I won an award!

An update on the MangoMinster competition: we didn't win the cracker dog competition; I'm not surprised. Yes, my girls are crazy but there are some CRAZY dogs out there, that's for sure! I am not disappointed as it was fun to play along and to have a part in some February fun!  And, I am touched by some of the comments people left (and for the record, Moose, Sophie thinks you are quite handsome too!!! )

But, I did receive an award this week, one I hadn't even realized I had been awarded until days past. Jean, over at My Life with the Critters  awarded this little ole blog with the Stylish Blogger Award! That means more to me than winning Mango Minster and I am touched she thought of us!!

So, with this award comes a couple challenges. The first is to tell you seven new things about myself and the second is to award it forward, as it were.  So, I'll start with the seven things.

1. I am an intensely private person so having a blog is out of character for me. But, I blog for many reasons; to talk about my dogs in an environment where people aren't forced to listen, to express my thoughts, to share their funny, quirky stories. As well, I have an incredibly challenging job this year that I am struggling with, and this is stress relief in many respects. Because of the nature of my job, I will never share really anything about it online as it just wouldn't be appropriate, but I can at least still talk about the rest of my life which helps me not just think about work all the time!

2. I am a student again. This you all know, but what you might not know is I LOVE school. I love being a student, and plugging away at learning and internalizing new ideas and thoughts. I am a teacher, myself and I am realizing more and more that some of the ideas I am discovering could change the world of education forever (which it needs. I might be a teacher but I also understand the structures that keep education and school in place, just don't work!) I am planning on a PhD program and I am at the stage where I am excitedly looking at the possibilities of where I could go to do that! It will likely mean a major move but that's a very cool possibility.... I love the idea that when the time is right (I am hoping 2-3 years from now), I'll be able to move to BC or Ontario or Alberta. 

3. I am crafty but I don't have time to work on all of my crafts. I love to quilt and sew. I also make cards and scrapbook. I do a little beadwork, learned while teaching in Northern Saskatchewan. I also cross-stitch but this is the craft that mainly has fallen out of favour with me as I just don't have the time and energy necessary to devote the hours needed to finish my crazy large projects. I'll come back to it, I know I will when my life is a little less full.

4. I love to read and write. I would rather read than watch TV any day, and I have thought about cancelling my cable, as I just don't watch TV much anymore. I love just about any books and I continue to collect them as well. I am lucky in this house of mine, I have a room FULL of bookshelves where my favourites can live! I like mystery thrillers like Patricia Cornwell when I need to have a break, young adult novels and I have a particular fondness for Canadian literature- Douglas Coupland, Miriam Toes, Emma Donoghue. Ahhh, reading.

5. I love all three of my dogs for very different reasons. Spike was my second dog as an adult, and came to me from a shelter, during a time when I really needed a dog like him. I love how serious he is, how hard he works for me, and how he loves to just play with me, no matter what I'm asking. He's easy to train and loves his agility!  I love Sophie because she's the class clown. She has worked through so much stuff physically but she still comes around with a big grin on her face and a happy wag of that tail. She will be hysterical to watch running agility because she loves to show off. Murphy is quirky and strange. I love that she makes me laugh all the time at her antics. She is an incredibly determined dog; when she wants something, she tries hard to get it. She makes me laugh, but in a very different way than Sophie does. She manages to fit with the big dogs, even though I wondered if Murphers would be a mistake. Nah, I'm stuck with her now!

6. I am a little obsessive about things and if an idea takes hold of me, I'll research and read about it for hours. I just need to know, as a way to process things that usually are bothering me. 

7. If I am feeling stressed out or tired or sad, I often clean or bake. I have certain chores that I turn to, in order to calm myself down. I wash dishes and there was a time in my life when I just couldn't go to bed without a clean kitchen. I am not quite as obsessive about a clean kitchen as I used to be but now, I  mainly vacuum if I need to relax. And, do laundry. For some reason, I love doing laundry (but am less thrilled with folding and putting it away). Strange I know!

So, now onto the 15 blogs I want to award.... I suspect lots of these have already been chosen by other people, but it doesn't matter, does it? I'm still going to award them. I am not going to email people to tell them; they can read it here, and choose to do with it, what they want. That's ok with me! The majority of what I read is animal blogs, but I have to admit, I am starting to read Radical Teaching blogs. But, for now, I am going to stick with my favourite mainly dog blogs and leave it at that.

First, some old favourites of mine- well, of course Jean's blog but she award me! :)  Otherwise, Life is Better with Sheltie hair and Jacked are two friends who blog locally. Love them! And, Casper's Adventures by my dear friend Gwyn of course deserves the award!  I know I am missing local friends blogs... sorry if I missed you!! 

Then, I discovered awhile ago a blog that has led me to MANY of my newer favourites.... Mango's blog!  From there, I learned about Norwood and Tula . I also met Moose and Bolo.  And, Honey the Great Dane!  As well, there's Khyra Khorner and from sophie's view and Dog Daze (love blogs about Labs!).  New to me is also Arwen's Pack, but I am enjoying hanging there. Oh, and of course, my new friend at Living a Farmer's Life (stay tuned for more about this one... she does a monthly trick with her dogs and I am challenged myself to teach the same trick to at least 1 of the dogs, but hopefully all 3!  I need to update this soon and thanks for all your help with training this month's trick!) 

Ack! I'm running out of awards to award....I have to give the last two to my favourite blogs about Therapy Dogs!  There's Magnolia and Life with Claire. 

Sorry if I left a blog out that should have gotten this award too. It's hard to narrow it down, isn't it?? Anyway, that's all from me this morning... there should be pictures later of playing in the yard with the dogs. The weather is BEAUTIFUL, spring like (strange for February in Saskatchewan!) and I have to get out there with the pups!