My Dog Benny is Getting his DNA Tested!

This is my dog, Benny. He's a rescue.
If I had to choose one word to describe him, it would be fabulous!
I know that he's loving, smart and generally a good dog.

What I don't about him is his breeds. I've taken a pretty good guess but I wanted to have a better idea. So, I decided to get his DNA tested.

After some research and review, I decided to order a testing kit from DNA My Dog - http://www.dnamydog.ca/

The kit arrived relatively quickly. I ordered it Tuesday night with standard shipping and received it on Thursday. Part of the reason I received it so quickly is because I live an hour away, but it also means the company was able to ship it out Wednesday morning. That's quick service!

In the kit I received:

• A congratulations letter with easy-to-follow instructions.
• A set of two sterile polyester tipped applicators (swabs with long sticks).
• A specimen envelope.
• A prepaid return envelope.
• A card to write down my customer ID number

Of course, I did the test Thursday night so I could mail it out Friday morning.

Before I began, I copied my customer ID number from the form/letter to the card.
The test was much easier to perform than I thought is was going to be. Benny couldn't eat or drink (except water) or be around other dogs or other dog toys for an hour before the test, as it could impact the results. That was easy enough since we didn't have another dog. Then, without me touching the tip, I was to swab the inside of his cheek for 20 seconds! I thought this was going to be a problem but it wasn't too bad. Benny just gave me that what-the-heck-are-you-doing look and pulled back a little. I was able to get the two swabs done without any help.  In the event your dog does destroys the swabs, which I imagine happens quite often, the company will replace them.

The swabs were placed in the open specimen envelope to dry for 25 minutes before sealing it. The specimen envelope and the form/letter were places in the return enveloped, sealed and mailed the next morning. The form/letter had my customer ID, a checklist of things to include and asked me what I thought were Benny's breeds.

I also emailed the company a picture of Benny, as suggested by them, for the certificate.

I'm so anxious for the results I've been checking everyday and sometimes several times a day. If the company is recording how many times I use my ID I'm pretty sure they would think I am crazy.

Results will be available online within two weeks after processing begins. They must have received the samples on Monday because the processing began on Tuesday. So far, a very prompt company. About a week later I will receive a certificate and breed information in the mail.

Now the waiting game.

So what breeds do you think Benny is?

How Can You Not Love This?

Here's something while you procrastinate. Maybe it will give you some writing inspiration.

I'm doing it again! I must be crazy but it's so much fun! - NaPiBoWriWee 2012

There has been so much going on I almost forgot about an annual writing challenge I've done since it began 4 years ago.

NaPiBoWriWee - National Picture Writing Week hosted by Paula Yoo.

The Challenge: Write 7 picture book drafts in 7 days.

You do not need to write a polished manuscript. These are spelling mistake ridden, ridiculously raw, gruesome grammar, problematic punctuation filled, 1st draft manuscripts. I don't think that made sense, but that's ok because that's how my manuscripts are going to be when I first write them. For me this helps me get the idea down on paper and not let the 'nitty-gritty' editing interrupt the idea flow.

One thing I didn't do this year, which usually helps me prepare for NaPiBoWriWee, is PiBoIdmo (Picture Book Idea Month) hosted by Tara Lazar. I'm really regretting it now. The concept with the PiBoIdMo challenge is to come up with a Picture Book Idea every day for the Month of November. Usually I take my 7 best ideas from this and use them for NaPiBoWriWee.

So, with a week to go I'm going to try to come up with 7 or more picture book ideas and pretend I didn't forget about it and pretend I've been prepared for it since November. With all that is going on in 'real life' right now, if I come up with one picture book manuscript I will deem the exercise successful. No excuses!

Are you ready?

A New Trick for Inspiration

This has nothing to do with writing. Well, it could be if you use it as inspiration. :) This is my guinea pig, Beanie. She's only 4 month old and we've perfected her standing trick. Too cute!

Guinea Pig Surprise - The Surprise

Be sure to see Episode 1 - The Plan and Episode 2 - One week away

Guinea Pig Surprise - One Week Away

Be sure to see Episode 1 - The Plan

The surprise is planned for November 18th, 2011

Guinea Pig Surprise - The Plan

See Episode 2 - One week away

Halloween Horror Poster Competition

I created this image for a Halloween Horror Poster Competition, on the Lyons New Media Centre Facebook page! I'm in need of votes and they have to be in before Oct. 31, 2011.

Click here to see it in full and vote : http://bit.ly/sKMMFO

JACK-O-LANTERNS - An Acrostic Poem

I've posted this acrostic poem before but I thought I'd post is again since it fits the occasion.

JACK-O-LANTERNS
by Madeline Barr

Jagged tooth grin
And nothing to say.
Candy he guards,
Keeping ghouls away.

Orange, cool armor he wears. His

Life, an internal light.
Armed with an eerie glow and the
Natural darkness of night.
Triangular, flashing eyes
Examine the area for miles.
Relentlessly protecting the sweet treats but
Never forgetting to
Smile!

Your Book Cover In A Game

What if your book cover could be part of a "spot the differences" game....on your site.....for free?

Free interactive media of your cover, logo or anything else you can think of is available at http://mediabarr.blogspot.com/

Help keep people at your site and passing your game on to friends.

Also, thought the scratch card might be a great idea for wishing a friend a happy birthday, we're pregnant or any other special message you might have for that someone special.

Picture Book Chat

If you are looking for a place to chat about picture books then you need to join #pblitchat. Aussie writers Kat Apel and Karen Collum run a blog called Picture Books Only which is the home to #pblitchat. The chat is held once a week all about picture books is open to writers, librarian's and all lovers of children's picture books. Even though they state "Sorry – no middle-grade or YA novels allowed" they do tend to enter the conversation every once and a while however the main focus is pictures books.

I have found these sessions very informative and entertaining with a very friendly group. We're all learning so no question is ever to stupid to ask and I feel comfortable asking all my "stupid" questions here. Every week there is a different picture book topic and sometimes a special guest. Kat and Karen listen closely to participants of #pblitchat and some of the topics are based on the feedback they get. Some topics in the past have been so popular more than one session has been devoted it.

Topics include:
POV, technology, submission tracking, goals, myths in picture book publishing, plagiarism and copyright, From idea to polished manuscript: How do you get there? and the list goes on.

Special guests such as:
Aaron Reynolds and Neil Numberman (creators of the ‘Joey Fly’ graphic novels) and other published authors and illustrators, publishing consultant Alex Adsett, agents, poetry writers...

Time and Place
The chat is the same day every week but you need to pay close attention to place and time of the chats. To help accommodate the different time zones the time and place of the chat alternates each week.

Every 1st, 3rd and 5th (if there is one) Thursday of the month the chat is held at 7:00 am Eastern Time on Twitter using the #pblitchat tag.

Every 2nd and 4th Thursday the chat is held at 6:30 pm Eastern Time in a Chatzy chat room.

For a full listing of #pblitchat times in each timezone see the About Picture Books Only page. In order to enter the Chatzy room a password is required but don't let that scare you off. Simply email pblitchat[at]skymesh[dot]com[dot]au or pblitchat[at]bigpond[dot]com and request the password. (This was necessary due to some off-topic gate-crashers.)

Miss a chat or what to know more information about a topic previously covered? Kat and Karen happily post the chat transcript on their blog. You can find the transcripts on the Picture Books Only home page. I'm also hoping to summarize the transcript here on my blog.

Picture Books Only: http://picturebooksonly.wordpress.com/
Karen Collum: http://www.karencollum.com.au/
Kat Apel: http://katswhiskers.wordpress.com/

Happy Valentine's Day

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I'm a little scratch crazy this week. :)