ME! Honestly that girl spends way too much time on the computer. How do Brian and the boys put up with it?

DESIDERATA

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams; it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.


--- Max Ehrmann, 1927

Until next time, and remember Max's wise words, "Strive to be happy." That's what I do. Arf, arf, ROOOOOOOO!

Love Loup