Charlie Bear – More Turkey Days Please

Gobble, gobble. Yum, yum. Turkey day was fantastic! Was it good for you too?

Mom Peep says it was a special deal and not to expect that all the time. The house smelled delicious. The table was set up extra pretty. There were more people around than usual. I loved it all.

How come we can’t have this atmosphere all the time?

Mom says it can’t be that way every day because it’s too much work. Heck, if it means more morsels for me, I’d help her. I could peel potatoes, mix up the stuffing in a big bowl, bake an apple pie from scratch. Yup, I could.

Well, maybe not.

So I’ll be content to take extra special days when they come and I’ll enjoy them in their entirety when they are here. I love all the extra attention paid to me. I didn’t know which lap to jump on first! And I love how the boys played with me. I even slept with one.

I hear there’s another big celebration coming next month. I promised Mom I’d pitch in and help, even if it means just staying out from underfoot. She loves seeing all of her loved ones, and I love seeing her happy. Come on Christmas, get here soon.

Wiggles and woofs to you all for a VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.
Charlie Bear

No Chips – No Kidding!

TAYLOR’S TIPS for a more productive you…

Dear Friend,

Today, let’s talk about a CHIP.

Nope, not ”A Chip off the Old Block.” Not even “Blue Chip” like in stocks. Or even “Chips ‘n Dip,” which I can always go for (especially ruffled potato chips with onion dip – yummy. Let’s put that on the list as a Thanksgiving Day appetizer…oh, I’m getting off track, sorry).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, we’re referring to something else. We’re going to talk about having “A Chip on Your Shoulder.”

 

This phrase, ’a chip on one’s shoulder,’ is reported as originating with the nineteenth century U.S. practice of spoiling for a fight by carrying a chip of wood on one’s shoulder, daring others to knock it off.

 

I have to admit it doesn’t happen often, but I had a BIG one on my shoulder early this month. A change had occurred at work and I was being thrust into something I didn’t want to do. It involved revamping my schedule. It upset my routine. It put a crimp in my life.

 

I ended up carrying around the biggest chip you have ever seen. Then one day I realized — who was getting hurt by this? And the answer was: ME! My attitude was terrible. My performance was sub-par. My happiness was gone. That chip weighed me down. I didn’t like me and how I felt about myself and my attitude.

 

And that’s when I did this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I printed a little picture of a potato chip bag and drew a circle around it with a red pen. Then I cut it out and stuck it on my computer at the office.

 

Most people don’t know what it means. They probably think I don’t want to eat greasy potato chips (they’re not really good for me–fine in moderation though). But it doesn’t matter what others think of my little picture. To me, it means:

 

NO CHIPS.

 

No bad attitude. No sub-par performance. No more unhappiness.

 

It made all the difference in the world to let it go. To change how I thought about the issue. To resolve to be happy in spite of the changes that were occurring.

 

And you know what? It worked. No more chips for me! (Except for Thanksgiving – bring on the onion dip!)

 

Happy writing and blessings on your work.

Follow your dreams…

B.J.

Want some inspiration with that turkey and stuffing? The second of three e-books filled with stories of hope and faith is available now.

In the follow-up to SUNNY SIDE UP: Inspiring Stories for TOUGH TIMES, you’ll find uplifting and encouraging narratives in this second book just for WOMEN.

WOMEN on Kindle: http://amzn.to/tchBTI
WOMEN on Nook: http://bit.ly/uNwVSC

Tough Times on Kindle: http://amzn.to/oWyIIO
Tough Times on Nook: http://bit.ly/q7bNTG

And if you don’t have an e-reader, you can read e-books on your computer with Kindle for PC: http://amzn.to/dk8GIF

Also still available:
“The Complete Guide to Writers Groups That Work”
Kindle http://amzn.to/qDh28y
Nook http://bit.ly/qZTHIX
In Print through Amazon: http://amzn.to/n3wS5D

I would love it if you’d write a review for me on any of my books. Amazon readers dig those. Thank you!

What’s Happening…

Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference March 30 – April 3, 2012. This PREMIER conference is for writers at all levels, whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior to the craft. Come one, come all, to the greatest place to meet, to learn, to refresh, to pray. Ask for this as a Christmas gift, and do yourself, and your writing career, a big favor.  http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference 

26th Annual Southern California Writers’ Conference (and Retreat) February 17-20, 2012. Another great conference to check out.  www.WritersConference.com

Hope to see you there!

Blog: www.bjtaylorblog.wordpress.com 
Website: www.bjtayloronline.com

Thanksgiving – Personified!

Charlie Bear here — when my Mom Peep came across this she knew she had to share. I wish I could be a big dog like that. They have the LONGEST legs! And look at how one helps the other. Incredible.

To me, this is truly Thanksgiving. I send woofs & wiggles to both of them.

A DOG’S SEEING EYE DOG

Lily is a Great Dane that has been blind since a bizarre medical
condition required she have both eyes removed.   For the last 5 years, Maddison, another Great Dane, has been her sight.

The two are, of course, inseparable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soooo much love! Ever seen anything like it?

Dog People vs. Cat People – Interesting!

Dog People vs. Cat People

from Reader’s Digest December 2011 / January 2012

 

(l): © Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Thinkstock (r): © Pixland/Thinkstock

 

Hunch.com recently polled more than 200,000 pet owners to find out if they were dog people or cat people. The site then crossed those responses with lifestyle surveys and arrived at the following conclusions. Anything sound familiar?

Dog people: 15% more likely to be extroverts
Cat people: 11% more likely to be introverts

 

(l): © Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Thinkstock (r): © Dynamic Graphics/Creatas/Thinkstock

 

Dog people: 36% more likely to use a pop song as a ringtone
Cat people: 14% more likely to cling to friends at a party

 

© iStockphoto/Thinkstock

 

Dog people: 67% more likely to call animal control if they happen upon stray kittens
Cat people: 21% more likely to try to rescue stray kittens

 

(l): © Thomas Northcut/Lifesize/Thinkstock (r): © iStockphoto/Thinkstock

 

Dog people: 11% more likely to say they’d support cloning, but only for animals or pets
Cat people: 17% more likely to have completed a graduate degree

 

© Amazon.com

 

Dog people: 18% more likely to consider Paul McCartney their favorite Beatle
Cat people: 25% more likely to consider George Harrison their favorite Beatle

 

(l): © iStockphoto/Thinkstock (r): © Goodshoot/Thinkstock

 

Dog people: 9% more likely to think of zoos as happy place
Cat people: 10% more likely to send messages on Twitter

 

(l): © iStockphoto/Thinkstock (r): © Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Thinkstock

 

Dog people: 30% more likely to enjoy slapstick humor and impressions
Cat people: 21% more likely to enjoy ironic humor and puns

 

© iStockphoto/Thinkstock

 

Both dog and cat people:
- Talk to animals of all kinds
- Are equally likely to have a four-year degree
- Dislike animal-print clothing

 

* * *

Charlie Bear is all for dogs (of course)…but B.J. has to admit she’s on both sides of the doggie/kitty fence. Hooray for ALL pet lovers everywhere! 

Am I a Wuss in the Rain? asks Charlie Bear

The concrete is wet. The grass is wet. My feet are wet. I don’t like my feet to be wet.

I don’t like the rain. Why is it here so early? Seems like last year we had rain in maybe January and February, not in November. Geesh.

If I expect to get wet, like when the groomer gives me a bath, or I walk slowly into a heated swimming pool, that’s different. But to walk outside, expecting sunshine and dry ground, and to have to endure wetness on the bottoms of my feet and then ALSO rain pelting my body…welll, the indignities of it all.

Dad calls me a fair weather dog. Mom Peep even thought about taking me out under an umbrella. That’s pretty funny when you think about it. Her, standing there with an umbrella over me.

It’s a good thing I don’t live in cold country, like Colorado or the Midwest or even the East Coast. I hear they’ve been getting hit with SNOW already. White stuff, cold stuff, brrrr. That would be super hard to take.

So am I a wuss? Probably. Big dog Rex taught me lots of things before he left, but not how to like the rain. He liked it. Stood out there and loved it.

Not me, you can have it. Bring on the sunshine.

Charlie Bear Wants to Know…Why Am I So Tired?

I’m pooped. Plum tuckered out. I had my normal amount of play yesterday and today and I slept my normal amount of sleep. Same ‘ole, same ‘ole, EXCEPT for one thing: daylight savings time ended. I know, we’re not supposed to let it affect us, but I think it got to me.

Here’s what Dr. Jon of PetPlace had to say about it:

Daylight Savings Time officially ended at 2 a.m. today. For most of us that means we get an extra hour of sleep and relaxation before starting the day. Did you know that pets can be affected by the time change?

Dogs don’t use watches, but they can tell when there is a change in their owner’s behavior.

Much of a dog’s behavior is linked to our schedules. Your dog might get up when you do, and learn to ask to go outside at a certain point in the morning routine. They might even learn other behaviors depending on yours. (One client of mine, a little Boston Terrier named Rez, has learned to go back to bed when she sees her owner picking up her purse to leave.)

Dogs thrive on schedules. When those schedules are disrupted it can cause changes in their behavior. An extra hour in bed for you might mean your dog wakes up at the same time needing to go to the bathroom or to eat breakfast. If you’re not careful it can seem like you woke up to a dog who has lost all their training.  Learn about an ideal dog schedule.

Keep a close eye on your dog for any changes in their behavior after the time change. If they seem to be more anxious or are having more accidents than normal, try getting up an hour earlier and seeing if the behavior continues. Of course, you might get lucky and have a dog who will appreciate the extra hour of sleep.

Until next time,
Dr. Jon

Thanks, Dr. Jon, for the insight. I think I’ll go back to bed now.

Wiggles & Woofs,
Charlie Bear

 

Got a Cell Phone? Charlie Bear says check this out!

I don’t own a cell phone (that’s my Mom’s), but I think this is a great idea, especially the invisible dog part (that was me for quite a while). She’s never heard of this Foursquare thing but if you click on the link you can watch a little video that tells you what it’s all about (Mom did it and she liked it).This information is from her all-time favorite animal sanctuary place that she donates to all the time: Best Friends.Are you tech-minded? Like new things and new ways of doing them? Check it out — and maybe you can save an animal’s life like Mom and Dad Peep did for me. * * * Ever heard of Foursquare? No, not the old playground game when we were kids. This Foursquare is all about your mobile phone and checking in. A location-based service, Foursquare allows you to “check in” to physical locations as you go about your day. Now boasting 10 million users, people around the world check in at restaurants, stores, coffee shops and even animal sanctuaries. Specials can be unlocked simply by checking in, such as a free appetizer at a restaurant or a free gift when you check in here at Best Friends. It’s a cool service and idea, right? Well, we’re using this technology as a way for people to connect to their local animal shelters. What could be more special than helping save the lives of dogs and cats currently in the shelter system? It’s an easy and low-tech way to help us get one step closer to a nation of No More Homeless Pets. The first annual National Animal Shelter Check-in Day will take place on November 12th. It’s our hope that a whole new generation of people will hear about this day, and take the opportunity to visit an animal shelter and start seeing the many cats and dogs who never get that chance at a home. It’s all part of our invisible dog campaign. We’re asking every Foursquare user to head to their local shelter and not just check in, but adopt, volunteer or simply take a photo of a dog available for adoption. By doing this, we’re making shelter dogs visible! Right now, we’ve got quite a few shelters around the country ready to participate. We believe that they’ll meet new volunteers, supporters, and especially adopters on National Animal Shelter Check-in Day. Each of the participating shelters is already brainstorming their own ideas to make the day fun and unique for them. The Invisible Dogs campaign is all about shining a light on local shelters around the country and letting the public know that there are incredible animals waiting for a home. They just need to be seen. The National Animal Shelter Check-in Day is another way to make that happen. So grab your gadgets and download Foursquare to your iPhone, Android or Blackberry and start checking in today! Julie Castle Senior Director, Communications Best Friends Animal Society www.bestfriends.org