Posts filed under ‘Charlie Chat’
How do you decide?
Charlie Bear here. Decisions, decisions. There are all kinds of them each and every day. Like should I eat first or go outside and play? Should I jump up onto Mom Peep’s lap or go where I always go, right on top of Dad Peep? Should I pick one special toy I really like or try a new one?
Do you have that problem? Do you have so many things to choose from that it is hard to decide?
Mom Peep says life is full of choices. She has to choose what to write about, how to write it (nonfiction or fiction), where to submit her work, whether to take a chance on a new market, whether to invest her writing time in a full-length book idea or continue to write short stories that sell, how to juggle work with writing (she only works part-time, but it takes a hunk out of her day), and how to keep all her balls in the air.
Prioritizing is her key ingredient to a life with less stress. Every week, and then every day of that week, she takes her “to-do” list and writes down which projects need to be worked on first. Like when a deadline approached for submission of a Guideposts story, she worked on it nonstop for three days. Everything else took a backseat.
When that project was submitted, she turned her attention to the next priority on the list. And so on and so on.
How do you do it? How do you choose from all the goodies on your plate that God has heaped upon you? Do you find it overwhelming sometimes? I look at my toys spread out before me and wonder which one to put in my mouth that day, drag around the living room, and toss up in the air to catch and repeat. They don’t all get the same attention. I have to admit I like the green banana with the pink smiley face, the green turtle with the bulging eyes, and the little brown squirrel with the chewed off ear the best.
I bet you have favorite projects too. How do you prioritize or juggle your goodies? We’re all ears.
Wiggles and wags,
Charlie Bear
Do You Find it Hard to….
Charlie Bear here.
Change? The saying goes that change is the spice of life.
But I like routine. I get up, stretch my lean (kind of) body from tippy toes to tail, waggle to the back door, go outside, then I sit nice and quiet until Mom Peep feeds me. Then onto Dad Peep’s lap for some petting. They go to work and I lounge around the house, mostly sleeping, until they get home and we play a little. Mom Peep takes me for a long walk around the block and then inside for more Dad Peep time.
After dinner, I snuggle again and then off to bed at 8:00. The next morning I get up and do it all over again.
How about you? Do you like routine too, or is it time to change things up?
Maybe you could take a different route to work and see something new, or try a different grocery store and discover the prices are lower, or they have a larger variety of products like cranberry juice that you could drink instead of orange. Mom Peep has cut out bread. She misses her morning toast, but knows it helps her get back on track with her weight. And Dad Peep is taking his lunch to work and would like cookies or cake, but Mom says apples and fruit.
Maybe you always submit stories to the same place. You’re comfortable with that and let other markets slide by. Too hard to learn new rules of submitting? Too scary to break out of your comfort zone? What if it could be a fantastic new opportunity for you and you never even gave it a thought?
Mom Peep is opening her mind to revising and reshaping her three-book fiction series to become more marketable. People like it, but no one has made an offer. Her agent is trying, but nothing yet. Do you have a novel or nonfiction book you have been trying to sell for years? Is it time to throw the pages up in the air and see what settles as good, solid, sellable material?
As a dog who loves routine, I’m not saying give up everything that makes you feel comfortable, but how about tossing in an extra bone or two (or three or four) of different ways of doing things? That might make things interesting. And who knows, that could be just what you need to go down a different path that brings you to a shimmering, star-studded destination.
More power to change, I say! Share with us ways you have mixed up your routine.
Wiggles and Woofs,
Charlie Bear
Do you do this…?
Charlie Bear here.
Mom Peep does something kinda cool. She flies to Wisconsin for a family reunion every year where she gets to see her Great-Granddaughter, Aubree:
and all the gang.
She comes back filled up with love and hugs and laughter and even sometimes tears. They have a close-knit family and they rely upon each other. Me? I’m a roamer and a rover and a free spirit. I was found running around the streets of Los Angeles.
I envy the love Mom Peep has with family. Oh, sure, as dogs you wouldn’t think we’d crave family ties, and since I never knew my “parents” I can’t really miss them. What I have now is good, really good. Dad Peep loves me. Mom Peep loves me. I have all I need right here. Maybe you’ve had to turn away from something not so good and now you’ve found something great?
I understand what Mom Peep goes after when she goes away. Do you? Do you have a place where you prepare meals together, sit around and chat, play card games or hide ‘n seek?
Share where you might be going this year, or whether those loved ones are right around the corner and you see them all the time.
Tell us what makes you happy deep down inside.
Wiggles and Woofs,
Charlie Bear
Have you heard the Scoop?
Charlie Bear here.
American Pet Magazine runs a column written by me (ahem…Mom Peep) and it starts out like this:
I was found roaming the streets in Los Angeles, fending for myself with no one to care for me. If I’d been taken to a shelter, I would have never made it out because I had a bunch of issues: I threw temper tantrums, guarded my food and toys, and was sensitive to touch. So my rescuer took me to a foster home and from there I was adopted and found my forever home.
My column is on page 19 and continues with this intro: Charlie Bear is a 5-year-old muttigree who believes he won the lottery. No way could life have been predicted to turn out this good. In fact, his Mom Peep, B.J. Taylor, wrote the story of Charlie Bear’s first year in their lives. It’s an emotional, heart-tugging story that includes the big dog, Rex (Mom Peep’s forever love): Charlie Bear: What a Headstrong Rescue Dog Taught Me about Life, Love, and Second Chances
To read this new issue for enlightening facts and stories, click here:
Enjoy!
Wiggles and Woofs,
Charlie Bear
If Dogs Were…
Charlie Bear here.
Guess what’s coming this weekend? Valentine’s Day! Human Peeps love to celebrate the holiday with chocolates, candy, flowers, dinners out.
Me, I have a few suggestions for you from my heart to your heart. Do you think they might apply to Peeps loving Peeps?
IF DOGS WERE YOUR TEACHERS (an internet pass-around from “Unknown”)
♥ When loved ones come home, always run to greet them like they’ve been gone for a year.
♥ Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride in the car.
♥ Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
♥ Take naps.
♥ Run, romp, and play daily.
♥ Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
♥ On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
♥ Delight in the simple joy of taking a long walk.
♥ Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
♥ When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them.
♥ When you’re happy, dance around and wiggle your entire body.
If Peeps showed other Peeps this much love, the world would be a very happy place.
♥ HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Wiggles and Woofs,
Charlie Bear
Koko on the job…
Charlie Bear here with some help for you. Christmas is only ten months from now. I LOVE Christmas. Treats, big doggie bones, yummy tidbits of people food. Bring it on! It seems like a long time away, but we should get prepared.
There’s one job humans seem to love. That’s decorating their Christmas trees. Some people buy a tree and spend hours and hours decorating it with just the right ornaments and little white lights. Some like tinsel or garland. I don’t think there are two hand-decorated Christmas trees alike.
And you know how you have to undecorate the tree after Christmas, taking off all the ornaments, disentangling the lights?
Check out this guy. He can do all that for you.
His name is Koko. And he’s ready and willing to do the job.
He’s flattened out the top, now he’s working on the bottom.
Koko will take off all the ornaments by batting them to the carpet, rid the tree of lights by pulling each strand down until they hang in a big loop, and flatten the branches by climbing up and up to the tippy top and then back down again. When Koko is done, all you have to do is carry the stump of leftover greenery to the curb for the garbage truck.
Yup, Koko’s on the job. Helpful, isn’t he? He’s my kind of cat.
Do any of you have a cat like that?
Wiggles and woofs to you all,
Charlie Bear
Psssstttt….are you a romantic? Check this out: http://amzn.to/1vinAKT A great gift for a dog lover this Valentine’s Day, right? (There are even cats in it.)
God’s Serving Line…
Charlie Bear here.
Mom Peep read a quote this morning from Zig Ziglar. See what you think about it:
“As you go down the serving line of God’s Heavenly smorgasbord on planet earth,
God is going to reach out and take something off your tray
so there will be more room for Him to load your tray (your life)
with the good things He wants you to have.”
Okay, now. Let’s see. Does that mean less treats for me? Less toys? Less people food tidbits after Mom and Dad Peep finish their dinner?
Am I going to feel a lack? Will I be able to handle not getting all that I want (or think that I want)? What about the promise to make room for loading my tray with other goodies. I like that part, but I don’t want to lose what I already have.
Here’s where Mom Peep chimed in. She told me this: You can have anything you want in life, but you can’t have everything. Huh. I guess she’s kinda right. Cause what if I had ALL the kibble, treats, people food I wanted. I’d be 300 pounds!
She said that for her, she wants to see lots of people read her books and have them feel inspired and full of hope. She would like to eat cake and pies and cookies and especially hot fudge sundaes and not gain an ounce. ha ha Not likely, right? She wants to make money to live comfortably, but doesn’t want to work hard. She wants to travel and enjoy exotic places, but doesn’t want to spend a day on an airplane to get there or time away from me, her furry friend. (I like that part.)
So there you have it. Mom Peep and I both want everything, but we can’t have it. God sees to that. He censors our wants and gives us what we need. I always have enough kibble, even when I drain my bowl and lick the edges and look to Mom to give me more and she gives me that waggling finger that says, “Nope, you’ve had enough for now.”
And I always have enough love, that’s for sure. I am truly and abundantly gifted. Mom Peep feels the same.
So how does God’s Heavenly smorgasbord here on plant earth feel to you? Have you seen things taken off your own tray to make room for God to load your tray with special gifts?
Wiggles and woofs,
Charlie Bear
Are Angels on YOUR Radar?
Charlie Bear here. In less than a month it will be Valentine’s Day. Have you thought about gifts for those you love? Maybe a mom? A child? A spouse? A good friend who is alone this Valentine’s Day? Here’s an idea: Best Angel Stories 2015
Here’s what the editors say about the book: The Best Angel Stories 2015 is an exceptional annual volume brimming with amazing true stories of angel encounters! Created by the editors of Angels on Earth Magazine, each thrilling story will surprise and inspire you!
LEARN MORE Click for a free preview, details, and excerpts.
And guess what? Mom Peep has two (count ’em….2) stories in the book! One is called “Tina” about a sprite of a tiny dog that saved Mom Peep’s brother’s life, and the other is called “A Mother’s Love” about a telephone call from heaven.
I love angels. I think my Dad and Mom Peep are angels for taking me in when I was almost labelled unadoptable. That’s not in this book, but there are lots of great stories about all kinds of angels. It’s a beautiful hard cover, thick volume with more than 250 pages of stories you’ll cherish. Just like I cherish my angels and their love for me.
Woofs and wiggles to you,
Charlie Bear
A Coupon for Money Off? Come On…
Charlie Bear here and yup, Mom Peep has a special deal for you!
10% off ! That’s right…10% off the conference fee for the Orange County Christians Writers Conference coming up in April.
The catch? You must use it by February 15. That’s it! No other strings.
And all of you can use it. Not just one of you, not just two. Tell your friends, your writers groups, everyone you know. Come on down to the best Southern California conference with tons of opportunity to learn and improve your writing skills.
It’s going to be a sold out event I’d say. (Mom Peep thinks one of her classes is already close to sold out.) But I say pack ’em in and do standing room only. She has lots to teach you. Want details? http://www.occwf.org Click on Mom Peep’s picture on the site for info on what classes she is teaching, etc. She can’t wait to see YOU there.
Get on board the discount train. Redeem today.
Wiggles and Woofs to you,
Charlie Bear
P.S. Mom Peep says she’s feeling better after a car rear ended her on the freeway on Tuesday, which is why she’s behind (no pun intended) on her FB posts and on my blog posts. Geesh, Mom…let’s get with it. Just kidding. I’m glad she’s okay. But she apologizes for not getting this notice out sooner. She also says she’ll send it to all her Taylor’s Tips Newsletter list in case some of the folks don’t follow FB or Twitter or get these blog posts. She’s covering all the bases, like a good Mommy. lol
Are you happy about it…or sad?
Charlie Bear here. It’s coming whether we like it or not, right?
It’s the day before New Year’s Eve and some people are happy. Like Mom Peep. She loves December 31 rolling into a new year. For her it’s a fresh start, a new resolution, a new “word” (more on that in a minute). It’s a time to take stock of what the year that is leaving did for her, what she wishes had happened, and how she can make it happen in the new one.
How about you? Do you find it sad to see this year leave? Or happy, like Mom Peep? Do share what it is you are looking forward to in 2015.
Mom Peep’s word for 2015 is COURAGE. Like the lion in the Wizard of Oz, pulling on his tail, twisting it all around, blubbering and choking out the words, “All I need is some courage.” That’s Mom Peep. She has lots to accomplish in 2015 (maybe you do, too?) and she wants to have the strength, determination, and fearlessness to go after her dreams.
Comment and tell us what you are doing for 2015 and maybe your word for the year.
Wiggles and Woofs a day ahead.
Charlie Bear and B.J. (aka Mom Peep)
Taylor's Tips 