A Birthday Present and I Am Challenged

My wonderful and generous friend and neighbor, Karen, gave Maria a birthday present. She would have given it to Maria on the night of Maria's birthday party if I had remembered that I was supposed to call Karen and Steve and tell them that the party was on. Or, at least if I had remembered to call them before they ate dinner.
Luckily Karen is the forgiving sort and look what she found for Maria:

It's the Three Dog Bakery cook book!



Then in the mean time, I was given a creative challenge by the MOST creative person in the universe. And that is my friend and neighbor, Aynex. (Pronounced "Eye necks")

Here is her challenge:

• I'm challenging bloggers to make something, anything, and post about it. Let's see what you creative people come up with! Here are the rules:


• 1. Make something, anything. It doesn't have to be complicated or artsy. Make a list, take an interesting picture, make some one's day, make dinner, make a doodle, make fun of yourself, make a poem, make your bed (OK, that last one is lame).


• 2. Write a blog about it. With pictures for extra brownie points.


• 3. Link to this blog and challenge six other bloggers to do the same.

Why, Aynex, why???? What horrible thing did I do to you to make you be so mean to me? (Just because the whippets hurl insults and death threats at your cat?) And then, and then dear readers, it went from bad to worse. One of the other people Aynex challenged, Bizzy, answered the challenge by creating (from scratch) her own bath fizzy. Oh dear, here it is:
I do not have her permission to put that photo here and I do not care. Anyone that creative and clever deserves whatever.

I slumped farther into my dark lack-o-Martha-Stewart-itis abyss.

I needed to create something that was not only Aynex-worthy, but it had to be about dogs to be allowed on my blog, and Bizzy had set the bar just so stinking high. A home made bath fizzy? With its own home grown lavender packaging? Puh-lease.

I would not let Aynex down. I wracked - wrecked - my brain. I couldn't write a story or a poem, that's what I do.

OK. I made a belly band. It is my very own made up pattern, with strategically placed, washable swimwear grade elastic for better comfort and stay-put-ability. Could the fabric, and soft matching flannel lining, be much more adorable?





See? It's a clever thing to wrap around your dog's winky to keep him from peeing on your furniture.

Only I've been making them for years, I call them No-pees and sell them on eBay. So I was still a creative flunky.

But then I remembered Karen's gift to Maria. Yes! I could bake some wonderful dog muffins. Only I didn't have any of the right ingredients. But, forsooth, I did have what it takes to make "Simple Simon Birthday Bones" and how fitting was that? I had what it took, because all that was required was flour, baking powder, peanut butter, and milk. Woo-hoo, and I even added a topping of shredded Parmesan cheese. How's that for sheer creativity on a scary scale? Hey!

I mixed everything up, kneaded as directed, rolled the dough out, and used the cookie cutters I have had in bone and bunny shapes for years and never used. Popped them in the oven, and watched them cook to a golden brown. I was on the phone as I took them out of the oven, and...

I dropped the whole frigging cookie sheet.


But I didn't drop the second cookie sheet.

So here are my creations:


A Monkey Head No-pees Belly Band, and



Simple Simon's Birthday Bones and Bunnies with Parmesan Topping.


After all that creativity, I'm too tired to think. I will pass the Challenge on, tomorrow... heh heh heh heh, be very scared..


hug your hounds (Mine are delirious from their delicious homemade bedtime snack. They really taste good! How would I know? Well, how do you think?)