Dog Art Today

Happy Birthday, Darby!

Hollywood Darby

Two years ago, Darby was diagnosed with cancer and had his kidney removed.  The doctors said the surgery might give him another year.  When I came to pick him up after a week of post-op, he scampered out to  greet me with Frankenstein staples and a plastic cone, tail wagging and eyes bright.  I desperately hoped I would have more than a year with my little Doughboy.  Today, he turns fifteen.  I am so grateful I was able to give him that operation and he is still going strong.  He has been totally game about uprooting our lives and helping me create a new home in Grass Valley.  Thank you, Darby for being my dog, my co-pilot, and the best thing that ever happened to me.  Love - Moira.

P.S. Darby's friend Chewy is coming over for a birthday party. I got him a gluten-free organic apple pie from the local bakery and a cardboard roll from a used package of Saran Wrap.  He's thrilled.

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The holidays are here!  I can tell because my stats show people are searching for "dog ornaments", "dog greeting cards", "vintage dog christmas cards," and more.  If you've been thinking about advertising this season, now is the time to stake your claim on my sidebar.  I have new larger square ad space available and an excellent designer named Sabrina Helas who will create an ad for you for the recession-friendly price of $50 (it was $100 in the bubble days).

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Email me if you have questions.

Moving Day

Darby and I are moving to Gold Country today.  I'll be back blogging after the Fourth of July.  Have a great holiday!

P.S. I love the title of this photograph from the Library of Congress: "We have it rich." Washing and panning gold, Rockerville, Dak. Old timers, Spriggs, Lamb and Dillon at work.

Boston College Reunion

I am headed to Boston this weekend for my 20th college reunion at Boston College. Photo is from 1987 spring break in the Bahamas. I feel like the exact same person and completely different. Life is trippy. Can't wait to see everyone!

P.S. Wish I could remember who took this photo. Anyone?

Being An Artist

Moira McLaughlin Self-Portrait, 1975.  Grade 3, age 9.

This week I am making art.   So each day I am going to post images that inspire me.   Like all art it will be an experiment. Dogs may or may not appear. Hope you don't mind.

I recently rediscovered this self-portrait from a book I made in the 3rd grade entitled All About Me. It makes me smile.

Micheal Phelps Can't Wait to See His Dog

Michael Phelps the greatest Olympian of all time told Bob Costas he is looking forward to "getting back, seeing my dog, seeing my cars and setting up my new house." Wow, he's accomplished the most amazing achievement of the modern games and he still has his priorities just right. Awesome!

Video of him and Herman, his English Bulldog, courtesy of NBC.

Women Bloggers Choose Blogs Over Booze! Would you?

Photo by Genista via flickr.

A recent BlogHer poll found that 55% of women bloggers would give up alcohol for blogging.  Yet another testament to the addictiveness of the blogosphere.

Me?  Arggggg...I think I would have to say...booze.  But I would definitely fall off the wagon.

OK, Dog Art Today readers and fellow bloggers, which would you give up, blogs or booze?

P.S. View a very interesting interview about women bloggers with Jory Des Jardins, BlogHer founder, on BuzzLogic's blog.

John Edwards is Not a Dog. I Owe an Apology to Dogs.

Remember back in January when I compared all the presidential nominees to dogs.   I said that Edwards had a "Breed Identity Problem"  because he was a Black Lab stuck in a Papillon's body.

Well, today I apologize to both breeds and to the dog species as a whole.  Dogs are loving, loyal, and utterly honest.  They don't know how to by hypocritical. 

I can't say that for Senator Edwards who shows off his slick talents in this video made by his mistress, Rielle Hunter.   Watch him pour on the charm and listen to her giggle as they travel on his private jet and he puts the finishing touches on a speech calling for a "moral, honest, and just America."

BTW this video is one of a series of 4 webisodes that cost his One America Committee $114,461 but were suspiciously scrubbed from his website last year.  Read about the mysterious reappearing tapes here.

(Close up of adorable Papillon painting by Petcasso.)